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Comments
Would the fact you used regular gas instead of premium in a V6 cause the O2 sensors to go bad early?
-Matt
hondo98@hotbot.com
And for indianaalien: The Malfunction Indicator Light, to give it its full name, is telling you that something is wrong, and that a code has been set to identify what is wrong. Get a scanning tool, or get to a shop that has one, and pull that code, and you'll know what the problem is.
Pat
Community Leader/Maintenance & Repair Conference
As a side note -- on my '96 --- it only cost me $224 (US) to have the valve cover gaskets replaced and to do my 90k service. 50% of that bill was from the Mazda wires ($119).
With in 6 months I had to replace both front wheel
bearings and spark plug wires (at about 45Kmiles). In June of 1999,
While on vacation in California I had to have the
Transmission rebuilt to the tune of $3,000 (I was
ripped off I know but I was stuck, what could I
do). 5 months later my wife told me the oil light
was on so I checked the oil and the level was fine
but a few miles down the road the engine ceased.
The top end was not getting oil due to all the gunk
that had built internally. I had religiously
changed the oil but I guess the previous owner did
not. $2,700 . In July of 2000 I noticed the AC was
not working as well as it used to so I took it in
for a service and they told me it took very little
freon and they could not detect any leaks. The AC
only worked for a day but I was moving to a new
state and could not get it back in before the move.
A new mechanic tells me I have two leaks and one
Of them is a pretty good one. The estimate is about
$600. When I moved I had the car transported and the
transport called me and told me the rear driver side brake
would not release. It had to be towed to a dealer in my new
state and they determined that it was not transport related
so I had to pay them $200 to replace the caliper.
Also, the engine light has been turning
on and off since before the transmission troubles,
the code says it's an oxigen sensor. The car
still appears to be in good shape but it has bleed
us dry and I now detest the sight of it. I should have
dumped it long ago but I’m not that smart and as it
stands today I still owe $3,400 on the beast.
Does any one have any advice on dealing with a used lemon?
If I remember correctly, the '93 takes only 1.7 lb of R-12. (The '94 was switched to R-134.)
Rear calipers this year did have a tendency to lock up. But those other problems, except perhaps the oxygen sensor, are fairly atypical. I'm just wondering what that previous owner did, or didn't, to induce all these failures.
I don't know why I haven't junked this car yet. Yes, I do -- I don't need another car payment and there's a part of me that always thinks I've fixed all the really bad stuff so things should be ok now. Stupid, delusional, freakishly loyal? I don't know.
How about "high threshold of pain"?
And let it be said, this particular series was generally more reliable in its third generation ('88 through '92) than in its fourth ('93 through '97). Whether this is due to the switch to US assembly or not is unclear. (The MX-6 and Probe were already being made in Flat Rock before 626 production started there.) Either way, the jury is still out on the fifth.
I would appreciate any help you can give....
5000 rpm in third in my car is something like 75 mph. That would scare me, let alone a two-year old. I wonder if the 3-4 shift valve is stuck....
Did I get hosed in my rebuild or is this an adjustment problem with the linkage? Also, have seen several posts about a blinking hold light which I have from time to time.
Thanks to all for the help!
That '90 sounds like it's due for a recheck. While it theoretically could be the linkage, if you leave it go for too long, all that banging is bound to have an effect, and it won't be pretty.
Incidentally, the OEM oxygen sensor costs $180 or so, plus maybe half an hour to install. Maybe they were going to put in two of them for your $500.
And when my tranny light was flashing, it had nothing whatever to do with the transmission; the computer was flaky. All these systems are interrelated - perhaps too closely.
And you don't have a timing chain; you have a belt. Normal replacement interval is 60,000 miles (except in California, where their lifespan is magically extended to 105,000). On the four-banger, the replacement job runs somewhere in the $200 range. By 90k, you'll probably need new CV boots. (Something else you didn't need to hear, right?)
Next time you have the car up on a lift, look at the CV boots. If they're cracked or leaking, replace them pronto. When a CV joint gets dirt and gunk in it, it will start to click and tick and thunk when it moves, and it will eventually fail. In some cases, it's better (and cheaper, even) to have a rebuilt axle installed than to go to the trouble of installing a new boot, especially if the joint has begun to deteriorate. (Been there, done that, around 83k.) On the Arm/Leg scale of auto-repair costs, this amounts to maybe a couple of fingers per side.
I am not a mechanic, nor do I play one on TV. However, I tend to be a defensive person by nature, so when I bought my 626 I resolved to find out, by whatever means necessary, everything it's possible to know about these cars. I'd say I'm about an eighth of the way there.
Not only have I had transmission problems on my V6, but I also have had the valve cover gasket, spark plug wires, drive belt, alternator, battery, and alternator belt replaced. I have been told that I also have rear brake caliper problems but can not afford to repair this at this time.
I have made complaints to Mazda headquarters with no success so far.
Needless to say, I will never buy another Mazda and have told my family and friends about my car experience.
>everyone< If I were to buy a brand new, end-of-year 2000 model 626, either 4 or 6 cyl, with an automatic transmission, can I assume that the "new" versions of engines and transmissions are now reliable mechanisms?
Thanks...
The last substantial change to the GA4-EL transmission was in '93; if you scroll up far enough, you'll see just about everything that has ever happened to the CD4E, which started appearing in the four-cylinder cars for '94. I'd pass up the four/automatic combination, not so much out of fear of fragility but lack of that Zoom Zoom stuff Mazda thinks we're supposed to love. I would have no qualms about buying any other powertrain combination, though.
bad buy. And to make matters worst I still have $1300 of repairs that need to be done to it. The car is certainly not worth it. And for a first-year college student, I'm not paying it! I love the car despite the hell it has put me through. I want to buy another 626 , a millenia, or a maxima? What do you wise and older people think? Should I take another stab at the Mazda family or move to Nissan?
My question: The car has a delay in acceleration. Not a hesitation like you would normally think of, but a delay: Starting from a stop, I press the accelerator, and nothing happens for about half a second, then the engine smoothly revs up. Runs fine otherwise, but slightly annoying. Is the computer adding a 0.5 sec delay before opening the throttle? Ideas?
The blown pump gasket was one of the most common CD4E failures. If the tech was wise, he installed Ford's new and improved pump plate and gasket, which is an easy retrofit to the original design.
Its the 96 626 owner again w/all of the nightmare problems posted earlier...well not all as I know that I have much company in this area. I still own my mazda but am now the proud owner of a 2000 Toyota 4 runner....now I will make my trips. Now questions asked. My mazda still remains in the shop for its 3rd rebuild...
Anyway, after reading these post for several months I decided to take preventative care on the transmission and got the following stuff done:
-- fluid check- mechanic said it was clean
--- power flush -$68
--- heavy duty oil cooler for tranny - $150
--- in-line filter - $38
Price included labor. I figure spend $250 now and hopefully get a another couple of years out of the car maybe another 30k miles. It would kill me to fork over $2500 for a rebuilt tranny. My sympathy goes out to all that ahd to.
The mechanic (not from dealer) said that a tell-tale sign of impending failure is to find metal in the tranny fluid. I will post again in a few months. This transmission mechanic is in Everett,WA, He was an older gent and seemed pretty knowledgeable and most importantly, trustworthy.