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Mazda: plese reply, mazda 626 1992, cd stacker


Question
QUESTION: i have seen a mazda 626 1992 model..hatch back..fully loaded ..sunroof etc..and done 155kkm..but the only problem i found was that there is no adjustment in the driver seat for the height increase..as i am short in height...i would like to know if i compromise with this seat adjustment ..how is the car otherwise...i m going in for automatic..how is the transmission..its one owner car..what should i check while buying...thou the drive is good...
ANSWER: Mazda's 626 is a very reliable car that will continue to be a low maintenance vehicle well past 155,000 km. This is typical of all Japanese cars.

You may be able to have brackets made for the seat so that it sits a little higher too. I have seen several cars like this. The brackets generally consist of little more than a couple of pieces of channel iron with bolt holes in the right places. It's a very simple trick that would be easy for the average fabricator.

I have never heard any complaints about any of Mazda's front-wheel-drive automatic transmissions.

You mentioned that this car has a sunroof, and I think that this particular sunroof is opened with an electric motor. The tracks on these will wear out causing the roof to not close completely. You may want to open and close the roof once to make sure that it functions properly. However, if the roof does no work perfectly, it is not a big deal. It generally only requires that you gently push it up as it finishes closing.

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QUESTION: thank you very much for your help..but now the situation is slightly complexed as today i have seen one hyundai sonata 1999 ef gle it has done 122000km.it also has all the features advantage is seat adjustment and cd stacker with remote and cassate player..but these are cosmetics only...please advice ..sonata plus points are 1999 model instead of 1992 model and less kilometres but i dont know anyone who owns sonata..so .i have to decide by monday ..my son likes mazda ..may be because of its electric sunroof and its 2.5 /v6 ..where as sonata is 2lt 4 cyl..mazda has ABS brakes..both are in emaculate condition..mazda also has allo wheels..and a tow bar...i hope i am not confusing you..and till now sunroof is working fine i checked it..when u say mazda is low maintenance ..u mean after doing 155 k also it wont be problematic..it had one owner and service thru mazda dealer only...both are priced at 6000( mazda) and 6500 (sonata).shall i go for the warranty which will cost me another 5 or 6 hundred dollars..is it worth..the catch on it is that if i fail to service my car even once it will become void.how much does the normal service costs with both..PLEASE HELP..my heart says i should make my son happy by buying mazda..but he is a nice boy he will not mind any of my decesion..thanks..
ANSWER: There are pros and cons to both cars.

Hyundai pros:
Reliable, affordable

Hyundai cons:
Low resale value, not very much fun to drive

Mazda pros:
Reliable, reasonably priced (generally more expensive than a Hyundai), fun to drive

Mazda cons:
This particular Mazda has more km on it than the Hyundai in question.

The verdict:
This particular Hyundai is priced too high. The dealer needs to reduce the price so that it is less than the final price of the Mazda. I say "final price" because he may be ready to come down on both prices. Before you express interest in the Hyundai, see how low he will go on the Mazda. Then, see if he will drop the price of the Hyundai lower than the price of the Mazda. If he is unwilling to do that, then buy the Mazda.

As for the warranty, I have never been impressed with the service department of any dealership. Perhaps this is because I know when they are not telling me the truth; and, unfortunately, the question seems to be when, rather than if the dealer will be dishonest.

Since this warranty is only a couple hundred pounds, and repairs at a dealership often cost over 50 pounds, the dealer will "use up" the warranty if more than a few repairs are required. This means that the dealer is interested in charging you when ever he can find a way to do so; and believe me, he found ways to do so a long time ago. If you want to buy the warranty, do so with the full knowledge that the dealer will only honor the warranty as much as he must.

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QUESTION: both the cars are with the different dealers...even i was feeling that hyundai sonata is highly priced....i am in australia..so whatever i mention its in AUD DOLLARS..so hyundai is for 6500( he might come down to 6000) with no warranty...because the dealers warranty is only for three months...but the warranty i was thinking of buying was from some insurance companys,( dealers have couple to choose from..)and the mazda is priced at 6000 (without warranty)thats the lowest he would go..both the cars come with three month warranty,thats by law....you mean ..that hyundai should be less priced than mazda...besides the point tnat it has done less km and its later model...so for example if i get hyundai at 5000 only then i shall think of it owise if both are priced at 6000 i should go for mazda 626 1992..am i correct...and moreover if i think of resale of both the cars after 3/4 years....i will still get something for mazda but i will not get anything for hyundai....somewhere i read that mazda 626,with v6 and 2.5 gives 12/1000km...thats too much...and hyundai gives9.4/100km..i am talking about the city drive..and the dealer says the insurance company will only honour the warranty if the vehicle is serviced and books are stamped at the specified time always( with any service station)..and one last thing..how much do u think will cost me for the seat height adjustment..as u suggested the brackets thing done under the seat..please reply asap...monday morning i have to go and give the toen money...
ANSWER: You dilemma is really one of reliability vs. resale value. Yes the Hyundai will get better mileage, but it's not like the difference that you'd see between a 4 cyl Honda and a V8 Ford Falcon.

In America, a 4 year old Hyundai being sold through a news paper classified advertisement will sell for about $3,500.00 (USD). A 4 year old Mazda will sell for closer to 8,000.00. They are both good cars, the Mazda will simply hold its value much better.

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QUESTION: HI BRAIN..as u know i bought mazda 626 1992 hatchback 2 weeks back.it was running fine..it is still running fine but now for last two days it has started ...dont know how to explain you....like u know as i start the car..from 0 to 20 speed or 30...it gives a push..like i can feel that throw of changing the gear from 1st to 2nd or third..but it was not happening before..so i am very much worried that what it is..?? may be i only put half a tank petrol..bcoz the tank is too big in his ..its almost 65 lt..and day before it was almost on less than E when i was looking for petrol station ..and i thought may be bcoz it had less petrol it started giving me that throw..when it starts from 0 to 20...please tell me what shall i do..if i shall take it to the dealer how do i explain him..or shall i once fill the full tank..may be like in the scooters it happens when there is some rubbish in the carborator..does that happen in the car also..please advice.and the average is also very less like 8/100,and i feel the heaviness when i m on a little steep road..I am sad............help me..

Answer
It is possible that some debris could have gotten into the fuel line if the car was run low on gasoline.  It is also possible that air got into the line when the tank was run low.  In either event, the tank would have to be almost completely empty.  

Any debris in the fuel line should have been stopped in the fuel filter.  It may be a good idea to change that filter.  They're not terribly expensive (less than a tank of gas :) )

The tank in your car is pretty large. I would expect a car like that to have about a 48 litre tank. 65 litres is much larger than I would have suspected.

You wrote that the car fuel economy is 8litres per 100 km. That is decent fuel economy for a car with a V6. I do not suspect any problems there.

If changing the fuel filter does not solve your surging or hesitation problem then there may be air in the fuel line. If air in the fuel line is not the problem, then we will have to talk about all of the other things that could cause such a problem.