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After changing the transmission on warranty, and not really trusting the rebuilt replacement, we finally sold ours to Carmax. It was a 1998, LX, 4 cyl. auto. Got a good price and (I cannot believe I am saying this) we are getting a more reliable powertrain in a Buick.
How the screw turns. Ford/Mazda did not do themselves any favors by not improving this tranny. It is a great car but for that.
Good luck all.
Any help in finding a Mazda mechanic in the Fort Worth Texas area would be appreciated. Any input from owners experienced in this issue would also be appreciated.
Love to drive the car. . . need silver bullet to eliminate this issue so I can go back to dusting Camry's.
So make sure to check the range sensor before putting in a new transmission.
Don't kid yourself into believing that Ford has made improvements on this hopeless joke of a tranny. Its an unreliable piece of junk that should have never been put into ANY car! Shame on you Ford AND Mazda. Even with the ticking lifters, I still liked the rest of the car but alas, 0% financing hooked me in and now someone else is driving my old 626 and I am sporting around in a new Rodeo. Its the 3rd trouble free Isuzu that I've owned. I will never, ever buy a Mazda or Ford again! Remember what Ford stands for:
Found On Road Dead
Fix Or Repair Daily
Thanx all!
Dinu
2001 PRO ES
I've had other problems that I've mentioned here before (grounding wire to distributor let go while I was doing 70 down the highway) but no problems with the clutch - knock on wood!
ebahe. The transmission problems are mostly with the V-4, not the V-6. Still advise careful maintenence, drain and fill every 15,000 (30,000 if completely flush and replace with a synthetic) I also recommend the additive Lubegard, reduces tranny temperature and neutralizes acids. Can purchase it at Napa. I credit it with saving 2 of my transmissions, and 1 of my son's (the notorious CD4E on a Mazda 4 cyl).
Freeport has 84K on the tripometer I'll be able to
tell you how little if any problems I've encounter
'cause I'm looking forward to the 3Digit Club!
Thumbs Up U S A
Dinu
If tuned this car gets excellent mileage. (New O2 Sensor increased from 23 -- 26 on oxygenated fuel.)
I recently changed to a 5W-30 4 quarts Maxlife/ 1 quart Synpower blend over my 10W-30 conventional. Haven't noticed any change.
I am using a Mobile1 Filter. Is Mazda better?
I also ran lifter flush thru the engine for 10 min. before changing the oil each time to get any gunk out.
A lot of older MPV's have the ticking problem also. I've heard that keeping the oil changed every 3000 helps the ticking too, at least on the MPV's.
I only run synthetics because of the superior flow in cold weather. It cuts down on engine wear at startup.
Still running with original clutch on my 93 ES with 138k miles. Check engine light has been on intermittently due to oxygen sensor for the past 3 years, but still getting about 23 mpg mixed and close to 26 highway.
Have the codes pulled, and you'll know from whom to request assistance: either MasterCard or St Jude.
I had to have the spark plug wires replaced today as one had a cracked boot. Symptons were slight hesitation on acceleration. But the wires had been replaced at 65,000 miles by a Mazda dealer, they should not have had to be replaced again so soon. All my service work is being done by a local mechanic now. He told me if the wires had been replaced by him, they would have been covered under a lifetime warranty and replaced for free.
I also looked at a set from Advance Auto Parts and didn't buy them because they looked too flimsy.
The gas pedal vibrating is a new one on me.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S
As for the over-70 wobble, if it goes away at even higher speeds, I'd suspect a tire; if it doesn't, I tend to think hardware.
First of all, I've got the MT with vinyl shifter and park brake boots. Last summer I had the dealer replace both of them (warranty item, no charge) because they were each torn all the way through in 2 or 3 places. Last week I noticed that my shift boot is tearing again, which is a bit annoying. Anyone else had problems with this? Is there something I should be putting on the vinyl to prevent this? The dealer told me it's not necessary to treat the vinyl, the original boots must have been defective. I also live in the NE, so I'm thinking the stiffness of the vinyl when cold might be contributing. Can anyone with an ES MT tell me if they have leather boots? I'm thinking about telling the dealer I want leather if it's available...
Second, I've been hearing a tapping sound in the rear of the vehicle when first starting out down the road in the cold weather. Found a TSB on cars.com which describes this:
Technical Service Bulletin #00400R
Date: 03/00
Component: SUSPENSION:SINGLE AXLE:REAR
Summary:
SOME VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A TAPPING NOISE WHICH CAN BE HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHIN THE FIRST 10 MINUTES AFTER A COLD START. *TT
Before I found the TSB, I had the car in for this, and the dealer gave me the old line, "we can't reproduce the problem". Has anyone else experienced the tapping noise and had it fixed? I'm wondering if I should print out the TSB and carry in to the dealer to show them.
For the record, the boot around my handbrake lever looks just fine, although I have some weatherstripping issues around the driver's-side door - I swear, they must be buying this stuff from Louie's Discount Rubber Recycling - and an act of blatant stupidity (I am capable of many such, alas) took a teensy slice out of the passenger's armrest.
The weather stripping around my drivers door has
been loose for a few weeks. I've ignored it,
hoping that the gremlins in my garage would take
care of it. Unfortunately they took another
course of action and now ALL four of the doors
have drooping rubber seals.
Any veterans of this particular malady care to
give me the benefit of their experience??
After a bad experience one time with a mechanic who replaced my driver's side weatherstrip with a passenger side one (which peeled off inside 6 months), I decided to figure out how to do it myself. I ordered a new weatherstrip from a dealer, and purchased a tube of 3M weatherstrip adhesive from an auto parts retailer. I had the whole job done in 1/2 hour, and that particular car never gave me any more trouble.
Since then, I've tacked up a couple loose weatherstrips on other cars, and that 3M stuff hasn't failed me yet.
Don't know if your weather strip is attached using adhesive (I think some just have plastic clips), but if you have some time and patience it shouldn't be too difficult on any vehicle. Keep in mind that purchasing a new weatherstrip may be very expensive; the one for my old car cost $100+ both times!
the right side for about 1 month. I have stainless
steel mudflaps and thought that might be the malady. Removal of flaps on rear but the noise is
still there. Monday a.m. I'll be calling the
dealer in reference to T.S.B. #00400R and find out
if parts need to be ordered.Thanx slickdog...by
the way how do you say the year of your 626. I
myself own a Doubleought 626 LX Freeport with a
left leg flexor !! Zoom/Zoom
My question is, can I still drive the car and just keep refill oil? and how long can this last?
I'll appreciate any input.
Personally, I've never referred to the model year of my 626 by saying anything other than "two thousand", but use of the term "doubleought" seems to be quite common on these boards. I suppose it does roll off the tongue a bit more smoothly.
You might want to consider a Higher mileage Oil like those made by Valvoline, Quaker State, or Castrol. They are supposed to have additives that help condition seals, and stop hairline leaks.
Is the tapping only when cold?
I'd reccomend running a motor flush at your next oil change and then add some Rislone to the fresh oil. If that doesn't take care of the problem, you can get a little more life out of it by using an oil thickener like Morrey's, STP, or Motor Honey.
As far the current set of problems, it does sound like the dealer was grasping at straws, but you may never know.
The dealer probably doesn't do engine rebuilds, so replacing the engine is what he would consider the proper approach. What I think can be summed up in two words: "second opinion".
I would certainly get a second opinion. Call a Mazda dealer and ask if someone has recently left to start their own business. That's how I found mine. More consistent repair quality that way.