Mazda 626 Troubles

anc637 · April 2002

I just bought a used 1996 Mazda 626 LX, last month. It has about 71k miles and an AUTO transmission. A couple of weeks ago, i noticed that there are some clicking noises somewhere in the front of the car...i can't figure out what it is, does anyone have this same problem??? I just need to know what the heck is wrong with it before i get it checked in and not look all stupid about it! Ohh...and to anyone who has this car...how's your cars gas mileage...i get about 20 mpg/25 mpg on mine...is there anything wrong with this????

anc637 · April 2002

after reading most of the entries here...now i am scared of having to pay for a new transmission...i am only a college student, i don't think i can afford a new transmission..or even an old one! i should have just stayed with my Honda Civic...at least that one, i had never had any problems with! Now i think trading in my Civic for this 626 was a mistake! Hmm..another thing that i realized is that my 626 does have that IDLE problem most of you are having, especially at stop lights!

windowphobe6 · April 2002

With the four and the auto, the nominal US figure is 23 mpg (31 highway). (The larger '98-'02 version is rated 22/28.) My own experience with the '93 was 24/30; I'd expect I'd have done the same with a '96.

As for clicking, if it's something you hear on a turn, it's a CV joint complaining.

windowphobe6 · April 2002

Sounds sensible so far, though watch it with those valve-cover bolts; you're dealing with aluminum, and overtorquing can shred it.

windowphobe6 · April 2002

It's having trouble adjusting for the comparative lack of air up there. Something (the codes should tell you) needs to be tweaked or replaced.

[Insert oxygen sensor joke here]

To a certain extent, cars today do seem to get used to their environments, and being taken someplace new requires a whole new learning curve.

irishalchemist · April 2002

I have to thank all those who sent commnets and suggestions.

Thanks to windowphobe for reminding me not to overtorque the cam cover. Since I did not have a torque wrench, I did not do it. Also, I think that I will need a new cam gasket, because I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ONE THERE! I think that they 'made' it on the spot with silicon sealant...

In any case, I wanted to do something 'manly' over the weekend, and despite I had no scanner to pull the codes, I went ahead an changed wires and plugs (I used Bosch $45 cables and Bosch platinum plugs - are these OK?). When getting one of the plugs out, I noticed that there was a little chunk of silicone sealant (left there by the mechanic, se above...) which was preventing the wire boot to go down all the way. Apparently, that, and the slight warming up in Philly in the last week, caused a misfire or two, which is probably why the CEL was flaring up.

Runs better, although I still haven't tunned it with the strobe-light. In any case, I haven't seen the CEL in three days...

G.

irishalchemist · April 2002

In my last post, a question ended up hidden among piles of sensless babble, so here it goes again...

Are BOSCH 'Premium' cables and 'platinum' spark-plugs OK for the 626? I got them last weekend and installed them, but they do look a bit flimsy...

Thanks!

maltb · April 2002

Bosch wires are generally good quality. Bosch Platinums plugs on the other hand are useless junk, IMO.

It's hard to go wrong with NGK plugs and wires, but just leave what you have alone as long as they are working.

irishalchemist · April 2002

Well, this is a real pain. Over the last 10 days I have pretty much changed everything considered 'maintenance items' after 78K miles: plugs, cables, PCV valve, air filter. If you remember earlier postings, I mentioned my CEL not flaring up after that. Well, today I punched the gas to pass a bus, and it reared its ugly head again. 20 seconds and it was gone. Now comes a question for which I wish the answer is "NO": Can the CEL in a 1995 2.0L 4cyl ATX 626 indicate a problem with the tranny? I do have the crappy Ford tranny (to find out you just need to pull the tranny fluid level dip-stick and read...), so I'm prepared for the worst...

Guillermo

windowphobe6 · April 2002

When the CD4E acts up, it generally flashes the O/D Off light, not the CEL/MIL.

drolen · April 2002

I have a 1998 626.

When the A/C or fan is turned on the cars idles up and down. It drops a few hundred rpms at Idle or about 1500 RPMs if you idle it up to about 3K. This happens setting still or driving at any speed.
The drag is enough to kill the engine at low speeds or while shifting.

Also, I have noticed a waver in the idle even without the fan or A/C on.

There is no other noticeable problem with the running, acceleration, so on.

Certainly one of you smart guy mechanics can recognize the problem and help me out here.

The plugs, plug wires, fuel filter, and pcv valve were just replaced. I also disconnected the negative battery terminal to reset the computer memory stuff and the problem has still not changed a bit.

thanks
david

irishalchemist · April 2002

Thanks to windowphobe for the info on the tranny. I'll look for a crazy O/D off light...

Now I have yet another question. I still havent had time to get the ECU codes, but found several pages on the web that describe how to fish them out from OBD-I systems on 626's and Probe's. So I set out to do my weekend's 'manly' activities, opened the hood, was happy to find out that my connector is indeed an OBD-I connector, got the paper clip ready to plug TEN and GND and then look at my flashing CEL light and ... there's no metal in the TEN contact point, only the GND, B+, etc., have metal contact points! What the heck is this? Is it this the way they force your butt into a dealer to cough up $80 to get the damned codes? I am so pissed - So close, but no cigar, and still wondering what my error codes are. If anyone has a way around this without the need for a $250 scan tool I'll appreciate it...

Guillermo

th83 · April 2002

My cousin has a '98 LX with about 65k miles on it and the transmission has begun to act up lately. It shifts really rough and it vibrates a lot at idle. All maintenance has been done including the tranny fluid change. Is his transmission due for replacement this early?

irishalchemist · April 2002

OK, this is getting more complicated than I thought. As you are all probably aware, I have been trying to get the codes from my 95 2.0 4cyl ATX 626. So I took it to a Jiffy Lube with the Auto X-Ray scanner, and we could not find the connector. The kid in the Jiffy Lube was helpful, but not very experienced (I went there late at night and all the 'old' guys were gone). I can see a connector in the engine compartment, but I cannot find the one that 'should' be under the dashboard (if this is an OBD-II compliant model as the Chilton manual says...).

Any clues?

Thanks!

windowphobe6 · April 2002

All four-cylinder cars from model year 1994 on.

windowphobe6 · April 2002

Somehow I seem to remember that this is the one year you have to pull a SPOUT connector down in the general vicinity of the distributor.

irishalchemist · April 2002

windowphobe: I would have taken the whole dashboard appart before even looking there, thanks! I'll let you know if you are right (I bet you are...).

G.

moreiraa · April 2002

Well my car has the HOLD and the O/D Off Ligh blinking all day long and the transmission starts on third.
If I want to fix this problem what do I have to buy, where and how much is it?
As far as I read probably this problem is because two possible problems:
1.- transmission(buy a rebuild one), or
2.- engine relay in the fuse box, reporting to the computer that the car was in gear.
If is the 2nd case how do I repair it.
THANKS
Alcindo

windowphobe6 · April 2002

Or it could be the range sensor itself, mounted on the transmission; these have been known to act screwy. (The possibility exists that the computer itself is acting up, but this is uncommon.)

Engine relays are not repaired: you pull out the old one and push the new one into place.

newcar31 · April 2002

I am not sure about this, but I doubt the OBD II diagnostic port is under the hood. I used to be work at J-Lube and I have never seen a OBD II port that wasn't somewhere in the car's interior. Every single car I've ever seen had the port under the dashboard somewhere. With that said, they still can be tricky to find. FWIW, the OBD II port on my Protege is under the dashboard. An easy way to check if your car is in fact OBD II compliant is to look at the catalyst sticker under the hood.

qbrozen · April 2002

well, since every car you've seen has it under the dash, just thought I'd chime in and give you a new one. My Volvo's port is in the center console covered by a removable plastic tab. First time I ever saw that, too.

windowphobe6 · April 2002

On an OBD II-compliant 626, the connector is indeed inside the passenger compartment. The problem is that the '95s were made in a transitional year - OBD II wasn't mandatory until 1996 - and I've heard conflicting stories from owners of '95 models (even some '94s) about whether their cars are, in fact, OBD II-compliant. (I owned a '93, which definitely wasn't.) Without being able to shove my nose under the hood, all I can do is point at things and hope they're there.

jwalker3 · May 2002

Has anyone started or been successful with a lawsuit against Mazda for the 626 transmission issues? We had the transmission in our '96 626 LX replaced 10 days after we bought it (it was a certified used vehicle, thank God, so it was covered under warranty). Unfortunately, we are experiencing transmission issues once again. We have put more money into this car than I ever thought we would have to. We have been looking into trading it in.....and at 106,000....dealerships are not willing to give us much....and we still owe $3,000 on it. The whole thing just makes me sick to my stomach! I don't think I will ever trust Mazda again!

_andrei · May 2002

While the engine is cold the transmission works good but after several minutes first switch and "R" could not be used any more, just disappearing! (the disks has been already changed, using oil "mercon III")

I'm thinking maybe the range sensor, which is the actual switch on the
transmission that calls for the gear change - the shift lever on the console
is connected to it by a linkage. These have been known to go bad, and when
they do, the transmission tends to ignore the shift position unless you
really push hard on the lever....cgh

purifyer · May 2002

A couple of months ago my wife and I received a '91 626 with a 2.2 liter engine from her parents. It ran great even though it had 130,000 miles on it. About 10 days ago, the car started hesitating when I gave it gas from a standing stop. After the car reached 5 or 10 mph, the engine smoothed out and ran great. I changed the spark plugs with NKG's and then it started dying when I put it in DRIVE from REVERSE. In PARK it idles smooth. In REVERSE, it runs and idles smooth. As soon as I shift into DRIVE, it dies. I changed the spark plug wires and also the PCV valve. Still does the same. When I do get it to finally go, the bucking is terrible. If I barely touch the gas peddle, I can get going without much if any hesitation. I'm wondering if its the fuel filter? Any ideas?

alcan · May 2002

Check the air intake ducting for any cracks or splits downstream from the mass airflow sensor.

eharri3 · May 2002

My friend's factory alarm on his car went nuts yesterday, killing his engine and leaving him stranded. He actually had it deactivated over two years ago so he no longer has the key fob since it isn't supposed to work, so he couldnt turn it off that way. But then yesterday it went off when he tried to get into his car, killing the motor. The kill switch on the little driver's side kick panel didn't work so we could not disable it, and every time we opened any of the doors or turned the ignition or moved the shifter it went off again. We had it towed to the nearest dealership, where they said it would be 400 bucks to replace a wiring harness that was fried by the alarm. IT sounds fishy to me. I have trouble understanding how the alarm could hurt the harness, though I see how the harness could hurt the alarm. And all the other electricals in the car were and still are working fine. Any suggestions? I couldn't disconnect the battery since I had no tools, but Im wondering if that might set things right, or if perhaps it's a faulty alarm control module. Please let me know what you think, and any electronics or alarm experts please chime in.

purifyer · May 2002

Thanks, ALCAN! I took off the air hose, and sure enough, there was a 4" split right at one of the flex ribs! I couldn't see it the other night because it was toward the windshield. Just feeling back there didn't reveal it either, since it was at one of the ribbed areas. I used some duct tape to seal it temporarily until I can get down to a local parts store. Boy, it sure runs great, now! Thanks, again!

alcan · May 2002

You're welcome. That's probably the first time duct tape has actually been used to repair a duct! LOL

jskho · May 2002

Got a 93 V6 5sp with 142k miles.
CEL has been on and off since 90k miles and the code points to the sensors. I have been leaving them alone since emission and gas mileage are fine until recently when I noticed gas mileage drops a little bit.
Has anyone done this him/herself?
How difficult is it?
Found Bosch part for $55 each at Autozone.
Do I need a special tool to remove them? Thanks.

irishalchemist · May 2002

jskho,

If you want to change the sensors, go for it. It is easy, although my 626 (95, 4 cyl, ATX) has only the 'front' one (I beleive - windowphobe, correct me if I'm wrong...). For the front you need a a spanner that will fit, although I used an adjustable wrench (not recomended, though). Just buy the OEM Bosch part so you don't have to splice/solder cables (I also got it at AutoZone). The latching connector on it is kind of a pain to get loose. But it's doable. As for the back O2 sensor, I read that you have to put the car in stands to get to it. Nice page:

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

Go to the bottom and they have a section of O2 sensor replacement for the V6. One thing that I found useful: Do it when the engine is warm (not right after you drove because things down there get REALLY hot, but 1 hour later - The things are easier to unscrew).

Now, although you are getting a code related to O2 stuff (lean/rich mixture, etc., etc.), it may not be the O2 sensor. My mechanic got a code (finally!), and told me that the O2 sensor was the most likely culprit, so I changed it, and the CEL still flares up like a f#&$*@ing Xmass tree. My next guess is the MAF sensor, for which I found a nice detailed cleaning procedure.

Hope this helps. Now I have to figure out why mine is still comming on, now more frequently, every time I step on the gas or the car is under load at ~ 2500 - 3000 rmp. I'm a research chemist by trainning, and refuse to pay an obscene ammount of money to have the dealer muck things up - I rather do that myself and feel proud about it!

G.

windowphobe6 · May 2002

The first version of the FSD indeed uses only one oxygen sensor. (There appear to be two in the newer ones.)

irishalchemist · May 2002

Thanks for confirming my information on the number of O2 sensors on the 95 4 cyl.

I still have a glimmer of hope - Do I need to disconnect the -ve battery cable to reset the computer and let it know it has a new O2 sensor?

Thanks,

G.

irishalchemist · May 2002

While changing the O2 sensor yesterday and mucking with it this morning, I noted that there was a little wet spot around one of the seals on the tranny - Nothing major, I believe, just what you would expect of a 'cork'-type seal. Is this the beginning of the end? Is this something that can be corrected with a tranny service? If so, does anyone knows of an independent tranny service shop that speaks fluent 626/CD4E around Philly?

G.

irishalchemist · May 2002

Well, the saga continues. After I posted the last two messages (1033 & 1034), I went ahead and unplugged the battery while I mucked with the O2 sensor harness. I also tightened some of the bolts on the MAF that were kind'a loose.

After that, we went for a ~20 mile trip with highway speeds, lots of trafic and idling, I drove it hard, was under load up-hill several times, whicch were all conditions for the CEL to come on, and the CEL did not come on. Was I a happy man!

@# ?!?!
Why did the problem went and came back? Could the O2 sensor I got at Autozone suffered from 'sudden infant death', as many other electronic component are known to? I guess I'll do the MAF cleaning now...

As usual, any word of wisdom from all the 626 gurus in the board are welcomed.

G.

windowphobe6 · May 2002

Check the air-intake tube. If there's a crack anywhere in the plastic, it can throw off the MAF readings, which in turn will bamboozle the computer.

irishalchemist · May 2002

windowphobe, by air intake tube you mean the plastic/rubber duct after the MAF (or any duct after the air filter), right?
Also, could the solitary CEL 'blink' I got after my long drive withouth CEL activity be the computer still getting used to the new Bosch O2 sensor, or just my pathetically bad luck?

G.

rayfbaird · May 2002

It shouldn't mean a transmission problem by itself. You didn't list the mileage, whether there were any shifting problems, or whether the transmission has been serviced before.

Every other year I do a drain and refill and add Lubegard. My local transmission shop puts on a new seal. Never had leaking problems.

windowphobe6 · May 2002

I'd check it on both sides of the filter, just as a precautionary measure.

The computer has to relearn some things after a component change, so it's possible that you're just getting a hiccup.

irishalchemist · May 2002

Dear All,

Although every time I say "...It's fixed..." the little mechanical demons hear me and decide to torment me by throwing everything out of whack, I'm gonna say it. It's fixed (but not too loud...).

After the solitary CEL blink last saturday night (yeah, it really ruined my saturday night...), I decided to touch up my cable-ties around the O2 sensor, and I also checked the MAF and retightenned its bolts (I still have to put a 4th one in there - whoever serviced this thing did not do it and it's in a really hard-to-reach spot). I used new bolts with washers and pressure-washers - Nice and tidy. I also disconnected the -ve battery cable, stepped on the brakes, etc., etc. Well, since then I have had 5+ trips on the car with all sorts of driving styles, plus my wife commuting this morning to work into the city, then to the airport, and back, and no CEL. Touch wood.

I also learned, after countless hours of web searching, that the 95 4 cyl. 626 with ATX has a EEC-IV (Ford) diagnostics plug, and once you find it, grounding the STI prong will give you the error codes through the CEL light (no point doing that now in my case, as I cleared all the codes...). I also learned that the 95 4 cyl. 626/ATX is OBD-I. This is one of the reasons why I avoid taking the car to a mechanic as long as I can deal with problems in a DIY manner - You get to learn a LOOOOT of stuff. Most goes to the 'repository of useless information' bin in your brain, but...

So, in sum, if anyone out there is seeing their CEL blinking intermitently when they step on the gas between 2500 - 3500 rpm under load (going up-hill, for example), but see no aparent drop in performance, the most likely cause is the O2 sensor. As many of you pointed out, cleaning the MAF should be done at the same time - It is simple pre-emptive maintenenace, and will also help your idle quite a bit.

I think most of my problems are solved. Next weekend I'll do the valve cover gasket with a friend of mine that has a shop, and also change plugs and wires (yeah, I know, again, but he told me the same thing someone mentioned here - Bosch plugs stink). I'll keep you posted.

One more thing: I do want to say THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH to everyone out there that made suggestions and provided information on this. I wish there was something like a round of 'virtual beer' that I could offer you with ;-)

Cheers,

Guillermo

dardson1 · May 2002

My mom, a very young 79, has a 94 V6LX purchased new. She doesn't give a hoot about a car as long it starts and gets her from A to B. It has 21k miles (yes, I said 21k), it's clean, never been wrecked, and suits her fine; but, 2 months ago after 8 years of absolutely no trouble, her distributor went out ($300), last month the thermostat had to be replace ($90 labor and $8 in parts), and now she needs a strut replace ($200). I don't work on cars, she certainly doesn't, and she's asking me if it's time for a new car. Any thoughts? Seems to me this would be a great vehicle for someone who can do his own work and maybe time for someone who doesn't to move on.

ian18 · May 2002

I spent some money at 60K on my '93 626 and was plenty pissed. However it is now at 95K and has not been too costly since then. I say run it until and if you have tranmission problems (mine is a stick). In fact my 626 is running great and is a blast to drive.

qbrozen · May 2002

The fact is, no matter how little you run it, mechanical parts that are 8 years old are bound to show some wear. Is the car garaged? If not, moisture alone is going to do some damage over time. I'm kinda surprised about the struts, but that's about it.

Oh, ian18, if you're referring to the notorious tranny problems, dardson's mom's car is a V6, so those problems don't apply.

mrdetailer · May 2002

Most of it should be normal. The shocks also surprise me. But shocks may have been more stressed because they also never got a real chance to warm up. Does your area have high humidity?

dardson1 · May 2002

for the opinions......

jskho · May 2002

Thanks. The site you mentioned is by far the best auto repair site I have been to...
Are you satisfied with the Bosch OEM type sensor?
A friend of mine has problems with the Bosch sensor on his Honda.

irishalchemist · May 2002

Apart from a small hiccup right after I replaced the stock O2 sensor with the Bosch (because I hadn't cleared the ECU...), the thing is working fine (i.e., no CEL for 5 days). Someone also mentioned on the board that the Bosch looks sturdier than the stock, and I agree. Although I don't drive the car that much (I fix it and my wife wrecks it, je je). I have a log of miles-per-galon from a month or so ago, and I'll let you know if this improves with time.

On other topics, has anyone had one of those ATX services in which they connect one of the ATX fluid hoses to a bucket full of clean ATX fluid, and then let the car run until the fluid comes clean on the other end? I saw this service somewhere around town for 80 bucks, and looks like the only way by which you would really get all the old ATX fluid out without taking the tranny apart.

Also, my next near-future 'manly' project is, after servicing the ATX, installing a tranny cooler. Has anyone done this? How hard is it? Any hints?

Thanks in advance,

G.

ian18 · May 2002

I put in two Bosch O2 sensors around 65K and now have 96K with no problems at all. I did comment some time ago that the Bosch sensors seemed to look like they were better quality than the OEM.

rayfbaird · May 2002

newcar31 · May 2002

I have seen one of those machines. As a matter of fact, I used to work at Jiffy Lube and use those machines. You are correct, they are the only way to get the fluid out of the torque-converter, tranny lines, cooler (if it has one), etc. without taking the tranny apart. They work pretty slick and if you use enough fluid, you can make the tranny fluid look BRAND NEW. When you just drain the pan, you aren't getting that much fluid out at all, about 40% I think. I highly recommend this service for anyone who has an automatic. I don't even work their anymore, so it isn't like I'm trying to "up-sell" and oil change; your tranny will love it-seriously. Just find a place that you trust, looks clean, etc. and have it done.

About this O2 sensor deal. I have a 2001 Protege with the same 2.0L as your 626s. It sounds like these engines like to eat O2 sensors. How much are these?

Mazda 626 Troubles

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