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Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

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Comments

  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    If some Madza 3 owners don't mind getting a little dirty - maybe they could answer a question for me.

    When looking for the oil filter - I am a maintenance freak - but anyway - I was looking under my car from the front - it has a plastic rock / water shield under the engine. Mine has a hole in the middle - about 6 inches or so in diameter. It looks to me like it should have a cover over it - the way the hole is designed it has a place for locking tabs - like you would put the cover in place then rotate it to lock it in place.

    I assume everyone has the hole - anyone also have a cover?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    z71bill, please send me an email, I'll forward you a picture of the bottom.
  • mazda3hatchmazda3hatch Member Posts: 13
    I just got my 3 this week, it only has like 150 miles on it, but I am noticing that the rear discs are starting to groove a little. The fronts are like glass. I do have the ABS/EBD package. The car stops great, but it looks like I'll have an issue similar to some of those here soon. Did someone mention that there was a TSB for this? What parts are involved, rotors, pads or both?
  • guskimguskim Member Posts: 112
    Put it this way. anything that drains the battery, will drain fuel economy. Motor has to work harder, because the car has to work to recharge the battery. This is especially true of:

    1) Constant Defrost Use. When you have rear defrost with no automatic shutoff, this can reduce reduce fuel economy by upto 15-20%. I found this effect when using seat warmers & defrost constantly in my previous Honda Accord.
    2) Constant windshield wiper and & fluid use also have an impact, even if only by 10%

    Air conditioning can reduce fuel economy by 33%, but not due to battery drainage, but rather the AC compressor belt running off the engine. As you know, many cars by default automatically engage the AC, even to defrost the front windshield. It's good to run the AC at least 15 minutes a month, but constant use in winter is overkill & wasteful on fuel.

    Nobody's saying don't use these things. You gotta do what you gotta do. I'm just saying that there are certain things about winter driving that make fuel economy plunge.
  • sftonysftony Member Posts: 7
    I had a chance to examine the rotors on my M3 with 3000 miles on it (seems like most folks here have fewer miles).

    The front rotors are smooth as glass - no grooves can be felt with a fingernail.

    The rear rotors are not so smooth. Visually, they look more worn, though I haven't got enough knowledge of disc brakes to know if they are too worn for their age. Running a fingernail across the rear rotors reveals quiet a few grooves. In fact, just a finger tip is enough to feel that they are rough when compared to the front discs. Again, though, I don't know if they are more than normal wear. I mean, what is a "significant groove?"

    I wouldn't expect the rear rotors to be in such a different state than the front rotors. Even if the OEM rotors are cheap metal, wouldn't one expect to find crappy material on both the front and rear rotors?
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    Thanks all for your input. Based on Guskim's economy, mine sounds about right too. I live in New Hampshire and we've been experiencing some unusually cold weather. I generally try to not use the defroster when it's not needed as I know the a/c compressor (which kicks in automatically in defrost mode) adds significant drag to the motor.
    As far as driving "sportingly" -- I will toy with the manual shift mode of the Automatic and jack-rabbit start from a stop occasionally, but I've been keeping it below 4500 rpm during break-in.
    I haven't had a 4 cylinder car since the mid 1980s, so I wasn't sure how long it takes to break them in these days. As someone on one of the other Mazda3 Owners boards said, I always said I'd never have a small, foreign 4-cylinder, again. Look waht happens when you go sit in one at a dealer.....
  • stokkesstokkes Member Posts: 81
    Not to question you guskim, but a 10% drop in gas mileage by using your wiper fluid?

    I'd really like to see evidence of this, because I honestly can't see how spraying your windows, which barely uses the battery at all, would result in a 10% drop in gas mileage.

    Again, I'm not questioning you, because this is the first time I've heard something like this, but I would like to know where you got this figure.

    -- stokkes
  • guskimguskim Member Posts: 112
    Hey stokkes, not just from the wiper fluid, but using wipers constantly.

    Of course, when I am using wipers constantly, this often means I am going through snow (which means increased rolling resistance).

    But there is an effect from the wiper. Check your fuel economy next spring during a week of constant rain. Then check it, during a week of sunshine. For me, with my 2000 Camry, rain meant the car would go about 550KM as opposed to 600km.
    (or now that I think about it, perhaps the rain increased the rolling resistance somewhat as well)
  • steveflstevefl Member Posts: 62
    By this reasoning I should get terrible fuel economy in summer. In the Sunbelt we don't have real winters, but from Apr-Sep we run the A/C constantly. For the record, during those years when I scrupulously kept track of fuel use, there was no appreciable difference between summer and winter fuel economy.

    But I know how real winters can drastically drop mileage. It's not really in running the accessories. Certainly not the washer/wipers! It's mostly in (a) greater warm-up time, (b) more traffic jams, (c) slower, more cautious driving that requires more use of the lower gears, (d) more frequent short trips,(e) leaving the engine idling during brief stops rather than shutting it off, (f) increased tire resistance on snowy roads, and even (g) increased use of headlights in winter months. The break-in period alone (varying speeds) contributes heavily to low figures.

    We will be seeing better fuel economy figures reported when folks return from their driving vacations.
  • x_typer_pilotx_typer_pilot Member Posts: 82
    Well...

    It seems my air bag light went on tonight and keeps on coming back on...?

    Maybe it's the cold...? Maybe something else...?

    No aftermarket electronics installed. I'll leave it for the weekend to see if it clears itself up and have the car checked on Monday if it doesn't.

    Anybody have any light to shed on this one?
  • mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    If you can feel the grooves, I would go to a Mazda dealer and have them take a look. I suspect they would say it's "normal", so then I would take it to an independent brake shop (or two) and get their opinion. If they don't think it's normal, then Mazda Customer Support would be my next call.
  • stokkesstokkes Member Posts: 81
    Looks like this might become a recall issue. When my light went on, I brought the car in.

    Turns out, they called Mazda Canada, and although they at first thought it was some electrical problems due to my car starter, Mazda Canada told them that they were getting lots of reports of faulty sensors/fuse boxes. When they inserted a screw driver into the fuse box and wiggled it around, it activated all the in-dash lights. THey told me they need to replace the entire fuse box and the primary sensor (whatever that means). Product is on back-order, will probably take 2-4 weeks for mazda to get the parts in. Looks like they're getting lots of these and I wouldn't be surprised if they put in a recall or something.

    What the mechanic assumed was that due to the extreme cold, the whole thing froze due to a manufacturer's defect. Who knows what the real problem is.

    I'd take it in if I were you, ask them to call mazda canada about it. On my 3, it lit up the airbag light constantly(although it hasn't gone on in a few days), and once, the ABS light.. also, my windshield wiper low-fluid light goes on even though I have about 1/5th fluid, i can still go for a while. Guess everything is related to that problem.

    -- stokkes
  • guskimguskim Member Posts: 112
    Hey Stevefl,

    Gotta love that AC, eh? I would gladly trade-in these Canadian winters for those prolonged moist hot southern-U.S. summers. But if I could change the world's weather patterns, I would not be talking on the Mazda3 board...probably would have bought a Mazda6 instead..:) It's good you don't notice a dropoff in summer vs. winter fuel economy, but believe me, air conditioning will definitely increase your car's fuel consumption (compared to not using it).

    Your AC compressor runs directly off the engine. When you engage the AC, your engine is "carrying" extra load that doesn't go to propel your car forward. The effect can be fairly noticeable for 4 cylinder cars with a smaller displacement.
    And so it just doesn't affect fuel economy, it can sometimes actually affect real-world power. This is the reason, during any test drive (esp.for 4-bangers) you should always see what effect the AC has on the vehicle's performance.
    For some, let's say 3.0 V6, it's not as noticeable. But for my friend's 2000 1.8L Toyota Celica, it can be noticeable...and then there was my dad's old Pontiac6000, where he had to turn OFF the AC, whenever he went up a hill...:)

    I have not noticed any power drop-off on the Mazda3 though. But like any other car, AC will increase gas consumption. Guaranteed. This doesn't mean we shouldn't use it though. It's no fun sitting in a cool-looking car during the summer, if you're not..well..cool.

    post-script:
    Having said that, if you're on the highway, turning on the AC can sometimes be BETTER for fuel economy compared to opening the windows due to the increased air drag. But if you kept the window closed & kept the AC off (and were masochistocally willing to suffer), maximum fuel would be saved..but at the cost of too much discomfort.
  • pcs15394pcs15394 Member Posts: 27
    There have been times when I have had to turn my A/C off on my four cyl. vehicle in order to get enough juice to merge onto the interstate (Central Florida). I think the A/C definitely has an impact on mileage and Horsepower available to the car and I prefer to drive without it when I can.
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    For what it's worth:
    I remember reading an article (wish I could find a link) that said todays cars by and large get better fuel economy with the windows closed and the A/C on, then they do with the A/C off and the windows rolled down.
    The short of it is: The drag on the engine by the A/C compressor is less than the aerodynamic drag created by open windows.

    I have had cars that had a significant lack of power with the A/C on -- I haven't noticed it with the 3 so far. Also, most newer cars (including the 3) will turn off the A/C compressor at WOT. In older cars it was an actual switch under the gas pedal, nowadays it is controlled by the computer.
  • guskimguskim Member Posts: 112
    nne3jxc,

    Here's an article by master automotive mechanic Jim Kerr. It has some great tips:

    http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/at_000703.htm

    Cheers.
  • steveflstevefl Member Posts: 62
    You don't really lose vital power while running the A/C. Whenever you accelerate, even slightly, the clutch on the A/C compressor is released to give full power to the wheels. The compressor is restored to normal operation when acceleration ceases. This is not a new wrinkle for modern cars; I had this system on my '79 Horizon. I presume the Mazda3 has this same manner of A/C operation.
  • guskimguskim Member Posts: 112
    Here is a great fuel economy table that spells out the effects of various factors on fuel economy. It's pretty informative, and is carried out by Petro Canada, one of this country's biggest producers.
    Ugh. Looks like my "rainy week-wipers" poor fuel economy is more a symptom of the effect of *wet road conditions* on fuel economy.

    Check it out! It's in metric, so for our American friends:
    *30km/hr vs.40km/hr is 19mph vs. 28mph, while
    *110kph vs.90kph is 68mph vs.56mph

    http://www.petro-canada.ca/eng/prodserv/fuels/6826.htm
    ----------------------------------------

    Here are some other good articles:

    I like this one:
    http://www.seattlegasprices.com/tips.asp

    And this one from Western Asia is also informative.
    http://www.peemac.sdnpk.org/resource/fert/deet3.html

    Cheers!
  • gazelle2gazelle2 Member Posts: 38
    Bit the bullet and bought a loaded Titanium hatch yesterday. I'd have preferred no nav or xenon, but lack of patience is deadly--didn't want to wait five weeks for the promised trim levels from Hiroshima. I read the manual, but can't find a preference which would prevent the nav screen from popping up every time I start the car. I'd think you'd have the option to choose the nav only when you hit "open" rather than upon start-up. Does anyone know if that's true?
  • titanium3titanium3 Member Posts: 20
    The clip that holds the drivers side floor mat from sliding keeps coming out. Anyone else have this problem?
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I got a price on the compass & outside temperature auto-dimming rearview mirror - $397 installed - IMO not worth the $$. I ask if the Mazda 3 was pre-wired for it - and was told - no - they need to run the wire - and most likely remove the headliner.

    I do have a small problem with the location of the rv mirror - I notice it more at night - it causes a blind spot. I have been driving a full size X-cab 4x4 PU for the last 4+ years and it's rv is higher up - I guess after a few weeks I will get use to it.
  • lavaorange3lavaorange3 Member Posts: 128
    What clip?
  • titanium3titanium3 Member Posts: 20
    There was a little black "clip". It's a bar with a hook on one end that fits in a hole on the floor mat. The other end has a screw that fits in a hole on the floor. The screw is like an anchor that you would use to put a picture hanger in a piece of wallboard. It doesn't work well. Keeps coming out.
  • ranga2ranga2 Member Posts: 3
    I am really mad - not even 24hrs since I took delivery of my red Mazda 3 hatchback and was greeted this morning by a small scratch (1" long about 1/8" wide) on the rear bumper. It is just above the license plate area. Wasn't there when I parked it last night. Darn it!!!

    A dark color background is visible. I guess this is the plastic over which the paint was applied

    Anyway what is the best way to go about fixing this. All my previous cars had the black plastic bumpers not painted and hence my question.

    Should I attempt to get some color matched paint over at the dealership and try to do it myself???

    Also if I get this done through my insurance will it affect my premiums.

    Hey, anyone notice if the rear wheels on the Hatch are not exactly vertical. Kind look tilted inward when viewed from behind / \
  • mazda6smazda6s Member Posts: 1,901
    If you put in on your insurance it will probably be under Comprehensive, which normally will not affect your premiums, but you will probably have to pay the deductable.
    You might check with a local detailer to see if they can touch it up. These are the guys that go around to the used car lots and fix up cars on the lot. Some of the work I've seen them do is pretty amazing, and much better than you will be able to do yourself.
  • steveflstevefl Member Posts: 62
    Your insurance company will laugh at you because the deductible will be greater than the cost of professional repair.

    A little bottle of touch-up paint costs $4-$6 at the Mazda parts window -- if they have it in stock. Or you can pay $50 to local detailers who will go to the parts window for you.
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    normally the nav screen pops up when: the ignition key is on AND you push the right-button "open". Can you please do this experiment:

    - turn the ignition key on (I suppose your screen will pops up),
    - close the screen by pushing the "open" button (don't touch the screen),
    - turn off and remove the ignition key,
    - introduce and turn on the ignition key.

    What the screen does after the last step? It should stay closed.
  • gazelle2gazelle2 Member Posts: 38
    Thanks! I'm in my office now and haven't tried the experiment, but it sounds very logical, so I assume that's the fix. I've always simply pushed it closed, but the electronics do probably think "open" mode until the switch is hit again. Drove through rotten, snowy back roads this morning in rural Hunterdon county, but, even with the Goodyears, the traction was fine!
  • canadianmusiccanadianmusic Member Posts: 8
    While I love my new Mazda 3 (GS with optional 16' tires, ABS/EBD.)

    While the stock tires aren't bad, snow tires would help a lot.
    I have not yet inspected my brake rotors but have noticed something. Driving on wet or dry roads do not cause problems, but driving in any kind of snow makes the brakes squeal loudly. I took it to the Mazda dealership in Owen Sound, Ont. and they took it back for an hour and gave me a loaner protege to kill time with. When I got the car back it was not squealing, but as soon as I drove in any snow it squeals.

    My guess is that the sport rims especially the GS and GT leave the whole brake assembly wide open for snow and slush to get in and freeze or gum it up...
    Getting snow tires would probably fix the harshness of the snow and ice on the brakes and shield them..

    I will check the rotors tonight for pitting and grooves.

    As for the second problem, the trunk is horrible...I found my trunk twice this winter half sticking up out of the groove because ice had built up in the rubber gasket and lift arms.
    Every time I open or close the trunk I find more ice.. Seems like the rubber seal around the trunk could be a lot tighter where it meets the rear windshield.

    Does anyone else notice squealing on their brakes whenever they have been in/are in snow?
    Here where I live all side streets are always covered in packed or loose snow so living with bad brakes isn't an options..
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    I let little things bug me -and the location of the rearview mirror in my Mazda 3 causes a big blind spot -

    I took a long shot today and stopped by a Ford dealer - I ask the parts department guy if he had any rearview mirrors in stock that would fit a Madza. First he gave me a blank stare - then he punched a few things into his computer and said - the mirror from a Mustang will fit. He had one in stock - and it was only $21.00. He let me take it out to the car and see if it would fit.

    Ford and Mazda must use the same bracket because it fits perfect.

    Now I have 2 points of adjustment - one at the windshield and one at the mirror - the result is I can now adjust the mirror up closer to the roof of the car & out of my field of vision.

    The stock mirror hung down a little more than 6 inches (from the top of windshield to bottom of mirror) the new mirror hangs down less than 4 inches. The 2 inch difference does not sound like much - but to me it makes a big difference.

    If anyone has the same problem the Ford part number is - F5SZ 17700 AA

    BTW - the Mustang mirror is a little wider than the stock mirror - but it still fits between the sun visors.
  • canadianmusiccanadianmusic Member Posts: 8
    While I love my new Mazda 3 (GS with optional 16' tires, ABS/EBD.)

    While the stock tires aren't bad, snow tires would help a lot.
    I have not yet inspected my brake rotors but have noticed something. Driving on wet or dry roads do not cause problems, but driving in any kind of snow makes the brakes squeal loudly. I took it to the Mazda dealership in Owen Sound, Ont. and they took it back for an hour and gave me a loaner protege to kill time with. When I got the car back it was not squealing, but as soon as I drove in any snow it squeals.

    My guess is that the sport rims especially the GS and GT leave the whole brake assembly wide open for snow and slush to get in and freeze or gum it up...
    Getting snow tires would probably fix the harshness of the snow and ice on the brakes and shield them..

    I will check the rotors tonight for pitting and grooves.

    As for the second problem, the trunk is horrible...I found my trunk twice this winter half sticking up out of the groove because ice had built up in the rubber gasket and lift arms.
    Every time I open or close the trunk I find more ice.. Seems like the rubber seal around the trunk could be a lot tighter where it meets the rear windshield.

    Does anyone else notice squealing on their brakes whenever they have been in/are in snow?
    Here where I live all side streets are always covered in packed or loose snow so living with bad brakes isn't an options..
  • guskimguskim Member Posts: 112
    If you do a past search (in the sedans section, I think),

    You will note that the a "crunch/squelch" noise is common to the Mazda 3 under the first 1800km. The pads are simply getting seated to the rotors. Mine disappeared at 1000km or so.

    There's also another (less common?) problem of some owners reporting excessive brake dust on the rear wheels, where the rear rotors and bad look prematurely worn. But this doesn't seem to be prevalent, at least not yet. We shall see.
  • mbennett674mbennett674 Member Posts: 66
    My suggestion on the scratch... leave it and get used to it - there will be many more like it.

    Insurance will laugh at you. you can spend your own money and get it fixed if you really feel the need - but don't be surprised to find another one just like it in a few weeks.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Nice solution to the rear-view mirror. That mainly nixed the 3 for me (though I think the 6-way seat is mostly to blame as I have to raise it a bit to get a good driving position, and I already sit fairly "tall"). The rear-view mirror completely blocks my view to the front-right, making 4-way stops and similar situations extremely hazardous.
  • zc1zc1 Member Posts: 34
    Thanks for the tip. My SO absolutely hates the stock mirror so she'll love this tip.
  • z71billz71bill Member Posts: 1,986
    FYI - the Mustang mirror is a perfect fit - but the part that ATTACHES to the bracket (the bracket is little rectangle metal thing that is glued to the windshield) is different.

    The Mazda part is made of plastic, the Ford Mirror is metal painted black.

    The stock mirror is easy to remove - the Ford mirror takes a little force to snap in place.

    It goes onto the bracket about 2/3 of the way with almost no effort - the last 1/3 is the hard part. I just kept constant downward force and wiggled it back and forth slightly until it snapped in place. The mirror attachment point looks like one part - but it is really 2 parts - the bracket and a C shaped clamp.
  • chacobleuchacobleu Member Posts: 228
    Canadianmusic,

    Please provide more info on the iced hatch situation. Seems serious enough. Perhaps a much larger problem will appear when the cold spell snaps and the weather is just pure rain.
  • zc1zc1 Member Posts: 34
    Thanks again for the great info!
  • canadianmusiccanadianmusic Member Posts: 8
    Hey chacobleu,
    First off it doesn't seem to be the brake pads seating to the rotors because its fine in dry or wet pavement...just snow it squeals otherwise it doesn't make any noise?

    As for the trunk seal,I noticed it when my trunk lid was bent up a few cm (an inch?) on the left side. Opening it up there was ice all in the lip on the body of the car just behind and under where the rear windshield meets it, where the trunk arm assembly is all around the top of the trunk. Every time i open the trunk ice and snow slides in, but there is always ice forming all inside the trunk seal and I have to chip at it with an ice scraper to get it off...

    Even when the trunk is totally shut tight, it looks odd there is a big groove between the top of the trunk and the bottom of the windshield, where i guess melted snow/ice from the rear window defroster just collects and refreezes instead of running off the back of the car.
    Should be real fun once spring starts and I can test the rain on it
  • chacobleuchacobleu Member Posts: 228
    Anyone else having the same problem as Canadianmusic this winter? Is it just the sedan or the hatch as well?

    Or for you folks living in the 'rain forest' are you having water problems in the luggage compartment? You may need to look at the bottom fringes of your compartments. Maybe look at the floor of the rear seat passenger (water is always looking for the lowest point, which is variable given pitches and dips; ice on the other hand, has a mind of its own).
  • harrison888harrison888 Member Posts: 2
    Does anybody experiecing some knocking noise from the rear of the car while the car is moving ? And as well, some annoying little noise from the front too?
  • chacobleuchacobleu Member Posts: 228
    Sedan or hatch?
  • harrison888harrison888 Member Posts: 2
    hatch
  • gandrigogandrigo Member Posts: 87
    have you checked to make sure the hatch is fully closed? I had the same thing happen when a strap from a bag got caught in the opening.
  • gandrigogandrigo Member Posts: 87
    This morning as I was accelerating in 3rd gear (3 GT Sport) the car seemed to hiccup as it crossed about 3500 rpm with the throttle depressed about 3/4 of the way down. Felt like a misfire. Was fully warmed up at the time and I could not get it to re occur. Anyone else experience this?
    My 99 Protege did it occasionally until they replaced the mass air flow sensor.
  • x_typer_pilotx_typer_pilot Member Posts: 82
    Went to the dealer yesterday to have it looked at. I called them on Saturday and they squeezed me in at 8:30am yesterday. I was in & out in about 45 minutes.

    Apparently, they need to replace the air-bag sensor (or one of them if there are more). It will take a week or two to get the part in & then I'll go and have it replaced.

    Had some time to chat with my saleman and some of the staff at the dealership while I was waiting. A very pleasureable experience, it reminded me a lot of the relationship I had with my Acura dealership when I owned my Integras. I'd recommend this dealership to anyone in the GTA looking for a Mazda.

    So far this has been my only problem with the 3 (no fogging, no CEL). Honestly, I did expect at least a couple of hiccups since this is a first-year model. If this is it, I'm more than satisfied.
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    Very strange -- I logged on just now to ask if anyone had a problem with the Air Bag warning light and X_Typer_Pilot had just posted the previous message. I'll be talking to the dealer tomorrow. Hopefully this isn't the sign of a new spate of problems like the CEL light.
    BTW: I live in NH -- it's been cold but not unseasonably so -- mostly between 10 and 30 degrees F.
  • stokkesstokkes Member Posts: 81
    Would have read my message (#53 in this discussion), you would have found this out a week ago :)

    .. about the airbag light.

    Btw.. it took 4 days to get the sensor, 7 to get the Fuse box

    I have to go back to get the fuse box replaced sometime when I get the chance.

    According to the dealer and Mazda canada, both problems appear related.
  • nne3jxcnne3jxc Member Posts: 134
    Well, the problem was a defective "Front Crash Sensor" There's apparently an updated sensor out, so they ordered that and installed it.

    FYI: The faults listed on the invoice are noted as "B2226-30 Front Crash Sensor internal fault" and "B2227-E0 Front Crash Sensor comm fault"
  • lj123023lj123023 Member Posts: 1
    Hatchback w/ Auto. Seems rough b/w first and second gears when car is first started, then smooth after a while. Tried warming up longer, it helps but symptoms still there. Anyone with similar experience? Don't know if it's just too cold/car too new. Doesn't happen on my other cars.
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