Engine Reliabilty

[///BHRpowered]

The more I look around the more 2.5's I say with massive engine problems, and at low mileage, I haven't seen one over 185k, and most are dead around 100-140k.

 

But the S, it runs solid, maybe a S/C for a select few here and there, most likely due to poor oil changing habits, poor warm ups, and instant off driving, but the engine is damn strong. Camels with all his abuse went to 300k, and now here is a near perfect 2000 S with 250k, the tranny is shot, but it sounds more like a fluid problem, no way a tranny would fail to shift in every gear all at once.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2000-MAZDA-...tem190189295636

[Troutman]

Surely the 2 engines are pretty similar aside from the MCE stuff, I'd say that MCE owners are generally more respectful of their cars than some ghetto drunk using a 2.5 as a beater, but who knows.

[///BHRpowered]

in the used car market yes, but the 2.5 just has to work so much harder, and pull much more then it was ever mean't 2

[Troutman]

Admittedly there are very few 2.5 Eunies in Australia... the 626 V6 would have made more sense for about $20k less...

[enginph]

In US %80 of millies are 2.5L. So we should have seen more 2.5 with high mileage. The problem may lie in the tranny. Definitely 2.5 tranny is not as solid as 2.3 and when tranny is shot at say 130k, the car is salvage..

[Graham]

The efficiency of the MCE with it's open valves during the beginning of the intake stroke might put less stress on the bottom end of the engine compared to the 2.5. So if 2.5s die from engine damage that might explain it.

 

G.

[ing-schu@online.no]

This is another bullshit BHR statement added to the list. Why don't you stick to detailing and bughit counting?

 

The 2,5 is one of the best engines Mazda ever built and far less prone to break than the Miller Cycle. Supercharger or not, it is still engine parts needing work. Now trannys reliability may be another story, but that is hardly the engines fault, part from putting too much strain on the tranny... Put on a tranny cooler and it copes. Even with towing

[enginph]

Thats another story in EU. Mazda has stolen the tranny cooler here and when it is shot people throw the car away..

[///BHRpowered]

xedos, all I'm going on are the searches, search ebay here, or autotrader, or cars, you will find very very few failures in the MCE, never a total engine, the SC at most, but I can find a 2.5 with a blown engine any day of the week anywhere.

 

its usually the engine, not the tranny

[latinopikachu]

since you're so concerned about badges did you see that the "millenia" one was crooked?

[enginph]

I demand Ren's commentary here.

[///BHRpowered]

crooked where?

[latinopikachu]

this one

[Renboy]

The only difference between the engines is the bore. They use the same block (before anyone says anything STFU I've had both on an engine stand) and even the same crankshaft. The bore on the 2.3 is slightly smaller than it's 2.5 counterpart. As for reliability, the 2.3 should be more prone to failure since it's torque curve is steeper than that of the 2.5. That said, the 2.5 has a higher redline and if in fact they do fail more often, that would be the reason. I've taken mine to 7500 rpm (500 rpm past the redline) without a problem. This is also 1500 rpm beyond the range of the 2.3, I dare anyone here to do the same with theirs. The problem doesn't lay with the engine, it's the fault of the under-engineered tranny that's pulling an extra 900 lbs of dead weight that it wasn't designed for.

 

At this point in the cars life, most people trade it in or send it to the yard if the water pump breaks because of the crap resale value of the car. Simple routine maintenance on these cars is extortion so a blown timing belt could turn into a repair that costs more than the vehicles value.

 

And I replaced the running engine in my car (because I wanted to not because I needed to) at 200k MILES and found that it still had the original clutch and no leaks (vcg's aside) to be found. It still started perfectly and passed an emissions test.

[///BHRpowered]

lat - I might consider it, pure white was my 2nd choice

 

xedos, ren etc, I have no hard numbers on this, just simply what I have come across in the for sale sections and parts cars

[ing-schu@online.no]

As Ren says, it is hardly the cars fault it is scrapped because of a broken timingbelt or waterpump, which is regular maintenance. People doing such choices are hardly dedicated Millenia owners.

 

Here such criterias will be vastly different. Even a 14 year old Xedos in fair condition will be worth at least $12000. And even if repair is expensive, most people will want to repair/ maintain the car.

 

Anyway, at the end of the day the S will be more expensive to run due to the unique engine design. Period.

[Frankzao]

But sooooooooooooooooooooooo worth it. Every penny.

[latinopikachu]

damn right. but it's such a wrenching feeling to see them propped up on bricks and torn apart by junkyard vandals

[Troutman]

Saint's commentary is worth repeating... you'd see more wrecked 2.5s because there were more of them sold there.

[Frankzao]

but the ratios wrecked to sold don't match....

[Troutman]

With the MCE more inclined to attract enthusiasts, this makes sense also.

[///BHRpowered]

which is what I have been saying

 

I can't really find a 2.3 with a blown engine, but a 2.5 blown is easy pickings, atleast 2-3 on ebay at all times

 

[Troutman]

Which means it is on average better cared for, rather than more reliable.

[Renboy]

My wife's engine blew and it was a 2.3.

[latinopikachu]

bhr will strongly assure you it was due to not taking it to the dealer