Have a 97 626, and the O/D button on the side of the shift seems to not be working - the light on the instrument panel is lit showing it disengaged. However, pressing the button does not change anything. Any ideas from anyone?

hmmm...could be that the inside of the switch is stuck, or there is something wrong with the electronic trans control?

It seem that your transmission have enterred a code in the car computer ( why ? no one knows ) 626 trans are still a mystery to me.

But when this happen to my car ( 1994, mazda 626 LX 4 cyl. 2 l ) ( usually after a long run with a lot of charge in the car ), I just unconnect the battery poles for 2 minutes, then connect it again. the code will be cleared and the HOLD light should be OFF in your dash. The Overdrive will work proprelly again, the trans will not stick to 3rd gear at high speed, like it surely do with your car ?

626 Transmission are very fragile and it is recommanded to change the transmission oil every year to avoid trans problem. ( and save a lot of $$$ if your trans broke )

I recommend you to install a transmission cooler and an in-line transmission filter ( not very hard to do, I just did it my-self and I'm not a mechanic ) ( less that 50$ for the parts )

By adding transmission additive by LubeGard ( friction modifier trans ) you will also add some more year to your trans.

my owners manuel doesn't say anything about changing the tran's fluid?......anymore comment's on this guy's?

The transmission of 97' 626 4cyl auto is extremely poor. Unlike most of the other transmission having oil filter on the cover (so that you can replace or clean it when change the transmission oil), the 97' model place the filter in the core of the transmission. In order to replace it, you have to take it apart. You can find many stories about the poor performance of the transmission. And, it does not mean you don't need to change the transmission oil. On the contrary you need to replace the oil more often since you can't clean the filter. But, I am not sure how often it should be replaced. I will replace it every 10k (to be on the safe side).
zl2k[quote]ORIGINAL: ignantmike

my car is a '98 626 v6 motor...auto..trans.....i just put a hitch on it to tow a boat....14' row boat about 1000lbs......just wondering if i should change the trans fluid before i start to tow?.......thank's