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http://web2.iadfw.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/tsbmenu.html
I have had that happen twice. I turned off the engine and within a few minutes went to restart it. Nothing. No crank. Totally dead. After waiting maybe ten minutes, it then started.
I seem to have fixed the problem by removing the metal ring on the keys and replacing it with plastic. Anyway it hasn't happened in many months. However I've never had the car stall so maybe it's two different problems.
Ever been to Dallas TX in August?
I just got my car in May. it seems this AC problem has been around a while.I talked to a guy who had a 3 i and the engine light came on and he had it fixed.I asked him about his AC. He said it isn't good but didn't report it.
I say we all email Mazda and we should get what we pay for Ac .Someone here had a point why dont; they listen to the consumer and take the temp inside.
I also have noise when I brake and drive( rumbling) they said brakes are up to their specks.
I am very upset..
"dont' expect the AC to be freezing.".I can't wait to get my Mazda consumer satisfaction survey.
For my first service call everyone there complained and this place ranks first in the tri- state area( NE).
musa@mazdausa.com
Low on freon & clicking noise - that noise would be the compressor turning off & on. Being low on freon does cause this to happen - but the compressor also turns off & on when it is working properly. IMO the system in the Mazda3 turns off & on more than any other vehicle I have ever owned.
The AC in the Mazda does act like it is low on freon - but both times I was in for service I specifically ask about the freon level - both times I was told it was not low. It is just as bad to overfill the system as it is to be low - just adding some freon on your own would be a bad idea.
I think you should have one specific day that everybody emails Mazda, then a follow up letter two weeks later and again and again. Also, I would send in a letter about how I was riding in a friends Mz3 on a hot day and how poor the a/c so this car will not be on my shopping list, if that was needed. So if you got over 1-2,000 Mz3 owners to email and at least 500 of their friends to do the same, at least we could overburden their email system so they could see what if feels like to have an over worked system.....
I am quite dismayed
"Hello, I own a Mazda3 5-door that I bought this year in
february. It has 15K miles now. My concern is, the AC is very poor, it
really does not cool the car at all when the weather gets warm.
Sometimes I have to turn the fan speed to almost 4 and put up with the
noise to get some cold air on my body. Passengers at the back seat do
not feel the AC at all... We gave it to a mazda dealer for the 15K mile
service and we asked them to check the AC as well, they reported back
saying they did not find any problem and that is the best it can get.
This is very disappointing. Is there a way/fix to make the air cooler,
make more air blow out at lower fan speeds of 2 or 3? I recommended this
car highly to a few of my friends who are planning on a new car
purchase, and I hope that this issue can be fixed. Your help will be
highly appreciated. Thank you."
MM
http://www.autosite.com/Reviews/2004-mazda-3.asp
(Scroll down to "Weak Air Conditioning Capacity".)
Meade
Note the August 2003 "News Release" on that page.
Meade
Thanks for posting this website.
Yes, they are dead-on regarding the poor A/C. But here's another comment about the center stack, something that I also have complained about and which, for me, makes a long drive very uncomfortable. And, if it's hot out, that long drive is almost unbearable.
"In terms of comfort, our tallest test driver had trouble finding the right mix of seat height, cushion tilt and distance from the pedals, while a more petite pilot had no trouble achieving a perfect driving position. Both complained about the discomfort from bracing their right legs against the center stack’s hard plastic."
I don't plan on keeping this car very long. I wish, however, we had held onto our 01 Protege. The engine was not as peppy, but the AC worked fine and the cabin was much more comfortable.
Garth
if you can't connect go to www.recalls.gov then vehicles.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/
Wow, we're in exactly the same position. I plan to purchase a Mazda3 in May '05 ... IF the a/c problem is worked out by then (er, one would HOPE ...) If not, I may just break my four-Protege streak! I have faith though.
My dealer let me "borrow" a loaded (leather, xenon and nav system, but 5-speed, OF COURSE) Mazda3S wagon for a weekend back in May. I found the car extremely wonderful! And the price is right too. I've already priced the one I want -- don't need the nav system, though it would be fun, don't want a moonroof (need that headroom), and leather is a possibility but the jury's still out on that one. As I want it, the 3S wagon is about 18 and a half.
The biggest dilemma for me right now is color. Can't decide between Screaming Pumpkin Mica and Winning Bloo. I think the Bloo is winning (heh heh). A guy about a half-mile down the street from me has a Screaming Pumpkin sedan, and I've seen a wagon of that color in the neighborhood too. That color is also popular on the Nissan Morono (heh) around here. It's actually getting kind of boring seeing all the Screaming Pumpkin Mica and Slightly Tarnished New Penny Metallic cars around here.
Besides, Winning Bloo is also an RX-8 color, and it's quite the eye-catcher -- darned near flourescent-looking. I ... LIKE IT!
Speaking of liking it, my 2000 Protege ES has 79,000 miles on it now and is running like the proverbial top except for some clunky front strut bushings that I'm trying to baby along until next May. We'll see!
Meade
Anyways, what I really wanted to say is that there are standard tests the dealers should be performing to judge the effectiveness of the A/C system. Some people have mentioned that when they questioned the dealers about the standards the A/C must demonstrate, they essentially got no response. This led to the misconception that Mazda doesn't have any standards.
Well, for the Protege5 the standards are as follows. The temperature measured in the center vent closest to the driver should be between 2.5C and 4C (36.5F and 39F), irrespective of the ambient temperature. The test conditions are as follows, vent speed on "4", MAX cold setting, recirculate mode on, temperature from vents has stabilized. If the outlet temperature is outside the range it says to "troubleshoot the refrigerant system." I can only assume the Mazda3 has similar "standards".
Best of luck!
When I ask if they had an AC performance standard they said - "YES of course we have a standard" - so I ask what is it - I got put on hold for a few minutes while they checked with the technical expert - when they got back on the line they said - "We don't have a standard - check with the dealership" I did - they have no standard either.
Maybe Mazda had a standard - maybe when they realized that they can not meet their own standard they decided to drop it all together. I really don't know.
What I do know is - if MY AC would blow air that is consistently between 36.5 and 39 degrees I would be a happy customer. If I set the fan speed on high my air temp is normally between 55 and 65 degrees. (and yes I have it set on re-circulate)
i FOUND complaints IN THE site i MENTION above . I went back to my dealer today for the second time .I mentioned the grooves in my rear brake rotors that they checked and said were OK Monday.Now they will look at it over night and gave me a loaner.
The site I mentioned about defects. owners complaints and service bulletins is what backed up my story to the manager.I mentioned c/o AC to him on the NSTA web site.
web site to look for any car problems
Maybe affects the AC?
Also, I think collecting a petition of VIN, build date, location and problem yes/no would be useful.
Is this only happening on NA cars, or worldwide?
loaner was built June 04 my car March 04.Let me know your date.
that is a great idea. I thought of it yesterday .
As an aside, when you drive around, look for older T-Birds and Escorts with the plastic headlight covers so clouded over that there is almost no transparency at all - these are quickly cleared up with the plastic polish.
So - why can't Mazda fix the cars that have weak AC performance? It just does not add up to me.
Mazda has not made major modifications to the AC system - Have they? Why not fix the cars with the problem?
I have said before - the real issue is not just the weak AC in MY MAZDA3 - it is the horrible treatment by Mazda (not the dealership but the company) that makes me wonder why anyone would ever risk buying a car from these crooks. If you ever do have a problem - AC or other - what makes you think that they will treat you any better than they are treating the poor sweaty owners of Mazda3's with weak AC systems?
I have purchased 15 new cars/trucks in my life - from many different companies - all have had some problems - I have never been treated this poorly.
http://web2.iadfw.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/tsbmenu.html
MM
Get the Winning Blue... the Lava Orange is awesome and I want to have the only one
-Aaron
Small cars had better ac when the evaporators were located on the right side behind the glovebox, but they've all migrated to a different design in which the evaporator is located in a central box along with the heater core. There just isn't as much space in that box as there was in the separate evaporator boxes behind the right side of the dash on previous designs. The evaporators are smaller as a result and a bit less effective.
I've noticed on the M3 that there is less difference in outlet temp when using fresh intake vs recirc than on most other cars in it's class and that the air doesn't warm up as much during prolonged idling. It's not as cold as the AC in, for example, a Toyota Avalon, but runs at least as cold if not colder than in a Corolla and definitely colder than in a Scion XB or Toyota Echo.
I'm located in Fresno CA where average summer days are 97-105 degrees F, humidity generally low.
The M3 owner's manual states that the AC compressor runs during defrost if outside temp is above 39 degrees F. This means the system is set to cycle the compressor off when evap temp drops to 39 degrees, so figure 42-46 for a reasonable outlet temp once the system's been on long enough to start cycling the compressor in the summer time.
My car is a Velocity Red S sedan with manual trans, black leather interior, and moonroof. The most important factor in ac performance in my climate is limiting heat buildup in the car when parked.
Here in Fresno it's conventional wisdom to buy a light colored car--avoid black--park in the shade when possible, crack the side windows about an inch at the top, and flip up the sunroof to allow hot air to rise out but leave the sunshade closed. When first entering the car, roll down all windows and turn ac on fresh and low fan speed--the outside air is 105, the inside air is 140, and you want to let that hot inside air out as quickly as possible. Also the slower the air passes over the evaporator the quicker the evaporator can cool down. Once the air comes out of the vents cool and the inside and outside temps have equalized, close windows and moonroof, hit recirc, and crank fan speed to 3 or 4. Once the interior is cooled switch back to fresh to help prevent odors from building up. Never use recirc when smoking in the car.
My Mazda3 will not consistently blow air that is 42-46 degrees. Sometimes when I first start the AC the air temp will drop all the way down to 39 degrees - but then quickly jumps up to around 50 - on an 85 degree day my AC normally puts out air that is around 55 degrees - on a real hot day it will stay between 55 and 65 degrees. If the air temp was consistently in the low to mid 40's I would be more than happy -
Yesterday the temp in Houston was around 95 degrees - I drove the Mazda3 about 30 miles across town and back home - starting from a garage (car was parked overnight) the AC cools the car off just fine - air temp between 50 - 55 degrees coming out of the vent - the car is comfortable -
Coming home - after car had sat the mall parking lot for about 2 hours - air temp coming out of the vents stays between 55 and 63 - It takes me about an hour to drive home - mix of city and highway driving. I get home and go change my shirt because I am soaked with sweat.
IMO - it is reasonable - expected - that a new car (even a black one) with an AC system that is working should - in a 30 mile -one hour long drive completely cool off the car - even though it has been sitting in full sun on a 95 degree day. I can't imagine anyone that would not agree with this - well except Mazda.
Mazda is dropping the ball on this one. The AC should be able to put out 40-50 degree air constantly if needed. My 86 626 would do that with no problem at all, even with it's 14 year old compressor.
I suspect the compressor is cycling off too much, or the engine heat is affecting the temp of the incoming air. I had a similar problem once on my 626. It was the electronic temperature controller module and if I recall correctly it cost me a couple hundred bucks to get it fixed.
There is really no excuse for Mazda taking this long to address the problem. By now they must have determined what is causing it. My guess is that they are just trying to find the most cost effective way to fix it, and getting this approved by the corporate bean counters. Unfortunately while they do this they are losing sales. I am considered a pretty reliable source of auto info by my friends and co-workers, and I have stopped recommending the Mazda3 until this problem is fixed. I'm still a big Mazda fan, but I have definitely killed at least 1 Mazda3 sale already due to this problem.