Mazda 626

maxx4me · April 2003

Thanks zoomzoom, that was interesting. However, if you could translate some of it for me, I would appreciate it. I still am uncertain after reading the article whether 10k is OK. I am hoping you are correct since I would love to up mine to 10k and avoid the annoyance of oil washing all over my rubber gloves when I change the Vibe's oil. I'll keep checking here for updates, since if you are correct, I also need to find out what filter will get me to 10k.

cleo66 · April 2003

I recently locked my keys in my car and the person who helped me open my door ended up breaking it. I've found out what part is probably broken, but my issue is actually getting into the door to fix it myself. I've been able to get eveything off but the top portion of the inside. I'm not sure what's holding it there and don't want to break my window or tear apart my door beyond recognition. I'm tired of climbing over my passenger seat so any advice would be much appreciated!

p100 · April 2003

What exactly are you trying to remove and replace? If it is the lock cylinder, it is retained on the inside of the door with a flat clip which must be pushed out. To get a cheap guide with some illustrations, recommend you get a Haynes repair manual number 61042. It covers Mazda 626 models between 93 and 98. It costs about $ 12 and is available in many auto parts stores. Chapter 11, section 17 has illustrations and instructions on how to remove some door components.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

I use PureOne from Purolator and I change filter at 5k.

p100 · April 2003

The following statement appears on page 7-20 of the 99 Mazda 626 owner's manual:

"Because you need a special tool to retighten the filter, an authorized Mazda Dealer should do the work."

This statement is incorrect for several reasons:

1. The "special tool" turns out to be a 5 dollar oil filter wrench which I bought from Discount Auto Parts. The brand name is "RiteFit", part # G A256. You need a long extension and a ratchet to use this wrench. It also fits a 91-93 Suzuki GSX 1100 G motorcycle oil filter.

2. You need an oil filter wrench to LOOSEN the filter, not to RETIGHTEN it. In fact, it is dangerous to use a wrench to install a new oil filter because you can compress the gasket to the point where filter metal touches the block and further tightening will distort body of the filter and possibly cause a leak.

Note: I have a V6 engine. Cannot state if the above filter will fit the 4 cylinder version, but these filter wrenches are available in many sizes. Just buy a new oil filter and take it with you to the parts store to find the right filter wrench. Also, location of the filter on the 4 cyl engine is different, so other filters may be useable on that engine. With the V6, there is no way to use anything but a cap type filter wrench.

deciding3 · April 2003

I'm looking to buy a new car and found a 02 maxima se with 32k miles for 15K Is that a good price?
My other options are 2002- 626/galant at 10K or 2002 -taurus/malibu at 10.5K.
While, I realize that these cars are not really comparable and that the maxima is a better car, which do you guys think is the better deal.
Price is quite important to me, but i can spend more if I know it will work out better in the long run.
thanks!

maxx4me · April 2003

good lord, no choice here: the maxima is a proven 200k vehicle. Little to no mechanical breakdowns whatsoever. Mitsubishis are not the most reliable japanese car you can buy. Bottom line: one car will run until you grow old; the other could possibly make you grow old.

deciding3 · April 2003

Thanks for the info. I have dropped the mitsubishi galant, 626 & taurus from my shortlist.
So only the maxima and malibu are left to decide between! I test drove both today and the malibu was better than I expected. With the price at 10K for a malibu 2002 used with 27K miles and 15.5K for maxSE 02, my mind says malibu cause its much cheaper. but my heart says maxima! Which puts me in a dilemma!

This is a message I just posted on the maxima discussion list:hi everyone,
I've been following your discussion forum for a while and wanted to ask you guys for some help.
I'm getting out of college this Spring and looking for a car. I have shortlisted my choices to 2 cars:
Chevy Malibu 2002 25K miles for 10K
Nissan Max SE 2002 25K miles for about 16K
While, price is certainly a big factor to me as I'm just getting out of college and also I don't really need a maxima type of car right now. But I can get the maxima through financing if the deal is good and if it'll be a better and more economical car in the long run. I wanted to know what you guys thought about it as most of you own maximas. Also, would you know anything about the difference in insurance rates for the 2 cars. I'm thinking that the maxima will have a much higher premium.
Please let me know what you guys think being firsthand owners. I have shortlisted to these 2 cars using help from discussion forums, and i'd really appreciate information. Thanks!

maxx4me · April 2003

All I can ask is that you visit your local library and look at the 2003 Consumer Reports Buying Guide. As you will see dating back to 1997, when the current Malibu model came out? are the types of mechanical troubles you can expect over time. The brakes, integrety, and electrical system are not very good. Compare that with last year's model of the Nissan Maxima. I always let Consumer Reports do the thinking for me, since it is owners who are judging their own cars in the annual ratings. Best wishes no matter what your choice.

qbrozen · April 2003

uh.... really have no idea why you would drop the 626 from your list and keep the malibu. Now, first off, I can attest first hand to the shoddy assembly of a Gallant. Absolutely hated my wife's (which she bought before meeting me) and made her get rid of it my first chance.

As far as a Maxima being a 200K car or whatever... it all depends on the situation. I can find you people who claim the 626 is incredibly reliable and has great longevity, AND I can find you ex-Maxima owners who will tell you the car sucks and spent too much time in the shop. For me, it would be between these 2 cars (but ONLY the V6 mazda) and probably come down whatever the best deal I found is.

p100 · April 2003

I own both a Nissan Maxima (98 SE) and a Mazda 626 (99 ES V6). Maxima has been an absolutely trouble free car so far and much more satisfying than Mazda. Maxima offers more power, better ride, and better fuel economy. Also resale value on Maxima must be better than on Mazda because the resale value on the latter is terrible. Also, keep in mind that Mazda 626 V6 is a very maintenance intensive car (timing belt every 60K miles, new platinum plugs and plug wires every 60K, valve clearance every 60K for 98+ model, etc). For a V6 engine the timing belt change and valve clearance check is about $ 500. Replacing the plugs and wires will cost you $ 240 just for parts! Nissan Maxima has timing chains so no periodic replacement is needed.
I am sure there are some Maxima owners who are not happy with their cars and those Mazda owners who love their cars. In my case, the Maxima is by far the better car. My advice would be: look for a one owner 97-99 Maxima with low mileage in very good condition.

qbrozen · April 2003

the maxima definitely has more power.

Fuel economy is a dead heat (comparing '01s, the maxima claims 22/27 with the stick and 19/26 auto. while 626 claims 21/27 and 20/26).

I (along with just about every magazine editors I ever read) found the 626 to handle much better, however. Yes, you can say the Maxima rides better... if you like a soft quiet ride. Matter of preference there. I, personally, prefer better handling.

Not sure where you are shopping for parts, but you can get Bosch platinum plugs and a premium Belden wire set from Napa for a total of $118 for the Mazda. I tried to look up Maxima parts for comparison, but they only listed the plugs. Does it have wires? I'm not even sure.

The timing chain is definitely a great advantage.

You can look at resale in 2 ways. I look at the Mazda as a great bargain when buying used. And it doesn't have as far to fall as the Maxima. When you have 150K plus miles on either car they won't be worth much to anyone anyway.

I'm still not saying I'd definitely pick one over the other. You can spend less to acquire the Mazda, but it does require that expensive timing belt change. You can get more straight-line power with the Maxima, but better handling with the Mazda.

Still a toss-up for me.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

THIS CAME BACK YESTERDAY, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

UNIT 2000 MAZDA 626 LX-V6
MI/HR ON OIL 10,000
MI/HR ON UNIT 60,000
SAMPLE DATE 4/6/2003

FIRST NUMBER IS MY OIL AND SECOND NUMBER IS UNIVERSAL AVERAGE

ALUMINUM 7 4
CHROMIUM 2 1
IRON 33 12
COPPER 7 6
LEAD 23 5
TIN 0 13
MOLYBDENUM 75 0
NICKEL 1 0
MANGANESE 1 1
SILVER 0 0
TITANIUM 0 0
POTASSIUM 2 0
BORON 108 38
SILICON 11 9
SODIUM 9 6
CALCIUM 2951 1304
MAGNESIUM 73 481
PHOSPHORUS 801 747
ZINC 963 880
BARIUM 0 1

SUS VISCOSITY @ 210 ºF 64 55-62
FLASHPOINT IN ºF 415 >365
FUEL % <0.5 <2.0
WATER % 0 <0.05
ANTIFREEZE % 0 0
INSOLUBLES % 0.04 <0.6

LAB COMMENT:Nothing too unusual showed up here. This oil was run quite a bit longer that what we
normally see and this is the reason for most of the high wear. The universal averages column shows typical wear from this type of engine after 4,000-5,000 miles on the oil. Lead at 23 ppm shows mildly high bearing wear, though everything else looks okay. The TBN was 3.5 which is low, but not a problem. 2.0 or less is considered a problem. The oil started at 10-11. No fuel or anti-freeze was present. Suggest going 11,000 next oil and resample at that point to monitor.

p100 · April 2003

Not so fast:

1. Fuel economy:

Forget the EPA estimates.
My Maxima gets 27 MPG combined. My Mazda gets 23 MPG combined, period. Both are 5 speeds, same driver and fuel, so I am comparing apples to apples. At 80 MPH Mazda engine is doing almost 4000 rpm in top gear vs. 3200 rpm for Maxima. Mazda engine lacks bottom end torque so you have to rev it up considerably to develop power - all this at substantial fuel economy penalty. In fact, Mazda engine loves to rev and shifting gears at 5K rpm is necessary to get good performance from this engine.

2. Cost of spark plug wires and spark plugs. The quoted prices are for the OEM replacement parts from Mazda. I found that the cost of plug wires will be around $ 100 no matter where you buy them. Original equipment replacement ones are made by NGK and I got mine for about $ 100 from a Mazda dealer (with some discount). The Bosch platinum spark plugs do not perform well in Mazda engines and dealers do not recommend them. The original plugs are DENSO platinum plugs and they are about $ 18 a piece from the Mazda dealer (I could not find them anywhere else).

3. Better handling from Mazda? You have got to be kidding. The suspension and CV joints/axles on this car are so unrefined and crude that one cannot enjoy this car at all. I already had my axles/CV joints replaced under warranty for annoying vibration. The new ones have alleviated the problem, but not totally eliminated it. I had a defective front wheel hub/knuckle assembly replaced under warranty. I had a defective front tire. I know at least two other people who had axle/CV joints problems on this car, but Mazda never bothered to recall these vehicles. Instead they train their service reps to send you away with a smile that your car is performing as it should. In fact I was told that the reason for vibration is that the parts are turning really fast. I got my axles replaced only because a local Mazda mechanic owned a similar car, had the same vibration problem and replaced half of his car before they found that the axles were defective. And I would like to know how many other people who had this problem were turned away under warranty and nothing was done for them.

4. Resale value: It is beyond an insult for this vehicle. I was quoted as low as $ 4500 for a 99 ES V6 with 64 K miles in showroom condition.(original MSRP $ 23,000). I regret ever buying this car.

qbrozen · April 2003

dealers don't recommend you buying parts from an outside source.... now there's a head-scratcher. Just so ya know, I never had a problem using non-Mazda parts in mine. Do yourself a favor and just risk that $8 to buy the Napa plugs and give them a shot.

No. I'm really not kidding about the handling. I found the Maxima/I30 to be way too soft and leaned way too much in the turns for my taste. And I never had any suspension problems in the Mazda. Again, this goes to personal experiences. You've had good luck with your Nissan and bad with your Mazda. My experiences have been exactly opposite. That's why I steer away from issues like mechanical breakdowns.

Yes. I agree. The resale is bad. But look at that from a buyer's perspective. They could pick up a "showroom condition 64K mile ESV6" for about $6K. And, as long as the 60K service was done, they have a new timing belt to boot.

I'm not surprised at your mileage figures since you stated that you keep the RPMs up. Personally, I drive all my cars pretty hard and would definitely get way worse mileage in the Maxima as well.

maxx4me · April 2003

Wow indeed: I'd be glad to sell you my 626. I must say that I could line up 10's of thousands of owners who have all had the same problems with this lousy car. I guess 3 transmissions per V4 automatic is not enough? Who are you kidding: 626 isn't even on the same planet as the Maxima. Again, I'll stand on the sidelines and let the 10's of thousands of owners speak for me: check out any Consumer Reports and read what they have to say about their own cars. The quality of ownership over time is awful compared to the Maxima. Unless of course, you are one of those people who trades his car in every 2 years.

qbrozen · April 2003

actually, every 3 years.

we were talking about the V6, remember? i know all about the 4-cyl (not a "v4" by the way) tranny problems.

p100 · April 2003

I do not drive my vehicles hard. The 2.5 l V6 Mazda engine is designed to produce power at high RPM, therefore to get any decent performance, you MUST keep the RPMs high. This is not true of the Maxima, which has much better low end torque characteristics and can be shifted at much lower RPMs with the same or better performance results, while delivering better fuel economy. Not to mention the fact that the Mazda engine is much louder that the Nissan engine.

I was told not to use the Bosch spark plugs in my Mazda not only by several Mazda dealers, but also several auto parts stores. Everybody recommended NGK plugs for this car.

Here are some other Mazda "innovations" that make it a more attractive car: 1. No fog lights (deleted after 98 as stadard equipment on the ES V6)
     2. No ABS or traction control (deleted after 98 as standard equipment on the ES V6)
     3. Outside mirrors do not fold
     4. There is no remote release for the fuel door
     5. Frame drain holes are covered with a piece of duct tape from the factory which fell off shortly after driving in a rain. Mazda must be saving a fortune in the plastic plugs. Also, some drain holes in the engine compartment are covered with pieces of cheap tape that fell of after several car washes.
     6. Factory aluminum alloy wheels are so stupidly designed that if you mount them on a wheel balancer and tighten the centering cone, you will scratch off the clear coat and veins of aluminum oxide will form under the clearcoat very shortly. Using wheel weights nicks the clearcoat as well and causes corrosion under the clearcoat. I already had my wheels replaced under warranty because of this.
7. The dash mounted clock used for years in Mazda vehicles has been deleted in this model

There is one thing I like about my Mazda more than the Maxima, and it is the sound of its starter when cranking the engine. That's about it.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

No offense but if you dislike 626 so much why are you still driving it?
I have 2000 626 LX - V6 5 speed and I'm quite happy with it. 60 K and no mechanical problems, low maintenance cost(I don't buy parts from dealer), drives great, handles even better.

I'm not sure that maxima and 626 are in the same category anyway...I think it would be fair to compare maxima to millenia.

p100 · April 2003

I am still driving it because every time I want to sell the car or trade it in I find out that I practically have to give it away. I had it advertised for three weeks at a very reasonable price and did not get a single phone call.
It serves its purpose as a work car and as far as reliability goes it is reliable.

Maybe you do not have the same problems with the car that I have. Maybe Mazda did not install defective reject CV joints in your new car as they did in mine (and probably replaced them with another questionable set under warranty, much like they replace defective transmissions with crummy rebuilt units). Also, different people have different expectations from their cars. What is unacceptable to one person may be perfectly acceptable to somebody else.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

Try Carmax..They will give you best dollar for your car and you don't have to buy one from them.

maxx4me · April 2003

I think he meant me: I drive mine because I put $3500 in repairs in 5 years into the car. That bill went to the extended warranty company, fortunately for me. Nonetheless, P100, don't stop there: how bout the 2 radiators, my second rack and pinion is leaking, poor struts, bushings and bearings, and on and on and on. To answer your question: I continue to drive it because I am driving it into the ground. The thing is useless otherwise; no one in their right mind would buy it for more that $2,000. Also, despite the rack and pinion, I have the thing purring (I do some of the work on the car myself). I guess my zoom zoom break in period starts at age 6, and after over $5500 in maintenance and repairs. Compared to my Corolla which lasted 13 years with NO problems, I'd say the 626 was a bad choice. Oh, I also enjoy how this 2.0 engine is zoom-zoom in the summer, but cough-cough in the cold weather. I haven't figured that one out yet. Oh, did I mention the transmission??? he, he, he

windowphobe6 · April 2003

My 2000 definitely has the remote fuel-door release. Of course, I drive hard.

p100 · April 2003

So what? The fact is that my 99 626 does not have a locking fuel door with a remote release. I had a 92 Mazda Protege LX with 1.8 l DOHC engine. It had folding outside mirrors, remote fuel door release, dash mounted clock, and was one great trouble free little car. When I traded it in, it had about 125K miles on it and ran like a new car. And it cost $ 7 K less to buy than my 626. Great experience with the Protege was the reason why I bought the 626. I needed a bigger car, and thought that 626 would be just as good as the Protege. I guess I made a wrong assumption.

skibry1 · April 2003

Our DoubleOught has only 40K on her and she has
seen a lift bay for preventive stuff only. We are
thoughly pleased with our first NEW car purchase.
Thanx edmunds for the research data. 130 ponies
bridled to a left-leg-flexor is plenty of Zoom/Zoom
for us. Luv that Tach Straight-Up

qbrozen · April 2003

some other people who appreciate Mazdas.

Its funny, I always seem to pick a vehicle that so many people claim is crap and would never buy again and hate the manufacturer for building such an atrocity. I loved my 626. I did wish for a little more power and I really regretted not getting an ES instead of the LX, but that was my fault. And, yes, I did find the depreciation to be unbelievable. But I at least face the fact that was my own fault for not researching it more and realizing I could have gotten a great deal on a used one.

My current car is the dreaded '98 Volvo S70. I bought it with 30K miles, its fast approaching 70K miles, and, guess what, not a single problem with it that I was so passionately warned about before buying it.

edpagan88 · April 2003

i've been searching thru the net at car parts sites and the cheapest spark plug wire set was $80. when i did a search at auto zone i found about 8 spark plugs that can be used on my 2000 626 lx v6 ranging from $12.99 to $1.99 for each plug. is there a big diffence on what plugs to use? i saw ngk plugs for $18 per plug and the bosch platinum+4 at $5.99 each. i also noticed a wide range of oil filters for this car by fram .
i was thing of installing a K&N AIR FILTER on this car to improve the mileage.
i've read all the negative stuff on the 626's and i have had some minor problems with mine but i just love the ride i get in that 626. i love it when i'm doing 70 mph and hit the pedal real hard , man she just jumps!!! i have 3 guys at work who drive newer maxima's and all 3 of them have spent more time in the shop than my 2000 626.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

I just received my order of NGK IX Irridum plugs(part # 2477 for V6) at $6.95 per plug (plus $6.95 for shipping)from http://www.sparkplugs.com/

These should be better then OEM platinum that lasted 60K on my car. I'm sure they also stock ngk wires for the car.

As for oil filters I would use either PureOne, Mobil or Wix.

maltb · April 2003

I believe they deleted the redundant clock as the radio has this function. Most manufacturers have done the same.

Mazda's MSRP on their NGK platinum plugs (part number 0000-18-KJ13) is $13.70. If your dealer is charging you more that that, try http://www.mazdastuff.com

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

The OEM plugs on this car(at least on my 2000 LX-V6) are Denso PKJ16CR8 (part #3175)and those you can purchase also on sparkplugs.com. They run $7.16 a piece.

edpagan88 · April 2003

again you guys are great for advice!!! i was thinking of going to mobil one for my future oil changes. i put 3000 miles on my car in a month and i don't want to keep changing the oil every 5 weeks. i read that you can go up to 10,000 miles between oil changes using mobil one.any ideas?
again thanks

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

yep 10K on Mobil 1 is fine as you can see from my oil analysis after 10K. Not to mention that most of those 10K were in winter weather which is typically more hard on oil. So good oil and good filter(PureOne,Mobil or Wix) and you are fine for 10K of zoom zoom :-)!

maxx4me · April 2003

OK guys, give me the skinny: I'm at the 12 month mark on my 3rd automatic tranny. The thing is working better than the previous two. Do I go and get the tranny flushed, and add the Lubeguard (or whatever it was called), OR do I leave well enough alone and do it at the 2 year mark. This is a case when I am guessing: "leave well enough alone" is the best course of action. Suggestions?

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/dorothy.bradbury/probemx/p_m20.htm

maxx4me · April 2003

what a fantastic post. I don't know about going the extra mile and getting a new cooler installed. I wouldn't know where or how much that would cost. I was amazed to read that there actually is a filter in my Probe transmission. I have always been told by the dealer that there was NOT one in these trannies. Nonetheless, I'm off to my nearest BG machine and having my tranny flushed out right now. Thanks.

windowphobe6 · April 2003

Considering you practically have to disassemble the LA4A-EL/CD4E to get at the filter - and keeping in mind that Mazda dealers don't do this sort of thing if they can help it - "it's got no filter" is almost plausible.

I'm on a 15k-mile flush cycle on mine, on the theory that it cuts down the amount of time the fluid has to deteriorate.

(And '98-'99 models don't have heater ducts under the front seats, either.)

p100 · April 2003

Thanks for the info. For now I installed regular NGK plugs, ZFR5F-11, which Mazda actually lists as applicable for the 99 V6. They were about $ 2 a piece, and I do not see any performance difference, or worse idling. Do you recommend going with the original platinum plugs? When I took mine out after 64K miles, the center electrodes were in pretty bad shape. One thing that is puzzling is the recommended gap. For the original PKJ16CR8 Denso plugs it is listed as 0.031 inch(+0.0/-0.004) I do not think this applies to the regular NGK ZFR5F-11 plugs which I installed. The factory gap on those was about 0.04 inch, which happens to be the recommended gap for the regular plugs for 98 and older V6 engines. Also, when I took the original platinum plugs out, the gap was about 0.04 inch, which does not agree with the 0.031 recommended gap for these plugs. Any comments or suggestions?

By the way, I always use compressed air to blow out the plug wells before I take the old plugs out. Also, I always hand tighten the new plugs (by turning the extension by hand without a ratchet) until they seat to avoid cross threading and damaging the aluminum threads in the cylinder head. I got a set of OEM NGK plug wires for about $ 100 from the dealer (with about 20% discount). I saw $ 93 price on the mazdastuff site on the same wires (recommended in one of the posts above). I think that is about the best price out there for the OEM wires. I priced a set of Bosch wires at Auto Zone and they were about $ 100 so I decided to buy the OEM ones.

p100 · April 2003

I recently changed my fuel filter. I installed a Purolator fuel filter, which cost about $ 11.
Some tips on how to replace the filter:

1. Always unscrew the fuel cap first to vent the fuel tank and to relieve the pressure
2. Unbolt the filter holder bracket from the engine before disconnecting the fuel lines
3. Disconnect the upper line first and have a small bowl and some paper towels ready to catch the spilled fuel
4. With the lower line still connected, tilt the filter and empty the filter into a bowl.
5. Remove the lower fuel line and remove the filter. Cap the fuel lines with small rubber plugs until you are ready to connect the new filter
6. Remove the old filter from the filter holder and install a new one. Make sure the orientation of the metal inlet and outlet pipes on the filter is the same in relation to the holder bracket mounting bolts.
7. Connect the bottom fuel line first and tighten the clamp, then the upper line
8. Bolt the filter holder mounting bracket to the engine block
9. Start the engine and check for any leaks.

Note: The filter is located on the driver's side of the engine close to the power brake booster, below a cruise control component which must be unbolted to reach the filter.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

0.031 is a recommended gap for V6 and PKJ16CR8 are 0.031 when new...but after 60K they wear out and gap increases and so does the voltage that is needed to create spark, mening your ignition must work harder. I would re-gap any plug that I put in to 0.031 for which ignition system is designed.

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

on this group?

edpagan88 · April 2003

how about new jersey !!!

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

is to see how many of them went 105K( and in those four states that is a timing belt change interval) with their 626's before changing the timing belt. I have 2000 LX-V6 with 60K and I believe I can go 90K before changing it. All 626's have same timing belts so I don't see a reason why the belt could not last 105K in rest of the country :-)!

maxx4me · April 2003

I'm no help because my dealer ripped off its parent company by taking out my timing belt pretty early on (warranty item).

p100 · April 2003

According to my '99 Mazda 626 owner's manual, the 105 K mile timing belt replacement interval is applicable to cars initially registered in the following states:

California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland, New Hamshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine, and Washington D.C.

The manual calls for an inspection of timing belt at 60K and 90K intervals and replacement at 105K miles.

white626 · April 2003

I live in California and all the mechanics, Mazda and otherwise don't endorse the 105k mile interval. I had mine done at 60k, since replacingit didn't cost a tremendous amount more than inspecting it. On my 1988 626 we went to 75,000 miles with no problem. On our 1999 Protege, replaced the belt at 88,000 miles. The only bad part of that one was wondering if that would be the day it would break.

p100 · April 2003

You may be amused to hear that I owned two of the worst vehicles ever made:
A 1988 Yugo, and 1982 Renault Le Car. I bought both of them slightly used, spent $ 1700 on the Yugo in 1990 with 18K miles, and $ 1100 on the '82 Renault with 30 K miles in 1984. And I had far fewer problems with either car than with my new 99 ES V6! Sold the Yugo in 1991 for $ 1500 with 30K miles, and the Renault for $ 500 with 65K miles in 1987. And both cars had better CV joints that the Mazda (no vibration).

qbrozen · April 2003

you only drove the Yugo for 12,000 miles! I would hope you wouldn't have had any problems in that time.

Hell, I've got an Alfa spider in my garage that I've put about 5,000 miles on in the 4 years I've owned it. It has not broken down once. I guess that means its the most reliable car I've every owned!

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

That one is made in my former country, Yugoslavia :-)...

zoomzoom626 · April 2003

Thanks for info guys. So if I do timing belt inspection which in my case would involve just removing plastic cover and few bolts and the belt looks good I will be good for another 30K. I understand where the mechanics and repair shops are coming from. Something along lines of lube places which want us to change oil every 3000 miles. More money in their pocket.
I know there is a risk of belt braking but this is non interference engine so only extra cost would be towing bill. I whish these V6 had timing chains instead!

p100 · April 2003

Even better than the timing chain is the direct gear drive arrangement found on some diesel engines. I had a 1982 Datsun pickup with a diesel engine. The cam was operated by a gear meshing with the crankshaft gear and the injection pump drive gear. No need to ever worry about timing belts or chains breaking or coming loose.

This arrangement is unfortunately not possible on oeverhead cam engines and therefore some of the best diesel engines made, such as Mercedes Benz diesels, use timing chain to operate the cam. Still better than using a belt on a diesel, which VW still does on their Jettas.

Mazda 626

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