Hello just got a mazda 3i 2010 for my daughter and it won't start. I had it checked they said change starter I did still same problem. Now they are saying timkmg chain variable. What do you think before I go down that road.
What exactly is going on here?
Did you present the car to your mechanic with a NO Crank, NO Start and after he got it to Crank it still wouldn't start?
You said, "same problem" after replacing the starter but if this were a timing issue you would have had a Crank, NO Start and I don't see why he'd suspect the starter.
Describe your problem in detail. Does the starter crank with the key in the Start position and did it do that BEFORE bringing it to the mechanic?
Anyway, a couple of things to consider. 1st, if this were a mechanical timing issue it's likely the PCM would be setting a P0016 code for Cam/Crank Sensor Correlation and you didn't mention that.
If it was setting that code, a good mechanic would observe the crank sensor signal and the cam sensor signal relationships on a scope before he diagnosed this as a mechanical timing issue.
And it would look something like this example:
Your mechanic should be able to look at a "known good" waveform for your Mazda 3 in his subscription database and see if the crankshaft/camshaft correlation is right before talking about the timing chain.
So what can you do? Call some shops. Tell them you want a second opinion. Ask them if they can hook up a scope and check the crank/cam relationship signals because the other mechanic is talking about a mechanical timing issue
See the FAQ for information on diagnosing a no-start condition.
