Throwing my hat into the ring. Aug '03 build, 6mt. Felt a little soft, no stalling or anything, but did not feel very fast. Dropped it off for 30k service and complained about rough idle to finally get those motor mounts done before my powertrain warranty was up. They called around 9am to say 2 coils that I bought/had installed 12/07 were bad. Another call at 3 to say they faxed vacuum results to mazda, I get there at 5 and I'm told I'm getting a new engine and I get a loaded CX-9 for the duration. All in all a pleasent experience from the dealer, I didn't have to haggle about the loaner. For the record, this car dyno'd 175 on a dynojet with only a tanabe exhaust. So those in that area of hp might want to get checked out.

 

did you premix from the very start?

The issue was the old flashes injected too little oil. So if you premixed a year into ownership, you would have sustained damage prior to the premix.

 

I figured that woulda constituted some of the problem. I bought it from a guy when it had 16k on it. He had the 4206f flash done when there was 9000 miles on the car. I hoped it wasn't too raw in there, but I guess I was wrong. Reading through some of your other posts, I believe you said there have been revisions to the seals since the motor came out, so hopefully the one coming out of Richmond will be fresh and up to spec. Like I said before, the engine was a little soft with a 7.7avg compression. I know they vacuum tested the car this time to determine it's replacement, as opposed to compression.

 

it was more than likely just carboned up..

but know one will know for sure. i wonder why they did not do the decarbon procedure?

beers

 

They did it about 3 months ago

beers!

 

ah,

that makes it clear. enjoy the new motor.. i got a focus to drive when i got mine done.. i am a bit jealous!

beers

 

Dang, you got a loaded cx9? ...all they gave me was a friggin' Yaris w/ no power windows or locks whats up w/ that?!

 

i got stuck with that mazda 5 junk the first time i got a loaner..i think i got the cx9 due to me bringing a car in for a 30k service and having to sit for 7-10 days due to needing a new engine.

 

What kind of driving did it get, reg or prem gas, short trips to work mostly city or freeway, was it driven hard or never red lined, oil change interval, 5X20wt oil or what, pre-mix used, oil consumption, just anything you can tell us....THANKS

 

I think it has to do with the previous owner.

when it comes to used car, its always a bet. the previous owner was good, u win the bet. if not, u're totally screwed.

and there is nothing you can do if the damage was already done.

man, u think Yaris with no power window was bad? I got a fuxking RUSTANG for almost a week. Its 2008 with 1700 something miles on the odometer. That piece of **** has the worst body roll I've ever seen, even my father's CX-7 has less body roll than that ****, the engine sure its loud, but has no power whatsoever, probably has to do with its huge *** ugly body, yeah its a basic model with a 4.0 V6. but come on, my bro's SE-R 3.5 has more hp/tq than that piece of ****. it sucks up gas and returns nothing. I was so embarrass I just put it back to the garage and drove my FIT for 3 days straight. **** I feel that even my FIT is quicker than that piece of 4.0 V6 ********. returned the Rustang today THANK GOD.

 

It got the driving it needed. Majority were short trips about 3.5 mi to work, 6 miles to gym. Longer trips back home about 70 mi each way, about once or twice a month. New coils/plugs/wires in at 23k. Redlined every day except when it was too cold that it never fully got to operating temp before I got to work. Never took over 3k until it was at operating temp. Used 5w-20 until nycgps got in my head(starting doing 5w-30 dino around 23k). Oil changed every 2500-3000 mi. 4-6 oz premix per tank, 93 shell or sunoco gasoline. Dealer said they checked cat and it looked good. Was flooded once by previous owner. I still don't think I'm going to get the new motor mounts I've been looking for. Before the latest flash, I would get misfires in the high rpms which would go away after I shut the car down then turned back on. Started right up when cold, and usually when hot, sometimes it would take 8-10 cranks to start when hot, but usually it was 2-3 before it was going. Lately I couldn't chirp second gear if I tried, and silly me I thought my potenzas rocked? I dyno'd at 175 hp 125 tq in May.

 

never fully got to operating temp is your problem.

plus, god knows what the previous owner did to the car? he sold it to you @ 9000 miles, probably beat the crap out of it and didnt even do much maintenance.

 

"Toy Yoda" OMFG I almost choked!!!

Oh! What a feeling!

 

this is one of the reason when i was buying my 8, the dealer had a used '04 GT on the lot, and was willing to sell it to me for the same price as the new '04 base model with S-plan pricing

I chose the new '04 base over the used '04 GT. So far that decision has paid off immensely *knock on wood*

 

ROFL !!!

She worked at hooters b4 ? Damn. Last time when I was at the hooters @ Las vegas. Chicks were like smoking HOT there. that one in the pic? HELL NO.

 

He had all the maintenence papers and it was a summer car for him, his uncle owned the dealership. He was also a cop with no fear of speeding so I'm fairly sure it was revved high. Referencing back, when I mean it didnt get up to temp, by the time I got to work it would be fine, however I can't blast around the parking lot at 9k. That's a sweeping generalization to the problem when I think it's more along the line of being light on the omp spray.

 

his uncle owned the dealership doesnt really mean he will take care of the car. and he was a cop ... ok, yes, Im 99.999% sure that he did beat the crap out of the car.

if he got free maintenance from his uncle's dealership he probably got 5w20. which was also a problem.

 

but your driving schedule is really not very good for the car..

but in the long run you will be fine.

but do get it to operating temp.. at least once a week. and while there. beat the crap out of it.

beers

 

The short trips did not help. Yes you might have got it to operating temp but all that rich gas did not get burned out of the oil. It just added to it on each short trip and did not help the lubrication(thinned the oil more). Water or moisture build up would also do damage. Yes you don't know how the first owner treated it.

 

This talk of the short distance driving is a little silly. Only in the coldest day would it take almost until work for the car to completely warm up. Every day I go to the gym, and every day the car gets redlined in the same spot. I read these forums nearly every day and see everyones opinions and contradictions, but it's safe to say I drove it nearly to what the standard is for everyone on here. The only downfall was the fact I did not buy it new, which is probably a good reason things went totally wrong. It was always at temp before shut down, never flooded, redlined daily, never beat on until at temp.

 

I'm a little puzzled by some of the discussion in this thread.

I thought that most of these engine failures were from the side seals, with (as Swoope suggested) carboning up being the problem. I also thought that premixing protected the apex seals.

So why should premixing have anything to do with this?

Ken

 

didnt I already said it has something to do with the previous owner ?

 

Aug 03??? I think that is when mine was made. I have 61K and it is running strong. I started pre-mixing about a year ago. I did own the car from the beginning, going on 5 years. Imo, the failed engines are from tolerence issues. Seals a little tight, omp a little stingy, a problem motor. Seals just right, omp on the mark, strong motor. Seals a little loose, omp average, lower hp motor.

 

I would never trust the stock oil metering pump. Premix has to be done!

 

God there is so much bullshit in this thread, good luck with the new motor.