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Comments
Actually, I'm quit skilled. Obviously more than most here judging by the lack of good detailed replies. I was hoping for someone with past experience in the area of installing a cell phone kit on this car before I dive in. Believe me, you, I can tell you all about my Benz inside and out; much from experience, much from friendly advice passed on at the yahoo boards. No such luck here, I guess.
Oh, and by the way, be carefull using a simple test light on modern cars as you can easily set off an airbag if you poke the wrong wire!
Thanks for the comments anyway. I'll try and use what I can from them.
Adam
1. Seat belt pre-tensioners
2. Hydraulic struts for the hood, or front-hinged
3. Exterior handle for back door
4. Lock on/off on passenger door (rutger3's fav!)
5. Pocket on back of driver's seat as well
6. Slightly wider fold-down armrests
7. Durable dead-pedal cover, not just carpet
8. Delete the whip antenna, integrate it
9. Completely independent front & rear AC,
ie. rear can be on while front is off
10. Flux Capacitor
SC
Info, I put my van buying on hold. My house is on the market and we are moving back to Memphis, Tennessee. Figured it would be better to buy in the city where I live. The wife also wants to fly back with the kids not drive the 23 hours. Heck yall, Maybe I can get me some there rebates this summer. Yeee Hawww
Good luck, and plz post your results!
/j
-seat belt pre tensioners(agree with scarter)
-force limiters
-rear middle headrest and 3 pt belt
-head/curtain airbags
-parachute
Now on to GM's stupid decision to eliminate as standard equpipment safety items in many of its vehicles to get this,
Save Money! THat should be their new motto, Save Money, not Lives. No more ABS, sidebags because even though people want them and they make the car safer,they do not want to pay for them. Well in that case,why not eliminate headrests (GM was considering);aferall whiplash isn't all that bad; or get rid of seatbelts that would save money and there are people who do not want them. And how about those annoying built in crumple zones,that has to cost them a lot. Actually from a financial standpoint it would make perfect sense to eliminate brakes ,that would save GM a bundle and make them profitable again. I need to go buy some stock.
Im finding this problem mostly happens when I have the ventilation on and when I come to stop the fumes come in the vehicle. Also when I park the vehicle and turn the engine off the smell is there.
Any ideas? recommendations?
Thanks
Since I spend an hour in the long paved parking lot (freeway) everyday I tend to smoke two coming and going. That results in emptying the ashtray every two days.
I thought the Japanese smoked a lot. The designer must have been a non-smoker...or maybe he (they) ran out of room )
I have noticed that everytime we go on a long trip, our highway mileage seems to improve. Our first trip was 19, then 20, and finally 21 on our last trip. I took the car to the dealer and said the mileage was poor but they said see where it is at a 2000 miles.
Some chat room participants have said their mileage improved after 5000 and 15000 miles, so we are hoping that ours will improve, too.
But 15 city and 21 highway is pretty poor performance...
Other than that, we love our car.
MB
Actually, I'm quit skilled. Obviously more than most here judging by the lack of good detailed replies.
I definitely wasn't looking for a pissing war that's for sure. However, I can never assume that somebody has knowledge and I'd hate to give advice that could make a person more dangerous than they started out.
Concerning the test light, notice I did specify LED which does not allow current to flow through it and won't set off an airbag. Besides, there are no air bag wires on the radio harness.
Good luck on the install.
Revolting habit, though--wish I could quit--and believe me, I've tried.
:{
RJ
As far as trusting people in private enterprise to make decisions, that's fine, but the free market doesn't ensure that those decisions are good. It just punishes when their stupid. If you look at GM over the years, it's made its share of stupid decisions, and rutger3 is just making the point that this could be another.
The Thule and Yakima racks don't require drilling the roof either. There are others also, so I'd suggest shopping around for something that fits your needs and wallet.
/j
Also, an auto-dimming mirror w/ OUTSIDE temp is optional, according to the brochure. Wasn't an outside temp gauge on someone's wish list?
Re: seatbelt pre-tensioners... I don't know what type of pre-tensioners you mean, but the NHTSA website lists seatbelt pre-tensioners as 'std' equipment on the 2002 MPV. Do you mean pre-tensioners as in 'explosive' pre-tensioners or another mechanism? Fwiw, I thought the frontal impact rating of 4stars was more due to intrusion in the driver's left footwell than anything else. That, I'd love to see be improved.
My greatest 'want' for the seatbelts is for the front passenger position to be either non-ratcheting or at least if it would not prematurely go into ratcheting mode. Our van has always locked up that belt if you move it too quickly. It'll lock and you have to unbuckle and let it reel all the way back b4 it'll release. Totally annoying, and of course the dealership has never been able to duplicate it :-S.
/java
So, it seems that it is already addressed :-)
Here is more info:
http://www.vakcer.com/mpv/info/prb/3554.htm
As far as the crash test scores, I believe that Mazda did do some minor structure changes to improve them. That, combined with the new seat belts should do the trick. (I doubt the extra 150 lbs came from .5 extra liters of engine or one more tranny gear...unfortunately I can't point to my source for the structure information!)
Note that to properly install the Yakima rack, the front of the front towers will be exactly ten inches behind the top windshield trim. Then the two crossbars must be exactly 36 inches apart, per Yakima instructions. The Mazda factory installed rack allows the crossbars to be adjusted to whatever you wish. Yakima racks could be a problem for some people if they need to put something on the roof that requires a specific (and different) crossbar distance then 36 inches. In my case I was able to drill out new holes in the bottom of my car top carrier box to fit the 36 inch requirement, but that may not always be a solution depending on what you carry. I was told that I could "probably" get away with moving the crossbars to different distances, but it could be rather tricky to install and the attachment may not be as secure as when following the instructions (i.e. Can you do it? Yes. Is it recommended? Not really. You're on your own if you try.)
Can anyone offer comments on Thule or other aftermarket roof racks and how they install and how convenient they are to use?
FWIW, keep in mind that just because a rack is rated for a certain weight doesn't necessarily mean it is a good idea to load it right up to capacity. The more weight on top, the higher the center of gravity and the more likely a rollover could occur. And when carrying a box on top like I do, wind buffetting can increase, especially with a strong crosswind and/or a lot of truck traffic.
Hope this helps. danandkat
Alex, re: the ratcheting belts, (I should know this...) did they remove the ratcheting altogether or just lengthen the belt. I know the lengthened the belt by 15mm though and have thought about pushing for a retro on my van. If they removed the ratcheting mechanism, I'm all over gettting a retrofit. Thx!
/j
/j
(It's easier than dieting, that's for sure!)
Anyway, that's what I know but I may be wrong (usual disclaimer :-).
As far as retrofitting goes, I guess it would be better to complain to the dealer. There is a repair instructions to dealers explaining how to replace the seatbelt that shows the problem (see the link I posted above). So they should be able to do this. I don't know if that's a warranty repair or not, but same thing with 2nd row seatbelt buckles and child seats. They replace them free of charge if you complain (at least AFAIK): http://www.vakcer.com/mpv/info/tsb/0800101.htm
MB
Bean, it does not come in coastal blue (per the web-site). Does anyone know of any pictures of the GFX package on the web?
Also, has anyone ever installed the rear spoiler? Does it have to be done by the dealer?
Oh, and don't think that Kan's van comes like this from factory :-)
)
Here's a pic of a GFX-clad MPV. It's a bit artsy, but you get it... No, that's not my summer home (I wish)
/j (props to Mazda for the pic)
MB
Hard to figure out what the deal is with the new 02, but 3 mpg less on city and highway seems like a awful lot. Can it be I have only a 1000 miles on it?
I bought a new Mazda 626 in '86. It was rated at 22 and 28. As soon as I drove it out of the lot, I was getting 25 combined and around 32 on the highway, even fully loaded with friends and luggage. Great car, though it was usually panned by the "experts" who write about cars in the car 'zines.
Anyway, I'm going to check the tire inflation, get tranny fluid changed when I go for the first service, and keep watching it. Hopefully, it will get better. I may try reducing speed a bit in the freeway -- I PROMISE I WILL DRIVE ON THE RIGHT HAND LANE -- and see what happens.
Talk to ya all soon
MEC
/j
The F&I guy at the dealer then said "hows about I make ya a deal, only $699? I said "I can get it from Geico for a few dollars a month. If you can't beat that, fogeddaboudit."
All this to say that this web site helped prepare me for the car purchase process, but also helped me with the related items such as insurance, scotch guard, superman paint extras, etc. Thanks to Edmunds for enlightening my research to the many nuances of not just buying a car, but the many other things one needs to be prepared to decide about that are so important.
I just received reply from Geico to my email
Hello there,
Right now I have factory guaranty that is good for 3
years or 50,000 miles. Therefore, for another three
years I will be paying Geico with no benefits at this
time but that is OK.
The question is what guaranty do I have that Geico
after 3 years will not increase my coverage premium by,
for example, $100 or will not cancel my policy
altogether in which case I would have paid Geico for
three years for nothing.
Geico reply edited...
Insurance companies frequently reevaluate their rates in the light of economic conditions and the driving record of the insuring public. In this way, we are able to realize the purpose of insurance - the equal distribution of losses
among the insuring public. This principle is used by all insurers.
My factory racks didn't have the juice to handle my boats. Thule has a good reputation, but I had an "in" to get a discount on the Yak stuff.
Here's a link you might enjoy.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Javadoc--The Yakima is rock solid. I put a "Karri-rite"(sp?) box on top and it worked great. I carried lightweight stuff up top (sleeping bags, tent, etc.) and had no problem. I picked up some of my Yakima stuff on ebay, and some from the Rack Warehouse.
Also, I saw on http://www.mazdastuff.com that they have an aftermarket roof rack that is to be permanently installed. Price of $137.00. Attachments not included. I am not recommending, just advising what I found. Caveat emptor.
danandkat
Also, looking at the website didn't see any options on handling; is it possible to get an MPV with rear anti-roll bar and/or stiffer bar in front? "Sport" shocks? ??
Thanks.
Now all I really would like to see is the $1500 rebate. Wonder if it will happen?
Maybe, the new KIA will help push the idea with Mazda.
We bought our 2000 MPV LX ($200 below invoice)on August 2, 2000(Milam Mazda in Puyullap) and 2001 Protege LX ($200 above invoice) on Oct 2, 2001(Russ Dunmire Mazda at Tacoma) from the same person even we live in North Seattle. If you have interest, send me an email (protege8@hotmail.com).
Protege8
There's talk that there will be a dvd-based rear seat entertainment system (another RSES?) that is/was planned for release later this year, as an option. I read it right here on Edmunds. "Mazda says that a DVD-based entertainment system to keep the kids occupied will likely be an available option later in 2002."
I'm sure there are more surprises, but don't let that stop you from buying!
/java