P0011a code

[jctut]

Hi all - My 2014 CX-5 Grand Touring has 90K miles on it and about a month or so ago, it started giving me an orange check engine light that would come and go. The code was P011A and I found a number of TSBs related to it. One of them says if both ECT sensors are working OK, the dealer could reprogram the PCM to correct the problem. Yesterday the car displayed red blinking thermometer icon and said 'coolant temp is too high' as my daughter was driving it, and I could smell some unpleasant odor (like rubber burning) within the hood area. So long story short, it is parked in the garage and no one is driving it in this condition. I started the engine today and ran it for a while to warm it up. The orange check engine light came up (no red blinking light link before). When I turned the heat on in the car, I saw that it was just blowing cold air. This got me wondering whether I have the "clogged heater core" issue mentioned in a forum page. Is there a way of telling whether it is to do with the PCM update or the heater core? My Mazda dealer wants to charge $125 for 1 hour of diagnostics in addition to labor and material based on whatever they will find out. Has anyone had any luck with Mazda Corp on this or similar issue? Thanking you in advance.

 

[Avoidin Deer]

I don't have any advice, but particulars of the vehicle (model/trim/year) might help others help you.

If I understand your other posts about this car, it's a 2014 GT. You might wish to confirm this.

Is the daughter in this story the same one who broke the headlight?

 

[erhayes]

Ckeck the coolant level according to the owners manual. ED

 

[jctut]

Ckeck the coolant level according to the owners manual. ED

coolant level is right in between full and empty marks.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

What's the code that was pulled? P0011 (in title) is a VVT related code.
According to WS manual there isn't much to do in fixing the P011a code. In fact the sensor is like 4/5x cheaper than the diag. As far as the heater core idk. Its under the passenger dash

 

[jctut]

Thanks a lot. I had the car towed to a Mazda dealer over the weekend for them to diagnose. Today, they called me back saying that they pressure tested the coolant system and saw that while the pressure instantly dropped the oil level was rising. Their determination is that the engine gasket must have a crack or separation and fixing it means replacing the engine (which would cost more than $5K). I certainly do not understand how this could have happened on a well maintained car with no prior warning (we had oil changes on a regular basis and the current coolant level is where it needs to be). I am wondering if there is a way to detect whether this happened due to faulty materials or not. I'd appreciate any advice on how to proceed based on similar previous experiences.

 

[AVC]

A blown head gasket does not warrant an engine replacement, without further prove of block or head damage. Rather, pull the head, check for cracks on it or the block. If they they find cracks in the block, THEN tell you a new long block. Otherwise, check/machine the head and replace the gasket. If the head is cracked, sometimes it can be repaired. Replaced at worst.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

used engine and labour can be had for 1500-2000

 

[yrwei52]

used engine and labour can be had for 1500-2000

Yes, the best option for OP is to find a used engine to replace.

OP may find a reputable shop and get a second opinion to verify if the CX-5 really has a blown head gasket.

In the US where the labor cost is high, removing cylinder head to check the condition of damage and repair it accordingly simply is not worth it, especially for a foreign car.

 

[jctut]

I asked the Mazda dealer about the option of just fixing the gasket versus putting in a new engine block. I was told they prefer to go with the engine block option (my understanding of the reason is that it is much less complicated to replace the engine block rather than dealing with gasket replacement where they potentially have to machine the heads, etc), yet when I asked about the costs between the two options the service shop manager said they typically do not do just gasket repairs but he looked into their book and saw that the labor hours for both jobs were the same , i.e. both would take about 14 hours or so. He said engine block option would be a longer term solution. What do you gentlemen think?

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

You're probably gonna get !@#$% by the dealer if you don't price elsewhere first. LKQonline for engine

 

[yrwei52]

I asked the Mazda dealer about the option of just fixing the gasket versus putting in a new engine block. I was told they prefer to go with the engine block option (my understanding of the reason is that it is much less complicated to replace the engine block rather than dealing with gasket replacement where they potentially have to machine the heads, etc), yet when I asked about the costs between the two options the service shop manager said they typically do not do just gasket repairs but he looked into their book and saw that the labor hours for both jobs were the same , i.e. both would take about 14 hours or so. He said engine block option would be a longer term solution. What do you gentlemen think?

When your Mazda dealer mentioned a new “engine block”, they meant a new engine not the actual engine block. Mazda dealer usually will put an OEM new engine (actually a rebuild) which is expensive. What Chris_Top_Her and me suggested, is to find a used engine and installed by a reputable shop, that is a cheaper option.

Go LKQ online and Car-Part.com to search for a used engine.

 

[yrwei52]

BTW, most dealers don’t do repairs on major problems for engine and transmission nowadays. They simply replace the whole thing. Although the labor cost is the same between removing the cylinder head to repair, and replace the whole engine, but there’re too many unknowns once the head is removed. There’d be more involved depending on the damage, which may cost you more such as if the cylinder head or block is cracked and non-repairable.

 

[jctut]

I asked the Mazda dealer about the option of just fixing the gasket versus putting in a new engine block. I was told they prefer to go with the engine block option (my understanding of the reason is that it is much less complicated to replace the engine block rather than dealing with gasket replacement where they potentially have to machine the heads, etc), yet when I asked about the costs between the two options the service shop manager said they typically do not do just gasket repairs but he looked into their books and saw that the labor hours for both jobs were the same , i.e. both would take about 14 hours or so. He said engine block option would be a longer term solution. What do you gentlemen think?

BTW, most dealers don’t do repairs on major problems for engine and transmission nowadays. They simply replace the whole thing. Although the labor cost is the same between removing the cylinder head to repair, and replace the whole engine, but there’re too many unknowns once the head is removed. There’d be more involved depending on the damage, which may cost you more such as if the cylinder head or block is cracked and non-repairable.

Thanks a lot for your input. I understand that it may end up being more expensive to start with a gasket repair (if one eventually finds out that the engine block is cracked in addition to the damage to the gasket), due to labor hours spent increasing. Is there no way of determining if the engine block is cracked or not without removing the head?