2nd Motor Blown...

[Mz3Hatch]

October 10, 2004 - 8424 miles - According to the dealer the timing jumped and some other "minor" parts moved and caused the motor to basically chew itself apart - Warranty covered.

May 25, 2005 - 54,868 - Start car, real bad noise coming from motor, almost as if a fan blade was hitting something. Check all over motor, in, under around car, see nothing. Notice clunking/pinging from 1st cylinder from left side, think o crap, cylinder head broke up, bent rod, etc. NO CEL. Take to dealer. They take off valve cover and look around top end, see nothing. Decide must be bottom end and that motor is blown. Also, transmission throwing a code, dealer doesnt know what it is though. Screwed, out of warranty.

I absolutely LOVE the 3, awesome car, great to drive and especially fun, i just love everything about it. But for some reason its been nothing but problems since the first motor blew on it. Well, i owed 8,286 on it, they said car was worth 8500, plus 6000 to replace motor. Made deal to buy used car off lot in exchange for them simply taking the car from me. Sadly, but gladly gave it up. Bought 2004, Mazda Tribute, 3rd Mazda i've owned, only make ive ever purchased.

Also, 5 days after mine went in, another 3, a 2006 with 2800 miles went in for a blown motor, ate 3 quarts of oil in under 50 miles and threw a rod right through the side of the block. Mazda California asked for that motor back.

I want the MS3 but i dont know if i want to chance another first year production vehicle, even though it will problem be a 2007 production only.

Has anyone else had significant problems with their 3's? Is it just me? 2 motors shot in so little time and no one knows how. Hopefully ill find out what made this last one blow since as of a week ago they still hadnt taken it fully apart yet.

 

[gwai1o]

possibly?

That definately sux..

 

[Rennoc]

lemon car would have possibly made the first motor blow but the second one too? i dont know seems to defy statistics.... back luck seems like, really really bad luck

 

[awsmp5]

wow its not even boosted right? howd that happen. my car sounds real bad recently too, not that its a 3 but i'm startin to get worried

 

[Mz3Hatch]

No boost, no major mods done except resonator removal and within the last 2 months TB ground. Im going to drop by my dealer today to pick up the plates for my new truck and ask if they took it apart. Last thing i was told was that it registered something on the computer at 55 mph for an engine code.

Lemon law applies to three times same thing. I drive alot of miles, so i need a reliable vehicle and dont want to chance a third motor blowing. Plus i have no warranty so i'd have to pay for this new motor. I have a very good relationship with my dealer, family has bought 12 cars from them, 9 from the same salesman who did everything he could along with the owner to help me out so I wasnt even going to play the lemon law card as that involves suing them.

Even though i had bad luck with my 3, i recommend Mazda to everyone i know, especially the 3 because it is a reliable vehicle. I just got stuck with a bad egg. First chance i get, I'm hoping to get back into one, possible MS3 as i've been waiting 2 years for its release!

 

[know_no_limits]

Also, 5 days after mine went in, another 3, a 2006 with 2800 miles went in for a blown motor, ate 3 quarts of oil in under 50 miles and threw a rod right through the side of the block. Mazda California asked for that motor back.

I had a fuel pump and some sensors replaced under warranty in my 04 3 hatch. Other than that, no problems. Its funny though because I hade a 1995 4runner with 114,000 on it and this happened to me, blew the motor. I had the oil changed 1500 miles prior, no leaks or smoke, I took immaculate care of it, it was my baby. I was driving home from work and all of a sudden I had the "fan blade" sound real bad coupled with about 50% loss of power. I pulled over and couldnt see anything wrong but could hear the banging at idle and knew it was pretty bad. Shut her off and checked the oil and the damn thing was bone dry!! I ended up spending $4200 on a Japanese import motor. My sister drives it now, its at about 150,000 miles, and it hasn't had another problem. Anyone have any ideas on what the hell happened? I'll tell you one thing; I still have to put up with my buddies flipping me s*** about checking my oil... A-holes...

 

[Jeph]

Damn, that sucks. Are you out of Warranty just because of the # of miles you have on the car?

 

[Mz3Hatch]

That was one of the first things i did, checked the oil, it was low but i knew i had to do an oil change the following day bc i was at about 3100 miles since last. Wasnt dry but low so i added a quart.

Out of warranty because of mileage, 4 years/50.000 miles. I was going to extend it but it had been running fine and i didnt have the 1500 to put up right there to extend it. Figures, 4000 miles over and im screwed. Isnt that like murphy's law or something?

 

[TheMAN]

if the engine has ever been turned backwards, it WILL go out of timing on the MZRs.... and being out of timing, not only will it perform badly, it *may* damage the engine which in this case did on your first motor... don't ask why this is like that, ask ford.... the design on this engine is retarded

if the car was towed (without you present aka, you parked in a tow-away zone) and was in gear, s*** like this happens.... if you parked your car in gear while on a hill and the e-brake failed but the car rolled back anyway for god knows what reason, then s*** like this happens too (so I guess if this happened like that, the only way to park in gear is leave it in a gear in the direction the car will go... ie: reverse if you're parked uphill)... it *shouldn't* happen though

I have a feeling some s*** happened similar to what I said that caused the motor to go out of time, and on your 2nd one probably went out of time also.... I like to hear what happened/was done to the car shortly before it took a dump

 

[Mz3Hatch]

I never really got a clear answer as to why what happened to the first motor happened. Before that one took its dump nothing was seeming or appearing wrong. On my way home from a car show, slowing down, lots of lights start appearing on the gauge cluster, and no noise from motor. Wouldnt even turn over after that mess.

Same with second motor, left work, went to girlfriends, car was fine, hour and a half later i start it and hear the clunking. No towing, nothing. Car was performing as well as usual.

Found out though what happened with this motor on Thursday. 3 cylinders blown completely. I was told bent rods and all valves were shot on it. They tried driving it from dealer garage to other showroom and had it die on them. Car is going to auction sometime this week i was told. I wasnt told though what the deal with the tranny code was. If anyone is interested in an '04 sunlight silver hatch, contact Weisleder Mazda in Pt. Pleasant NJ and you just might be able to get one for cheap for parts, etc.

 

[jflo]

if the engine has ever been turned backwards, it WILL go out of timing on the MZRs.... and being out of timing, not only will it perform badly, it *may* damage the engine which in this case did on your first motor... don't ask why this is like that, ask ford.... the design on this engine is retarded

if the car was towed (without you present aka, you parked in a tow-away zone) and was in gear, s*** like this happens.... if you parked your car in gear while on a hill and the e-brake failed but the car rolled back anyway for god knows what reason, then s*** like this happens too (so I guess if this happened like that, the only way to park in gear is leave it in a gear in the direction the car will go... ie: reverse if you're parked uphill)... it *shouldn't* happen though

I have a feeling some s*** happened similar to what I said that caused the motor to go out of time, and on your 2nd one probably went out of time also.... I like to hear what happened/was done to the car shortly before it took a dump

does that mean you can't do a rolling jumpstart if the battery is dead ?

 

[TheMAN]

I don't recommend it