Just bought car, engine dying :(

[mzkaye729]

+1 or belt tensioner. It reminds me of 09 wrx265 enigine failures. Same sound too

That's what I thought too... but those Subaru engine failures were due to a faulty spun bearing right ? I wonder if they ever recalled the vehicles.. I don't follow Subaru much so I wouldnt know..

Op, good luck. Keep us updated on what the problem was and how it's to be resolved. I'm in almost the same boat as you so I know how you feel when you say "you wouldn't know what to do..."

[MPS]

i think there may be a 30 day lemon (lime) law and you can get ur cash back even if its private sale
you may want to goggle that

[dhruvprakash]

Hey all,
sorry for the delay in replying, had to pick up the gf from the airport, spend time with her and prepare for new job (first day tomorrow!) while looking for apartments for September move in!

By the way, what time is Jimmy open till on Wednesdays? I am planning on visiting him after work (will drive from Meadowvale area w/o using HWY's)

i think there may be a 30 day lemon (lime) law and you can get ur cash back even if its private sale
you may want to goggle that

I looked but could not find anything on that...the contract says 'as is', the seller did not let me take to my mechanic. Do let me know if you know where to find that article/legislation. I would owe you big time.

That's what I thought too... but those Subaru engine failures were due to a faulty spun bearing right ? I wonder if they ever recalled the vehicles.. I don't follow Subaru much so I wouldnt know..

Op, good luck. Keep us updated on what the problem was and how it's to be resolved. I'm in almost the same boat as you so I know how you feel when you say "you wouldn't know what to do..."

Thanks for the empathy mzkaye729. What's up with your car?

Sorry to say, but the engine is toast. Had the same sound with my engine but "mazda" mechanics were unable to diagnose exactly what the culprit was and just said I needed a new engine. Biggest waste of $100! Took it to another shop and they said my engine was dry and was burning oil. I had just got an oil change 1000kms ago. The shop tore down the engine and found that the upper engine bearings in 2 cylinders were done but didn't know why (could be from the lack of oil). They also found that 2 cylinders were fouled so it seems that there wasn't a proper seal and thats why I was burning oil. In the end got a new "used" engine put in.

If you're having the same problem as me, monitor your oil level constantly to see if you are burning oil and check your spark plugs for fouling/carbon build up. If so then your engine is toast.

My advice to you is that if you have the money, it will cost approximately $3000 dollars to get a new "used" engine put in depending on the mileage. That is probably the cheapest solution.

Another option is to get the engine rebuilt but that could be cheaper or more expensive as it depends on how bad the damage is and what needs to be replaced. Can't tell without taking it apart so it may not be worth the effort.

Hey whodilly, I am not sure if the acoustics of the garage/mic sensitivity make it sound louder than it is or not, but who knows...
The oil level in my car is fine, but it is almost black. Previous owner's records indicate oil change was done ~4000 km ago.
What shop did you go to? How much did they charge for the teardown?

Unless he has MAP extended warranty he's well over on the mileage.



Guys, comments like "It's a blown engine" etc; do nothing here.Does anyone here know what a blown engine sounds like? Most of the time a 'Blown' engine will not even run as usually they will seize-up...his engine seems to run fine except for the noise and remember the engine was still cold in the video...A noise like that could be anything from some things mentioned here to as simple as the water pump...So let's give the guy some hope here and see what Jimmy says.


_3

Thanks Flagrum_3. Do you think that it could be something simpler like water/fuel pump problems? To elaborate on your observations, the engine warms up normally during the course of operation and I don't think there is any loss of power (but I dont have a frame of reference as I have been driving the car as if I were on ice). Had I been deaf, I wouldnt have thought anything was wrong.

Your engine makes wayyy too much noise besides the ticking lol

but it almost sounds like an exhaust leak? Did you check if that's it?

Maybe in the exhaust manifold area???

Have not specifically checked for that...I am not as mechanically competent as some of you folks..though this experience has taught me a bit! Not the circumstances under which I wanted to learn, but thats life.

----------------
Guys it would be great if you could point out some of the areas I should ask Jimmy to look at...just so that I cover all the bases during 1 visit.
Also since I am a noob and he doesnt know me from Adam, if one of you is really pally with him, I would REALLY be grateful for a reference/intro whatever so that he leaves no stone unturned while checking it out....as this car, in spite of the headache its causing, is my baby.

Hope y'all enjoyed the weekend more than I did

[dhruvprakash]

Did you get the car checked out by a mechanic before you bought it? def not a normal sign.. hopefully jimmy can pinpoint it.

I also notice the battery air duct is missing, and you got a strut bar on there and wheels.. I assume the car was pre modded..

i know most of us take good care of our cars, but with modded cars you always gotta take that extra precaution when buying.. you never know what was done

Good luck, hopefully it's not too expensive to fix

Yup, the car was premodded
I kept trying to get the seller to let me take it to a mechanic. But he said that he didn't wanna give the car to me cause of my lack of insurance at the time and because he wouldn't 'trust his baby in the hands of some unknown mechanic'...so I let it go.

From what I gathered, it was daily commuter car and It SEEMED as if he had taken good care of the car...but that was my naivety I guess.
------------------
Sorry for the double post...

And to answer Flagrum_3/mazdabettys question..i dont have MAP

[FLIPDADY]

Looks like there's some used parts on your car. By watching that video I saw a marking on the rad support. Probably been in an accident before?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Looks like there's some used parts on your car. By watching that video I saw a marking on the rad support. Probably been in an accident before?

i think the marking says "4.3L"...someone needed to be reminded as to how much oil to put in the engine.

i've heard that sound before on an old TM3 member's engine that was on the way out.

the oil may have been changed recently but what may have happened was that, at some point, the oil got real low in the engine and there was an instance where the engine became oil starved and it spun a bearing (i.e. taking a corner/on-ramp hard causing the oil to move away from the pickup).

the previous owner not allowing you to take it to a mechanic was real shady as he may have been trying to knowingly sell a car with a bad engine.

[cinder88]

Wow, when someone does not let you take the car they are selling to a mechanic, BELLS SHOULD BE GOING OFF!
Mazda3's are everywhere this guy was not selling a rare car, where does he get off.
Once the money changes hands the car is now yours, and everything that is wrong with the car. Unless you can prove that the owner knew of the problem you have no case at all.

Man talk about a life lesson, Sorry to be bitter about your situation.

Anyway, It could be many things/ noises.
If the car drives, just drive it gently for a while. When something happens deal with it then. Hopefully it is just the VTCS noise and the garages you went to dont know a ****in thing about cars, and just want to scam you for a BIG cash job.

When buying a private sellers car, ALWAYS have it looked at by a competent mechanic, a very detailed inspection, take the valve cover off. And when you test drive it, really put the car through its paces, and listen for anything strange.
Sorry your first car buying experience was this shitty.

I had something similar happen to me, I only buy from dealers with guarantees now, a few thousand is not worth the potential bullshit, and zero recourse from private sales.

[chinsterr]

I feel for the OP, but you live and learn. Chances are the owner of that car was a member on this board ! It's a shame that someone from this community would do such a thing, assuming that he/she sold the car knowing the engine was on it's way out.

Hope everything works out for you.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

I feel for the OP, but you live and learn. Chances are the owner of that car was a member on this board ! It's a shame that someone from this community would do such a thing, assuming that he/she sold the car knowing the engine was on it's way out.

Hope everything works out for you.

the previous owner is/was a member of this board

[chinsterr]

the previous owner is/was a member of this board

ouch. I didnt catch that one !

[MPS]

ohhhh boy

[mazda lover]

Yup, the car was premodded
I kept trying to get the seller to let me take it to a mechanic. But he said that he didn't wanna give the car to me cause of my lack of insurance at the time and because he wouldn't 'trust his baby in the hands of some unknown mechanic'...so I let it go.

From what I gathered, it was daily commuter car and It SEEMED as if he had taken good care of the car...but that was my naivety I guess.
------------------
Sorry for the double post...

And to answer Flagrum_3/mazdabettys question..i dont have MAP

He should have driven the car to a mechanic with you. If it was a private sale did you go to his home to view the car. Did he have a information package? he needed to supply one, in fact if he didn't and when you went to the license office to have the ownership transfered they would have to issue one to you, its the law I believe... no such thing as a 30 day cooling off period.

[whodilly]

ouch. I didnt catch that one !

+1! shady...

[dhruvprakash]

So I had the previous owner safety and etest the vehicle prior to sale (for an extra $300 mind you!), and I realized that the DRL's dont work. Is that something I should be taking up with the shop that did it?
------------------

He should have driven the car to a mechanic with you. If it was a private sale did you go to his home to view the car. Did he have a information package? he needed to supply one, in fact if he didn't and when you went to the license office to have the ownership transfered they would have to issue one to you, its the law I believe... no such thing as a 30 day cooling off period.

I suggested that to him (us both going to mech), but he works in Sales so "time is money" for him...UVIP was there. He brought the car to my place of work for the showing. The ownership was his

I feel for the OP, but you live and learn. Chances are the owner of that car was a member on this board ! It's a shame that someone from this community would do such a thing, assuming that he/she sold the car knowing the engine was on it's way out.

Hope everything works out for you.

Thanks chinsterr. If he knew that something was wrong, its a really sick world we live in..cuz I told him that I am fresh outta school and starting out my first job, got debt etc. and can not afford "surprises"

Wow, when someone does not let you take the car they are selling to a mechanic, BELLS SHOULD BE GOING OFF!
Mazda3's are everywhere this guy was not selling a rare car, where does he get off.
Once the money changes hands the car is now yours, and everything that is wrong with the car. Unless you can prove that the owner knew of the problem you have no case at all.

Man talk about a life lesson, Sorry to be bitter about your situation.

Anyway, It could be many things/ noises.
If the car drives, just drive it gently for a while. When something happens deal with it then. Hopefully it is just the VTCS noise and the garages you went to dont know a ****in thing about cars, and just want to scam you for a BIG cash job.

When buying a private sellers car, ALWAYS have it looked at by a competent mechanic, a very detailed inspection, take the valve cover off. And when you test drive it, really put the car through its paces, and listen for anything strange.
Sorry your first car buying experience was this shitty.

I had something similar happen to me, I only buy from dealers with guarantees now, a few thousand is not worth the potential bullshit, and zero recourse from private sales.

Cinder, the sad thing is that I did a sh*t load of research before buying the car...learnt that you should have it inspected etc (usually i am very meticulous) but I figured that this guy is legit, spent $ on upgrades, zero rust..so figured his engine would be in shape as well.

One can only hope that this will be a cautionary tale to other people looking to buy a used car.

Lets see what Jimmy has to say abt VTCS

i think the marking says "4.3L"...someone needed to be reminded as to how much oil to put in the engine.

i've heard that sound before on an old TM3 member's engine that was on the way out.

the oil may have been changed recently but what may have happened was that, at some point, the oil got real low in the engine and there was an instance where the engine became oil starved and it spun a bearing (i.e. taking a corner/on-ramp hard causing the oil to move away from the pickup).

the previous owner not allowing you to take it to a mechanic was real shady as he may have been trying to knowingly sell a car with a bad engine.

Haha i think you are right abt the 4.3l being for the oil...ironic how its black though!
Who was the member who had that sound? I hope it wasnt the guy selling it to me..
As much as I hate to believe it, it does seem that his reluctance to take it to a mechanic was indicative of prior knowledge of troubles..

Looks like there's some used parts on your car. By watching that video I saw a marking on the rad support. Probably been in an accident before?

Hi Flipdady, are you thinking there are used parts just because of the 4.3L or is there something else as well? I got carproof on the vehicle, which says that it was clean, with no claims.

[mazdabetty]

So I had the previous owner safety and etest the vehicle prior to sale (for an extra $300 mind you!), and I realized that the DRL's dont work. Is that something I should be taking up with the shop that did it?

What!!!! OMG..... Take it up with both of them!!! There has to be some sort of law that protects people selling "big ticket items" privately... I'd be taking this guy to court to get my money back. He MUST have known there was an issue, and if he had any shred of decency in him, he would have offered to meet you at a mechanic of your choice with the car.

What a twat!!!!! I'm really sorry to hear you're having these issues and hope something can be worked out for you...

And on another note, congrats on the new job!



EDIT: I just thought I should also show you this link so you know your rights... whether or not these consumer rights fall under registered businesses only or include private sales, you should have a look either way and find out what you can do to fix this.

http://www.gov.on.ca/mgs/en/ConsProt/STEL02_045905.html

There's something called a "cooling off period", but again whether this will pertain to this specifically I'm not sure. There's also a link to "What Do I Do If I Think I’ve Been Sold a Lemon?"

Hopefully this will help in some way. I really don't recommend wasting $3000 on a new engine when you could have bought a newer vehicle for the same price. Definitely fight it out, just my opinion!

[MajesticBlueNTO]

So I had the previous owner safety and etest the vehicle prior to sale (for an extra $300 mind you!), and I realized that the DRL's dont work. Is that something I should be taking up with the shop that did it?
------------------


I suggested that to him (us both going to mech), but he works in Sales so "time is money" for him...UVIP was there. He brought the car to my place of work for the showing. The ownership was his

Lets see what Jimmy has to say abt VTCS



Haha i think you are right abt the 4.3l being for the oil...ironic how its black though!
Who was the member who had that sound? I hope it wasnt the guy selling it to me..
As much as I hate to believe it, it does seem that his reluctance to take it to a mechanic was indicative of prior knowledge of troubles..

hindsight being 20/20, next time walk away from someone that gives excuses as to why they don't want to take it to a mechanic.

as for the VCTS, that's what is in the video i linked. pull either the plug harness or one of the vacuum hoses in the front of the intake manifold and, if the noise goes away, it's the VCTS.

hope all works out for you.

[BoostieMonster]

Even if the deal for the car was "AS IS" in the bill of sale or contract, you won't have a case under contract law, but you would under tort law.....so you can still sue him for damages! So sad that I know this as i'm studying for my P. Eng exam this Sat and the Law book is SO BORING.......

[chinsterr]

Even if the deal for the car was "AS IS" in the bill of sale or contract, you won't have a case under contract law, but you would under tort law.....so you can still sue him for damages! So sad that I know this as i'm studying for my P. Eng exam this Sat and the Law book is SO BORING.......

ooooo Tort law ..... memories of my Engineering Ethics class . Gl on ur P.Eng !


Dhruv , have you tried contacting the seller recently ? It would be interesting to see what he has to say. (BTW, I was supposed to buy the Koni Yellows on your car !)

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

ooooo Tort law ..... memories of my Engineering Ethics class . Gl on ur P.Eng !


Dhruv , have you tried contacting the seller recently ? It would be interesting to see what he has to say. (BTW, I was supposed to buy the Koni Yellows on your car !)

So who's car was it?

[thanu31]

the previous owner is/was a member of this board

his

[5_Alive]

MZ3-2266's old car.. his name is Mike..

OP, when was the vehicle safety performed? The date is what I am asking; if it is less than 36 days from right now(I'm sure it is, you bought July 27, correct?), go directly to the MTO and file a claim on the car, and contact Jimmy ASAP. You need to have your car looked over again because if the car got a "safety", you may have a car that got done blind.
When you go to Jimmy (unsure if he does safety's) or someone that does, make sure to have another safety done (usually $40-$60). I'm sure there is something else wrong.
DRL's are a HUGE factor, especially on a 2006, come on.

Get it checked the sooner the better, hopefully all works out for you man. This type of stuff upsets me as well, especially coming from a previous board member.
Now it makes sense as to why he seemed so eager to sell so fast, he probably knew or felt something was wrong.

Also, funny he sold it to you on the contract "As Is", but had it Safetied & E-tested.. Which means he is liable, so is the shop that performed the safety.
GL man, I'll keep up with this thread..
Moe

[mazdabetty]

Now it makes sense as to why he seemed so eager to sell so fast, he probably knew or felt something was wrong.

Oh yeah, he knew something was wrong.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/sh...962#post308962

[Go_Habs_Go]

Oh yeah, he knew something was wrong.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/sh...962#post308962

Maybe he never found the hamster??

Anyway...not to judge but this deal doesn't sound very kosher...

[chinsterr]

Oh yeah, he knew something was wrong.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/sh...962#post308962

That's about a year old ! I don't think its the same problem.

[mazdabetty]

That hamster still lives in there.

There's your problem.