Recent content by Design

These cars suffer from sludge accumulation from a poorly designed PCV/oil separator. And many believe it's the exact same issue plaguing MSP owners. In short, Mazda used the same PCV/oil separator designed for NA instead of optimizing for their turbo applications. In fact, the MS3 oil separator...

Quick update after 400 miles. Oil consumption has slowed but not to a rate I had hoped. With strong compression and leakdown numbers, all evidence is pointing towards worn oil control rings. This is not an isolated issue with our cars, as evident in the thread below (remove spaces): http://...

Update 150K: Oil Consumption Issue: After months of researching and collecting parts, I finally got the turbo replaced. I was fortunate to find a used 2nd Gen turbo with sub-50K. And the owner ran it with nothing more than an intake. Also, since I had been dumping oil the last 10K, I decided...

Quick update at 146K: Good news and bad news. - Tested the PCV; operates normally with one-way flow. - Compression test good; 5% dip in cylinder #3. - Leakdown good; Max 10% loss in all cylinders. - Re-inspected intake and IC piping. No excessive oil accumulation. At this point all data...

Good advice. I will also be cleaning the IM, TB and EGR pipe since most of it comes off anyway.

Quick update. I pulled the breather tube on the intake and noticed a good buildup of oil inside. It is not dripping down the intake but I suspect it's enough to explain the oil consumption I have now. I also noticed the outlet has oil buildup around the seals. I can't confirm if this is a normal...

Quick update at 139K. I am currently tracking down an oil consumption issue which has become more noticeable the last month. I cleaned up the engine bay due to oil residue from November's oil cooler leak. Engine area continues to be mostly bone dry, which tells me I'm burning it through the...

It's been a few months since I last updated this thread. A few things to report at 133K: Michelin AS/3 Tire Update After 9 months and 15K, I'm happy to report that these tires are wearing VERY well. Still approximately 7-8 mm of tread left. I expect I'll get 30-35K out of these easily. As...

Update at 120K: Thought I'd spend a little more time and give a proper update. Maintenance KW V2 Coilovers I've now put 70K on the V2s and couldn't be happier. Just completed another inspection this weekend. No leaks, rust or noise. Damping has degraded slightly. But overall this system...

Another quick update. First, I have almost 10K on the new compressor and it's been awesome. Discount AC Parts is the way to go for the Genuine Replacement. Second, I ended up replacing the Pirellis with Michelin Pilot Sports A/S-3s, 225/40/18. After running them for a month I can now say...

Congrats dude. Car's looking great!

Update at 103K: Had my first reliability issue involving a bad AC compressor. Apparently this is a common problem as Panasonic makes the compressor for the MS3/MS6. According to several folks, they generally only last 6 yrs/60K. A replacement through Mazda wholesale costs roughly $1500 which...

Good question. I'm pretty sure I did but it's been a while. The manual doesn't specify either way, but I suspect it was designed for the bushing/mount to minimize noise. http://docs.kwsuspension.de/eah68675010.pdf

Thanks. Yeah the filter is a PITT. I wish it was more accessible or they went with a short ram. Not much difference with an intercooler. I liked the H&Rs but could never get them high enough for daily commutes. The V2s are stiff but have more versatility with the rebound damping.

Update at 89K: For too long since Ive posted so here goes. Maintenance Front Brakes At 58K I burned through my 2nd set of OEM front pads. As much as I love OEM I decided to try out the Hawk HPs. I have driven two Gen1's with HPs and didnt think they were horrible. I decided it might be...