Please help quick reply needed

[KFDave]

Im looking at purchasing a 1995 323 Mazda Astina V6 tommorow night any hints on what to look out for as in is there anything wrong with the astinas. The cars done 140000 so its quiet decent but the price is quiet low so any ideas as to what would be wrong.
Please help guys it would be greatly apreciated

[Dogo]

nothing I can think of , they're pretty good cars.

the v6 should have ABS standard so do a hard brake test to make sure thats working.
a knocking sound when turning is a common complaint and easily fixed.

also , its always best to make sure it comes with road worthy certificate - to be sure its all ok.

[MrShadow]

Yep, as Dogo said, the only problem with this series is the knocking sound when turning. Most usually noticable when turning while braking. It's nothing to eb concerned about. Mine's had it for a while now. It's just annoying at times.

Good luck!

[woofy]

whats causes it?

[MrShadow]

There are others better palced to answer that, but I'll give it a go based on my understanding.

The brake calipers on the front produce this noise. There are some modified parts available, or you can just turn them around and that should fix the problem for a while. I had it described to me by an ex-mazda mechanic, but can't put it in such a good way...

[mike_d87]

clicking noise under brakes is actually the wheel bearings. due to weight on the front wheels the bearings wear down very quickly. i just replaced mine for about 450 for the front right. cv boots/joints r a common issue, which is the noise while turning. check if their is a dash speaker and if it is working. i havent been able to find a replacement for mine (mine is the 1.8 so i dont no if theyre the same)

[woofy]

normally a knocking while turning is the CV's are stuffed..but I'm guessing that astinas have a unique prob which is what Mr Shadow has answered.

[mike_d87]

u can think wat u want but i have replaced slide pins, pads, discs, fluid, hubs and bearings and it was the bearings that made the difference. y would the brakes make a noise if they werent being used?? sure they r creating friction constantly but if it was the brakes it would be grinding/squealing/grating etc. not a knocking

[Cosmo Dude]

The CV issue is more to do with front wheel drive than Astinas or Mazdas. The brake pins is an Astina related issue but it only causes a clunk which is annoying not a failure.
The hatch has more visual mods available than the hardtop if that's important.

Oh yeah the Mazda fog/driving lights are realy expensive, they come standard with a V6 so it's no biggie.

[mike_d87]

the brake pins make the clunking from lack of lubrication, so ur right cosmo. if it happens all u need to do is get some axle grease or bearing grease

[KFDave]

Well i went and looked at it and it had obviously been in an accident it has some putty on the left rear around the petrol cap and it cracking and peeling because of the movement so obviously they didnt replace the panel but just puttied and resprayed. Thats not my biggest concern though (its seems to be a little accident only on the back quater panel) theres a knocking in the engine and now obviouly it would be hard to diagnose without looking at the car but do you think its just a simple case of timing belt or something more sinister? Also the airbags have been popped im guessing from the accident how much if anyone knows are these to replace?

[boostedbatman]

Dave I would be looking into the accident a bit further to determine what type of bingle it was. If it was a rear accident then It requires quite a knock to deploy the airbags and I would be concerned with the chassis straightness and condition of things such as suspension and brakes. I was hit from behind early last year and that was not enough to deploy the airbags but was enough to warrant a $10500 rebuild (Mazd genuine parts caused a higher than expected bill but the idea is there. look closely at any car which has been in an accident regardless of how bad it was just to be on the safe side as you will be the one to inherit the follow up dramas

Originally Posted by KFDave

Well i went and looked at it and it had obviously been in an accident it has some putty on the left rear around the petrol cap and it cracking and peeling because of the movement so obviously they didnt replace the panel but just puttied and resprayed. Thats not my biggest concern though (its seems to be a little accident only on the back quater panel) theres a knocking in the engine and now obviouly it would be hard to diagnose without looking at the car but do you think its just a simple case of timing belt or something more sinister? Also the airbags have been popped im guessing from the accident how much if anyone knows are these to replace?

[woofy]

doesn't sound good that car...walk away..shoddy repairs are never a good sign, airbags cost a fortune to redo....1000's and 1000's some cars about 7k each time.

[MrShadow]

Originally Posted by mike_d87

the brake pins make the clunking from lack of lubrication, so ur right cosmo. if it happens all u need to do is get some axle grease or bearing grease

Been there, done that. Still knocking.

[KFDave]

Damn AIRBAGS!!! got a estimate from mazda minimum of 2grand! what the hell is that! I really liked that car too

[mike_d87]

Shadow: u need wheel bearings and hubs!!!

[MrShadow]

Originally Posted by mike_d87

Shadow: u need wheel bearings and hubs!!!

Been there, done that. Had a pit in my LHS front wheel bearing... But if it was wheel bearings and hubs, why does it still happen when I'm stopped???

[DrSilver]

umm...I had the same clunking noise when braking in my BG. I bought new pins from mazda(cost a fortune!), but they fixed the problem! The pins apparently wear out and when the surface of the pin becomes uneven(no matter how much grease you put), it makes a clunking noise when braking&turning.

[sOuL_323]

you know ive got a knocking sound in my protege, and its coming from my pod filter when i either *turn the steering wheel or * drop to 1000 revs....plz explain?? my freinds say its coming from the pod filter.

[MrShadow]

Mabey we should move parts of this to the appropriate forum...