Problems due to accident or something else?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I have a standard, 1998 Mazda 626 DX with 107,500 miles. Since it’s purchase in 2001, its been a very dependable, low-maintenance car. I recently had a minor accident and had to replace the hood, right headlamp assembly & turn lamp.



Following the accident, the original, dealer-installed alarm system stopped working; the ABS light has turned on and off a few times in the driver’s console; and more recently, my brake light in the console turns on when I come to a stop and turns off when I let go of the brake; and when I turn on my headlights, my rear brake lights come on and stay on, as if my foot is on the brake at all times. When the headlights are off, so are the brake lights.



The body shop told me that the rear brake light problem is probably due to electrical issues in the rear harness and that the accident more than likely didn’t cause them - but it wasn’t impossible that it did. If I want to find out for sure, the shop said that they would send the car over to the local Mazda dealership for an advanced diagnostic test but my insurance wouldn’t pay for it. The cost for the test could be as high as $160 with no guarantee they would find the problem.



After the accident, I also noticed a knocking sound that has gotten steadily louder over the last two months coming from the front end of the car. The body shop put it on a lift and said my front axles had both worn down due to age and need to be replaced immediately. This will be done next week. Since the brakes seem to play a big part in all of this, I will have the shop check them out as well.



Could all or any of these problems be related to the accident or just old age? With exception of the axles, does it sound as if they all related to the electrical? Could the worn axles be related to the brake issues?



Any thoughts as to what the problems could be?



Thanks,

Donna



2

There is a loose ground wire or cable somewhere. That is just my first thought. You are getting into problem territory for a Mazda. I had many electrical things wear out on an 87 B-2000 after 100,000 miles. I replaced the headlight switch, ignition switch, and heater resistors with junkyard parts and drove on happily. Those electrical things are related to the accident or the repair work. Someone has to look at the wiring behind that headlight and look in the trunk at the tail light and brake light wiring.

3

Thanks! I’ll be sure that all of the wires and cables are checked.

4

That CEL (check engine light) is just a kid in class waving her hand trying to get you attention because she has the answer. You need to have the codes read. Some places will read them for FREE. Try Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts. Get the exact code (like P0123) not just their translation into English and post it back here.

Regarding warning lights:

  1. if the coolant temp light comes on, shut off the engine ASAP

  2. if the oil warning light comes on, shut off the engine ASAP

  3. if a FLASHING MIL/CEL comes on, shut off the engine ASAP

    ASAP means driving to the berm of the highway right now and not waiting for the next exit.

But if the MIL/CEL is not flashing, then it’s not an urgent indicator.

Yes they all "could" have been caused by the accident, but likely not.  The CV joints (I assume that is the part they are talking about) have done very well if they made 100,000 miles. The results of getting the codes read may help answering the other problems.
5

Thanks for your suggestions. I took my car to my regular mechanic and he said that all I needed to do to fix my brake light problem is to replace two bulbs that had shorted out! Apparently the problem was so obvious that a diagnostic test wasn’t even necessary. The front axles did get replaced and my brakes are fine. None of my issues had to do with the accident. Thanks again!