cblake3

iTrader: (2)

So I decided to start the Rex up today after the winter. Noticed a coolant leak upon warm up. Traced it to the Coolant level sensor on the front of the water pump. Coolant is leaking out between the gasket and the sensor. Tried to tighten the sensor, which does not seem to want to tighten.
Anyone had similar experiences?
Have you had to replace the sensor? Am I stuck worth buying the $70 Mazda sensor or does someone else make a sensor that will work for less money?

miatrx

I had the same problem when I bought my FD. I was able to tighten it to stop leak. Take it out and check the condition of the gasket, that is cheap if it is the problem. Don't know of a cheap alternative to the Mazda coolant level sensor unless you can get a good one used.

Tom

mgoddard1

I bought one from Ray at Malloy Mazda last fall and I want to say his price was around $40. Try replacing the rubber washer behind the sensor first.

cblake3

iTrader: (2)

Sounds good. Thanks for the input guys. I tried calling Ray last night just to figure out pricing, but he was gone for the day. I looked at Mazdatrix just for fun and they were looking for like $65 w/o the gasket.
$40 is alot better than $65 or $70. That is good news.

cblake3

iTrader: (2)

Update for anyone who cares:

Took the airbox off and was able to access the coolant level sensor. Turns out that the plastic threads and the head of the coolant level sensor split apart from each other causing the leak. I ended up having to pry the head and the probe of the sensor out of the housing which left the plastic threads stuck in the water pump/thermostat housing. I, of cousre, made sure to remove the radiator hose so I would not get plastic shards in the coolant system.
What a PITA getting those plastic threads out of the housing.
Anyway, it is out now.
Got a hold of Ray at Malloy, $52 shipped for the sensor. He seems as great as everyone says he is.
I'll get the sensor and new gasket/o-ring next week and install.
I wonder why Mazda had the sensor constructed of plastic. Seems like just another weak point of the coolant system. I would imagine that they did this for 2 reasons:
1. Cost
2. The problem that I ran into with my FC where I tried to remove the thermostat housing and snapped the bolts. This I learned was due to 2 different metals (aluminum and steel)working against each other and corroding with the help of the antifreeze.

Sucks that I had to go through this, but spending a some time in the garage away from the wife and kids is always nice. Cold beer and the smell of karosene remids me of working on my 10th Anniversary RX7 too!
BTW, anyone elses wife get jealous of the time you spend on your true love? (Rhetorical Question).

WaLieN

I had the same thing happen to me on my car too. It was a real PITA to get what was left of the threads. I had to apply a little super glue to "catch" the threads to the head of the "bolt".

The funny thing is, my GF encourages me that I spend time on my car. She realizes that I really love the car. She works out a lot and I encourage that, too.

cblake3

iTrader: (2)

Never thought of the super glue thing. I wish I had. Sounds like a better way to get the threads out.
My wife is a work out freak too. I also encourage it. Maybe I'll play that angle next time she complains about me spending time on the 7.

DaveW

Today I noticed a slight smell of coolant when I opened the hood after a short test drive to check out adjustments to the suspension alignment. I took off the belly pan under the radiator, and there were traces of leaking coolant. I traced the source to the base of the coolant level sensor.

When I started to remove the sensor, it was only finger tight, so I thought maybe I just had a gasket problem, or a need to retighten it.

However, just as this discussion mentioned, although it was still in one piece, the sensor was cracked all the way around at the base of the 2nd thread from the sealing surface. It wouldn't have been very easy to notice that if I hadn't been alerted to the possibility of a crack by this discussion. Even worse, I might have tried to retighten the sensor, and wound up with it in two pieces, similar to what the OP found.

I'll order a new one from Ray on Wednesday!

Thanks, again! I don't know how I ever got along without info like this!