Low mileage 1994 Mazda MX-6 LS

[Doug]

1994 Mazda MX-6 LS - V6 - 135,000 km (95,000 miles) - standard transmission

I used to receive the same mileage of my neighbour same car. He gets about 525 km per tank (8.38 litres/100km. However, I get only 11 litres / 100 km or 400 km a tank. Ever since I had a tune-up a number of years ago (1999), the mileage has been bad. The service done at that time was a rad flush and fill, "service transmission, motorval service & throttle plates", replace: sparks, dist cap, rotor, fuel filter, air filter and PCV valve and rotate tires.

Since then I have replaced the sparks, wires, distributor, air filter, rotor, fuel filter, air filter and PCV valve. I check the tire pressure regularly and the tire alignment has been done. My driving is a 60/40 mix of city and highway.

When I changed the spark plugs there was a bit of oil in cylinder 6.

I tried using the Emission cleaning additive but no help.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[DanD]

There so may things that can affect fuel mileage that it’s going to be hard to tell you what the actual cause or causes are.
Dirty injectors, defective injectors, adjustments (if any), engine temperature, an input sensor slightly out of range, carbon build up, restricted exhaust, transmission slippage right down to the alignment that has nothing at all to do with the running of the vehicle.
I guess one of the first things to do is have the computer scanned. Not so much for codes but to have a look at sensor input data.
Things like a lazy O2 sensor that is continually sending a lean indication to the computer, in turn the computer would enrich the fuel mixture, until the O2(s) responds.
Engine coolant temperature sensor, whether it is capable of sending an accurate reading; if the computer thinks the engine is cold it again will add more fuel.
There are hundreds of other scenarios like the few I mentioned; that a sensor is still running within their range (but to their extreme edge) that would not set a fault code or cause any derivability concerns but throw a wrench into your fuel mileage.
Sorry I don’t have one of those; here you go fixes. A good tech that is familiar with your vehicles management systems, armed with all the information you can provide them about your cars history; they along with your help should be able to get this sorted out.
Dan

[Doug]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for your great advice. Would a local service station be equipped with computer diagnostic equipment or would I have (and be better served) to see a Mazda dealer for this type of test?

Thanks again,
Doug

[DanD]

That’s another hard question to answer, if you wear here in London I could direct you to a couple of very well versed shops in imports. I would also be able to tell you what dealership to stay away from. So I would ask your friends and family who they’ve had some experience with, in the hope of finding a shop that will fit your needs.
Don’t be afraid to go into a shop and ask questions, as to what training the tech’s have had, just don’t let bull crap baffle brains. The kid in the lube rack of a very fancy looking shop may have been flipping burgers last week at the golden arches. LOL
Another place you could go to, is your local parts supplier, they’ll know what places have a good reputation. Maybe even bribe them with a round of coffee, a little sugar goes a long way. LOL
Dan.

[re-tired]

Good advise dan . Does ASE certification have any weight up there , anything similar? BtW have you seen a guy in a red suit headed this way?

[DanD]

ASE here doesn’t seem to mean a whole lot, other then a patch for your shirt. LOL Joking aside since Carquest, Napa and a few other, US based part suppliers have came to Canada, I’m seeing more advertising for ASE certification.
Here it’s a legal requirement, before you can call yourself a licensed technician, to go through a 9000-hour apprenticeship contract, 32 weeks of classroom training at a community collage. With exams every quarter, that must be passed before they can continue.
After that a licensed technician in charge of training this apprentice signs an (for lack of a better word) affidavit style of book, that lists every conceivable automotive repair thinkable. Stating that the apprentice has been trained and now can complete these automotive repairs on his own.
Now the apprentice is eligible to sit and write a 4-hour long certificate of qualification exam. That they need to achieve at least a 60% score to receive a provincial license, above 75% they would receive an inter-provincial license. The Ministry of Education and Collages Canada governs all this, very strictly I might add.
Guess what, after all that they still don’t get a patch for their shirt. LOL
No a certificate doesn’t make them gods gift to the automotive industry, but it does show their commitment to the trade.
It’s also a legal requirement that a repair facility has at least one licensed tech, before that facility is granted a garage license to perform safety-related work. The Ministry of Transportation governs that.
I know, we’re Ministried to death here but it’s their way of assuring the public that a trained professional is working on their vehicle and that person will be held accountable if there were to be negligence leading to an accident.
Shortly after I was licensed the Ministry came into the shop where I was the only licensed person and of course I had forgotten my wallet that day, where my license was. They shut down the shop, until I went home to get it, to prove I was in fact who I said I was.
Dan.

I almost forgot No I haven’t seen him yet, my wife said he’s not coming to my house this year. I guess I’ve been a knotty boy this past year. LOL
Merry Christmas everybody.

[Doug]

Hi,

Can anybody recommend an auto service location that would be equipped with diagnostic equipment and honest ;D. I live in Toronto in the west end near Jane and Bloor / Dundas area.

Thanks,
Doug

[re-tired]

Dan , I am quite impressed with the certification process up there. The stricter the better .They need weed out the wanna bees and the poke & hope parts changers.. I hope that the pay scale for the truly qualified reflects their commitment. Down here you can have a masters in mechanical engineering and the guy next door with a plastic toolbox will start under cutting you. Yea eventually it will catch up to him ,if you can cover your overhead long enough , plus you come off looking like a price gouger.My hats off to ya.

[DanD]

Doug
I’ll try and email some friends of mine that live in TO and see if they don’t know of a shop close to you. They’re not in the trade but they own a couple of Mazda’s. All I have is their work addy so it maybe after the holidays before they get back to me.

re-tired we have the same problem here with people undercutting each other; I guess it’s part of business but they don’t know how much they are hurting the trade.
I don’t think it’ll ever change though, until we form some sort of Co.Op. or alliance (I won’t say union) in an attempt to weed these people out, so that we could get the wage we deserve.
Here’s a good one for you; the same government that put in all the requirements to become a technician won’t allow that tech to use any of their hand tools as tax deductions. Between my two techs and the apprentice they have to have close to $50.000 or more in their boxes, but their recites for these tool are completely useless. Doesn’t even make good toilet paper. LOL The government considers hand tools along the same lines as coin collections and hobby items like fishing equipment. You know the same as me there isn’t a garage that would hire a tech without their own tools.
Sorry Doug didn’t mean to hijack your thread, but it’s something a lot of people don’t know.
Dan.

PS; You can tell my kids aren’t kids anymore it’s almost 8am here on Christmas morning and I’m the only one out of bed. I can see the tree from here at the computer desk and Santa did come last night, whether there’s anything for me I don’t know. My wife still insists I was bad last year and we all know the wife is never wrong, just ask her. LOL
Dan.

[re-tired]

Sorry ,did not mean to change the post either. But your right , more average joes need to know what we are up against. Tell the missus MERRY CHRISTMAS .

[Doug]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for your continued assistance.

I called a local Mazda dealer and they said hooking up for a diagnostic would cost 1 hour ($85). More concerned with the work that they will be doing afterwards.

Any other suggestions from your contacts would be great!

Good luck in the new year!
Doug

[DanD]

No sorry they haven't replied to my email yet.
Dan