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Mazda 626 Troubles

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Comments

  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Did your heat ducts to the defrost break or get disconnected?
  • dhoffdhoff Member Posts: 282
    I suppose that's possible, but unlikeley. I'll have to get under the dash & maybe take it apart to see if I can find anything obvious that's broken. I'm jsut wondering if there's a known problem or weak spot with this. If I can't figure it out, it will have to bo off to the mechanic.

    Dave
  • jskhojskho Member Posts: 107
    When you press the defrost button, do you here the sound of the motor?
    I would think the motor is the likely culprit.
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    Years ago I had a Plymouth where the flexible pipe that carried the air would become disconnected. We would have to reconnect it then tape it with Red-Greens universal solution (duct tape) and then it would work for a while.

    Didn't have to pull out the dash.
  • irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Been doing brakes for two weekends now. Last weekend on a Protege, today on the 626 (95 L4, ATX). The idiots at the last place I took it for the state inspection cross-threaded two lug-nuts, so after trying to get them out, I broke the studs. So the break job turned into a stud replacement. Then I realized I needed a 7 mm allen to remove the caliper. Oh, well, I am fortunate to have a parts shop nearby, so I walked, got all the extra stuff I needed, walked back, and proceded to do everything.

    It went well at the end. One thing I noticed, although I saw the guide plates for the pads (the convoluted metal plates), I did not see any V-springs. Every place I read talks about them, and I remember the Protege I did last weekend had them too. Did certain models did not use them? Should I have them there? I figure that if the pads are not springing back, the brakes would drag like crazy, and it seemed (and seems) to brake fine - No drag whatsoever. Should I get them and put them there? The problem I had that prompted me to do the brakes (vibrations form warped rotors) is gone, so I figure everything is OK. Tell me if it is not...

    Guillermo
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Pads don't "spring back". Guide plates take up any clearance between the ends of the pads and their supports, preventing the pads from rattling over bumps or clunking due to clocking when they're applied. They also reduce wear on the buttress where the pad ends contact.

    All conventional disc brakes retract the piston and provide automatic self adjustment the same way. The lathe-cut high pressure seal between the caliper housing and piston distorts under brake apply as the piston moves outward, then relaxes and pulls the piston back slightly when pressure's released. That provides running clearance for the pads, IF a caliper piston isn't seized and the caliper slides are free and lubricated.
  • irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    OK, got it, and understand it. But back to the original question: should or shouldn't I have V-springs? I don't see why they were there on the tiny Protege, but not on the 626...

    G.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I seem to recall that my '93 626 didn't have them either.

    I'm still running on the original pads on my 2000 (which can't last too much longer), so I can't speak for it.
  • irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Windowphobe, thanks for the info. As usual, you are probably right. What I figure is that when the pistons retract (making the caliper move back), the anti-squeal on the pads will make them move with it, and the guide plates will also help. However, the 'drawing' in chilton's has them, and when I called NAPA they tell me that my year model needs them (their caliper hardware kit has them...).

    Anyone else out there has experience with this?
  • flamazdaflamazda Member Posts: 11
    2001 ES with discs on front, shoes on rear. Anyone had any experience with replacements--best to use, e.g., braking performance, wear, noise, etc.?
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    have worked very well for me on replacement brakes. They last a lot longer for me than the original type.
  • hughh87hughh87 Member Posts: 2
    Recently heard 626's since 1995 have cronic transmission problems. To the point a class action suit was filed. Has anyone heard this too?
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    I understand that the later models are much better than the early to min 90's auto tranny's. Thank heavens my 1991 is a stick. Only problem I've had is that I had a seal between the transmission and the floor that wore out after 10 years.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    The threat is ubiquitous, but you never hear of one of these actually going to trial, and inasmuch as most of the failures are out of warranty, I doubt you ever will.

    '94 and '95 are the peak years for tranny troubles.
  • hughh87hughh87 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the input. Loved my 92...it was a manual. Hate my 97 w/automatic. Wondering if I should dump it now or wait another year like I hoped. I know it has engine sludge but it runs OK for now. Idle pulses low and power not great.
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    If it's not too bad contact www.auto-rx.com. I had a Dodge that had mild sludge due to a small head gasket leak and this stuff cleaned it out and made the engine run much smoother. Some of the Toyota owners also used it for their vehicles as well.
  • bill_lbill_l Member Posts: 38
    My 88' 626 runs great. But recently it is sometimes overheating. I can feel the upper and lower rubber pipes are stiff, seems very high pressure in them. Sometimes it happened after 10 mins local driving, but sometimes nothing happened even after half an hour. Could it be head gasket broken or radiator cap failure, or...? Can anyone imagine what could be the problem? Any comments will be highly appreciated.
  • tdreotdreo Member Posts: 17
    I just bought a new 2002 626 4 cylinder automatic.
    I had a 2001 626 4 cylinder automatic that was about 1.5 years old that went to my son who just got his license. The 2001 had the transmission replaced at 21,000 miles. From day one I had noticed an "oil" smell while driving. I was told that "there is no oil smell" so I changed dealers with my complaint. The new dealer re-routed the tranny vent line and most of the smell went away. I guess the real problem was the tranny was getting too hot and that was causing the smell, although the fluid level was always fine. To get to the point, my 2002 now has an extra cooler for the transmission (mounted in front of the radiator. I guess better late than never, thanks Mazda! I have put 200 miles on it with no "smell". I feel confident there should be no tranny problems in this 626. I guess I should add the cooler to my sons car now so he won't have any problems.

    Tony
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    always adds an extra cooler if the transmission has to have replacement or serious service. They say it's well worth the money.

    I would also consider adding Lubegard. It cools the fluid and reduces corrosive acids.
  • pauldhmnpauldhmn Member Posts: 1
    After 144,000 miles, almost time to hand it over to the kids. I just might get them a Protege, I love my 626 so much. The only complaint is that four times I have had front end problems, the first time Mazda replaced the axle and the whole assembly N/C factory ordered upgrade. Seems that the boots are plastic and need replacing fairly frequently. Still original Clutch, engine has never been cracked open...uses 1qt of oil every 3500 miles. Even my garage floor is [non-permissible content removed] and span. Is it luck?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I've not had to add a quart between oil changes (3000 miles, generally) on either 626 I have owned. The CV boots, I agree, are fairly crummy; I did have one go around 80k on the '93. (The other side looked like it was just about to split open, so I replaced both axles.)
  • melikescarsmelikescars Member Posts: 2
    My mazda had the transmission go bad twice, also it manage to get something go bad every 3 months. Ive only owned it for year and a half, bought it from my brother in law who was orignal owner, paid 4000 for it and spent 2000 fixin it when transmission died 2nd time sold it and bought a 2003 camry. man i hope no one else suffers that same fate.
  • autotechmanautotechman Member Posts: 1
    I have read many of the problems that many people are having about Power and Idle problems. My problem is very similar to everyone else. I just purchased a 2002 ES V6 626 in Aug 2002 and I am having these problems already and its now Nov 2002. (This is my first brand new car)This is a shame, I have only 7,000 miles.

    During frequent stops at stop lights my idle drops down and causes vibration,when I lock or unlock my doors my idle drops and causes vibration, when I turn on the air condition the idle drops and causes vibration, these situations I have listed all have been while the car is in a stopped position while in gear. The idle picks up within a few seconds, while this happens I notice that the fan kicks in and the car sOUNDS bRAND nEW.

    I have read recommendations for this problem hear on Edmunds which is to replace spark plugs and valve cover gaskets. How true is this?

    Are there any recommendations what to do about the warranty vs. Mazda USA? What shall I do? Is this a Lemon? What should be done about the car and about the warranty?
  • chaz25505chaz25505 Member Posts: 1
    Hey,

    Has anyone heard of any recalls, class action suits, or any other recorse regarding transmission problems. My 1998 Mazda 626 has a little over 77k miles and the dealer wants 3,280+ for rebuild/replace from factory.( and that is not a brand new part)Maintanence was routine on vehicle and trans was not suspect until Sunday last. Customer service number was a waist of time...
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    How low does the idle drop? (And haven't you taken this back to the dealer yet?)
  • suziq2suziq2 Member Posts: 1
    I feel the pain of chaz 25505. My transmission went out a month ago with no warning. I located a transmission specialist who'd worked for Lincoln/Mercury before going out on his own. He said by the time he quit the dealership, he was working on these all day long. When I called for an estimate, he had a 1995 626 transmission on the table. Made me feel sick and reassured all at once.

    I paid $1800. for a rebuild with new parts. Most mechanics I talked to (and the Mazda dealership) wanted $2500. to install a previously rebuilt tranny. The rebuild from Mazda would've run me $3000. including the $600. core deposit. $3280. would've made me faint!
  • ece3446ece3446 Member Posts: 32
    Hi all,
    I have a 1993 Mazda 626 4 cyl. 5 spd. with 215,000 miles. I driving out in the raintoday and all of a sudden there was a sudden and total loss of power. The engine just shut off.
    I was at the side for a little bit and started it back again. This happened to me a couple of times before and I was wondering if this indicates impending doom.

    Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks all.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    This is a known issue with the '93/'94, at least on the V6 versions; the symptoms are similar enough to suggest it also happens on the fours. What's happening, apparently, is that the ignition module is going into thermal overload and shutting itself down; once it cools off below the overload point, the engine will start normally.


    Should this be the case, the module will have to be replaced. If you hit your local dealership with this, expect them to want to replace the entire distributor assembly as a unit, though only the ignition module itself is at fault.


    Details here.�

  • ece3446ece3446 Member Posts: 32
    Thanx for the quick reply. But I just had the distributor replcaed last year at a cost of 400 bucks. Do u think this could happen again so soon ??

    Coudl it be something else?? I still have the receipt. Thanks again.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Theoretically, it could be a crank-angle sensor (there's one at the distributor end, another at the crank pulley), but this is not common.

    And there's always the dreaded ECM (computer) problem, which is usually difficult to diagnose.
  • ece3446ece3446 Member Posts: 32
    HI all,
    It happened again this morning. I calmly coasted to the side and waited a few minutes and restarted.

    Just wondering what I should do now ?? If it is the distributor will it remain this way or will it get progressively worse ??
  • ece3446ece3446 Member Posts: 32
    Hi again,
    DOes anyone have any idea if the distributor off a 1993 Ford Probe 2.0 is the same as the one put in a 1993 Mazda 626 ??

    Thanks.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "DOes anyone have any idea if the distributor off a 1993 Ford Probe 2.0 is the same as the one put in a 1993 Mazda 626 ??"

    I don't see why it wouldn't be the same distributor.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Same engine, after all - the valve cover is embossed differently, and the intake, if I remember correctly, is differently-shaped, but almost everything else under the hood is swappable.
  • ece3446ece3446 Member Posts: 32
    Hi all,
    I seem to have a very specific problem. When I start the car in the morning, after about 5-10 minutes the tacho goes straight to zero and I get absolutely nothing from the engine. I have to wait about 10 minutes and the car seems to start up as nothing ever happened. And then I am good for the rest of the day.
    So what I have started doing is I leave my car idling in the morning before going to school, and it invariably stops. I then wait for 10 minutes and restart and go about my business. Seems to be working for now but am not sure for how long this is gonna hold up.

    Any ideas what is going on ??

    From the posts before I gather that it might very well be the distributor. But I replaced the distributor just a year ago.

    - Could it have gone bad so soon ??
    - Is there any kind of warranty for the distributors ??
    - Were'nt the new distributors fixed for this known problem ??
    - Can I put in a working distributor that I bought from ebay for a ford probe into this car or do I need to spend 400 bucks again ??
    - Lastly can it be anything else ??

    Thanks all and sorry for the long post.

    P.S. BTW,I have a 1993 Mazda 626 4 cyl. 5 spd. with 215,000 miles.
  • njshellnjshell Member Posts: 1
    I have a '99 626 LX Mechanically it has been a good car but the integrity is lacking. As soon as I picked up the car the gear shift knob came off in my hand. The antenna no longer retracts or extends fully after 2 winters. The worst thing though is the headrests. Both are broken! The cushions won't stay up on the rods, they just sink down. I had one of them replaced (supposedly) when the car was still under warranty,and it broke again. Now I have two useless, dangerous headrests and no recourse. Has anyone else had this problem?
  • rubbermanrubberman Member Posts: 14
    I have a '95 Mazda 626 with manual transmission. Several months ago I noticed it was getting more difficult to shift into first, but not the other gears. Now that the weather is getting cold, it's become very difficult. The gears don't grind...it just resists going into gear. I have to be at a complete dead stop and then use some force to get into first. I also noticed that it's not a clean shift into 2nd now. It gets much better after the car has been running. I just had the transmission fluid changed with no noticeable effect on the problem. Any ideas?

    Dan
  • naz_sparkynaz_sparky Member Posts: 3
    1996 Mazda 626 LX V6 same shifting problem every now and then. I bought this car 8 months back and have put on 9000 miles on it since. I have replaced the following on this car

    - new clutch
    - new front rotors and pads
    - new power steering pump
    - two new CV boots
    - new vacuum chambers
    - new alternator
    - new motor mounts
    it needs a new radiator and a new throttle position sensor as well. i have sunk $3500 into it so far and i think it is now running okay...never buy mazda again unless they decide to stop putting in ford parts in their cars!! as my mechanic says, ford and mazda in bed together making some really UGLY babies!!
  • irishalchemistirishalchemist Member Posts: 152
    Hi, long time no post. This one is regarding 'clunks' coming from the steering components (struts or strut mounts likely) when I turn. The car is a 95 LX L4 ATX. I know that my driver side strut bearing needs replacement (that was one clunk), but now, in cold mornings, I can hear another similar clunk coming from somewhere else. Question: Could it be the other (passenger side) bearing that is starting to give, and I notice it in cold weather more because the lubrication is sticky? I am about to order the bearings for both sides, but would like some opinions on this before I take off the struts, compress the springs, kill the cat when the spring flies of the vise, screw up all the alignment (which it needs anyway...), etc., etc. Plus, it's cold here in Philly, and working on the car outside is a pain...

    TIA, G.
  • notaporschenotaporsche Member Posts: 7
    Anyone here know off-hand where the frost plug (block heater) hole is in the engine block of a 1993 626 2.0L 4cyl? Is it hard or easy to get at? Its survived this many years without one but the girl is growing too old and tired for our harsh winters here.

    Another question. Would a battery blanket be just as effective as a block heater for cold starts?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    I've not heard any previous complaints about the headrests, though anything is breakable under the right - or the wrong - circumstances.

    Problems shifting? Is the clutch working properly?

    I'd suspect a strut mount before the actual bearing, but it's really impossible to tell without putting the squeeze on the darn thing.

    And to be honest, I've never even looked for the freeze plug on the 2.0s I've owned; then again, it hasn't gotten down much below 10 (-12 C) here. Things are way different Up North. I suspect, though, it's tricky to get to.
  • mrdetailermrdetailer Member Posts: 1,118
    When I installed my block heater it was put in the freeze plus located in the left front of the engine of my 1991. Block heaters are an enormous benefit to keep the engine warm and running smooth when temps are below freezing.
  • johnjay28johnjay28 Member Posts: 9
    my 1995 mazda 626 4 cyl auto tranny died. around three months ago i drained the atx fluid. it came out in gobs. lot of sludge. i replaced the fluid and added lubeguard.i drove the car for a couple of weeks then parked it for a couple of months. i started it today and it would hardly move forward with high rpms reverse did the same it wont move but a couple of feet and that's it. what could have happened. all help will be appreciated. thanks, john
    john3321@webtv.net
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Might be a clogged filter, from your description of the old fluid. If not, probably the pressure regulator valve in the transaxle is stuck. An oil pressure test would determine if it is.
  • johnjay28johnjay28 Member Posts: 9
    adding to post 1361. i started the car today and the trans worked in all positions, after running for about three minutes the same problem no go in all positions. tried it an hour later and the same thing happened. works durng the first couple of minuits then nothing. if i rev it up it tries to work. any clues?
  • eastrnreastrnr Member Posts: 1
    My wife's 626 was given to her by her parents, who bought it new. It has jerked when shifting from 1st to 2nd since the day they bought it. It has 65K miles, and other than this transmission problem, the car has had nothing we've had to worry about. The interior (especially the leather) and exterior are immaculate. I've been reading about these tranny problems and have wanted to get rid of it before it goes out, but would I really want to get rid of this red beauty just because of the transmission? Can I expect the "speedometer fix" to help the jerking?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    It might, but I have my doubts, especially if your speedo is actually working properly the rest of the time.

    As for those other problems you read about, well, the ES that year was a six-cylinder car, which means you have, not the dreaded LA4A-EL (CD4E) tranny, but the somewhat more robust GF4A-EL. And the nature of this particular beast is that it's never going to shift as inconspicuously as, say, an old Buick Dynaflow. Have your service guy change the fluid (which, assuming you followed Mazda's recommendations to the letter, has never been done) and see what happens.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Torque-converter clutch refusing to yield, maybe?
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    No. The torque converter clutch provides a positive connection between the crankshaft and transaxle input shaft. If it won't release, the engine stalls when trans is shifted into gear.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Next time, I shall read them twice before I shoot off my mouth, as obviously once isn't always enough. :)

    I suppose it would help if there were codes pulled, but he hasn't said anything about that yet.
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