Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven?

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Mon 29 Apr 2013 13:43
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - theymademedoit

Hi,

I just bought a 2002 Mazda 6 2L TS petrol yesterday.

It’s got 62k on it but the service history was not good.

I checked out all the DVLA records on the MOT’s and it all ties in.

It’s a great looking car and is immaculate in and out and sounds awesome.

My question is does this have a Cam belt or is it chain driven?

I really need to know so I can plan to get it done soon.

Also when I was driving into my work car park, I was taking it slow and when I turned the steering wheel left there was a sort of squeaking sound, a bit like brakes squeaking.

Any ideas what this could be?

Al

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 15:34
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Peter D

I suggest you open the bonnet and look. Plastic covers at the pulley end indicate it is a cam belt engine. Which it is. Regards Peter

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 17:07
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - theymademedoit

Hi,

Just called a Mazda dealer and he said it was chain when I gave him the plate number.

Guess I am in luck.

Thanks anyway.

Al

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 17:45
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Peter D

Lift the bonnet and check. Many sites list this model as a belt engine.

http://www.mytimingbelt.com/Results.aspx?ModelId=52

Regards Peter

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 19:18
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - theymademedoit

Peter, that page refers to the diesel, mines petrol.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 20:16
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Peter D

I did not spot the D. Sorry about that. Regards Peter

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 20:35
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - balleballe

All Mazda petrols are chain cam

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Apr 2013 23:52
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Collos25

Why are you lucky it costs a lot lot more to change the timing chain and running gear than a timing belt and this series of engines is not the best.A long life belt will probably out live a timing chain.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Apr 2013 00:06
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - likerocks

what is wrong with the Mazda MZR petrol engines? I thought they were well regarded?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Apr 2013 14:27
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - balleballe

The petrol mazda engines are pretty good. Not heard of much in way of chain issues with them.

Cant remember the last time the Japanese manufacturers had a chain problem with a petrol

My Mazda 6 2.0l petrol had 112k on it before it was unfortunantly written off - chain was fine.

My Current Mazda 3 2.0l petrol has 88k on it - again, no problems

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Apr 2013 14:29
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Collos25

"Cant remember the last time the Japanese manufacturers had a chain problem with a petrol"

Try anything made by Nissan for starters.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Apr 2013 14:30
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - balleballe

When did the issue begin with Nissans timing chain?

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 2 May 2013 17:06
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - xtrailman

I've driven Nissans with chains for over 17 years now, never had to change a chain.

Some early xtrails had a problem with the chain tensioner, which is different to having to change a chain.

Chain evertime for me, belts are only fitted to save money.

Moving on to a Mazda CX-5 next again with a chain.

Also had cars with a belt, and usually had them changed well before the due period.

My choice is chain.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 2 May 2013 18:02
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - FP

Ignore Collos - he's in an even more dour mood than usual.

My indy, who sees a lot of different engines, would go for chain every time.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 3 May 2013 17:29
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - balleballe

I woud only go for chain if It was Japanese unfortunantly.

Nissan, I would have to research more into, as the chain issues they were having a while back was due to their partnership with Renault

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 29 Jun 2015 15:13
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - DukeNukem

True Japanese engines do not have timing chain issues at all. Japanese cars made in Japan do not have significant engineering or design issues.

Japanese cars made from Japanese components such as some Honda Accords for instance 'manufactured' in a European factory at some time in the past are not the same as the Japanese cars described above.

Nissan timing chain issues are related to Renault diesel engines that Nissan used when they were unable to develop their own engine in time to meet their marketing goals.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 30 Apr 2013 02:40
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - 1litregolfeater

"I suggest you open the bonnet and look"

Don't say that, he's going to ask how to open the bonnet!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 3 May 2013 10:18
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Collos25

Tin opener?

Tell all the people with K Micra series or Nissan Primera google this site if you don.t believe me.VW recalled every 1.4 chain driven engine due to faulty parts as did BMW on the 1 series incidently my sons 330 has been recalled by BWM timing chain problems,they may have been good once upon a time but that time has passed a long life belt anytime for cost and secuity..

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 5 May 2013 09:53
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - xtrailman

If a cheap tensioner is used it makes no difference wether a belt or chain is used?

If belts are so good why don't cycles use them etc.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 5 May 2013 11:58
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - unthrottled

If belts are so good why don't cycles use them etc.

Because the width of a belt is greater than that of an equivalent chain. Which limits the number of ratios on the cassette. Drive efficiency is better with a chain-if it is clean (mosty aren't!).

Not an issue with car engines.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 5 May 2013 14:09
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - Ordovices

Trek, Specialized, Focus, Raleigh, Co motion, Scott, Smart all make belt drive bicycles, mainly "urban" models.

Not exactly small players in the world of bikes.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 6 May 2013 11:00
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - lordwoody

"If belts are so good why don't cycles use them etc."

Here's one....

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/revolution-belter-12?bct=browse%2fbicycles

Edited by lordwoody on 06/05/2013 at 11:00

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 6 May 2013 22:57
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - xtrailman

Thanks for the link.

Things are certainly changing, some motor bikes are also using a belt, but i wasn't aware that cycles were.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 7 May 2013 08:59
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - theymademedoit

You are not funny.

Just because I asked a question on a subject matter that I am new to I get flamed by you?

Grow up!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 7 May 2013 12:03
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - FP

Who flamed who? What did I miss?

Was it the comment about opening the bonnet? If so, it was flippant, yes, but nothing more, I would have thought.

It is possible to be over-sensitive, you know.

Your question did provoke a good discussion and, I suspect, spawned the other thread about cambelt versus chain.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 7 May 2013 13:14
Mazda 6 - Is my Mazda 6 belt or chain driven? - theymademedoit

Ok, maybe I did get a little sensitive.

Sorry!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide