Mazda 6 MPS (2007)
Discussion
pitbull turbo said:
I think that is the main thing I dislike about the mps is it weight, makes it feel very wobberly and top heavy and understeery, just feels like its weight wants to pushy you on throught the apex of a conner and where in used to light fwd or rwd cars I can't adjust the back end to counter it!
The price I got for the brakes was sgt subaru but then they seamed expensive for everything and the insurance was a joke now! Had a skyline 400 bhp at 20 and they want for for me now with 9 years ncb and 27 on a standard sti!
I'd love to make the mazda handle and feel a lot more involded as other than that its been the most reliable and decent car I have had!
I was thinking of full over haul of the brakes including uprated pads and fluid and uprating spring and maybe shocks and better suspension bushes and bracing?
Having owned a 6MPS now for 3 months and about 2,000 miles, the actual traction and depth of the chassis competency is actually very good. You have to drive through the fear of understeer though with more throttle.The price I got for the brakes was sgt subaru but then they seamed expensive for everything and the insurance was a joke now! Had a skyline 400 bhp at 20 and they want for for me now with 9 years ncb and 27 on a standard sti!
I'd love to make the mazda handle and feel a lot more involded as other than that its been the most reliable and decent car I have had!
I was thinking of full over haul of the brakes including uprated pads and fluid and uprating spring and maybe shocks and better suspension bushes and bracing?
The technique I have developed now is to head into corners slower and go on a positive throttle from the point you turn in. You can feel the power shift to the rear with the 4WD and you hardly get any understeer.
If you are in a tighter corner at a low speed, you can actually go full throttle and the car will just accelerate - no under or oversteer at all. This shows the traction the car has and the depth of the chassis. Of the only other large car I have experienced, only the Subaru Legacy can demonstration this chassis set up and traction.
Well the car has just passed 50K miles, so that's approx 20K in 9 months.
I'm averaging about 29 MPG running on super, mainly motorway driving.
Main costs have been
- Tax at £445 / 12 months
- 3 services - 9K interval.
- 27K - £218
- 36K - £313
- 45K - £290
- new brake discs (old ones were below minimum thickness) £240 supplied & fitted
- new spark plugs (£20 each!)
- 4 new tyres (Kumhos at £95 each from Camskill)
- Wheel alignment - £40
Reliability has been 100% perfect.
I'm averaging about 29 MPG running on super, mainly motorway driving.
Main costs have been
- Tax at £445 / 12 months
- 3 services - 9K interval.
- 27K - £218
- 36K - £313
- 45K - £290
- new brake discs (old ones were below minimum thickness) £240 supplied & fitted
- new spark plugs (£20 each!)
- 4 new tyres (Kumhos at £95 each from Camskill)
- Wheel alignment - £40
Reliability has been 100% perfect.
Edited by garycat on Wednesday 14th December 14:07
Does the MPS have to have super? I'm sure it's best. But for cruising the motorways I'd be tempted to fill with regular, and throw a tank of super in for the weekend. Unless it's forbidden due to the tune of the engine.
(I keep looking at 6 MPS and thinking they are stonking value...must resist...)
(I keep looking at 6 MPS and thinking they are stonking value...must resist...)
Since I had it mapped I always use Super and the fuel cap says 98RON.
From my experience with my previous car (WRX PPP) I found that I could get up to 10% more MPG with super than with normal so it works out cheaper to run on super anyway.
I think turbo cars are much more able to make use of super as they have more sophisticated knock-sensors in the ECU.
And yes they are great value, mainly because of the price of the tax I think - no one wants to pay that rate so it knocks the resales value.
From my experience with my previous car (WRX PPP) I found that I could get up to 10% more MPG with super than with normal so it works out cheaper to run on super anyway.
I think turbo cars are much more able to make use of super as they have more sophisticated knock-sensors in the ECU.
And yes they are great value, mainly because of the price of the tax I think - no one wants to pay that rate so it knocks the resales value.
Munter said:
Does the MPS have to have super? I'm sure it's best. But for cruising the motorways I'd be tempted to fill with regular, and throw a tank of super in for the weekend. Unless it's forbidden due to the tune of the engine.
(I keep looking at 6 MPS and thinking they are stonking value...must resist...)
When I was selling Mazda's we had a chap with one who ran it on normal unleaded and had no end of bother with it, certainly worth running it on the strong stuff.(I keep looking at 6 MPS and thinking they are stonking value...must resist...)
Installing a DAB Radio
As I do about 24K miles a year and like to listen to radio, I bought a Pure Highway DAB Receiver. Unfortunately the aerial that is supplied with the unit is an internal windscreen mount and is therefore useless in all but the strongest reception areas.
So, after a quick google I found a replacement external aerial which handles FM as well as DAB. This DAB Aerial with the 5 metre DAB extention and the Pure Adaptor. The dabonwheels people provided good quick service for the order, even though it was over Christmas.
1. The first job was to undo the standard aerial connection which is easy to get to by undo'ing the three push-fit pins at the reat of the roof headlining. The existing aerial uses an ISO connector.
2. The new aerial had three trailing leads for power (it is amplified), DAB and FM. Replacement was to simply tighten the nut, but you may need another person to hold the aerial steady. I also recommend some silicone sealant around the hole as it leaked badly on first fitting.
3. The FM connector is a very unusual Hirshmann Male connection which my local electronic bits shop had never heard of, and there was nothing in Maplin, so I just had to cut a co-axial cable, thread the pin of the connector down the centre of the coax and wrap the braid around the outside.
4. The new aerial is amplified so requires a power connection. For this I threaded a wire down the side of the rear window, behind the seat cushion into the boot and then used a scotchlock connector to take a tap from the subwoofer amp power.
5. The DAB cable was run along the plastic panels at the edge of the carpet and tucked up inside. After removing the centre storage compartment I drilled a 12mm hole in the back and then threaded the cables through. I had to remove the radio in order to get the cables out, running them between the front vents as there is no access behind the storage compartment.
6. I used a spare USB to mini USB lead which plugs into the cigarette lighter power adaptor. I already have the Xcarlink iPod adaptor so I can use a 3.5mm stereo cable to connect to that but that only seems to work when an iPod is not connected. Normally the Pure Highway broadcasts on a spare FM frequency and you tune your radio to it.
7. Finally, I connect all the cables switch on and Yeah... rock out to some Planet Rock. Sound quality is excellent and I have 5 bars of signal strength.
As I do about 24K miles a year and like to listen to radio, I bought a Pure Highway DAB Receiver. Unfortunately the aerial that is supplied with the unit is an internal windscreen mount and is therefore useless in all but the strongest reception areas.
So, after a quick google I found a replacement external aerial which handles FM as well as DAB. This DAB Aerial with the 5 metre DAB extention and the Pure Adaptor. The dabonwheels people provided good quick service for the order, even though it was over Christmas.
1. The first job was to undo the standard aerial connection which is easy to get to by undo'ing the three push-fit pins at the reat of the roof headlining. The existing aerial uses an ISO connector.
2. The new aerial had three trailing leads for power (it is amplified), DAB and FM. Replacement was to simply tighten the nut, but you may need another person to hold the aerial steady. I also recommend some silicone sealant around the hole as it leaked badly on first fitting.
3. The FM connector is a very unusual Hirshmann Male connection which my local electronic bits shop had never heard of, and there was nothing in Maplin, so I just had to cut a co-axial cable, thread the pin of the connector down the centre of the coax and wrap the braid around the outside.
4. The new aerial is amplified so requires a power connection. For this I threaded a wire down the side of the rear window, behind the seat cushion into the boot and then used a scotchlock connector to take a tap from the subwoofer amp power.
5. The DAB cable was run along the plastic panels at the edge of the carpet and tucked up inside. After removing the centre storage compartment I drilled a 12mm hole in the back and then threaded the cables through. I had to remove the radio in order to get the cables out, running them between the front vents as there is no access behind the storage compartment.
6. I used a spare USB to mini USB lead which plugs into the cigarette lighter power adaptor. I already have the Xcarlink iPod adaptor so I can use a 3.5mm stereo cable to connect to that but that only seems to work when an iPod is not connected. Normally the Pure Highway broadcasts on a spare FM frequency and you tune your radio to it.
7. Finally, I connect all the cables switch on and Yeah... rock out to some Planet Rock. Sound quality is excellent and I have 5 bars of signal strength.
Edited by garycat on Monday 2nd January 21:47
Quick update - after having a nasty rattle when warm idling this was diagnosed to be the VVT actuator and a stretched timing chain. This was also affecting performance as the chain noise was creating a "phantom knock" and causing the ECU to back off the power.
I was quoted between £1200 (BBR) and £1800 (Mazda) to fix it but with help from mpsowners forum I found that Edge Motorsport in the US do a kit which can be delivered for approx £300 + £30 customs.
http://www.edgeautosport.com/mzr-vvt-replacement-k...
This was fitted by the excellent people at FCM in Bristol for just under £400 (8 hours work)
http://www.fcmmotorsport.co.uk/
Car is now happy again.
I was quoted between £1200 (BBR) and £1800 (Mazda) to fix it but with help from mpsowners forum I found that Edge Motorsport in the US do a kit which can be delivered for approx £300 + £30 customs.
http://www.edgeautosport.com/mzr-vvt-replacement-k...
This was fitted by the excellent people at FCM in Bristol for just under £400 (8 hours work)
http://www.fcmmotorsport.co.uk/
Car is now happy again.
garycat said:
Quick update - after having a nasty rattle when warm idling this was diagnosed to be the VVT actuator and a stretched timing chain. This was also affecting performance as the chain noise was creating a "phantom knock" and causing the ECU to back off the power.
I was quoted between £1200 (BBR) and £1800 (Mazda) to fix it but with help from mpsowners forum I found that Edge Motorsport in the US do a kit which can be delivered for approx £300 + £30 customs.
http://www.edgeautosport.com/mzr-vvt-replacement-k...
This was fitted by the excellent people at FCM in Bristol for just under £400 (8 hours work)
http://www.fcmmotorsport.co.uk/
Car is now happy again.
I am suprised mazda quoted so much tbh ,usually around the 1200 mark . I was quoted between £1200 (BBR) and £1800 (Mazda) to fix it but with help from mpsowners forum I found that Edge Motorsport in the US do a kit which can be delivered for approx £300 + £30 customs.
http://www.edgeautosport.com/mzr-vvt-replacement-k...
This was fitted by the excellent people at FCM in Bristol for just under £400 (8 hours work)
http://www.fcmmotorsport.co.uk/
Car is now happy again.
I see the modding bug hasnt caught you like the rest of us on the forum then
pimpchez said:
I am suprised mazda quoted so much tbh ,usually around the 1200 mark .
I see the modding bug hasnt caught you like the rest of us on the forum then
To be honest, that's how much BBR said Mazda would charge.I see the modding bug hasnt caught you like the rest of us on the forum then
It has been modded with a Ecutek remap and that made a difference until the VVT problem started. Now that is fixed I might take it back to Powerstation and put it on the rolling road again. It only made 266bhp and it should be nearer 290bhp.
Other costs - about a year ago the air con failed. It is a common problem with one of the pipes getting a hole worn in it where it goes through a bracket near the nearside headlight. £230 to fix by a top bloke at http://www.gocool.co.uk/index2.html
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