Issues for with my MS6 (Engine Noise) - Anyone care to lend their MS6 to my ears?
Hey guys,
P5 owner who upgraded to an 2007 MS6 at the end of 2011 (Dec. 27 or so) that I got from Buyers Volvo. Long story short, I got the car home (Westerville area) and that night discovered a pretty nasty sound once I had it in my garage. Sounded like real bad valve lash, or a bad lifter or at a stretch an idler pulley/AC clutch. Sounds even worse on startup, cold or hot. Called the dealer, and took it back the next day or so to have them look it over (balance of factory warranty). The guys at Buyers Volvo told me something was definitely wrong with the car that wasn't there when I bought it and that it would need serviced. They asked me to drive it Buyers Mazda where the "gurus" could take a look.
Fast forward a few days, cars been at Buyers Mazda for a few days. I call to get an update and they tell me their "best tech" thinks its the turbo, and they need to tear down the engine bay a bit for final diagnostics. I tell the service manager that the sound I heard was definitely coming from the top end/valvetrain, not the turbo (I have a 550+ RWHP 300ZX Twin Turbo that I built (including the heads), so I know a thing or two). He says he'll get a second opinion from another tech, and I thank him.
Few days go past, still no updates so I call again. This time they tell me its VVTi solenoid, and I agree that sounds more like it. Do some research, see there is a TSB on the solenoid for failure resulting in clankety engine sounds. They say give them 3 days, parts will be in and car buttoned up. Sounds good to me. I head in to pick up the car, start it up and the clanking isn't smaking me in the face like it had, but still a little noisey. I drive it to campus, pull in to park and turn off the radio to see what it sounds like - absolutely terrible! Sounds like a diesel engine in the car. Call the dealer back after class, leave a voicemail and let them know that something is still not right.
Take the car over to Buyers Mazda again, and this time the service manager asks me to pull into the bay and point out the sound that is bothering me. Lift up the hood, start the car, walk around front to point out the sound. As we are there talking about it, another tech walks up takes a listen and says "VVTi solenoid? Sounds like VVTi." To which the service manager kinds gives him a look and says, "We just fixed that". He tells me he is going to get all the techs to listen to it and give him their opinions on the sound, asks me to wait in the lobby.
Thirty minutes later he walks in and says something to the effect of 11 guys listened to it, got 4 different ideas on what might be wrong, but the majority think its "just a noisy motor". I disagree, and say I don't see anyway Mazda would put into production a motor that sounds like dog $hit from inside the cabin (to the point where my girlfriend who knows nothing about cars asked me when riding passenger why my car sounded so funny). He tells me that he wants to compare my motors sound to another MS6 whenever one may come in, and asks me to leave the car with him until an MS6 comes in for service. I told him that the suggestion sounded weird to me, but was worth a shot. But I also told him to get a technician to listen to the car under load, high load because the sound became increasingly loud when the motor was loaded.
Its now Thursday, 30+ days since I got the car, driven it maybe 5 times, temp tags are expired, and its still at the dealership. They said the MS6 that came in to compare it sounded identical, and that later this week one was coming in that had the timing chain stretched (another known issue with a TSB made by mazda). He said once they compare the car before and after the timing chain replacement, they will decide if my car is just "noisy".
Now I'm not saying that this to bash on Buyers Mazda's service guys, but I can't say I am sold on their diagnostics either. I was hoping somebody local with an MS6 (stock or near stock ideally) could let me listen to their car and/or take me for a short drive. In the event your motor purrs like a kitten, I may ask that you accompany me to the dealership to service as a baseline for a good motor. In the event it sounds the same, then I will leave it at that and cross my fingers my motor doesn't grenade due to a spun bearing or weak timing chain.
Any takers or input? Thanks all.
Hey guys,
P5 owner who upgraded to an 2007 MS6 at the end of 2011 (Dec. 27 or so) that I got from Buyers Volvo. Long story short, I got the car home (Westerville area) and that night discovered a pretty nasty sound once I had it in my garage. Sounded like real bad valve lash, or a bad lifter or at a stretch an idler pulley/AC clutch. Sounds even worse on startup, cold or hot. Called the dealer, and took it back the next day or so to have them look it over (balance of factory warranty). The guys at Buyers Volvo told me something was definitely wrong with the car that wasn't there when I bought it and that it would need serviced. They asked me to drive it Buyers Mazda where the "gurus" could take a look.
Fast forward a few days, cars been at Buyers Mazda for a few days. I call to get an update and they tell me their "best tech" thinks its the turbo, and they need to tear down the engine bay a bit for final diagnostics. I tell the service manager that the sound I heard was definitely coming from the top end/valvetrain, not the turbo (I have a 550+ RWHP 300ZX Twin Turbo that I built (including the heads), so I know a thing or two). He says he'll get a second opinion from another tech, and I thank him.
Few days go past, still no updates so I call again. This time they tell me its VVTi solenoid, and I agree that sounds more like it. Do some research, see there is a TSB on the solenoid for failure resulting in clankety engine sounds. They say give them 3 days, parts will be in and car buttoned up. Sounds good to me. I head in to pick up the car, start it up and the clanking isn't smaking me in the face like it had, but still a little noisey. I drive it to campus, pull in to park and turn off the radio to see what it sounds like - absolutely terrible! Sounds like a diesel engine in the car. Call the dealer back after class, leave a voicemail and let them know that something is still not right.
Take the car over to Buyers Mazda again, and this time the service manager asks me to pull into the bay and point out the sound that is bothering me. Lift up the hood, start the car, walk around front to point out the sound. As we are there talking about it, another tech walks up takes a listen and says "VVTi solenoid? Sounds like VVTi." To which the service manager kinds gives him a look and says, "We just fixed that". He tells me he is going to get all the techs to listen to it and give him their opinions on the sound, asks me to wait in the lobby.
Thirty minutes later he walks in and says something to the effect of 11 guys listened to it, got 4 different ideas on what might be wrong, but the majority think its "just a noisy motor". I disagree, and say I don't see anyway Mazda would put into production a motor that sounds like dog $hit from inside the cabin (to the point where my girlfriend who knows nothing about cars asked me when riding passenger why my car sounded so funny). He tells me that he wants to compare my motors sound to another MS6 whenever one may come in, and asks me to leave the car with him until an MS6 comes in for service. I told him that the suggestion sounded weird to me, but was worth a shot. But I also told him to get a technician to listen to the car under load, high load because the sound became increasingly loud when the motor was loaded.
Its now Thursday, 30+ days since I got the car, driven it maybe 5 times, temp tags are expired, and its still at the dealership. They said the MS6 that came in to compare it sounded identical, and that later this week one was coming in that had the timing chain stretched (another known issue with a TSB made by mazda). He said once they compare the car before and after the timing chain replacement, they will decide if my car is just "noisy".
Now I'm not saying that this to bash on Buyers Mazda's service guys, but I can't say I am sold on their diagnostics either. I was hoping somebody local with an MS6 (stock or near stock ideally) could let me listen to their car and/or take me for a short drive. In the event your motor purrs like a kitten, I may ask that you accompany me to the dealership to service as a baseline for a good motor. In the event it sounds the same, then I will leave it at that and cross my fingers my motor doesn't grenade due to a spun bearing or weak timing chain.
Any takers or input? Thanks all.
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