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Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • windeyewindeye Member Posts: 9
    It would be great if you could share that
    sequence with us. Thanks.
  • windeyewindeye Member Posts: 9
    I was so eager to get you info so I posted the above message without reading through the posts
    followed. Thanks. Best wishes to you.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    Yes, I do java programming, as well as html, and lan/wan admin. I work for a very large (for Alaska) ISP offering dial-up, cable, dsl, isdn (ack!), t1-t3 and fiber services. Probably should update my profile... javadoc has a double meaning for my handle: the java prog. reference, and the name of wife's coffee shop, Javadocs. Far cry from my old SCCA club racing days.

    Happy motoring! Hey, shouldn't MPV owners have a "wave" like VW vanagon and Eurovan owners? Hmmmm...
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    don't always believe your mazda mechanic. If you look at the computer in the passenger footwell, just under/behind the glove box, you will find the standard ford EEC-V computer. The very same computer that is in the contour and many other fords. Now the engine managment calibration program running may be Mazda code. But I doubt the 'code' will make the hardware that much more reliable.

    That was not a big concern for me, as I believe the current generation Duratec is improved over the 95-97 model years. It certainly is not as stressed as the engine in the SVT.

    Unless your MPV is different from mine, its got a Ford computer, MAF and throttlebody. Who knows about O2 sensor, temp sensors and the like.

    I don't claim to know it all, but I'd ask your mechanic for a clarification. Especially if you do notice the ford computer under the dash.

    Cheers,

    TB
  • gordobrgordobr Member Posts: 4
    It appears that my two month old ES MPV has developed some problems with the transmission. For the past few weeks my wife has been complaining that the car lurches when put in reverse and will sometimes do this in drive. After initially telling her that it is a matter of getting used to being gentle with the pedal as many prior posts have suggested (did not go over big with her)- this past weekend the car started going forward slightly when first put in reverse but only when the car has been running for about an hour and is hot. There is also a definite delay at other times in moving in drive when the gear is engaged most often when the car has been running for awhile. The dealer reproduced the problem, agrees that it is in the tranny with the gear not engaging right away and will be following some suggestions he got from Mazda about possible causes. He did not know what the problem was.Any suggestions since the members of this forum certainly seem to know more about the MPV than Mazda. Thanks.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    Anyone know the Recall Number for the rumored bumper recall on 00 MPVs? My seemingly clueless dealer has not heard of it and I'd like to educate them.

    Thx for the info Tboner on the Ford/Mazda brains. Can't trust anyone anymore. Or, the mechanic was just blowing smoke up my #$%.

    Gordobr, I haven't had the problem you describe with your MPV on my '00 model. I have noticed that from time to time it isn't as smooth engaging Drive or Reverse from park. This is normally when cold tho, so I might attribute it to cold fluids. I did notice a significant improvement of the tranny performance after 6000 miles as opposed to the first 3000 miles.

    My two cents, but I don't know everything... ;-)

    Good Luck!

    --Java
  • cyclerklmcyclerklm Member Posts: 26
    I haven't found the official recall number, but here are links concerning the issue and Mazda's response.

    http://www.highwaysafety.org/news_releases/2000/pr032900.htm

    http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/low_speed_vans.htm
  • rjrerjre Member Posts: 3
    Does anybody have any suggestions on a product that can clean the rough surface on the lower part of the doors. It seems like there is something like a rubber coating there to protect the paint, and the detailer appears to have put too much black coating on the tires. As a result, the black sprayed on the lower doors and when I washed it off I believe it stained the coating with some small spots..nothing real major, but I want my beautiful MPV to be perfect, even if I am the only one to ever get down and notice them. The black washed right off the rear bumper with no problems. The detailer at my dealer was unable to remove the stains. I have tried a tar remover with not luck.
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Touchup Paint! It will cost less than any cleaner and should cover it on the rough coating. I know the best is to clean it, but I wouldn't want to risk scrubbing so hard something comes off or introducing a harmful chemical, when touchup paint should make it unnoticeable event to you. Its about $5 bucks at the dealer.
  • fdwilliamsfdwilliams Member Posts: 1
    Hello to all, I just got an 00 MPV LX yesterday.

    - white
    - Touring pkg.
    - Rear A/C
    - GFX (I wouldn't have ordered this but... not so bad)
    - 6 disk in-dash
    - moonroof
    - MSRP 27,400 or so

    This minivan had been traded back in to our local Mazda dealer on a new 626. It was originally purchased in February, 00 and had 5200 miles. It was in virtually perfect "new" condition, the previous owner had come from a sports car and was dissatisfied with the idea of driving a minivan. They must have taken quite a hit on deciding to trade in so quickly. We will have 32 months/45000 miles remaining on the warranty. Funny thing, we had just this past Friday night researched new minivans to replace our 1993 Dodge Grand Caravan ES. When we went in for a test drive the "used" one caught our eye. It had been traded in just two days before - another customer had offered on the van and was declined on his credit application - and they had just returned the MVP to the front lot. We paid $19,900 +TTL (should probably have tried for lower but there were two other customers seriously looking at the van - one was going to test drive it, we liked it, so snapped it up). We are going through the same "WOW! What a great van" experiences that we see described on the various MPV boards. It is too early to tell for sure, but I estimate that we are going to get around 22 or 23 mpg on our first tankful check. The MPV is perfectly stable at all speeds (including the 75 to 85 mph that some find shaky) and it tracks perfectly (no pulling). I find the power adequate, though it is no racer from a standing start. Great fun to drive and best of all, my wife, the main driver, likes it A LOT. I have a few questions that maybe some of you more knowledgeable MPVers may know about.

    - When the car is warm (don't notice when cold) there is a sort of a small squeak/pop noise coming from either the steering assemblies or engine compartment/transaxle/front suspension areas. This is only noticed when accelerating from a standstill and it only does it two or three times each start. It sounds a bit like some sort of heavy spring loading - sort of a subtle "pop" (and I do mean subtle). Has anyone ever noticed anything like this or heard of it?

    - Our MPV was manufactured 7/99 and is due for the engine recalls. Does an orange tag on the drivers door mean that this has been performed? (I will check for sure with my dealer, just thought some here may know)

    - Has anyone removed the GFX package? Is it just a screw on affair (looks to be)? Is it likely that the four months of use has scratched or discolored the underlying finish in any way?

    Thank you in advance for any response that you may provide.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    Any suggestions as to why my MPV is stalling on cold starts? I open up the garage, start the van, and it stalls, then stalls again as soon as I engage a gear. Doesn't do this once the engine's warmed up.

    I have to say, to anyone considering a Honda Odditty (oops!), the paint on the Mazda is far superior, which should make a difference in the long run. Look at any Honda that's a few years old. Rock chips and chips on the paint everywhere. I've seen 2000 Oddesseys with a myriad of chips in their hoods already.

    No, I won't say my wife is careless, but she won't park in the "no ding" zones at the mall. You know the ones, way out where no one will ding your doors, where I park my car. I've yet to see a ding, or scratch on the doors of the MPV, except on the rear bumper. So, Kudos to Mazda for not skimping on the paint like Honda seems to do.

    -Java
  • dlncmaydlncmay Member Posts: 27
    WOW!!! Sounds like you got a great with the deal! I agree with your initial assessment of the van. I do not have the popping sound that you describe. Also, I don't have the GFX package. Our van has blue stickers on the door for recall work that has been performed. Join us on Topics 1179 and 1183, Cruisers Club and MPV IV, if you have not already.

    Take care.
  • trussmonkeytrussmonkey Member Posts: 5
    Would like final thoughts on the following problems I've found in this forum relating to the MPV. Am wanting to purchase the LX with Security Package but am being reluctant considering the following re-occuring issues:

    * Vibrating - pulling to left ! (could the tire pressure actually be the fix?!)

    * bumper recall (must I buy an MPV manufactured after 4/00 ? Or is that even a help?)

    * AC not blowing

    * stalling! (A one time fix? If so, can this be fixed at the dealer BEFORE purchase?)

    * rear-bumper easily being chipped

    Seems like a line up of head-aches.

    Please help.
  • gagpgagp Member Posts: 32
    * Vibrating - pulling to left:
    - None on mine.

    * bumper recall:
    - Still no recall in Canada (a bit annoying though...).

    * AC not blowing
    - Haven't experienced it too many times here North !

    * stalling:
    - No stalling problem but yes, the van is hesitating sometimes. Got used to it.

    * rear-bumper easily being chipped:
    - You will have to get the rear step plate. Looks and works great !

    Hope it helps a bit ...

    Silver Driver
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    If you realllyyy want to read about a line of headaches go read the Odessey topics and the Caravans. I will take our minor problems compared to replacing trannys and wiping door sills with KY any day of the week.

    As for the vibrating or pulling,seems me that if one of the new ones has this, it has been fixed by an alignment, proper inflation, or balancing.
    Bumper recall will happen soon. Just be sure not hit anything. (Normal when you have a new car).

    AC not blowing, I think that is an isolated incidient. Ours will freeze you out after about 5 mins.

    Stalling, never happened to us. Had to teach the wife how to start it true, but that is operator head space and timing.

    Rear bumper paint chipping, true I would agree that the paint on the rear seems to chip easily. But the fix is the step plate and a $5.00 bottle of touchup paint.

    For those of us that are owners, this "line of headaches" is easily tolerated any time you are behind the wheel. It truly is a great vehicle, the sound system is awesome, the side windows roll down (exclusive feature) and the moonroof is great. I would seriously consider making the jump to the touring package you will find it is well worth it.

    Good luck on your reading.
  • kondokondo Member Posts: 9
    After reading all the posts I possibly could about the MPV I was also hesitant to purchase. (I started out shopping for an ODY but all the posts here led me right to the MPV! Thank God for that!!)

    I had concerns about the pulling to the left, the vibrating, the engine etc etc.... At the time I truly felt we had reason to pause.

    One month ago we bought our LX. We have rear a/c, sec pkg, roof rack, 3 in 1, cargo net and the rear bumper step plate.

    Our van was mfg 2/00. Overall I am extremely happy with the van! More so than I thought possible.

    We purchased the bumper step plate before we left the dealer. It is sharp looking and will keep our bumper from getting scratched. Without a doubt a great investment! (It was either 34 or 43 dollars)

    I only remember one complaint about someone's a/c not blowing properly. I believe they have a unique problem that needs dealer attention.

    We live in a very hot climate and some days we don't even need the rear a/c on! Yes, the van does cool off slower than our car, but when you compare the size there is no comparison. A larger vehicle takes longer to cool off - tinted windows or not. But, once it is cooled my a/c works great as I have read with most other MPV'ers.

    As for vibrating and pulling to the left. (After reading everything I also questioned whether the problem was related to tire pressure.) I have experienced none of those problems. We made sure to test drive our van on the interstate going over 75 mph. I think this is an old issue that is not happening in the 2000 mfg MPV's (IMO)

    I wish the bumper recall had taken place prior to our purchase as the damage that can happen without the reinforcements is scary. But, I don't plan on being in an accident : ) and I personally felt it was not worth the wait. If you can wait and it's important to you then you should.

    I really can't stress to you how pleased we are with this van. We have no issues related to the power! (Personally I am sick of the subject.) The MPV runs great in the city and on the hwy. We took an 1000 mile trip and we cruised at 76 mph and passed without a problem.

    We broke the van in for 600 miles prior to our trip and we did not use the cruise until then. Now there is over 2000 miles on the van and it is running extremely smooth. I can't believe how much nicer it runs than when we first got it. And it ran fantastic then.

    I love my van. If what you posted are the only things holding you back I really don't personally feel you have cause for concern.

    We test drove a few other MPV's and some we knew just weren't for us. We ended up waiting another month once we heard that 3 in 1 was available. Once we drove our current van we just knew in our hearts it was it.

    I think that dollar for dollar we made a great investment. Every other non MPV van owner that has seen our van has really been impressed with ours. The MPV truly has some great features and dollar for dollar it beats out the competition.

    That's my opinion. I am going to hide this response since I got so long winded! : )
  • bigdipperbigdipper Member Posts: 8
    We have owned our LX for a little over 3 weeks with just over 600 miles and have not experienced any problems with our van except with the AC blowing. I believe it was my post that sparked that conversation and from the comments generated it does not seem that many people are experiencing this problem. It is not so much a problem with cooling the car, the AC works great and we have the rear air which we have not really used yet with only three people in the family. The problem was with the setting for top and bottom vents, the air flow seemed to get weaker. I spoke to our dealer and he said (don't know if he was blowing smoke)that for running the AC, the top vent-only should be selected since hot air rises. Unless we really need to cool our feet off, the top vent-only setting produces a very strong flow of air which cools the van quickly and the fan setting then need only be set to 1 or 2.

    Can't emphasize enough how much we enjoy our MPV.
    I strongly agree that the rolldown windows are a great and unique feature - only found on the MPV.
    It's great for the kids. We drove by our neighbors while they were taking a stroll with their kids. When we stop to say hello, I was able to rolldown the side window so my daughter could look out and say hi as well. My neighbor was amazed at this feature and said that they would be looking at the MPV to replace their older model Dodge Caravan in the next few weeks.
    Good luck with your decision making!
  • julyarjulyar Member Posts: 35
    I haven't had any of the above problems for what its worth. No pulling or vibrating at all at any speed, no stalling. A/C hasn't really gotten stressed here in CA, but we have had a few days over 90 and close to 100, but cooled the car off pretty quickly. I don't have many chips on the bumper, but I am also very careful, the $34 rear bumper step plate should take care of that. On the bumper, you just have to be careful not to rear end anything until the recall work is done. We love the van, and there have not been any problems worth mentioning yet, well... except maybe for my wife driving it all the time instead of me!!!!
  • meerameera Member Posts: 50
    I'm one of the few with a vibrating/ pull to the left problem. After finally going to another dealer for service it turns out it was the alignment which subsequently ruined the front tires. Anyhow, if you test drive a lot and on the highway, you will know if the van has the problem. I purchased ours based on options I wanted and just drove it around the block a little. My long test drives were in other vans at another dealer, that didn't have the options I wanted. Just make sure you go at least 75mph and you'll know if it's got the problem. I have an LX/Security and feel it is an exellent car now that it is smooth on the highway also. GOOD LUCK!
  • dlncmaydlncmay Member Posts: 27
    Wow!!! Several responses, but I will still add my typical 2.5 cents;)

    We have an LX w/ rear a/c, sec. pkg., & 4 seasons:

    No problems w/ vibrating and I think those that have experienced it have gotten to the root of the problem.

    Bumper Recall - patiently waiting for the recall

    AC - works great!

    Stalling - no problems!

    Rear bumper chips - bought step plate asap (looks good)! BTW $35

    Bottom line - No headaches, only pleasure driving a great looking, nice handling, full featured minivan, at a reasonable price.

    Take care.
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    .... the topic just south of this one on the topic board? It was frozen since it had over 500 posts (holding hand over mouth while snickering).

    Trussmonkey: Don't worry! As you can see, we all are extremely happy with our vans. Even the people who have had some minor problems still love their vans. I've had my ES with moonroof, 4-seasons, CD changer for almost 7 months, and have driven almost 16,000 miles. I have experienced none of the problems you mention, nor any others. The van runs great, looks great, sounds great (awesome stereo system) and you'll look great driving one!! :)
  • pd10pd10 Member Posts: 5
    I had a problem @ approx. 4500 mi with screeching/squealling brakes on my '00MPV LX w/ Touring Pkg. The noise was awful.

    Turned out the problem was glazing on the brake pads.
    My local Mazda dealership picked up my van... repaired the problem at no charge...
    and returned the van to me cleaner than I sent it!
    No more squealling and I'm @ 8400 mi. now.
    LOVE THIS MINIVAN!
  • superbondosuperbondo Member Posts: 29
    My van still pulls to the left since it's back from service a month ago. The service statement said the air was set and front and rear tires were rotated, no alignment was performed, and no more pulling when he test drove it, and if any more pulling I should go back to the tire manufacturer instead of going back to the dealer. Yet it's still pulling since the first day it came back, and I am not going back to them because they told me not to. I don't think pulling is because of alignment because the van didn't hit any pavement, unless the alignment was defective to begin with.

    The AC is also not cold enough compared to other cars' AC (new and old). I don't know if it's the new freon or just my van since some of the posts refer to AC not blowing.

    Also has anyone noticed a persistent ticking sound emitting from the engine compartment? It seems like valve ticking noise similiar to my old car.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    My MPV's @ the dealer right now actually. Glazing on the rear drums was the culprit, just as you say. Van has 9000 miles on it right now. The dealer's replacing broken locking lug nuts w/ regular ones.

    They're also trying to trace my ghost cold start issue, but it didn't present itself to them. Ho hum.

    Gas mileage is still good, and increasing. Looks like we're getting 19mpg with all in-town driving. Still love it.

    We're looking at an 86 Volvo 850R Turbo for me right now. Conveniently, the Mazda and Volvo dealers are one and the same in our two-horse town (Anchorage, AK, pop 325,000), so service is doubly convenient.

    Speaking of service, I have to say that my Mazda service experience is far and away better than that which I have experienced with the Ford POS I own, and am trading in for the Volvo.

    Happy trails!

    --Javadoc
  • dlncmaydlncmay Member Posts: 27
    Perhaps it is the tires. It seems like some past reading in one of MPV forums indicated that some owners traced the pulling problem to a bad batch of tires??? I believe it was the 16 inchers rather than the 15 inchers. Perhaps someone else has a better memory than me.

    I also think you need to get your AC checked. Too many other people are getting good performance from their AC in warm climates for it to be a systemic problem. Have the dealer check the AC.

    Take care.
  • meerameera Member Posts: 50
    The dealer that finally fixed my shaking/pulling believes it was out of alignment from day one. Was your van manufactured 7/99? Have you called Mazda? Does the steering wheel shake when you drive on the highway? Go to another dealer, that's what I finally did. The first dealer told me three times they had balanced it and everything was normal! Finally at 6000 miles the other dealer aligned it. By this time the front tires had worn very unevenly. Good luck!
  • hmo2000hmo2000 Member Posts: 1
    Just a note to be carefull with the vanity mirrors. My 3 year old bent the door too far and broke it. It won't stay up anymore. At first I thought I could live with it but then I realized that you really need that door to stay up if you use the mirror while driving! They will have to replace the whole visor......$83!!!!!
  • dlncmaydlncmay Member Posts: 27
    Ouch!!! Thanks for the tip.
  • roktmanroktman Member Posts: 4
    Tire pressure and alignment are the obvious things to have checked. If pressure and alignment are OK, then the problem is very likely a tire defect -- probably an off-center belt in the tire. I experienced this problem on another vehicle I once owned. If the belts in the tire (i.e. "steel belted" radials) are not laid up properly, this will cause the vehicle to pull to one side If the tire is on the front). A way to check this is to exchange the front tires and see if the vehicle now pulls to the opposite side. If it does, it's the tire. If the dealer rotates the tires and puts the bad tire on the rear, you'll think the problem is solved until the tire ends up back up front on a subsequent tire rotation. That's what happened to me before I figured out I had a bad tire!
  • rrbhokiesrrbhokies Member Posts: 108
    Going back to the dealer again this morning. We'll try it one more time.

    Pulling seems to have stopped after an alignment and balancing, but there is still a very noticable vibration beginning at 65-70 mph. So much so, that my hand vibrates violently on the steering wheel and my wife's hand will go numb after about 15 minutes of driving in this condition.

    We keep the tires inflated to 35PSI or so, just like the manual states, so I'm pretty sure it's not the tire pressure. I'm reluctant to tell the dealer what to do, but it just seems it has to be either the alignment, the rotors, or the tires. I just hope they can finally figure it out, because it is ruining what is otherwise a very fun vehicle to drive.
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Sounds to me like the problem is a Tire. Have them moved the tire to the rear? Ask them to change the front two with another van on the lot just to see if that corrects it. I doubt its the Rotor since most rotor vibrations show only when the brakes are applied. I bet you have a tire with a separated belt. If you have too, only if you have to, put the spare on each side by yourself and see what happens. Certainly if the same problem is there then it must be something in the frontend. If not then at least you know what tire it is.

    Good Luck
  • rrbhokiesrrbhokies Member Posts: 108
    Thanks for the tips.

    I was a little ticked with my dealer today. I called and made an appointment today for an oil change and to have the tires looked at.

    They wrote up all the paperwork and I left the vehicle with them for 6 hours. They called and told me my car was ready and I could come pick it up.

    When I got there, the oil change had been done, but they said that they couldn't look at my tires because they were too busy and warranty work, by policy, is only done on weekdays. I was told to schedule another appointment to have the tires checked.

    The service department was already closed and everyone had gone home for the day. I didn't feel it was necessary to take anything out on the cashier, so I'll have to wait until Monday to call them and complain to the service manager.

    They could have told me this all up front. I was very clear when I called to make the appointment that I needed warranty work, and I was also clear when I dropped off my car. It's very inconvenient to have to now make two separate trips.

    Thanks for letting me vent. In the meantime, I will try your suggestions. I need to rotate the tires anyways, so I'll start with moving the front to back and see what happens.
  • trussmonkeytrussmonkey Member Posts: 5
    So, anyone know when the 2001 comes out? It's already June and I know the 2000's were being built as early as June of last year, so when are the 2001's coming out?

    Thanks
  • vtac1vtac1 Member Posts: 18
    Had my rainforestgreen LX for a week,everything seem great.No problem with power,only thing out of ordinary I have noticed is slight whine between 1500 and 2000 rpm.Going back to dealer to pick up some extra keys,will ask him about whine.Have received many plus comments from people,friend with new Voyager is sorry he did not try MPV first.First three tanks of gas giving better mileage than expected.Do not know what bumber recall talk is all about.Good luck to all.
  • nyclifenyclife Member Posts: 3
    Hello everyone, I haven't posted for awhile but I
    love to read everyones posts..

    we just came off a 95 degree day here in NYC and I noticed
    that when I had the A/C on high the air is not as
    cold as when it's on no. 2 setting. It seems as
    though the blower is too fast for the compressor.
    Don't get me wrong it was still ok, especially for
    that type of day, I was just wondering if that's
    normal for vans in general, some cars I've owned
    froze me up after awhile, I don't see that
    happening here and I'm heading for Florida in JULY
    !!..
  • vtac1vtac1 Member Posts: 18
    Yes,thats normal for all A/C's,the higher the fan motor,the warmer the air.On low the A/C should be around 38 degrees,and in the upper 40's on high.Don't forget the new systems with R-134 freon is about 10% warmer than the old R-12 systems.This really shows up in stop and go traffic.
  • bweinerbweiner Member Posts: 5
    Okay my MPV was purchased in December/1999, we've got 12K on it and we have two problems (might be connected).

    On Friday the airbag dashboard light started flashing intermittently. Doesn't stop at all. Then on Saturday we discovered that the driver's side floor mat was soaked from underneath. I called Mazda this morning and was told the A/C water disposal line must be clogged. Funny but the same thing happened on my new VW GTI.

    But hopefully the airbag light isn't flashing because the connector or sensor got wet. Electronics will die when wet. First Mazda couldn't get to me till next Monday, then I asked if my regular mechanic unclogs the line will they still repair the damage (clean/dry/replace) carpet?. Then they said we could bring it in Tuesday morning to unclog it. I'll let you know what happens.
  • rrbhokiesrrbhokies Member Posts: 108
    Thanks for the tips. We had 100 degree weather in the D.C. area this weekend, and even with both front and rear air cranked, we couldn't keep it cold. The van was cool, but not cold. Next time, I'll try turning the fan down to 2 after a few minutes and see if that helps.
  • bigdipperbigdipper Member Posts: 8
    We were driving in our van on Sunday in NY for most of the day with temps in the high 90's. The AC worked great! I had to keep the setting on 2 which was cold for me but my wife, who is seven months Pregnant, needed it cooler. The van performed excellent. I live in the Hudson Valley area and traveled to Long Island. The seats are extremely comfortable and the power issue only came into play from 0-60. Accelerating from higher speeds was no problem at all. We received may praises on our beautiful Rainforest Green LX MPV.
    Getting close to 1,000 miles and we love it!
    Safe driving!
  • superbondosuperbondo Member Posts: 29
    Thanks everybody who post reponses to my pulling problem. I guess I'll bring it in for the alignment check with the bumper upgrade. I agree with RRBHOKIES that this problem alone is ruining an otherwise enjoyable driving experience. As I posted before, my van's AC is also, in my opinion, cool but not cold. After reading VTAC1's comment, maybe it has more to do with the new type of freon than if there is anything wrong with my van's AC. But I surely like the frozen up feeling of a cold AC, though.
  • barabybaraby Member Posts: 4
    Just noticed a ticking in my engine the other day. It's not real bad like my 78 cutlass, however the van only has 5500 miles on it. We'll see what the dealer has to say.
  • nyclifenyclife Member Posts: 3
    Thanks to all for your comments regarding the A/C

    I asked a few friends of mine who own Minivans and was told the same thing about their A/C systems on really hot days... (one owns a chevy venture, the other a dodge caravan, I'm the new hot shot with the MPV ES in Rainforest Mica ;-)


    Another Tip that I didn't try that day was to recirculate the cabin air, I have heard that will make things considerably cooler also..

    Take Care..
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Recirculating the Air is essential for a cooler operating AC. I generally begin by opening the windows a few inches and kicking the AC up to high for the first few minutes. This pushes all the hot stale air out of the cabin. I leave mine on recirculate until the cabin gets too cold. Then I let it flow thru if I can not adjust the temp level to a comfortable level. If you think about it makes sense. The AC works much better drawing the cooler air from the cabin than the hotter air from outside. This is no different than chosing "MAX" on a GM product. On Max the air recirculates and cools 80 degree ambient temp instead of 95 or 100 degrees. If you were the worker would you rather start at the 80 or the 100 mark?

    Good luck
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    msgivh, I would do the same, except start with outside air. If the van has been in the sun, the air inside is hotter than the air outside. You are trying to cool down the hotter air in the van if you start with recirculate. Start by drawing in the "cooler" outside air, then choose recirculate once the inside begins to cool off.

    I try to keep it on recirculate, then adjust the temp level so the compressor does not cycle on as much. This I believe gives better fuel economy.

    Cheers,

    TB
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Thanks Tboner your right about the outside air first. I prefer to open the sunroof but my bald spot is starting to get sunburned! Our air works great and within a matter of minutes we are turning it down to 2 or 3. The only complaint I have is the air will blow on my feet even if I have it set to the upper portion. I hate cold feet!!!
  • bule4mebule4me Member Posts: 3
    Well, after months of holding off the inevitable, and one Audi A4 sale later (Gosh, I miss that car!), we finally took the plunge and bought a mini-van. The little "5" month old necessitated this monumental event. I must say though, that the Mazda MPV is quite the nice little people hauler. We had a deposit on an Odyssey that had yet to come in. But after seeing the color on another Odyssey and figuring out what this thing would actually be costing us with dealer options (eg. can you say "mark-up"?!), we decided on the MPV for financial and size reasons. It is a hot looking, red, LX! Problem is, we bought it last Sunday and delivered it to the service dept. on Monday. The problem??? It's drifting to the left! I was ticked beyond belief! Here I read all your postings on this problem and I thought I might be one of the lucky ones to avoid it. Boink! Someone smack me upside the head please!

    I brought the van to my local dealer where the first words out of the service advisors mouth were, "It's the road conditions!" I shrugged that off rather quickly and told him that his excuse was "unacceptable", that I had just purchased this van yesterday and that I wanted him to check the alignment and the tires. I also requested a free rental which both he, the service manager and "Mazda Corporation" were unwilling to provide me. I held my ground and got the rental, (that's another story!) The next day, I was told that they could not find any alignment problem so they sent the van to an alignment "specialist" who had more up to date equipment. They told me that the specialist found the "camber" to be slightly off, and adjusted it. After returning to pick up my van, the service advisor told me that both he and a technician drove the van together and decided the problem had been fixed. Driving the van back home, it started drifting to the left again! I even drove on a road with a crown to the right. The van stayed nearly dead center before eventually drifting left.

    Now, I'm a bit concerned! I won't go back to that service dept. I'm thinking of going to another dealer to see how they handle the situation. I'm starting to sour on this whole thing. Someone please snap me out it!

    Oh yeah. Some other minor quibbles:

    1) The auto. shift lever blocks some buttons on the 6 disc CD changer/radio when in drive.

    2) I've confused the wiper/washer lever with the auto. shift lever 3 times already. (Bad placement!)

    3) I've hit the cruise control lever a number of times with my fingers while turning the steering wheel. (Again, bad placement!)

    4) Engine needs more power! (C'mon Mazda!)

    Other then that, everythings hunky-dory! We like the van!

    Sorry if I sound too much like a complainer. First time mini-van buyer blues you know!
  • cmm4cmm4 Member Posts: 7
    I narrowed my desicion down to a black or silver ES. I took the black for a test drive 1st and noticed right of the bat a pull to the left but after about 5 minutes I easily compensated for it.
    It was only at lower speeds (upto 40 mph)as when I took it on the express way I didn't notice it at all. After an hour test drive (by myself ... no sales person blabbing in my ear) the drift was the only thing I noticed. I then took the silver for a 1 hour test drive and no drift what so ever. I drove it at at high and low speeds (20 - 75 mph)
    and it no problems and I was satisfied with off the line performance. I bought the silver.
    1 - tilt the steering wheel down one notch and you'll be able to see the buttons.
    2 & 3 - You'll get use to the placement of these very quickly.
    4 - You didn't notice this on the test drive !!??

    ** Always test drive the vehicle your going to buy
    before you buy and if they offer to take care of the problems, tell them to fix it 1st, then you'll buy.
  • sammysmithssammysmiths Member Posts: 3
    Does anyone know the history of the 2000 MPV motor made by Ford?? I've always had European cars that I've run into the 200K range w/o any problems at all.

    I'm a bit concerned about the longetivity of the Duratec engine... any insights???
  • meerameera Member Posts: 50
    Please everyone call Mazda about this too, not just your dealer. They've got to realize this is probably a widespread problem. With the amount of people on this forum that have it, I don't think it's just a coincidence. Just got back from a road trip (1200+ miles at 75+mph) and it held fine, no pulling or shaking. But as soon as we rotate those bad tires back to the front the shaking will come back. If your van has been out of alignment from the start it can ruin the front tires. The service guy here thinks mine was never aligned at the factory. This could be the case for others too.

    Rrbhokies= your's sounds exactly like mine. Ask them to rotate your tires and send it out to an alignment shop. That's how mine was finally fixed. The tires that have been on the front so far are probably worn unevenly on yours too. Keep bugging them and go to another dealer if this one's not doing the job. It took six visits to two differnt dealers before mine was done! GOOD LUCK!!!
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    One more thing, I posted in the other forum.

    If you want to talk to long term Duratec users, check out the forums at www.contour.org

    Since they are using the same basic engine, you could ask for firsthand accounts.

    Cheers,

    TB
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