The

Mazda , commonly referred to as simply Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan. In 2015, Mazda produced 1.5 million vehicles for global sales, the majority of which (nearly one m ...

Z-series is a smaller gasoline

inline-four engine A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the ...

ranging in displacements from 1.3 L to 1.6 L. They are the evolution of the cast-iron block B-engine. The Z-engine has 16-valves operated by dual overhead camshafts, which are in turn driven by a

timing chain In a piston engine, either a timing belt (also called a ''cambelt'') or timing chain or set of timing gears is used to synchronize the rotation of the crankshaft and the camshaft. This synchronisation ensures that the engine's valves open and cl ...

. The block of the 98-02 Z5, ZM and ZL engine is

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...

same as the earlier B series of engines. Other Z engines have aluminum alloy block and head, with cast-iron

cylinder liner In a reciprocating engine, the cylinder is the space in which a piston travels. The inner surface of the cylinder is formed from either a thin metallic liner (also called "sleeve") or a surface coating applied to the engine block. A piston is se ...

s. The block features split upper and lower block assembly for added strength and rigidity, special long

intake manifold In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/ air mixture to the cylinders. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from the ...

for added

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...

S-VT S-VT, or Sequential Valve Timing, is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Mazda. S-VT varies the timing of the intake valves by using hydraulic pressure to rotate the camshaft. S-VT was introduced in 1998 on the ZL-VE en ...

continuous

variable valve timing In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combination with var ...

, and a stainless steel 4:1 exhaust header. In 2011, Mazda started to introduce the

SkyActiv Skyactiv (branded as SKYACTIV) is a brand name for a series of automobile technologies developed by Mazda that increase fuel efficiency and engine output. The initial announcement of the Skyactiv technologies included new engines, transmissions, b ...

''G-engine'' as a new, more economical option with vehicles that also ran the Mazda Z-engine. Production was finally halted in 2014, being the last year of the Demio/Mazda2, Verisa as well as Axela/Mazda3 of their generations. From here on in, Mazda moved on to the full SkyActiv architecture vehicles including running only the aforementioned

''G-engine'' but now offering it in also larger displacements, as well as a new

''D-engine'' turbo-diesel.

Z5

The Z5-DE was used in the 1995-1998

Mazda Protegé The , also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3/Axela for 2004. It was marketed as the ' ...

, Mazda Lantis (Astina) and in Mazda Familia Neo (1994–1997). Bore and stroke were . The Z5 engine was introduced as the first of a newer line of Mazda Z-series engines. The Z series was a new design based on the B-series block, block internals and oil-pan and a different

DOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...

head. The block is cast iron, the oil-pan is a 2-piece design with an upper aluminum and lower stamped steel, piston oil squirters are standard. The

cylinder head In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head (often abbreviated to simply "head") sits above the cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber. In sidevalve engines, the head is a simple sheet of metal; whereas in more modern ...

was a compact design with round intake and exhaust ports. JDM versions produce and . There was also

lean-burn Lean-burn refers to the burning of fuel with an excess of air in an internal combustion engine. In lean-burn engines the air:fuel ratio may be as lean as 65:1 (by mass). The air / fuel ratio needed to stoichiometrically combust gasoline, by cont ...

version introduced in August 1995; this model produces and sees gas mileage improvements of ten to fifteen percent in the standard Japanese test cycle.

ZJ

The ZJ is available with either continuous cam-phasing VVT ZJ-VE or a high-efficiency

Miller cycle In engineering, the Miller cycle is a thermodynamic cycle used in a type of internal combustion engine. The Miller cycle was patented by Ralph Miller, an American engineer, dated Dec 24, 1957. The engine may be two- or four-stroke and may be r ...

ZJ-VEM . Applications: * 2003–present

Mazda Demio The is a subcompact/ supermini/B-segment small car manufactured by Mazda since 1996. While sold across four generations in the domestic Japanese market, the Demio nameplate was rarely used outside of Japan, where it was usually called the Mazda ...

ZJ-VE * 2007–present

ZJ-VEM

ZY

ZY-VE * Used in the Demio/Mazda2 (2002-2014), Verisa and Axela/Mazda3

ZL

EEC, JIS, ZL-DE JIS ZL-VE The 1.5 L ZL-VE makes more power than the slightly larger 1.6 L Z6/M-DE its due to variable valve timing on the intake cam (S-VT). Applications: * 1999-2003

Mazda Familia The , also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family car that was manufactured by Mazda between 1963 and 2003. The Familia line was replaced by the Mazda3/Axela for 2004. It was marketed as the ' ...

Z6/M

ZM-DE The ZM engine, also known as the Z6, has an identical bore yet slightly longer stroke than the ZL as well as a revised head with round intake and exhaust ports. It has exactly the same bore and stroke as the previous generation B6. The ZL-VE and ZM-DE are closely related engines with an equal bore and share some major parts. The ZL has a stroke of whilst the ZM has . Applications: * 1998-2002

* 2003-2013

Mazda3 The Mazda3 (known as the Mazda Axela in Japan (first three generations), a combination of "accelerate" and "excellent") is a compact car manufactured by Mazda. It was first introduced in 2003 as a 2004 model, replacing the Familia/323/Protegé ...

References

External links

{{Mazda vehicles Z Straight-four engines Gasoline engines by model