Mazda - Mazda6 :: 2003 - Car Suddenly Stops While Driving
Oct 2, 2011
I have a 2003 Mazda 6, 5-speed manual transmission. I was driving on the highway today (going about 65mph), and all of a sudden, my car kind of "jolted" (like it stalled out). When I tried pushing the gas pedal, the car wouldn't accelerate. When this happened, the check engine light (and some other lights) went on, too. I pulled over to the side, turned the car off, and turned it back on. It seemed to start fine and gas/acceleration was working. Fortunately, I was able to get home, but it started doing it more frequently up until I got to my apartment. Each time, I had to turn the car off and restart it.
Oddly enough, when the car does this and I pull over to the side, the engine is still on. However, even though the engine is on and the car is idling, I noticed the RPMs were sort of jumping between 0 and 1000, and the engine was sputtering (like it was sputtering with the RPMs jumping, the only way I can describe this sputtering is like a heart beat). The only thing that seems to work is to turn the car off and turn it back on, which will then allow the gas pedal to work, only to have it happen again a few minutes later. The gas pedal doesn't get stuck or anything, it's just pushing it doesn't seem to accelerate the car.
I've already had the engine replaced on this car last year (at 80K) and the clutch a few months ago, too.
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I have a 2003 Mazda 6. Almost every day, after starting it and driving maybe .10 of a mile, it seems as my car shifts, it shifts really hard, like a thump. I am thinking of having the Transmission serviced. Is this worth it? About what should the cost be? What do they do, just drain the fluid and add new?
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I have a 2001 Mazda 626. It has stopped unexpectedly while moving 2 times in the past 3 1/2 months. When it stopped (both times) it was mid-day, the a/c was on and I was moving at a low speed (between 5-15 mpg). When this happens, the gear shift locks up and the car won't move. Then after about 15-20 minutes it starts right up!
The car has been checked by my regular mechanic both times, who is terrific, and although he ran a diagnostic both times, found no electrical problem. He's convinced it's some kind of simple mechanical issue but hasn't be en able to diagnose what and isn't inclined to just start replacing any/all possible parts without a definitive reason.
The second time the car did this the Mazda dealership also did a full diagnostic and only reported "repairing" a couple of the battery wires, did not replace anything.
No one knows what's wrong but if the problem isn't resolved soon I will have to get another vehicle because I no longer feel safe in the car.
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My son's mazda 6 will turn over but not start. the things I have done:
1. replace crank sensor
2. replace cam shaft sensors
3. it has spark
4. fuel pump works
5. sprayed starting fluid in still will not start.
What else should I check? Security system?
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Can a problem elsewhere in the system cause ignition coils to go bad? I have an '03 Mazda 6s, 147k miles, owned it since new (Dec '02). 3 1/2 ~ 4 years ago, over a period of 6 months I had to replace 4 of the 6 coils. A month ago, one of the replaced coils went bad so I had all three rear bank coils replaced (cheaper to do all three at once rather than one at at a time since half the engine needs to be disassembled to get at them). This week, I started to get the initial symptom of a coil going bad on me: Occasional stuttering in the engine.
This issue always starts when it's wet outside. The first few times it started when going through a car wash, this last time was right after Super Storm Sandy dumped a lot of rain (I am not in one of the flooded areas, NH just got a lot of rain).
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I have a 2003 Mazda6, 108K miles. Had the ATF changed last December at the dealer. Prior to this, there was some hesitancy to shift into 1st when cold. Last several months, it has gotten worse. Engine revs (as much as I allow it, which ain't much) and then goes into first. Dealer thought they had overfilled the ATF, and reflushed and refilled. Said they couldn't find any other problems. There is no CEL. Problem was better for a short while after fluid change, but now back to long hesitation. Car goes into Reverse fine when cold. Once the car is warm, I don't notice the hesitancy to shift to first. How to diagnose?
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MILEAGE: 65,000
Last time I was in, the shop replaced my sway bar links, which had already been diagnosed and the repair scheduled. Then, after replacing the sway bar links, the mechanic told me that the control arm bushings were cracked. They already put new struts on the front, as well. So I asked him what else was going to go wrong with my suspension. He said nothing else should need work. He also said that the car was safe to drive for a couple months but I definitely needed to get it fixed.
QUESTIONS:
Is it normal for a car with 65,000 miles to have cracked bushings? I realize that the car is 11 years old; I just wondered how much a car's mileage plays into cracking the bushings and, if so, after how many miles should one expect before cracking occurs.
Does it sound like they're trying to soak me? Why tell me one thing at a time? Perhaps more revenue from the labor side of things?
Assuming the bushings truly need to be replaced, does the community here think there is anything else that should be checked and taken care of at the same time? It is both costly and annoying to have to take the car back numerous times.
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I have a 2003 Mazda 6 and heard a rattling sound in the engine ONLY when the car is in drive or reverse, never when in Park. My mechanic said it is the clutch in the alternator that is coming apart and so the Alternator - tensioner - belt all needs to be replaced for a total of almost $800. Does this seem reasonable?
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Traveling approximately 40-45 MPH and my engine just quits. I was able to turn(very hard without power) to get off the road. I tried to restart the vehicle and it wouldn't crank over. After calling roadside assistance and the PD, I tried again and it stated. On the same day, I was driving home from appointment and it happened again, this time while accelerating from a stop and making a left turn. Same scenario, only this time the truck turned over a lot quicker than the first time. A couple days later, it happens again while accelerating after a stop and making a left hand turn. Now I call the mechanics and ask if this could have something to do with the module they replaced for my AC. They check out the truck and get a new module to install, which they did under warranty. We also left the truck with them to drive to see if it did it to them, it didn't. So DH takes truck and he drives it and it does it to him. Now though, with me and with him, the truck seems to start back up quicker than the first and subsequent times. We are going away for a bit and plan to leave the truck with the mechanics to drive to see if it does it to them since they still haven't had it happen while they've had it. I'm stumped. They were able to fix the ac very reasonably and a few other things have popped up, but this truck has been really good to me and I'm trying to drive it into the ground, so to speak, as it still has very low mileage for its age. Of course, the thought of it just conking out while driving is very disconcerting. I wait until the roads are completely clear to do u-turns and such, but in the back of my mind, I know it can shut off anytime.
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Today leaving work my 2009 Mazda Tribute suddenly lost all acceleration after pulling out of the parking lot. Didn't die but was running like it was about to. Pressing the gas pedal had no effect at all. When I turned the car off and started it again, it did start -- with trouble but it started. It ran OK for a few miles but suddenly lost acceleration again. Same thing. The car ran but the gas pedal had no effect. Shutting off and restarting got it going. In the 30 mile trip home it did it a total of 3 times. Each time shutting off and restarting. When I was able to accelerate, it seemed to accelerate OK, but at the same time felt weak and .... laggy. That last part could just be in my head though. Just wondering where to start to fix this.
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My '04 v6 wagon 100K will misfire in really damp conditions. Last fall after going through a massive puddle and today after sitting for a couple of days of warm damp foggy & rainy New England spring weather. OBDII scanner is reporting cylinder 3 as the one misfiring in the fall, today there were a ton of codes (that I didn't note).
So I made it about 2 miles from the house and had to turn back. No power, check light flashing. I had to put it in manual and keep the revs highish (3-4K). When I got home the exhaust manifold was glowing yellow, assuming one or more cylinders were passing fuel out to the exhaust and it was being burnt off in the manifold.
My question: could I have damaged any gaskets back there? This could be my imagination but I think I'm hearing a new noise that I'd normally attribute to an exhaust leak downstream of the muffler, very subtle - like a gentle light but rapid thud. I only hear this noise with my ear to in the front driver's wheel well. There's no ticking noise I normally attribute to leaks near the manifold. My imagination or is it easy to damage something in the circumstances I describe?
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I have a 2007 Mazda 6 with 133000 miles on it. Recently it has started making a very loud sound that comes from under the hood. The sounds is comparable to the sound a semi truck makes if it is idling. The noise is not constant, usually happens when I put the car in park or if I'm driving at low speed (under 20mph). The sound lasts around one minute.
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Mazda6. I have a check engine light for a random misfire on cylinder 2. I have changed the spark plugs, the injector, and even the cylinder 2 coil, but still have that random misfire. The funny thing is that it would run great within short (about 30 miles) one way trips. Lately, I have gotten a new symptom: It has started to hesitate and can feel a loss of power but only once the car has been driven for about ten minutes non stop. Can't figure this out.
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2009 mazda6, I feel some vibration feels like wheel is out of balance coming from the front left wheel, it's most noticable at 30mph and again at 60mph. It's more noticable when i'm turning right, e.g. shiting to the right lane.
Already replaced four tires, balanced the tires and replaced front struts and rear shocks.. and it's still there!!
when shifting to the right lane, the vibration feels like da-da-da-da-da.. like I'm driving over some washboard road.
What could this be, is this CV-joint? can I ask dealer to check out CV-joint see if it's ok?
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we have an 2006 Mazada 6 automatic transmission with the option of manually shifting gears. we have had it a year and the only maintenance is work on the air conditioner, oil changes, and new tires. when accelerating on an incline or sometimes during/after a curve as it shifts into 4th gear it makes a terrible noise and the whole car jerks. the best way I know to describe it is it feels as if the bottom of the car is about to fall out! when we first purchased it, it done this a couple times and basically quit doing it for a few months.
It seems to be getting worse though. we have never had a check engine light. we sent a can of "sea foam" through the gas tank and this seemed to work. a local mechanic examined it and test drove it but couldn’t find anything wrong with it. (of course it didn’t act like this when he drove it!) I called mazda dealership and they cant tell us anything without us bringing it in and charging us no telling how much just to look at it. no one seems to be able to figure this out….
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I have a 2005 Mazda6 4 cyl manual transmission, purchased this past holidays. Last week the clutch disk totally wore out and the car was not moving at all... AT 68000 miles only. I am a new manual transmission driver and I think I might have been part of the problem. My mechanic, who is a family friend, has replaced already the clutch kit and he found out that the clutch disc was not only worn out but actually damaged, shattered on a side. So I got scolded by him and my father as they suggested that I damaged it by doing improper shifting. They suggested that I went from 4th or 3rd gear to 1st thus damaging the clutch disc for the car to totally stop moving.
However that's very unlikely in my opinion. I don't know if Mazda included some sort of safety feature in the transmission, but the car never let me go in 1st gear if it was already in motion, the shifter would lock if I attempted (found that out when driving in stop-and-go heavy traffic). I thought my problem was due to my foot frequently flirting with the clutch pedal in order to keep my driving and shifting smooth. In fact a few friends of mine who drove manuals in the past complimented me on my driving becoming so smooth in a short time. I also think that I bought the car with the clutch kit carrying some sort of damage on it, since in the first weeks of ownership, my practice period, I would often smell a burning odor when I was not doing things smoothly. Once I got better I never smelt the odor again until a few days before the clutch gave out.
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I've got a mazda 6 v6 3.7 from the year 2010 with approx. 69000 miles on the clock. I noticed when going uphill at low or high speeds that the car seems to feel like it is shifting but it actually isn't. For example when I drive on the highway about 70 going up a hill it feels like it shifts every few seconds even on manual mode in 6th gear.
When I hit the gas it shifts back and I don't feel it anymore. At lower speeds it feels like it is doing a whole lot of shifting at low/medium acceleration. Again if I hit the gas and accelerate faster the car just goes normally up its gears. I think this is the torque converter doing this, but I am not sure whether it is normal?
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I have a 2006 Mazda 6 with 104k on it. The clutch started sticking a couple weeks ago right where it would engage into gear, and I'd have to use my foot to pop it back up. It only happened here and there until finally, it stuck to the floor and became very difficult, if not impossible, to get out of gear. So everywhere I looked, it seemed that the slave cylinder was the culprit. I got a new one at AutoZone, replaced it yesterday, and the car ran great last night and this morning.
Then, this afternoon, in one 10 mile trip, it went back to the original problem. Stuck with every gear change, then stuck to the floor after I pushed it in and darn near wouldn't come out of gear. What in the world could be the problem?
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Have an 07 Mazda6 with 110k miles. It developed a clunk in the right rear suspension about 6 months ago. Constant clunk at low speeds, whether small bumps, snow-covered roads, etc. Been to five different mechanics with no luck.
So far, the rear shocks have been replaced; made no difference. Stabilizer bar and end links were removed from car and driven carefully around the parking lot; no difference. New control arm lateral links installed; no difference. Top shock mount plate is tight, and rear coil springs removed and inspected during that process; no difference. No brake pad retaining pins are missing.
When I sit in the back of the car with the seats down, the sound seems to come from the top of the shock mounting area, but perhaps the noise is just traveling up through that area of the car.
Could it be a bad lower control arm bushing? Each mechanic checks them with a bar and reports little play. But I don't know where to go next. Car drives fine, but the noise is maddening.
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I own a 2006 Mazda 6i. I set out to replace my front brake pads and rotors last week. I was unable to jolt free the rotor screws, so I just replaced the brake pads. Last night I borrowed an impact drill and was able to get the rotor screws free on the one, but had to drill out the screws on the other. I put the new rotors on (one floating). Today, I am hearing a whistling/slight squeaking noise when I hit the brakes. I can also periodically hear a noise from the front right side when I'm driving and not hitting the brakes. I'm not sure if the rotors are whistling because they are brand new or if something may be wrong.
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Car Details : 2004 Mazda 6 V6 3.0 L engine automatic transmission with 88,000 miles
Car Problem Vignette : After driving for a bit, say 20-30 mins (after my engine gets hot), I start to smell a burning oil smell. I’ve looked under the hood at my engine and do notice some oil leaking from the engine. This is not just some simple oil leaking after an oil change. The oil appears to be coming out of the engine "seams" itself. This has persisted for some time now. This problem started at least a year and a half ago now (12/05/12). I’ve had a mechanic take a look at the oil leak and supposedly he fixed the head gasket or valve cover gasket (I’m not sure which one), but the problem never fully resolved.
In a related or unrelated situation (I’m not sure yet if it is related) during this time my car started to jerk and sputter when I drove, so much so that I wasn’t sure it was going to make it to work one morning. The check engine light came on and I eventually made it to work and back home that day. It gave me a code that said one of my cylinders was misfiring. I proceeded to change all of my spark plugs to no avail. I then changed out one of my ignition coils to the bad cylinder misfire. It fixed my problems with the stuttering and I could drive my car again without fear of stalling. However, I still smelled burning oil. Over time I eventually started to feel my car struggle to take off during acceleration which felt different from when my car seemed like it was going to jerk and sputter to a stall. During this time frame one day I was at a stop light and when I went to take off, a huge plume of bluish / white smoke came out the exhaust and I smoke-screened the people behind me. After that incident, I ended up changing my positive crankcase valve (PCV). After changing my PCV my car felt like brand-new again! I could not believe it! My car started accelerating smoothly and driving so much better. I felt like I had gotten the “Zoom Zoom” back for my Mazda.
Sadly this didn’t last long, maybe a month at the most. My car started struggling during acceleration again and I started smelling burning oil again. I have dealt with this for over a year now. My car still runs and gets me around, but I can’t remember the last time that my car ran smoothly or didn’t smell like burning oil except for that time I changed the PCV. I have never seen any kind of smoke coming out of my exhaust again like that one experience.
Problems:
•Burning oil smell coming from my engine due to leaking oil coming out the "seams" of the engine
•Car is struggling when accelerating especially at lower gears
•I feel it every so often when I accelerate somewhere between 2nd and 3rd gear that the car jerks and makes this “chunk” type sound and feeling when it shifts gears.
Questions:What is wrong with my car? Are all these situations related? And what do I need to do to stop the oil leak and acceleration problem?
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