I have a 1998 Mazda MPV with 105000 miles. There is ticking or pinging sound from the engine that is there almost all the time. I took it to a national tire store and was told that it needs a new motor. I’d like a second opinion - what kind of shop should I go to? Or should I take it to a Mazda repair shop?
Take it to a machanics shop, especially one that you may know. A tire shop probably knows just that, tires and then maybe. Dealer would be nice but they are expensive.
Ticking MAY be from a dirty/sticking lifter.
Another ‘ticking’ type sound may be from spark arcing from worn spark plug wires.
Pinging can occur when a too low octane rated fuel is used.
I had a 1993 Mazda MPV for less than a year (in 1993). Its hydraulic lifters kept collapsing. I discovered while I was taking it back yet again that this was a problem common to this engine, a true design defect. I discovered that by talking with another MPV owner that was in on a repeat visit for the same problem. The symptom is valvetrain ticking, especially when cold, becoming more and more prominent as time goes on.
I don’t know if the problem was corrected by 1998, but if this is a used vehicle and that turns out to be the diagnosis you may have gotten one with a chronic problem. I got rid of mine, but Mazda may have a TSB somewhere dealing with this. It’s worth researching.