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Comments
I doubt it's a motor mount or anything; if you're doing 3000 rpm at 60 mph and it's jittery, it would be jittery if you were doing 3000 rpm in second gear at about 25 mph.
The engine light came on this week. Codes indicated both the transmission slipping and engine misfiring. Oddly enough, those were the same two error codes I got back in August -- causing me to replace valve cover gaskets/plug/wires, etc.
I still owe $8,900 on it and am concerned about what the road ahead will be like. Anyone have a crystal ball I can borrow? Should I bail out or stick with it ?
My '87 626 4cyl 5-speed ran like a champ for over 13 years until 3 weeks ago. Engine locked up. So now I'm the proud owner of a 2001 Chevy Silverado.
Around 85k, there are things that can happen to these cars - oxygen sensors go south, CV boots start to crumble, valve cover gaskets start to weep. None of these things is particularly expensive in itself, but the thought of the triple whammy might put you off. (Conversely, if you've already had to do these things, you may be immune for a while. I had a CV joint replaced at, um, er, 85k.)
I have a '97 financed for 60 months and only owe about $5,500.....
Are you sure about your numbers?
1. you paid too much for it
2. You're APR is too high
3. You're buying more car than you can afford
4. Your're monthly payment is to low. bump it up.
My theory seems do-able if the cost is under 10k. Anything beyond 10k and you bettrr have a trade-in or a good down payment.
So its at 104k and I am think its approaching 'The Infamous Transmission Problem' that most of them suffer from and I'm not too sure what to do. My OD light flashed once about a year ago. Lately, once in a while it will hesistate when shifting gears. It's not so bad yet, and I will of course get rid of it when it does get horrible for a Millenia.
But my question is, should I have any maintenance done on the Transmission or just leave it alone? I have heard all kinds of horror stories about them failing right after the fluid was changed or a new seal. Maybe a new filter. It's been doing very well all these years and I don't wanna mess up a good thing.
My mechanic says the timing is perfect on it and the Dealership also says its fine and they don't recommend changing the fluid at all. But I'm not so sure if leaving that old fluid in there is such a great idea.
Also, while changing out the fuel filter, I managed to get a look at my (Actually very clean and shiny) Transmission. I never really believed all that crapy Ford business until I saw the Ford sticker on it. It said "Quality Renewal". Does that mean its environment friendly or that it's a replaced transmission?
Any suggestions on Tranny maintenance is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Nana
bnormann
Host
Maintenance & epair Message Board
I would like some thoughts on a noise that just started. On the pass. side right up near the front wheel I am getting a sound that started a week ago. When I turn to the left, there is a slight wrenching noise like the frame is getting twisted a bit. Not real loud. Then Sometimes when driving straight down the road, I get a clapping or knocking noise in the same area. I cannot reproduce it on demand but it just starts and then goes away after 5 seconds or so. I have tried to isolate it to certain speeds or clutch in or out etc with no success. I first thought CV joint but it doesn't happen on every turn nor is it a clicking noise like previous CV problems in other cars. It also puzzles me that it will start on a straight away with no prevocation. Last night I jacked it up to see it I could find anything loose or maybe a torn CV boot. But everything is super tight. I do have the little transmission oil that has been on the case for the last 60K miles. It almost sounds like the strut is lifting or loose and slapping around. I had new struts replaced a year or so ago and have had no problems with them. Any thoughts ?
We have absolutely loved this car. I have been trying to sell it for about 3 years but can't bring myself to do it. No pmts, no maint. Great power and handling &cornering etc. It has been a dream. We have about 115 K so far and figure that if anything major goes that it has more than paid for itself. It distresses me a bit to read of all the tranny problems as we had wanted another 626 but now I am not so sure.
Mike
And if you're considering another 626 with a stick, you won't have to think about these tranny problems, since they all seem to be affecting the automatics. (Besides which, it's $800 cheaper.)
I searched internet and found this two problems probably related to the anti-theft PIN. Would someone help explain if it is true?
The factory audio system from '93 to '97 does have coded anti-theft protection, and if it's kicked in, you should be seeing something like c o d e on the display - and you'll have to give it the proper four digits, or take it to the dealership and pray. To my knowledge, though, it's not related to the factory alarm.
Would someone please help teach me how to use it? Thanks in advance.
Distributor (whole unit)--1300$CDN to replace. No alternative on the v4. Left me stranded in th middle of a road in a blizzard. Ford has a fix for the same problem on the V6.
Lots of road noise
Gear box (5spd) is stiff in cold weather
Windshield has broken twice while turning
Leaking Head Gasket
In other words: There's no way anyone can tell anything about this car without actually examining it. There's enough stuff about the fourth-generation 626, not all of it written by me either, to fill a small book (or a very large pamphlet) by now, and much of it is easily accessible on this very board. And frankly, there are only so many ways I can rewrite the same old caveats, over and over and over - and even so, there's nothing that says what everybody really wants to hear, which is "Will this happen to me?" Any used car - indeed, any new car - is a crapshoot; some just contain more crap than others.
Well, on the '98 the tranny went out at about 20,000 miles, and the dealer replaced it with, I believe, a rebuilt one. Car now has 28,000 miles, no other trouble--just got a minor brake job, but that is normal wear and tear. It will need a tune up and tires within the next year.
I am troubled by all the problems I have been reading about here. I am wondering whether to trade it in to avoid future problems. The thing is that the car is paid for, and we really do not want to put out thousands more $$ again. I am disappointed in Mazda that they do not seem to be confronting the transmission problem like a smart and responsible company. The 'head in the sand' approach is no way to do business long term, IMHO. Maybe this is the Ford influence.
I am going to keep reading this board. The other thing that bugs me is that the new Protege seems to be a hit, but will it also have quality problems? I believe the Tribute came out too early, also hmmmm I can't be the only one to see a pattern here.....Hey Mazda-->WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!
By most accounts, the 626 took a downward turn for the fourth generation (1993-97); it was as competent a road car as ever, but fit and finish at Flat Rock was arguable, and the Ford CD4E autobox, which appeared in some '94 models, was, um, a work in progress. From the looks of the few new ones I've driven (and the one I bought), Flat Rock has cleaned up its act considerably. The CD4E is still not bulletproof, but its most egregious failure modes have been addressed. Still, it takes a long time to recover from bad press, and bad press on the Internet never seems to die, so Mazda can't afford the luxury of not paying attention.
Never had any major problems what-so-ever, except the A/C doesnt work anymore.
I'm about due for a new car soon and will definitely be heading back to the Mazda dealer for a 2001 Protege. Great experience driving what turned out to be a very dependable car.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Actually, the four-banger in this car is somewhat overworked, what with 2900 lb to pull around (not to mention the driver and his stuff), which is a definite disadvantage in the MPG race, and it does explain a lot of the downshifting. Look at the two Millenias: the base version (170 hp) gets slightly poorer mileage (20/28, says the EPA) than the 210-hp Miller-cycle S version (20/29). The difference is not so much in Mr Miller's magic valve timing, but in the fact that the S engine gets to loaf more.
It takes me a good three seconds to get off the brake pedal and onto the gas when shifting out of Park, so I haven't noticed this particular bit of lurching, though it is a little slower to engage when it's cold - and lately, it's always been cold, to the extent that I scored one tankful, during a period of two weeks where it never got above freezing, at a meager 17 mpg.
After a year and a half, have the dealership hook up their tranny-flush machine and get all the stuff out of there. (The CD4E has no bottom pan, so this is about the only way it can be serviced.) Repeat every 15k to 25k miles. It will cost you a little over a hundred bucks each time, but waiting around for the fluid to smell funny will cost you a whole lot more.
...however, the v-6 requires premium fuel. Since premium gas carries about a 22% "premium" in cost, some of that efficiency is eaten away by the higher fuel cost.
Here's an example...
In my area, premium fuel is 1.689 per gallon...so, at 24.5 mpg, each mile costs about 7.0 cents in gasoline. Regular fuel can be had for about 1.459, so at your 20 mpg, that works out to about 7.3 cents in gasoline per mile.
Now, lets say you could get 21 mpg using premium (a fact that I seriously doubt!!), your fuel cost per gallon would now be 8.0 cents per mile.
The moral of this story? Be happy you can use regular fuel, and live with the so-so mileage!!!
:-)
Have you tried using mid-grade? We also have a Sienna and the manual recommends premium fuel for optimal performance. We usually use mid-grade with no reduction in performance. At a 5-10 cent per gallon savings the $$ add up!!!
My wife has been known to put the wrong gas in the car, and I can always tell immediately!!!
My next car will not require premium, though I do really like the 626.....
I suspect a 626 LX with the 5-speed manual might snag 24 to 26 mpg around town, simply by dint of not having an automatic.
(In my marginally-humble opinion, Mazda should detune the 2.5 V6 to regular fuel and, say, 155 hp, and make that the base engine for the 626; the upgrade should be - and, if rumors are correct, eventually will be - 3.0 liters and around 200 hp.)
In my experience, 89+ octane is a waste of money in the four-banger; it buys you neither performance nor mileage, unless you have the ECU recalibrated for the new fuel. More trouble than it's worth, I suspect.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
Leo
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S