Mazda MPV: Problems & Solutions

tccmn1

Well, I dropped her off at the dealer for the "computer module fix". Suppose to smooth out the problem shifting. Any questions I asked of the service writer were more or less avoided in answering. They must know more than they are telling us. He just said that a lot of them are coming through now for the fix.....nice.

crissman

My 2000 MPV with 72,000 miles has finally developed a problem, the CD changer. After several months of non-use I noticed a ticking sound as the CD spins. It's definitely rubbing on something. Also, it seems to skip ahead on the last tracks. Has anyone experienced such things with a CD player, and do you suppose a "cleaning disc" might help? Thanks for any ideas.

tomj5

Probably the dealer tightened the belts too tight. This will over stress the pump bearings and cause a leak if that is where the leak is coming from.
Yeah it was common for American brand cars (v8s) for the pump to fail at 40K. My [non-permissible content removed] cars have never had a pump failure with over 150K miles on them.

Any leak in the cooling system is serious. Modern engines depend on high pressure efficiency for cooling (chemistry 101). If there is a pressure leak, it won't cool properly.. Try tighting each of the hose clamps if possible. Might luck out. If the clamps are band or spring clamps it takes special tools....
(Never mess with the cooling system on a hot engine)

I would find a good independent shop to have the leaked fixed. My indie shop charges 65 bucks to flush and change the coolent (70K-90K miles with a tranny flush(extra $70) ).

I have the belts and hoses inspected every oil change (3-4K miles)
Good Luck
Tj

lsinc

I would find an independant mechanic that you trust. Why so many people continue using the dealerships for repairs after the warranty is up is beyond me. They charge soooo much money for repairs. We actually have a mechanic who is a Subaru specialist but he's worked on all of my cars even my Olds.

Leslie

niblik

I'm having the same issue with my '03 MPV that has 2,600 miles on it. Called the local dealer yesterday, and he said Mazda just issued an announcement (not sure if it was a TSB) that unless the check engine light was coming on, the hard shift was not something they could address. He said that could mean either they really don't think it's an issue, or simply that they don't yet have a fix and don't want to waste the dealership or customer's time until they have a solution.

Anyone heard anything different recently?

tccmn1

My dealer in White Bear MN. stated that they don't have a fix yet. They had tried an earlier fix that didn't seem to work on MPV's that came through. So the guru's had to go back to the boards to figure out something else. It sounds like a trial and error kinda thing....not a good thing for us. Mine has 16K miles on it and started doing it around 10K...lucky? NOT!
Dealer stated that there would be no bulletin on this. Just keep informed as to when the fix comes out...nice.

lnjryan

HELP!
My MPV stalls after I start up in the morning and then drive it for about 2 miles. After about 5 min I can then restart and the car is fine for the rest of the day. The van has been to the dealer about 5 times now and they cant seem to fix it. They replaced the computer,the MAF sensor and the Idle Control servo(I think). Any one else having the same problem? If so, how did you get it fixed? Any help is greatly appreciated.

niblik

So your dealer is Polar Mazda? That's who I called - I'm in West St. Paul. Too funny.

Karen_S

There have been several posts about stalling issues. Enter "stalls" in the discussion search to find those messages.

tomj5

Stalls of this nature indicate a fuel pump failure.
Make sure the Mechanics put a fuel pressure meter on the injector manifold and watch the fuel pressure for at least 30 minutes. (pressure should be 50-60 lbs steady, any changes indicates failure.) The pump is located in the fuel tank. The pump bearings fail after it heats up and drags down the output. When the pump cools off it will function ok.. The computer will not catch this problem. This was a common problem with GM/Dodge cars in the early '90s. Most shops find this problem very difficult to trouble shoot for some odd reason...
All it takes for an engine to run is 1. AIR 2. FUEL 3. Spark.
It is really very simple..

Good Luck
Tj

lnjryan

Thanks for your help TJ! I'm dropping the car off monday morning and showing the service mgr your post. When asked he even admitted only going by what the computer codes were reporting. Anyway thanks again!

rumor24

I got my 04 2 days ago, and it is already in the shop for a hard thunking shift between 2nd & 3rd gear. They say it is minor but it is not encouraging to buy my first non used vehicle and have this happen. It is a fully loaded lx so it wasn't cheap. I hope it was still the right move.

tccmn1

I have noticed my 03 starting up rather strangely lately. Cold weather is now here and when starting, it seems to grind longer to kick off and then it kind of lurches into a fast idle.
Not a smooth starting routine like it had been this summer. I got my MPV last March, so there wasn't alot of cold weather to observe this from before. Has anyone else noticed a hesitation to starting and idling quite high in rpms at first?

owr084

Keep an eye on what the4 driving conditions are when the clunk happens. Another possibility is that the transmission "adapts" to the style of the driver. So, if you drive resposibly, and then your spouse takes it out and lead foots it, then the tranny gets confused as to which style to learn...

RBB

niblik

I'm also in the Twin Cities, and have been parking outside lately. The van does start harder when it's cold, and the rpms do seem pretty high at first. But I would say both of those things are pretty normal for the temps we've been having - the only day it seemed to start hard for me was after it had gotten down to 7 degrees the night before. That doesn't seem unusual.

stever

Some people like to turn the ignition on and let the fuel pump prime the injectors before cranking the car. Say three seconds or less.

I'd be curious if anyone sees any difference trying that technique.

Steve, Host

bill124

Picking up new '03 ES on Saturday. Anything I need to be aware of such as pulling to one side, tranny, etc? When I bought the 2000 LX I remember the postings about one side being lower to the ground than the other.

rotarykid

most of, if not all, the problems we had with the 2000's have been corrected on the 03. It did have some of it's own issues, but nothing major. One item is the pcv hose on the backside of the engine. starting with the 02's (the higher horsepower engine) the hose starts to crack/melt from the extreme temps on the backside of the engine. causes stalling poor idle etc., usually kicks in a 171 or 173 code (running lean due to the large vacuum leak). only consistent problem I have seen.

bill124

Thanks for the info. Is the hose something I need to watch -- was there a bulletin or is it just one of those things that can be an issue.

In the regular MPV website there are postings about tranny problems. Are those '03 or '04?

rotarykid

the hose is something to watch for. I would imagine that Mazda will issue a bulletin for it, if they havent already since it can cause a stall. First sign is check engine light typically. the sensitivity of the o2's when the mixture is lean is something the PCM notices before any drivability issues come up. The hose is soft rubber and the oil residue within it, combined with extreme temps = problems. Reminds me of a similar hose problem we had on the 1st gen rx7's.....(I've been in this business too long.)
as far as trans concerns on 03's and 04's, I havent seen any as of yet.

bill124

Thanks very much for the advice. So I should periodically check the hose?

caperton

Shortly after purchasing our MPV last October, we noticed the dreaded sulphur smell that has been so thoroughly discussed on this board. We took it to the dealer, and were given the standard response: its the sulphur content in the gas, try different gas stations, wait until you reach 10,000 miles, etc. Well, we waited a year and the smell did improve somewhat but still comes back occasionally. Last week I received a call from a lady at Mazda who informed me that the engineers have acknowledged that there is in fact a problem with the smell, mainly in the northeast, but not in the southeast. To address this issue, Mazda has chosen a select number of buyers to have a new catalytic converter installed. Although this sounds like a good idea, i am worried that the new catalytic converter may make the problem worse. The smell is annoying but not unbearable. Has anyone else had a new catalytic converter put in their MPV?

eigeldan

I have a '97 MPV with 85,000 miles on it that has just recently started acting strange on random mornings when the engine is cold. The symptoms are that the engine, after starting, will SOMETIMES idle VERY roughly (as my 12-year-old said "At least we're getting a nice back massage!") and then the 'Engine' light comes on. The dealer says the code is 'Engine Misfire' or 'Multiple Engine Misfires'. After the engine warms up (several minutes), the engine seems to run fine. And it doesn't happen every morning! Only on the mornings when it is most likely to annoy me... Has anyone else experienced something similar? The van is currently in the shop to have some of the electrical components replaced at a cost of $240 but it seems like the dealer was just throwing a dart at the board...

harrolf

I just picked up my mazda mpv from the dealership. He states that it is operating normal.What is normal to him is not normal to me. I called the service mgr and informed him of the other problems that people are having with the 2-3 shift and he could see them on edmunds.
What a great tool!

heatherpages

I bought my 2003 in the Kansas City area, then moved to the Chattanooga area and still have the smell. I have a little over 5000 on mine.

Heather

stever

Go Owls!

:-)

Steve, Host

bigdadi

#2133 of 6943  Mobil 1 synthetic transmission fluid by mainsail2   Sep 01, 2001 (3:12 pm) If any of you have noticed "sluggish" shifting the first several minutes of your drive, I'm happy to report that the Mobile 1 synthetic appears to be helping. I had it installed using the "flush" system (took 14-15 quarts), at K-Mart/Penske for $125.00 (including tax), which I thought was a pretty good deal. I had other quotes all the way up to $180.00 plus tax. I have 19,000 miles on the car and was told that with the synthetic, I can probably go 30,000 between changes as the Mobil 1 will handle the Florida heat better than stock fluid.

Thanks to javadoc and cmuniz for the information about the fog lamps. I'll look at the Hellas just for the heck of it and try negotiating with the service manager at Mazda of Clearwater to see if I can get them down to a reasonable installation price.

#2096 of 6943  Synthetic transmission fluid by mainsail2   Aug 23, 2001 (12:00 pm) I want to use Mobil I synthetic tranny fluid in my 2000 MPV to smooth out the cold shifting, but the dealer tells me that Mazda does not have a list of approved products, and is still calling for the Dexron II specified in the Mazda manual. Does anyone have an experience with this or know whether the use of synthetic would void the warranty in the event of a transmission problem? Does the synthetic help smooth out the shifting?
#2097 of 6943  mainsail2, by javadoc   Aug 23, 2001 (12:42 pm)

My local dealership offers a synthetic atf for their cars (I forget the brand offhand, but I'd never heard of it...it wasn't Dexron tho). I had them install Redline D4 aft (approved as a Dexron II/III/IV replacement per their literature) and the service manager didn't have a problem with the product at all. I think you have a service manager that might not be in the know, or maybe just doesn't want to do this for you...tho some sm's are sticklers for only using OEM products.

#419 of 6943  synthetic tranny oil by caniel   Sep 19, 2000 (3:10 am) I decided to go with the Mobil 1 tranny lubricant because I'm concerned about the longevity of the transmission - it seems a bit strained saddled to the somewhat underpowered 2.5 duratec. Also, we made a big mistake IMHO in not opting for the 4 Seasons package - which with the transmission cooler would provide some additional protection. I honestly believe that the transmission shifts more smoothly since the Mobil 1. I'm also glad to know that, since the Mobil 1 won't get so thick in winter weather (coming soon to central Pennsylvania) the tranny should fare better. Since it cost about $150 to have it done, it's possible that my observations of improvement are simply wishful fantasty. I can tell you this - When I travel on hills (and there are a lot of them around here) the tranny does not shift around as much as it did before. This is a big relief. It could be, however, that as things are really "breaking in" and I'm getting more accustomed to learning the "style" of driving the van, I'm sensing a change that isn't really objectively there or would be there even if I hadn't switched to the Mobil 1. fyi - we currently have 6000 miles on the van. I switched to Mobil 1 in the motor and tranny at about 5700. Hope this helps.
Cheers!

rotarykid

we recently had a customer complaint of sulfur smell and mazda told us to put ALL new cats on the van. Not sure if the new cats were made of different materials or not, but if they werent, mazda just prolonged the problem for that customer. certain types of fuel are the main cause of the smell along with materials inside the cat that usually burn away within 5-8k. Now this van will have to start the process all over again, and the customer will continue to put the same fuel in the car.(they may switch gas stations, but it's all basically the same here in New England)

lsinc

I get the sulfer smell once in a while but certainly it goes away. I only notice it after the car has been shut off. I live in New England and get gas from the same place 95% of the time. The only time I wouldn't is if we were traveling. To me, the smell is not a huge issue. The car runs fine.

svmazda

We have a 2002 MPV that started this shift problem as intermittant and progressed to as soon as it warmed up it would do it. When it's bad it's like doing a tranny drop into 3rd. The Dealer replaced the TCM, then flashed it with an update, then had to go back to older software because it was WORSE. Then they (and the regional mazda service manager, refused to work on it because they didn't know how to fix it. I had to take the dealership manager for a ride to prove that it is actually dangerous (I have had it slip a on wet road, what happens when it snows?). He convinced the svc manager to give us a rental. So my van is sitting at the dealer while they figure out how to fix this. My question is, if it's driven by software, then what is the outside factor causing it take a bad software branch? I've had nothing but problems with mine including the whole wiring harness replaced because they couldn't figure out why the 4th cylinder started to miss (three tow jobs). I would hope mazda would do the stand up thing and extend the warranties because I think this has probably hurt the life of the engine.

bigdadi

Would it be under lemon law so to force mazda to buy back the van?

bill124

I would encourage all of you with this problem to post your problem with the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. They do keep track of these, particularly if it gets to the point of being a hazard. That affects not only you but other drivers as well. With only 200 miles on the '03, I don't know if I have this problem. I guess I'll find out. No such problem with the '00.

tomj5

I have been following the shift problem and have noticed that the dealers are waiting for the "magic" software that will do the fix..(Cheap fix)
 
1. My 03MPV(10K miles) shifts perfectly with the "old" software. (Never had a bad shift)
2. Problem sounds like particle contamnation of the tranny.
3. The dealer should do a back flush and filter change to clean out any contamnation particles in the tranny. (this is expensive with labor, parts and oil).. They don't want to do it...
4. Honda does three back flushes for hard shifting trannies and it cures the problem...

Tj

jolly2

I'm back. We had the new "modified" converters put in our van. It smells worse than ever. I'm going to get Mazda to put a third (fourth if you count the original ones) set in and then I can use the lemon law here in N.C.to sue Mazda. (Three tries for the same problem and you can sue; of course you have to hire a lawyer). I still regret buying the van. It amazes me that I see so many on the road. Why are people still buying them when this problem is so well known? And it does happen in the S.E. Why do people think not? Still frustrated.

lsinc

My 2 cents for what they are worth. Of course it smells worse. It's a new CAT and now you have the new burn off smells all over again. My MPV has the rotten egg smell once in a while but to me it's not a "sue Mazda issue". I also don't want them to put in a new CAT. The smell does not get into the inside of the van. I only smell it when I shut the van off and step out.

I'm just the opposite. I love my MPV, smell and all. I would buy another one in a heart beat. Sorry you're so unhappy. Good luck finding the "perfect" van.

Leslie

scott31

No transmission issues, and no sulfur smell. Love our MPV!

alf928

Purchased 2003 MPV in Feb 03, have had it at dealership 5 times with problems. Upon closing it would open back up, could not open it at all even with auto pwr switch disabled and not closing flush with van. Each time dealer says it fixed, motor replaced twice, but still having problems. Consider this a serious safety defect. Anyone else have problems?

tomj5

Always believed in the "Keep it simple" principle. Didn't order the power doors. Never heard of any that were trouble free.... I think they would be scary around kids.....

Our MPV shifts perfectly and no smell... Maybe the bad smells on the east coast are the "rotten" politicians out there.... (snicker)...
Tj

bsvoller

Trouble with power sliders on all makes, DC, Honda, Toyota, etc led me to veto them over my wife's objection on our MPV.

I know that may sound, well, less than enlightened, but after I showed her the research I'd done, she agreed. In fact, I didn't order one with the sport package for the same reason. Power sliders were a deal-killer for us.

We have no real need (our only child is 8), so it's a wasted expense, and reliability is important to us. Plus, I thought they were really slow.

As always, YMMV. Hope you can get it resolved soon. If we'd had a real need, I'd have reconsidered, but as it stands, it was a good choice for us.

-brianV

bob57

I can open my manual sliding door for the kids, get in and drive off while my sister-in-law is still trying to open her power sliding DC..."Why doesn't this work"!!
But, of course, if it's offered it should work.

scott31

they were the main feature we wanted on our new van. Had our MPV since Feb '03, and with new twins, BOTH doors get used quite a bit. No problems at all.

svmazda

This is the fourth time at least for me bringing it in for the tranny. I think there were more but I believe I lost a service receipt or two where they couldn't find a problem (when it was intermittent at first). MN Lemon Law says if after four unsuccessful repair attempts, you send them a certified letter saying this is it or you invoke the law. If I get to that point I most certainly will, but what if they simply quit trying to fix it? They didn't do a flush to it. The regional service manager said the hard shift was good for it (honest to god). I will try the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin as suggested above.

dan2004

On my troublesome 2004, I sucked out the old fluid and replaced with Valvoline Dextron III - Mecron Maxlife. This is a silghtly souped up fluid which is still compatible with the new car warrantee and is the type specified for the MPV.

I used a vaccuum pump that I normally use for my boat and is available at all Boat US and West Marine stores (carefully cleaning the suction hose with tranny fluid to remove all contaminants).

The fluid replacement is not complete since there is still fluid in the torque converter, but exchanged about 13 quarts in three cycles so I estimate I have about 70% new fluid.

The change in shifting was immediate -- the tranny is far smoother and more responsive than before and so far there is none of the hard slamming that occasionally happened from 2-3. I have about 60 miles on the new fluid so far.

For those attempting this, the Valvoline Maxlife ATF is available at Walmart for $2.44 per quart. Also be very careful to follow instuctions on how to measure ATF fluid level--after engine is warm, idle for 2 minutes then run trans through PRND32. The while still idling in Park, check level (hot scale). Its difficult to read the scale so be careful.

I will keep everyone posted to see if this is truely the solution.

beansie

I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT THE HARD SHIFTING FROM 2 TO 3 ON THE 2003 MPV. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE TROUBLE ON OURS WHEN IT SHIFTS FROM 1 TO 2. WE HAVE THE AUTOMATIC TRANNY. WE ARE ALSO HAVING A PROBLEM WITH HESITATION. IT STARTED HAPPENING BETWEEN 45-50MPH AND NOW IT IS HAPPENING BETWEEN 35-40 AS WELL IS ANYONE HAVING THAT PROBLEM. WE HAVE HAD THE TRANNY WORKED ON 3 TIMES. TWICE THEY TRIED AN UPDATE. WE ONLY HAVE 3800 MILES ON THE VAN. THIS LAST TIME THEY TOLD US THAT MAZDA WAS WORKING ON ANOTHER UPDATE THAT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2004

tomj5

You owe me a beer....
Flushes will fix tranny problem....
Congrats dan2004 for having the guts to do it yourself...
Sounds like Mazda has refused to pay the dealers for a flush...

Tj

moib

Hi everyone,

I haven't posted in a long time. In the past, I was posting about problems with our temperature display in our rear view mirror....

Anyway, I have 1 thing to add to the current discussions and 1 thing to update from a past discussion.

First, I am now noticing a sulfur smell once in a while. It's is identical to Leslie's in that it's colder here (I live in MN) and I notice it when I pull into the garage, turn the MPV off, and step out. The smell is not overwhelming but it is present. I heard from someone that about this time of the year in MN, they add more ethanol to the gas. I don't know if that's true but if it is, I wonder if it's this new gas mixture that is the culprit. Either that or it's just that it's colder out and that is causing some problem. I do not like it, but if it doesn't get any stronger or more frequent (ie while I'm driving), then I think I can live with it.

For those of you that remember my past posts about our temp display....I have a quick update. Supposedly we were "repaired" a few months ago but we know the display is still not behaving properly and we're just putting off writing a letter to Mazda. (Again, for all the problems we had with our former van - Plymouth Voyager - it sure had a great/accurate temp display!) Anyway, if you want a great laugh...a little while ago when it was COLD, and WINDY and CLOUDY here, I was in a slow-moving Burger King drive through. The outside temp was no higher than 40, yet my display was creeping up to 60, 61, 62 and 63. As I pulled out of the drive through area it spiked to 103. And then over the next 10 minutes it gradually came down to 98, then 94 and then back to the 60's.

I know some of you have written that this behavior may be "normal" due to engine or road heat but like I've said before, our previous van was always accurate and we just can't accept this huge fluctuation in temps as acceptable for a $350 accessory.

So, look out....According to our MPV, it gets into the 100's here in MN in the fall/winter and evidently you don't need a winter jacket!

Otherwise we're pretty content with our MPV...I haven't noticed the shifting problem (we do have the traction control on ours but haven't used it yet) and I'm hoping we don't experience that issue. Good luck to those of you with that problem.
Sharon

lsinc

Haven't had the smell in days. My MPV didn't shift hard at all yesterday. Lately I do most of my driving around town. Very rarely do I get up on the highway. Yesterday I went to see some friends for lunch in Farmington. Have to get on the highway to get there. On some parts of the highway I really floored it. I have to say, my MPV hauls and it ran flawlessly.

As to the auto sliders. I have them. Bought my MPV in April and have two kids 11 and 8. I'm also part of a school car pool and generally have up to 5 kids in the car using the sliders. So the sliders are used and abused constantly and I 've had no problems whatsoever.

lsinc

Ok, I'm not pointing fingers or trying to start anything. I have a simple question. Why is a hard shift condusive to tranny problems? A failing tranny does just that, it fails. Maybe I'm the fool but I have not brought my MPV in for the hard shift. I don't feel it is an issue.

I guess for me it's that I've had some true lemons in my life that my MPV is a joy to drive. There are so many of us on this board with the same issue that I find it hard to believe that this is a "failing tranny" issue. It's more of an annoyance just like the sulfer smell.

Well, when someone finds the "perfect" minivan would they let me know?

Leslie

tomj5

Hi Leslie: A hard shift is not normal. In the early '60s maybe (only the rich had automatics).
The points I am making are:
1. Our MPV shifts perfectly smooth as butter..
2. With the "old" software.
3. The transaxle design is very good...
4. The oil is the primary variable.. (Could be bad oil or dirty oil caused by left over junk from manufacture or breakin)

If I had the bad shift problem, I would take it to the dealer for a warranty flush(don't wait for a "magic" software fix, if that were true then all MPVs would shift bad). If they refused then I would take it to a trusted shop and have them do it... As far as law suits, it is cheaper to do repairs out of pocket than fool with crooked lawyers and chalk it up to experience and buy a different brand car later....
The dealers have crawfished on the so called "Anything repair" warranty when car is under 12K miles.. (Mazda refuses to pay)

They should do 3 flush and fills or replace the tranny.... This is what Honda does...

Yeah you are right if the shift is a mild "bump" once and a while that shouldn't bother. But, a "Ka-bang" shift that causes whiplash is a serious problem that will cause early failure of the tranny.
If there is any roughness in the shift I would take it to a trusted shop and have the oil and filter changed no later than 15K miles....

Before the "smart"(pre '95) trannies I never had an issue with trannies. I think that the so called "smart" tranny designs is silly sales hype that is much to complex for what is required...
Issues like these is the reason I never buy the first cars off the line. Best to wait until spring and order one from the factory....

Love our PEEVEE
Tj

bsvoller

-moib: Some variation is "normal", but nothing like what you describe. Holy cow! A 60 degree swing?!

Our temp display varies no more than 5 degrees, and is consistently accurate to within a degree of the reported temps as long as you are moving. This is true of both of our cars, a Subie and an MPV.

Granted, we don't drive in bumper to bumper traffic hardly ever... Is it possible you were picking up the exhaust from the car in front of you?

If not, you have a bad sensor, or bad cabling. You're absolutely right, for $350 you should expect better. Stay on the dealer and Mazda until they get it right.

Good luck.

-brianV