MX-3.com

DO NOT PURCHASE ENGINES FROM THIS SUPPLIER IF YOU DO NOT LIVE IN OR NEAR ONTARIO - HECK, JUST STAY CLEAR OF THEM!!!

I found a KLZE on EBay from this company and fired off an e-mail to make sure that it was a KLZE and not another K engine. They assured me that it was a ZE and told me to order off of their website as they would give me a 10% discount.

So I found the exact same engine on their website. Ad only said KL, but it said JDM and 200 hp and it was the exact same ad and price as EBay ... not to mention ZE's are the only KL engines that match that description (and the other ZE on the website was $100 more, not 10% less). So I ordered the engine. Needless to say I now am the not-so-proud owner of a KLDE engine. So I call Tiger to complain and they say this is my error and I don't know my stuff - they insist that the KLDE is a 200 hp JDM engine. Interestingly the next time I checked their website after that phone call the 200 hp had disappeared. I knew this would happen, so I printed off the ad before I went to war with these guys, but I am tired of this crap and going to either sue or ask Visa to investigate and hopefully refund my credit card.

Questions I'm hoping you guys can help me with ...

a) Anyone have a concrete website where I can print off the differences between the ZE and DE (not just forum chit chat)?

b) I know that many others on here have been screwed over by this company and some have lost alot of money to them ... considering class action, anyone interested?

Any help/knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Specs for the DE attached which clearly shows its not rated @200 hp.

http://www.eunos30x.com/info/K%20Series%20Engines.pdf

Sorry to say..but you should have searched or asked about their credibility on the forum.. ive seen some other problems with mx'ers from them..

I have letters from a Mr. Tanaka at Mazda in japan with the S/N# of KL from a Capella AWD wagon describing it as a -ZE and I also have a letter with the S/N# of a KL taken out of a PGT and in Flat Rock, MI were he also describes if as a -ZE. Upon further questioning it seems that as far as Mazda Japan is conserned any K series engine sold in Japan is a -ZE. This includes engines sold in Australian and US manufactured Ford products. Talking to my relatives and to reps for Toyo Tires that I have met over the years there are probably as many ford PGT and Telstar TX-5 imported for sale in Japan as there were domestically produced MX-6 and Capella. In Japan these were a status symbol because they were an imported car just like the Toyota (Chevy) Cavalier and Taurus was a hot seller as well in. On the MX-3 newsgroup and even on the MX-6/626/PGT lists there were several others that sent engine S/N# to Mazda in Japan and got basically the same answer describing the engine as a -ZE even if it came from a car the was bought and scrapped in canada or the US. I know that this helps them more that it does you but you have to be aware that even Mazda will not give you a clear definition of what is a -DE or -ZE. To confuse the issue even more advertizing laws are different that they are here. Here the advertized HP has to be with a small percentage of the actual output. In japan the advertized power output can be maximum allowable advertized output for that displacement of engine not the actual output of the engine. This works both ways you could have a 2.0L single turbo engine advertized at 280hp but the same engine with a twin turbo is also advertised at 280hp even though the actual output is more like 305hp. Or in the 660cc class you could have a 660cc engine with a turbo advertized at 68hp but the base model of the same car without the turbo is also advertized at 68hp. In addition to being a used grey market product, these are just some of those tricky issues about dealing with JDM engine because specs on these engine don't really apply to Canadian or American or European advertizing standards.

em-ex-3 wrote:Sorry to say..but you should have searched or asked about their credibility on the forum.. ive seen some other problems with mx'ers from them..

Ya, Deimos has an engine swap there. We went in to get a ZE, but came out with a DE. WE got documentation to say that was he had was a DE and even then, they charged him the labor to swap it out. Selecta has a ZE isntalled there but had no problem, but between when Selecta got his done and Deimos, there was a change of management/ownership, and this new guy is completely clueless and is selling DE's as ZE.

I wish you would of asked or some some research before hand. It wasn't easy dealing with this being local, I have no idea what BS you'll be going through al the way in BC...

If you paid by credit card, call the credit card company and see what they say about being sent the wrong item. I do believe you have the option of doing a charge back since the product you have received was not as advertised.

let us know hoow it goes...

Man those guys are pretty ballzy if they are trying this crap with someone else. They really need to be shut down for this BS

I bought the ZE sitting in my garage from them. I went into their store and looked at all the engines and chose the one i wanted to take. I made sure the head codes matched and the throttlebody I have is stamed kl68 IIRC.


I'm pretty sure this is a real ZE based on the info on this site. It even has the 110 amp JDM alternator on it.

thanks for heads up, hopefully youll get refund back

It sounds like the only way to get a KLZE and know you are going to get a KLZE is to go to the garage pick your engine and keep your eye on that exact engine until it is in the back of your truck.

Visa won't do anything for me until 30 days are up. Granted the situation sucks, but it's almost fun watching these guys slowly hammer their coffin shut with lies and other crap.

Anyone know if E Bay will shut down their auction if everyone who has been screwed over complains?

Also, could everyone who has had problems with these guys let me know so I have an even stronger case when I do have to deal with Visa ... anything I can do for someone who has had bad dealings with them I am more than willing to help too.

Thanks for the input so far!

I think you should mention the situation with Ian (with permission of course) as I am sure they will realise that you are aware of thier past practises...I myself was lucky as the person who helped me at Tiger indicated that the motors on the shop floor was infact a DE and that the true ZE was in the back.

He however has been fired (due to other reasons) since...so I think you should definately confront the guy and tell him you mean business.

I bought a ZE from them and had no problems.

I've heard this a few time about Tiger Japanese.I was actually gunna buy one from them as well.

Buit I kinda say its your own fault for not looking at the engine first. Like between the KL KF and K8 engines there all visually the same aside from intake manifold. LOok at the head codes. But either way you did get jipped and they better come good for it


the guy who posted above this(mazdubber) he baught his from them off ebay but didn't pay for it untill he picked it up at there shop. doing it that way. I also know someone else in Londaon thaty baught one out of Montreal he ahd them email pics of teh egine with the kl31 stamped on teh head and made sure they sent him that one.

Heres a good place http://www.teknotik.com
They know it all and actually have a guy who knows all about Mazda K series

mx3autozam wrote:
Buit I kinda say its your own fault for not looking at the engine first. Like between the KL KF and K8 engines there all visually the same aside from intake manifold. LOok at the head codes. But either way you did get jipped and they better come good for it

If I could have gone to Ontario to look I would have. I tried the only place here in Vancouver but they kept trying to sell me a K8. Even took me to their warehouse where they "had ZE's" but the stamps said K8. I got pissed off and refuse to deal with them.

Had I known what a nightmare this would be I would have just rebuilt the old K8 ... as it is I think the engine just spun a bearing the other day, now it whistles like a kettle every time I drive it. Back to the old Sprint for a while!!

Heres a good place http://www.teknotik.com

They get thier stuff from Tiger