Questions and Answers

Mazda Smoking And Timing Belt Q. Hello! My name is Josh. I have a 1993 Mazda Protégé DX. It is a 1.4 liter (I think) 4 cylinder manual transmission. It has 114,000 miles. For about six months now gray smoke will occasionally wisp from under the hood. It only does it for a few minutes. It is accompanied by a terrible, acidic smell, which I suspect is burning oil (?).

In the last two months or so it has become more frequent (every two or three days). I have managed to open up the hood during one occurrence and found that the smoke is coming from around the four cylinders. There is also some oil leaking to the ground.

Am I correct in assuming that is the valve seals? I just got my oil changed, and put in an additive that "Helps fix minor oil leaks due to cracked and worn seals and gaskets". I fear this is only a temporary solution. I have just moved and do not know any mechanics around here. I have been swindled in the past and am skeptical.

Do you have any idea how much it will cost to repair this? (On the engine, it says "16 valve"). How serious is it? I have not noticed any drop in performance. On another topic, I have heard that I should have my timing belt changed. What is this, how important is it, and how much should this cost?

Thank you so much for your time!
Josh

A. It sounds to me like your Valve Cover gasket is leaking. If that is the case, then it's not very expensive to replace. The gasket is about $25.00 and about an hours labor.

As for the timing belt, it is recommended to have it replaced every 60,000 miles. Not knowing exactly which engine you have, the damage done from a broken timing belt could range from a mere inconvenience to major engine damage.

The cost of the timing belt is about $45.00 and about 3.5 to 4.0 hours labor. It is recommended to replace the water pump at the same time. It will add another 1.0 hours and whatever the water pump costs. I would say, all tolled, the job should run $400.00 to $500.00.