Calling all MS3 Owners with smoking Turbos...

[ericrapp]

I have been out of the loop for awhile. Last fall the turbo was smoking. Just before sixty K. I said heck with it and added some Valvoline fifty weight racing oil to my Rp 10-30.
I only drive it in the summer so i have no care for COLD starting.
Well the smoking at hot idle stopped at some point. I do not know why. I just did another oil change with half a quart of the fifty weight. Still no smoking hot idle.
I do not recommend this to anyone.
I bought another ko4 just to rebuild and then see if the seals were gone on the original. to be honest i have forgotten about it till this thread again.
I was fairly modded early on and never considered applying for warranty work.
But there is nothing more embarassing than sitting at a stop light with people wondering itf they shoud call the fire dept!!

 

[zoom-zoom-boom]

mine smokes at around the time i need an oil change 3,000-3,500 miles, just on startup. i get the oil changed and it goes away. i always use mobil 1 5w30 syn.

 

[RUMBLEFISH]

How many of you have installed the pill and it stopped the smoke? My mods are in my sig and my car started smoking at 20,000 or so. Installed the pill run rotella 5/40 synth and now have 60,000 miles and still no smoke.

If and when it does smoke again I sure as hell will not be putting on a Ko4. Thats just weak sauce.

 

[Blindeye_03]

Has the smoking problem happened to anyone with a 'stock' car?

 

[kvndoom]

How many of you have installed the pill and it stopped the smoke? My mods are in my sig and my car started smoking at 20,000 or so. Installed the pill run rotella 5/40 synth and now have 60,000 miles and still no smoke.

If and when it does smoke again I sure as hell will not be putting on a Ko4. Thats just weak sauce.

I put the pill on maybe 2 weeks ago, but I don't have very long idle periods that often. I will keep an eye on it when it gets colder and I need the car to warm up, and definitely next summer.

Has the smoking problem happened to anyone with a 'stock' car?

Just on this page alone you got what, 3 people, saying that. (headshake

 

[SomnoSpeed3]

Completelt stock here. Smokes like a forrest fire after 90 seconds. BUUUTTTTTT....... I just got a call from the Mazda dealer I took my car to and they are installing a new turbo completely free of charge and are even paying for the rental car!!!! HOT DAMN!!

 

[Super Unique]

going on 60k with no signs of trouble from the turbo. stock except for cobb sri and TWM short shifter

 

[SomnoSpeed3]

Finally got Mazda to replace my turbo! I took the TSB to the dealer with me, just to be sure they didn't play stupid about it. This dealer didn't but two others have. Been smoking for a year now until today. Thank effin' god I don't look like a total doosher at the stoplights and drive-thru's. Car feels like it pulls better and the spooling sound is much louder now.

 

[rsvinylgraphics]

are they replacing it without oil change records/receipts?

 

[SomnoSpeed3]

are they replacing it without oil change records/receipts?

Oh they asked for them alright and I did not have any receipts except from March 2009 until now. They initially Mazda told me to **** off and no turbo for you but I raised holy hell at the dealer. Service manager called back a few hours later and Mazda said that I would need to let the dealer take the engine apart to look for sludge since I did not have oil change records. Ended up being covered under warranty because the engine was perfect. I change oil every 4k miles.
So it can be done with no receipts but you have to have a dealer that will go to bat for you. Brighton Mazda helped me out a lot.

 

[kvndoom]

Oh they asked for them alright and I did not have any receipts except from March 2009 until now. They initially Mazda told me to **** off and no turbo for you but I raised holy hell at the dealer. Service manager called back a few hours later and Mazda said that I would need to let the dealer take the engine apart to look for sludge since I did not have oil change records. Ended up being covered under warranty because the engine was perfect. I change oil every 4k miles.
So it can be done with no receipts but you have to have a dealer that will go to bat for you. Brighton Mazda helped me out a lot.

Good for you! Let us know if the new one holds up over time.

 

[KARLitos]

Finally got Mazda to replace my turbo! I took the TSB to the dealer with me, just to be sure they didn't play stupid about it. This dealer didn't but two others have. Been smoking for a year now until today. Thank effin' god I don't look like a total doosher at the stoplights and drive-thru's. Car feels like it pulls better and the spooling sound is much louder now.

Got mine back few days ago, and you are absolutely right... it DEF pulls harder. You can actually hear the change in the sound of the turbo spooling too.

If anyone in the Long Island (NY) area is reading this with smoking turbo, take it to Bright Bay Mazda. As long as you have your maintanance records you are in good hands. They approved my turbo work with powertrain warranty (has 44k miles) even with mods on the car.

I have CPE full cat back with DP, CPE CAI, SU inlets, and REM.

They also have free loaner car!!

 

[Chris08MS3]

My MS3 is at the dealership getting the turbo replaced today. The car has 32,000 miles on it and I've had the smoking issue for awhile now. I was getting free synthetic oil changes covered under warranty up to this point. I called last week asking about the TSB and they ordered the parts no questions asked. I got a free loaner too. I'm lucky in that my Mazda dealer is one of the good ones.

 

[SomnoSpeed3]

My MS3 is at the dealership getting the turbo replaced today. The car has 32,000 miles on it and I've had the smoking issue for awhile now. I was getting free synthetic oil changes covered under warranty up to this point. I called last week asking about the TSB and they ordered the parts no questions asked. I got a free loaner too. I'm lucky in that my Mazda dealer is one of the good ones.

Which dealer did you take it to? Brighton Mazda hooked me up nice and good. I'll be going there from now on for sure.

 

[kvndoom]

My MS3 is at the dealership getting the turbo replaced today. The car has 32,000 miles on it and I've had the smoking issue for awhile now. I was getting free synthetic oil changes covered under warranty up to this point. I called last week asking about the TSB and they ordered the parts no questions asked. I got a free loaner too. I'm lucky in that my Mazda dealer is one of the good ones.

Sheesh, I ought to take the PTP pill out of mine and do whatever I can to make it smoke again so I can get a new turbo. Between the DISI and Renesis, Mazda is just building a stellar reputation with specialty engines. (jerkit)

 

[Chris08MS3]

Which dealer did you take it to? Brighton Mazda hooked me up nice and good. I'll be going there from now on for sure.

I'm on the west side of the state. I deal with Borgman Ford/ Mazda in Grandville (near Grand Rapids).

 

[SallySpeed3]

Oil change before my last one which was just a couple days ago I think I told them to use 10w40 synthetic. That paired with setting my idle to 975 cured my smoking issues. Just got my oil changed a few days ago and they used 5w40 and now it has returned. GAH!!! Its only during the morning warm-up. Any driving after that and it's gone for the rest of the day. I also have the PTP pill in but that obviously isn't working for me. I really don't want to spend another 80 bucks on an oil change but I don't want to burn off too much oil, is that risky?

 

[SomnoSpeed3]

Mine smoked for a year. I regularly checked the oil level and it never seemed to burn at an accelerated rate but I just can't be 100% positive. I believe it did not though. I never let my car smoke very long each time it did. I would rev up and then hold the rpm's at about 1K to prevent it from smoking. I got pretty damn good at maintaining the 1k rpm while navigating my way through the Taco Bell drive through. haha
Try setting your idle to 1100.

 

[cvp0917]

Reading this thread has me really concerned. i totaled my msprotege hitting a deer the other day and i found an 08 red ms3 with 28k miles on it that i was interested in but i dont wanna deal with a bad turbo again. mine on my protege was really bad but it didnt start smoking till about 150k miles. would you guys buy a ms3 again even with this problem and is it fixed for good after its replaced under warranty?

 

[ericrapp]

One of the things about turbos, especially non ball bearing units is they have parts that wear.
If they are not shimmed correctly they wear quickly. And then perform poorly. There have been dialogues about the causes and Mazda's seeming lack of proper response.
Regardless, Mazdaspeed 3 in my garage for winter has been a delight for almost 70000 miles. It is more than i hoped for. I beat it senseless and it keeps on swinging.
My plan is to keep the car forever whether i replace turbos or not. Would i by it new all over again? yep.