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Last post on May 08, 2012 at 5:17 PM
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Mazda 626 Forum.
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Mazda 626, Sedan
#120 of 2044 MAZDA 626 ES TIRES
by emjantam
Apr 03, 2000 (10:58 pm)
I just cleaned up my car and noticed the tires
in the rear are in desparate need of replacement.
I have the a 1993 ES with the V-6. It also has
the factory alloy wheels on it. I love how quick
and nimble this car is. My question is how wide
can I go with the tires. I prefer the widest
possible. I also understand that these are low
profile tires and can be rather expensive. Any
input would be appreciated!
thanks! mike
Apr 04, 2000 (2:34 pm)
Going with a wider tire on the stock rims is a concept called Plus Zero.
You should try to keep the same overall diameter, so you're speedometer is accurate and you don't lose acceleration (bigger tires mean lower gearing, which lowers revs on the highway but hurts acceleration).
I believe your 93 has 205/55R15 tires, so you could get 225/50R15 tires, which have an almost identical diameter.
Here's the catch: you have to measure the clearances to make sure the wider tire will fit. Check both the rear suspension, and the front fender clearance with the wheel turned all the way in each direction.
The 225's will be 20mm wider, or about 10mm towards the inside fender.
You can also ask a tire shop, but they may try to keep you on the stock size.
Also keep in mind a wider tire alone will not necessarily improve your handling. You'll actually have more unsprung weight fighting the suspension, and wider tires also increase wind resistance slightly. Just some factors to consider.
-juice
#122 of 2044 "check Engine" light flickering problem .... still exists on 99 and 00 models?
by number17
Apr 04, 2000 (3:01 pm)
After doing some more homework it seems like the biggest problem with the 626 after the 98 model revision was A/T tranny and Check engine light flickering ....
I'll be going for M/T so the A/T problem doesn't bother me. But it seems like the Check engine light problem is pretty common for 98 cars .... even some of the test cars for car mag reviews had the same problem ....
Can 99 and 00 owners let me know if this problem has been fixed in their cars? Thanks in advance.
#17
#123 of 2044 WOW! Thanks Juice for the info on the tires!
by emjantam
Apr 04, 2000 (10:55 pm)
lot of useful info! Thanks for your time.
(question # 132) Mike
#124 of 2044 Dealing with Mazda about problems
by sharmon
Apr 05, 2000 (12:40 pm)
I just purchased my first Mazda ever and bought a
626 LX V6. I really love the car and the way that
it drives. However, within the first 50 miles, I
noticed a light knocking/tapping noise coming from the engine only when it is in park with the air conditioning off(lowest possible RPM). As soon as it is in gear or the air is on, the noise
disappears. I returned it to the dealer where
they looked at the car for two days, tried many
fixes, but were unable to solve it. They think it
is being caused by some break-in issue with the
timing belt and that it will go away. Their
advice,
from their top tech was to continue the break in
process and they would look at it at 3000 miles.
At
the time of this analysis, the car had only 600
miles. While driving, the engine runs and sounds
great. I just wanted to know if anyone has had to
deal directly with Mazda and how user friendly
they
are in dealing with warranty issues?
Apr 06, 2000 (2:06 am)
The 626 was redesigned for '98, so the two models have some differences between them - mostly, the '98 is stretched slightly and the suspension is a tad softer.
A typical LX option package might include a wheel upgrade, power moonroof, alarm/immobilizer, and power driver's seat. (ABS and audio upgrades are generally separate.)
The drivetrains are pretty solid, though the automatic transmission tends to be willful (the Ford box in the four-cylinder cars is less so, but it has other problems) and the stick shift is just a little bit notchy. Be aware that at 60k miles you will need to change out the timing belt, which is Not Fun, and when the Mazda store announces a $249.95 timing-belt special, they don't mean for you. The V6 definitely prefers the higher-octane stuff, though it does have a knock sensor and will run on regular unleaded if it absolutely has to. This isn't the sort of car that will lure you out of a tricked-out Passat, but it's charming in its own way.
#126 of 2044 '97 5 speed 4 cylinder
by precisionist
Apr 07, 2000 (6:11 am)
I may be able to pick one up for Cdn $11,900. Drawback: has 110,000 km (~70,000 miles). My biggest concern is that this price is too good to be true! Any recommendations as to what to beware of? I'll have a mechanic look at the car before purchasing and I'd like to point him at the likely soft spots.
Or is the price about right!?
#127 of 2044 96 626 to Wolfie3 or anyone
by macker1
Apr 08, 2000 (4:15 pm)
Hi, just purchased a 96 626, it has only 68,000 kl (Canadian)on it so very low mileage, but the engine light continues to come on. The dealer says its not serious, computer check says its a egr valve. This was replaced but had no effect on the light coming on. Check with the previous owner and they said they had the same problem but the dealer could never pinpoint how to correct this problem.
a. is this a common problem with 626's,
b. is this a serious problem, and
c. should the expired warranty still be in effect because of the problem never being fixed thereby making this a reoccurring problem that has never been fixed properly.
#128 of 2044 98 Mazda 626 steering gear problems
by kathye3
Apr 10, 2000 (3:11 am)
My 98 Mazda 626LX started whining everytime I
turned the steering wheel. It has 45,000 miles
on it. I bought it used (it was a Hertz rental).
It needed an entire steering gear. Fortunately
it was under warranty. While I was at the Mazda
dealer, an identical car,even with the same color
was having its steering gear replaced. The super-
visor said there must be a problem with a sub-
vendor who provided these models with steering
gears.
Apr 15, 2000 (8:38 pm)
They have also improved the look of the interior (supposedly) and the cupholders in the front now have covers. The headlights are of the prismatic type now. One of the most important improvements is to the ride and handling. Although I have not driven a 2000, the ride and handling are not that great on my '98. Supposedly they improved both for 2000. There aren't really any issues with this car unless you get the 4 cyl. with A/T. Which doesn't apply to you since you stated you want the V6.