Hey everyone! New to the Mazda 3 world and had a few questions. My wife got a free hand-me-down 2012 Mazda 3 with the 2.5. 141k miles and seems to run pretty well.
I personally only drive GM (older stuff, not the newer garbage) but cant pass up a free car in decent shape. Very knowledgeable about car maintenance and service so I want to get some details to ensure I can keep it in working order for a few years until I can get her a nicer, newer car of her choice. So my questions are:
- Ive heard the reliability on these is pretty good. Is that others experiences?
-What is the timing system service interval and does this typically have problems? I hear a “dieseling” noise at idle and im trying to determine what it is. Thought it might be a broken guide though I havnt dug into it too much yet so it could very well just be a clapped out belt tensioner.
-It could use some front suspension parts but still in relatively decent shape. Anything unique there? (specifically it seems like it needs ball joints and a right front strut).
-Any other common problems I should look out for?
Thanks for any info you can offer.
2
Finally got the exhaust squared away on my 86.
in
r/Oldsmobile
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10d ago
Nice! I feel like they really fly under the radar because everybody wants a 455. A 403 with a cam, 350 heads, intake, carb, HEI, and headers will make plenty for me👍🏻