as the title says... i went to mazda today about the problems im having with that car and asked if they could check the cat. the mech. there told me that they will but he thinks that i would most likely need a new engine. so i said that they will do a compression test. and he said "we dont do compression check cause it doesn't tell us anything" so i have an appointment towards the end of the month for them to check the car which would take some weeks and maybe a month if a new engine is needed. i also have 100k warranty so that will cover the engine. can someone please throw me up to date on what i should have them do and what i should look for while my car is in their hands, cause i dont want to get screwed over.
Thanks! marek

p.s yes im searching, but i still want advice!

 

New dealer, that dealer sounds like they dont know wtf they're talking about

 

A compression test sends back numbers from the engine. If those numbers are lower then mazda's minimum numbers, then you get a new engine no questions asked. A compression test is what they need to do. It should take no more than a few hours to do. Try taking your car to another dealer, or call Mazda NA and tell them what your dealer said.

I had a compression test done on my engine and it passed but not that well. Since it passed, I had to pay like $130 for it. If it failed, it is free and mazda sends you an engine.

 

This is actually not very off. I went through a very long, and agonizing debate with 2 dealers trying to get a new motor. They ran a compression test and the results came back normal, but they drove it and saw the loss of power, hot start problem, etc... They had to call in a regional engineer to come examine it, they ran this other test which they look to see if coolant (I could be wrong) leaks through? Something like that, which came back as a fail and they finally replaced it. I'm not a rotary guru, but this is just what happened to me. Maybe someone else can explain this.

 

^yeah, but at least they ran the compression check first. OP is saying they aren't giving him a check at all.

 

I think could be overheating just enough to cook up the oil enough to build more carbon then goes downhill from there. Just loose theory. Series 2 fixes have better cooling and oil system. So the kinda obvious thing is to beef up the cooling and oil. We got to bring temps down, thicken oil, dump stock intake & exhaust. Which I am in the process of doing those with 3000 miles on 2nd eng. All my old Rx7's ran cooler. This fake temp gauge thing is just wrong, fan programming is too lame need more high fan on.

 

Dealers are full of **** for the most part.

The first engine I had replaced went like this.

Me: Hey I am having some stalling and power loss issues.

One Hour later:

Dealer: Okay we checked it out, sounds like you need a new engine, go over to enterprise and get your rental. Your car will be ready in about two weeks.


This is how my second engine replacement went:

Me: Hey I am having some stalling and power loss issues.

Dealer: Okay well you have to pay $600.00 to replace your coils, plugs, and wires. Then we will check it out.

Me: WTF, last time I didn't do that.

Dealer: Oh well, this time you do.

Me: ****, okay do it (thank god for extended warranty)

Dealer: okay we did all that, it didn't help, we think it's your cat.

Me: You just replaced my cat two months ago

Dealer: Oh, well then your motor needs replacing

Me: Okay great, where you do I get my rental

Dealer: You don't, it's not covered.

Me: WTF, you covered it last time.

Dealer: Oh well, not this time. (thanks again for extended warranty)

Me: Okay well how long til' my engine is replaced?

Dealer: Oh, well we need all of your oil change receipts before we can proceed

Me: WTF, you didn't ask for all that last time?

Dealer: Oh well, not this time.

Me: !@#$#%#$%#%%%&*&^

In the end I got my motor but it's bullshit they are now giving people the run around when the damn failure is obvious.

 

Hahaha, Scott we have been through some rough stuff in these parts

 

Whats funny is that through all that BS they never mentioned the mid pipe.

 

The OP can just pay for a Compression test the only thing they can deny is the claim. But the test they have to do if you order it. Then you will have the numbers. Maybe look for an independent garage in Denver that has a tester.

 

yea. i think im going to go to another dealer tomorrow and ask there. but when the guy told me that they dont do the compression test i thought he was kidding but he wasn't lol. but the weird thing is that i think it the cat not the engine... i dont have 24/7 power loss, it only happens on long drives or mountain driving in hot weather. lol idk but if its under warranty then why not...

 

sounds like your cat, after a long drive look under your car to see if your cat is glowing

 

i did that and its not glowing.. the only red/ orange i see is where the o2 sensor is and there is that small ring where you can see inside. so idk. lol

 

your cat need to be replaced!
just go to the dealer and say " I think my cat is dead, can you check this out?" they gonna do this and replace for free.

 

yea i might do that... the cat has an 80k warranty on it right?? lol

 

my new cat is doing that tooo.

 

if my engine is dead then im a F*ing movie star. i took the car out just now for an hour drive, its about 75 deg outside and wet. i couldnt leave a parking lot without having the tires break lose. 5th gear doing 60 and i floor it pulls hard. so i pulled in the garage after this drive and ill post a pic up of what i posted up before.

 

so this is what i saw... on the 2nd pic. the red is the part that i see glowing. lol

 

lol, sounds exactly like my experience except for 2 weeks later I get a call saying something is still wrong. 3 days later I get another call saying the "new" engine they just installed is bad. Another 2 week wait for my third engine to be installed.
OP, I can't tell if your dealer sucks or is just ignorant. Either way, you need to get that compression check done so you can move on and find the problem. Your cat may be fried because your engine is going (gone) bad and dumping unspent fuel into it. I know that was my problem. Good luck!!

 

okay so i went to a different dealer today and it seems like these guys know more about a rotary so im leaving the car over night for a full check which will run me $109 and they will call me when they are done testing and tell me what the problem is and what needs to be done.
also.. should i be worried about my oil? cause i put 5w-30 instead of dealer rec 5w-20.

 

No, just don't tell them either.

 

so i got my car back from the testing that mazda has been doing, and so far its passing.. one more test is left which is going to take place sometime next week. The last test will be in two parts. a tech will take the car for a 40 min drive, the 1st drive will be a slow drive with the a/c on full and all the other stuff on, then he will let the car sit for 2 min and will observe what is happening, then the 2nd drive will be a rough drive which will be running the car up to 8k rpm just sporty and hard driving, and will stop for 2 min again and record the info. So basically what the tech told me is that if the car fails the last test then i get a new engine, and if it passes then they dont know whats up... =/

 

Your gonna trust a tech that tells you he doesn't know whats going on? Thats a bit of a scary technician isn't it lol.

 

You guys in the states are very lucky, here in Europe, there is no 80k for cats or 100k for engine.

 

well he didnt say he didnt know. but that he would have to do more test to find what the problem is. haha sorry kinda worded it wrong. but 80% chance im getting a new engine, cause when i drove home from the dealer yesterday which was about a 30 min drive... i had to limp it home cause it had no power, so if it craps out on the tech like it did to me then there is no doubt. lol