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Sedans Mazda 626 Mazda 626 Troubles
2476 messages, Last post on Nov 12, 2009 at 12:00 PM
You are in the Mazda 626 Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Hello p100 and thanks once again for your fabulous efforts in informing 626 owners about the ins and outs of car care. I have had no real issues with my 626, and I am quite pleased with the car. I do not do my own maintenance, but I have a mechanic who is a family friend and whose family has been in business in my area of Montreal for fifty years - he is fantastic. My car is the 2.0 L 4-cyl. with 5-speed. Some questions: Would this motor benefit from the injector cleaner, as your 2.4 does? What about the EGR passages with the 2.0 L? I would imagine the coolant overflow bottle is the same on my car, so I'll mention it to my mechanic. I would imagine the AC compressor is the same, so I'll keep an eye on that as well. The rest of what you mention is regular maintenance. I am really easy on the clutch, and it's friction point is still very close to the floorboard. I never ride the clutch or lug the car, two practices that must be followed to extend clutch life. My car currently is at 150 K km. My main concern is with the suspension. The roads in Montreal are horrendous, this city has to be the pothole capital of the world. I would love to upgrade the suspension to handle the brutal pounding on the chassis. Right now, I need bushings for the trapezoidal links in the rear (done 30 K km ago). I have done one CV, and there is a noise from the other one. My mechanic is suggesting new shocks, but the labor cost is high. Do you know of any high quality, heavy duty, lifetime guarantee stuff out there for the suspension? I would be willing to invest in new shocks, but what kind and is there a benefit, other than improved ride quality? Can you do two shocks at a time instead of all four in one shot? Thanks
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Replying to: e44 (May 24, 2008 8:00 am) The EGR passages on the 4 cylinder engine are probably different than on the 6 cylinder engine. The intake manifold has those passages as well, as it is definitely different on the V6 engine. The manifold passages appear to be the main culprit. Do not worry about these passages unless your engine check light comes on and you get the appropriate code for the "low EGR flow". The coolant overflow bottle is also different on the 6 cylinder, but is is entirely possible that it is made by the same company. Again do not worry about it unless you see a leak (coolant disappearing from the bottle). The A/C compressor may be the same and the problem I had was the bearing itself on the compressor clutch assembly pulley. I live in a very corrosive area, and park my car very close to the Atlantic ocean at work. So the car is exposed to salt spray that probably penetrated the bearing and shortened its life. The rest of the compressor looked very good when I disassembled it. As for the suspension, I think that Mazda OEM McPherson struts are quite good in quality, and relatively inexpensive. You can replace two at a time, provided it is a front or rear pair. When changing the front struts, also replace the upper mount bearings, which are plastic on these cars. They wear out and cause groaning noise when you make a sharp turn. When front and rear struts wear out, you will have decreased ride quality and most likely wheel hopping phenomenon, which often results in unpleasant vibration. So replacing the worn struts with new ones also helps keep the wheels firmly planted on the road, where they belong. As for CV joint boots, it is cheaper to replace the entire axle with good rebuilt units. It takes a while to remove each joint from the axle, and clean it out properly to reboot it. Labor being expensive, it is therefore cheaper to install a rebuilt unit. You can also find new CV axles at remarkably low prices. I found a set for $ 50/piece, and there was no core charge. Note: I am now about 750 miles away from the 200k mark with my car. Hopefully, it will make it to 200k without any incident. I recently cleaned the EGR passages. I had to remove the intake manifold and the EGR valve for this job and it was not pleasant. But it is done and hopefully good for a long time.
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Replying to: gyates (May 21, 2008 9:47 am) |
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Today I finally hit the 200k mile mark on my car (1999 ES V6, 5 speed manual transmission). I bought the car new and I am the only one who drives it. I still get 25-26 MPG city with A/C on. Hopefully it will continue serving me well. |
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Replying to: p100 (May 24, 2008 5:56 pm)
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Replying to: e44 (May 27, 2008 6:09 am) |
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Yesterday as I was driving my car (100,333 miles on it) the power died and the clutch went all the way to the floor. The clutch doesn't seem to work now. Is this an issues with the master cylinder or transmission? Any idea if I will need a new clutch and the cost?
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Replying to: kew423 (May 29, 2008 7:20 am) If you needed a new clutch, the cost of replacing one at a dealer (parts plus labor is about $ 800). This does not include replacing/rebuilding the master or slave cylinders. And it does not include machining or replacing the engine flywheel if it needs it. |
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Replying to: kew423 (May 29, 2008 7:20 am) |
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Left front tire on my 2000 626 ES I4, 97k miles, with 16" factory alloys is losing air, down nearly 14 pounds in one week, just sitting on a driveway. Had a tire shop check it a couple of weeks ago, and they said it looked ok and they couldn't see any leak. It has been patched before. If I have to buy a new tire (actually at least two), I will, but I don't want to do that then find out the problem is with the alloy wheel. I've heard (and the tire dealer mentioned) that sometimes alloy wheels can develop leaks. Anyone hear of that happening with the 626's wheels? (Cosmetically they are in excellent shape.) And if the wheel is leaking, is there any way to repair it? My son drives this car 210 miles each way to college, so I need to do something before he goes back in August--I don't want it blowing on the freeway.
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