I bought a car with a blown engine and here's all I know of it:

The_Shawn on mazda6club
Car; 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 with 24000 miles.
Cylinder; #4
Damage; hole in block, rod and piston are MIA
RPM; unknown
Mods; unknown, but there aren't signs of any major mods
Exhaust Manifold; Stock
Situation; unknown
Warranty; no
Oil; unknown

If that car was essentially stock, why was the warranty voided? Maybe they found the tracks left behind by an AP map? (yes they can tell if you were running one even if you remove it and reset the ECU)

Ok, I found out more regarding my friend's Speed 3.

2008 Mazdaspeed 3, Metallic Silver
HID 6000K LIGHTS !:
EBC Green Stuff Brake Pads ))))
Rotora Slotted Brake Rotors )
COBB FMIC
Tanabe Lower Front Brace
KW SUSPENSION VARIANT 3 COILOVERS
Enkei Racing RPF1 limited edition black 18" WITH carbon fiber center cap
MazdaSpeed 3 COBB SF
TurboXS Bypass recirc valve
Vibrant Exhuast,
TurboXS Downpipe
COBB AP: CUstom tuned at 17.62 PSI
DDE angel eyes
Motor Mount

27,000mi
Accelerating from 40 to 60, threw the rod between 3000~4000rpms. I don't recall which cylinder, though. Normal driving conditions.

Yep, that'll do it, bye bye warranty!

But I bet it was quick before it blew up though!:popcorn:

I wish I had a chance to ride in it before he blew it. He's got a G35, now...which is fun...but not Mazdaspeed fun. ( ;

Ok so its been about a month since ive blown.
Ordered all new parts and fully forging motor. It goes to machchine shop monday this week.
I wanted to post photos for you guys to see.
My suggestin to everyone is to immediately forge this motor before adding any performance parts.
Also invest in methanol injection before tuning. Good luck.

My Rod...
http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/p...CK/bentrod.jpg

My Block (Rear veiw beneath exhaust mani)
http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/p...BlownBlock.jpg

Heres some random shrapnel...
http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/p...UFNECK/rod.jpg

Another pic of the hole..
http://i415.photobucket.com/albums/p...races09005.jpg

Did you find any of the rod bolts or cap? It's possible the bolt let go. Bolts are usually the first to go.

Why does everyone love meth so much on these boards? If you dont have knock issues you dont need it. Thats all it does is prevent detonation/knock, but most people dont need it. Hell if i was going to use meth the only reason would be so that i could just take the boost hosenoff of my WGA and just let my turbo blaze full balls to the wall. It isnt all its cracked up to be IMO.

i dont use meth in my mixture i just use water to help cool temps down so my shit doesn't turn into a hair dryer. i've done all the other percuations like upgraded fuel pump and colder plugs.

Overall it definatly seems like the majority of people with blown engines had the boost turned up it some way or bigger turbo, not just a couple of bolt ons.

I remember crank shaft endplay issues with the Miata NB's years ago. Completely stock motors were grenading. I could actually see my crank pulley move in and out when someone stepped on the clutch pedal. Mine never blew though. It believe it turned into a TSB. It's worth looking into!

Add me to the list guys, number 3 (first 2 I really don't want to talk about and warranty is not going to cover this one).

Car: 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 with 29,000 miles

Cylinder: 2 I think, tear down is going to happen soon
Damage: Just knock
RPM: 3200 to 3500
Mods: PTP parts: FMIC, HPFP, TBE, WI, modded dump valve and line, PTP S1 kit (clamp, WGA, and pump) running 21 psi with safe AFR's
Exhaust Manifold: stock (was getting ready to sell the car)
Situation: Drove 2 hours to OR for a trade show down shifted into 2nd, got on it a bit (2psi) shifted to 3rd, got on it a bit (4 or 5 psi) and big cloud of smoke with a lot of rod noise. Pulled over and then the tail pipe smoke started.
Warranty: Not this time, billet build up is getting done now.
Oil: 15-40 Bardahl Racing Syn

Thats about it, we were going to sell the car and walk away as a loss, but not now. Full build with ATR tuning, SST, tube manifold and 100 Shot are planned. I will keep you guys posted on the build.

^^^^

Sorry to hear that.
I saw you were taking it in.......
Now this.
It is endless.:bigeyes:
Basically I am keeping my stock TBE till someone figures this shit out.

Hope your teardown gives some answers ptp...
I really do, no one else has been forthcoming.
Any tune?? AP Standback?? Or stock ECU??

Here is why:

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...ucks-read.html

I have seen this on several cars now that I have ported the intake on.

Thanks but it might a good sign of things to come. We wanted to get some power out of the car and got the rods and pistons on the way already. We really need to push the SST to show people that it can make the power we are claiming. So with that said, the first MS3 into the 11's at the track and the first to push 115 MPH should be pretty cool. This is our goal and I guess that since I have the motor to back it now, it should be pretty easy.

You better do that build quickly then, cuz i plan on being the first to 11's !! I am waiting for my damn leaky nitrois bottle to come back from zex. Then its game on !! That will also be on a stock bottom end, no ems, and the oe clutch... If it holds !!

I know you are a big supporter of the BSD mod, but i dont see it listed on this cars mods....was it done ?

Where did you have the WI turning on? Sounds like you were probably under your injection range when it blew...

Now that an avitar! :wank:

Agreed :bukkake:

I second this theory. A good number of the motors that have blown have blown during or right after shifting, whether it was at WOT or normal part throttle driving. I know people are throwing around the theory that it is some sort of a transition lean spot in the ECU's logic, but I think that's BS. There is one common factor here and it's clutch operation. When you step on the clutch, the crankshaft is moving more than it should because of a fucked up bearing. Like Forzda said, it's happened before with the Miata. All the tuning and meth in the world is not going to help you with this. I think we should all start measuring crankshaft endplay and get regular oil analysis that could show excessive bearing wear.

I see the car go from closed loop to open loop when I disengage the clutch. Then I watch the STFT's jump to crazy high levels as the car goes back to closed loop. I'm almost afraid to hammer the throttle during these transition periods.

Boom In Phoenix
 

Hi my name is Bret I live in Phoenix.My engine threw the third cylinder rod almost identicle to avitar of mrlilguy157.Just wondering if I throw a couple Ideas your way and if you think im going in the right direction.
We are getting a used engine and we are going to upgrade the internals w/ pauter rods and cp pistons and I am hoping that will cure my situation.One more thing should I get lower compression pistons or stock 9:5:1
Your info will be greatly appreciated.

one more thing
 

Please your info on this subject would be great.
The forged engine at protege garage comes with pistons my engine builder doesnt like do you think they could change them?

Good luck and yes we had the BS still in the motor. Trust me, it was not the BS's unless it can bend all 4 cly rods.

No WI on this car, pulled it off months ago.

Sorry, end crank play was spot on. The bearing also would not have bent every rod in the motor, so that idea is bust.

Sorry to hear this, I would get something with a lower compression ratio, or get your head milled out for a hemi design. This will go miles with building bigger power and keeping the hot spots out of the combustion chamber.

They have had a good deal of there build motors blow lately, I would hold out for a different motor or have your machine shop build a motor with there parts. I would hate to see another person buy a build motor only to have it fail in a few months, do a search you will find what I am talking about.

PG has no problems with their built motors. The only problem i have seen recentln was to to P3 not knowing what the hell they were doing and then blaming it on the PG built motor that had several thousand miles on it before P3 took the car. Many of you know about this already, for those that dont search around... You can even PM the member for the real story.

If you bent all 4 rods and crank play is minimal, the only thing i can think of is that the engine was somehow way out of time.

Car; 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 with 9100 miles.
Cylinder; #4
Damage; Bent rod due to faulty injector
Mods; AEM CIA, Corksport TBE
Exhaust Manifold; Stock
Situation;Slowing down to turn in a parking lot....felt a severe pulsing of the clutch pedal...Towed to the dealer and they replaced the clutch...didnt fix it...now putting in a short block because the #4 cylinder was .730 short at tdc
Warranty; Yes
Oil;castrol 5w30 synthetic blend

How did the injector fail? Too much fuel dumped in? It bent the rod when slowing down?

If you were slowing down therenshoukd have been NO fuel leaving the injectors... Unless you were in neutral. This is interesting though. It wouldnt surprise me if the was was problem for many. Either a bad injector, or just an ecu injector control issue.

I had two of my injectors and seals replaced before. from the way they looked detonation whooped there ass. Dealer accused me of running 87 octane in my car. Little did they know it was the detonation from the 30+psi that whooped on them.

Question about those oily manifolds and carbon on the valves.

Couldn't one just remove the air filter and use an aerosol product to clean it out, at least to some degree? Or would that just fubar something else downstream?

If so, is there an easy to access vacuum line from the manifold one could use?

My guess is a faulty injector that wasn't able to spray enough fuel into the mixture. The DISI acts as a cooling effect for the combustion chamber and if improper fuel is added to the incoming charge air, added heat and pressure beyond the cylinder limitations can occur causing detonation, and eventually failure of the rods.

I think a lot of these issues are related to the DISI system, where an improper mixture of fuel is causing similar issues.

I know, I know some of these motors that are poppoing are tuned by "professionals" but I think I am beginning to see a pattern. Most of the failures are caused by people with aftermarket fuel pumps, or fairly stock cars with failed injectors.

The DISI system has many advantages such as increased fuel efficiency and better emissions, but I think these issues are related to the DISI system, whether it is an aftermarket fuel pump and/or an flaw with the fuel injectors, I'm not sure.

just my .02.

They didnt explain that to me

They (the dealer) did say that when they pulled the plug the # 4 cylinder was "wet"

ms3_518 blown engine :(
 

ms3_518 Mazdaspeedforums
Car; 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 w/ 17000 miles
Cylinder; #4
Damage; Blew piston, rod flew and blew 3 holes in the engine block. Serious damage to cylinder head but fixable.
RPM; low rpm's maybe 2k
Mods; hks intake, cobb eecu programmer, turbo back exhaust, front mount intercooler, boost controller, short shifter
Exhaust Manifold; Stock
Situation; It blew growing 25 mph. Know it was my fault, too much boost and the car finally had to go.
Warranty; ?
Oil; ?

how much boost? sorry about your car. any kr?

Thanks for the input. How much boost? Was it running lean? Knocking?

It wasnt from too much boost. There is obviously a problem that is being overlooked here by everyone. If it was feom the boost it wouldnt let go at a 2k cruise. People ar all blowing at low rpm no matter what boost levels they run. There is a design flaw somewhere that is for some reason illusive to us. One this gets figured out i bet these engines can safely handle much more power than they are given credit for. I am just gonna keep modding and driving my car the way i want. If its gonna go, its gonna go. It seems to make no difference how much power the car makes, how you drive it, or anything else.... Its like the mazda lottery. Is your car a winner ??!?

I'm assuming he means too much boost from his MBC over time.

Well he seems to think it was his fault, heh. MBC and cobb ap? Were you using them both at the same time? How would these work with each other? There are too many stories with not enough information like this. We dont know what happened or if we can even really blame the car on this one until we can get more info.


We have low mileage blow ups - Something wrong with the car from the start maybe, usually injector it seems.

We have guys fully bolted blowing up - Are these guys pushing the limit? Maybe some guys survive fully bolted, but they all seem to eventually blow.

We have mild bolt ons blowing up - intake/tbe/fmic/ maybe an inlet. I dont think these guys are really pushing the car to the point where it should blow but some have. Maybe its just hit or miss at this point on this motor?

I know a lot of us can not afford a blown motor. We also cant afford to get rid of the car. For me its going to be light bolt ons with meth as few have blown with such mods, if any really. It's really bitch, I know fully bolted guys in my area that drive through anything and do not even have any type of monitoring device. Just turn up the boost and floor it through the 90 degree heat.

A lot of lightly bolted guys seem to be doing fine. A lot of people that pay attention to their car seems to be ok. Nearly no one with meth has blown besides the guys that were really pushing the limit/just put meth on. No one with a bsd has blown beside those that were pusing the limits of the motor (340-350?).

I can kind of see why some low mileage cars have blown if there is indeed something going on with some of our motors. I see why the guys pushing mid 300's have blown, maybe we just cant take that power. I do not see why some of our intake/exhaust guys are blowing. Maybe its just from excessive knock over time? I have a hard time believing we are hydrolocking on oil or the bsd is saving motors.

May 16th/2009

2007 Mazdaspeed 3

120km/h shift from 4th to 5th. Boom.

Huge cloud of smoke behind me, small bits of motor flying down the road behind me.

Appears passenger side rod went through back of block and smashed my starter off the block on the front as well somehow.

I have 62 000km on my car.

Currently, Mazda is deciding whether or not to warranty the failure. They asked if I took water into my engine... Ha! I told them I don't recall driving through any ponds.

Mods include:
CP-E turbo back
HKS short intake
HKS SSQV recirculating
Cobb AP for a bit (Started backfiring so I quit using it right away. I'm assuming this has something to do with me living in an area that has a much higher altitude than the tune was performed.)

I asked Mazda what my engine was worth. He said a regular Mazda 3 Sport engine is worth $15 000 CAD so mine would likely be more. Ridiculous.

*EDIT*

Forgot to add, as reported by another post in this thread, my clutch was jumping around (felt like fingers on pressure plate were warped) at the friction point. I told Mazda prior to the engine failure and they just told me that it is a wear part and they wouldn't fix it.

Bout time someone else blew up. I started to get worried it was 3 weeks since the last known failure.

Why the hell haven't we been able to figuire out why all these motors are blowing, this seems rediculous. It has been a couple of years now and there is still only speculation on why, nothing concrete.. Its sad, I want to mod, but can't afford my car barfing rods..

That quoted price is WAY too high. They are trying to scare you. Have you decided what you will do with the car?

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/IMG_0011.jpg

This is the back of the engine. I didn't grab a picture of the front (where my starter was blown off the engine) because the mechanic at Mazda was in a bit of a hurry.

The clutch pulsing started probably about a month to a month and a half before it blew. I took it to Mazda and they said "clutch is a wear part, not covered under warranty. You should be okay to drive it until you replace the clutch." That worked out well.

Prior to the clutch pulsing (I mean the cause), I was getting on it in 2nd gear and what I thought was a huge backfire (apparently wasn't) occurred. Immediately after, I could feel the clutch pulsing.

There were no additional engine noises oddly enough. Just randomly *boom*.

When I took this picture, the mechanic told me they will be ordering the engine the next day (so should have been ordered yesterday). The weird part is, they haven't confirmed that they will be covering the repair under warranty yet.

*edit*

Since it appears they will be fixing my car (here's to hoping anyways), I will likely drive it until I pay it down some more, then sell it. Not entirely sure what to buy after this, but I'm entertaining the idea of a Hyundai Genesis.

Depending on what kind of warranty comes with a new engine, I may just keep the car. Too many things up in the air right now to make a decision. All I know is it is finally nice up here (alberta, canada) and I'm stuck driving either my B4000 or my 1991 Civic Si (running the stock d16a6. Really entertaining the idea of a FI B20 right about now :))

That big backfire was likely some sort of uncontrolled combustion event that bent a rod. The pulsing you felt in the clutch all along was a bent rod. I'm surprised it lasted that long with a bent rod.

What modifications were on the car the time you had the backfire?

HKS intake, SSQV recirculated, CP-e TBE

Not sure whos car it was... But it was local to tempe, AZ

It was a black speed 3 with blacked out emblems sitting at UMS tuning waiting to get forged after blowing....

They found that the owner was running a boost cut defender along with his AP... Sounds like win to me.

Who thinks I should track down a CP-E fuel pump before installing a test pipe? My current breather mods are CP-E Nano w/CP-E inlet, ETS 3.25" TMIC, Forge BPV, and Racing Beat CBE.

Fuel pump couldn't hurt although your test pipe won't make a huge difference.

The downpipe is the part of the exhaust that will make the largest difference.

Seems like a lot of blown engines with few mods. So are you saying the downpipe is harmful to have on a daily driver?

i have a downpipe on my daily driver

this thread is pure fail

I've asked this before, Is there any thought in entering into an injured class action suit?

Second you modded the car you cant win.

No mods on my car... Bone Stock

Other point Magnusson Moss would require that Mazda shows the mod (if any) was the cause of the failure.

There is one guy on another Speed3 forum whose only mod was to install the Mazda CAI, an improved rear motor mount and change his own oil using Mazda filters. How can Mazda deny that one? According to the warranty manual even the CAI is covered for the life of the new car warranty.

I suspect there are others with failed engines that have no mods or only Mazda Blue warranty items.


or Maybe I'm missing something...

Stock, and they denied you?

Have you spoken to the zone rep yet? If you don't know what a zone rep is, then you aren't even close to resolving this in your favor. And don't be afraid to file a law suit against Mazda NA, Federal law is on your side. Same with the guy with the CAI.

But the main thing is to make the zone rep know that you're seeking a legal remedy if he or she doesn't approve the warranty claim. The dealer is over ruled at this point, you will have to go much further up the food chain.

The main thing is to suit up for battle - learn the process in your jurisdiction, and start filing paperwork ASAP. Yes it's a hassle, but what did that engine cost ya?

Zone Rep?
 

Are you referring to the Regoinal Service Manager? He has already denied my claim. I filed a claim with Mazda NAO Customer Care and Mediation Manager and written extensive letters.

The Mazda RSM inspected the car and claims his inspection proves that it was an oil related failure due to improper dealer workmanship. During his inspection, he pulled the oil pan, the BS and one rod bearing cap. I was sent a picture where the RSM states that there was evidence of lack of oil on the bearing surface. Mazda had the car towed back to my home. Telling me that they will not honor my warranty and that I should contact the Mazda dealer that last changed my oil and go away.

I’ve also enlisted mediation from the California New Motor Vehicles Board. In both my correspondence directly with Mazda NAO and the Calif NMVB, I have asked Mazda to respond to the statements in the owner’s manual, warranty booklet and Mazda advertising pamphlet that defects in dealer workmanship are covered in the warranty issued with my new car from Mazda. Mazda NAO has not responded to that inquiry on either forum.

After the inspection and a final letter denying my claim, Mazda NAO had the loose parts placed in the rear and the car towed to my home. I've rolled under the car to take a look and inspected the loose parts. This is an excerpt from the letter I’ve written to Mazda NAO indicating what I found.


"Any surface imperfections on the bearing surface in that cap are similar to those that would be seen upon initial startup and break in of a new motor. The bearing and cap show no signs of exposure to high heat associated with lack of lubricating oil.

One would expect that if there was a systemic loss of lubricating oil sufficient to cause a connecting rod to break, at a minimum the other components that require pressurized oil delivery would show significant signs of heat related discoloring due to lack of lubrication.

When I inspected the underside of the open motor I saw that the connecting rod is broken in two places. One break is near the narrow cross section of the connecting rod below the wrist pin. The other is where the connecting rod cap secures to the connecting rod. The broken connecting rod and cap are wedged between the crankshaft throw for the failed journal and the engine block. One connecting rod cap bolt was recovered from between a casting web and the broken connecting rod and cap.

In all likelihood the connecting rod broke at the narrow end close to the piston before braking free from the connecting rod bearing journal.

This conclusion is supported by the considerable damage evident on the engine block, the girdled main bearing web and the top side of the balance shaft assembly. There is hammer damage to the sides of the engine block and the bottom of the cylinder bore most likely caused by the connecting rod swinging freely while the motor was still turning. The main bearing girdle web connections are broken on both sides between the center and center left main bearing caps. The steel balance shaft case shows extensive hammer damage. The recovered connecting rod bolt is broken approximately 3/8 inch from the end and the tip of the remaining portion has been formed to a point by some type of impact.

Most likely, the portion of the connecting rod swung freely on the bearing journal while it was still secured to the crankshaft, allowing the loose end to strike the aluminum engine block, the aluminum girdled main bearing web assembly breaking the web connections between the third and fourth main bearing and the top of the steel balance shaft assembly causing considerable damage. Eventually, the repeated impact caused the connecting rod bolts to fail, releasing the rod assembly from the crank shaft. The connecting rod and cap came to rest, wedged between the engine block and the crank shaft throw, causing the motor to seize.

I expect that any individual qualified to make a determination as to the cause of this motor failure would be able to recognize the importance of reporting on these observations to support their theory of this particular failure."

Sorry this is so long, but I’ve been without a car for five months. Fortunately I am able to come up with a replacement it while I fight with Mazda. Looks like I'll need to go to court.

My sympathy would go out to those who would otherwise be left stranded by Mazda NAO

Just go to court.
That letter will likely achieve nothing as you are pointing out what you see and not pointing blame and threatening to sue.

If you dont want a lawyer just do small claims court, and you will at least get $5000 or what ever is the max in your jurisdiction.

Thanks, What is here is only an excerpt of a six page letter with a demand for repurchase and informing them if they don't respond then costly litigation will be my next alternative.

I didn't point blame, but made it clear that both Mazda NAO and the dealer have responsibility to cover my loss.

It won't go small claims because we are talking $18k in damage including the fire damage and the blown turbo.

The car was $25K and it only had 3600 miles.

In that case you may get some action from on high.
A similar letter from a lawyer no doubt would get action from them.
Good luck.

Just a quick followup on my issues,

Mazda Canada has decided to warranty my engine. There is a brand new engine (long block and head) waiting to be put in. Mazda is waiting on a few parts and have offered to install a new clutch for free if I provide them with one while they have the engine and transmission separated.

This involved no hounding or bothering of the dealership. I had the car towed to the dealership the day the rod snapped and they have handled the rest. It has taken about a month and a half, but Mazda has finally agreed to fix it under warranty.

The only cost I will incur as a result is labor charges for removing and reinstalling my aftermarket parts. I will be writing a letter to Mazda to point out the fact that I should not be charged for any service they provide as a result of the failed engine. By providing warranty they have acknowledged the fact that the failure was due to an inadequacy of their equipment or manufacturing process and as a result I should not be charged for the removal and reinstallation of parts that I would otherwise not have been charged for.

I am excited to get my car back. Hopefully I will be cruising around within a week or so.


A quick question since I'm posting. Does anyone have any experience with the ACT clutches for the MS3? I was looking at the SPEC stage 3+ then found out they do not include a flywheel. The ACT seems to be the best route to go because it includes the flywheel.

My only concern is the act either comes in a street (365ft-lbs) or a 4 or 6 puck configuration with nothing really in between. Does anyone have experience with either of these clutch setups and if so what did you think?

stratum

I would PM you but I do not have 15 posts yet.

I live around the Edmonton area. I'm withing 40 mins but I'm usually in town anyways.

I bought my MS3 at Park Mazda and took it there when the rod went.

I'm on 780 Tuners as smoke_31 as well.

I'm glad for you but id find out how much there gonna charge you before you kick off WWIII over it no what I mean?

+1...you are smarter than an average bear....guys..read his post again if you having problem with your blown engine..lol...doesn't hurt to try

its been awhile since I go back to this thread, being not fond of blown engine..lol
sorry to those thats been screwed. I'm at the point of not worrying anymore, I'm over 55k miles now.
For the fella that blown his engine at 3600 miles or somewhat....you got a definite case...unless you did some stupid ---- to it. Either way..3600miles is damn young for an engine to die.

quote Mouse..you got a definite case...unless you did some stupid ----

indeed, even if you are stock if you push this car to redline or beyond, or downshift into the wrong gear ANYTHING is possible.....being stock now... my Speed is slower and less fun than it was, not by much though.....but i do not worry at all anymore, and i drive it a little harder more often ..and if it pops it pops. When things get worked out and the causes are known and fixed...i will consider making this car an animal....2 years later i still like this car and it continues to impress me.... more now ...especially after my test drive of the new Camaro SS this week....getting back into the Speed3 after the test drive confirmed again what a nice little package this car really is....even stock !!!

hehehe ...same here, test a lot of cars lately and it seems they all feel a little lame, not looking to trade my speed in, just looking another toy for my wife since I have Godzilla and speedy, trying to find a nice convertible..something with a little kick around 30-$40k...

as for blown engine, relax and enjoy your car man, still have mod on my car and I push it almost every time. My mod is not out of line, just simple sri,inlet,tmic,rmm,rsw bar...no smoke exhaust, crazy vibe what not, except vibe from the cpe rmm, car sounds great when push n quiet when idle.

Hope all you guys with blown engine get yours replaced under warranty...good luck guys.

so reading over that list. it dosent look like anyone blew with a
stock turbo. a couple of the reworked turbos but not the stock right?

well NM found a couple with stock turbos. i guess im just hopping that im good seeing as the only other bolt on mod for me is a manifold im scared shitless. o well.

I was one running a stock turbo.

I was a little angry at the time.

The furthest I will go is to write a letter to Mazda to see if they will drop the cost for the aftermarket part removal/installation or at least officially state that they will relieve some of the cost.

If they don't do either, I guess I will suck it up. It is 4 hours labor so $440 CAD plus tax.

I've got an AP and downloaded the ATR beta. I don't know anything about tuning though and the only shop around here who is Cobb affiliated has some seriously mixed reviews.

Hopefully I will have the car back soon. The new engine looks good sitting on the floor of their shop, but would definitely look better in the car!

440 Dollars? LMAO for boltons? LOLOLOl fuck that fight that shit

They won't go for a re-purchase, but threatening to sue is a good idea. Did you specify how much time they have to respond?

Unfortunately, it also means you need to be ready to sue, which means finding a lawyer who's done this kind of work before and paying him a retainer. And keep in mind that the court may or may not award you with your legal costs...

Anyway, since the zone rep (Regional Service Manager) essentially proved for you that the dealer fucked up, your fight is really with the dealer, not Mazda per se. What happened is that Mazda refused to pay the dealer for the warranty because it wasn't a defect, it was negligence. So what you really have is a negligence case with the dealer, not a warranty claim with Mazda. Although keeping them involved as much as possible is a good idea because it will help to have them on your side if push comes to shove.

Hopefully, depending on what you said in the letter, it won't go to court. You'd prevail, but lawsuits are like cows: one party is pulling on the cow's tail and the other is pulling on it's ears, both trying to make the cow move in their direction. Lawyers manipulate the process so the cow doesn't go anywhere for a while, so they can just sit there and milk it... :)

Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!

Really,
 

The Lemon Law in California doesn’t give them the choice of what they want to go for. If it is out of service with a warrantable non-conformity for over thirty days, I can demand repurchase. And this is warrantable!

I don’t make threats. I told them what I expect and that there are consequences for failure to act. And yes, time is up.

Legal cost, treble damages and other compensation are available under the statute. I'm past getting ready.

I don’t know where you got the idea that the RSM proved anything. The service tech said the drain plug was missing. I wish that by itself was compelling proof. I’d be all over the servicing dealer. Unfortunately, it isn’t as strong proof as you or Mazda NAO would like to have me believe.

The RSM pulled the oil pan, the balance shaft and one rod cap. Unfortunately, inspection of the exposed components does not support a theory of systemic loss of oil.

His unfounded opinion is the only other proof he provided.

Even if someone could prove that the dealer “fucked up”, it is warrantable defect in dealer workmanship as referenced in the warranty manual. The only exclusion would be for workmanship by dealers other than Mazda.

Mazda NAO has made it clear from day one that they are not going to be on my side. They want me to accept their side so they can avoid responsibility.

That is what I've been hoping all along, but with no success.

Thank you and I will.

Feeling Sick right now, I just read this thread<> I am liking my 09 a whole lot less NOW. Funny Chit tho , I just ordered a Cp-e cai and rear MM today to and I was feeling pretty good.. I remember when the 1999 Ford Lightning came out with the Eaton Blowers, yes when Mods came out people were throwing the CRACKED rods right out the side of the Blocks. Well people were putting on 6 > 8 and 10lb lower blower pulleys with out a proper tune and blowing them part throttle @ tip in. If I read this thread before buying , I might not have bought what I thought was a great car!!!:grumble::zx11pissed:

Ah, you're gonna Lemon Law it, smart move! Sounds like you're doing everything right, and I'm surprised it's taken so long with no remedy yet.

Gotcha. I misunderstood who said what to whom. Total loss of oil should be easy to prove, and on second reading of the zone rep's report, it doesn't sound like he did...

What a clusterfuck...but hang in there!

BTW, what model year is your MS3?

Stick to sane bolt-ons and monitor your shit with a dashhawk/gauges/ap/dashdaq/whatever and you should be safe. If you want > 300-350whp ASAP you are entering the danger zone currently. That's the sad reality. I'll be happy if I can make 300whp on a reliable DD. Put that CP-E CAI on the car, CP-E parts are the best for this car from my experience. It'll run great with it!

Bone stock, early 2008. No over revs, no missed gears.

The car was being driven 70 mph, fifth gear, part throttle, in and out of cruse control, on a long freeway downgrade on I5 north of Lake Shasta when it popped. It got towed 130 miles to the nearest Mazda dealer in Northern California where the tech found the drain plug missing.

99 % of the people with blown engines have fucked with the car in some way. Many will tell you they're bone stock when in reality they either altered the tune or WAS running more boost at some point. Only a very few have been really unlucky. Keep this car close to stock and you'll have very little issues. I push mine hard everyday and it's going on 55k. And please, whenever any work is performed on it, whether it be a simple tire rotation or oil change, ALWAYS double check everything. I've found completely loose lugnuts to an overfilled sump by a quart or more. Never ever put all your trust in any mechanic.

With all that said, if you bought this car thinking it's mod friendly, think again. The engine isn't the strongest but more so, the ECU is just not easy to deal with. It wasn't designed that way and you'll end up taking more risks than you care to.

damn... you are all over this forum with your chicken little shit. why dont you just sell your car and get a yaris..... itll be a better fit.

Considering the cost, these motors are already pretty wound up from the factory. 130lbs of torque per litre was unheard of in a mass produced engine until fairly recently. That's a lot to ask for from casted con rods.

BTW, I wonder if any of these blown motors were over-revved at any point. Not hard to do on a downshift, if you think you're going from 6 to 5 but actually find yourself in 3rd...

the rods are forged

I Musy Be the 1%er.
 

Bone Stock means just that. No modifications to the hardware, software, tune or boost. The only change was the oil and filter done by the dealer.

Actually boosting an engine is mostly 'free' power, without adding much extra load on the internals. But your right that they are wound up from the factory, we're running things hotter and faster, which intrinsically makes it more dangerous.

The newest theory is that the internals are weakened by running to lean at cruising and part throttle for the massive timing advance it tries. Many people are playing with cruising and light throttle AFRs, dropping em as much as a point.

I stopped by the Mazda dealership on Friday to check on things. The engine was in the car with only a few things left to do. Mechanic said it should be finished Friday.

I received no phone call so I went to stop by on Saturday and found out the service dept is closed on the weekend. No biggie. A little bummed out because I thought I would have the car for the weekend.

I called at 10am this morning (Monday). Service manager answered the phone and told me they would call me back this afternoon.

2:30pm rolls around and still no phone call. The service dept closes at 4 or 4:30pm.

It took me 5 calls before the girl at the front desk paged the service dept to answer the phone.

I was then told that the mechanic was unable to bleed my clutch lines and they would have to order new ones which should take a couple of days to get here. This tells me the mechanic must have either pierced or crimped my clutch line. This means most likely another week without my car.

I then ask to speak to the service manager to discuss the labor charges they want me to pay for the uninstall and reinstall of my aftermarket parts. He refuses to talk to me because he needs to clarify with the Western Canada Regional Service Manager. This tells me he is trying to load up with ammo to try to force me to pay this labor charge.

I am now looking at 2 months without my car (this upcoming Saturday). This is getting ridiculous. Mazda spent a month and a week trying to find a way to screw me out of warranty. When they finally fold and say they will fix it, they order the new engine which took another week to get here. When they start working on my car, they then tell me they are charging me $440 to uninstall then reinstall my after market parts (BPV, SRI, TBE).

Right about now, I am ready to start shooting up the place.:rocketwhore:

So pissed....

^ Sucks man just hang in there. And congratulations for being the first person on the internet to ever spell the word "ridiculous" correctly!

Hang In There
 

Small potatoes compaired to the motor. Who originally installed the aftermarket parts? If not the dealer, I can see them wanting to recover those costs.

I know having your car down this long is hard. At least they're fixing it. Mine will have been OOS for six months next week, they will not honor the warranty without legal action and I didn't have any aftermarket parts installed. :damnit1: Good luck to you.

One question, how did you convince them to honor the warranty?

Seriously ... don't take this the wrong way ... I mean it in the harshest way possible.

SUCK IT UP, SHUT UP and PAY THE BILL. You have mods, you blew the motor, Mazda footed the bill and replaced your engine INCLUDING labor. You are WAAAAAY ahead of the game here. Don't argue, nod smile say please and thank you until you get your car back, pay your bill and then bitch if you like ... but your going to shoot yourself in the foot here.

to be honest you are getting away CHEAP...I would hide my tail between my ass and run out of there if they are only charging you $440 and keeping your warranty intact with the mods....i am very surprised they did not void your warranty to begin with....they voided my engine for having a TBE on the car.. i had the TBE on for 2 years and i really miss it...The original service dept covered my ass...then they all left or got fired and the new management did not want ot take a chance with the mods..Doh!!! I miss the extra 40 hp big time and you can really feel it.

No Way
 

Is it an accepted fact that his mods caused the engine to pop? I don't think so...

+1, i know you're angry and shit, but my stealership is going out of their way to get my warantee denied. last time the car was there (hopefully last time ever) the tech got on my back for some hose clamps by the stocker airbox being loose..he said it was "very likely there used to be a cold air intake here and they wouldn't be so kind (to do the work under warantee) the next time"

so, my chances of getting a new motor are essentially nill, if i ever need one. i'm sure they'll find some aftermarket t bolt clamps and call BS on me. pay your 440 and get your car home, shit they even offered to install a new (aftermarket!) clutch installed free to boot!

No it's not ... but the dealership DID NOT have to replace his motor.

So your point is 100% irrelevant.

edit .... besides ... why the FCUK should a dealership pay to install HIS AFTERMARKET mods.

u should be lucky they are only charging u that price to install the parts.Fuck u should be charged for the whole motor plus labor.u aint noone special at all.U modded u blew that it.Pay the price like all of us and suck it up and work and make money and buy a motor simple.I blew and i said fuck goign to the dealer just suck it up and pay:tool:

has there been any 08.5 and 09 speeds that have blown?

I don't know Canadian law but consider that aftermarket parts are generally more difficult to install than OEM parts are and take more time to install.

Personally, I would be thrilled for a deal like you got, if my engine was modified. $440 bucks is chump change, considering all the work they have to do to get you car running properly - with the mods installed and (hopefully) dialed in.

Continue being patient and consider yourself lucky. I understand your frustration but you got a much better deal that many people did! You are one of the lucky ones.

Good luck, hope you get your car back real soon!

I gotta agree here.. so very few people get their motors replaced, then even fewer with mods. Everyone talks about the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, but even if the mods didnt cause the issue and it wasn't your fault, it unfortunetly is on you to prove and and most likely take them to court to get them to warantee it if they don't want to.

The 'law' is on your side, but the law is expensive..

Thank you to the people who have been understanding here.

I am getting off luckier than most of the people who have blown their engines. Perhaps you have all lost site of your own rights. If Mazda denied my warranty claim, I would be in court right now asking them exactly how my modifications caused the engine to throw a rod.

That aside, my only point about the dealership charging me $440 is the fact that they would not have had to remove and reinstall my parts had the engine not failed. Like I said before, by honoring warranty, they accept that the damage was a result of either bad workmanship or a deficiency with the parts themselves. This fact alone should be enough for them to either drop the labor cost or at least partially refund it.

The reason I am pushing so hard is due to the fact that I know Mazda will not warranty another engine if it fails. That is the nature of the beast. I might as well push for as much this time around as I can get.

I guess what it boils down to is, yes, I am getting a better deal than most of you have. I am thankful for that. I am however still going to push for the best deal I can get. That is the kind of person I am.

To whomever asked how I got Mazda to warranty my engine (sorry, too lazy to switch pages to check), I simply had AMA tow my car to Mazda from the spot where I blew a rod. Mazda inspected the damage, took many pictures of my modifications and checked my ECU for trouble codes. The dealership then conveyed this information to Mazda corporate who then made the decision (took several rounds of photo's over about a month and a week).

The only thing I added to help insist that I should have my warranty honored is the fact that I found a thread (this thread) displaying many vehicles (some of which are stock) with the exact same damage caused by driving under the exact same conditions (highway driving). I also mentioned that I did not know of a single vehicle ever made throwing a rod with an intake and exhaust system installed. The mechanic agreed with this point. I also was talking to the mechanic personally. He made mention of how he and the other mechanics, at the conferences they go to, believed that number 4 cylinder is being starved of oil and how Mazda refuses to admit this is a fault of the MZR engine.

I am sorry I cannot add more about how I got my warranty approved. Mazda pretty much handled most of it which was good of them (and as they should).

I have to disagree with the comment about aftermarket parts being harder to install. Examples:

HKS intake: 1 nut and 2 hose clamps to put on and take off.
HKS BPV: stock bolts, stock recirc hose, stock hose clamp, stock vacuum line
CPE DP: Much easier to maneuver into the car and IMO easier to remove and install the turbo flange nuts
CPE catback: Same as stock, other than not having to cut the back of the exhaust off like on the stocker (not that this needs removed to replace engine)

The worst part is that I know as soon as they go "your car is ready" I am going to fold and pay them anyways. I am just sick of waiting now lol... Summer is much to short up here to waste it driving my truck... which is also a brand new Mazda. Go figure hey? Maybe the fact that I have sunk so much money into Mazda and refered about 3 people so far has something to do with them standing behind my warranty so well.

I am a tool for blowing my engine? The same engine that is blowing while running stock? I guess perhaps you are a tool for NOT going to the dealership. Maybe it is different where you are from. Up here, the dealership has to prove that you ruined your engine. Your mods have to be the direct cause of the failure of the engine.

BTW, I am a power engineer and have a good job with great pay. If i felt like wasting my money (maybe something you enjoy) then I would have decided to pay for my own engine before letting Mazda deny my warranty.

Perhaps, sir, you are a tool.

if everyone is having problems with rods breaking, or wondering if there's a problem with the crank look into other aftermarket companies. like cosworth has some forged rods and forged crank of their own the also have a shaved and balanced ranger crank.,for the focus.... not sure if the crank's is the same but the rods should be...i wanna say there's a duratec focus with over 380 whp

They obviously haven't been out as long and you would think hearing about motors blowing might have at least a small impact on newer speed owners modding their cars hence haven't heard about many blowing yet.

Your statement shows a complete lack of understanding of the relevant issues, or perhaps a strong bias in favor of a company that has improperly denied warranty service to their customers.

I never said they should cover the installation cost of the aftermarket parts. In fact the warranty excludes labor for replacement parts not installed by a Mazda dealer. I'd be happy if they just complied with the written warranty and the legal obligations it provides.

I couldn't have said it better myself. The true TOOL is the owner that sucks it up and allows Mazda to wrongfully deny warranty. That action only further provides incentive for Mazda to continue the practice on others.