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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions
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I Got a entermitant rattle in the dash of our 01 lx. It doesn't do it that often but when it does it is really annoying. My question is should I take it in to have the shop work on it? or will they just loosen up more stuff tearing apart the dash? How much do they have to tear apart to get inside the dash. anyone have experience with there dash rattling.
Any help or suggestions welcome
FWIW,
TB
However, I don't know how they deal with the cast-in iron cyl-liners on the Duratec blocks. Well, it can't be rocket science.
Not totally unrelated, on race engines, I've always used blocks w/ over 100k miles on them because those are going to be the strongest. Bottom line is, I'd trust a rebuild from the "factory," esp. if it gives you a good warranty.
my 2-cents...
/java
Why?
Because things are actually measured. Testing costs a lot of money, so I imagine most engine factories simply "sample" engines. They get tested at the end of the line or after they go into the vehicle.
A rebuild should be torn down, all tolerances measured and parts chosen to fit with any machining of the block are installed.
This should result in a higher quality engine.
I don't know how many Duratecs are rebuildable, but one of the guys on the Contour board who was part of the team engineering the powertrain says they usually are not rebuildable.
I do know you can put new heads on 'em. I'm still toying with migrating my 2.5L SVT heads to a 3L block.
TB
With more money than time for a project...
/j
R [eating humble pie] J
Needless to say, I won't be buying a new Mazda battery. I can get an Interstate battery from another Mazda dealer for $90 CDN which has a 6 year warranty, and he'll install it for free. Has anybody heard of Interstate, and is it a decent brand of battery? Has anybody else had to replace a battery yet? The dealership says it tested the alternator and the rest of the electrical system, and could not find any excessive electrical draw.
I spoke to a Mazda Canada service rep who just quotes the party line to me. She couldn't even tell me what size battery I need. I made an appointment with the Mazda Canada District rep to discuss this issue. I'm angry and I want Mazda to fix the problem for me.
We already replaced all four Yokohama tires with Pirelli 3000's. (so far, so good). Mazda paid for the tires and ate most of the cost of the 4 hour alignment work that needed doing. It's a Mazda battery, for Pete's sake. When I called around to get quotes for new batteries, everybody sounded surprised that we would need one.
We still like our van, but we're not happy with the quality of the "consumables". This is not a cheap van.
http://www.vakcer.com/mpv/info/tsb/00-02.htm
And yes, rear brake TSB calls for replacement of many components: http://www.vakcer.com/mpv/info/tsb/01-02r.htm
I plan on paying for the replacement window myself but would like to know if this has happened to others.
I thought several of them were going to send the door down the street at times and I'm screaming "It's not a Ford...!".
)
Well, stranger things have happened. Have you checked your insurance policy on your van? I believe something like this could quite possibly fall under either your Comprehensive or a separate Glass policy. Mine (w/State Farm) would go under my Comprehensive, and I have it w/a $100 deductible. It's worth a shot.
Good luck,
/java
Sorry, too much Veggie Tales viewing in my house.
However, me thinks you are onto something there Maltb.
/j
Sorry guys couldn't resist!
Had an "almost flat' (20PSI) last week - right rear - driving home from work. Night, rain, miserable and tired and not looking forward to change it myself. Saw Discount Tires open at 6:10PM. Ran in humbly, "Can I get a flat fixed - pleeeease".
"Sure, takes a minute". It was pass their closing time and the crew looked tired.
They removed the tire, fixed it, rebalanced and I was on my way. BTW, since I was a customer previously last year, they did this free - wasn't even their tire.
Anyway, Saturday I went back and said I thought the tire might be out of balance because my "butt" told me that a shimmy was coming from the right rear (the van that is, guys...).
They pulled it and checked - it was way out. The guy looked at me and said "Good butt sensor there".
Good laugh and good tire place.
/sappy reply
/java
http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/020116.htm
I agree with postings that the Durutec 2.5 is a bit thirsty, but it's very smooth and seems to have enough punch for what I want. The motor has a pretty good reputation, Ford or Mazda variant. I'm curious to see how they do with the 2002 3.0 version...this motor is used in the Tribute and Ford Escape equivalent, and they are both having significant engine problems according to their owner boards...
The later production 2001 seems to have been cured of most of the original irritations. It handles well, is comfortable (extemely easy to move around town, with great visibility) and seems powerful enough. My vote: pretty good choice!
Here are my problems with my 2000 mpv
1) The few times I've had to "slam" on the brakes, there was a horrific GRINDING noise and vibration coming from the brakes. I'm assuming that it is coming from the anti-lock braking system.?
2) When I'm driving over 50 mph, and then normally apply the brakes to slow down, there is a large vibration from the brakes from around 45-40 mph, and then it dissapears from 35mph until I stop.
3) I brought in my van for the "clunking" sound coming from the brakes when shifting from forward to reverse, and then stopping. I made them aware of the TSB that I found from this site. They installed the spacers. There has not been much difference.
I would greatly appreciate any help with these matters.
RJ
Louis1004
FWIW, I've been using the K&N filter the past two changes. I have the old filter from the change last week and was thinking of cutting it open to see how it handled 2,200 miles of Amsoil synthetic oil. We'll see... time is a scarce commodity at my house these days.
/javadoc
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
As for the higher stated flow rates, what's unclear to me is whether this is through the filter media or through the the filter in general (media + bypass).
The K&N has a 1/2" bypass opening vs. 8 3/16" holes on the MotorCraft. Which setup flows more I'm not sure. I suspect they are similar but perhaps someone more knowledgeable could calculate that.
My thinking is that I want the oil to flow through as much high quality media as I can get in a filter. If there are times when flow exceeds the capability of the media, then it will bypass.
1. How reliable is the 2.5 duratec
2. Why did Mazda decrease the horsepower in the 2001 vs. 2000 model
3. I bought an extended warranty from warranty direct for $760.00 6 years 100000 miles, is this a good idea or not?
4. Why didn't Mazda use one of their own 6 cylinders for this van instead of using one from Ford.
Thanks for any help
Welcome, I'll try to answer your questions. Good luck with your new MPV, most owners have had very few issues and love their van.
1) The 2.5 is very reliable, used in the Contour, Cougar and Mystique, with nary a problem.
2) To bring the engine to NLEV( National Low Emission Vehicle) emission standards. 2001 owner's lose 10 horses.
3) It's a personal decision. I've heard good things about Warranty Direct. Although, I have little trust in 3rd party warranty companies, too many fail. Also, some Mazda dealers may not accept your claim
4)It was a way for Mazda to keep the cost down of the new MPV
Pjd58
When the MPV production was being planned there was concern over producing the van entirely in Japan. The yen was much more expensive versus the dollar than it is now and the vehicle might be too expensive in the US, especially if the yen continued to strengthen. The solution: produce a major part of the car in the US. It had to be a high cost item that could either be shipped to Japan or installed later. The obvious choice had to be the engine. It couldn't have hurt that Contour sales weren't so hot and Ford had lots of extra production capacity and Ford owns a big chunk of Mazda.
In hindsight, the yen has gone from 90 to the dollar then to more than 130 to the dollar today. In terms of cost, Mazda probably would have been better off building their own engine than shipping Ford engines from the U.S., but of course they didn't know that when they made their plans.
BTW, you'll notice that the new 2.3L Ford motor is the first Mazda engine to be developed under that agreement. So far so good with that one too.
I've got two interesting problems, I'm hoping my fellow MPV enthusiasts might shed some light upon. First, there is this intermittent humming sound (like a small electrical motor) coming from the engine compartment. Water pump about to go? ABS problem? Any ideas? I'll be taking it to the dealer soon - still under warranty at 29,000 absolutely flawless miles. Also, my wife was having such a good time driving the van recently, she forgot to stop at the light in time and slightly rear-ended a big SUV - fortunately no one hurt and no damage to the other vehicle. Our beloved MPV, however, sustained a nasty dent (didn't crack the paint thankfully) as it hit the hitch of the other vehicle. Estimate to repair is well over $1200!!! Ouch. With a $500 deductible, I'll live with it, but it is driving her crazy. Any ideas on where I could find a used hood? Any 2000/2001 MPV's been severely rear-ended out there? Any suggestions or clues on these two matters will be highly appreciated. Zoom! Zoom! I'm so envious of those who will be riding in the 3.0 -5 sp. but we'll have to wait until we're not "upside down" in our payment on our current buggy. Cheerio! -
It sure makes it easy to get something fixed at the dealer if you take a printed copy of the TSB with you.
Would you know a link to obtain TSB for my 2002 Chevy Trailblazer?
(I went to the Town Hall chevy board however couldn't find any info).
You can try NHTSA web site: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/
They already have summary for 16 TSBs. You can pay them to get full details on certain TSB that interest you but I never did it before, so I don't know how well it works (if at all).
ALLDATA also has list of TSBs but their database is way underwhelming. They just added info for 2000 models and even though I paid $25 hoping to get full details on all TSBs for MPV, they had only 5 or so. And that's when there are a dozen out there. I had to resort to other sources to gather the remaining information.
In other words, there's no single reliable source. Try looking everywhere. You could ask your dealership for info on specific TSBs. At least they can show it to you on paper...
Dougsey: I have the clunking noise on my '01 LX as well, but it's not terribly annoying. Some noise is normal and to be expected. If mine doesn't get any worse, I'll probably leave it alone, unless anyone else on this board knows of any safety concerns relating to this problem (?). As you have noted, the TSB only lists the '00. Also, there's no "..with VIN #'s lower than xxxxx...." statement on this one, so it's hard to tell whether the dealer will perform the work or not. You'll probably just have to print it out and give it a try. Let us know if you do.
SC
Also, check the electric fan kicking on & off.
We have had few problems with our 2000 LX. But one recent problem - an intermittent 'humming' or 'buzzing' noise. This noise started around 33K miles. I cannot get too specific on sound because I don't drive the van too much. The dealer seemed to know right away. They diagnosed as "Idle Air Control Valve Sticking". They had to order part. One month later - this indeed did correct the problem. The dealer said it is a common problem and they are re-desiging the (IAC) valve. However I have never seen anyone else with this problem on the board here (other than perhaps yours).