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Known issues:
- Oxygen sensors - you have two - tend to start fuzzing up around 60k.
- CV boots start getting flaky around 75k.
- Some OEM ignition modules have been known to go into thermal overload. The fix involves grafting a new module onto the distributor, or replacing the distributor outright.
- Oil in the plug-wire wells - sign of valve-cover gasket leakage.
- Sticking rear brake calipers. (Often this manifests itself as a hand brake that won't release.)
- Ticking noises, audible at idle, usually (though not always) coming from hydraulic valve-lash adjusters.
#1, #2, #4 and #6 can afflict any fourth-generation 626; #3 and #5 tend to be '93 and '94 (some '95s) only.Lot of very competent and usefull info there IMHO (don't just read the beginning - there is more +links at the bottom).
Anyway - felt like sharing this with you guys.
Leak in Trunk - the water is coming in through the tail lights. Get rid of the foam seals around the plastic light covers and use silicone caulk instead. It might be harder if you ever have to remove the plastic light cover, but it stops the leaks!
"bucking" when you are at a stoplight or idling- The problem is the air/fuel mixture and the transmission. We can't help there - we still have the problem.
I had replaced the trunk seal but that only partially helped. Then I -"shhhh"- broke a taillight and when I replaced the whole assembly -$50- the problem almost went away. I can't tell for sure as we have had a drought in the south for some time now.
No problem with bucking - but I have a stick - if it did buck it would be the operator - ME !
Since I last wrote "knocking on wood", I have had to replace a CV joint. I didn't think that was the problem, but she is back to cruisin' now. Thanks.
(it costs about ~4.50US a bottle, but in my oppinion it's worth it every penny)
Thought that might help someone here...
There were some engine changes for '98: no more hydraulic valve-lash adjusters (you get to have your lash inspected every 60k miles now), and no more distributor (replaced by a waste-spark system). If anything, these should improve reliability slightly.
The autobox is the same old GF4A-EL - not bulletproof, but not bad.
The only thing I don't like about the '98 is the softened-up suspension, compared with the '93-'97 cars, but some people like the way it goes down the road just fine, and it's not tuned for maximum wallow like some other cars you could probably name.
As with any 626, have a look at the valve-cover gaskets and the CV boots.
Symptom: If I start the car without warming up, the check engine light will go out after one mile or so. Then I restart the engine, the light will go away. If I start the car with warming up first, there is no such problem.
Would someone please tell if this is caused by something wrong with my car, or something wrong with my driving habit. Thanks.
Today I made a stupid mistake to guess the antitheft code of my radio(because it never worked since I bought it), after three times the system didn't let me guess any more. Now there is only 'ERR' flashing on the radio display and in addition the CD player also doesn't work now. Would you please tell me how much is cost of my mistake? Thanks again for any advice from you.
Thanks!
I rather suspect this will require the dealer to enter a series of arcane codes, for which he will charge you a body part of his choice. (Then again, he might think it's a neat idea to make you buy a whole new audio unit.) I have no doubt that this is reprogrammable, though I've never actually done one.
The guys at miata.net have detailed the procedures for restoring the systems in Miatae; I have no idea whether it will work in other Mazdas, but if you want to give it a try, head over to miata.net and read through the FAQs. Even if it doesn't work, you're no worse off than you are now.
The best I have ever seen from my 626 was 22 and that was only why with no speeding.
Usually it is 17-20. Checked the engine codes (suspected O2 sensors going bad) - no codes whatsoever. live in N. California, so the winter fuel here contributes to the bad numbers as well, but it still damn bad to me consider the up and size of the engine.
What do you think about that?
:qbrozen (297) you might want to check the Probe Talk site as well for the after market info as well.
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'94 Mazda 626 ES (V6)
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There are a lot of factors involved in determining one's fuel-consumption figures, not all of which are easily controlled. Of course, driving style is a major contributor, and someone who drives as though there were an egg under the gas pedal will likely score better-looking numbers than someone who takes "Zoom Zoom" as an imperative, but the tires on which you drive, the surfaces those tires must endure, the winds you must face (or have at your back), and the occasional whims of fortune play a role too, and you're pretty much stuck with them. Except for the tires, of course.
I am definitelly not a hwy star, not a street racer and I have tried it really easy with the car. I did not see noticable, if any, difference in the MPG whatsoever.
...which is kind of sad, considering that many other much bigger and powerfull V6s are getting much better numbers as well...
I had an ancient Toyota Celica that never, ever got above 18 mpg in town, and only once approached 30 mpg on the highway, and that was with a curio cabinet lashed to its roof. (The aerodynamics must have been so bad that the furniture actually improved them.) Nothing I did would bring up the numbers; eventually I quit trying, because I'd already spent more than the potential fuel savings just replacing parts.
If it is the 4 cylinder with the automatic, it sounds like you could be in for some trouble...
As far as snow, I have the V-6 and a 5 spd, which comes with slightly wider tires. I've never been really impressed with the cars ability in snow, at least when compared to other front-drive cars I've owned before. My guess would be that the front is relatively light, and the wider tires don't help either.
As far as the Accord goes, they are excellent cars, but in my opinion, quite a bit smaller inside. We test drove a 97 Accord before we bought the 626, and felt that the interior was a bit cramped, particularly the back seat.
That's my two-cents!!!
I was having a serious start-up noise problem stemming from the lack of oil at the top of the engine. It was exacerbated on cold mornings. This rattle would go away after 5 minutes or so.
The car had been making these noises for the past 30,000 miles. But since the owner's manual mentions that start-up noises are to be expected from time to time, I blew it off.
I became more concerned, though, as the sounds became increasingly louder and taking longer to subside. So, I perused this thread hoping to find out what was going on and found that many of you had experienced the same problem. The HLAs were not "pumped up" because of using generic oil filters sans flow back valves.
To get to the heart of the matter, I bought some OEM oil filters and changed the oil (my first use of synthetic, BTW). When I started it up this morning (about 25 degrees F), there was little rattling. There was still some sound, but it was muted compared to previous start-ups.
This leads me to a question. If one does nothing to correct the HLA noise, will it cause long term problems? As I mentioned, I ignorantly let it continue for 30,000 miles (55,000 mile total on my '95) and all seems well: no power loss, good fuel economy, etc.
What do you think?
And there are a couple of noises that masquerade convincingly as HLA noise: the most notorious is a ticking from the friction gear spring on the exhaust cam. This isn't a cause for concern either. (If the sound is much more noticeable near cylinder #1, and it disappears abruptly above 2000 rpm or so, suspect the friction gear; it is possible to have both noises at once.)
The big problem started from yesterday. When I started the car last night, and turned on the highlight, the battery light flashed once. Then later, when I arrived at home, and shift the gear from drive to park, the idle began to drop and rise, and the car shaked with it. Today, this parking problem happened twice. Then, in my third trip, the car is hard to start. When I just turn on the engine, the idle begin to rise. But then the battery light lights up and the oil light follows also, and then the idle drops down to zero and the engine is dead. I have to start it two or three times to make the engine finally stay alive. I will go to a mechanics on Monday. Before I do that, I am hoping some of you might give me some idea of what could be the problem. I Thanks in advance!
By the way, the MPG of my car is extremely low, only 14-15 lately. But I always heated the car 4-5 minutes before I went on driving since the weather is cold.
- The battery is weak, because of the cold, perhaps because the alternator is under spec, or maybe it's just old;
- The engine computer, possibly affected by irregularities in its power supply, is having trouble compensating for an idle-speed variation.
You mentioned a noise possibly coming from an air hose, which suggests a vacuum leak somewhere - which would certainly mess up the idle. Also, the tubing to and from the air filter can crack, which can cause irregular inputs to the mass airflow meter. I'd check out all the rubber and plastic parts before I started spending money on electric gizmos. And it's conceivable that at least some of this is battery-related; if the battery is questionable, the computer may behave in a manner contrary to its programming. (I had a '93 with a couple of minor weirdnesses which cleared up when a new battery was bolted in.)Is that 4 or 6 cyl. LX ?
I went to do an engine diagnotic service at a mechanics (FireStone) yesterday, since I need the car in a hurry, and hope they can help me find other problems. The following is what they did:
1. Install a new battery;
2. Replaced the battery terminals
3. Fan Belt adjustment
4. Clean the intake
5. clean the MAF sensor.
It cost me $450.
Now, the car starts as before. But some old problem persists: the car always vibrates heavily if the speed is low, e.g. when I stopped at a traffic light. This problem seems getting worse after this repairment. And, if I drive the car for a while, say 1 hour, then if I stop at the traffic light, I can observe the temperature begin to rise way above normal. Is it true that the fan will stop working at zero speed?
Because of this problem, I run the yellow traffic light every time.
By the way, my car is 4cyl. LX, and has 75000 miles on it by now.
Last time, I asked about my car shaking at high speed. Windowphobe suggested me check the tire and do rotation. Indeed, after I changed two front tires, the problem is gone. Thanks!
Is your idle speed (per the tach) fairly close to 700 rpm, or is it all over the place?
My '93 had some weird interaction between the two moonroof switches. If Slide wouldn't work, I'd hit Tilt, which would; then I'd close Tilt, and this time Slide would work. (If I wanted Tilt and it didn't work - well, you get the idea.) This is the only 626 I've driven that had the moonroof - my current one doesn't - so I don't know if this is typical behavior or just an electrical glitch.
Thanks, Neworleans
Then again, it's hard to imagine someone considering a Millenia S thinking that the 626 LX has enough power.
I hope that everybody is doing well, even though their cars may not be doing so well. There are quite a few smart people out there who know their Mazda's. I like my Mazda but sometime's it get's frustrating, but they need some TLC just like alot of cars. My Mazda is 1993 626ES V6 with 173000 kms, and lately the hold light is flashing. I have a appointment at my Mazda dealer to see what the problem is and with the knowledge I've gained here hopefully we will be able to solve the problem. My Mazda dealer was telling me that when they pull the codes that it just gives them the general idea of what may be wrong then they have to try and pinpoint it.He says with the code number that it could mean 15-20 possible problems that they have to try to nail down. Is he just feeding me a line bull or is this true because he said it could be a few minutes to figure out or 45 minutes to figure out why the hold light is flashing. My car is having one more problem. At startup it cranks over for quite a few seconds before it starts, not all the time but about half the time.Any advice any of you could give me would be greatly appreciated,thanks alot and have a great day.
Windowphobe, I'd love to hear some advice from you. Thanks in advance!
Mazda Code Retrieval
Accessing Trouble Codes
Carbureted Models
System malfunctions detected and stored in the emission control unit can be displayed using the self-diagnosis checker tool No. 40-H018-9A1. Any current or memorized malfunctions are indicated by a displayed code number and a corresponding buzzer. A monitor lamp on the checker indicates oxygen sensor operation. A normal air/fuel ratio is indicated by a continuous flashing of the lamp. The lamp will not light continuously if the air/fuel is lean and will not light at all if the mixture is rich. Refer to the manufacturers instructions for operating procedures of the self-checker tool.
Fuel Injected Models
A system selector tool No. 49-B019-9AO or equivalent on OBD systems and tool No. 49-T088-OAO or equivalent on OBD II systems, can be used to diagnose the main input or output devices. Systems are displayed as code numbers appearing on the system checker. Refer to the manufacturers instructions for operating procedures.
1 Ignition Coil - Trailing Side (1989-1991).
1 Crank Angle Sensor (1984-1988).
2 Crank Angle Sensor - No Signal.
2 Air Flow Meter (1984-1988).
3 Crank Angle Sensor - G Signal.
3 Water Thermo Sensor (1984-1988).
4 Intake Air Thermo Sensor.
5 Knock Sensor.
5 Oxygen Sensor (1984-1988).
6 Speedometer Sensor.
6 Throttle Sensor (1984-1988).
7 Boost Sensor (With Turbocharger, 1984-1988).
7 Pressure Sensor (Without Turbocharger, 1984-1988).
8 Air Flow Meter.
9 Water Thermo Sensor.
9 Atmospheric Pressure Sensor (1984-1988).
10 Intake Air Thermo Sensor.
If the transmission is shifting more or less normally, I'd suspect the TPS first - which might also have something to do with your cranking issue.
Code #'s 15 left bank O2 sensor
17 left bank O2 sensor no change
23 right bank O2 sensor
24 right bank O2 sensor no change
3 G signal
4 NEI signal
He said codes 3 and 4 were related to the distributor and that it needed to be replaced and that I needed two O2 sensors to be replaced. This is on a 1993 626 ES, he said the hold light is probably flashing because the transmission gets some information from the distributor hence the problem because of a faulty distributor. Any insight any of you could give would be greatly appreciated. I live in Canada and he said a new distributor would run me 558.20 and the oxygen sensor 176.15 do these prices sound normal. Thanks and have a great day.