Author Topic: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo  (Read 8224 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« on: June 16, 2018, 10:40:37 am »
I've been keeping an eye on all of the reviews for the new 2.5Turbo Signature model on YouTube.  It's no slouch with a 7ish second 0 - 62mph, and pulls like a train.  It's only available with an auto box and paddle shifters, but I don't mind the idea of that since I'll be longer in the tooth when I can afford one.

Mazda has achieved something no other manufacturer has done with a petrol engine, and that's to apply the use of a higher compression ratio together with a leaner mix where the spark is used to assist the lean burning process.

There's information in the press that their objective was to produce a engine capable of reproducing the same power as a 4.0l normally aspirated engine, with a linear delivery of power as per their usual "normally aspirated feel" goal, and without any lag.

I love the way Mazda has also added cylinder deactivation in conjunction with their lean burn design to help save fuel when cruising at a steady speed and that their MPG figures aren't as over-egged as other manufacturers.

It will have to be an estate for me as it's more practical.  Soul crystal red and that white parchment interior.  Love it.

I can't wait for this engine to arrive to give me an excuse to save up for a used model in 2020/2021.  I'll see if I can arrange a test drive for the sheer fun of it.

The new car is considerably quieter than all that's gone before it with acoustic glass on the front & rear side windows, more sound and vibration dampening all round, has the G-vectoring feature and will come with a host of safety features.  Android auto and Apple Car play will be available towards the end of this year.

I wonder what BBR could do with it to make it even more urgent in its power delivery.


Offline apav

  • Takuya Class
  • ******
  • Posts: 547
  • Gender: Male
  • Engine: 2.0L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: TS2
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2018, 11:15:41 am »
Isn't that a US only car? I thought the current model will be in production for a couple more years at most.

I would not trust Mazda to make it right first with such a complicated engine. They did enough mess with all their diesels and now moving the same technology to a petrol engine, it will be fun if it would work out. So leave it 2-3 years to see what others have to go through and then decide whether it is worthy the mess.

I have the impression that the new 6 will share a lot with the Toyotas in order to bring in their hybrid technology that Mazda does not have.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2018, 01:19:42 pm »
I hope it does arrive on our shores.  The press announced that the final decision will be made nearer the time.

I'm not sure if Mazda made a mess with its previous diesels, otherwise every car would have been badly affected.  Mazda do make a habit of inspecting injector seals for signs of wear and leakage and do visual checks on the oil strainer - or should I say, they talk to me about it when I book my car in for a service.   When compared with the other manufacturers, Mazda aren't so bad.  I know Alan Mann and Marlon King posted their displeasure on YouTube, as has Colin Hagan who claims he comes across this problem frequently - but then again he's makes a living from repairing engines.  I only recently read about the poor quality of the Ford Powershift gearboxes that often fail with very few miles where Ford knew that it was highly unpredictable at what point it would fail.  And you only have to look at the long list of Toyota, VAG, Mercedes, and BMW recalls to realise that no manufacturer is perfect.

As a former automotive and aeronautical design engineer in my previous life, the way Mazda has designed this new SkyActiv X engine is just simply clever, rather than complicated they are just re-applying tried and tested tech in an innovative way.  The clever use of sensor monitoring to constantly monitor and adjust the behaviour is just part of engine control system and in theory no different to what other engines do already - Mazda is just doing it better.  The higher than normal compression ratios of around 10:1 aren't as high as the 12 - 14:1 ratios found in diesels and these SkyActiv X engines will have been tested for over 100k's miles in a variety of different environmentally controlled conditions before being marketed for sale.  I'll be keeping an eye on the US and AUS press for any issues with their SkyActiv X technology too, but I'm confident they have a great product.

I also have a lot of respect for Mazda as they haven't jumped on the EV bandwagon.  Their philosophy is that EV isn't just about reducing emissions from a car and ticking a box.  They look at the carbon footprint across the entire lifecycle from design/development, manufacture, assembly and maintenance and I can see they are thoroughly pragmatic and practical in the way they want their technology to work.  They announced the partnership with Toyota in 2015 and it looks as if SkyActiv X will eventually be used in conjunction with EV tech and their roadmap does embrace hybrid technology as it becomes cheaper and more effective.

There are lots of stories including from members of this forum about the 2.2 diesel chain stretch problem on the GH model, but at least with this issue you can easily find out using the correct software or by visiting your dealer.

My 2009 SL has done 150k miles and had its chain replaced at around 86k at the end of its fleet life, and the chain report says that it has stretched since it was fitted, but the value hasn't changed during my 3 years of ownership.  In some ways, it does annoy me, given my "chain for life" Saab 9000 2.3 Turbo was 17 years old when I sold it and had covered 145k miles.  The new owner is now at 180k+ and the car still goes on.

When my back wasn't stopping me, I've had enough knowledge to tinker with most aspects of car maintenance for the last 25years and I've worked on many cars.  I love the way Mazda put their cars together and that they engineer their cars for driving enthusiasts to be reliable and relatively easy to maintain.

I don't know many cars in my price range that can offer features such as radar blind-spot vehicle monitoring, fully adjustable electric leather seats, sunroof, climate control, loads of space, timeless styling and great handling dynamics.  Looking at my cars history the only stuff it's needed other than an annual oil & filter change is brake discs/pads and a new handbrake cable. The only design short-comings are the cabin noise and lack of reverse camera - which I've addressed recently.

I admire the way Mazda brings out new technology without needing a mortgage to pay for your car.  The new 2018/19 Mazda 6 packs a punch way above its weight grade, and I would chose it over an Audi A4/A6, BMW 3/4/5, or Merc C/E class.  I don't need a sub 5second rocket ship, or a £500 - £600 bill every year for servicing - just a great practical every day car that has all the features I need and handles really well.

Offline apav

  • Takuya Class
  • ******
  • Posts: 547
  • Gender: Male
  • Engine: 2.0L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: TS2
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2018, 08:46:27 am »
Maybe you can import it?

The problem is that even if in the service book it had extra maintenance, the chain would still stretch. And then they replaced them with the same part and as you guess they did the same thing. People had kept chains in other cars that the tensions had done, not the chain.

The worst is that they had the injectors with no regular checking. And then they made a third generation car and it developed the same problem. It is OK to forget about the crankshaft but there is no explanation about the seals.

I understand that all cars develop problems from usage, but Mazda problems were so simple. A chain and some seals. They could have done better than that.

The problem is that non car people buy used 6s and then they get by surprise about the repairs they have to do. On the other hand, buying on finance, you do not worry as you know that you do not want the car to last for ever and you are going to recycle at the end of the finance. Buying any diesel 6 seems a bit risky with all the checks you have to do, especially when you consider that you can only check the car after you buy it.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #4 on: June 19, 2018, 01:24:53 pm »
I would consider importing a loaded Signature model from Aus being right hand drive.

I still disagree on your other points.

A small percentage of every that car made that has a chain and for example a direct injection system will suffer from similar problems.  IIRC approximately 230,000 Mazda6 units were sold in Europe between 2008 and 2013, where the largest share were diesel.  I can't recall how many Mazda 6 2.2 diesels from that era are still "on the road", but if the problems that are discussed on this and  other forums are as widespread and disastrous as some people would like you to believe, there wouldn't be enough garages in the UK to keep these things on the road.

Cars are designed to be much more economical and pollution friendly than they were in the 80's when I first started working on them.  The demand on some components to operate within very right tolerances is supplemented by engine management units that will compensate in real-time to what i happening in the engine, and small issues can be rectified.  There are many issues that afflict most cars e.g. DI technology (since the early 2000s) that by their very nature of injecting fuel into the combustion chamber increase the risk of two common problems.
1) Carbon build up on valves, valve stems and valve seats
2) Leaky injector seals

On top of that, you're subjected to the usual array of issues with clogged up EGRs, throttle bodies, and PCV, MAP/MAF issues to name a few.  The now more common formula of turbos and EGRs causes that build up of sooty carbon deposits by virtue of the way in which they are designed to re-circulate the hot oily gases.

Mazda like any other manufacturer buys injectors from experts such as Bosch or Denso, they don't make their own hence why you will see same symptoms in other manufacturers cars using similar technology.

Some of the problems that can occur with engines are down to the way in which the car is being used, e.g. short stop start journeys vs long motorway runs, and by this, I do not mean that the driver/owner is neglecting their vehicle, but that the usage profile or operating characteristics influence the way in which the engine is affected.  For example, I have seen evidence where DI engine cars that tend to do those daily short and stop start journeys suffer with carbon build up in areas that can't be treated by engine oil or fuel additives and even at 20k miles they are beginning to sound and run rough, MPG figures drop, and without appropriate maintenance/treatment more severe problems occur.

At the same time that technology has changed in vehicles, a lot of garages/mechanics are becoming pressured about how much work they can do in less time, and as such spend little or no time trying to diagnose faults fully - and that's assuming they can even diagnose faults.  Far too many garages are staffed by those who will only refer to a fault code reader and can only replace parts.  Mazda are no different to other dealers and some of the dealerships will suffer the same issues i describe.  That's why I prefer to diagnose problems myself.

To address some of the carbon build up related issues I mentioned, BMW recommend walnut cleaning shell cleaning/blasting of inlet valves and ports, in addition to the oil/fuel treatment and maintenance procedures for other engine components.  It's nothing new it's just all part of what I would call routine maintenance.

If the extent of problems with chain stretch were so severe, Mazda would have invested more to re-engineer the chain and put a recall note out.  I asked Mazda UK shortly after I bought my SL about the chain stretch issue and they have never revealed what would trigger a recall.  However, in their view the problems were small enough to not warrant taking that kind of action considering the tens of thousands of chain-equipped GH diesels they sold.  I admit, like a lot of companies, Mazda's PR should have been better about the chain stretch issue even if it did only affect a small number of users, as no one likes to shell out £700 - £1200 for a chain replacement job.

I don't mind paying Mazda £220 - £270 a year to service my car in respect of their "expert knowledge" of their own engine and fuel system.  It gives me some assurance about the chain, on top of anything I can see from my ODBII reader.  The rest I can take care of myself.

Given what I knew about the chain issue, I still took that risk to buy my 2009 SL.  I weighed up all of the other cars I could afford against the list of owner issues and the likelihood of them happening to me in addition to the specification of car I could get for my money.  The SL won hands down and I've been rewarded with 3years to trouble-free motoring in a used car.  If I can accomplish a sufficient amount of sound-deadening in the next two months, I will probably keep this car for another 3 years and including changing the chain when the time i right.  Hopefully, it won't snap on me unexpectedly.  If I keep it that long and get a new chain, the cost of buying and owning that car will be less than £1300 per year over 6years, which includes all weather tyres, new stereo, brakes, and servicing.   For a Yorkshireman, that's pretty good value and better than paying £4200 - £4500 PCP per year for a new top of the range 2018 model.

I would also recommend that if you are about to buy a 6, take along your ODBII reader and plug it in before going on a test drive.  No seller will stop you from reading codes if they have nothing to hide.  If you're still not sure, take a mechanic along who knows what he's doing to give it a once over.  I bought my car privately and I spent a least 30minutes looking under and over it, a 30minute test drive which involved me in the passenger seat first, followed by me driving it in a variety of conditions to check as man of the aspects of the running gear as I could. I even drove it with the windows down to listen for odd noises.

The only time you can't check a car thoroughly before you buy is at a car auction.  I've just spent a year working closely with a global car auction business so I'm familiar with how they work.

Offline apav

  • Takuya Class
  • ******
  • Posts: 547
  • Gender: Male
  • Engine: 2.0L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: TS2
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #5 on: June 20, 2018, 07:01:13 am »
I still feel that only Mazda managed to stretch the timing chain. And this happened to both private and business users. The fact that Mazda tried to cover up the mess, is clear when you read people going to the dealer and the dealer comes back with a "first time I see that"! hehehe! While they have fixed tens of chains. Anyway, it does not feel that Mazda's chains will last for ever, not that any other chain lasts for ever, but having the chain replaced from 30K miles, it did not sound right. And above all, the chain is not down to how the car is used. It happened to everybody. Like the crankshaft happened to everybody on the new car.

For the leaking injectors, this is an issue because diesels are so marginal on oil circulation. There is not enough oil in the engine and when this become dirty, then everything goes wrong. BMW goes for double the quantity of oil and double the service interval but if the engine adds too much dirt to the oil, then the only way forward is to fix the source of the problem and reduce the service intervals at the same time.

I would go for the bigger car after the 6 drives to the ground. Selling the 6 without problems and riskying getting another with problems, is too much. The depreciation will easily cover for any repairs. But somehow people do not see the depreciation. The £4K-£5K annual loss on finance is nothing for them but the £1K repair bill that will last longer, is not seemed worthy. I am not sure whether the dealer does something for the £250 oil changes and whether you will be better off fixing things with this money. I prefer the fixing approach because I do not want to sell the car.

For the costs, buying the car is a fixed one off cost but then have a second category of costs legally enforced like the insurance, the road tax, the MOT fee, and then a third caterogy which all the repairs to keep the car going and lastly the fuel. From the four categories, the fuel should be the more expensive and then cost of buying the car added to the cost of the legal expenses, should persuade for the necessary repairs which should always be the lowest cost of owning the car.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2018, 12:19:51 am »
My concern with many forums is that a few examples of an issue seems to influence everyone into believing everyone is having the same problem at the same extreme level as those who have had a chain snap.  The lack of statistical or empirical information worries me as we seem to live in a world of misinformation going viral, like the first cute cat on YouTube.

As an engineer, I have seen first hand timing chain stretch on Mercedes, BMW, and Saab cars long before I came across this issue with Mazda cars, and in the case of BMW & Mercedes they were far higher frequencies than I've come across on Mazdas.  In recent years I've seen VW, Audi, Ford and Alfa Romeo engines suffer from the same issue from 20k miles+, but this doesn't mean that their cars should be 100% avoided.

Chain stretch is inevitable, and this is the reason why I take my car into Mazda each year, as they track the chain stretch/deviation for me and they are more likely to offer a better price for replacing the chain once I've haggled with them, as they cannot use an excuse for a non-Mazda garage using the wrong parts or oils.

I'm sure that if Mazda had genuinely tried to cover this up every dealer would have towed the party line.  I've not come across a Mazda dealer who denies the chain stretch issue, but then again I have only dealt with Mazda dealers in Derby, Leicester and Watford.

Your understanding of leaking injectors seems somewhat speculative and imprecise.  There's many reasons as to why an injector may leak and the leak may be occurring at the nozzle or the seat.  If you are low on oil and a downstream problem happens, then that's your fault for not checking your oil level or consulting a garage or dealer - don't blame Mazda.  In some cases, oil rail pressure could be the fault but you'd need to diagnose the root cause of the problem as there could be other reasons.

You are also incorrect about the oil volumes in BMWs.  BMW do not put double the quantity of oil in their engines in comparison to Mazda.  I have worked on a variety of BMWs since the 90s and I would know how if they were using twice as much as Mazda.  If you've never worked on a BMW, and if you don't believe me Google it, or phone a BMW dealer's service team.

Like I said in my previous post, almost every car engine based on DI technology is likely to suffer from the problems I described to varying degrees.  Also irrespective of what engine you have, you will always encounter a degree of engine wear.   The purpose of the oil is keep fine metal particles and carbon suspended whilst coating the internal engine surfaces with a protective layer that minimises friction.  Your driving style will influence how often you should change your oil, but if you're concerned and you don't trust your dealer or garage just change it every 5-6000 miles and make sure you're using the correct type/grade.

Offline apav

  • Takuya Class
  • ******
  • Posts: 547
  • Gender: Male
  • Engine: 2.0L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: TS2
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #7 on: June 22, 2018, 07:45:56 am »
I know what you mean but Mazda installed a patch to every car to monitor the chain stretch. So every car must get faulty. I have the belt version and I felt that I am losing out on belt changes but then it turns out that the chain changes at similar intervals, so it is very similar job. I think there is no chain car without the chain replaced at least once. So if you get one without the chain done, I think you will have to do it. It is not a huge cost but it is a hidden cost that you do not expect to pay. Yes you do the injectors seals to all cars but it is only in Mazdas that caused such a huge problem with the oil circulation.

The frequent oil changes could do the trick and mask the problem. It is not perfect but then removing and checking components like the injectors and sump every so often, is not healthy as well. Somebody was saying that even the frequent oil changes add up stress to the sump bolt area. The current typical service interval of 10-12K miles is about right with the modern oils. Cars that do more mileage between services, tend to have more oil capacity. You can check the online shops for the FIAT engines in Insignias for example, or the 5 series of BMW, all of them are 2.0 engines and they all need a 7L oil for the change. The Insignia comes with 20K miles interval and the 5 with 36K miles. That makes me think that the 12.5K of the 6 should be doable with no problems at all. Mine goes off about 13.5K miles because I drive it very gently but still I have this question in the back of mind of what is building up in there. Somebody has a video online with 10K changes and it was fully blocked at 150K miles. Toyota goes for 10K miles changes. I do not know, maybe 5K-6K miles between changes is the way forward.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2018, 11:03:15 am »
I'm not sure where you get your information from, but my wife's Fiat Multipla 1.9JTD requires 4.2 litres - similar to the Mazda 6.  Like I say, I do know this as I've serviced our Multiplas for 9 years.

My old BMW 5 series 520 company car used 4.25 litres.

The only time you get close to double this is if you own a 2.5, 3.0 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 or 5.0 litre BMW which uses between 6.2 - 8 litres.

Please don't make assumptions that the volume of oil a manufacturer designs its engines to use is indicative of how bad the engine is or how likely it is to suffer from problems.  Until you've spent years in engine design you may not appreciate the effort and testing that has taken place before engines are launched.  Every modern engine since undergoes a significant degree of performance and stress testing under conditions that exceed real life conditions.  However, we have to except that in some cases things go wrong.

Take a look at this BMW blog topic, where premature chain stretch occurs on some of their bigger engines like the ones I pointed out above that have more oil in the engine.
http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/10/28/bmw-to-replace-faulty-timing-chain-in-2008-2014-vehicles/

There are cases where some of these cars are having problems in years 1 and 2 of ownership with low mileage, and like Mazda there's an ongoing programme of monitoring that they employ.

BTW.  Mazda did not install a patch into every car.  They are simply monitoring chain stretch by assessing the camshaft and crankshaft differential positions, which already exist as Mazda (like many manufacturers) employ crankshaft and camshaft sensors as a means of constantly monitoring the health of the car.  They are using the monitored readings to evaluate and calculate chain stretch and they use a relative index to indicate how close the stretch is getting towards the fringes of acceptable safety.  IIRC the threshold they look for is 10.5 under certain operating conditions.

Most buyers won't do any research into the common issues associated with the cars that interest them because its down right geeky and boring. Many people buy cars for their practicality, price, looks, the badge, perceived running costs, or based on someone else recommendation - not on the engineering quality, list of recalls, and common issues.  So it's no surprise they are upset when things go wrong.  For a lot of people, the car is the second biggest purchase they will make after a home and no manufacturer or dealer will give you a list of problems to consider before you part with your cash.  The bottom line is - do your own research, talk to experts, assess the risks and likelihood that you will encounter one of the common or rare problems, and make sure you budget for it. 

Offline apav

  • Takuya Class
  • ******
  • Posts: 547
  • Gender: Male
  • Engine: 2.0L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: TS2
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2018, 06:42:00 am »
Enter the number plate of a used car to a parts shop. Try a diesel Insignia or a F10.

I am not saying that the quantity is related to the quality of the oil. But small quantities cannot do the mileage.

It has nothing for the effort they made. It was all about how to develop a product and make good monies.

Mazda never did such a chain recall. That is all I am saying, not that this cannot happen. It is just that they covered it up with a DPF light and put all the responsibility to the driver.

The patch for the chain was to link the chain problem to the DPF light. They could read it the stretch but once they realised that it is a problem, they linked that to the DPF light.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2018, 10:03:02 am »
You are still wrong about the quantity of engine oil and the engines ability to do high mileage.  I would be interested in what engineering and statistical information you have to back up your claims.  Simply saying that Vauxhall Insignias and a BMW F10 series is better for high mileage drivers because their engines are designed for 5 litres - 8.5 litres is makes no sense.  The fact is, these cars suffer from the same carbonisation issues that most DI vehicles suffer from, and they also suffer from the same types of problems some Mazda owners have experienced with injector and timing chain problems.  You might argue that BMW may have longer intervals between oil changes, but for the sake of £30 - £50 depending on your brand of oil, I'd rather play safe and put the correct high quality oil into my engine with a new oil filter at least once if not twice a year.  it's a quick and easy job to do.

My chain driven Saab 9000 was sold at 120k miles and the new owner is still running that car on the original chain and same injectors/DI pack.   There's no reason why a well maintained engine cannot run for 250k+ miles even if they were designed to need 4.25 litres of engine oil.

I hope that anyone reading your post doesn't start to overfill their engine oil, on account that you think more oil is better!  Readers, please only put the correct type and amount of oil into your engine to avoid damaging it.

Given the number of posts there are about the chain stretch problem, I haven't seen any evidence that there was any cover up, if there was they did a pretty bad job of covering things up, so bad in fact that they recalled a certain number of cars to address the timing chain and tensioner:
http://ukcar.reviews/mazda-mazda6-gh-2008-problems-recalls/

If anyone is concerned about their timing chain on this model, it may be worth checking with Mazda to see if the problem was previously addressed on their digital service history.  Alternatively, buy a decent ODBII device and download Forscan and check it yourself, and if you're still worried speak to a dealer to check it t your next service.

Offline apav

  • Takuya Class
  • ******
  • Posts: 547
  • Gender: Male
  • Engine: 2.0L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: TS2
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2018, 06:42:06 am »
All I was trying to say is that I have noticed a connection between high quantity of oil and very long oil change interval, i.e. 20K miles to 36K miles. I have not noticed the same with the normal quantity of oil, i.e. around 4 litres.

I honestly do not know what problems these other cars suffer because I was only doing light searches. I only searched about the Insignia when I was buying the 6 and I noticed a lot of electrical problems. To be fair, the DPF/EGR/similar problems do not exist to drivers who drive them properly. But this is different than the chain problem of the 6. The chain will need to be replaced no matter how you drive.

So I keep arguing about the chains in the 6. When I bought the car, I started reading the old posts and I read about cars that had their chain replaced within the first 36K miles under warranty. Then there were cars just outside this 3 years 36K miles period but not far off the 50K miles. The disappointing thing was that there were cars around the 85K mark who had to install their third chain. I only had a belt replaced after the recommended 75K miles and I bet it will be strong until the 150K miles.

Mazda did not find any problem with the chain. They just installed the new chain which was basically the old chain. It could be the chain that is too soft. It could be the engine that has increased tolerances and stretches the chain. It just is not right. The chain is like the suspension, the exhaust, the turbo, etc, these parts are not for regular replacement. You just check and replace as you go but chains tend to do a lot of mileage. So for me as a driver it does not sound normal to have three chains under 100K miles while the belt car has gone through one belt replacement.

For the 9000, I did not say that the car will not do the mileage because it does not have high quantity oil. I just said that it could not do 20K - 36K miles with the same oil. It needed frequent oil changes at around 12K miles or so.

Oh come on about the oil quantity, you are joking, aren't you? Why they will overfill their engines with oil? The Mazda fuel system compensates for that. If you overfill the engine, you will get a warning light. The whole point was that higher quantity of oil was linked to longer service interval. With the quantity of oil the 6 has, cannot run close to 20K 36K miles because the light with come up.

There are old posts with stretched chains that the dealers said that they heard about that for first time. All cars under warranty were replaced for free but the others had to negotiate with Mazda. There is no recall. You cannot take your chain car to the dealer and have it done.

Even if you have replaced the chain, you will need to do it again and again. It is the same chain design. So the service history will not do the trick. And scanning the car just proves the point that you have to keep an eye on these chains. People will buy them because they think that they will not have to worry about the chain but with the 6 it is the other way around. Anyway, the GH 6s are too old now to have any money left in them and so when the chain comes up, they will be scrapped. I cannot see how the typical finance driver will pay more than the part exchange value to have the chain replaced again and again.

Offline aeroadster

  • TS Class
  • **
  • Posts: 44
  • Gender: Male
  • 6 SL estate
  • Colour: Stormy Blue Mica (35J) Metallic
  • Engine: 2.2L
  • Fuel: Diesel
  • Transmission: Manual
  • Trim: Sport
  • Year: 2009
Re: New Mazda 6 Petrol 2.5Turbo
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2018, 10:53:06 am »
DPF and EGR problems will occur even if you drive your car properly.  They are more likely to occur where a car is driven for short periods and short distances for a prolonged period of time where any incomplete combustion that may be taking place will create a build up of soot and carbon deposits.  It's a little more complicated than that especially when you add into that any carbon forming on the inlet ports and valve that further extenuate the circumstances.  This is why car that are subjected to this style of driving should be serviced more regularly, irrespective of whether they have 4litres or 8litres of oil in their engine.  As I stated before walnut shell blasting is one of the actions BMW recommends in these scenarios.

The situation with the 6 is that some of the vehicles were recalled to have timing chains and tensioners replaced.  This was a limited time recall Mazda performed, and it was an opened ended period covering all cars irrespective of the mileage and condition of the belt.

I factored in the need to replace my belt when I bought my SL.  This is why I bought mine privately where I could get a lot of car for my money.  My belt is up for replacement now, and I don't have any concerns about it.  I have two options: rely on Mazda and negotiate with them to see if I can get a discount from the £1200 cost.  Or go to an independent who will charge me £350 to £450 if I supply the parts and oil.

The difference between an independent and a dealer is that they will also check the injector seals and replace these at the same time at no extra cost.  Their work and parts are warranted to 2yrs and 50k miles.

I've considered doing this myself, but I can't be sure to turn it around in 2days.

Having said that, even spending £1200 isn't so bad if I get another 4years and 80k miles from this chain.  The 6 is such a solid car the only thing mine has required are brake related items and tyres.  All of which I buy and install myself.

If I had a BMW with a chain problem it might cost me the same or a lot more than £1200.