Mazda Problems

Many diesel engines don't appreciate being run out of fuel and will exhibit this behaviour if you allow them to run dry. That's because a lot of diesels have a fuel system that doesn't automatically prime itself and start pumping fuel once it's run dry.

As a result, some diesel cars have a hand primer under the bonnet that allows you to prime the diesel fuel pump and get going again. But modern ones like your Mazda often don't, and priming them involves a specific procedure to get the fresh fuel from the tank to the engine. Most workshops will be able to carry out this job for you, but simply continuing to crank the engine with your fingers crossed will do nothing more than flatten the battery.

This sounds like another one of pesky electrical problems which occur but don't really create havoc beyond making you wonder why it's happening. In many cases, this sort of problem can be caused by a poor earth somewhere on the car or even a chafed wire that is short-circuiting and turning random lights on and off.

But it could also be a symptom of something more serious with the car's electrical systems, so an electronic scan of the vehicle should be your next move. That will rule out a lot of things and also possibly pin-point the problem.

The starter motor on this vehicle is located down low on the front of the engine. Conventional wisdom is to remove the air-box and part of the intake trunking to access the starter motor's fasteners and wiring, and then remove the starter itself from below the engine bay after removing the plastic underbody protection panel. Don't forget to remove the negative battery terminal before starting any of this.

In some cases, with some versions of the CX-9, you can get a long screwdriver in between the bonnet and grille and manually flip the catch that will allow the bonnet to spring open. The trick is that you have to know where the catch is and since you can't see in there, it can be very difficult if not impossible.

If you have access to one, a borescope (a tiny camera on a thin, flexible shaft, might get you to the point where you can identify the latch and successfully aim the screwdriver. But at all times, you risk damaging the grille or bonnet.

You could take the car to a Mazda dealer or specialist who has probably seen this thing before and may have a few short-cuts to get the bonnet open. And since you're going to need a new cable anyway, you're then in the right place. If the job is a really tough one, you may find you need to remove the grille and even the front bumper to gain the access you need.

The best approach might be to have the car independently inspected and assessed. Your local motoring club (NRMA) would be a good place to start, but you could also probably take it to an established panel shop an achieve the same thing.

The results of that inspection will determine which way you go from there. If the inspection really does determine that the car has damage to its bodywork, then Mazda should treat it as a warranty claim and fix it. If the car does get resprayed be very selective on who does the work, as a brand-new car that has obviously been resprayed will raise eyebrows if you try to sell it.

Modern vehicles have lots of electronics that operate functions such as the dashboard and warning lights. If the car is showing a 4WD light when it's not actually in 4WD, then there's an electrical glitch somewhere in the system.

But the fact that it occurs in tandem with a second fault (the incorrect speedo reading) makes us wonder if you're not looking at something as fundamental as a bad earth somewhere on the car. Electricity can't flow if the circuit isn't earthed, and this is a common source of problems like the one you're seeing. A good auto electrician should be able to sort both problems with simple test gear. If not, a scan of the vehicle's systems may throw up the answer.

Your owner's manual should give you a bit of insight here, but often, functions such as these can be turned on and off via menus within the car's infotainment system or its switchgear.

What's probably happened is that the car's battery has been disconnected at some point during the servicing procedure and the car has reverted to what's known as factory settings. If there's no provision for turning the warning buzzer back on, I'd take it back to the servicing workshop, as something has been altered to disable the buzzer.

It certainly looks like that could be the case. Mazda HQ has announced plans to stop production of the 6 at the plant that supplies Australian 6s, so barring a switch to a new supply-factory, that would seem to be so. There's a sense that some Mazda factories will continue to build the 6, but the suggestion is that this will only be for some limited Asian markets.

Unfortunately for those who like conventional vehicle packaging, the almighty SUV has just about killed off the traditional sedan and station-wagon.

I can assure you the 2013 BT-50 was, indeed, engineered with a heater and this came standard with any BT-50. The dial that controls the coldness of the air-conditioning is the same one that controls the heating. Turn the dial all the way clockwise and you should have warm air entering the cabin through the various vents.

If not, then I'd suggest that a previous owner has blocked off the car's coolant supply to the heater core by rerouting the plumbing so the hot engine coolant no longer enters the heat exchanger in the cabin. This was probably done because the heat exchanger was leaking and this was a quick way to stop the leak and keep the vehicle operational, albeit without a heater. It's one of the oldest tricks in the used-car book.

The best bet is to take the car to a radiator specialist who will be able to figure out what has been removed or bypassed and reinstate the necessary hardware so that your car is heated once again.

We have heard some reports of Ranger and BT-50 (they're the same vehicle mechanically) suffering oil pump failures with fairly terminal results for the rest of the engine. The other quirk with this engine is that you can't drain the engine of oil and leave it for any more than a few minutes without the pump running dry and needing to be primed before the engine is started.

Not all mechanics know this and many a Ranger or BT-50 engine has been destroyed when the oil has been dropped from the sump and the mechanic has gone to make a cup of tea or do some paperwork. They return half an hour later, replace the sump plug, fill the engine with oil and start it up. But because the pump hasn't primed, there's effectively no oil pressure and the engine is reduced to scrap in a few short seconds.

The problem is partly to do with the different design of the pump and there are even companies that have engineered more conventional oil pumps to replace the standard units on these engines.