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Mazda 626 Troubles

2544 messages,  Last post on Apr 15, 2013 at 8:56 AM

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What is this discussion about? Mazda 626, Sedan




Messages Page 208 of 255

#2064 of 2544 Re: 1997 626 - engine heats up within minutes and shuts off - URGENT HELP! [Mr_Shiftright] by veerent

May 24, 2006 (11:31 am)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 24, 2006 11:05 am)
Well, actually I had posted it wrong. Sorry!
The dealer told me that the engine has "bad compression" or "low compression". The head and the head gasket are OK. But since the compression is low, he will have to change the engine. Is it a good idea to get it done from a dealer or a private mechanic? The dealer is quoting US $2600.
 
Any idea's how much does the engine for a 1997 Mazda 626 I4 automatic (2.0L, I think) cost?
 
Thanks!

#2065 of 2544 Re: 1997 626 - engine heats up within minutes and shuts off - URGENT HELP! [veerent] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

May 24, 2006 (4:33 pm)

Replying to: veerent (May 24, 2006 11:31 am)
I still don't think you are getting enough information from the dealer, upon which to make an intelligent decision.
 
What you need is results of a cylinder leakdown test to determine the cause of the low compression. This can be pinpointed exactly. Either bad valves, warped head, bad rings????

#2066 of 2544 Re: Engine vibration [Mr_Shiftright] by backy

May 26, 2006 (5:34 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 21, 2006 12:27 pm)
Well, good news--sort of. No problems with the engine mounts. The engine vibration is caused by some sort of vacuum leak, according to the shop. They weren't able to pinpoint it before they closed for the weekend, so I will bring it back next week. They think it could have been caused by the accident (pinched/damaged hose maybe) but are not sure. If it's accident related my insurance company will cover it.

#2067 of 2544 Re: 1997 626 - engine heats up within minutes and shuts off - URGENT HELP! [Mr_Shiftright] by veerent

May 26, 2006 (10:37 pm)

Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (May 24, 2006 4:33 pm)
Thank you for your help/reply.
Good news...The mechanic said, he has stopped the engine from overheating. He had to change the water hose for this. But he also told me that the compression is low/bad. He wants me to change the engine as soon as possible.
1) Can I drive my car with a low/bad compression? If so, for how long?
2) How will the low/bad compression effect the engine?
3) What must the ideal compression be for a 1997 626 Mazda I4 automatic?
4) Is the compression a serious problem?
 
He told me that the head and head gasket are OK.
Is there a site where I can read more about all this stuff?
All the info that I have posted so far is from the mechanic.
 
Thanks again!

#2068 of 2544 Re: 1997 626 - engine heats up within minutes and shuts off - URGENT HELP! [veerent] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

May 27, 2006 (10:49 am)

Replying to: veerent (May 26, 2006 10:37 pm)
Well you need about a minimum of at least 85 lbs of compression in a cylinder to fire it, so sure, you can run with LOW compression but not with TOO LOW compression, or the cylinder or cylinders below about 85 lbs won't fire. You don't want to drive with cylinders misfiring...not only will the car be incredibly slow but you'll ruin your catalytic converter, which will be overwhelmed trying to burn raw gas.
 
Here's a good explanation:
 
http://www.motorage.com/motorage/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=16170

#2069 of 2544 Any hidden damage to look for after accident?... by sicsty8

May 29, 2006 (12:12 pm)

I've got a '99 626 6cyl with 114K miles on it and it's been running pretty good. I recently had an accident though. Another car misjudged and made a left turn from their opposite lane of traffic too soon. I smashed into the side rear of them. I was going about 35mph and both driver and passenger airbags deployed. Most of the impact of my car seems to have been absorbed by the front, passenger side of my car. Aside from that body damage, the car still seems to be running pretty good though. Since the impact was absorbed by the front, I'm not completely sure what, if anything, I should tell the mechanic to double check as far as damage goes. Any advice?

#2070 of 2544 O/D light blinking by vicvaz

May 29, 2006 (9:58 pm)

I just got a '95 626 4 cyl. 92,000 miles, infact driving it on the way home and the O/D light started blinking.. and then I did notice this morning a small spot of transmission fluid under it. I have been reading the forums here and it doenst look good.... does it. Any advice?

#2071 of 2544 Re: Any hidden damage to look for after accident?... [sicsty8] by backy

May 30, 2006 (9:43 pm)

Replying to: sicsty8 (May 29, 2006 12:12 pm)
My advice is, if you like your car, pray. Pray very hard. It is likely the damage from the accident will be more than 70% of your car's value, meaning it will be totalled. My son's 2000 626 had a front-end collision at much less than 35 mph recently, and due to the high cost of replacing the airbags and sensors the damage was a few bucks less than the "total it" limit (because they found a couple of used parts, the front bumper and headlamp cover, to bring the cost down), so they repaired the car. But the body had minimal damage--the hood wasn't even damaged, for example, and only one body panel needed to be touched up (and the bumper replaced).
 
Check the engine compartment very carefully. It appears my son's 626 (I4) developed a vacuum leak of some sort due tot the collision. It got past the shop's inspectors, but we noticed a lot of vibration in the engine after we got the car back, so it is going in for a detailed analysis tomorrow (preliminary analysis is the vacuum leak).

#2072 of 2544 Re: Engine vibration [backy] by backy

May 31, 2006 (2:45 pm)

Replying to: backy (May 26, 2006 5:34 pm)
Update: just talked to the shop, they confirmed the engine is missing but they can't figure out why after 2 days of analysis. They mentioned a TSB for an intake manifold gasket but said the car doesn't have a problem there. So they recommended I take it to a Mazda dealer. (FWIW, the car had a 60k-style servicing 2000 miles ago including new plugs.) Could bad spark plug wires cause this kind of problem? I seem to remember reading about the wires being an issue with the 626.

#2073 of 2544 Thunking gone! by backy

Jun 02, 2006 (5:05 pm)

The "thunks" from the rear of my 2000 626 are gone. It was the rear sway bar bushings. Replacement cost, parts and labor, was $130 (not done at the dealer). I thought this was reasonable especially considering the shop didn't charge me for two days of work spent trying to find the cause of the engine missing slightly (and checking lots of stuff in the engine bay, including cleaning the mass airflow sensor).

Messages Page 208 of 255

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