Mazda6 Sedan

mxpx

B.S., as in Bose Sound. I was wondering if this Bose system is capable of randomly selecting tracks from more than just the disk that is playing when you hit the random button? My wife's Monsoon system in her Santa Fe plays tracks from all the disks and I can't seem to get the Bose to do the same in my 6. Is there a mode or something that it needs to be in? I checked the idiots manual,err Owners manual, and all it states is how to turn it off and on.

Thanx in advance
MXPX

gatorm6

mxpx: I have a Mazda 6 with the Bose system. When I hit the random button, it will only play tracks from the current disk. I don't know of a way to get it to play from all of the disks.

Regarding the tire pressure for the 17 in tires. You have to be sure to check the pressure when the tires are cold. I had to check the tire pressure first thing in the morning, note how many PSI I was short, drive to the gas station, check the tire pressure again (it most likely will be different), and add the appropriate PSI. I have mine at 32.5 to 33 PSI (cold) and it works pretty good.

akumaz

I guess this question is geared more towards those working at the dealers, but I'm curious about how some MZ6's are available in base form with the black interior. I know that generally, the black interior is only available with the sport package. However, if there are MZ6's that come this way without the sport package, is this a fluke? I would LOVE to get my 6 with the black interior (IMO, it looks best with the titanium plastics), but there don't seem to be any with ABS (and ABS is a good thing). Any ideas?

xplorx4

It appears there are many different questions about the best tire pressure on this board (as well as on other discussion boards I participate on). Some responses are correct, while others are misguided.

Here are some links that I believe will help you understand what the optimum tire pressure for any car should be:

Tire Pressure Info courtesy of TireRack.com

Tire Pressure Guide from sportcompactcarweb.com

Tire Pressure Articles at turnfast.com

NHTSA tire pressure special study (pdf file)

Now, back to our regularly scheduled Mazda6 discussion...

seaf

For those of us who don't want to dig through all those pages? What is the recommended PSI for the Mazda6's 16" and 17" tires?

gatorm6

According the sticker on the door jam, the recommended tire pressure is 32 PSI for both tires.

microrepair

Check out Zaino.com. I've used their system on my Mercedes for the last 3 years and a full treatment (initially 5 steps) lasts up to a year with a lot of depth to the shine. Water still beads up at the 12th month.. It is a polymer and although there are numerous steps the first time, from then on there are only 2 steps; the final polish and a swirl remover. And all the polymer steps are easy on the elbow grease, very easy..

loupie

I just bought a 6i 3 days ago, and in reading the owners manual, it states that the 'oil filter should be changed by the dealer as it requires a special to re-tighten it'.

I personally like to change my own oil as I've had too many problems with kids at shops installing the wrong filter, stripping the drain plug, etc.

Has anyone changed their own oil filter on a 6i, and if so, what is the special tool the manual refers to?

Thanks

Loupie

fowler3

Check the Mazda Protege boards for your answer, especially under Protege Club/Maintenance/

Pro owners change their own oil and several have found they didn't need the "special tool".

fowler3

xplorx4

what is the special tool the manual refers to?

Unless the oil filter is especially hard to access (i.e. your hand won't fit around it to twist it enough) you should be able to just use your right (or left) hand. I've never seen any oil filters that specified tightening them with any "tool" except your hand.

johnclineii

This is an internal filter, the cannister is not replaced each time. You CAN do it yourself, many others here have assured us it is possible, and without any special tool (for most).

mazda6s

Anybody have any opinions on this? Pros and Cons?

stretchsje

I might have a BBQ and '6 meet this Friday, for those interested. Info here.

mazda6s

What's the reference to a dremel tool about?

stretchsje

To cut a hole in the car's resonator. The resonator is a tuned air chamber attached to the intake designed to mute the sound. By cutting it open, it doubles the amount of available air going into the intake, and is a cold air source. This, combined with removing a diffuser within the air box, nets gains of about 10 horsepower, according to one man with a dyno. Not bad for a 15 minute job that doesn't void anything in the warranty.

Oddly, a picture I saw of a one Euro '6 seemed to already have the intake vents on the resonator.

My pictures: http://www.funnyfort.com/images/mazda6/CAI/

johnclineii

I don't see how you can make the statement that those actions don't void "ANYTHING" under the warranty. Any modification to a vehicle may (MAY, I did not say will) cause some voiding of the warranty. A manufacturer isn't responsible, and shouldn't be, for damages caused by subsequent modifications by the user or others.

The question will always be did the modification cause or contribute to product failure. The burden of proof is theoretically on the manufacturer. However, since it is the manufacturer who can choose not to pay in the absence of action by the customer, it is the customer in reality who often must prove his or her mods did not cause the failure.

In this particular case, too, I would wonder what the effect on emissions would be. Could be setting yourself up for a nasty surprise at the testing center, now or in the future. If getting a quick boost in power was that easy without any deleterious effects, don't you think Mazda would have done it?

In summation, if you choose to modify your Mazda6, or any other car, whether under warranty or not, you should also be willing to accept financial responsibility for your actions. Neither aribtrators nor courts nor juries look favorably on people who modify a product themselves then expect the manufacturer to remain responsible for things that those modifications may have affected.

stretchsje

you're modifying/removing ONLY a device used to muffle the sound. In doing so, it happens to restrict air flow, but the device is only there for sound. It's no different then removing sound insulation from the doors or removing the engine cover- what part of the warranty would that void?

If getting a quick boost in power was that easy without any deleterious effects, don't you think Mazda would have done it?

No, because it makes the engine tone different and a little louder. As I said, I think they did do this on some European models.

johnclineii

Any part of the warranty that the manufacturer can or will claim it does, unless the consumer, in reality can prove otherwise. The emissions warranty comes immediately to mind.

Major problems? Probably not. But it is an overstatement to say that this modification will not void any part of the warranty.

I don't want to see people read too much into the original statement about it not voiding any part of the warranty, as it may not be true.

jgriff

I plan on doing the Zaino treatment next week. I did it on my CL (3 years ago), again after the 1st undertaking it is a breeze. I'm hoping that the new ZFX will make the whole process a little easier & faster.

stretchsje

I ran it by my Mazda service center mechanic last time I was in and he agreed that there isn't any part of the vehicle he could think of that could be adversely effected by the modification, and therefore not void any warranty.

johnclineii

And if you have a Mazda service center mechanic on your side, what is and is not a legal nicety can usually be totally avoided!

Cheers!

jgriff

xpolorx4 :: thanks for the links.

The door specs call for 32#, the tires max is 40#.
And some run with the rear tire @ +2psi more than the front.

I'll play within 32-36 range and see how that works out.

Just trying to keep things right.

jgriff

Anyone using synthetic oil, or planning to ??

combustible1

"I'm hoping that the new ZFX will make the whole process a little easier & faster."

please explain. same product with a new, easier to apply method? a new product altogether not related to Zaino? what?? thanks.

the_big_h

for 2003 that is.

2004 production starts in July.

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- - _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=00504194

and in other news, Mazdaspeed Miata is coming sometime around January :-)

bean3422

Nice work Stretch...almost the first thing I do with a new car is remove any piece of plastic in between the outside air and the incoming side of the air filter. Glad to see someone who values horsepower over quietness. (A lot of people don't).

John...you have a very valid point. I suppose if it ever got that far, in the courts there might be a small chance of a problem. I would guess that most technicians will never even realize the part is gone unless they look it up in a book.

I have never taken any Mazda I have owned in for warranty work (or any other work, other than maintenance), so I can't verify if the tech would have noticed or not. The only comment I have received when it was in for routine maintenance was that the Bosch Platinum +4 spark plugs would void the warranty, but I took that with a grain of salt...(It's all moot now, since my warranty has expired.)

bean3422

Just goes to prove what I have been posting forever...they have got to pump out more Manuals, more V6, and more Sport Packages if they really want to dent the market.

People who want the mushy 4 cylinder automatic Accords and Camrys are going to buy Accords and Camrys, not the Mazda 6. Duh.

Mazda certainly frustrates me sometimes though, all that talk about how the Mazda 6 is a sporty drivers car, then they make the same stupid mistake all over again that they did with the 626. If they would just forget those stupid consumer clinics, and get out in the real world!

Oh well, it's easy to be an Edmunds Town Hall marketer, if it was my job on the line, it would certainly be hard to predict the future.

seaf

If the 2004 Mazda6s MT starts production in July, does that mean the whole 2004 Mazda6 lineup starts production in July or just the V6 MT's? It seems like it would be more work to only produce 2004 V6 MTs a few months earlier, and leave the rest of the assembly line doing 2003's still. Unless the only difference is a stamp that stamps 2004 instead of 2003 on the models. Any thoughts on this theory?

seaf

If some major damage happens later on, and you want the dealer to pay for the work under warranty or it goes to court, I'll bet the dealer manager will ask one of their knowledgeable technicians to inspect the car carefully for anything that the consumer did that might've caused the damage, and the modification would probalby come up. If you really want some insurance in that situation, I'd get the current technician's opinions in writing now so that you have some proof later. But I don't know if he'd go for that, since then he's kind of responsible and his job may be on the line if he's wrong.

the_big_h

on all 2003 trims

all 2004 trims should start in July is how I read that article.

mjvchicago

So Zaino is one of the top options out there. ANyone have experience with Liquid Glass? From what I've been reading, LG seems to be more of a protective layer while Zaino is more of a deep polish. Thoughts?

stretchsje

I use Liquid Glass and like it a lot. Zaino, I'm sure, is better, but takes a whole day to apply. Liquid Glass couldn't be any quicker to apply, and consequently I currently have 4 coats applied to my car.

You can't go wrong either way- but if you have the time (and the money!) go ahead and do Zaino. I hear nothing else comes close.

The wax boards on Edmunds are stellar for this sort of information.

joe2617

The dealer gets paid by the manufacturer to perform warranty repairs. Most dealers would go out of their way to get a repair done under warranty. Depending on the cost of the repair and the dealers standing with Mazda NA the dealer can authorize a repair without calling Mazda for permission. If there was a question about weather it is covered or not Mazda could send a rep. out to look at the vehicle.

6_is_good

Maybe if you bought the 6 cylinder you wouldn't be tearing apart your car for more horsepower. You always seem to be adamant about the power production of the four banger, yet you tear apart your car for 15 more horses? Only 45 more to go!

mazdamarla

Well, 2003 trim production better not have stopped already!

My car, which I ordered back at the end of March, is scheduled to be built this week! Delivery suppposedly next week.

mazda6s

You seem to have beat audia8q to this board with the '04 news.

How about it Rich? We're dying for info on the '04 models. Hand it over!

ambull

The Autoweek article said "The 2004 V6-powered 6 with five-speed manual goes on sale in July, without much of a price hike over 2003." I wouldn't take that to mean anything other than what is said, namely that orders for 2004s will be taken in July. Anybody agree?

akumaz

If anyone's interested, there is a GLOWING review on the 6 at www.kbb.com. They seemed to love it, although the article felt incomplete for some reason.

For the aftermarket leather seats, would installation also include the leather inserts for the door panels as well? And would the back seats be replaced as well? I am thinking of buying a 6 in cloth and swapping the seats- and door panels if possible- in order to get the seats without worrying about the extra package(s) I wouldn't want, AND get ABS. I'm just not that crazy about power seats, but perhaps it would take time.

Also, I'm wondering about the aftermarket moonroof as well. For anyone that has seen/experienced it, how much bigger is the opening compared to the factory one? When I sat in my friend's car, it seemed small compared to my mom's on her BMW 325i (which I'm using to learn to drive a stick ^_^).

stretchsje

Maybe if you bought the 6 cylinder you wouldn't be tearing apart your car for more horsepower. You always seem to be adamant about the power production of the four banger, yet you tear apart your car for 15 more horses? Only 45 more to go!

Handling first, power second. You V6 owners would have a heck of a hard time shedding 200lbs. In any event, the 6s only makes 40 more horsepower at the wheels, so if I can gain back 15hp of that, I'm doing pretty good- and I'm still over 200lbs lighter.

Besides, tearing apart a car is fun and educational.

xplorx4

Maybe if you bought the 6 cylinder you wouldn't be tearing apart your car for more horsepower

If he had bought the 6 cylinder, he'd probably cut up the airbox on that as well to get more power out of it. There's nothing wrong with squeezing all the juice you can out of any engine, no matter what the size, as long as you're willing to take the risk of jeopardizing your warranty (not that the airbox mod will do this, mind you).

jgriff

"I'm hoping that the new ZFX will make the whole process a little easier & faster."

"please explain. same product with a new, easier to apply method? a new product altogether not related to Zaino? what?? thanks"

The last time I did a complete Z job 3 years ago, the drying process was over night (like 10-12 hours). I have not done the new ZFX process yet, but you don't have to wait for it to dry, and you can put 1-2 more coats on right away.

Granted the PREP work is still the same, cleaning (wax removal), claying (optional), etc.

But I believe that Liq. Glass requires some of the same prep work as well.

Not sure which product works the best & is cheaper. But I'm sure there would be a lot of opinions.

chikoo

>>>For the aftermarket leather seats, would installation also include the leather inserts for the door panels as well?<<<<

Yes. My dealer assured me for ~$1000 they would put in the leather of my choice(of a wide range of leather thay have) on front seats, back seats + door inserts.

microrepair

Don't take the "word" of a technician regarding warranty coverage. Ten years ago I had my local SERVICE MANAGER assure me not to worry about a transmission glitch in my car with 60K miles on it as the company had just extended secret warranty coverage to 100K miles on that tranny. So at 70,800 miles (original warranty of 70K) the tranny fails just outside of Savannah as we were returning from a vacation in Florida (to Massachusetts). Fortunately, there was a dealer in Savannah who did me a great favor in starting work on it within an hour of when we limped in in second gear(finished it in 11 working hours.!!). However, he had never heard of that NEW secret warranty and after calling Detroit, said they would cover the parts but I had to pay the $700 labor. It took me 7 letters over 11 months with the last one to the company president to get them to reimburse me for the labor charge. And that was mostly due to a nationwide assault on the company by numerous consumer groups for the horrendously bad tranny.

As I mentioned earlier, Zaino stuff isn't cheap. But I've never had to wait overnight for any one step either. I think if the temp is too cool or the humidity is too high, it *can* take 12 hours to set up, but normally, 1-2 hours of drying time is sufficient.

Stretch; I can lose 200 lbs in 20 weeks. Anyone dare to do it in 19 ??
OH; you're talking about the CAR !!!!??!!

chikoo

who needs it?

j/k

crustacean

Even though I ordered my "6" at the end of February, I'm still waiting. The good news is that the car is built and will probably be at the dealer next week. The bad news is that I ordered it with the Sport Grille and the car was built without it.

I wondered because the MSRP of my car in the inventory screen dropped a little bit. In the details about the car, I noticed that the Sport Grille was missing. I called Mazda and was told that they have run into a shortage of the Sport Grilles, so my car was built without it.

I guess it is no big deal. I just ordered one from Mazdastuff.com, and it will end up being about $12-15 cheaper this way.

Still, It took them 16 weeks to build the car and they still couldn't get all the parts for it.

Just amazing.

fowler3

*For the aftermarket leather seats, would installation also include the leather inserts for the door panels as well? And would the back seats be replaced as well? *

Yes, the door inserts are included, but just above the armrests, not the bolster above that matches the dash. The back seat, too.

The dealer installed (they farm it out) leather is much softer and richer looking than the factory leather. They can also imbroader(sic) the Mazda6 logo on the front seat backs below the headrests.

I don't particularly like leather seats, but I like the after market ones I have seen. People who have problems (internally) in the posteria should not buy leather.

The dealer in High Point,NC, charges $1459 for leather! Same price for the moonroof, which looks about the same size as the factory roof. One thing different, the dealer installed moonroof has a black rubber gasket around the edge. Doesn't look as good as the factory version. I also wonder if all of the 6's have a steel roof brace between the B-pillars to support an after market moonroof, or is that just on factory installed moonroofs?

All dealers probably use Classic Soft Trim's licensed installers. See their web site, http://www.classicsofttrim.com

fowler3

glideslopes

I ordered my Sport Grill from Mazdastuff 5 weeks ago. At that time they had all colors in stock.

Mark.

glideslopes

I'm going with Mobil1 0w-20 at 6,000 miles. I'm currently using Castrol 5w-20. After my warranty, or sooner if Mazda comes out with a TSB stating it's ok, I'll run Mobil1 5w-30. The 20w is simply CAFE , but I'm paranoid if I have a problem. Some of the UOA on 20 weights has actually been very good.

In all applications I use the K&N HP-2010 Oil Filter. Filtration down to 10 microns, and 16 gpm flow rates.

I'll drain the Mobil1 at 5,000 mile intervals.

Mark. : )

pat

FWIW, there is a whole ton of info over on our Maintenance & Repair board about Zaino and other car care options, as well as synthetic vs. dino.

Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to chase any of you away (hmmm..... Oh, never mind! ;-)), but I don't want you to miss all the very helpful info over there.

: )

silvercrown

I know that this has been discussed before, but I wanted to know more about the Ford Duratec engine and it's past performance over time. I know that the MZ6s engine uses the Duratec block, but has other components from Mazda, or something like that. So it's derived from a Ford engine, but not totally supplied by Ford because Mazda made their own changes to it.

I want to understand more about the engine that will be in my car, so would someone please explain how this works (again). What kinds of changes did Mazda make to the Duratec for the 6 that makes it different from the version used in Ford models? And which Ford models has the Duratech been used in? I've heard some very positive things about the Ford Duratec engine, so I'm not worried about the version of it that will be in my 6. Just my curiosity getting the better of me. :-)