I’m hoping to buy and went to see a MX-5 which I liked very much but with an issue. The engine make’s a “Tick Tick” noise when it runs. The dealer promissed that it will disapear after 10, 15 mins down the road and it had not been driven for a while. Later I found that this a well known issue (noisy tappets/HLAs) with this model (1998 mk1 1.8i with pop-up head lights , 80k mileage) and lot’s of things that you can try. but I’m not a mechanic and have little knowledge about engines…
Can someone please advice? if I buy the car can I get it fixed with out costing an arm and a leg?
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Cost a bit more than that, if I remember correctly they cost about £15 each, and there are 16 of them. This doesn’t include the labour charges, maybe another £200ish.
The engine needs a flush with something like Wynns engine flush a new filter and a nice fill up with a decent fully synthetic. Have a look through the FAQs and the garage section, this topic is frequently up for discusssion
Get him to prove it. Ask him to take you for a 10-15 minute run down the road - and if it doesn’t go (the noise, that is) ask him to keep driving until it does
thanks for the advice. I just told the dealer that I will leave a diposit for the car and make the final decision based on a machanics inspection. it will be his machanic who will do the inspection since I couldn’t get hold of mine because of the holidays. he will refund my deposit if i’m still not happy.
I think it’s as good as plan as any under the circumstances…she was indeed a good example and bang on my budget…yes I will definitely take her out on a drive before I buy it…
i would be a little bit concerned about using their mechanic because they are not unbiased and could turn around and say all is well just so they can make the sale,however you would have to use your own jugement on this as they may be a good garage who arent out to rip people off(hopefully),geoff was right a bout the extra cost to replace these when i changed mine yrs ago i didnt change all of them on my car as when removed it was obvious which ones were knackered and i only replaced several however to change all 16 this could be expensive.if the price is right on the car though and you can budget this into the cost i wouldnt lose to much sleep over this but as said b4 there are loads of examples so dont rush into anything(unlike me,bought mine and never even testdrove it and it broke down on the way home,luckily it was only the battery lead that had broken)anyways good luck as i said b4 youll defo enjoy it
I’m going to speak to my own garage before I meet dealer and his machanic. so I can get an unbiased realistic opinion before I meet them. To be honest it took my months to track down a exact model, year, color, mileage, well looked after car near to my home. that’s why I’m abit rushing this. his machanic will see the car free of charge anyways… will let you know how it goes… thanks
I went and bought the car and the tappets noise is gone just like the
dealer said and runs smoothly .
in the mornings it does makes noise from the cam belt. apperently this
is the alternater trying to compensate becuase the battery is bit low on
power. (or somthing like that). will get a new battery soon.
all in all it is a beautiful car and everyone says so. sure I will enjoy
for many many years to come.
if I may ask
what engine oil should I use in the summer?
what’s is the normal reading on the oil pressure gauge?
Try a CTEK or Accumate battery charger first. They are a useful thing to have if your car is only used as a weekend toy or is laid up over winter.
Use a good quality 5W-40 oil all year round and the tappet problem should be reduced.
The oil pressure gauge is fake on later Mk1s. It is driven by a switch rather than a proper analogue sender. Don’t worry unless the needle drops to zero, or retro fit the gauge and sender from an early engine.
If cam belt is making a noise, battery is not necessarily the problem. Your MX has done 80k, has it ever had a cam belt change? If not then it’s big time due to have one before the engine siezes up. Normally cam belt change should be done between 40 & 60 miles. This is the “rubber band” that keeps the engine running. Have it done sooner rather than later, the cost is worth it. (Cheaper than having to rebuild an engine) Hope useful, and enjoy your MX5 as much as we do. Paul & Trish
Just plain wrong information, the '5 engine is a non interference engine, which means that the valves do not come into contact with the piston crowns in the event of a cam belt failure.
Get it changed by all means if it’s outside the mileage/time recommended—
Correct. If the cam belt goes you’ll just come to an embarrasing rolling stop. Not good if you’re in the fast lane (or anywhere else for that matter) miles from home with no breakdown cover.
Thanks for the advice. my cam belt looks fairly new by its looks but I will get it checked soon. this noise is only in the morning and wont last more than a second…
by the way I have a new problem…now this is gonna sound ridiculous but here goes.
DO YOUR CARS GET CHIPPED?
I only had the car for a week. today my windscreen got chipped while on the dual carraigeway. little but visible. I wasnt even doing more than 60mph. also have several on the bonet already. I feel really bad because it was all in good condition when I bought it.
I often here tiny stones bouncing off the metal.
have you experienced this at all? or is it only me?
Thanks, I have already called AutoGlass to repair the windscreen. I was told that this repair will not cost my no claim…will have look at ChipsAway as well.
this got me wondering …when I look down the front number plate I can see the air filter (I think that is what it is) un protected. what if a stone fly in here through the vent openning?.. how do you guys deal with this? perhaps a protective grill like on them video adverts
or am I being paranoid?? I’m sure Mazda thought about this before they designed it…!!!
,luckily it was only the battery lead that had broken)anyways good luck as i said b4 youll defo enjoy it
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