Common Faults and Rectifications -
This FAQ is designed to answer most commonly asked questions by members on this board. This is aimed at an Australian audience, so that we can have specific answers relating to our problems, and ways to rectify them. It is designed to be a technical FAQ, rather than just general questions about our cars.
Please note there is also a General FAQ on this website that can be found here.
General FAQ
1.)Throttle Body Boot Cracking, or Air Leak Post Turbo -
Problem: The throttle body boot on our cars is prone to cracking due to age and stress. This is the rubber boot around 3inches in diameter that connects your intercooler piping to your intake plenum.
The same symptoms can also be experience if you have any form of air leak post turbo going to your intake manifold. Common problems include loose intercooler pipes or hoses, leaking blow of valve, or a split in your intercooler end tanks.
Causes: If this cracks, or even has a hairline split in it (most common), air will leak out under acceleration causing the car to hesitate, idle rough, blow black smoke, stall, and also hit boost cut intermittently.
Fixes: Thoroughly examine your intercooler piping all the way from the turbo -> throttle body. You can take off the throttle body boot to examine for hairline cracks, or deteriated rubber. Also examine intercooler for cracks. A good way is to check for air leaks with the engine running.
Throttle body boots can be bought new from Mazda for around $100. Try ring around wreckers which should source them for between $20-50, but ensure it is in excellent condition.Intercooler cracks can be welded.
2.) Heater Core -
Problems: The heater core in our cars are prone to leaking. This is usually due to the end tank separating from the core over time.
Causes: Normally a big pool of coolant on your passenger side footwell. Can also cause a coolant smell inside the car, and if you loose lots of coolant, can cause the car to overheat.
Fixes: You need to replace or repair the heater core. The heater core is located under the dashboard, pretty much behind and below the glovebox compartment. The entire dashboard needs to be removed to get the heater core out, which can create a big job. Once out, choices are to buy new from Mazda (around $900) or to have a custom brass unit made (around $150-300.) This is the better option as its not only cheaper, but usually higher quality than the Mazda original. Take your old heater core to any good radiator shop, and they should fabricate one no problems for you. If you are stuck in an emergency, and cannot replace the heater core, you can re-route the heater hoses to not go to the heater core at all, and to join to each other. This is done in the engine bay, where the heater hoses connect to the core on the firewall.
3.) Exhaust manifold leak (contributed by Tripharn :tup: )
Problems: Exhaust manifolds eventually wear out, due to the constant pressure of the gas exchange from the engine to the exhaust manifold. Also, sometimes the studs snap from the twisting action of the turbo / engine.
Causes: A ticking noise from the engine, increases with revs. Sometimes goes away when the car warms up. Is quieter when at idle. Is louder when under boost. Sometimes leaves black carbon where the leak is.
Fixes:
1. Remove the radiator (not compulsary, but makes it easier). Remove all hoses. Undo the plastic retainers and remove radiator.
2. Remove air intake and outlet of the turbo and move it out the way.
3. Remove head shields from the manifold, two bolts on the top, a couple in the front.
4. Start disconnecting parts of the manifold and turbo...
- EGR
- Unclip the O2 sensor
- Turbo oil line
5. Unbolt the turbo from the dump pipe (at least 3 bolts)
6. Unbolt the support bracket just between the turbo and the engine.
7. Unbolt the manifold from the head. There is 6 bolts, 2 on top and 4 underneath.
8. Pull out the turbo, manifold etc in one go. (Its heavy!)
9. Pull off the gasket.
10. If you have a broken stud, then either pull it out with pliers or helicoil it out, and replace it.
11. Clean the area and assemble in reverse.
__________________
4.) Blown head gasket - What to do?
5.) How to Read error codes from the ECU
6.) Diff/Gearbox Problems
This FAQ is designed to answer most commonly asked questions by members on this board. This is aimed at an Australian audience, so that we can have specific answers relating to our problems, and ways to rectify them. It is designed to be a technical FAQ, rather than just general questions about our cars.
Please note there is also a General FAQ on this website that can be found here.
General FAQ
1.)Throttle Body Boot Cracking, or Air Leak Post Turbo -
Problem: The throttle body boot on our cars is prone to cracking due to age and stress. This is the rubber boot around 3inches in diameter that connects your intercooler piping to your intake plenum.
The same symptoms can also be experience if you have any form of air leak post turbo going to your intake manifold. Common problems include loose intercooler pipes or hoses, leaking blow of valve, or a split in your intercooler end tanks.
Causes: If this cracks, or even has a hairline split in it (most common), air will leak out under acceleration causing the car to hesitate, idle rough, blow black smoke, stall, and also hit boost cut intermittently.
Fixes: Thoroughly examine your intercooler piping all the way from the turbo -> throttle body. You can take off the throttle body boot to examine for hairline cracks, or deteriated rubber. Also examine intercooler for cracks. A good way is to check for air leaks with the engine running.
Throttle body boots can be bought new from Mazda for around $100. Try ring around wreckers which should source them for between $20-50, but ensure it is in excellent condition.Intercooler cracks can be welded.
2.) Heater Core -
Problems: The heater core in our cars are prone to leaking. This is usually due to the end tank separating from the core over time.
Causes: Normally a big pool of coolant on your passenger side footwell. Can also cause a coolant smell inside the car, and if you loose lots of coolant, can cause the car to overheat.
Fixes: You need to replace or repair the heater core. The heater core is located under the dashboard, pretty much behind and below the glovebox compartment. The entire dashboard needs to be removed to get the heater core out, which can create a big job. Once out, choices are to buy new from Mazda (around $900) or to have a custom brass unit made (around $150-300.) This is the better option as its not only cheaper, but usually higher quality than the Mazda original. Take your old heater core to any good radiator shop, and they should fabricate one no problems for you. If you are stuck in an emergency, and cannot replace the heater core, you can re-route the heater hoses to not go to the heater core at all, and to join to each other. This is done in the engine bay, where the heater hoses connect to the core on the firewall.
3.) Exhaust manifold leak (contributed by Tripharn :tup: )
Problems: Exhaust manifolds eventually wear out, due to the constant pressure of the gas exchange from the engine to the exhaust manifold. Also, sometimes the studs snap from the twisting action of the turbo / engine.
Causes: A ticking noise from the engine, increases with revs. Sometimes goes away when the car warms up. Is quieter when at idle. Is louder when under boost. Sometimes leaves black carbon where the leak is.
Fixes:
1. Remove the radiator (not compulsary, but makes it easier). Remove all hoses. Undo the plastic retainers and remove radiator.
2. Remove air intake and outlet of the turbo and move it out the way.
3. Remove head shields from the manifold, two bolts on the top, a couple in the front.
4. Start disconnecting parts of the manifold and turbo...
- EGR
- Unclip the O2 sensor
- Turbo oil line
5. Unbolt the turbo from the dump pipe (at least 3 bolts)
6. Unbolt the support bracket just between the turbo and the engine.
7. Unbolt the manifold from the head. There is 6 bolts, 2 on top and 4 underneath.
8. Pull out the turbo, manifold etc in one go. (Its heavy!)
9. Pull off the gasket.
10. If you have a broken stud, then either pull it out with pliers or helicoil it out, and replace it.
11. Clean the area and assemble in reverse.
__________________
4.) Blown head gasket - What to do?
5.) How to Read error codes from the ECU
6.) Diff/Gearbox Problems