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Mazda6 Maintenance and Repair

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  • waggone04waggone04 Member Posts: 6
    Ok, I own an 04 6s (wagon) I have a 100k warranty from Mazda .and garage kept . I had the fuel pump replaced at 42,000 miles. Car would die when cornering, or hard exeleration.
    My new problem is a ticking noise on a cold start up, and a raw fuel smell. 55,000 miles now. I had the PCV replaced (not covered under warranty)... This clicking noise goes away about 60 seconds... Seems like it is on the passenger side by the wheel, under the hood. So the dealer could not verify the noise. I hope it is not LOW oil pressure. No codes or an oil light on. What do you all think?............
  • waggone04waggone04 Member Posts: 6
    Is this about my "ticking" noise apon start up? or another persons problem?
  • waggone04waggone04 Member Posts: 6
    YES I 2 have a ticking sound at idel cold start up on my 04 6s wagon. Then goes away. But it did constantly make this noise and had a raw fuel smell and a heavy smoke. I had the fuel pump replaced $800.00 warranty covered that. Also had the PCV replaced $350.00 not covered under warranty. Now it is only at cold start up, but the fuel smell seems to be comming back. after 4000 miles. hope this helps you.
  • akodmenakodmen Member Posts: 5
    Hi, Larry,
    did you get your ticking issue fixed and how's the result? I have a 06 wagon 3.0L V6, similar problem as what you describled, ticking sound goes obvious when car is under load but can be easily coverd by road noise, I had to pull my car on my drive way with some degree of slope there and slowly push my gas pad to make it obvious without road noise, and ticking frequency correlates with engine RPM. my car had 50k miles already, not sure if it will still be under warranty. if you get this issue fixed and won't mind to share the experience, that will be great! :)
  • lg2207lg2207 Member Posts: 28
    Yes, it took three tries and trips to the dealer. There is a TSB which I will look for- It has do with the brackets/rubber gasket and placement of the purge valve.

    There are thicker rubber mounts for the purge valve that help absorb the vibration/sounds that come from the purge valve- in my case- the tech needed to actually shift the position of the mounts and the purge valve to eliminate the noise.

    Send me your email and I will forward the TSB
    Thanks
    -Larry
  • akodmenakodmen Member Posts: 5
    larry, thank you for sharing your experience, I couldn't see your email on your profile, can you pls mail me to: akodmen@gmail.com

    By the way, how bad was your condition as of ticking sound, Mine sound more like very light 'da.. da..' and at first time I thought that was some type of radio noise and had to sit inside of cabine to hear it clearly (never tried to stand beside the engine since it's not noticable when engine is runing at idle) . had to push the gas pad to make it more frequent and more obvious around 1~2k RPM.

    Thanks a lot!
  • lg2207lg2207 Member Posts: 28
    Lg2207@gmail.com
    It sounds like the same exact thing that I had. It was a pain in the [non-permissible content removed] for the dealer and me as it was slight and hard to pin down- but the tech did a good job finding the TSB and resolving it after two trips- does not affect performance or the engine. Just bad design! Will send the TSB via PDF.
    -Larry
  • jkobty2jkobty2 Member Posts: 210
    I have the 2009 mazda6 2.5 I4. I am noticing a tapping noise when accelerating from a stop at low rpm, as the car shifts, the noise is gone, so only appears at initial acceleration. It does not happen when idling. And I only hear it in the evening probably because of much less outside road noise at night compare to driving during the day.
    I tried reproducing when at idle, I can hear it if I rev up slightly to 1000 rpm. if I increase the rpm, the tapping sound is gone. Is this normal of this engine, or should I be worried and take it in for service? I did notice on my oil change receipt from the dealer that they are using bulk 5w30 oil. The manual recommends 5w20 oil. Could the
    thicker 5w30 oil be causing this issue?
  • racegirl4racegirl4 Member Posts: 1
    Well I'm blowing a lot of smoke on start up. I'm wondering if maybe it's a bad PCV valve? Also, I have a CD jammed or something. I put one in and now it's not working. It won't even switch CD's. Is there anyone out there that can help me out? Give me some info or something? I'd really appreciate it! :)
  • epicmetalepicmetal Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Mazda6 with the 2.3L motor. Assembling the motor installing the crankshaft and balancing shafts but know one knows the positioning of the
    crankshaft to the balancing shafts. And I mean no one, not the dealership the
    engine machine shop or the local repear shops. Hopefully here I can get the information that I'm looking for. If anyone can help let me know.
    Thanks
    John
  • lg2207lg2207 Member Posts: 28
    Sounds familiar- I had that on my '07 6S (check my posts and replies)-- turned out to be a bad design by Mazda of the Idle Air Purge Valve (poor placement and materials near the firewall)- same thing- in the 900-1200 rpm acceleration phase- and very slight noise----- wonder if they carried that design over........ Did you get anywhere with it?
  • vfontjrvfontjr Member Posts: 9
    I took my car into the dealer today to have them fix the bluetooth. For the second time since I bought the car last October, the bluetooth cut off and wouldn't turn back on. (The bluetooth menu option is grayed out and remains inaccessible.)

    The first time this happened, it came back on by itself after 3 days. This time it went out about two weeks ago and never came back on. The dealer admitted that they didn't know what the problem was and had to call Mazda Tech Support for assistance.

    The fix was to disconnect the battery for 10 minutes and reset the electronics. They said the bluetooth is sometimes left in limbo and performing a reset by removing the power is the only way to get it back. This is just my opinion, but it sounds to me like their software has a memory leak somewhere and rebooting the electronics has the same effect as rebooting a computer. It works now.
  • ianmaticianmatic Member Posts: 10
    Question fo you guys: I have a 2009 Mazda 6 i with about 4000 miles on it. every time i start the car the engine idles at a relatively high rpm. after a bout a minute or two it drops down. Is this normal? whenever i shift in reverse at the higher rpm, the car shakes, whats the deal here? anyone else having this problem?
  • vfontjrvfontjr Member Posts: 9
    Today the Auto button for the front windows on my 2009 6I stopped working. Thwy'll go up and down as long as you hold the buttons, but the press and release feature ceased functioning. Weird!
  • jkobty2jkobty2 Member Posts: 210
    my niece has complained about the same issue. I have not experienced it because I usually wait for the rpm to go down before driving off. all cars idle at high rpm initially when the car is cold.
  • jkobty2jkobty2 Member Posts: 210
    I checked the earlier TSB and confirmed from the drawing that the car has the new design. So I do not think this is it, I also confirmed with another mazda6 with the same 2.5l engine, and it has the same noises. Sounds like a sloppy job of enlarging the 2.3L.
  • sedmundsedmund Member Posts: 93
    According to the 2009 mazda6 manual the oil change per "Schedule 1" is every 7500 miles. Does anyone here in this forum follow this, or do you do the usual every 3000 miles?
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Do you qualify for schedule 1? Does your dealer concur?

    From my 2007 manual:
    Follow Schedule 1 if the vehicle is operated mainly where none of the following conditions apply.
    If any do apply, follow Schedule 2 (Canada and Puerto Rico residents follow Schedule 2).
    Repeated short-distance driving
    Driving in dusty conditions
    Driving with extended use of brakes
    Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are being used
    Driving on rough or muddy roads
    Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation
    Driving for long periods in cold temperatures or extremely humid climates

    They have not changed their vague wording, have they?

    I'm following schedule 2 until the warranty ends, then I will go to 6 mo/5000 miles for oil changes. This is (or was) Ford's normal schedule for the same engine and I do fit under Ford's much clearer definition of "normal".
  • sedmundsedmund Member Posts: 93
    The dealer says I can go for 7500 oil change (i.e schedule 1) but he would recommend every 5000 miles, for oil change and specifically tire rotation.
  • jkobty2jkobty2 Member Posts: 210
    Well I took my car for an inspection at the dealership. Mechanic listened to noise, acknowldged there is a noise, but said it is normal, or not excessive enough to warrant opening up the engine to check it out.
    While I might agree that I do not want them to open up the engine, getting noises when accelerating with such a low mileage on the car is ridiculous.
    The question is, what are my options now? Get a second opinion from an independent mechanic? Would Mazda replace a knocking/tapping engine under warranty even though it is only noisy and runs fine otherwise?
    Or does it have to show a real malfunction before they do anything?
    Any help or insight is appreciated.
  • mtaylor3mtaylor3 Member Posts: 6
    I have an 09 Mazda6i that has an intermittent rattle (more of a slapping noise) that seems to be coming from between the glovebox and the firewall. It almost always does this for a just a second after the A/C is turned on for the first time of the day, but I've also noticed it with the A/C and fan off. On occasions that it happens with the A/C and fan off, the noise only happens with the transmission in park or drive (with the car stationary), and stops immediately as soon as I shift out of park or press on the gas. Due to the intermittent nature of the noise, of course it hasn't been reproducible when I take the car in for service. I know this is not the normal soft thud of an A/C compressor coming on. Anyone else have this noise or have ideas as to what it could be? I've probed around a little in the firewall area visible with the hood up, but can't find anything loose.
  • vfontjrvfontjr Member Posts: 9
    I found out today what was happening with the Auto buttons for the front windows. They needed to be reprogrammed. When I took the car in to fix the bluetooth, they disconnected the battery. This caused the windows to lose their programming. The fix is to hold the auto button all the way down until the window is fully open, then hold the button all they way until the window is fully closed. This reprograms the button.

    Just went over 15,000 miles. Bought the car last October.
  • lg2207lg2207 Member Posts: 28
    Hi All-
    Ok, so I am officially done with my '07 M6 Wagon. Only 15k miles.... As I have mentioned I bought certified in late '07 with low mileage-------- in the last 6 months I have had the following pattern happen which no one can figure out:
    1) Late November- turn car on---------- all engine and system lights come on and stay on. Turn off engine- Turn on Engine again and CEL comes on and stays on for about a day then goes off. Bring the car to dealer- they pull codes and replace the Cat. pipe.

    2) Early March- same thing happens again. Bring to dealer, they pull codes. This time its the Transmission Control Module and the wiring harness

    3) This past week; same thing. Bring to dealer. They havent told me what (if any codes) they pulled- but they did open a case with the Mazda Tech line as this is the 3rd time this has happened- they had them try a few things but havent explained yet what ( I am going to call tomorrow)- they gave me the car back and told me they are waiting for further instructions from Mazda Tech and that they are getting the Mazda Regional Rep involved.

    I contacted Mazda myself and started a case with them- not sure if they will do anything; but would love for them to take this car back (they wont I am sure). I've got 2 more months of full warranty before just 6 year powertrain warranty kicks in. Also complained to the GM at Crystal Mazda in Greenbrook NJ- their service dept has been dilligent and top notch to this point and hope they can pull through.

    This on top of the leaky CV boots and axle replacements last September....

    Any thoughts?
    I think I may trade this baby for a certified Subaru Outback or Forrester or Nissan Rogue

    Thanks,
    -Lg2207
  • jkobty2jkobty2 Member Posts: 210
    Yes I would get rid of the car, If I were you. If you are thinking Japanese go Toyota or Honda as Subaru and Nissan also seem to be having powertrain quality issues recently. Hyundai cars seem to be consistent on good quality and reliability too.
  • jkobty2jkobty2 Member Posts: 210
    Well I finally solved the mystery of the engine tapping sound after the car warms up when accelerating at low rpm (1200 rpm). Since this noise started happening immediately after my first oil change, I replaced the dealer installed oil with a quality oil (Valvoline 5W20), and behold, my engine is back to smooth even after it warms up, no more noticable tapping at low RPM. My theory is the crappy bulk oil being used by the dealerships (I tried 2 dealers) shears or thins out at high temp, and it is viscosity changes and is unable to provide the same lubrication to the upper engine (valvetrain). Since I do not get those noises when the oil is cold, that is the only explanation I can find. The valvoline oil seems to behave consistently well even after the car has warmed up.
    Now the question, what do I do now with this information. Mazda mechanic said Mazda would not honor warranty if I am doing my own oil changes. I am thinking of using their oil simply as an engine flush, and then draining it the moment I get back from their service shop and replace it with a quality oil. However should I be worried about any long term effects to my car since I already drove it about 10,000 kilometers on their crappy oil. Is there a way for me to prove easily their oil is bad such as an analysis by a third party that can give me written confirmation that the oil they are using is no good. Then I can take them to small claims court or something.
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    The warranty line is just that, a line. Keep all receipts of when you buy the oil and filter, and write down the dates and mileage that the oil was changed.

    As far as the oil is concerned, I've never heard it being an issue in terms of the tapping sound (unless there's no oil in the engine at all). Then again, my dealer uses Valvoline... :)
  • scottmsimpsonscottmsimpson Member Posts: 66
    Our 2005 M6 seems to have the heat stuck on all the time. Now that it is hot, the AC can't keep up. It runs full blast and doesn't really cool the car. The strange thing I notice is that when it is cool outside, (50-60F) and I hit the auto climate button, then press the AC button to turn off the AC, the air coming out of the vents is warm, much warmer that ambient. I took it back for this last year, and the techs went over the AC system, as it wasn't completely full, and recharged the system. I pointed out this same heat thing at that time, they didn't address it, only played with the AC system. I still think some valve is stuck so that heat is always being added to ambient air, even when not needed. Anyone seen anything like this? Or know how ambient air is routed thru the heater?
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    I had a similar problem, and the dealer discovered a malfunctioning blend door actuator. Basically, it froze up on me, causing the outside air to be drawn in at all times, blowing warm air in mo matter what the outside or inside temperature was. This just happened two months ago, and the dealer was able to loosen the hinges to the door and lube it, and it's been working ever since. They did mention that if it happens again, the actuator would be replaced. It's a cheap part, but they also said that labor will be at least 6 hours, since they'd have to tear the dash apart to replace it.
  • sjhollonsjhollon Member Posts: 1
    I have an '03 4 cyl Mazda 6 that has an issue with the A/C. It will only kick-in after 15-30 minutes from when I start the car. Once it starts, it has no problem cooling the car. This is a manual A/C. Has anyone encountered this issue. I am hoping to avoid an expensive repair if at all possible. Thanks for your help.
  • mtaylor3mtaylor3 Member Posts: 6
    I have an '09 Mazda6i with the 5-speed auto transmission. Do any of you find this transmission to be really aggressive in downshifting when coming to a stop? Even when coming to a slow stop, when the transmission downshifts it's aggressive enough that I can feel myself shift forward in the seat slightly. The shifting seems smooth enough, and there aren't any strange noises, but this has me a little concerned. I can't remember having driven an automatic that makes me feel like the engine and transmission are doing more to stop the car than the brakes. I've also noticed that it tends to gear "hunt" a lot under light throttle at low speeds (say 20-40 mph). I'm hoping this is normal behavior for this transmission, but since I've only had one other car (out of 9) with an automatic, I don't have a lot to compare to. Do any of you share this experience, or might I need to get this checked out?
  • waggone04waggone04 Member Posts: 6
    I have an 04 6 waggon v-6 this happened at @ 10,000miles now 50,000miles fule pump went bad. Thats it on any problems...............
    Have them check ALL the grounding cables and re "flash" the computer. I had all the lights come on and the trans banging in and out of gear. This solved my issue. Loose ground wire I think by the passenger front tire.
    Side note this happened early in the morning with corn fields as far as the eye could see.... UFO.?
  • rishmawirishmawi Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 mazda 6 V6 with automatic transmission. Today, when I first turned on the car, and I switched to drive, I heard a weird rattling sound, which sounded like it came from underneath the car (I am not 100% sure of that). To me the noise sounded like gears grinding against each other, but I am not too sure. The sound disappeared after I accelerated, but came back after I stopped. The sound completely disappears after some driving, but it comes back if I turn off the car for a while. The car seems to drive like normal except for that weird noise.
    Any help is appreciated.
  • jimj_caljimj_cal Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 mazda6 with 54,000 miles on it. Yesterday while driving the AT light came on in the message center. The manual says this can be caused by hot tranny fluid or an electrical problem. Anyone have any similar experiences or ideas what could be wrong. It doesn't appear to be hot tranny fluid because the light reappeared this morning when I restarted the car! Thanks, JimJ :confuse:
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    Could be a loose heat shield on the exhaust, I live in the NE and one of mine rusted loose after 4 years (had this problem on all of my other cars too). They usually make rattling noise when the engine is at or near idle and sometimes sound like grinding. If that's your problem they can either be removed or banded together (if it is one which has a top and bottom half). It's an easy DIY job or your mechanic should be willing to fix it cheaply.
  • apollo5317apollo5317 Member Posts: 1
    I got a 04 Mazda 6 with alotta miles lol. I don't get any air coming out for my a/c and heat so im thinking it was my Motor Blower Fan. I orders that part but when it comes in ima replace it myself. Does anyone know exactly where its located in the dash itself? Im thinkin its in the centerconsole and I been lookin all over the net and I get nothing. Must be a rare part that breaks cause autozone can't even order it.
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    It's usually behind the glovebox.
  • ventureventure Member Posts: 2,869
    Did you check the fuse?

    2020 Ascent Limited, 2024 Subaru Legacy Sport

  • jclark5jclark5 Member Posts: 5
    need an answer fast PLEASEI thinking of buying a mazda6. it was dead at the dealer because someone left the dome light on. they changed the battery and it runs great but the airbag light wont go off. the said the battery dying probably caused this and can be corrected when i buy the car for free. could this be true? it has a clean carfax and is in perfect condition.im test driving it for the weekend and have to make a decision by 6 tom.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Why do you have to have to make a decision by 6? Why don't they just fix the problem before you buy?
  • artemis88artemis88 Member Posts: 3
    I've noticed a few posting about their car not starting but i couldn't see if people had a fix for it yet. Here is my problem. I have a 2006 Mazda6 and for the past 3 years i've had it not start quite a few times. Of course i've taken it to a dealership and they can't replicate the issue nor can they resolve it. I've listed below some information regarding my problem, hopefully someone can help me out.

    - it mainly occurs on hot days when the car has been sitting for a few hours
    - the key turns, dashboard lights light up and it just cranks
    - i've had the battery, inhibitor switch and fuel pump replaced and the problem is still there
    - it's an automatic and i've tried moving the gear shift from park to neutral and back to park with no luck
    - i have to sit there and wait for 10 minutes or more and keep trying and then it will randomly start

    my car is almost to the end of the warranty and mazda canada's response to me is it's up to the discretion of the dealership whether they'll continue to try and fix this at no charge even though this problem occurred within the warranty period.
  • krame00krame00 Member Posts: 21
    Hi there -

    This has happened to me and others on this board. My issue was with the safety mechanism that keeps the car from starting if the clutch is not engaged (or if the car is not in park for automatic transmissions).

    I too threw a lot of money at this before we finally figured out that if the car would not start I could just take my foot off of the clutch and re engage it and the car would start. Of course it was out of warranty (mine's an '03).

    Unfortunately, it sounds like your problem is a bit different in that the car actually cranks. But still - it sounds awfully familiar. Have you tried taking the key out, then shifting the gear shift?

    I realize that I am probably no real help, here - but thought I would put in my .02.
  • artemis88artemis88 Member Posts: 3
    thanks for the reply. i've taken the key out .. put it back in .. turned it one notch which would allow me to move the gear... shifted it into neutral and back to park. it just seems that i have to sit and wait from the first time i try starting it for it to work.
  • waggone04waggone04 Member Posts: 6
    It does sound like a fuel problem. When you turn the key to ON, not starting engine. Listen for a hummmm. turn key off then on hummmm. This tell you fuel pump is running. Still need to check for flow and pressure. Also replace the filter, and the fuel cap. Hope this helps
  • shaz12342000shaz12342000 Member Posts: 2
    hi
    i would like to requst some one asist me on folowing qustions.
    am having madza6 model 2005, 117000km driven
    i can hear the sound like two parts touching in the morning when am starting the car after long parking.i wont hear same sound after drive some time.
    apart from there is little vibrating aswell not much but litle bit
    i went to consult some local 2 garage guys
    1 said , he needs to see the ac air compasure, and there might be in the engine mount sound,

    2 guy told me that i have to replace drive belt.

    am so confuse that whom to belive and not to.

    can any one sort out my issue please

    thanks
  • toeknee6toeknee6 Member Posts: 1
    jeffy scott, i am having the same problem with the gear shift locking up on hot days. i live in az so it is really frequent right now. in only happens when the car is parked for a few hours in the sun. sounds like the same problem you were having. i was wondering if you found a solution to this. thanks for a reply
  • shaz12342000shaz12342000 Member Posts: 2
    i went and check with local garaga. took the macanic for ride and he said engine rubber mount to be chnage
    so very next day went and open engine mounts. all 3 are gone. all crcks.
    replaced and now absolutly fine and smooth drive
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Not me, perhaps it was artemis88 having this problem?
  • mikemasmikemas Member Posts: 6
    Can anyone tell me where to locate the OBDII connetor for my Mazda 6 2007. The CEL is on cause the last time i put gas on, i forgot to put the Gas-cup back on. Please help.

    Thanks

    Mike
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    Check under the dash, underneath the steering column. You should find it there.
  • smitty013smitty013 Member Posts: 1
    hey man I have a 06 Mazda 6 with the 6speed auto tranny and i have the same problem, have you found a solution to your shifting problem? I could really use some help!
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