Leaking Transfer Case: 6 MPS

Turns out that I have a leaking transfer case on my 2006 6 MPS.

Mazda spotted a leak at the last service and quoted something like $1800 to fix it.

I took it Cypher Industries but Zack said he couldn't do it as it would require special tooling.

I called up Honmaz and although they said they could probably do it, they had never done it before and couldn't commit to a price. They said it should be cheaper than what Mazda quoted, but I wasn't too comfortable with the fact that they hadn't worked on this before.

Has anyone else had a problem with the transfer case? If so, where did you take it and how much did it cost?

Is there anywhere else besides the Mazda dealership that I could go to?

Thanks

First question is how much faith do you have that Mazda is correct in their analysis of your problem? Is it worth getting a second opinion even at another Mazda dealership? Also, would be worth shopping around and asking typical service agents such as Ultra Tune, Auto masters etc, just to get an idea on who can do it and for what price? Shame Zack can't do it

Hey Spuds,

You should see if warranty will cover this as there was a TSB (technical sercvice bulletin) issued for this (see attached)

I had mine done twice under warranty.

mine was fixed under warranty as well, I got my car checked over by an independent mechanic a few weeks before warranty ran out and they found it, Mazda fixed it.

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Originally Posted by rogwick

First question is how much faith do you have that Mazda is correct in their analysis of your problem? Is it worth getting a second opinion even at another Mazda dealership? Also, would be worth shopping around and asking typical service agents such as Ultra Tune, Auto masters etc, just to get an idea on who can do it and for what price? Shame Zack can't do it

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Well I've definately got a leak. I've cleaned the area up and checked after a week and seen an oil drip forming.

Ok I might try Ultra Tune / Auto Masters and see if they can help.

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by shakespeare

Hey Spuds,

You should see if warranty will cover this as there was a TSB (technical sercvice bulletin) issued for this (see attached)

I had mine done twice under warranty.

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Hey thats interesting. Thanks for posting that up.

My car isn't under warranty anymore though. Shame...

You said you fixed it twice. How long was it in between fixes? Thats a bit of a worry...

Good to know you've seen the problem yourself as I would not put all my trust in Dealership servicing! Had a feeling you weren't under warranty cause I thought you would have mentioned.

Chris takes his car to Wood Bro's Mazda and gets servicing done through them. I have not been there but that would probably be the place I would take mine if it had to see a Mazda service outlet. Although you can get crappy service from places like Ultra Tune and the likes those are pretty much the only other options I can suggest. One other option I know is contact these guys 'Maddington Central Automotive Care' and have a chat over the phone to discuss pricing. Although its located in dodgy Maddington, I've had a lot of work done by them (I've had clutch, service, and dads had broken timing belt and engine work done). The difference is there is (was, not sure now) Two older english guys, really down the earth and friendly. Their age represents experience and there is another guy there that is also the mechanic he's in his 30's. Chances are you won't get a 17yo just learning the ropes working on your car. If you give them a call you can always just get a price.

Maddington Central Automotive Care, Maddington WA 6109 - Mechanics - TrueLocal

Actually quite a few people go there. You see the stickers on the back of peoples cars all the time

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Originally Posted by spuds

Well I've definately got a leak. I've cleaned the area up and checked after a week and seen an oil drip forming.

Ok I might try Ultra Tune / Auto Masters and see if they can help.

Thanks.

---------- Post added at 12:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:41 PM ----------



Hey thats interesting. Thanks for posting that up.

My car isn't under warranty anymore though. Shame...

You said you fixed it twice. How long was it in between fixes? Thats a bit of a worry...

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About 15,000kms between fixes, first fix around 35,000 second fix around 50,000. However there still seems to be a bit of a diff oil smell, haven't had a close look but it may have a slight leak still (annoyed about this as the warranty expired in Feb!)

However the second fix was apparently because they didn't adequately clean off the old seal :shrug: either way have you tried asking your Mazda dealer about warranty? Mention the TSB and that the seal is a recognised fault with MPS 6's and CX-7's.

Good luck with this.

Wow $1800... hopefully you can get a better deal.

Have you got any photos of where the leak is so i can check mine?

Thanks for all the advice.
I've called up Ultra Tune and they recommended Carvell Transmission Masters. Brought it in this afternoon and they gave me a slightly better quote. So I'll see how I go. If Mazda provides a warranty on their repair, it might just be worth going with them.

I don't have any photos but if you go under the car and take off that plastic cover, just look for where the two front axles meet. That's where I've got the leak.

i was such an idiot i concentrated on trying to get my clutch done under warranty when i brought my at 70k in 2008 and forgot that on my racq inspection they advised of a slight wetness at gearbox/transfer case when i was looking at buying mine.. still had 6-8 months new car warranty left !

i got quoted $900 to fix my leaking transfer case from mazda after warranty run out.. took it to my local mechanic and he inspected and advised it wasn't bad enough of a leak to rip it apart.. (reckons if you distrub it other thinks may end up leaking)

he cleaned it up and his opinion is cars have a drip tray for a reason.. over time things will develop slight leaks.. it would be great to fix but i am not prepared to stump up $900 for some seals and labour..

going back to him to get my gearbox oil changed will be interesting to see how much its leaked since last time been around 8 months..

A bit of info, when I asked the Mazda service guys how much oil was lost from the leak, first time they approximated the loss at 50mls and second time less than a thimble full! So as Kov mentioned pending what your oil level is it may be not worth the fix :shrug:

I would just make it a top up at service time, but leave off the tray so you can monitor it. Save yourself a fortune.

Just got my 3 back from a dealer service 60000k not 50mins ago, guess what? you guessed it! transfer leak!!!!! mazda said they had to put 500mls in? i think 500mls seems a bit much?!:p. that woud def be on the floor of the shed.. funny tho i was under the car 2 weeks ago putting a turbo, DP in and i never saw a thing!! i will have to get under it again this weekend have a better look........ and no leaks on the floor of teh shed?.

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Originally Posted by luke 3mps

Just got my 3 back from a dealer service 60000k not 50mins ago, guess what? you guessed it! transfer leak!!!!! mazda said they had to put 500mls in? i think 500mls seems a bit much?!:p. that woud def be on the floor of the shed.. funny tho i was under the car 2 weeks ago putting a turbo, DP in and i never saw a thing!! i will have to get under it again this weekend have a better look........ and no leaks on the floor of teh shed?.

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Oh man I'm sorry to hear.
Seems that its quite a common problem then.

Did they quote on the repair?

the guy who found mine said I wouldnt notice leaks on garage etc as its very small amounts seeping out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by luke 3mps

Just got my 3 back from a dealer service 60000k not 50mins ago, guess what? you guessed it! transfer leak!!!!! mazda said they had to put 500mls in? i think 500mls seems a bit much?!:p. that woud def be on the floor of the shed.. funny tho i was under the car 2 weeks ago putting a turbo, DP in and i never saw a thing!! i will have to get under it again this weekend have a better look........ and no leaks on the floor of teh shed?.

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Hey Luke, do you mean Transaxle? The MPS 6 has the fault with the 4WD Transfer case. I haven't heard of any transaxle leaks?

Also the 6 has the full underbody protector tray which catches almost all minor oil leaks so you won't see anything on the garage floor unless you've got a major leak.

Its the shaft from teh engine to the gearbox, the seal around that shaft in teh gear box. so i have been told