I've a mazda 6 2010 without an engine too. I had the car 7 weeks when The oil light flickered on and off and after 3 miles I pulled over to dip the car for oil. It was full so I rang my mechanic who collected the car. He rang me an hour later to tell me there was serious engine damage. He dropped the sump to find the oil strainer blocked with carbon sludge and steel filings. The filings are from some major bearings somewhere in the engine. So what's the cause and who's fault is it? Either the injectors are leaking fuel into the engine, which in turn is mixing with the oil and changing the properties of the oil, it normally acts as a lubricant but also cools the engine. Now here is where I post an opinion of a former mazda technician who worked on many mazdas with this blocked sump strainer problem. Apparently when you get your car serviced with mazda they are told drop the sump and check the strainer as part of the service, this alone tells me that mazda know that there is a problem with there diesels. Every time the DPF filter regenerates it releases some diesel into the engine which again changes the oil and affects its properties, which means it can't keep the metal parts of the engine cool enough, so what happens with the heat and the friction is that the softest part of the engine gives way. This is usually the crank bearings, which is the metal filings that mix with the oil and finish up in the sump oil strainer. This in turn prevents the oil pump from picking up any oil which is a double whammy for the lubrication of the engine. This can cause failure of the engine and sometimes the turbo can also be seriously damaged. I hope someone out there will take mazda to court over this as for me I don't have the cash to risk on a big court case. Apparently this is not just a maxes problem plenty of Audi and Toyota landcrusers out there with similar problems too. I hope this helps explain the problem a bit more.

i have rang mazda and they don't want to know about it, and the dealer ( not a mazda dealer) refuses to repair or refund me so if i go the legal route, i cant afford to lose. any advice. Read more

Good morning

Ford Focus (2004) is draining battery overnight. Two diagnostics (£90 each) - First one signalled problem with the radio which was disconnected. Low and behold next day battery was still dead. Second one pointed to a problem with the central locking system in the drivers door. Part purchased, installed and after much labour expense at two garages, the car seemed to be running fine. Radio reconnected with new fuse and was working fine for around one week. Not been started for a few days over Xmas and back to square one. It's had two new batteries in past 12 months and alternator testing fine.

The past two days it has been completely drained in the morning, despite being hooked up to a charger all of yesterday. The radio is flashing up with the code message when I get it in to the car which would usually only happen after reconnecting or installing a new battery. I don't know an awful lot but this would signal to me that there is a problem here which could be draining the battery. Before I take to the garage for even more investigation work, any ideas on what this could be? I'm tearing my hair out not knowing if car will start each morning!

Many thanks Read more

hi

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Today my 2012 plate Passat (2.0L diesel blue motion estate SE) has rolled down a hill when I thought the EPB had come on automatically.

This has caused significant damage to my car and two others.

I'd got used to the parking brake kicking in automatically, however today can not advise if I have switched it on manually myself or just anticipated that it has come on automatically as previously expected.

What I can confirm is that in the past few days I've noticed on my drive, that I was having to switch it on where previously it would just lock on automatically as soon as I'd stopped the vehicle.

From other VW's drivers experience does this brake come on automatically for you?.... Or have I possibly switched off the automatic function somehow?... Unwittingly if I have. Personally I don't believe that I have.

From the basic research I've managed to complete today, I note that 'Which' have reported similar faults in 05-2010 Passats. And even went as far as to suggest VW should have instructed a recall.

As it stands I'm facing a £450 excess bill as well as an increase in premiums. My local VW dealer has agreed to have a look at the parking brake tomorrow, and complete diagnostic tests. If any of you have had similar issues with this parking brake, or know people who have, your input tonight might prove very valuable, as my belief is that this is a fault, and if I can prove that VW are responsible they will have to foot the bill and consequently save me a lot of money which as it stands I could well do without.

It might well conclude that you tell me that I've switched off the automatic parking brake .... Any help/guidance tonight before I take it in to VW would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Mark Read more

I bought this in May last year. Since then I have done 7000 miles, including approx two 30 mins journey per week, and the occasional long journey. I thought this would be enough to avoid DPF problems, but it looks like I need a new one.

Clearly I have to fix but should I... Read more