PCV Hose Gone Bad - Advice Needed

[cpapashley]

and excellent ramblings at that saerandy, must have been a good turkey...

Some very good reflections there, and definitely needs to be considered before delving into the DIY avenue...

[bubba]

I would agree very much so cpap. Good ramblings and excellent information saerandy.
Buuuuuttttt $265. You have got to be kidding. The part is in the $60-65 dollar range and that sounds ok but where is the rest of the money going? No the tsb was not in error. It really does only take 5 minutes to replace one so the 24 minutes that the recall provided was not good at first but once you got used to replacing them it was a 5 minute deal. I can see charging $100 as that is our usual charge for a PCV hose problem/replace but that is still in the $100-125 area. What in the world are they charging for a labor rate??? $300 per hour???

Uhhhh is that MPVclub mechanic offer still open subearu?? Flight to Tampa sounds sweet!!! Faulty hose would be replaced in 5 minutes if I could actually get on the plane with the pliers. Probably not as it would be confiscated as a weapon. I might get the pilot in a pinky hold with my vise grips. Oh well, Could just get a new one down there.

[Skeptical]

Happy Thanksgiving Guys!

Despite your prompt and excellent advice, the dealership has already made the repair with the phone permission of my husband. I did speak to the service manager and he agreed to let me talk to Mazda HQ before I had to pay the bill (a very nice courtesy, I think). I wasn't able to request the additional maintenance procedures so nicely recommended by saerandy. They did not charge me for the diagnostic. The part listed as $65.50 and the labor was as I said before (I don't have the paper in front of me - for 1 1/2 hours).

I took it to the dealer because they gave the best quote for the diagnostic, and I planned to compare prices on the recommended repair. My husband was the one to quickly agree to the quote and give the go-ahead. I actually loathe bringing my car to the dealer for unwarranteed repairs. Their prices are much higher, I don't trust anything they tell me, and I don't think they do as good a job. I think I can say accurately that I have had bad experiences every time I've taken a car to one for repairs. Guess I just didn't learn.

When I call Mazda on Monday, I plan to ask for a reduction or waiver of the cost due to the recall and service done in '04, or due to an overcharge on the part or labor involved.

Thank you so much for your input so far. I will be sure to visit you in the future BEFORE I go to the mechanic.

[cpapashley]

Yes, sometimes the hasty decisions are not the best.

Always so welcome to call in and ask away, lots of very experienced heads on here that can offer excellent, sensible advice and suggestions. Please let us know how you fair with Mazda, it is good to know any concessions they provide for customers as it then gives others the ability to be aware of a bigger picture than just there local dealer...

[summer]

I'm so glad I found this forum.

I have an '03 MPV with 78K miles one it. We bought it used in '04 and have loved it. Had the recall repair done on the hose in '05. When we pulled out the bad hose today it looks exactly like the pic above.

I'm already in the hole 116.00 for the Bank one sensor one O2 sensor, 60 dollars for the IAC part, and 40.00 for a totally useless computer read at a local garage (which showed identical codes to Advance Auto's free reader, 0031 0131 0174)

I do my own repairs for the most part (my dad helps a little, as the expert witness), so save on labor...but I could HEAR the vacuum leak! I knew it was there! And beside the 0174 code they gave me they wrote "system too lean" beside it- I see in another post somewhere that that code alerts to vacuum problems?

anyway my dad and I messed with the hose today and it disintegrated in his fingers at the end. Except it's at the bad end, the one everyone says "don't disconnect that part!". He says he couldn't even see it, it was as far back as he could reach his hand. (but when the hose came off and he stuck is finger in the hole, the car purred like the fine machine I know that it is)

Can anyone point me in the right direction as to how to get at where we need to be to fix this? The hose is in pieces and so I couldn't take the car anywhere even if I did have the money. We're hoping to order the part (can anyone link me to where I can do that?) and get the car repaired over the weekend before next week's hectic schedule. (my daughter is having surgery)

Also, someone said they found a match at the ford dealer? Any idea what ford part number that would be? I don't have a local Mazda dealer.

Oh, and Hi. I'm Summer, and my husband thinks I'm stubborn and annoying because I don't like to take the car to a shop for repairs. I've repaired my 70's and 80's cars but this is the newest car I've ever tried to create a relationship with. We're still on rocky ground, due to the side lying engine of doom.

[subearu]

Welcome to the club! Not too many female wrenchers out there. Glad to have you on the board!

You might want to take a look at this thread http://forum.mpvclub.com/viewtopic.php?t=17565 - it is the thread for replacing the coils on each spark plug. However, there are good pictures and instructions on removing the top pieces of the motor so you can get back to the PCV hose easier.

Here's another post with the part # http://forum.mpvclub.com/viewtopic.php?p=160426 - might want to try http://mazdastuff.com or Trusville Mazda - both online places and reasonable.

-Brian

[summer]

Thanks! I knew I'd seen that coil thread somewhere but couldn't find it. This will be so helpful. Off to order the part now! Wish me luck this weekend! I'll take pics and post them, of the dead hose. Should we be lodging complaints with Mazda about their recall repairs being faulty?

[summer]

I'm not finding this part anywhere online! It seems like the only mazda parts I can buy are wiper blades etc? Where is everyone getting their replacement hose?

[subearu]

You can call Mazda South (MazdaStuff), the parts guy is very helpful and should be able to hook you up with the part.

-Brian

[AU02LX]

It can be replaced easily without removing the intake. Ours was idling rough, then CEL came on. Wife carried it to the dealer ($95 for diagnostics) ran the VIN and said the recall had been done some time ago but that it was the PCV hose. They wanted $244 to replace the hose. Ordered the hose for $75 and got it today. Worked about 45 minuted to get the old one off and replace. Most of the time spent trying to get the old one off. Finally took loose the brake booster hose and the other vacuum hose on the back of the intake so I could get to it with two hands, then it came off fairly easily. Putting the new one on was a snap. Had to use zip ties to keep it off the EGR pipe but everything's good now. Just a tight reach and working by feel.

[summer]

we fixed the hose! we took off the air cleaner stuff and took the battery out. Other than that it was fine.

what's not fine is, although the idle is perfect, the car still sputters sometimes when accelerating. CEL is not on, and it's been since Sunday I've been driving. Shouldn't it be back on by now, especially if I'm having multi cylinder misfire or some such thing?

Can someone tell me about the fuel filter in this car? Is there really only one, inside the tank?

My dad said to replace the PCV valve itself.

Oh, and... the PCV hose when we removed it, had oil all inside. Could that be a problem with the vacuum that pulled oil into it, or could oil have leaked into it when the huge hole was there at the end, or do I have an oil leak causing this?

[12Ounce]

Congrats on fixing the hose. I'm not sure about your engine, but our 2000 2.5L V6 shares many components with the V6 engine in the mid-ninties Ford Contour. Saved me a great deal of money when I rebuilt the 2000's engine. I bet there is some Ford application of a similar engine to yours.

It's not a huge task to remove the upper air intake assembly ... and you may find an opportunity to do some very effective cleaning. Mine was loaded with build-up ... not real sure why ... perhaps because the kids never serviced the intake air filter. If you do this task, be sure to separate the throttle body from the air intake manifold ... this is the troubled area.

Yup, there is probably only the in-tank gasoline pump screen/filter on your model ... just as on ours. The good news is, Mazda provides a thru-the floorboard access door that makes it fairly easy to service.

[jdreyer29]

Thanks for all the advise! I first changed the front 3 plugs and started to remove the intake manifold to get to the rear 3 when I saw the PCV "recall" issue. I inspected the hose at the manifold and found a hole on both sides of the hose about 3-4mm in dia. This was a saturday, so getting a mazda part from a dealer was out of the question, and I'm so glad it was. I spent $3 and got a 1" 90degree copper elbow and a 1" to 3/4" reducer, sweated them together, but a piece of hose and clamps on either side and I was in business! I don't think the copper elbow will melt as quick as the POS mazda used to "fix" the problem. Due to lack of time and being alone with 3 kids under the age of 6 I didn't get a chance to remove the manifold. I was honestly having somewhat of a difficult time getting it removed in the first place. A had all the obvious bolts and hoses/electric removed, but still couldn't seem to get it 100% off. It was quite loose, but not free. Any suggestions for when I have time to get back to the rear 3 plugs???