New Speed3 already in shop

[WillEngineer]

So, purchased a 13 Speed3 about 3-4 weeks ago. Just over 50,000 miles from a local Mazda dealership.

Everything seemed to be working just fine, until Monday night when I was on the way home from work. I hit a bump in the road and the oil pressure light came on. I wasn't immediately sure what I had seen, so I hit the brakes hard to see if it happened again and sure enough it did. Luckily I was basically pulling into the neighborhood when this all started, so I didn't have to drive it much.

I let it cool down, and checked the dipstick. Bone dry. I added a quart. Dry. Repeat. Dry. Repeat. Dry.

Took the better part of 4 quarts for it to register on the dipstick. And even then, when I got 4 quarts dumped in, the oil was still almost jet black.

So I sent a text off to the dealership management (I still had their number), and he asked me to bring it in. So I drove it in Tuesday, and they are thinking that they didn't fill it up with oil correctly when they did the pre-owned inspection. If it burned off 4 quarts of oil in 900 miles, you would have thought I'd have seen quite a bit of smoke. At least they are owning up to the fact they made a major mistake. So they are keeping it a week and running some tests on the car. One guy in service told me that they had my back on it, so makes me feel better. Normally when I have a car I am pretty good about checking oil every couple of Saturdays. My previous car, and Si, burned a bit and I check it. My Tacoma has a small leak, so I check it. I just hadn't done that yet on this car since I had just purchased it from a dealer. That peace of mind is what you pay extra for on a car like this. Guess that is a lesson learned for me there.

The crazy thing is, there have been no indications I could feel of anything abnormal. Power and fuel economy seemed fine. Engine noises seemed fine. Only on a couple of occasions did I notice it take a couple of extra cranks when it was turning over first thing in the morning. It was a new car to me, so I didn't know if that was abnormal or not. I had planned on getting the battery checked if it continued to happen.

I asked the shop advisor if he thought anything like rod bearings or such could have suffered damage, and he mentioned that it would take a complete engine tear down to know anything about the bottom end. With the sludge running through it, I have to wonder if there is a surprise waiting for me down the road with this car. I brought that up to the owner, and he told me no one wants to see that happen to the car under their watch either.

So, only had it a month and then this. Blah.

[SSinstaller]

Sounds like a free extended warrantee is in order... Powertrain coverage for 3 years or 36k miles should be long enough to find out if there is any real damage..

[Pu Manchu]

bein that low, your engine internals definitely got hot and definitely took some early wear, especially if it was 900 miles.

[Thor Hammer]

How do you forget to fill the car with oil! Sorry to hear. I would be getting my money back or like SS Installer said get an extended warranty out of it. Being 4 quarts low definitely decreased that engines lifespan.

[WillEngineer]

Back in college, I worked for a Honda dealer for a couple of years. I saw some pretty bone-headed people. However, most of them were confined to the oil change side. The used car guys tended to be some of be better mechanics in the place. But in light of the evidence, it seems the most plausible explanation...that someone didn't top the oil off after changing it.

I mean, I personally would think that if I burned through 4 quarts of oil in say 1000 miles, I would have seen evidence of it somewhere. Tail pipe smoke, leaks, etc. I mean, a quart per week. I have never had something that burned through oil that fast, but I would think if it was it couldn't hide itself.

I mentioned to the advisor that I dropped it off with that even after adding 4 quarts of oil the oil in the pan was still jet black. His response was it probably got driven during a few test drives before I purchased it. I was trying to imagine how many people test drove the car and if they were driving it to the next state and back or something. I could see maybe 100 miles or so of test driving, but nothing worth turning the oil black that quickly. A different person called me back to tell me they need to keep it a week, and that was who I asked about rod bearing damage. He told me they are pretty stout motors. No motor is so stout as to stand up to having only 1/3 its required oil.

Anyway, I'll fill everyone in on the results when they call me back. I'm in a loaner 2017 3 for the week. Not a bad drive, at least as soon as I can get used to the funky infotainment unit.

[Jonb82]

Yes they do have stout motors with a good tune. Do you have any of this in writing? If you do you should demand them to buy it back, or at least file a complaint with Mazda. Only bad thing is that if you do plan on modding down the road, you will throw out any of your ground for them fixing it if anything were to happen.


Sent while probably pooping

[WillEngineer]

So, dropped the car off last Tuesday morning. Got a call back this afternoon from the GM.

He mentioned that his shop foreman is seeing significant oil consumption, but cannot pinpoint the source...if it is from the engine or turbo. No mention of what I heard last time, that the oil was not properly topped off. He told me (without me asking), that he'd feel better if he could just buy the car back. So, as soon as I'm a member of the Mazdaspeed3 community...I'm out.

Oh well...maybe I'll find another one. Getting harder and harder to find good examples though.

[Pu Manchu]

Originally Posted by WillEngineer No mention of what I heard last time, that the oil was not properly topped off. He told me (without me asking), that he'd feel better if he could just buy the car back.

sweet, i bet they just put it back on the lot

[distortion]

Originally Posted by WillEngineer So, dropped the car off last Tuesday morning. Got a call back this afternoon from the GM. He mentioned that his shop foreman is seeing significant oil consumption, but cannot pinpoint the source...if it is from the engine or turbo. No mention of what I heard last time, that the oil was not properly topped off. He told me (without me asking), that he'd feel better if he could just buy the car back. So, as soon as I'm a member of the Mazdaspeed3 community...I'm out. Oh well...maybe I'll find another one. Getting harder and harder to find good examples though.

Well that is a bummer to hear but better then being stuck with a potential issue. Keep an eye out though - Speeds are pretty awesome for what they are and with the current forum knowledge are pretty solid cars.

Originally Posted by Pu Manchu sweet, i bet they just put it back on the lot

Probably right?

[drive_sideways]

That GM is a nice guy though, instead of sticking you with all the costs he bought it back.

Definitely a dealer I would conduct business with.

Bummer to hear of such issues though...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Thor Hammer]

Originally Posted by WillEngineer So, dropped the car off last Tuesday morning. Got a call back this afternoon from the GM. He mentioned that his shop foreman is seeing significant oil consumption, but cannot pinpoint the source...if it is from the engine or turbo. No mention of what I heard last time, that the oil was not properly topped off. He told me (without me asking), that he'd feel better if he could just buy the car back. So, as soon as I'm a member of the Mazdaspeed3 community...I'm out. Oh well...maybe I'll find another one. Getting harder and harder to find good examples though.

I'm surprised they didn't offer you a new long block on their dime. Its what they'll most likely need to do anyways. That would be a sweet deal for you. Maybe go back and suggest that to them.

[MSMS3]

See if that dealer can find you another one. I'll bet they will be VERY diligent in checking it out for you this time! These are fun cars that are inherently very reliable.

I am the original and only owner of an '08 Gen 1 at a bit over 140,000 miles. It's no longer my daily driver (only because I needed something a bit larger for my present work) but I continue to enjoy the car, drive it regularly, and it remains the most reliable car I've ever owned. This is even with my performance mods, most of which were installed during the first year of ownership.

[HmoobBoi]

I found my 2007 MS3 through CarGurus...might want to look their, on the plus side, you get to see that you have multiple options to choose from

[dp3]

It really sounds highly likely that the engine got fried. It is remotely possible that the turbo seal was going (happens on OEM) and after sitting awhile it caused oil evacuation, but you would have seen smoke on acceleration and if it was really bad even under light throttle at a standstill while revving.

Sounds like an excellent case for a crate engine and a turbo. With 50K miles that car should be like new. Maybe they could do it as a dealership insurance claim and hand you back that car as a freshie? How much was it?

My 13 MS3 has 65 and is like new. My prior, a 2010 MS3, I traded in at 72 K and it was like new. The one before was a 2007 MS3 Gen One traded at 68K and it too was like new. All three vehicles were modded and all three had no serious issues or failures.

[KiwiFlavor]

Damn sorry to hear mang.. At least the dealership was stand up!

Where are you located? I'm thinking to sell my gen2 :p

[flapjack]

My guess is that the problem was clogged or damaged oil control rings or even a cracked piston or ringland. I've seen this problem twice before and it's never the turbo unless you see and smell heavy smoke on idle.

If you have damaged OCRs, cracked pistons, or cracked ringlands its very possible that the only symptoms you'll experience are extreme oil consumption and fouled spark plugs. Maybe some random misfires or a noticeable loss in power.