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Mazda 626

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Comments

  • aldebaronaldebaron Member Posts: 5
    New poster, been lurking for a few weeks researching the 6. My .02: my 626 LX 4 cyl has been very reliable. It's the 5sp so no AT issues, but at 108,000 miles it's had exactly 3 problems (other than routine maintenance): 1) All but one of the dash lights went out over a 2 month period. Cost 150 to replace, evidently the dash has to be taken apart to replace a bunch of 35 cent bulbs. 2) Connection in the wiring went bad, causing a fuse to blow, 60 bucks to fix the connection. 3) Intake manifold gasket went bad, causing vacuum leak and rough idle. Other than that it's been just routine maintenance. Had a 6 loaner over the weekend (4cyl AT), and I'm hooked! Though I will go with the manual, the AT really seems to slow the 4cyl down. Hope to upgrade within the next 4 mos. or so.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,934
    wrong board. This is about the 626 (the vehicle that the 6 replaced). I believe you want this board.

    '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

  • aldebaronaldebaron Member Posts: 5
    No, I wanted this one...at least to describe my reliability experiences with my 626. Great car overall, reliable and great MPG - 30 in city traffic, 36-38 hwy. Very satisfied overall.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,934
    yeah, i know, aldebaron, that's why I replied to Maxx's message, not yours. ;)

    '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

  • aldebaronaldebaron Member Posts: 5
    Oops, my bad, guess I need to get used to the UI on these boards...
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    thanks. I'd point you to the board which you should go to to point others to other boards, but that would be a waste of time.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,934
    geez. sorry, maxx. thought you made a mistake and wanted to talk about the Mazda 6 but posted here by accident. I apologize for trying to be helpful.

    '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

  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    he, he, he... no big deal.
  • lewshellewshel Member Posts: 37
    We got the beakes sorted out, missing clip on non-Mazda pads. No more shudder. At 73,000 miles the body is still tight, the engine smooth and the replaced transmission ok. I drove a 6 last year and found it much improved over the 626 but the interior was over-styled for my taste. In the interest of better mileage I wound up swappping our 97 626 (4 cylinder auto with its 3rd transmission) for a VW Golf TDI. If Mazda brought their diesel engines to the US I would look at them, especially in a hatchback.
  • koolkatkoolkat Member Posts: 2
    Only 67K mi. Transmission broken . Costs 1900.
    Not buying Mazda/Ford again (FOrd AT on Mazda)
    Also Heater/Coolant Core leaking (cost $600 to fix,
    mostly labor). Had Toyotos for 160K and 130K and
    did not have these problems!
  • chuck1chuck1 Member Posts: 1,405
    As you probably know, the 4 cylinder Mazda 626 uses a Ford CD4E transmission. This is the same transmission that can be found in the Ford Contours, both 4 and 6 cylinder models. there are a few differences in the transmissions for the 6 cylinder Contours. It seems you get a transmission that goes the distance or breaks. I had one '98 Contour with 54,000 miles on it, that had all kind of trans problems. Another '98-an identical car, that has 74,000 miles on it with no problems. You can buy these transmissions on ebay for around $800.00. Or from www. Phoenix Hard parts for $1,400.00 Good luck!
  • skibry1skibry1 Member Posts: 174
    49,000 trouble free miles on our DoubleOught
     and where would we put this skipole handle?
    image
  • atomtan2atomtan2 Member Posts: 6
    Hello, I have a 98 926 lx 4 cyl. w/a manual tranny. The vehicle is due for emissions and the check engine light is on. I went to a local Autozone which put an anylyzer on it which came up with a P1131 trouble code,lack of h20 switch,sensor indicates lean. Anyone have any idea what this indicates?
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Lack of heated upstream oxygen sensor switch.

    In other words, you have an oxygen sensor that's gone south more or less permanently.

    You will have to repair/replace, or you will never pass emissions.
  • atomtan2atomtan2 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks windowphobe6 fro the reply. Which sensor do you think it is? The local car parts stores here in No. Ga. claim one of the two o2 sensors is not available which means I may be at mercy of the dealer. I read an earlier posting in this sight and someone mentioned carpart.com may have the sensors for a good price. Any difficulties in getting at or replacing the sensor or should it be relatively easy?
  • phroadrickphroadrick Member Posts: 14
    Greetings everyone. It has been a long time since I posted because I have enjoyed many trouble free miles from my 99 ES V6. However the time has come to ask advice from the learned scholars of 626's. Should my air conditioning put out more or less volume on recirc? The volume of air is lower on recirculating than fresh air, but is much colder. Is that right? Also, the time has come (ok, actually a little past) for the 60k service. I know that the timing belt needs to be done and I may as well go ahead and replace the water pump while its apart. Anything else I should consider at this time? Thanks in advance. Frederick
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    I believe you should get MORE air flow (louder) with the interior recirculated air, and yes it will be much colder, since it does not have to work as hard to cool the hot/steamy outside air.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    You should also replace spark plugs and spark plug leads at 60K miles. Also, replacing the fuel filter is a good idea at this time.

    You also need to replace the engine coolant. If you will have your water pump changed with the timing belt, they will replace the coolant as well. Make sure they use the genuine orange Mazda coolant, not the green stuff (e.g Prestone). Replacing the drive belts at 60K is also a good idea. When you replace the timing belt, I would also replace the cam sprocket seals and the front crankshaft seal.

    Many recommend fuel system service at 60K miles. You can simply run several bottles of Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner through several tankfuls of fuel and accomplish the same purpose. Throttle body needs to be cleaned of accumulated carbon.

    I would strongly recommend using genuine Mzda parts for plugs, plug wires, drive belts and the timing belt. I had terrible experience with aftermarket cheap drive belts which constantly stretch and require frequent retightening.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    Change: spark plugs(order denso or NGK iridium plugs from sparkplugs.com, half the price of the dealership),coolant, brake fluid, fuel filter, air filter

    Don't change: no need to change spark plug leads until they go bad and you will notice belive me(they should be good for at least 120K), timing belt is good for at least 90K(even 105K, V6 are non interference engines-belt can break without damage!), change the drive belts and water pump when you change timing belt.
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    I had a dead battery last night. Some nice people visiting from San Fransisco bailed me out and drove me to Pep Boys to get a new battery. I think my 626 is listing to my conversations and knows that it is close to going in the trash heap. The revolt has just begun. My car also probably is whining that I don't wash it any more. I'm hoping this tin box of trash lasts until November. That is my targetted deadline for replacing it.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    next time use duracell :-)
  • phroadrickphroadrick Member Posts: 14
    Thanks everyone for the prompt responses on the 60k service. I do have one more question. Since my air conditioning blows LESS air in recirculating mode, what should I check? It is absolutely colder but again, blows LESS air. Any suggestions?
  • mazcarfan1mazcarfan1 Member Posts: 10
    I have a 1998 Mazda 626 LX 4-cyl. with the stock MAZDA AM/FM CD PLAYER, I was wondering what type of stock speakers and watts did Mazda used front and rear for the 98's? and did Mazda offer any hidden Subwoofer or AMP or just 4 speakers on the standard C.D. player in the LX? I notice my rear speakers are Pioneer 25w speakers they have awesome bass! everybody comments on them! for some reason I keep believing that the first owner replace the speakers in my car with Pioneer speakers(I bought it used) since Mazda speakers usually doesn't really doesn't sound that great.

    THANKS IN ADVANCE!

    -Allen/16/m/ms
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    The system in my '00 626 doesn't move as much air in recirc. mode either. My wife's Outback is the same way. I consider it normal behavior, as both have worked that way since we bought them.
  • phroadrickphroadrick Member Posts: 14
    I bought mine used and this is the first car I have owned that didn't move more air in recirc mode. Of course I remember when you were lucky to HAVE air conditioning.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    Pioneer speakers are stock on this car, mine has them too and they are pretty good for stock speakers!
  • xraymanrrxraymanrr Member Posts: 34
    what is the difference in price between a new 626 base model and a used 626 coming off lease(3 years old) with a similar dealer warranty?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    The last year for 626 model was 2002. So you cannot get a new one any more. However, these cars depreciate rapidly and any used model (no matter how well equipped) will be cheaper than a new base model. For example, they were selling left over 2002 base models with 5 speed and 4 cylinder engine for something like $ 14K ($ 18K sticker). You can get a used 2002 top of the line ES V6 with auto transmission for about $ 12K, and 2002 used base model should be available for less than $ 10K.
  • branjessbranjess Member Posts: 5
    I have a 1999 626 2.0 5 speed which I enjoy driving. I have replaced the shift boot once about two years ago and the shift boot is again tearing.Does anyone know of a more durable after market shift boot?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I have a '99 ES V6 5 speed and it came with a soft imitation leather shifter boot which has not deteriorated to date. You may want to price that one at your local Mazda dealer. I do not think it is real leather because it has an inner lining made of cloth.(The shifter knob is made of real leather). I do not know what colors ES V6 shifter boots come in, mine is black and maybe that is the only available color. It is possible that later ES V6 5 speed models came with a real leather shifter boot, which should be even more durable.
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    The vinyl shift and parking brake boots in my '00 LX-V6 were replaced twice in three years by my dealer under warranty, because they tore completely through in several places. It seems to begin happening on mine during the mid-winter months when the temperatures are very low and the vinyl is much less pliable.

    I tried both times to convince my dealer to replace them with leather ones like the ES models have, but they refused to do it as warranty work, even when I offered to pay the difference in cost between the two.

    I also inquired about the cost of just purchasing the leather boots so I could install them myself, and if I remember correctly the total came to over $200.00, much more than I want to spend. I've not really spent much time researching the possibility of getting aftermarket boots. For now I'm just living with the torn ones.

    Looking into vinyl boots from a '99 is a good idea p100. Perhaps they are more durable for that year, and should be cheaper than leather.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I remember test driving a 4 cyl 5 speed Mazda LX before I bought the ES version. The parking brake lever and transmission shifter boots were made of this heavy, thick, and cheap looking vinyl that looked like something that would come on a Chinese made tractor. My ES boots are definitely better quality, look better, and last much longer.

    I believe that JC Whitney used to sell universal leather boots for shifters. I do not know if they still do, but it would be worth checking.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I checked the JC Whitney catalog and they sell a universal genuine leather shifter boot for $ 19.99 and it comes in 12 different colors. The boot is 9 inches high and 6 inches wide at the base.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    So is that the right size for our cars?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    Why don't you measure the boot dimensions for yourself. I do not need one for my car.
  • aldebaronaldebaron Member Posts: 5
    I have a '99 626 LX 4cyl. 5sp and I can confirm the Pioneer speakers, at least in the rear deck. They are horribly cheap $3 paper full range speakers that aren't very good. The front speakers are also lousy quality full range paper drivers. Not to dis Pioneer, IMO Mazda just wanted to put the cheapest possible speakers in the car. I replaced the speakers with Infinity reference series speakers (using the stock grilles to keep the punks uninterested) and it made a HUGE difference in sound: tighter, deeper bass, clearer midrange, and actual highs. High quality aftermarket Pioneer speakers would no doubt give a major improvement as well. However, this is about a $200 upgrade if you DIY. The stock stereo just uses an amp (a weak amp) as part of the CD head unit, don't know if Mazda offered an amp/sub upgrade or not on the 626.

    As far as reliability for my 626 goes, it's run like a top from day 1 and now has 111k trouble free miles.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I have a factory Mazda Bose system in my 99 ES V6 and each speaker has its own amplifier. I suppose these are somewhat better speakers than the standard ones, but as Bose systems go, this has got to be the cheapest Bose system on the planet. It uses only four speakers, and it is a joke compared to my 98 Nissan Maxima factory Bose system.

    The car has been surprisingly reliable though. I had some very annoying warranty issues, but virtually no problems in the last few years. 90K miles and running strong.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I replaced the rear disc pads on my car several weeks ago. For this job one needs a 5 mm Allen wrench to retract the pistons on the calipers. The new pads are difficult to install because Mazda uses these impossibly designed anti-rattle clips which must be inserted under the pads once pads are in place and there is vitually no clearance provided for the clips. I suspect that many mechanics will simply not insert these clips when they replace the pads, which may result in pad rattle inside the calipers. Anyway, I am done replacing all four disc pads. The original rotors were in good shape, no gooves or warpage, so I only sanded them down by hand using 100 grit sandpaper to remove the glaze. Not bad for a car with 90K miles. I used the original Mazda brake pads. Mazda sells also economy pads, but they do not come with caliper clips or the anti-rattle clips, and cost only about $ 20 less per set. Not worth buying in my opinion. Nissan also sold "economy brake pads" for their cars for a while but they got away from them because they had all kinds of problems with them.

    The best way to prevent rotor warpage is to always torque your lugnuts to specifications and NEVER let anybody use an air impact wrench to tighten your lugnuts. My brakes work like new at 90k miles without any chatter or other problems. The lugnuts on this car were always hand tightened using a torque wrench, and proper tightening sequence.
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    I have 102,000 troublesome miles and am slowly bleeding the last life out of my fine 1996 626. I simply want it to get me to Aug, so I can take a look at the '05 Maxx. My 626 now has a hiddeous pinging, which is probably the mass air flow sensor conking out for the 3rd time. Probably only one more oil change, and that will be the end of this miserable excuse for a car.
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I find it hard to believe that my car has held up so far. I would have sold it many times over when I was experiencing all those pesky problems within the waranty period. Fortunately Mazda ate the cost of repairs. Tremendous depreciation, and the fact that nobody wanted a 5 speed manual car, forced me to keep on driving this car. I am somewhat tempted to get rid of it now before it is worth next to nothing and before everything goes wrong all at once. But maybe it will hold up for another 100K miles? Who knows? V6 and manual transmission appear to be a good drivetrain choice on these cars for longevity. Kelly blue book trade-in value on my car is about $5K now (assuming excellent condition, which it is in). When I hit 100K miles it will probably drop to $ 3.5K.
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    you are so right my friend. the V6 and manual was the best choice. For me, I have 4-5 problems which are competing against one another to see which one finishes the car off first. I too have not put much money into this car. The warranty company ate over $3,500. When it goes, I will still be praising the 626's cornering, AC, and cloth on the seats (still the best I have ever seen in any car). My seats still look like new after 7 years....amazing. But in the end, as one who keeps his cars 10 years or more, this car will stand next to my Renault Encore and Plymouth Valiant as cars which did not pass the muster and make it to the 10 year period....not good company to keep if you ask me!
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I used to own a 1982 Renault LeCar which I bought for $ 1300 in 1984. It had about 30k miles and dents in both doors. For those who never owned a French car, this one was truly unique:

    - 3 lug nuts on each wheel
    - radio mounted vertically in the center console
    - wallpaper for headliner
    - large rubberized cloth sunroof (about 4 ft long) which folded back and made the car look like an open can. It was secured in the closed position with two rubber hooks
    - hood hinged in the front of the car
    - spare tire mounted on top of the engine under the hood (heat so dryrotted the spare that when I used a brand new spare for the first time, it disintegrated before my eyes)
    - no door handles, only a button which need to be pushed and recessed area behind it to pull the door open
    - radiator cap which required a large wrench to remove
    - transaxle mounted in front of the engine. The transaxle had a drain plug which looked just like engine oil drain plug. First time I changed engine oil I mistakenly drained the transaxle. Fortunately, I caught the mistake when I added four additional quarts of oil into the engine and the oil was 1.5 inches above the full mark on the dipstick.
    - longitudinal torsion bars for the front suspension
    - transverse torsion bars for the rear suspension (absolutely unique, never saw another car like this)
    - large "LeCar" decals on both doors
    - cloth seats so cheap that they fell apart just from rubbing against the front seats when the rear seat was folded down
    - rubbery manual transmission shifter, which was unlike any other manual shifter I ever tried
    -cylinder sleeves in the engine block
    -air cleaner that looked like an old canister vacuum cleaner
    - the most complicated and overdesigned emission control system in existence - source of constant problems
    -the engine displacement was 1400cc's, peak power 51 HP, and the vehicle curb weight was 1800 lbs

    Owning this car was truly a unique experience. It had an amazingly smooth ride for a small car, and delivered around 35-38 MPG.
    One night I drove the car a little fast (maybe 60 MPH) on this twisty mountain road in West Virginia. Before I knew what happened, I spun around 180 degrees and stopped facing in the opposite direction in the middle of the road. This was in summertime and the road was dry. Nothing like this has ever happened in any other car since. At least it did not roll. The unique suspension did its job.
  • maxx4memaxx4me Member Posts: 1,340
    well, we just called the kidney foundation and donated the 626, thereby ending a rocky relationship with a car which had waaaaay too many problems. I tried to sell it myself, but in the end, when dealing with my friends, I would always tell them that if it were me, I wouldn't buy it. Take your money and find a good used Toyota or Honda I would tell them. Thanks for all the advice from p100 and other mazda knowledgables. Although I hate to give up a car which is still running, I doubt it would have passed inspection in the spring. I'm off to Maxx-land.
  • skibry1skibry1 Member Posts: 174
    Sorry to hear of some much malfunctions and the lose
    a poster. I'm sure you helped with your feedback on
    some issues but everyone should have a possitive
    experience with ones mode of transpo...Good Luck
    in your next automotive adventure. My wife and I
    couldn't be more happy after 48K Bryan image
      So we'll just stay put
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    80K trouble free miles!!!
    Maybe that was one of those cars made on friday?
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    I finally changed my manual transaxle oil in my 626. I used Redline MTU 90 75W90 fully synthetic oil. It is designated as GL-4 gear oil. Mazda recommends use of either GL-4 or GL-5 oils in 626 manual transaxles. This is strange because GL-5 oils contain extreme pressure sulphuric additives that may cause corrosion of brass synchronizer cones in the transaxle. GL-4 oils, particularly Redline MTU 90, do not contain such additives and this oil is especially formulated for use in manual transaxles. The cost is about $8 per quart. You need about 3 quarts to replace the oil in a V6 manual transaxle.

    Some tips for changing manual transaxle oil on the V6:

    There is a drain plug on the bottom of the transaxle and an identical fill plug just above the backup light switch on the side of transaxle toward the front of vehicle. Both of these plugs have 23 mm hex heads. I had to use a 24 mm socket, which was slightly oversized, but did the job. 23 mm is not a standard size metric socket and I have no idea why Mazda selected this size. They probably sell a special tool socket just for this purpose. I tried SAE sockets, but none would fit right. 24mm was the closest fit. Nobody sells 23 mm metric sockets! I have all kinds of tools and many socket sets, and none contain a 23 mm socket! Both fill and drain plugs have aluminum washers, which need to be replaced. Do not reuse these washers! The reason is that they are soft and the plugs will cut a groove in them. If you do not line up the groove with the plug when you reuse them, they will leak. These are cheap to replace, but hard to find, and I had to go to my local Mazda dealer to get them. It is a good idea to get spare washers before you start changing your oil.

    I used a small hand pump for pumping fresh oil into the transaxle. I attached about 5 ft length of clear vinyl tubing to the pump outlet and inserted the other tubing end into the transaxle fill opening from above (hood opened). This way I could comfortably pump the oil in without working under the car. There is simply not enough room under the car to operate this hand pump wihout jacking up the car. Doing it from above is much easier and much less messy.
    The proper oil level is attained when oil is level with the bottom of the fill plug opening. I just kept pumping the oil until it started leaking out of the fill plug opening, then stopped, removed the tubing, and let the oil ooze out of the opening into a drain pan until it stopped. Then I replaced the fill plug using a new aluminum washer.
     
    So far I found the Redline oil to improve shifting considerably. The oil contains special friction modifiers to provide for proper synchro engagement in manual transaxles.
  • zoomzoom626zoomzoom626 Member Posts: 124
    I have put that one in mine about 40K ago...Besides better shifting expect to see better MPG as well!
  • slickdogslickdog Member Posts: 225
    I also put the Redline in my transaxle at about 24K miles, and was impressed with the results. It helped the most during mid to late winter when temps below 20 degrees make shifting clunky to say the least. Expensive stuff, but worth it in my opinion. I also plan on putting Redline's ATF and gear oil in my wife's Outback when it's due to have those fluids changed.

    I too had difficulty with the socket size, p100. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and have been burned too many times by using the wrong size before, so I went on an exhaustive search for the 23mm. Even the Sears hardware store with the huge glass case containing hundreds of sockets didn't have it. After trying 3 hardware stores and 2 auto parts stores, Napa finally came through with the right size. Try them if you want one for next time. Of course that socket hasn't been used since, but it's there if I need it!
  • p100p100 Member Posts: 1,116
    When you get to bigger bolt head size, such as 23 mm, 1 mm larger socket will work OK if the bolt is not too tight of course, which was the case with these fill and drain plugs.

    My Nissan V6 pickup has pipe plug type differential, transmission, and transfer case fill and drain plugs with internal square 14 mm opening! Try to find the right tool for that! 1/2 inch socket extension was too small and the plugs were extremely tight.

    After searching for months I finally discovered a special set of drain plug sockets in some tool catalog, which happened to contain a 14 mm square socket(incidentally this set did not contain a 23 mm hex socket that would fit Mazda). Before I found this set, I went to Nissan dealer and they did not list any special tools for these plugs and did not have any of course. If they use a 1/2 inch extension end on these plugs, they will damage every one of them.

    The fill and drain plugs were so tight on this Nissan that I had to use a long 1/2 inch drive breaker bar with the special socket to break them loose. I have a total of 8 of these plugs on my truck - 2 for each differential, 2 for transmission, and 2 for the transfer case.
  • riswamiriswami Member Posts: 192
    What seize is the oil drain plug on a 1995 MX-6 with the 2 liter engine?

    Thanks
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