Difficulty starting MPS 6

[Rob]

Hi,

Just bought a mazda 6 MPS, seems to be in great coindition and drives well.

one thing that is annoying me is the fact that it seems diffult to start. the starter motor cranks the engine for a while before it actually starts. Feels like an oldy carbie car on start up

1. is this normal?
2. Is this a common problem?
3. If it is a problem what could be causing it?


Thanks in advance.

[SarcasticOne]

Hi,

Just bought a mazda 6 MPS, seems to be in great coindition and drives well.

one thing that is annoying me is the fact that it seems diffult to start. the starter motor cranks the engine for a while before it actually starts. Feels like an oldy carbie car on start up

1. is this normal?
2. Is this a common problem?
3. If it is a problem what could be causing it?


Thanks in advance.

it's not normal, can tell you that right now...
not sure what is causing it... where are you? how cold is it?

[Rob]

Im in western sydney.

I dont think the temp is an issue.

I've noticed that if i switch the car off once its started and start it again it will start first click.

I may have given the wrong impression in my original post. The car is not cranking for 30 seconds before it starts but there is much more cranking required than any other car i have owned. as a guess id say 2-3 seconds whereas any other car would start almost instantly.

[blackbetty]

Are you trying to start it just key only not touching the accelerator ?

Congrats on finding an MPS6 btw that was pretty quick, didnt you just post the other day about searching for one ... should post an intro thread about the car you ended up getting

[Rob]

yes key only

I bought the one i mentioned will post info shortly

[mech81]

Definitely not normal Rob. How old is the battery being curious? Just taking a guess here, has the alternator been looked at?

[Penguin740]

I only seem to have a problem starting when the engine has been driven and then sits for an hour or so, then it seems to take a few cranks before it goes. Otherwise my 6 seems to start pretty much first turn.

doesn't seem right to me, I'd get it checked out. Battery would be my first check.

[Rob]

Thats the same problem, is this normal? it doesnt seem normal.

[foxy]

Not had problems starting but I don't think the starter is the liveliest I have ever known. Could be the OEM battery is a bit "low rent". Can't see it lasting as long as most Jap cars.

[Doug_MPS6]

How many kms on it and is the battery in good shape? And are there any other mod's?
That said, I just replaced my battery after 5 years and while it was distinctly sluggish, esp at Perth's recent 0C mornings, my car would catch and run on the first piston stroke.

Something isn't right, but it may be minor. I'd get it put on the Mazda computer for a quick diagnosis before doing anything else? That's what it's there for. A quick plug in might save you heaps of agonizing over it.

[Rob]

Im taking it to Mazda on friday, The car is stock. Im certain its fuel pressure related. Whether its the pump or an injector or anything else in the fuel system i dont know. The reason im making this assumption is it starts immediatley if you switch it of then switch it on again and the starter is cranking it quickly, the alternator is brand new. I think when it sits for more than 30mins it looses fuel pressure and even though the pump runs prior to starting it doesnt give enough then once it cranks a few times theres enough fuel to start it.

---------- Post added 14-07-2010 at 12:00 AM ---------- Previous post was 13-07-2010 at 11:58 PM ----------

the previous owner took it to Mazda and they said there was nothing wrong with it but im going to insist that there is. maybe he didnt let it sit and they didnt get to see what was going on.

[Rob]

Ive been meaning to post an update for a while but i have been busy. Mazda changed the HPFP assuring me fuel pressure was the cause, this did not fix the problem. And after numerous returns to the delership no solution. I then read on another forum that it this problem is likely to be caused by a Sticky EGR valve.

I removed the valve and cleaned it and the car now starts perfectly everytime. it also idles much smoother.

[rogwick]

Don't you hate that, when you take your vehicle to a so called professional mechanic a number of times and its still up to you (the owner) to investigate on the internet to find and fix the solution. And we pay these mechanics for what? To tell us "there's still a problem" lol tell me something I don't know! Glad to head you sorted the problem mate!

[Doug_MPS6]

I wrote somewhere else that 90% of mechanics aren't too bright. I took my Iso Rivolta into a shop once for some minor work that I didn't have time to do myself and returned to pick up the car later in the day to find a brain-dead apprentice who shouldn't have been allowed near a bicycle waling into my front hubs and bearing mounts with a ball-pein hammer. He didn't hear me coming but sure felt the kick in the backside he got. I dragged him to the manager's office by the ear and told the manager that I would not only be not paying his bill but I wouldn't be taking the car there again, and would do my utmost to ensure no one else did either.

A mechanic at my local Mazda dealership drove my car into a wall and scratched the paint on the front bumper. They fixed it without demurring at all. I have no idea what happened to the mechanic - nor do I care.

Another bright soul put long-nose plugs into my old Javelin when it took short nose plugs. The valves planed the ends off all the plugs and made a hell of a racket on start up. Fortunately, the engine survived.

Unlike when another fool mechanic left a loose stud bolt under the rocker cover of a high-performance Vauxhall I owned. It shook loose and fouled the valve gear and blew the engine up on the freeway!

Soooo....the washup is you have to keep an eye on these guys. Give them no credit for smarts until they prove themselves 100% reliable. Remember, if they were really bright they'd be doctors, lawyers, engineers, electronics whizzes or geologists. Mark components that you expect need to be undone during service. Ask for all removed and replaced parts to be kept so you can examine them. Take before-and-after photos, reset your speedo to zero to keep track of kms run on so-called "tests". The same Vauxhall I described above was blown up a second time by a mechanic who took it 35kms down the freeway on a blast - totalled the engine. The DashHawk is a good way to monitor service min-max speeds and rpm.

[Caffeine Fiend]

Wow Doug, those are some horror stories right there

Good advice though.

I had a few issues with dealer servicing on my Golf GTI also. Had the rear brake pads replaced on one service and the brakes then developed a squeal. Took it back and they'd forgotten to install the shims..... and then they tried to charge me labour for the second visit back!

On another occasion, the same dealership tried to tell me that a squeal that was obvioulsy coming from a belt (almost everyone knows what a belt squeal sounds like) was the starter motor and that they'd have to replace it to the tune of $800..... needless to say I told them where they could stick their new starter motor.