New to the forum and Mazda.

[squonk]

Hello to all,

I'm new to the forum and to Mazda in general having just purchased my first Mazda.  Nice to find a Mazda forum in the UK !

I'm sure i'll be asking questions regarding my Mazda 3 which i think maybe a bit of a Lemon as there are various problems, although not having a Mazda before i'm unsure if some of the 'problems' are normal 

Already had to replace the inlet manifold gaskets

Only had the car 3 weeks

[StevenRB45]

Inlet manifold gasket is just one of those things, good chance previous owner sold it because of the fault.

Now it's done should be good for the rest of the cars life, assume it's a 1.6 in which case it's a strong lump other than that one issue which you've already sorted.

[squonk]

Yes the cars a 1.6 , the manifold gaskets were not too hard to do .

[Engineer Andy]

Yes the cars a 1.6 , the manifold gaskets were not too hard to do .

More often than not, for older second hand cars, it's how sympathetically the car has been driven and especially maintained that makes all the difference to long term reliability.  As Steven said, I suspect that the previous owner got rid of it as they knew trouble was ahead.  One of the pitfalls when buying secondhand, especially privately, or from some smaller independent traders who offer short warranties or ones not worth the paper they're written on.

That's why it's always a good idea if you're not too au-fait with the mechanicals and electrics of cars that you bring along someone (a friend/family member, work colleague or from a motoring orgnisation [paid]) who is to check them out in such circumstances.

Hopefully that fault is the end of it other than normal wear and tear items.  Mine (with TLC from the local dealership) has lasted very well after 15 years (since new) of ownership, especially the engine.  Make sure yours is well maintained, and make sure it sees (good quality) fresh oil as per the schedule, as it's a chain-driven engine.

[squonk]

Hi Engineer Andy,

Thanks for the pointers and advice, i think the same as you do, the previous ower was supposed to be an engineer and performed regular 'home' services but i doubt that very much as when i changed the engine oil it was black and the gearbox oil was also black. 

The car looks like it only did 2000 miles a year for the past few years, overall the internal upholstery is in very good condition, the outer bodywork is in ok condition as there are lots of those little scratches from the previous owner holding the keys on their had while getting in and out of the car.

The plugs are standard NGK BKR5E-11 , i'll be changing those to the recommended NGK BKR5EIX-11 as the history of the plugs is unknown.

I have a whine noise when the engine is running, which is quieter when the AC is turned on and louder when the AC is turned off , i'm guessing its worn AC clutch pully bearings