Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

j2kbarlow

First, a question - did you pull the seat belt all the way out? You must perform this step. When you pull it out to the end, it will retract as a ratchet so that it can not be pulled back out until the seat belt is fully retracted (i.e. after it has been unbuckled). Also, there are tether anchors in the floor behind the second row. Look under the floor mats for two plastic covers. Pop the covers off for access to the anchors. They do get in the way of rear seat passengers somewhat, but they are there. There are also ways of securing rear facing seats with tethers. But after all that, the problem could be your car seat won't fit in the MPV. It's a problem all car seat manufacturers have to deal with - they can't design for every seat. Vice versa for the car manufacturers. If your car seats are fairly new, the store you purchased them from may consider a trade...

likaglov

I installed mine in the passenger-side middle seat (captains chair). It is a base and carrier type infant seat. The base required about 4 towels rolled up under the back end (at baby's feet) to make it level. [You want to make sure baby is reclined.] This also solved the belt problem that you describe. Make sure to pull the belt all the way out first (as suggested) and also use the locking clip (that came with the seat) to solve the problem at the belt-return side.

I have not yet tried to install the convertible seat in the rear facing position. (I have one in the forward position for our toddler). In our previous car I was able to find a bolt under the front passenger seat to attach the tether to. It wasn't a tether bolt, but rather a part of the assembly which attaches the passenger seat to the frame of the car. As long as you're on the frame-side it should work for a tether.

crissman

If you're like me and seldom slide the middle chair to the side, cover the track opening with something water resistant like plastic or duct tape. After pigging out at a "Sweet Tomatoes" restaurant this evening I was driving home with my son and his friend who proceeded to throw-up on the floor between the middle chairs. Much of the mess ended up in the front sliding track. I've just spent the last few hours mucking it out. Don't let this happen to you. Luckily the plastic cover on the slide latch and the plastic frame around the track do easily pop off. Needless to say tomorrow I have a date with duct tape.

bob57

Had the same problem - only with my Golden Retriever. I was taking him to the vets (alone) because he was throwing up. I heard him gagging between the middle seats and grabbed his collar to pull him forward away from the "gap".
He preceeded to throw up on me. Thrill...
Got to the vets and said "Don't ask".
I ended up hosing myself off in the driveway - at least saved me the hours you spent.

toyrota

My 2001 MPV has less than 1000 miles on it. I have noticed that just after starting the engine, I smell gas inside the van. It happens whether the engine is cold, or warmed up already. Has anyone else noticed this, or had this problem corrected?

branty

I have a 2000 ES and recently discovered rust that has developed on the back part of both rear doors (flat part that runs up back part of the door from the main door body to the top). Where the glass meets this part of the door there is a narrow flat area facing the front of the vehicle - that's the area where the rust is appearing. Anyone else have this problem??

I took it in to my local dealer and they were as surprised as I was to see rust developing there (let alone on a car that is less than 2 year old - purchased Nov. 1999). They said they would repair both sides at no cost. I took it in tonight so I will let you know how the repairs look.

Last week I had the tie rods replaced based on the TSB on the subject (dealer initially did not know about the TSB but did find it and initiated the repair - took about 6 weeks to get the parts).

Two weeks ago I had 2 stones hit the windshield. You guessed it one hit the very edge of the windshield initiated a crack that slowly crept across the window. Initially there was no crack but it sat in the hot sun for an afternoon and when I used the van next there it was! Took it to Speedy Autoglass and now looks as good as new.

Otherwise all is good with my MPV!

glenmc

Hello again - our 2000 MPV LX still has a vibration evident at 70 to 120 kmh, along with a wandering or pulling problem - you absolutely CANNOT take your eyes off the road (even to adjust the radio) or you'll be in another lane. No help from anywhere, now at the registered letter stage to try and get some satisfaction.

Also, the rear doors are showing surface rust, on the black portion just to the rear of the glass. This is a warranty repair, but what a pain!

NEVER AGAIN will we buy ANY Mazda product.

brmuda

My 2000 ES had same fr end probs (pulling & vibration) when it was NEW (less than 1000 miles). Fr end alignment & rebalancing of ALL 4 wheels resolved everything - warranty picked up the expenses.

I, too, recently freaked when I spotted these small "dots" of surface rust on rear hatch. I used some of Meguair's heavy duty cleaner/wax. Be sure you buy the HEAVY DUTY CLEANER/RESTORER - not their regular wax. The spots came off!! I have run into this before on my '98 Honda Accord. That has lead be to think that maybe they weren't rust spots after all (NOT sure what it is).

Anyway, give this a try before you go to the hassle/headaches of unnecessary body/paint work.

Good luck & PLEASE let the rest of us know how you make out with this.

bob57

I had written here much earlier about my MPV "searching" for a lane and mentioned it seemingly cured itself with no explanation. I had the oil changed for the second time two months ago (at the same place) and noted that the work sheet said the tires were all set at 36PSI. Out of curiousity, I lowered the front tire pressure to ~30 and went out on the freeway - guess what?!
"Searching everywhere...." No, wait, that was an old song...
Apparently, the setup on the MPV (at least my 2001) is real sensitive to tire pressure. I pumped the Yoko's back to 36PSI and was steady again. I don't know if the front end design, wheelbase or what would cause that. I haven't experienced that in any other automobile at least to this degree. The MPV is the most nimble and great handling van I have driven.
Any input out there?

otish

Hi - this has been talked about here before but it has been awhile. Yes you can safely install an infant car seat with base in this van in the captains chairs. I did it successfully and actually quite easily. This doesn't mean that your particular seat will work, as someone else said not all seats fit in all cars. I had a Century Smart Fit and was able to get it installed very tight using some pieces of pool noodle to get a better recline position. It also helps to recline the seat back while installing the child seat base and then pulling it back up after it is installed (helps to hold it tighter). Be sure and use the locking seat belt feature as people have mentioned - pull it out all the way until you hear clicking as it is fed back in. This means it is in locking mode to use with a child seat. Put your weight on the base of the seat to get it in good and tight. You can take it to a fitting station and have it checked or installed to see how to do it correctly. When I switched to a convertible rear-facing I did just that as I had a harder time getting the convertible installed rear-facing than the infant seat. They however did it very quickly and easily. I currently have a Fisher Price Safe Embrace installed forward facing in the driver side captain chairs. It goes in very quickly and fits rock solid. I had the tether anchor installed when I switched to forward facing. (There is one seat that can be tethered rear-facing, the Britax Roundabout).

I think that if you use the pool noodles or rolled up towels you will find the base easier to install (and by the way it is safe to use them and is recommended to get the proper recline for an infant). Let us know if you have any more questions!

stever

Ah, yet another use for pool noodles. How did we ever get along without them?

Steve
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javadoc

...I didn't see if Mazda was including ISO-FIT (or is it ISO-fix) gear on the 2002 warm-over of the van. Not that I have any plans (at all) of needing an infant seat anytime in the near future, but that would be one way a manufacturer could insure that folks had a positively connected seat for their little crusters.

/J

otish

I just had the 'fun' of taking my van in for its 15,000 mile service for the first time here in Naperville, IL. I also had them look at the clunking noise when stopping we heard occasionally and trying to see why the transmission seems to be jerky when we are in stop and go traffic (but not all the time). Anyway, they gave me a loaner car for the day so I got to take the child seat out and install it in the Taurus they gave me while trying to keep an eye on the 2 year old. I 'got' to keep the Taurus overnight and then go back and re-install the seat in my pretty red MPV. At least the weather was nice...

We thought the clunking was the tie-rod bulletin but they said it was to do with a bulletin on the brake pads slipping. They of course didn't notice the transmission issue which doesn't happen very often. The van really has been great though and the couple problems we have had are minor. I would have to say having our van since Jan. 2000 and only 16,000 miles we are staying pretty low compared to some out that have posted here. I have now seen 3 MPV in our neighborhood but there sure seems to be an over-abundance of Odysseys out here.

brmuda

Hey, Javadoc:

PLEASE let us know if your dealer resolved the brake "clink" via the TSB that's been mentioned here. My dealer didn't have the shims needed to correct the problem when I was in for my last oil change.

As for your transmission's "jerkiness", I think this is a common quirk w/Maz's trans. I've found that turning the overdrive off (depress button on gear selector - "O/D off" dash light illuminates) in stop-and-go traffic helps keep the "jerk" to a minimum. Give it a try if you haven't already.

regards

(a fellow DuPager in D Grove, IL)

otish

I posted (Otish) about the bulletin work on my van not Javadoc and will let you know if we notice a difference. The shop guys said they defiantly heard it when they took it for the test drive but not the transmission thing. We pretty much feel that the transmission doesn't necessarily have a problem but that it just is jerky sometimes but felt we should say something to get them to try and improve it. My husband heard the brake flunking more than me and I really haven't driven it much since I got it back.

Since we recently moved here this was our first trip to Bill Jacobs Mazda in Aurora. Where do you take yours?

mainsail2

Synthetic transmission fluid has smoothed my transmission out considerably. I did the complete flush, not just a change.

billmckinley

My transmission is getting increasingly jerky, noticeable when two things happen: if I baby it rather than push it a little, and if it's downshifting on a downhill slope [of which we have an abundance in Pgh.]. It's also more noticeable when the car is thoroughly warmed up than when it's still fairly cool. In hot weather, the jerkiness is much more annoying than when the temp is under 60.
If changing to synthetic will help out, I'm all for it. Question: when's the earliest it can be done? I currently have less than 7k on The Prez.

RJ

javadoc

Most folks I've heard from say wait till you have 15,000 miles. I did mine around 12,500. I think I figured out what my hesitation was, and I'm embarrassed. Thx to Alex for the pointer...the shift selector wasn't in D perfectly...never had that happen before.

FWIW, after I switched to synth atx fluid, the tranny had shifted remarkably better at all temperatures, esp. warmup time

/J

billmckinley

Thanks for the timing on the change. Assuming it's nothing more than crankiness, I guess I'll just have to live with it for the next year, until I hit the 15k mark. Or maybe it'll be about ready for an early transfusion at 12k sometime next May, just about the time when the weather is getting warm again and the problem begins to resurface. Assuming, always, that it's more annoying than serious. And it is annoying. Very.

RJ

brmuda

otish:

I take mine (2000 ES) to Wikins Buick-Mazda in Villa Park IL on Roosevelt Road (Route 38). This is my 5th Mazda I've purchased from them. One of the best service depts I've ever dealt with. I have sent several friends there to purchase & they highly agree that their sales & service dept are second to none.

regards

brmuda

caniel

We love our 2000 MPV LX and are nearing the 25,000 mile marker. In the past couple of weeks, during cold-weather spells when the heater is on, it has intermitently made a strange humming sound, like a small electric motor. It sounds like it is coming from up front under the hood and the sound lasts for maybe 3-5 seconds and then goes away. I think it most often happens when approaching a stop (and thus applying the brakes). Could it be something with the power brakes? the abs? Anyone have a clue? Thanks for the good advice and information on this site.

javadoc

Well, that can be a number of things, none of them bad. You could be hearing the condenser turning on/off if you were using the Defrost mode (some cars use the a/c to dry the defrost air, but I'm not positive the MPV does). Could be the abs checking itself. Could be a thermostat actuating since you're using the heater. Could be a cooling fan kicking on for a few seconds even.

I wouldn't worry about that really, but it's good to be aware of all the noises the car makes...so you can tell the bad from the good.

happy motoring!

/Java

gagp

I too have this strange "humming" sound on cold days and for the first 5-10 minutes. It appeared 2-3 weeks ago. I have a 2000 DX.

It doesn't seem like it has to do with the heater; still hearing it when it is turned OFF... Instead, it seems to sound "louder" on deceleration (not applying brakes)...

Silver (and still pleased) Driver

aym1

Hi to all of you,
Just got my new mpv, and I just love the van. I have a question for you. Do your vans have a hole about 1.5 inch x 3 inches on the carpet wall on the right side of the gas pedal? I called the dealer about it and he said it was factory made because of a blower at that particular place. I have to say that I am particularly surprised since the hole was hand made probably by a cutter and that the finishing is not nice at all!!!
Thanks
Aym

billmckinley

First of all, congratulations on your purchase. I think you're going to be ver pleased with it. Happy Miles!

If that hole you're talking about is on the wall of the center console above your right foot, it is indeed the heating floor vent. And you're right about the finish. It's so ugly that I try not to look too closely down there, especially when I'm driving. ;>

RJ

aym1

Thank you...
I think mazda should have done better here. It look like a last minute fixing, and since it's a 01 LX, they should have come up with a better solution a long time ago. A small piece a plastic part to mask the cutting would have done it.
Don't worry, I don't look down there while driving, but each time I enter in my van I see that hole. Well, I just have to get use to it.
aym

pjd58

I never noticed the hole in the carpet. Oh well, my Wife cleans the interior, I'm the exterior detail dude:)

Pjd58

javadoc

Pj, you've got to tell me how that happens. I'm the designated shoveler, er I mean van cleaner/fueler/washer... Not that I'm complaining...it lets me have quality time with the van, lol!

/J

pjd58

at least I don't have to clean juicebox stains, goldfish crackers, Happy meal crumbs, M&Ms , etc. My Wife cleans the inside of both our Mazdas, although my new Protege is spotless. My Rugrats don't eat in my car.

I take her van for service and refueling. Once a week I'm on the driveway washing, drying and cleaning windows. I Zymol her van every couple of months. I'm such a nice hubby! :>)

Problem content.......Why does it always rain the day after I detail the MPV?

blacklx

Can I borrow one of you guys, or all of you, (It might take all of you to get it clean) to come clean my van? My hubby isn't as nice as you all are.

It's hard for me to wash it because he doesn't want me using our water, I have to go to one of our parents who have a well. He also doesn't want me spending money on car washes but since they are opening a new one in town, I may just have to become a regular customer there. Think I can use this as an example of "cruel and unusual punishment?"

Java, I looked for the Resolve powder and couldn't find it. Where did you get it? We bought Scotchguard to put on everything but we didn't get it on there and now there are some stains.

maltb

how do you go long without washes having a black van? It must beg for washing at least once a week.

I'm the same as PJD, I wash the outside, thoroughly, and the inside is hers. I do wipe down all the door jambs and sill plates, but the carpet is hers unless I do the annual scrub. I think this comes from my complaint about her giving every imaginable type of cookie/cracker to them in the car. aaaarrgggghhhh!

billmckinley

The Prez is Sand Mica. It's got to get awfully dirty for it to show. About every two weeks I run it through the exterior car wash at the gas station. Aobut once a month or so, I take it to the full service wash. I know it's time when I can't see out of the windows any more for the dog slobber.

Problem: my driver's seat is slowly turning from beige to a rather disturbing shade of ecru. Blech!

RJ

pjd58

go thru the service station car wash. They put awful swirl marks on my previous car. Ever notice parts of other cars around the car wash. I've seen license plates, trim, antennas etc. If I want my car damaged, I'll park it next to an old 2 door rust bucket at my local WallMart:)

cinka1

My husband sounds similar to yours. Easy fix... since I buy my gas at Chevron gas stations, I go through their 'touchless' car wash and just add it to the fill up. He is no more the wiser and he thinks I'm taking really good care of the van. He just doesn't have a clue what kind of gas mileage I get.
Now if I can figure out how to get him to change the oil...
Oh, and about the carpet spots, our janitor (of 30 years) swears by Hoover pre-wash/spot remover carpet shampoo or Ace Hardware carpet shampoo. He says he's tried them all and these are the only two that are worth a darn. I tried the Hoover stuff and he was right!! You can get it at home depot.

billmckinley

Yes I do. I'm as lazy as I am shameless. Besides, that finish is so bland, any swirl marks rank as rolling art.

RJ

blacklx

Unfortunately there's no gas station/car wishes in our town or that would be a great idea. Thanks for the carpet info.

Java, it does get dirty I would have prefered a sand mica because of it but this is what the dealer had and we got a good deal. I'm hoping that I can vacuum it tomorrow though, I did shovel it out the other day and got rid of some of the stuff.

javadoc

With the weather you have in PDX, I'd find it really hard to keep a car clean. You'd wash it, and an hour later...rain, aka Oregon liquid sunshine. LOL

The Emerald mica is almost as bad keeping clean as the black (and the dark blue would be hard, but gorgeous!), I feel your pain.

I'll be in SEA in a week, but my washing mit won't reach to your suburb, sorry! Cinka has a good method! I do that all winter long, $10 a pop, every week.

MPV content...for real. First snow today, about 2 inches so far. Put the Hakks on Mochavan, gonna risk it with Rolf tomorrow (test out the traction control features). I got the van up the greasy driveway on the nearly-bald Done-lops using a feature that I stumbled across this summer on accident. If you put the van in "2" instead of "D" the van will start in second, instead of first. Killer method of climbing slick hills, or my steep driveway.

/J

garyjwms

Hiya folks!

That was the sound I heard today as I backed into the corner of a higher-than-usual concrete curb in our 01 LX. . . .

Sorry I've been a way for quite a while . . . been REAL busy at work for the past month or so, and since the terrorist attacks, haven't been surfing much else on the net, other than news sites.

Anyway, back to my little mishap. I work at a community college here in So. California, and today we had a grand opening of a new center I've spent the past year developing and will be directing. So it was my job to get the cake, party platters, beverages, etc. from the supermarket, and various other errands. Which made it necessary for me to borrow the MPV from my wife, who usually drives it during the week. (my usual ride to work is a 98 Camry, more on that later).

Anyway, it's an hour before the big party with all guests arriving. I got permission to drive onto the walkways on campus so that I don't have to carry all this stuff from the parking lot. No problem getting in, and getting unloaded. Getting out required me backing up about 80 feet, on a relatively busy walkway that narrows in one spot. Students continue walking around and past my van, making little or no effort to move out of the way as I am slowly backing up (no surprise, really). I am going very cautiously as I don't want to hit anyone, and then -- screeeech!! -- a very low, sort of growling scraping noise, as I just caught the corner of the high curb I just decribed. Panic, depression, rage, frustration, fear of death-by-spouse -- all of these emotions in the first 3-4 seconds as I stop. I hear snickers from students sitting close by who watched the whole thing -- no time at that moment to stop and choke them! I got out to the parking lot and surveyed the damage -- a 14-inch scrape at the very bottom of the left-rear bumper, just behind the rear driver's side wheel. Kind of in the area that gets dirty from mud, road dirt, etc. So in a not so obvious area, but definitely noticeable. Thankfully, no dents.

So back to the death-by-spouse thing. I realize that my wife will absolutely kill me when I got home tonight. She absolutely loves our MPV, it's our first new car, and though it's definitely got the clutter and markings of a family cruiser (we've got 2 little kids), we've kept it pretty clean. Grand opening goes extremely well, and I was pretty psyched about that. Then comes the drive home, and the dread of having to let my wife know that I hurt her baby. . .

Well, we both happen to pull up in front of my daughter's daycare at the same time (we usually divide up the task of picking up the kids, and she had called me and asked me to pick up both kids today). And as you can imagine, I'm guaging her mood to determine whether it would be a good time to tell her . . .

But before I could say a word -- it turned out that she was preparing me for similar bit of bad news. . .

This morning, while backing the Camry (MY baby) out of the garage, she scraped up against a shelving unit, and nearly ripped the passenger-side rear view mirror off the car!

This mishap of hers, while disappointing (and certainly equally distressing), probably saved my life!!

We drove over to our mechanic's place, and after surveying our respective instances of pilot error, basically agreed with me that the scratch on the MPV, while unfortunate, is liveable, and not worth the $300 or so it would take to repaint the entire rear bumper. The mirror, OTOH, should at some point be replaced. It actually still functions fine (the power adjusters work), but there are two large unsightly cracks at the point which the plastic had flexed and broke. I might wait a bit before getting it fixed. It's also going to cost around $300 for the mirror assembly, the matching paint, and the hour or so of labor to install it.

Today wasn't the best day karmically-speaking for our automobiles, but given the recent craziness in the world, we can't really complain . . .

Gary

maltb

Thanks

msgjvh

While rebuilding the carb on my baby a 68 Mustang Fastback, the wife begins to back out of the drive. Out of the corner of my eye I notice her pulling forward again, then turning the wheel and then continue back out. I thought it curious until I looked up and saw the large scratch / dent on my commuter car the subaru legacy. Lo and behold she backed the MPV into it! I stopped her and looked at the MPV there was minor cosmetic damage that I can probably buff out. Normally, I would be furious. However, she has done this type of thing numerous other times. I have to accept the fact that it was my fault and I should not have parked my car anywhere with the 1 acre property which would cause her to back into it. I think I will have to invest in the backup sensors on our next purchase! Can I put those on the side mirrors also?

MSGJVH

billmckinley

Two MPV's and a Camry all nailed at the same time. It's enough tomake you cry. I swear it is.

Condolences.

RJ

dapont

Since rearview mirrors don't wear out, no need to spend $300 when used '98 Toyota mirrors are so available. Check the web at copartfinder to locate lots of recyclers for Toyotas and Mazdas (yes, there are even crunched 2001 MPV's out there). When you receive the part, you can see how it works and determine if you can replace it yourself; if not, take it to your mechanic.

tboner1965

Had a transmission failure today.

Now catch your breath it was in the 87 LeSabre. However, MrsTboner had the MPV full of all sorts of shopping loot from performing her heroic and patriotic duty of single-handedly propping up the local economy.

I couldn't get all of my stuff out of the Buick and into the MPV since we also had to leave room for the 11 year old.

The upside was, I got off work early today. Also, I was planning to take the Buick to Chicago, so I'm glad it failed close to home.

I wonder if they can fit a stickshift to an 87 LeSabre. I've experienced three Automatic Transmission failures, but have never lost a manual.

Now, how can I blame this on bin Laden?

TB

drrocket

There are individuals who contract their services to dealerships to touch up paint defects, or limited areas of paint damage, on cars on the sales lot. There are also free-standing shops that perform such services. Ask around at assorted dealerships to find one of these people or shops, and then see who can work your MPV into their schedule for touch up. They do a remarkable job for the cost and, unless you really scrutinize the repair, they can make the damage virtually disappear.

Good luck.

blacklx

Sorry about all the mishaps. Gary this is a day that you'll both remember. What a great story, but sorry that your cars we injured.

Java, I can't believe you're getting snow. We actually haven't gotten a lot of rain this year, but it's raining now. We did wash "zoom zoom" today, just not quite as thoroughly as you do. I tried convincing hubby to clean the doors but it didn't work. Now if I can just get the inside done...

drew_

I have one on my SUV and it's great. It works really well in conjunction with the 2" circular convex mirrors and the stick-on convex mirror on the inside of the tailgate window (which also helps me to see how closely people stop away from my rear bumper).


For more information about reverse warning systems, please have a look at the existing Reverse warning systems discussion topic in the Aftermarket & Accessories message board.


Here are a few of pictures of my setup though:

Drew
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garyjwms

I want to say thanks for the great encouragement and advice concerning our "double whammy" last week. (scratched rear bumper on 01 MPV; damaged mirror on 98 Camry) We've decided for the time being to live with things the way they are with both vehicles. I will take some time to explore repair options, including checking out copartfinder.com, as dapont so thoughtfully suggested above. I tend to agree, that a whole new mirror assembly for the Camry seems excessive. According to my mechanic, the issue in both instances involves matching the paint with the rest of the body. Apparently, the new mirror assembly even comes with the matching paint, which needs to be applied before the unit is installed. However, I have a very common color (gold/beige -- I think Toyota calls it "cashmere"), so I would assume a salvage yard might be able to find one the right color.

Anyway, I love being part of this board -- it's so cool that so many of you wrote back with kind things to say, and with great advice!

Gary

P.S. I was thumbing through the latest issue (Nov 01) of Car & Driver, and found an article on the MPV. It was their "long-term test drive" column. Basically, the author slammed the MPV, her two big beefs being with the horsepower issue as well as the entertainment system. I basically agreed with the latter issue (though I don't have the entertainment system myself), but I think the power issue is overblown, and the article came off as something less than even-handed.

bob57

Must have been written by my ex - she never liked anything....

mwikle

Anybody find a non-dealer supplier for these. At ~$40 waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy overpriced.

I need to change mine (again) ... my van is well over two years old now(!)

scarter7719

I just went through all 1400+ posts to this board to look for vibration problems. No small feat, but not too bad thanks to our T1 connection! . Found quite a few in the beginning, then it seemed to drop off. Most posts seemed to fault tire/balance/rotation/alignment issues. My recently purchased '01 LX has a vibration from around 40-60mph. It's not terrible, but it's noticeable. I had the dealer balance/rotate last week, but no luck. The van does not pull, as I have seen in other posts, so I am hesitant to have an alignment done. I have what looks to be the factory Yokos, which also appeared to have never been rotated, until last week. The van was originally purchased according to Carfax on 9/00 and was a rental, so there's no telling what kind of drivers were behind the wheel. I don't think I want to know! I'm unsure of manufacture date. I'm going back to the dealer in two days. Any suggestions?