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Mazda 626

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Comments

  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    First, read my post # 1603 in the "Mazda 626 problems" forum. Hopefully this car is being sold because the present owner wants to avoid the $ 1000 service at 60K miles. Your extended warranty will not cover any of the routine maintenance such as valve adjustment, timing belt replacement, brake pad replacement, fuel system cleaning, drive belt replacement, radiator hose replacement, spark plug and plug wire set and coil replacement, clutch replacement, exhaust component replacement. With my car I found that routine maintenance is my biggest expense. If the original owner took good care of the car and it has no shimmy in the front end,(e.g. bad inner CV joints), you may get a lot of miles from it, but they will not be the cheapest or most economical miles. A 626 with 5 speed manual and V6 engine is not an economical car. Expect no more than 23 MPG combined with A/C on. AT 80 MPH in the fifth gear, this engine runs at 4000 RPM. (3000 RPM at sixty MPH).

    Incidentally, you should not pay more than $ 7500 for this car because I was offered $ 4500 on trade for mine, and it is a 99 model in mint condition. So if you buy this car, plan on keeping it for a long, long time, because the resale value of this vehicle makes Yugo look good.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    I driving 2000 626 V6 and recently I noticed some strange oscillation on my temperature gauge... It would usually happen after I get of highway and stop on the light. The gauge would move toward hot quite rapidly(like in 3-4 seconds, but it never gets out of "normal operating range" and cooling fan kicks in) and then oscillate back and forth. This morning I had this happen as I pulled to parking lot at my work and I left the car running opened the hood and engine didn't seem that hot at all.
    Has anyone had this happen to them? Do I just have bad coolant temperature sensor?
  • ACCENTACCENT Member Posts: 10
    That happen to me a last fall around this time, I just gotten off the highway, sitting at a red light when I notice the temp gauge going towards the hot zone. Pulled over looked under the hood seen nothing and it has not did it since then. Wrote it off as a freak incident. 99 ES-V6.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Check the connection to your temperature sender. It could be slightly loose or have some corrosion on it. I have seen this transient high temp indication on another vehicle too. It only appeared once, went all the way up to the limit of the hot position, and stayed there. After the engine was turned off and cooled down, the gauge functioned normally and this did not reoccur to date. Nevertheless, for piece of mind, I would replace the temp sender, and ensure the wire connection is tight and clean.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    Do you know the location of the temperature sensor?
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    Thanks for the additional info, p100. Sounds like changing belts in a 626 is more difficult than the average car. It's a good thing I enjoy being challenged...
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    The temperature gauge sending unit is located just behind the engine oil dipstick and coolant filler cap. There are two: one is coolant temperature sensor for the engine computer , and the other smaller one behind it is the collant temperature gauge sending unit.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    Thanks!
    It turns out I was a bit low on coolant so I added some and fixed the problem. I think I will do the complete coolant flush and change pretty soon...It is probably overdue after 65k that I have on my car. Anyone done this already? What is the best way of doing it?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    The weekly Mazda chat resumes tomorrow night as Mazda Mania - 9 pm EDT/6 pm PDT. This link will get you in when in starts: /direct/view/.ef1b553.

    You can also find that link on the Town Hall welcome page - just scroll down and look under the Chat Icon that you'll see on the right side of the page.

    See you there!

    :-)
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I changed coolant on mine at 60K miles. I used the Mazda long life orange coolant. They sell it for about $ 11 a gallon. I was hoping that there would be a drain plug on the 2.5 liter engine block. I talked to the local dealer and it turns out that there is no drain plug. They said that there is some kind of cover plate on the block that could be removed to drain the coolant, but they recommended against it (probably access is difficult). So I just drained the radiator, and disconnected the lower radiator hose. This way you can only drain about half the coolant capacity. I suppose the key is to do this more often. I usually do this on cars every 15k miles and never had coolant related problems or corrosion. I will drain and refill the radiator at 75K miles next on this Mazda.
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    I've always just drained as much coolant as possible out of my cars using the lower hose and radiator drain, and never had problems. A flush of the entire system is nice, but probably unneccesary unless the system has been neglected for too long. Draining from the block usually entails removing a steel plate which is not only nearly inaccessible, but also difficult to re-seal properly.

    You could drain once, fill with water, run the engine until the thermostat opens up, then drain a second time to get even more of the old stuff out, but it's quite a lot more time consuming of course.

    Just as a side note, my wife used to have a mid-80's vintage Grand Am with an I-4 (2.5L I think), and it had a nifty arrangement for the thermostat which permitted a sort of self-flush. The thermostat sat inside an easily accessible cylinder connected to the engine with a steel tube, and had a removable cap. All you had to do to was drain everything, fill with water, pull the thermostat, run the engine a bit then drain again, and you ended up with very little coolant left in the system. Repeating the procedure got nearly all of it out, and it didn't take long. I wish someone would bring that type of arrangement back!
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I just replaced tires on my 99 ES V6. I got Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus, size P205-60HR15. I hope they will last longer than Michelin Pilots which I had before these. The Pilots wore out in 30K miles. Everybody I talked to confirms the same thing - Michelin Pilots are great tires but do not last long.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Don't miss the newest addition to our live chat events here in Town Hall. Join us every Tuesday from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for our Mazda Mania Chat!

    Whether you own a Mazda, would like to own a Mazda, or just like going ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM... be sure to stop by and meet and greet your fellow Town Hall members!

    /direct/view/.ef1b553

    See you there!!
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    So it seams you can only change 1/2 of it at the time? p100 When you did yours how much did you use to fill it back up? This orange mazda long life coolant should be good for how long?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    If you drain the radiator through the drain plug and disconnect the lower radiator hose, you will drain about 3.5 quarts of coolant. I remember that I mixed 2 quarts or Mazda coolant with 2 quarts of distilled water for 50:50 mix and when I refilled the system I had some left over. So if you buy one gallon of coolant from Mazda, it will be enough for two changes.

    Mazda recommends changing their "long life coolant" after 60k miles. However, given the fact that you drain only half the capacity, I would recommend changing coolant at least every 30k miles. I normally do this every 15K on my other cars using green ethylene glycol coolant. The important thing is to always use distilled water when mixing the coolant.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    hmm I don't see the advantage of using mazda orange stuff then if I'm going to change the half of the coolant every 30K...In that scenario the green stuff should work just as well?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Mazda does not recommend mixing the orange coolant with green stuff. So if your car came with orange coolant, stay with it.
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    Don't mix green and orange coolant in your car, because the orange variety contains acids which break down the corrosion inhibitors in the green coolant. Just spend the extra few bucks for the orange, and you won't have to change it as frequently either.
  • joker12usajoker12usa Member Posts: 1
    I have an old tach (the kind you hooked to the coil)
    and I would like to hook it up to my 93 626 2.0l.
    The Haynes book says to short out 2 pins on the diagnostic plug but doesn't say how to hook up a tach. Anybody know how?
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    Is this orange coolant same as what GM uses?
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    my horn just died yesterday, anyone had problems with them? How much they cost and is it easy to replace them?
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    very easy. just go to any auto parts store. Its one wire and one bolt most times. I think we're talking less than $10.

    '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

  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Not so fast. Where are the horns located on the V6 model? I could not find them at first glance in the engine compartment. Must be buried under something. So access may not be that easy. Second, if the horn does not work, it could be several things: horn itself (there is two: low and high frequency one), horn switch, horn relay, or wiring harness problem, or poor ground. Check the old horn by using jumper wires connected directly to the battery first to make sure that the horn is your problem.

    An aftermarket $ 10 horn may not fit properly and may necessitate changing the wire terminal. Because most horns have only one wire, they rely on grounding through the body of the vehicle. So some horn problems may be caused by rust under the horn or rusty horn mounting bolt.
  • skibry1skibry1 Member Posts: 174
    Our screamer(130poniesw/clutch) has been trouble free
    and a blast to drive. The on/off ramps are still a
    favorite playground with the tach straight up or a wee bit past!! We believe this was the best use of our $16K. Thanx edmunds for all the research data we
    used to arrive at this Zoom/Zoom. YyyEeeHhhAaaa
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    A "screamer" with 130 HP? Does that mean it makes a lot of noise when pushed? Mine has 170 Hp and 5 speed behind it and it hardly qualifies as anything resembling a quick car.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Quiet, the 2.0-liter is not. And if you rev the living whee out of it, the way God and Mazda intended, it's even less quiet.

    Besides, what kind of day is it when you can't do 5500 rpm on an on-ramp?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Yes, these engines, even the V6 must be revved up considerably to produce decent power. At around 5k RPM in lower gears you can feel power coming on (at least in the V6 model) but the power band is rather narrow. The V6 is not quiet either and uses considerably more fuel.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    p100 I disagree with you...2000 626 5sp V6 is a fast car...it is true that power comes after 4000..but then you still have 3000 rpm to go until redline and it pulls strong (0 to 60 in 7.5 sec)...friend of mine has 01 BMW325 and he is only a 3/4 of car length in front of me when we do some street racing(~0-70mph)...not to mention how this car handles..it is a lot of fun to throw it in the curves...if you want more low end power than you need to get a german car or american car...
  • skibry1skibry1 Member Posts: 174
    Moving from a 4cyl 5spd Taurus(MT5) w/100K+ we're
    thrilled and pleased with the Freeport. We understand
    the price of fuel and speeding tickets in Illinois
    are not coming down...so 130 ponies are plenty.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    On the 2.0, it was originally around 4500 rpm, which required some serious pedal-stomping. For 2000, the engine was retuned, and peak torque was reached at a more modest 3000 rpm, perhaps to improve performance with the automatic; still, it remains slowish off the line unless you're willing to wring it out.

    Which generally I am, once it's warmed up.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    Tried to look for it yesterday but was unable to find where they hid the horn. Anyone knows horn location in this car?
    Thanks
    ZoomZoom626
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    What is approximate top speed for a 1999 or newer 626 V6 5 speed? The car is geared really low and in fifth gear at 60 MPH the engine is doing 3000 RPM, at 80 MPH 4000 RPM. By extrapolation, 100 MPH corresponds to 5000 RPM, 120MPH to 6000 RPM. Theoretically the car could hit 140 MPH at 7000 RPM (the redline), but I do not believe you ever reach redline in fifth gear on the road due to limited horsepower - the aerodynamic drag is just too much. I would guess 130 MPH top speed at most.

    The low gearing in this car is rather annoying - for highway cruising it really needs another gear. The high speed response in 5 th gear is also disappointing given the high RPMs. My 92 Protege LX with 1.8 l DOHC and 5 speed and identical gearing was more responsive at high speeds in top gear. Its top speed was about 120 MPH with 125 HP.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    i forget exactly, but I do believe the V6 was electronically limited to 130 or 135 mph.

    '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

  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    not quite sure about top speed...couple weeks ago I was returning form TN and had litle fun on the road with a guy in protege5...at one point my spedometer was showing 135 mph(in 5th gear)...didn't pay attention to rpms as I was focusing on the road :-)
  • tango_28tango_28 Member Posts: 35
    My friend is buying 98ES with a V6, is the V6 made by Mazda or Ford?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    No Duratecs were installed in any 626.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    It is indeed so, and I don't know why they thought it was necessary. (Fifth gear is 0.84, a true overdrive but not much of one. On the four-cylinder, curiously, it's a taller 0.76. The automatics have a stiff 0.70.)

    Everything I've read on these cars suggests a top speed right above 130, after which the computer shuts things down, which I suspect is related to the specification of H-speed tires.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    There's a little image of a trumpet below the flying-M symbol on the steering-wheel cover. Push somewhere around there.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    The other forum (Mazda 626 troubles) has been discontinued because the last post appeared almost two months ago. Nobody has anything more to say about their 626?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    (waits for the giggling to die down)
  • skibry1skibry1 Member Posts: 174
    44K on our DoubleOught Freeport with only mods and
    preventitive maintenance receipts in my folder. We
    couldn't be happier with our purchase.
  • edpagan88edpagan88 Member Posts: 20
    one question. how do you adjust the emergency brake on a DoubleOughtlx v6 auto? emergency brake handle comes all the way up.

    thanks
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    not on the steering wheel but actual horn in engine compartment...I looked and could not see it anywhere?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    According to Haynes manual #61042 you remove a piece of console trim around the handbrake lever and then turn the adjuster which is right next to the lever. They recommend jacking up the rear wheels and then adjust the tension so that the brake starts to drag on the rear wheels when the lever is raised one click. I cannot confirm whether this is applicable to your car, but if you do not see any other adjusters on the parking brake cables under the car, it probably is.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    At least on my '00. They're under the headlights and not especially large. (One's bigger than the other, which I assume is for purposes of harmony.)
  • rotarykidrotarykid Member Posts: 191
    if your parking brake handle comes up too high on your v6 626, you probably have a sticky/stuck caliper(s) in the rear. Way too common on that car. if you are able, crawl under the rear of the car and push on the lever where the cable is tied into the caliper. if it doesnt move, or if it does not spring back after moving, that caliper is junk. be sure to have the car in park, and the brake lever off before attempting. Pleas dont let the car roll over you-chock the wheels if necc.
  • edpagan88edpagan88 Member Posts: 20
    you guys are the best!!! i will try that this weekend ,and i'll check it both ways.again many thanks
  • carbonnicarbonni Member Posts: 33
    My 1996 626 (4 cyl. auto) is getting close to 85K miles, and I am thinking about changing the power steering fluid (with synthetic ATF). Anybody knows how to drain the old fluid? Should I try to siphon it out?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I don't believe there's a drain facility on the pump; siphoning it out shouldn't be too difficult. Capacity is about 1.2 qt of ATF.
  • kaspar10kaspar10 Member Posts: 11
    I have a chirping sound coming from the front passenger side dash area. it sounds as though it is coming from the dash or under it. Can't really locate as I am driving at the time!!! Has anyone else had this problem and how did you fix it?? I want to use a sledge hammer, this might not help. It happens on a variety of road surfaces. I really like the car in all areas, I know this is minor, but it effects me greatly.
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