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Comments
I've recently come across one of the best looking cars on the road (the Millenia) and am very interested in buying it.
I've found a great deal on 2000 S on a dealer lot and am seriously considering at as an alternative to all the (snore) accords & camrys out there, but I'm concerned about the maintenance. I have a shop that I trust implicitly and they work on Mazdas, though they mention that parts can be difficult to get.
But what can anyone tell me about reliability? Is it a good car for 4 or 5 years? Does the paint really start chipping / pealing? What's up with all of the transmission problems? I heard one guys radiator cracked clean through at 60K... EEEK! Are these things problems for all millenias, independent of weather conditions and age of car?
I'd really appreciate any info you can send my way.... I'm looking to buy very soon.
Thanks in advance!
Good Luck,
Ryan
p.s. as for the paint. It tends to chip alot if you get tapped in a parking lot,etc. If you park in tight areas often, then I suggest you buy a can of touch up paint from you dealer. Chances are you will need it.
I own a 95 Millenia S, dark green, tan leather with all the options, 85,344 miles.
I bought it in Feb 2000 with 74,687 miles. Here is the list of repairs so far.
* Oil sender switch. It broke and oil gushed all in the street. I was pissed. $75
* Air Intake Leak. $125
* O2 sensors replaced $740
* Both Cataylitic Converters went out. $WARRANTY
It would have costed $2450!!! Folks, there is a manufacturer's warranty.....
8/80,000 on the converter! If it's failing get if fixed! I had 79,775 when mine went out. Can you believe it?! What luck on my part. I would have been screwed with a huge bill.
Ok, now here's where the fun begins. All of you smoke blowing on start up people? Here is your problem. The Lysholm Compresser (super charger on S model only) will eventually develop a gasket leak, like mine has...big surprise. Oil gets into the chamber and blows into the engine with the air it's sucking in, creating white smoke. It gets trapped in the chamber over night and blows out from the butterfly valves, creating the smoke. There are varying degrees of this problem.
Cost of replacing the supercharger? $4000 I kid you not! I went to 2 dealers and 2 Japanese repair shops...it was all the same. You just can't just repair the gasket (unless you want to try it yourself and take your Miller Cycle Engine apart). This problem destroys your spark plugs and Catalytic Converter. I already did the CC so the hard part is over. The crazy thing is that I love the car despite all of this. It is a bad [non-permissible content removed] car but at a cost. If you're a luxury car lover and you're broke, this car isn't for you because it's going to cost you a pretty penny to own. Repairs are out of control. If I could do it all over again, I would have purchased the base model. It's not super fast but the power is adequate. And on the base, you can change the spark plugs yourself. Unlike the base model, the S model hides the other 3 plugs in the middle of the engine! $1200 for a tune up! Good luck out there.
In terms of reliability, I've seen some Millenia owners that has over 120K miles on their car without major problem. Most of the problems that you've seen here in this forum affected '95 model year, which is the first year Mazda introduce this car. It's very common for a first year car to have more problem than a later year ones.
I do expect to pay over $1000 for my 60000 miles service. My 15000 service cost me $105 and regular oil change cost $35. 30000 miles service should be about $300. So if you look at it, the only big ones is at 60000 miles. For the price you pay for the car right now, which is a bargain, probably discounted up to $7000; it's still a good deal. You can also buy extended warranty before your 3yrs/50K miles warranty ends.
Good Luck. BTW, what color are you planning to get?.
cheers
I'm looking at the extended warranty ... going from a Honda (can I say that word in here?) which gave me close to 300k miles without major problems, to a car / brand that I know very little about in terms of expected mechanical problems is a little scary so I will probably add the 100K extension though I may try to get it somewhere other than my dealer.
There are some great deals out there, I'm looking at about $21k and actually getting the color I want -- they call it the rain forest green, which looks more like a sea foam green. They have 5 on the lot, one the color mentioned above, the others all emerald green, which is still a nice color.
Has anyone gotten the Finishing Touch package? Is it worth it?
Again, thanks for all of the information... If I hadn't seen the posts last night I probably would have walked away completely from the deal based on that whole compressor thing and some of the other things I had read. But what really bothered me is that I would then be responsible for putting another accord / carry / maxima on the road... as though California needs more of those! If I really get this (I hope & hope that I do) I'm really looking forward to walking into a large parking lot and actually FINDING my car!! Wow, that's gonna be fun!
Again, thank you all. Hopefully the next time you hear from me, I'll be a new owner!
I have had my car for about 3 1/2 years and have been disappointed by those numbers. Has
anyone tried any accessories and or oil additives that improved efficiency significantly?
The oil sensor was changed, plugs & wires changed,
and it still gives a "misfire" code when on the
test machine. After being reset it will go for a
couple of days before the light is back on.
Any suggestions????? Also, what significant change could I expect from removing the "white box" I have seen mentioned several times in earlier posts.....will it increase performance????
My mom (who really pushed me to get an accord) was very impressed ... I'm pretty sure she had something completely different in mind.
Again, thanks so much for sharing all your experiences.
I have had my car for about 3 1/2 years and have been disappointed by those numbers. Has
anyone tried any accessories and or oil additives that improved efficiency significantly?
Your explanation of the cause of the "white smoke" problem is very interesting. Everything you said about it makes sense. Can you tell me your source of this information? I would like to get smarter on it. Is it in a pub or repair bulletin? I don't think my local Mazda service dept would tell me much, even if they knew anything about it.
To other "S" owners, with 60,000+ miles:
Have you seened this smoke on daily start up? I wonder if it is something all Supercharged Millenia owners should expect to encounter, or has it been "fixed" on later models?
Thanks for any help.
1) The above leak (twice within two years)
2) Heating fan motor : replaced twice for excessive noise.
3) Rear suspension upper link replaced twice for excessive noise
4) Steering rack replaced (twice) after oil leak.
5) Keyless entry system replaced (frequency interference from aircraft ILS and DME near airports).
6) Driver door lock actuator replaced.
7) Driver seat warmer switch replaced
8) Battery replaced
9) Traction control off light comes on under slippery conditions. Main computer replaced.
10) Driver seat belt replaced for not retracting.
11) Front wheel bearings replaced after axle leak.
All above problems were detected by dealer during regular checkup/maintenance visit. All were repaired with satisfaction and professional care second to none. It was (and still is) fun to driver the car. I am now at 70k km (44k km) with an expired warranty and two fingers crossed.
Happy New Year to all.
The Millennia I only has one catalytic convertor.
I have read of other 95 I owners having problems
with Mechanical seals on the Lysholm compressor.
I am trying to determine whether it is faulty seals or whether it was due to the very poor design of the early millennia radiators. the radiator was re designed with 48% more cooling capacity. There was a TB on the Lysholm compressor.
I installed the later design radiator in my I
(after market 1/2 price of Mazda. I have gotten a price of $2300 for a new Lysholm compressor.
Can someone please help me out with the Check Engine Light problem that I'm having; The problem code is P0170 (Fuel trim malfuction Bank 1), and also Code: P0173 (Fuel trim malfunction Bank 2). Does anyone know what exactly do these problems mean? Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!
HAPPY Y2K+1
I have a 1999 S with 14k, I have seen the white smoke but only if the car sit for a few (3-4 or more) days with out being started up, I've talked to the service department manager, and his response was that it is normal for cars that have super charged engines to blow some smoke after start-up, he also said that the super charger would blow more air out at start-up and will blow alot of the condensation out of the muffler/catalytic converter and pipes which makes it look like white smoke.
That is all I know about that, if any one have any more info. about the smoke or have any comments about what the service manager told me please let us know.
Has any one timed there S model from 0-60, I'm sure we all would like to know what this car can do. If any one timed their millenia, please let us know.
Also, a friend of mine knew some one that sells new K&N AIR filters for my 1999 S, I think I'm going to order one this week.
regards
Believe it or not, but the times you should be concerned about are the, 80-130 times! Which I also find to be much more exciting! The reason I am stating this is because, the Miller Cycle Engine is designed to excel in performance at high RPMs, (you can obtain a lot of information on this via the web, from engineering based websites) I recently put my Millenia's supercharger to test at a racetrack in MD against a BMW 330 coupe. The 330, lost pathetically. The Miller-cyle performs spectacular at 100+mph
Believe me when I state this, just about every automotive enthusiates out thier, is familiar with the Miller Cycle Engine, and has high regards for its performance characteristics.
Did you know that VW has non-affiliated performance groups located within CONUS, that have developed Miller Cycle Engine to replace certian VW makes - Otto Cycle Engines!
Regards,
H.N.Y
2 Emerald Green
1 Rainforest Green
1 Gold
They may have had black as well, but I'm not sure if it was 2000 or 01 model year.
Note: If you live in the area, don't go to Tustin Mazda ... they have loads of room on their lot and don't need to move them so quickly. Irvine is renting space from two areas offsite because they have so many cars and no place to put them. If you don't live in the area, the space problem is still something to keep in mind. Some dealers didn't plan well and are completely overstocked, hence the dealing being done on the 2000 right now (something you've probably heard before.)
For any substantial HP increase you will have to have either, install compatible bolt-on components to your Millenia or have parts custom made for your car, which can become very expensive dependent upon what you want fabricated.
The best way to acquire bolt-on components for your Millenia, is through the implementation of a RFPP (Request For Performance Parts) campaign, via email or regular mail; and submitting all documents (detailing what owners want and will purchase) to potential suppliers. The best medium to utilize to instate an effective campaign and gather-up interested Millenia owners is through the development of a Millenia Website.
I know, this sounds like a lot of work, but its probably the best mechanisms available, in appeasing your desire to increase your Millenia's performance.
Regards,
Buy the way have you ever timed your car, if so would you share it with us.
The next day, I tried the Traction control again on some slippery surface and guess what? Engine stalled again when revved. What kind of TCS is this!!!
Any comments would be helpful.
Thanks!!
Those suckers aint cheap! I've got 85,500k and I'm dumping the car when I approach 90k. Like I said, the Millenia is SWEET and I really don't get jazzed up about anything else out there in the $24k range. JEAN7of9, That's a lot of repairs for 60k service. Any problems with your ride right now? Keeping the fingers crossed is very critical for Miller Cycle owners. Oh, before I forget, I used Zmax engine additive (the one on the infomercial, my Millenia feels smoother and quicker. They sold me on the demos with breaking up sludge and carbon. Oh well, that's enough from me for now.
I've also just pull a bottle of the ZMax into my car last week during oil change, however didn't really have a chance to drive my car cause of the snow storm in NY. Hopefully I'll feel some difference from this engine additive (ZMax), I've used many other enigine additives (Dura Lube, Motor UP, Slick 50) before but didn't feel any difference on them. Hope this one works!!!
Millenia S 2.3, except *, M Edition 2.3
_________________________________________________
Magazine Issue Year 0-60mph 1/4mi
Motor Trend 5/94 1995 7.6 sec 15.8 @ 90mph
Car&Driver 8/94 1995 7.7 16.0 @ 90
Car&Driver 7/95 1995 7.4 15.7 @ 90
Car&Driver 7/98 1998 7.8 16.0 @ 89
Car&Driver 2/00 2000* 8.5 16.6 @ 86
Motor Trend 1/01 2001 8.4 16.3 @ 86
Millenia L 2.5
_________________________________________________
Magazine Issue Year 0-60mph 1/4mi
Motor Trend 5/94 1995 9.1 sec 16.8 @ 83mph
Comments: I've posted this chart here before, only this time I've included MT's most recent test of the 2001 Millenia. Acabral1 is correct in that these tests are probably not indicative of the Millenia's high RPM performance, so you may or may not want to take these figures with a grain of salt...
As you know, these are figures from U.S. media. I'd be very interested what overseas automotive journalists have to say about their "Millenias", the Xedos 9 and the Eunos 800-M. Maybe Csuftitans knows.
I have a '95 800M, which has done 110,000km (just under 69k miles) which I bought second hand.
1. Did the 100k / 60k mile service mid last year - didn't realise the cost - goddam!
2. I have had the odd problem with the car - radio antenna internal cable broke - replaced under warranty, CD player packed up (also replaced under warranty), the front door light (entry light) has gone twice.
3. More concerning - I started to get white smoke from my exhaust after starting, and after reading a few posts, I'm worried. What I can't work out is whether it is caused by age, or whether it is caused by the high octane petrol I'm using (RON 98). The emission does have a weird smell . . . which generally goes straight after starting. I would've thought they'd check the compressor at the 60,000 service . . .
4. Wheel noise - particularly at around 60km/h, and not really at any other speed??? I don't know whether this was caused by a crappy tyre attendant who didn't know what he was doing when he was aligning the wheels for 4WS.
5. Brakes - feeling quite rough, maybe I just need them replaced.
6. 1st to 2nd gear change - can be like a mule's kick sometimes - anyone else have this problem
Speed tests in Australia:
1. eauto.com.au - 9.3 sec
2. Autospeed.com - 9.0 sec for 0-100km/h
3. Buscentre.com.au - 8.6 sec
4. I've seen an 8.2 and 8.4, but now all I have to do is find their source . . .
You're probably all thinking we get an underpowered 800M in Australia . . ., but no we don't!
I've clocked myself around the 8.0 second mark, but not very accurately, and it was a cold night.
Regards
D
http://www.alldata.com/recalls/
This website supposedly lists Technical Service Bulletins and Recalls for all vehicles. Looks pretty good to me. However, I didn't see anything on the "white smoke" problem. In fact, I didn't see much on engine problems. There were a few transmission bulletins.
With a TSB number you should be able to talk more intelligently to your service manager, and probably get more info, and respect, from him.
Good luck.
The Technical Service Bulletins and Recalls on the website I just mentioned are only listed by title and number.
If any of you know the details of any of the Millenia TSBs, please list them.
Thanks.
cheers
I bought a few days ago but between getting the insurance squared away and a couple small items taken care of at the dealer, I've only put about 50 miles on my car.
Now I'm hearing different things on how important it is to break in my engine. Apparently, I should...
-...drive it no faster than 50 mph for the first 500 miles.
-...drive no faster than 60 mph, but keep varying my speeds.
-...not worry about breaking in the engine at all but just go enjoy my car. (I like that one!)
-... not drive my car off the highway beacuse of stops / starts. (Apparently I should just stay on the freeway for the first 500 miles driving no faster than 50 mph but always varying my speeds. I live in Southern California... you can now start a pool as to how quickly I'd be shot.)
-...not accelerate too quickly.
-... not stop too quickly.
After you stop laughing at eith my ignorance or gullability or both, do you have any suggestions for me?
Thanks in advance!!!
Anyhow...being serious...I thought the break in period was 1500 miles and that you could go over 60 miles an hour, but just that you were not suppose to floor it or drive crazy...no cruise control
hope that helps some
The 2001 Millenia's design also grows on me; especially the rear and interior upgrades.
BTW, My 2000 Millenia S (bought in 'Jan 2000) now has a very satisfying 19969 miles.
cheers
BTW, I saw a red 2001 Millenia P on LAX this morning, first time I've seen it on the road. The rear is so beautifully design, that I followed the car until he went to the parking lot.
Note to Infinity I30 designer, DO NOT copy Millenia's new rear design.
cheers