Yep that helps immensely- thanks
bbrich57 said:
In the first place, that SUCKS, Dude! Just be glad no one was hurt in the process.
Second, I think you mean here:
Does that help?
Everyone's POV is different, so having a visual aid helps-thank you
That is pretty scary. However I guess I'm used to manufacturing issues. As I've said before Mazda may have tested the hell out of these mounts, but there is always the chance that a batch of faulty bolts made it through QA. Manufacturers engineer EVERY part within tolerances. Its possible that these bolts may have been part of a yield that went slightly out of tolerance.
Judging by the location this part needs to deal with huge temperature swings, while handling vibration and twisting forces. If the formulation or the forging of the alloy is the least bit off it could cause the metal to become brittle at certain frequencies. The roughness that people report before the engine collapses is probably the result of the metal vibrating at it's sympathetic frequency, which in turn amplifies and shatters the molecular structure of the metal. This is one of the theories that surround the Tacoma Narrow Bridge collapse. Think about ht ecomplexity of the root cause for a moment. The driver would have to be driving at a certain speed, in a specific gear, at a certain rpm, in certain weather conditons. They may have shifted up sooner, or had to stop quickly. Maybe the issue happens at a lower ground speed but a hihger gear, where the engine mabe turning less RPM to push the car with more torque at a higher gear? The combinations are practically endless. Which makes finding a root cause difficult.
Manufacturers typically do spot-checks on parts quality. There is no way they can test EVERY single part. Doing so would increase the cost of manufacturer and the end cost to the consumer. It's a gamble every manufacturer (except maybe a Ferrari or Rolls Royce) takes- and is why they have insurance.
It's unfortunate that it happens but that's life- it happens with even the best companies. Personally I've already put down a deposit on an MS3 and will be ordering my 08 within the next couple of days.
I have confidence that this issue isn't epidemic and know that Mazda will address it. Something we all have to remember is that it takes a company some time to react to issues. Someone else mentioned that it takes time to research, test, design, fabricate, REtest and manufacture a fix. It took Mazda a month and a half to verify a problem, figure out a fix and then implement a change in production when the Mazda5 exhaust system was overheating. And that;s while sifting throug the noise of making sure the issue wasn't user error (those who know about the exhaust issue know that the root cause was due to users leaving the tranny in 2nd gear, in manual mode while driving at hihgway speeds)
Those who know about design and manufacturing know that a month is pretty fast for any change-nevermind a major change to occur. I actually have a lot of respect for Mazda's abilities. Managing change across a manufacturing line of complex products isn't as easy a throwing a switch. It takes a lot of people, who know their s*** to orchestrate a running change on a manufacturing floor. That Mazda is able to incite change so quickly is a testament to their manufacturing process and committment to the consumer.
Mazda is a small company who cares about the customer. This is not baseless ass-kissing, it's from a person who has owned 6 mazdas over tha past 12 years and has NEVER been let down by their Customer Service or products.
I know it's hard, but have faith.