My FD is having a high idle (around 1500 to 1800 rpm). So, I bring it to my dealer to have it checked. They told me that the intake gasket is leaking and need to be replaced with some other parts. And they said that will take around 25 to 30 hr to do the job. Is it true? Do they really need that long to work on the car? Should I trust them or should I take my car else where for a check?

 

it depends what gasket is blown. And the rule of thumb around here is to NEVER EVER take it to a mazda dealership as 99.999999999999/100 times they never know what they're doing. If you can fidn a rotary specialist up there in canada Id take it to them.

IF its an upper intake manfold gasket then it should take an HOUR at most.

Lower intake manifold would take longer but 25 hours is a crock of ****.

 

Take it somewhere else!
Havent you heard? Mazda dealerships + FD = disaster.
Find a (somewhat) local rotary shop instead.
Best way to do that is find people who live around you on this forum, and talk to them.
30 hours for a high idle is insane.
Ben

 

So, how long should it take to do the job?

 

No one can tell you how long it will take without looking at your car. It will take some time to figure out what the problem is. The diagnosis won't be free. Once the problem is determined, then you can find out how long it will take to repair.

 

You can R&R the whole motor for less than 30 hrs labor.

 

When did this problem with the high idle ?. Are there other problems associated with the engine you're experiencing?

 

When did the high idle start (was what I was trying to ask on top).

 

On the flip side, the high idle *is* an indication of a lower intake manifold gasket that's leaking. The original gaskets were paper, and the new gaskets are metal. The paper gaskets degrade over time, causing a vacuum leak that confuses the MAP sensor bigtime.

Changing the lower intake manifold gasket IS a royal bitch - you have to remove the turbos, upper intake plumbing, and a lot of the rat's nest under the upper intake manifold to start with. Their quote on time to do the job is kind of high, but it may be they slap don't want to do it (and I almost don't blame them).

The trick to find out for sure - get some starting fluid and spray it near the intake manifold to engine gasket. If there's a vacuum leak there, the engine will suck the starting fluid in, causing the idle to rev up and smooth out. Spray in slow bursts here and there - starting fluid IS quite flammable, but it evaporates quickly and doesn't leave a residue, which is very desireable in this application .

The good news is doing the gasket job is a good time to do a LOT of stuff "while you're in there" - clean fuel injectors, install downpipe, do a vacuum hose job, replace the pulsation dampener, etc. But, that's all extra time and money for the job.

I would definitely get a second opinion, but the symptoms corroborate with the problem, and it is a relatively common problem.

Dale

 

If you're busting *** you can replace the lower intake gasket in 8 hours.

 

Were in Canada do you live?

 

Montreal

 

meant to edit this post. Read the one below it!

 

There are tons of different things that can cause high idle. Do some research before you start taking your car apart to make sure you know what the problem is. My high idle was a very simple fix: a sticky throttle cable. That only costs $30 to replace!