Saving a 2008 Speed3

[Shadowplane676]

It all began on a damp Friday evening...

no, really, it did.

Having been a Mazda family for over a decade, my wife and I routinely keep an eye out for less common Mazda cars (as evidenced by our 1986 RX7 GXL Resto-mod project car). While passing the dreary Friday evening perusing Facebook, she happened across a post from a 3rd degree acquaintance asking what cars fetched when sold for scrap. The acquaintance had listed 3 vehicles and one was stated as being a 2008 Mazdaspeed 3. My wife asked if this is one we would be interested in and I said, if it truly was a Mazdaspeed 3, most definitely!

We reached out and waited patiently, rain falling outside the window and confirmed the Mazda really was a speed 3 by VIN. Additionally, we found out that it had been parked for over a year for personal and mechanical reasons. When we inquired about what they would ask for selling the Mazdaspeed 3, they asked a VERY reasonable price. We responded with an emphatic "we will be there in the morning with a trailer!" So began the revival of a Mazdaspeed 3 that was mere days from the crusher.



Status Evaluation

We were able to get the Speed 3 briefly started but it wouldn't stay running enough to drive on to the trailer. Fortunately a winch and 30 minutes later, we were loaded up and the Black Mica MazdaSpeed 3 GT was on the way to it's new home. After some research that evening (on www.mazdaspeedforum.org/forum coincidentally), along with a new battery, the culprit for why she wouldn't stay running was quickly found and remedied. The main coil ground was bolted to the valve cover under the cam sensor bolt. Not an ideal ground path to say the least. once the ground was moved to the correct location, she fired right up and has been running more or less decently since.

Upon further inspection, the car had Eibach lowering springs, Koni yellows on all four corners, what I assume are whiteline sway bars at both ends (silver painted, 2 position adjustable on the front), Mazdaspeed Cold air intake, Mazdaspeed cat-back exhaust and aftermarket 18" rims. Not too bad considering. Despite the apparent upgrade parts, there are a number of items to cross off the "fix-it" list. Some suspension clunks in the front end, a CEL and an SRS airbag light were the main culprits. There is some hail dings and various other scrapes and bangs, but the chassis is rust free, relatively low mileage at 74k and in decent shape.

I did find out further history on the car. It was sold at the Mazda dealer local to me originally, but was service-history dark for a long time. The previous owner supposedly purchased the car from a Mazda tech or enthusiast, however it is also reported that the tech/enthusiast had a larger turbo on it resulting in a blown engine. It is reported that they then replaced the motor with a stock configuration motor resulting in the state we found the car.



The Resto-modding begins

I have taken care of at least two suspension issues so far in the manner of new sway bar end links and replacing the driver's side CV axle. Trans is going to be refilled with Ford MTX fluid. Additionally, the Eibachs are being swapped out for stock replacement springs, as the Speed will be more of a mildly warmed over stock car. Since I was that far into the left front suspension, it was prudent to replace the ball joint as well. This will be done on the passenger side for the same reason. As for the CEL, it was being triggered from the engine not coming up to temp, so a new thermostat and temp sensor have been installed.

The SRS light was able to be narrowed down to a resistance difference on the left side A-pillar airbag, however it may just be corrosion on a connector rather than a faulty SRS module. with any luck, it just needs a connector cleaned and not the airbag replaced (if so, will a regular Mazda 3 A-pillar airbag work?). Lastly, since going fast is easy but stopping is the hard part, some stoptech braided brake flex lines are ready to go in along with a brake fluid flush.

One step at a time...

[Shadowplane676]

Spent some time Sunday working on the passenger side suspension. This time, disassembly was much quicker and orderly than the left side. Unfortunately it appears that the passenger side axle is also exhibiting excessive play. Additionally the lower ball joint was suspect as well.

Fortunately the local parts store had the correct axle and I already had a replacement ball joint. With the proper tools, the ball joint was replaced easily enough, but the axle wouldn't budge. I am currently waiting on the appropriate slide hammer and adapter to pop the axle in short order.

I am tempted to replace the passenger axle seal while I am in this deep and examine the intermediate shaft carrier bearing. Given the age and sorted history, it seems like it may be prudent.

[Jeff23spl]

nice work!

Next time you would better replace the whole control arm with the lower balljoint as a single part to get new bushing at the same time. (Worn bushing increase torque steer and wheel hop while starting and these cars can easily makes good amount of torque)

There is a lot of parts identical with a n/a 3, i would expect the SRS system is the same if the base model is equipped with a pillar bags also.

The front steering and suspension is a bit different, the balljoint are larger but you can compare Mazda part numbers with some online oem part store to be sure.

[Shadowplane676]

Thanks for the info. I am still figuring out the platform so advice is definitely appreciated.

Regarding the control arms, prior to working on the suspension, I had not experienced any torque steer or wheel hop. As I am going for something that is still relatively stock-ish, I opted to wait on the bushings for now. Once we turn up the power a bit, I wouldn't be surprised if I have to revisit the control arm bushings, but for now they seem to be fine.

I suspected the SRS/airbag system would be mostly similar to a same year N/A hatchback. Hopefully I just need to clean a connector and be done. Replacing the curtain air bag will take a good bit of interior disassembly from what I have read in the FSM.

[Jeff23spl]

i never replaced SRS in the A pillar but the plastic above can easily be removed for what i know when i pulled it to install wires there.

the 3 didn't change much between 2006-09 but stay away of 04-05, they have many differences...

[MSMS3]

@Shadowplane676;

Fantastic story of redemption and salvation! MS3s deserve this care. Thank you for saving this car, literally resurrecting it. Forgive the religious analogy.

I do have a question about locally sourcing axles. The MS3 axles are much stronger than those for the same year regular Mazda 3. I think the Mazda 3 axles will fit, but . . .

[Benny71]

Originally Posted by MSMS3 @Shadowplane676; Fantastic story of redemption and salvation! MS3s deserve this care. Thank you for saving this car, literally resurrecting it. Forgive the religious analogy. I do have a question about locally sourcing axles. The MS3 axles are much stronger than those for the same year regular Mazda 3. I think the Mazda 3 axles will fit, but . . .

I have bought DTA axles from the axlestore on eBay and they are working out fantastic. You get both front axles for $141. They are identical to the OEM axles. Hope that helps.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-New-DTA-F...gAAOxyPH9RtiJo

[MSMS3]

Originally Posted by Benny71 I have bought DTA axles from the axlestore on eBay and they are working out fantastic. You get both front axles for $141. They are identical to the OEM axles. Hope that helps. https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-New-DTA-F...gAAOxyPH9RtiJo

Benny, you may be the exception. I don’t have the threads at my fingertips, but I recall numerous complaints in this forum about DTA failures on our MS3 axles. Glad it is working for you, though.

[Benny71]

Originally Posted by MSMS3 Benny, you may be the exception. I don’t have the threads at my fingertips, but I recall numerous complaints in this forum about DTA failures on our MS3 axles. Glad it is working for you, though.

You can always go through Edge Autosport. It's a little spendy though.

https://edgeautosport.com/search.php?q=axle

[Shadowplane676]

Both axles are Import Direct brand and carry a lifetime warranty. From what I can tell, the axles are the same basic size and construction as the ones I am replacing. I deliberately made sure they were for a Speed3, so we shall see.

I have had poor experience with replacement axles on a different platform (broke 2 in two weeks bracket racing. both snapped just inside the tripods. Dropping the clutch at 5k rpm on 8.5" wide slicks does tend to shock the driveline a little). Hence the lifetime warranty axles for now. If I have continual issues, I may revisit and go with OEM, but that is a bridge to be crossed later.

[Shadowplane676]

Found another picture after getting the Speed3 home. Also remembered that when I did a compression test, I got 195 PSI on all 4 cylinders, so it appears the engine is in good shape.

[Jeff23spl]

snapped an aftermarket one that was almost brand new. It was made from a local rebuild shop in 2008 while those car torque possibility wasn't well known. I explained i would need something solid but.....
Stock power with street tires just trying to do a quick burnout on the road and clack!...not a smart idea, it finished on a towing...
Replaced it with a good used oem and no problems over few years of abuse including at least 20 drag pass with non DOT racing slick 8.5x15

[Shadowplane676]

While it has been some time since my last post, more work has been accomplished. At this point the MS3 is now back to driveable status with the following repairs/upgrades completed:

1) New axles on both sides
2) New thermostat and ECU temp sensor (with corresponding Ford Specialty Green coolant)
3) New Stock springs front and rear (with new mounts)
4) New ball joints
5) New sway bar end links front and rear
6) StopTech stainless flex lines front and rear (full system fluid replaced with 400* DOT4, including bleeding clutch)
7) Drained and replaced trans fluid with Ford MTX per fluids thread

In short, most all of the creaks, bangs, thuds, groans and various ailments that were present when we obtained the vehicle appear to have been rectified. The car takes bumps, dips, turns, stops and accelerations with nary a protest. The CEL for not reaching operating temperature has not yet returned either. Unfortunately I did get a P0421 for cat temperature. I cleared it hoping it may have been a fluke from sitting for a few months while being worked on. I suspect (and hope) it may be nothing more than a slightly flaky secondary O2 sensor as the downpipe appears to be stock...for now.

Next up will be tackling the airbag light, with any luck, I'll have the vehicle error light free soon.

[Shadowplane676]

So its been a while and a few new developments have happened along the way.

Unfortunately about 2 months ago the AC idler bearing decided to smoke itself while driving and I parked the speed for a bit to work on it. I found the sanen (sp?) bearing from autozone but had a heck of a time replacing it as it fell apart when I removed the pulley (all the ball bearings fell out and it was completely greaseless. It took quite a bit of finagling and almost breaking the pulley to get the bearing replaced. it "seems" ok for now, but still wobbles a bit more than I'd like. I swear the pulley is not ferric and is some kind of friction material, hence being so expensive from Mazda. I'll have to keep an eye out for a better one off of a regular 3 in the junkyards in the future.

While I was waiting for the weather to cooperate (hard to work in a driveway when its cold and raining), I also secured some used JBR 80 durometer motor mounts to install while I was at it. This is still with the goal of nailing down all the remaining bangs and creaks while opening up some options for possible power upgrades down the line. Initial examinations of the passenger and trans mounts indicated they were functional but not great, yet there was still a clunk I was chasing. the RMM was torn in two spots and was definitely due for replacement. During this time, the car sat with the ECU and battery unplugged for about 2 months.

Today I was able to install all 3 mounts, pull and verify my hpfp status (stock and not upgraded internals sadly), replace the secondary o2 sensor to clear the CAT EFFICIENCY CEL and finish reassembling the car. During the initial test drive, it appeared that the car was down on power. I grabbed the OBD-II scan tool and did another log. I am not surprised that my STFTs were in the +20 range, but what was disheartening was my MAP reading never peaked at more than 130kpa (18.9psi absolute or only 4.2psi of boost pressure). Briefly there were two additional CELs after the first drive that I cleared but have not seen come back (p2009 VVT circuit low and Lean Idle condition). I have not yet found anything on the forums that is helpful for this new issue as of yet although I am still searching.

So currently the question remains, will the ECU start adding more boost as it relearns or is it possible something got disconnected or failed in the intervening time that would cause this low boost issue? I am hoping that a good 30-40 mile round trip to and from work tomorrow clears everything up but any other advice or things to check would be most appreciated.

[Shadowplane676]

So spent some time researching and thinking through my issue. I did the following last night but haven't had a chance to see if it fixed the issue

1) re-seated ECU connections (just in case)
2) Visually inspected 90% of the wastegate hoses (all good so far, need to remove battery to verify two remaining connections not easily visible)

Currently, looking at how a bleed-off boost control works, I am thinking that my next steps are:
1) either unplug the BCS or hose from the wastegate to force full boost and monitor with a pressure gauge and OBD-II scan tool.

1a) If more than 130KPA is registered by the MAP sensor, an issue exists in the BCS system. If pressure does not exceed 130KPA, some other issue is present, either a boost leak or a failed portion of the turbo etc.

2) If above doesn't narrow down the issue, visually inspect the turbo for issues
3) investigate possible other issues. I did accidentally try and start the car without the ECU connected, but I don't believe that would have damaged anything with the ECU not present

Other than that, I am currently at a loss for what to look for regarding the lack of boost after doing seemingly unrelated maintenance/upgrades.

[Wistfullyod]

Does your car still feel down on power? I recall seeing very similar DTC's when I accidentally left one of my battery terminals a little loose. This may or may not be the case here but might be worth a look in your case.

[Shadowplane676]

Still down on power. Took another short drive and verified still capping at 130kpa. I'll double check the battery cables, but I secured those pretty good when I reinstalled the ecu and battery. Hence why this one is pretty baffling.