I think I may have a broken timing belt on my 1993 mx-3 GS. I let my brother borrow it while he was getting his car fixed. He calls me & says it won't start. I go to look at it & the engine seems to be turning a lot faster when you turn the key on to start it (like it doesn't have a load on it). I'm not for sure if that's the problem or not but the car has 166,000 miles, I haven't had he car long & don't know if the timing belt has ever been replaced or not. Does anyone have any suggestions? I also wanted to know if the 1.8 liter engine in this car has enough valve clearance so that if the timing belt does break it won't bend the valves or cause some other damage?

Thanks for any help,
Thomas

yes it sounds like the timing belt is broken! all mazdas have valve clearence if the timing belt breaks it will not damage the valves.
mazda tech since 1989.

remove your dizzy cap and see if its turning if not well timming belt isnt doing its job, or your cam has snaped.
most jap engines these days are free running engines (valves wont touch pistons) unless its been moded

A BROKEN TIMING BELT IT IS...BUT...SORRY TO TELL YOU, BUT ALMOST EVERY MAZDA MADE HAS AN INTERFERENCE ENGINE. MEANING THAT IF YOU JUMP TIMING, OR BREAK A TIMING BELT, IT CAN BEND VALVES, WARP YOUR HEAD, AND EVEN CRACK BLOCKS AND CYLINDERS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE GOOD COMPRESSION AFTER REPLACING THAT BELT, OR YOU WILL END UP WITH A WHOLE LOT OF EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS. TIMING SYSTEMS ARE THE LIFELINE ON MAZDAS...GOOD LUCK!!!

tehre are very few engines made recently that are not interference engines.

gforce IS RIGHT. ALL MAZDA ENGINES THAT USE A TIMING BELT ARE FREE SPINNING. THAT MAZDA ENGINES; NOT FORD
OR MITSUBISHI ENGINES OR MAZDA ENGINES USING TIMING CHAINS.
bgerg's QUICK CHECK IS GOOD, REMOVE OIL FILLER CAP AND HAVE SOMEONE CRANK, WHILE YOU WATCH THE CAMS.
MAZDA TECH SINCE '75, COULD BE 1800 OR 1900, IF I SAID I USE TO TRIM CORK PLUGS, WOULD BE A DEAD GIVE AWAY.

That's nothing. I used to fix cars for William the Conquerer. Of course, there weren't many cars then, so we invaded England for something to do.

SO WHAT DID PAY FOR WHEEL PACK ON OXEN CART?

Ok folks... I'm confused. Are all Mazda engines free-spin or not? Some say yes; some no. I am specifically interested in knowing this for the 2.3 liter Millenia S Miller cycle engine.

I have a 2001 PR-5 wtih 91K+ miles. I have talked to several mechanics re: replacing the timing belt as a matter of preventitive ;)maintenance...I have been given mixed messages as to when this should be done on this vehicle. [&:]

My question is at what point should this be done to prevent a disaster.:) I do not want to do this before it is time to do so, but I also do not want to decide to do it ONE MILE TOO LATE[:@] if you know what I mean.

Any input from knowledgeable folks would be appreciated.

Mazda recommends inspection at 60k and replacement at 105K. I personnaly would not let one of my own Mazda vehicles go more than 100K without a new Timing belt. If it does break then the engine will not be damaged. You will just be stuck where it broke waiting for a tow truck, paying the tow bill and probably no start diagnosis where you have it towed to and then the cost of replacement that you would have payed normally.

This is a very interesting discussion and exactly what I've been searching for on this site. I just purchases an 03 Miata MX-5 1.8 engine with 53.000 miles and was concerned about when to change the timing belt. Now I have two questions for you guys. What is a good ballpark price for having a belt replaced? And what how much for doing a clutch? Thanks...Jack

I did both the timing belt and water pump change for $430.00 @ 120000 miles. Good luck(Protege2000)

From brand new, you should replace the timing belts in the 60,000-80,000 range. You should also do this when you buy any car used. Then the next time you should replace them would be in the 140K-160K range and should last you till you hit 200,000 miles. Once you hit that though, seriously get rid of the car and buy a new car. :-P