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I have a Mazda 3 2005 and I had it in to my mazda dealer for the Check Engine Light 8 times in the last year. I got a lemon lawyer and sued. I got all my money back and Mazda paid my legal fees. I deposited the check today. I wish you luck. I live in California and the Lemon law works well. All in all it took about 1 month.
For my Buick I used DexCool from GM, but that is pink, the stuff in the mazda looks blue.
About the brake fluid the manual says it should be SAEJ1703 or FMVSS116DOT3 which one should I use? Can I use any that meets those specs?
what power steering fluid should I use? for my buick with 137,000 miles I just used soem from Walmart, but that does not say if it is ATF-M III or equivalent...
So, what do I use?
thanks for the help
Its normal for the fluid level in the brake and clutch to drop as the brake pads and clutch wear. In most cars it is best to not top it off - unless the level gets close to the minimum line. Then it would be a good idea to check your brake pads - when new pads are installed the level will come back up. Its also not a good idea to take the cap off any more than absolutely necessary. Brake fluid will absorb moisture quickly (even from high humidity) this will cause corrosion in the brake system.
If the brake pads are not worn and you need to add fluid (every few months) it can indicate you have a leak in the system.
I was also curious about the answer to your question so performed some research. I read several threads from auto mechanics who noted that a timing can last 100,000 to 200,000 miles before it needs to be replaced. Oil change intervals seems to be the under lying factor that determines the service life.
Good luck with your car.
Thieves have figured out a way to bypass the Mazda locking and alarm system without the alarm going off. We purchased three 2006 3 Mazda 3's and two of them have been broken into twice each using the same technique. The charteristic mark is a 4 to 5 inch long dent about 2/3 the way along the driver's door just below the bottom of the window.
I won't go into the specific technique that is suspected but it works
Mazda knows about this problem. I think that it should result in a recall - What do you think. Consummers should have a reasonable expectation that if a thief enters a vehicle the included alarm should activate - right?
BTW - unless Mazda developed some new system - the engine oil never comes into contact with timing chain - so I don't see a connection between how often you change engine oil and the life of the chain. I have seen a chain fail because it stretched - so it messed up the engine timing - but this was in a V8 that had over 500 HP.
In all but a very few situations the chain will out last the engine.
Thanks.
Tip: if you're still unsure call an independent garage and ask for their opinion about how to service your Mazda3.
What does the timing belt do?
I believe based on the last post I have had timing BELT failures in other vehicles, not timing CHAIN failures. I would appreciate a short description what each of these components does in the engine if anyone has time.
"... without a properly installed and adjusted timing chain ... the valves on your engine don’t open and close at the appropriate times. A sloppy timing chain can result in poor running, valve clatter, and loss of power ... signs that your timing chain may need replacement include loss of power and noise from the timing cover at the front of your engine. Unlike the timing belt crowd, you probably won’t destroy your engine by running with a worn out timing chain. "
The timing chain provides the link between what position the exhaust and intake valves are in (open or closed) - in relation to the position of the piston (what stroke the piston is in). The timing of this link is critical to the operation of an engine. So I guess that is why its called a timing chain.
In most car engines the piston moves up and down 2 times in each cycle - or make 4 STROKES - that is why they call it a 4 stroke engine. Stroke 1 has the piston moving down - with the intake valve open (fuel and air comes into the combustion chamber at this point) then the valve closes and the piston moves up compressing the air fuel mixture (stroke #2) - just at (really just before) the piston reaches top dead center (as far up as it can go before starting back down) the spark plug fires and causes the fuel and air to burn (its like a little explosion) this forces the piston down (stroke #3 - the power stroke) - then the exhaust valve opens and the movement of the piston back up (stroke #4) forces the exhaust gas out of the combustion chamber and eventually out your tail pipe. Then it starts all over again.
If your engine has a timing belt it is the same thing - except instead of sprockets and a chain it has a pulleys and a belt.
If your belt breaks then the valves stop moving and with some engines the piston can crash into them - causing major engine damage. Bent valve stems - broken pistons - damaged combustion chamber = you need a new engine or at least an expensive over haul.
Why would a low profile tire get more flats?
thanks
Sounds like a job for an OBD reader. ON the other hand, it may be a diagnostic by a professional. I have not bought a reader myself because I have heard a) the information provided for the codes needs to be interpreted by a mechanic; b) the code may provide only a partial picture of the root problem (example: code may refer to O2 sensor problem but the root of the problem may be "further up" in the emission system which is affecting that O2 sensor).
Personally, with all the talk that we hear about how sophisticated cars are it strikes me as ironic that we feel less in control. I think that as consumers we should demand better information about our car systems; imagine in addition to navigation systems we had an onboard computer diagnostic tool that explained the "code" and the proper remedy so that we could talk to our mechanic with some confidence about the problem.
I have hit some horrible pot holes / railroad tracks at 45 MPH and have not had any tire damage (205 50 17 stock tires) - what speed are you going when you hit a pot hole that causes the tire to be damaged (flat?)
BTW - IMO if you hit the brakes before a pot hole to slow down that is a good thing (DUH) but - if continue to brake hard while actually hitting the hole that is a bad thing to do. You are better off taking your foot off the brake right before the tire impacts the hole/ large bump.
When you slam the brake on hard it causes two things that can increase damage.
The front the car dives down - this puts extra downward force on the front wheels reducing the amount of suspension travel available to absorb the shock.
Also by braking hard you are may cause the wheel to be almost stopped at the point of impact - rather than turning freely. This was a bigger issue before anti-lock brakes - skidding into a pot hole with your front tires locked up will cause all kinds of damage.
I took it to the dealership today and they've already called saying they don't see anything wrong with it.
Searching this forum, I see that a "stalling" problem was the subject of several posts. Has anyone had this issue resolved? Does it sound similar to my problem? I'd love to let the service dept know what has or has not worked for others.
Thanks
what year was your car and how long ago did they take it back? I picked mine up yesterday from the dealership service dept. Service manager says they can't find a problem, but that Mazda is aware of a "stalling" problem caused by a purge flow issue. He says they are coming out with a PCM update in mid-December that will fix the problem. I guess I can give them until mid-december, but I am a little cynical and wonder if this is just a "stalling" technique (pun intended!!) on their part, to just get me out of the dealership and that hopefully I won't come back.
Does anyone know a way to angle the headlights higher?
Thanks.
I have an "i" model also, but have heard no such noise.
This will be the 2nd thermostat the dealer has to replace.
Anyone else have a similar experience? :confuse:
My wife and I recently bought a used 2004 Mazda 3 Hatchback (leather, sunroof, CD changer, Xenon options) and have a couple questions for anyone kind enough to respond. BTW - We've checked the forum archives but haven't seen anything corresponding exactly to...
We have the Xenon option and periodically the headlights will flicker. Doesn't seem to be any pattern to it. Sometimes it happens after driving for ten minutes or so. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all. Also, the right headlight Xenon will go out periodically, but then after the car is turned off and restarted, it comes back on. Is this a Xenon thing? A wiring thing? A headlight about to go out thing?
Also, I've read a number of posts related to brake grinding and other noises. Do the Mazda pads have the "wear indicators" found on other cars that give you an idea of when you really do need to get the pads replaced? To my ears from inside the vehicle, it sounds like the rear pads kind of rumble when braking and wondered if that was an indication of wear. There doesn't seem to be any substantial noise from outside the vehicle though. I'm guessing it could just be road noise but was curious what other owners thought.
Thanks all!
On a separate topic, have an 07 GT 4door 5-speed. When shifting i heard a weird clunking sound from what seems like below the drivers seat. Anyone had this issue before?
Mazda3 (and prior to that Proteges) have a known brake issue: the paads can lockup if rust develops. The remedy is to have your disc brakes periodically cleaned and lubricated. I have mine lubricated every 18 months and have been running on the same disc brakes for over 4.5 years (80,000 km / 50,000 miles)!
p.s. Lubricating your disc brakes is not particular to Mazda; it's recommended for anyone with disc brakes.
It is still the most fun-to-drive economy car I've ever driven.
I know when you replace the pads a very small amount of lube (high temp grease) is put on the spot where the caliper contacts the BACK of the brake pad - but this has nothing to do with the rubbing sound you hear when you stop.
My Mazda3 had the grinding rear brakes - when I stepped on the brake it sounded like I was dragging concrete blocks behind the car. I first had my car in for this problem in February 2004 was told it was normal - about 2 years later Mazda came up with a fix for the grinding problem - it was a new brake pad - but by this time my rotors were worn out and needed to be replaced.
Not sure why it took so long for Mazda to figure out that something was wrong - but the replacement pads and new rotors solved the problem.
It's not the pads :surprise: but the brake mechanism that gets cleaned and lubricated, i.e. the brake calipers and sliders holding the pads. Sorry for the confusion
2.3 engine.
My Engine Light came on once. Took it to the deal-
er.Some sensor was bad. Never has a problem
since.
Brakes: Had lots of squeal and huge amounts of
dust on back wheels.Took the car in and they
replaced the pads. Now I am rid of the dust,
but they squeal worse. they squeal only in
cold weather,not when its warm. Anyone have an
answer?
Car has run perfect otherwise.Have about
16,000 miles on it.
The Sandman