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Mazda 626 Troubles

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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    NewCar - I got the O2 sensor at Autozone for 64 bucks. It has the OEM connector, so it was easy to do. In my case, with 79K miles, I am sure the sensor was at the end of it's life. However, I had my timming belt changed last year, and the fellow that did it was _VERY_ generous with the silicon sealant. So generous he did not use a valve cover gasket! So, when I took my old O2 sensor out it had a white dusty deposit all over it: Silicone (i.e., sand). I bet this didn't help the critter one bit.

    Thanks also for the info on the tranny flush. I will have it done as soon as I have time (hopefully I will not see my O/D light flashing before that...).

    G.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Tuesday I took my 1991 in for a trip checkover, and because I thought the steering was loose. It was not. However, at that time they discovered that the Manual Transmission seals between the tranny and the stick had failed. Levels were checked just last January, and they were just fine.

    However since that time I had lost a pint of fluid. Repaired for $105.00.

    Glad it was checked before the long trip. I wonder how it would have survived 1200 miles through 90 degree deserts.
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    rick95mzrick95mz Member Posts: 3
    Misery loves company. I've owned my 95 626 since it was 2 years old, and I've had every major complaint that others has posted to this site. Bad O2 sensors, replaced the transmission at 60K miles, rough idle when A/C is on and in drive, etc.

    Now the engine is loud after many quiet years of operation. I just took it to a mechanic and they had to weld 2 large cracks in the exhaust pipe to fix the noise. I guess $85 beats a $700 replacement bill. The mechanic told me the exhaust pipe sits over a protective plate that doesn't let the pipe dissipate the heat correctly and eventually caused the cracks and noise problem. Just thought I'd share and see if others had the same problem.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Hey gang,

    We'll, as I said before, the ECU gobblins heard me and decided to torment me again. The CEL is blinking away on my 626 (4 cyl. ATX). However, as I mentioned before, I learned this has a EEC-IV Ford diagnostics thingy, and got the codes myself. Just jumper STI to SIG return with a paper clip, turn the key (but not the engine), and voila! Codes! I get "111" for hard faults (which means nothing is broken at the time of the test), and "181" for the memory codes. Now, 181 in three-digit EEC-IV jargon, according to my little manual, means "Fuel system lean at part throtle Single. Right or Rear HO2S". Now, I don't think I have a rear O2 sensor, right?

    So the question is, what the heck does "181" means on a four-banger with a single O2 sensor? Some posts ago this was said to be MAF, so just in case I'll clean the darn thing again. I know I didn't break it last time because the little filaments were fine...

    Suggestions from any 626 gurus that may have heard of this will be thoroughly appreciated...

    G.

    PS: If you you are stuck with a 4cyl 94-95 with ATX, the stupid EEC-IV connectors are right in front of the battery...
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I haven't heard too many tales of this particular event, but I have no reason to think this system is exceptionally sturdy; I had a new muffler welded onto my old '93 at 81k after the old one seemingly disintegrated. Not expensive, but annoying.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I don't think these were being used on the four-cylinders back in '95. MAF sounds plausible enough, though geez, you just cleaned the darn thing, didn't you?
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    rick95mzrick95mz Member Posts: 3
    I also have a Mazda 626 4 Cyl (1995), I just posted #1053. When they repaired my exhaust pipe, the mechanic warned me that their was a rear/exhaust O2 sensor that may cause the CEL to blink since I repaired my exhaust pipe's leakage.

    So to answer your question, I guess the Mazda 626 has a rear O2 sensor.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    I think that up to 1995 they have only one. Actually, if you go to autozone.com or partsamerica.com, it will list only one for the 1995 4cyl, and 2 for 1996 and up. In any case, I will crawl under it (actually, I'll have it on a lift) tomorrow and double check.

    Rick, I am also hearing a 'rattle' on acceleration coming from the general vicinity of my exauhst, so maybe I have a similar problem to the one you had. Who knows, maybe I have a hole in the muffler or cat and that is throwing off the ECU.

    As for cleaning the MAF, I did not do the 'spray with carb-cleaner' part. I only blew air from a compressed air can (gently) to dislodge dirt. I wasn't to kin on coating the filaments of the MAF with lubricant (which my carb-cleaner had, or at least it said it had a 'revolutionary product that will lubricate and protect all moving parts of your carburator'...). Anyway, I'll get some 2+2 which has only solvents (pretty nasty ones too) and do the 'full' cleaning. I'll also change the air filter (which pretty much requires you to take the MAF appart...).

    Cheers,

    G.

    PS: Windowphobe, does your 'call-name' means you are a Mac/Linux fanatic? Good for you!
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    I'm not sure if spraying the MAF is such a good idea. You might want to get a professional opinion on that before you kill it.

    BTW, the '95 only has one O2 sensor.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    It's a well known standard procedure for them.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Well, a remanufactured MAF at autozone is $39 ($99 minus $60 core value). If I remember correctly, MrDetailer mentioned that his mechanic charged him $35 for cleaning the MAF. My point being, if I clean it and it works, I save myself $35. If I kill it, I can buy a new one for $39, which is only $4 bucks more than what I would have payed if I had a mechanic do it. Also, I contacted two Mazda dealers here in Philly, and they told me that they don't clean it, they only replace it, at an ob$cene price (roughly 350 bucks for parts and labor - I don't know where they get this figure. Even if they charged you 200 for the part, replacing it takes 15 minutes...).

    G.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Didn't know it was that cheap. But generally I like to stick to the original parts as long as I can.
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    With carburetor cleaner?

    I would suggest using electrical contact cleaner, NOT Carburetor Cleaner.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Especially if it has "lubricants", which you don't want on electrical parts of this sort.

    (Actually, I got this name from hanging on to DOS as long as possible.)
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    ctbroctbro Member Posts: 1
    Hello All,
    I have tried to find out if Mazda has had auto tranny problems in the past. I have found none. I now turn to you. I have a 98 626 w/ 86000 miles on it and the tranny just went. My Mechanic said there was nothing I could do regardless of how many time I changed the fluid and kept up on it. This sounds almost like defective equipment to me!!! Has anyone else had a simular thing happen or do I just have bad luck?
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I think the current record for losing a 626 tranny is 70 - not 70k, but 70 miles, many hundreds of posts ago.

    Without getting into the the standard religious debate here, I'll say only that neither of the two automatics offered in the 626 is likely to be a joy forever, and the LA4A-EL tranny in the four-cylinder cars (sourced from Ford, who calls it the CD4E) has had a higher failure rate than the GF4A-EL box (a revised Mazda design) in the V6 cars.

    And yes, sometimes there is nothing you can do, but there's no way you can possibly foresee this, and if you could, you wouldn't be here posting - you'd be at the racetrack picking winners.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Well, I did a lot of work on the 626 this morning with the help of a mechanic friend of mine. I changed the cam cover gasket, cleaned the throttle body and the MAF, and changed plugs and wires. I beleive that the cam cover gasket was the origin of most problems: Oil was seeping into the plug wells and down the plugs, two of which were fouled (2, and 3, although I had all changed 1 month or so ago). So, weak spark, unburnt fuel, rich mixture getting to the O2 sensor, and no way to lean it out (181 - adaptive lean limit reached).

    As for cleaning the MAF, I did it 'right' this time, and used 2+2. I made sure that it only had solvents and no lubricants, and I sprayed into the 'hole' in the sensor. It has two resistors (not simple wires), which look like 'diodes' (i.e., black little cylinders). After cleaning it, a lot of grimme came out the other end, and I made sure to dry it out well with compressed air (again, gentle blowing, not 20 pounds of air). The thing is fine and working (my friend actually tested it), so I think that this can be done to keep it going for a while before replacement.

    Again, I'll keep the group posted as to how things evolve with time...

    G.
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    rick95mzrick95mz Member Posts: 3
    I've had two power window switches go out. The passenger side front door and driver side rear door. (They went out at different times.) Is this another common Maza problem? Or am I just special this time? I priced the switches at the dealer (no after market parts available) and was told each is $65. Each! For a switch and some wires...

    I can wait to fix them since the driver console still works, but is there a known issue with them, or something easy to fix on it?
    Otherwise I'll have to visit my local junk yard.

    Good luck with the exhaust irishalchemist! You'll know there's a crack, it'll sound like a tank.

    My car is nice and quiet again. I used to hear my wife drive up with it, and she snuck up on me this morning, I didn't even hear the car. That's one of the things I liked about the 626, it's a quiet car, but still has some pep to it.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    One more thing I found about MAF sensors. If you follow this link you can see a close-up of a MAF 'filament':

    http://www.flash.net/~rfm2/massair.htm

    The filament is actually wound into a coil on a ceramic rod. So, metal and ceramic, I don't think solvent will do any harm (except if the stuff goes into the electronics above the filaments, then you are up the creek with no paddles...).

    Also, the 'rattle' on the exhaust was the heat shield on the pipe connecting the resonator with the cat converter. The welds holding it in place cracked, and the whole thing was loose. A couple of clamps and the rattle is gone...

    G.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Been pondering installing an ATX cooler. Looks easy enough and sounds like a good idea, particularly with the CD4E's pathetic record. I have a couple of questions, though.

    1) Has anyone done it? If so, any suggestions?
    2) What order, before or after the stock cooler?
    3) What size? I'm thinking a B&M 16K GVW should be more than enough ($42 at carparts.com).
    4) Should this be done before or after a tranny flush, or does it even matter?

    Thanks for any ideas. I plan to take pictures and put everything up on a web page when I get around to do it...

    G.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Hi All,

    After reading all the horror stories regarding the CD4E I am trying a pre-emptive strike. First, I'll install a tranny cooler as I posted before. This will be done in a couple of weeks.

    Now, I have had conflicting advice from people reagarding a full ATF flush. Since the CD4E does not have pan/filter (right?), the 'regular' ATX service does not apply (again, am I right here?). So, the full flush sounds like a good idea. However, several people have told me that they would not do it on a transmission with 80K miles and no record of service (I've got it since 68K, and I doubt the previous owner did anything to the ATX). What they say is that if I flush the old fluid out and add new, the detergents in the new fluid will dislodge dirt/grimme/varnish and this will kill the ATX right after the flush.

    So the question is, should I or shouldn't I flush it?

    Thanks,

    G.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Drain (you'll probably have to drain anyway, to install the cooler) and refill, and forget the flush. It won't get every last drop of the old stuff, but it's probably less of a strain on the internals. And don't do this while the fluid is hot, for reasons that will be painfully obvious if you do.

    How does your fluid look, anyway? If it's the right color and doesn't smell burned, you may be in better shape than you think.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Windowphobe, thanks for the suggestions. It's probably what I'll do. How much ATF do you think will drain out from the ATX through the cooling lines if I do this? Finally, is adding Lubeguard a good measure while I'm at it?

    As for the fluid's current color, I would say is a redish 'terracota', meaning, not dark sludge, but not bright pink either. And it does not smell like 'burnt toast', as other people has described, so I guess it's still OKish...

    G.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Sorry for the pestering, but I thought of something. What about changing the ATF using the 'multiple dilution' method? That is, suck as much as possible through the dipstick tube with a hand pump, add the equivalent ammount of fresh fluid. Drive for a while, repeat. After 5 times of this, and considering that 3 out of the 8 quarts of fluid can be sucked out every time, 90% should be new fluid.

    Any objections to this method, appart from it's cumbersome-ness? I think that it would be safer than a power flush with a machine, and if the new fluid does dislodge any junk, it could be sucked out in the successive dilutions.

    G.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Seems like it ought to work, though the multiple iterations might get really dull, really fast. Still, you'll get only half the stuff out with a single drain, so....

    Really light red suggests aeration, hence leaks. You don't want it to look pink.

    A couple of the guys here swear by Lubegard.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Hi All,

    Just wanted to let everyone know. After the valve cover gasket, plugs, and wires replacement, and the MAF/throttle body cleaning, the CEL hasn't come back to haunt me! It does not 'ping' either when I accelerate hard, and feels a lot more 'peppy' than before (all this is probably subjective, but...). In any event, it's nice to be able to got WOT without the thought of having the stupid CEL coming on...

    One more thing. My friend told me that to do what he calls a 'complete' tune-up I would need to change distributor cap/rotor and fuel filter. I looked for prices and found that Mazda stuff is twice as much than, say, Beck/Arnley. Any reason for going OEM Mazda and not aftermarket?

    Thanks,

    G.
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    fwatsonfwatson Member Posts: 639
    Sure, Mazda needs the money. :-)
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Since I've been looking under the hood quite a bit the last couple of weeks I was able to notice some minor stuff that would benefit from replacement. One is the power-sterring high-pressure hose that goes from the pump to the steering rack. The one that is leaking is the 'hard' one to change, which is the one that is connected to the steel tube that goes on top of the cam cover. How DIYable is this?

    G.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    My manual had not been changed for 90K. It was a brick Red color, and not clear. Didn't smell burnt. No problems.

    My Mazda mechanic worked for the dealer for 20 years before setting up his own independent shop.

    He recommends the following procedure. A drain and fill every 15K. When refilling Add the proper proportions of Lubegard or WearGuard. My son's 1997 had his auto stick between first and second. A complete drain and adding in his case WearGuard completely took care of the problem immediately.

    If you are not having any problems right now I would do the drain and fill with a good transmission fluid like Valvoline Maxlife, and add LubeGard as well. It can be purchased from NAPA. It has saved 3 of the transmissions on my family's vehicles. Just adding the new transmission fluid will be better than not doing anything, but the Lubegard gives it the extra boost needed to keep the transmissions more stable. I have used it for 3 years with nothing but success.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    The one on my 2000 seems simplified from the one on the 1993 I had.

    ALLDATA says that the official labor charge for changing this hose (on the '93, anyway) is almost twice the charge for changing the one that leads to the rack, which makes me think it's probably not that easy, but not impossible either.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Thanks for the info. I'll be installing the slusbox cooler this weekend, and I will try to 'asses' the fluid quility with the fellow who's helping me with the install - He builds hot-rods for racing and rebuilds his slushboxes, so I guess he'll know what to look for...

    As for the leaky PS hose, the leak it's not that bad, and after a more detailed inspection I realized it's the 'easy' one; That is, the short piece that connects to the PS pump with a banjo nut and runs over the cam cover. Provided that there is no pressure there when the engine is off (to avoid getting ATF all over the place), it should be a 20 minute job.

    Cheers,

    G.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    A good transmission cooler would be an excellent idea as well.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Hi There,

    Well, tomorrow I'll do the cooler install as I mentioned before. I have a couple of questions. After my friend learned that the filter is not accessible on the CD4E, he suggested I install a remote ATF filter at the same time we do the cooler installation. I checked on some pages, and they do mention it as a good idea.

    Now the questions:

    1) Is it a good idea, or am I just going to screw things up by making the ATF pump push the fluid through more hoops?

    2) If they are a good idea, which ones are better? I've seen 'spin-on' types that use regular oil filters, and the 'in-line' type (which have magnets inside).

    As usual, suggestions/answers/thoughts will be appreciated...

    G.
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    flamazdaflamazda Member Posts: 11
    Noticed (starting at about 12,000 miles) what appears to be a slight clank or clunk when auto upshifts (noticeable at lower speeds) on the 4 cylinder 2001. Is this normal? Don't think its an axle noise, believe in transmission.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Hi All,

    Spent all morning cutting/welding together and fitting an alumiinum frame and steel lines for the cooler. It's almost done, and next week we'll do the connection to the tranny. As I said before, I will take some pictures of the whole process.

    Anyone knows, top of their head, wich lines goes from the tranny to the radiator, and which one is the 'return' in the CD4E? It should be easy enough to figure out, but just to make sure...

    G.
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    dws7dws7 Member Posts: 1
    Have around 70 thousand miles car passed Calif. smog with flying colors, car runs good shifts good starts good have no problems but only get 12-13 miles per gallon in town what is up with this it's not normal what can be done beside sending it to pick your part.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Upper line is in from tranny, lower line goes back, or at least it was on the '93.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    This does seem a bit on the low side. (Worst tanks I ever got on my '93 or my '00 ran 20 mpg, both of which were in the dead of winter and involved engine idling while I scraped ice off the glass.) 70k is about time for an oxygen sensor, but since you breezed through the smog check, I'm thinking coolant-temp sensor. (If the computer is being told that the engine is cold, it enriches the mixture.) Does the temp gauge, once you're warmed up, wind up anywhere other than about five degrees west of dead center?
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Have you checked for fuel leaks/oddors? You may have a leak at the fuel filter, puncured gas tank, etc., etc.

    In a GLC I had in Texas I had really bad milage in the summer one time (and the GLC was VERY economical), and I was able to track a fuel cap that was not sealing properly. With 100 oF day in, day out and the car parked under the sum, the stuff just evaporated from the tank. But again, new cars seem to 'know' when the fuel cap is not holding vaccum by turning on your CEL (however, I think this is only for OBD-II cars, which the 95 ain't).

    Hope this helps...
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Replace PCV valve and breather filter if it has one, air and fuel filters, Put in new spark plug wires (premium) spark plugs properly gapped, and see if a tuneup is needed. Clean the MAF sensor, and consider replacing the Oxygen sensors.

    Something is probably reading the needed air/fuel mixture as too rich if there are no leaks in the fuel system.
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    jskhojskho Member Posts: 107
    Just had a pound of R12 put into the A/C of my
    93 143k mile ES. I was fearing that there were leaks which require a much more expensive repair.
    The neighborhood Goodyear store tested the system and detected no leaks and just one pound is needed for the recharge. Hopefully, their diagnostic is correct and it won't enlarge the hole in the ozone layer.

    Is it normal to loss a pound in a 9 year old car?
    And how much freon does the system actualy hold?
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    ghuletghulet Member Posts: 2,564
    ...I am considering purchasing the above. It's owned by the daughter of the original owner, 106k miles, she's selling it for $1200 (supposedly in excellent condition all the way around). The car sounds great, I'm looking at it tomorrow a.m.

    Anything in particular I should look for on this car? Thanks.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Wow, that AC is in great shape. Most loose a ponit every 2-3 years.

    If you're worried about the environment, in my area they can do a conversion procedure for under $400.00. It works well if they get all of the older fluid out. I recommend an air conditioner or Mazda specialist to ensure the procedure is done correctly.

    I converted my oldest a few years ago when I had to get a new air conditioning compressor. I really like how it has performed.
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    windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    The '93 (the last 626 to use R-12, I think) spec calls for 2.1 to 2.3 lb.

    In case someone is planning to ask, the later models use 26.5 oz (not quite 1.7 lb) of R-134.
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    mrsinilininmrsinilinin Member Posts: 1
    My '95 Mazda 626 LX with 105K miles has recently developed a startup problem, whereby it takes a bit of cranking to start, and once it starts, it runs rough for about 5 seconds. After that, it purrs. I've installed new plugs, plug wires, distributor cap/rotor and cleaned injectors, all of which helped none. Not sure if it's flooding or needing more fuel. Smooth, linear power througout range of RPMs. I'd check computer trouble codes via OBD, but the OBD hookup does not have the "STI" terminal for bridging as in the Haynes manual (or the "STO" terminal). The actual diagnostic hookup looks the same though - engine compartment, next to fuse (relay) box. It's not OBD-II, as it's too old and the hookup is not under the dash. No persistent dash (Check Engine or equivalent) lights to signify obvious running problem. Gas mileage is as good as when new. Vacuum registers 21 in at idle. Fuel filter is NOT new, which I think could be constricting fuel flow. Looks like a bear to replace. Any suggestions about startup problems and/or checking for OBD trouble codes? Thank you.
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Most start up problems can be traced to the fuel pressure regulator. Before you invest though, I would find a buddy with a gauge set and check the residual pressure on the fuel rail. Your Haynes manual should have a test procedure for this. If not, use it as a door stop.
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    mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Yes it's not in an easy position. A case where erggonomics was not considered in my opinion. It's very likely that it hasn't been changed on 105K and should be done regardless.

    I would also change the PCV valve.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    If you look back some posts by me (I started around 990), you will find how to get the codes from the 626 from 1995 (4 cyl.). It's a Ford EEC-IV brain, and to get the codes you need to jumper STI and the signal return (as you mention) in a diagnostics box that is right in front of the battery (between the battery and the headlights). Do it with key ON and engine OFF. There are detailed procedures in www.batuato.com:

    http://www.batauto.com/Ford.html

    You will hear the fans and other stuff self checking, and then the rest is looking at the flashing CEL. If everything checks out OK, you should get "111" for hard faults, and "111" for memory codes. The codes are three-digit, and the ones for the 4 cyl. 626 don't correspond with the ones for Ford. You'll have to do a google search for 'EEC-IV three digit codes', and you'll find pages that describe the codes for non-Ford cars with Ford brains.

    Now, if you are not seeing a flashing CEL, there may not be any codes in memory. This is OBD-I, and only registers codes when the CEL flashes (I think...).

    I agree with others, your problem may be the fuel filter, so have plenty rubbing alcohol and band-aids to clean and patch your busted knuckles after you change it (believe me, you WILL bust your knuckles badly when changing this thing...). What made it a thad easier (although longer) for me was to remove the cruise-control actuator that sits on top of the fiter.

    Good luck

    G.
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    irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    in particular, see the message I posted with number 1054...

    Also, look here:

    http://home.golden.net/~trinity/nav.htm

    look under MALF CODES...

    G.
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