my mazda 3 burns oil even after having the head replaced and the small block? has any one heard of this
mazda 3
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Small block? You mean short block? Was the whole engine replaced or just the head?
How much oil is it burning?
How much oil is it burning?
yes i do mean a short block it was replaced about 2,000 miles after the head. the car was burning about 1.5 quarts every 1,000 miles. i checked my oil after the work was done and it was .5 qt. low
So you had the head replaced, and then 2000 miles later the block replaced, right?
Why were they replaced, and why separately? Was there an overheating incident or were they replaced specifically because of oil consumption?
Why were they replaced, and why separately? Was there an overheating incident or were they replaced specifically because of oil consumption?
yes. they wre done that way becauce of it being warranty work. no over heating. All the work was done do to the oil burning. Mazda claims that it is normal for the engine to burn a qt. in 1,000 miles. the block was replaced 300 before the warranty ending. I looked under the hood today after smeling coolant while in traffic and saw a small coolant leak There is a clap fitting around a T pipe that isn't tight. But not over heating
1 qt in 1000 miles is normal.
"Normal" from Mazda, but not common. Manufacturers allow for some pretty amazing oil consumption in our opinion, but it depends on how the car is driven, how the engine was assembled, and the brand/weight of oil used.
FWIW, we mostly use Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 in our other Mazda3 2.3L autocross car, and it's at nearly 80K miles now (2005 model) that uses no measurable oil between 6,500 mile oil change intervals.
FWIW, we mostly use Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 in our other Mazda3 2.3L autocross car, and it's at nearly 80K miles now (2005 model) that uses no measurable oil between 6,500 mile oil change intervals.
I have a Mazda6, and it doesn't burn any oil between 6 month OCI's. I don't believe the burning oil is normal for a "Mazda".
Did the dealer give you any specific details on why they chose to replace the head and short block? Did they actually diagnose something being wrong?
1.5 quarts in 1000 miles definitely seems excessive in that car to me.
1.5 quarts in 1000 miles definitely seems excessive in that car to me.
If a vehicle is used as a daily driver (not raced or abused) I think UP-TO a quart in 5,000 is more normal for any vehicle I've owned. Something is definitely wrong with the engine that consumes a quart per 1,000 miles. Are you using a brand name oil in the recommended viscosity? If a new short block was installed then you have new piston rings which require you to drive the car somewhat aggressively to seat the rings. Maybe the oil is being thinned out by excessive fuel dilution due to a badly leaking injector or? Keep us posted. I'm thinking Mazda should replace the engine with a complete new one and not a piece meal repair like has been done.
A malfunctioning PCV system can cause the engine to use a lot of oil. has the PCV valve been replaced?
Originally Posted By: tom slick
A malfunctioning PCV system can cause the engine to use a lot of oil. has the PCV valve been replaced?
Probably not. The PCV valve is pain to get to for a cheap part. It would have been easier to try first over the other attempted repairs, though.
A malfunctioning PCV system can cause the engine to use a lot of oil. has the PCV valve been replaced?
Probably not. The PCV valve is pain to get to for a cheap part. It would have been easier to try first over the other attempted repairs, though.
Would they have likely replaced the PCV valve when doing the shortblock or would they have reused the existing one?
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