28th Mar 2007, 10:47

I was looking for any solutions to the check engine light constantly being on. I have a 1997 Mazda 626LX, bought new to replace an 1985 Mazda 626DX with 185,000 miles totaled in and accident. Both are manual transmissions. Replaced the clutch in the '85 at 158,000miles, in the '97 at 95,000miles, not surprising since I am now driving in stop and go traffic. Neither of these cars has ever left me stranded. Back to the engine light. It first went on when I had the oil changed at one of those quicky places. The dealership fixed it, but at 100,000miles it went on again, they replaced the sensors, etc several times now. Each time the check engine light stays off for only 2-3 days. Fortunately, for me the dealership is reputable and has supplied me with a courtesy car and not charged me for the mechanics time. The last time it was there for 5 days and the mechanic contacted Mazda in California. He followed all there suggestions with no luck. Was hoping that someone had the fix for this. The car runs great, but that light being on will cause me problems when going through state inspection in April.

13th May 2007, 23:16

My father just bought me a 1994 Mazda 626 with the 2.5 liter V-6, automatic transmission, and it has about 150,000 miles. I have seen an endless amount of complaints about the transmission and the O/D light flashing, which I have fortunately not yet seen, but am terrified to later on. We bought this car from a well respected used car dealer, however I ran across the previous owners the other day and the man mentioned that it had a new transmission (how new, I am not sure...). The transmission usually jerks from 1st to 2nd gear, and when under medium to full throttle it totally slips when shifting into third, and it can be quite scary when hard acceleration is needed. Also, after driving on the highway I notice heat coming from the actually shifter, which seems a bit odd to me.

The alternator went out two days after my father bought it, however the dealer paid for its replacement. All of the struts and the rear brake rotors were replaced two days ago, and the front brakes were turned. I noticed that occassionally while driving, a squealing noise would occur, and under light braking pressure it would get much louder, then under more pressure it would go away, but when I would release the brakes, it would come back again. I'm not sure if it could be a bearing or something with the brakes, and I don't have the time to have my car with a mechanic... I don't know what to do!!

25th May 2007, 00:17

My 2000 Mazda 626 has been the worst nightmare of my life. I bought it from a dealer in a cafe. A friend of mine assured me I could trust this dealer. I paid her $200 cash for her help. Two weeks after buying this lemon, the rear tires blew out. A little later it started to leak fuel so badly the fire department had to be called. They issued me a permit to have it towed to the repair shop. Shortly after that repair the Check Eng Light came on. Checked and found Catylist efficiency low and below threshfold. Code PO421. Vehicle Cat should be under warranty. Mazda agreed. Defective Cat. Replaced at no charge. Engine begins to run rough. Mazda did Full Circle inspection. Advised me not to drive the car. Suggested to put in an EGR valve. Air conditioning is leaking. I have hired a lawyer. The car sits dead in my drive way. Car payments are $190 plus insurance. Any suggestions? Does anyone know of a Class Action with Mazda? Thanks. Unhappy in California.

3rd Jun 2007, 22:18

I purchased a 1996 Mazda 626 LX 2.5L V6 in 1999 with 12,000km's on the clock. For the last 8 years I have had nothing, but driving pleasure from this car. The ride quality is excellent, the road noise is low, power from the V6 is great and fuel economy is also very good. The stereo is great quality and the leather seats are the best I have experienced in a car. Overall, the best car I have owned.

Over the last year I have had the radiator replaced after it sprung a leak, but that is not unusual on a car that is over 10 years old. Recently it developed a vibration in the transmission and have been advised that the transmission needs replacing. This is annoying in a car that have traveled only 124,000km's, but again, nothing out of the ordinary. The replacement cost is huge however as these parts are fully imported.

I would certainly recommend this vehicle to prospective buyers, but be aware of common faults and inspect carefully and know that replacement costs could be very high.

4th Jun 2007, 06:40

I have a 99 Mazda 626 LX 4 cyl. I've had it 7 years and have taken it from 26k to 110k on what I guess is the original transmission. I'm also very interested in a class action or recall, but will give some tips on what has worked for me so far.

I got some lurching, weird shifting, loud popping during down-shift on a sudden stop and the ominous flashing O/D off light. Since then, I baby the car by driving like a blue-haired retiree, and CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FAIRLY FREQUENTLY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS...DON'T WAIT TILL IT ACTS UP. (I don't do the $100 flush at a shop, just drain and refill in the driveway every 15k or so, but changing ALL the fluid couldn't hurt) NOTE: check dipstick. Haynes manual lists the fluid capacity as about 2x what it really is.

I'm going to install a cooler and will talk to somebody about the Sonnax kit mentioned on another forum. (sonnax.com 71912-01K) as well as the $55 kit mentioned here.

I too have some SHAKING AT IDLE, particularly when the A/C compressor kicks in. Keeping the refrigerant charged helps the compressor not work so hard. It once got to the point that the engine would die. So, I REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND WIRES. The shaking still happens, but the engine doesn't stop. I think the manual recommends this every 30k or so. If it doesn't, I do. It takes an hour and about $40.

I also had some ALMOST OVERHEAT and POOR A/C ISSUES - both from one cause. The CONDENSER COOLING FAN was not running. It should be running when the A/C is on. I connected direct to the battery, motor was okay. I tested the circuit and found the RELAY was bad. (The one IN FRONT OF, not IN the main fuse box) ($10 from BAP imports) Look at the color-coding of the wires and it's pretty easy to check this circuit. A/C NOW WORKS GREAT and IMMEDIATELY, not after a half hour of highway speeds. (Keep in mind I live in PHOENIX, AZ)

I've put in brake pads, tires, plugs, wires, belts, and headlamps... all consumables.

Other than that and the relay, I replaced the mast on the power antenna ($16 from Pep Boys) and the front power door locks ($50 each). Mazda sells the whole assembly, not just the motor.