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cheers
But yes, if it is a non-interference engine that you're okay. Basically "interference" means that the pistons, going up and down, are timing by the timing belt NOT to hit the valves, which are above the pistons and also going up and down. Rather like a clockwork. However, on an interference engine, should this "timing" be interrupted by breakage of the belt, the pistons, still spinning, will indeed hit the valves, also still spinning from momentum---even though the valves and pistons are no longer connected by the timing belt.
The reason for interference design is to give a lower engine profile and I would imagine longer piston stroke.
You can't rely on AA to give you accurate info. You need to go to a qualified garage or contact a Mazda dealer about this.
If the valves are bent, you do have a considerable expense to bear---the head must come off, new valves installed, etc. It's generally not about a "whole new engine"---not that drastic, but still here in the states this could be a $1500 job, no problem.
Does anyone know if any axles or the transmission are in the way of removing the oil pan?
This will depend on whether or not the car gets fixed.
It seems i have the exact same problem as you have.....since my battery went flat the idling is rough...to say the least!
Did you find a solution?
John.
MY wifes Mazda 626lxa (1994 atx ) overheated last week in Greece. We costantly check the water level from the plastic reserve tank and it is always full, or we top it off.
After car overheated she brought it to a mechanic who said we must check by opening radiator cap while cold , once a month and and see if it is really full. He said with age water does not circulate properly between actual radiator and reserve tank. He compared it to hardening of the arterys in people. He also said bubbles can flow in the line and stop the water from passing
He drained all the coolant, refilled it and said keep an eye on it . Lo and behold after an aprrox 200 fairly high speed (80MPH ) mile trip in hot weather , she opened the actual radiator and it is a little low , while the reserve tank is showing completely full.
Is there a hose that connects the reserve/ overflow tank(plastic) to the actual radiator that could be the cause.
What else can cause this problem in a 15 year old car .
I am presently in the States and am trying to diagnose the problem with your help from afar.
Thanks
Something needs to be done about how poorly this car was made and the people who have been made to suffer for investing in Mazda. I will never buy from them again.
Most overheating problems in 626s arise from wiring problems with d cooling fan(s) (e.g. burnt out wires) or blocked radiator cells (usually from accumulation of sludge over time due to filling with dirty water).
To prevent overheating, always be sure that your cooling fans are indeed working whenever u switch on d car engine. If ur engine still overheats with d fans working, ur radiator cells may be clogged. Finally, if u've had ur radiator removed and d cells cleaned out at a mechanic's, and ur car still overheats, d source is definitely from excessive friction within d engine block. U might need to change ur oil, filter and spark plugs.
I,m certain by d time u've tried all these, ur car will b just o.k.
If the EGR is stopped up bad enough, it might be fooling your computer system and making the tranny shift higher, maybe. Were any codes present indicating a tranny problem?
If the timing belt has not replaced, I highly recommend getting this done. Do you know any maintenance history on your car?
Brake light could just be low brake fluid levels in the master cylinder. Check the brake fluid levels.
The next day, starts fine, headlights work fine. Techs are stumped.
I then recalled about a month ago, my wife reported that the airbag light was flashing when she drove the car. Next time I drove it, it was not. Then one day it did, and it was a 3-7 code. My limited search capabilities for finding the meaning of this lead me to believe it was irregular voltage detected on the passenger side module. (If anyone has the exact meaning, please advise.) But that went away and has not come back either.
Long story short, I continue to have these intermittent, seemingly unrelated issues, that are various degrees of severity (can't drive the car at night without headlights, can't drive at all with it not starting, but can drive with a warning light occasionally).
Some posts point to these lead back to something as generic as the alternator going bad, and not putting out enough current. I'm tempted to believe that, because windings do go bad, but I've never had a dead battery issue.
Talking to the Mazda dealer, he wants to change the fuel pump and swap out the relays. I think this is short-sighted though. It's treating the symptoms, not treating the problem.
So, along the lines of a pre-failed alternator, could this be something as simple as a bad ground somewhere too? Any similar stories to correlate here or advice is appreciated greatly.
Second: The clutch must also be adjusted properly, ie, not too much freeplay, nor too tight that it will wear out the release bearing, and or cause the clutch to slip.
after an alignment 3 wks ago, this clicking/binding noise in the drivers side wheel (?) is freaking me out. it happens only when i hit a bump/pothole or when im turning hard to the left. it sounds like a ball joint or god only knows.
my mechanic took off the wheel and tightened and checked everything after driving with me briefly. sees nothing. also, sometimes i "feel" the noise in the brake pedal. does that make sense? any ideas? my mechanic said its probably this hard rubber piece that supports the axle or something when the car bounces up and down. thanx!
The worst case is that the transaxle is damaged as well. But try to get the front axle replaced first.
thnx a mil! notagain2
There are several things to consider.
#1.If the belt is removed, can the alternator pulley spin freely?
It should keep spinning after you let go of it for at least a second or two.
#2. The new pulley you installed should ALSO spin freely.
Sometimes one can over tighten a perfectly good pulley, and it will bind up and not spin well.
Requiring, a spacer washer to be installed possibly, or simply using a lockwasher
and or locktight, to prevent vibration from loosening it,backing it off a bit, and then not tightening it quite as much when re-tightening.
#3. The alternator, pulley and crank pullies all have to be in alignment, meaning that the belt is running in a straight path, not left or right too much, sometimes the alternator,bracket(alternator) or pulley, has to have a different bolt or a washer or two added to bring the belt's path into proper alignment.
#4. Lastly, proper belt tensioning has to mean that ten to fifteen pounds of pressure
flexes the belt at least a half inch, up to one inch, ten to fifteen pounds is not a lot of pressure.
Also: A new belt WILL flex and stretch, mostly after a few minutes of running,
so, I advise you to RE-Check belt tension after starting and running just a few minutes. And, again, not too tight if you re-tension that belt. It will squeal if it's too loose anyway.
I decided to take a look today and noticed the my engine coolant temperature sensor was melted in half at the base right above the bolt. I know it needs to be replaced but would that cause my gauges to act like that?