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  1. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    I was able to replace the front sway bar bushings and brackets without removing the subframe. It is tight, but I could get to them. You go in from behind the swaybar with your feet forward toward the front bumper, flat on your back. I used the JBR brackets and bushings. They have zerk...
  2. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    FWIW, I never lost any oil on the dipstick between 3,000 mile oil changes even when the turbo smoke at idle got bad. It takes very little oil past those seals to produce quite a fog. If you are smoking at high rpm under load and losing over a quart per thousand, it may be rings. Have you done...
  3. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    When the turbo seals fail, it smokes at idle. I never had smoke at WOT high rpm. I hope the bolt helps you. I waited too long and it did not stop the problem, which was already well advanced.
  4. M

    12 MS3 Spy Hunter-like White Smoke Screen

    Don't get another stock K04 turbo. It'll just blow the seals again. Get a BNR stage 1 bolt on replacement. It uses the K04 externals but is modified to use Garrett internals that will not smoke. Same flow characteristics on both compressor and turbine wheels, so it is stock ECU and Hypertech...
  5. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    Completed my BNR stage 1 turbo install. Two Saturday project. One to remove smoking K04, second to install BNR replacement. Stage 1 uses K04 externals modifled for a Garrett GT28 series CHRA. Same flow and spool characteristics as OEM, but no smoking risk. Compatible with stock tune and...
  6. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    You do not have to drop the subframe. Its tight in there, but dropping is not necessary.
  7. M

    Ongoing misfire/stuttering problem after many parts replaced, need help!

    Its interesting that EGR service corrected the problem for several weeks but the issue has now returned. A couple thoughts: What fuel are you using? It must be premium, 91 octane or higher, preferably 93 if available. Could there be any contamination of fuel - water, etc.? Try a different...
  8. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    Yes, I think you've answered your own question. Everything points to oil getting past the turbo seals, entering the impeller side of the turbo and out the exhaust. If you still have a cat, most of it is getting burned. Turbo time. I have some of the some symptoms. I thought replacing the...
  9. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    I used B12 solvent and brass brushes. Flush with clean gasoline. Only takes about an hour soak once you are in there. You can do three cylinders at once, then rotate the crank to close the valves on the other cylinder. Used two bottles. Pretty easy but messy. Chemtool B12 is very strong and...
  10. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    Cleaned my intake valves and replaced the PCV valve while I had the intake manifold off. JBR has a good step by step PDF pictorial guide on getting the manifold separated from the cylinder head. Once you get that far, there's one more wiring plug on the bottom and the PCV hose and the manifold...
  11. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    I recommend that at next oil change you go with Rotella T6 5w40 rather than T5. It is full synthetic and has diesel detergent additives, which our pig rich (not unlike diesels) running direct injection turbo engines seem to like.
  12. M

    Mazdaspeed Protege cutting out at high rpms

    You posted in the wrong forum. This is for Mazdaspeed 3 cars (2007-2013). Not likely to get your issue resolved here, as our engines are much different. Sorry. For our cars, that symptom would point to replacing or regapping spark plugs. We get that condition if the plug gap is too wide...
  13. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    I do not. I do have a JBR banjo bolt in the oil line, run Rotella T6 and have idle rpm bumped up +200. Those are the "standard" preventative measures, and have worked until recently.
  14. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    Thanks. Changed oil yesterday. While under the car I saw what you are talking about with the PCV location, but didn't have a new PCV valve at the time. I appreciate the tip. I use no oil between changes, but do get that occasional "smoke at idle." Compression is still above 180 psi on all...
  15. M

    What have you done to your MS3 today?

    This was on your Speed3? That is very good news. I'm at 135,000 miles. What were your symptoms? I'm having something like the notorious "smoking at idle" issue, but it is totally intermittent and random. I can go days with no problem, then it returns at idle, only to disappear for days...
  16. M

    Turbo sound?

    Backfire? At idle on startup? What do you mean by "backfire"? Does this engine have the stock turbo bypass valve (bpv) or has it had a vent to air blow off valve (bov) substituted? As to "turbo sound" describe better. Does this engine have a different intake or is it stock?
  17. M

    MazdaSpeed3 reliability

    What happened to the 2008 MS3? Seemed to have dropped out of the last two charts.
  18. M

    New to ms3. And there any common problems?

    Dealers lie. You do need to have it checked out to make sure it has not been abused, modded improperly and returned to stock or some such. It's probably fine. I'd want to have them let me take it to an independent shop for static compression, cylinder leak down and a ECU datalog to check for...
  19. M

    New to ms3. And there any common problems?

    You really can't keep a direct injection high output, high boost, high compression turbo engine safe except by ECU control, including throttle. Bad things can happen in nanoseconds. The ECU nanny is very protective, but it keeps you from ventilating the block with pistons getting airborne.
  20. M

    New to ms3. And there any common problems?

    Oh, but you will care! In a good way. There is so much torque that in first and second gear the stock ECU map reduces it to control torque steer. Aftermarket tunes which defeat that torque limitation will let you roast the tires at will by just going full throttle too soon. You have to...
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