MS3 owner finds loose tranny mount bolt!

[quiet desperado]

I think they may already be addressing the issue. About a week after I bought the car, the dealer asked me to bring it back because they forgot to do an FQI inspection. When I asked what the heck that was they told me they were checking the turbo to make sure it was working right. Well my right foot could tell you that!! So I took it in and they told me everything was fine. After looking at this thread maybe FQI means "look at the freaking bolt".

Nah, I think that's where they run the engine for 2-minutes @4K and then take it for a test drive. It's part of the standard procedure for releasing cars posted elsewhere. Somebody posted a pamphlet for Mazda salesman which tells them how to explain to the customer why they need to bring the car back. I guess your salesman didn't read or didn't care to explain.

There is now a "service advisory" to check engine mount bolts. I guess this means that if you bring your car in for one reason or another, Mazda will pay them to also check the bolts.

 

[RPI-Speed3]

Just tell the dealer you've seen pics of the tranny mount bolt backing out and that there's a service advisory now to check it. Since there is now an advisory, I imagine they get compensated by Mazda to make sure they're properly torqued.

Is this service advisory in writing anywhere? Is it a TSB? I checked www.finishlineperformance.com and didn't see anything there.

 

[quiet desperado]

Is this service advisory in writing anywhere? Is it a TSB? I checked www.finishlineperformance.com and didn't see anything there.

No, it's hearsay per a guy on Mazda 3 Forums, (MS section, "Mazda acknowledges engine mount issue....") who called to schedule an oil change and was told by the dealer that there is no TSB, but that there is an advisory to check all engine mount bolts.

 

[jeffmsp]

I would rather have lose bolt than a clunk anyday of the week. Just go tighten and use locktight, 5 min job and wont be a problem again.

 

[TheMAN]

you wish removing all that s*** to get to the bolt was a 5 minute job

 

[javanc]

It took me a total of about 35 minutes to remove the battery tray, ecm harness and bolts and then put it all back to check my "bolt". Not a quick endeavor by any means, but the secont time is easier since it took me 10 mutes to figure out how to get the two harnesses off of the ecm/pcm. But mine was all tight and good, although i did get a huge thunk when i went over a crowned cross street that caused wheel spin and tc. to light up. It was very disconcerting, nothing like the thud thud of wheel hop in the P5.

 

[RPI-Speed3]

Yeah, I got mine checked today. My mechanic said it would be an hour to remove it all properly, check the bolt properly, and put everything back together. I told him to check it from underneath. The report back on the invoice for service was "checked bolt, bolt is ok, supposed to be that way". Not sure what that means, hopefully its ok. Guess I might have to check on my own at some point.

 

[thebeansoldier]

It took me a total of about 35 minutes to remove the battery tray, ecm harness and bolts and then put it all back to check my "bolt". Not a quick endeavor by any means, but the secont time is easier since it took me 10 mutes to figure out how to get the two harnesses off of the ecm/pcm. But mine was all tight and good, although i did get a huge thunk when i went over a crowned cross street that caused wheel spin and tc. to light up. It was very disconcerting, nothing like the thud thud of wheel hop in the P5.

Did you have to raise the engine a tad when you were tightening it? Odd that the regular 3's manual shows an SST has to be used on that middle bolt, yet on there, it looks like a normal 14mm bolt.


This IS scary. Hopefully there's a mandatory tsb done asap.

 

[Insurance Guy]

I'm getting my first oil change done on Saturday morning (1/13/07) and they are going to check all of the mounts. I'll report back on what the find (or don't find) Saturday afternoon.

 

[Funkycoldg]

Yeah mine goes in for the P2006 code that it was throwing tomorrow. Maybe I should ask them if they can check all the mounts too.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[clos561]

i dont getne noise, jsut regular i guess nothing out of the ordinary but il check

 

[desperado-c]

Diagram and torque spec for the MZ3

Hey, all this went up elsewhere and IS NOT FOR THE MS3. Still it shows the location of the tranny bolt that has come lose at least 3 times ("R")and a spec that is probably the minimum for the MS3. Anyway, get the dealer to tighten it if it seems at all lose, since no one has come up with the spec for the MS3.

 

[TheMAN]

the ms3's bolt is the same as the normal 3's (what you posted), but there's a discrepancy in the FSM... in the engine removal/installation section, it shows the value of what you posted (and that you must replace the bolt), but in the transmission removal/installation section, it shows 69.0-93.3ft lbs (but no mention of bolt replacement)

what is shown for the *normal* 07 mazda3 though is, there are 2 types of bolts... one is with a washer and one without... for the bolt WITHOUT the washer, you replace it... for the bolt WITH the washer, you don't have to... torque values are the same as what you posted... a discrepancy also exists on the normal 3's torque values... similar to the ms3's... in the transmission removal/installation section, it shows 69.0-77.4ft lbs... no mention of bolt replacement also

further look at this bolt shows that both the 2.0l and 2.3l models use the same bolt, and the ms3 also uses that same bolt... so now it is :wtf:
obviously the bracket on the tranny end is not the same between the A26M-R (ms3), and the G35M-R (normal 3s), but it uses the same bolt and therefore the tensile strength would be the exact same


so with how ****** up this s*** is, I think to be on the safe side, replace the ******* bolt and use that high torque value I've found (69.0-93.3ft lbs)... but if the dealer fixes the s*** for you, more than likely, they'll blast the s*** out of it with an impact wrench anyway... that's even better because it'll be even tighter (not to the point of breakage)!

 

[uncletime]

i just made a post for a ticking coming from the back driver side of the engine bay and im sorry to make two posts but could this tick be the tranny mount bolt?> the tick sounds like its coming from the engine but when i give it throttle it goes away and when the rpms come back down the tick gets a little worse before it levels off at a steady tick at idle...

 

[dread]

sure it isn't your alternator

 

[uncletime]

nah its not my alternator.. the sound is coming from the oposite side.. its coming from the driver side

 

[desperado-c]

the ms3's bolt is the same as the normal 3's (what you posted), but there's a discrepancy in the FSM... in the engine removal/installation section, it shows the value of what you posted (and that you must replace the bolt), but in the transmission removal/installation section, it shows 69.0-93.3ft lbs (but no mention of bolt replacement).....

Hey, thanks for posting this info. Once again, you're living up to your screen name.

 

[TheMAN]

nah its not my alternator.. the sound is coming from the oposite side.. its coming from the driver side

DSC pump motor

 

[Zapped]

I'm a computer guy (EE) not a mechanical engineer, but I wondered how sane a design it was to begin with to just hang the trannie under an open (albeit torqued) bolt. Wouldn't a locked nut on the bottom have made a little more sense, although it might have cut profits $0.10 or so?