Tyguy

So after an oil change my car died twice this morning on the way to work. I suspected the coolant level so I took a peak at it and it is basically at the bottom of the tank, way before the E. Can I just add some more instead of draining the remaining coolant?

If so, should I add all the way to the F or just until it is between the two?

ken-x8

Just add more. If there's an FL-22 sticker on or near the fill cap, go to a Mazda dealer and buy some of that. If not, fill with a 50/50 mix of name brand coolant the same color as what's in there.

Check the owner's manual for how high to fill it based on whether the engine is hot or cold. If you don't have the manual handy, then I'd fill it to above the E when cold.

Then embark on a quest to see why it got that low. Bad cap? Leaky hose? Internal leak?

Ken

Tyguy

I added some, cant tell if it got any lower, but if its considerably lower when I check it again I might pull my hair out. My warranty expired the 31st of March, GREAT TIMING!

What annoys me is when I got my oil changed, I got the usual paperwork showing what they checked, and the coolant was checked in the green, meaning they did nothing to it....well if it was EMPTY that information could of been useful...friggen mazda

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

That *Full Circle inspection* thing is a nice idea, but sadly MOST dealership just put *checks* all over the place and call it a day, some *stupid **** dealership might put a check next to the Orange box just to scare some ppl to buy their overpriced garbage.

Great Neck Mazda for example, put a *check box* in the orange box next to the Tire wear level ... when I just got those tires like 3 weeks ago ...

Dont worry its not the end of the day, Just add some name brand 50/50 Anti-Freeze with Ethylene glycol in it. it cost between 6 to 12 bux a gallon. FL22 is not magic, Is the same Ethylene glycol Extended Miles Anti-Freeze that u can find in most stores. (Thats rated with 100K miles)

Go48

Are you aware of the powertrain warranty extension for the car? If not, you should look into that before assuming your warranty has expired.

Tyguy

Im not sure what that is, I called the dealership and he looked me up and told me it expired.

It appears that its leaking as the line is about 3 cm below where it was when I put more in. How screwed am I money wise?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Find out where the leak is.

JAck the Car up, Front only.

Idle ur engine, add ur coolant to a bit more than MAX mark on the side of the coolant bottle, then watch where the leak comes from.

Its probably just a crack in the lower coolant hose or something. Easy to replace and cheap

Go48

In August 2006, Mazda extended the warranty on the powertrain to 5 years or 60,000 miles. That covered the model years 2004-2006. So, if your car falls within those bounds, you are still under warranty and should not hesitate to take it to a service manager who knows what he is talking about. A coolant leak per se, other than an internal engine seal failure, should not cause the car to die at idle. Is the car smoking at all? Perhaps the loss of coolant is not related to the engine stalling. Look carefully for evidence of a leak such as puddles of coolant underneath the car or on top of the engine block.

"It appears that its leaking as the line is about 3 cm below where it was when I put more in. How screwed am I money wise?"

Are aware that the level will change depending on the temperature of the coolant? If you added coolant when the coolant was warm/hot and then checked it again when it was completely cold, the level will be lower.

You need to determine the cause of your stalling and coolant loss problems before anyone can give you a WAG on what it will cost to repair. But, if the engine needs rebuilding or replacement, the cost can run $2-$5K or more depending on which option you choose and who does the work.

Tyguy

is there something in writing I can bring to the dealership and show the guy regarding the warranty? I've looked online and can find nothing about this.

Go48

All owners were mailed copies of the information, but if you did not get the car new, the previous owner probably has the letter. Finishlineperformance.com used to have it on line in PDF format, but I see it is no longer there. I only have a hard copy but I will scan the 4 pages and attach them to this post in a few minutes.

EDIT: Or if you prefer, I will scan and convert to a PDF file and email it to you. PM me your email if you want that. Here are the scans anyway.

Go48

Well, what do you know. I found the PDF file on my HD.

Tyguy

wow....so dumb question, but is this only valid if I purchases an extended warranty or does this affect the normal warranty? Does it matter that I got it from a dealership and not the original owner?

Im kind of furious at mazda right now


thank you SO much for your help

Go48

This is an extension of the basic Mazda factory warranty. It is independent of any extended warranty you may have purchased from the dealer.

Tyguy

What if I pay to have it fixed outside of the dealership? The document says that if I DO pay for repairs, i can be eligible for reimbursement...but im not sure if they mean it has to be repaired AT a mazda dealership or not

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Make a copy of the receipts and send it to them, they will send u a check back.

Go48

Call the 800 number and ask.

Tyguy

I just called and was told if it was not fixed at a mazda dealership, they will not reimburse me.

The reason it was not brought to them was because i was told BY mazda that my warranty was up, and towing it to them would of cost me ALOT more money...