Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

mdaffron

Not that it will never happen, but on the off chance it does, I think I'll be more interested in getting under the hood than into the hatch. Especially since I keep a set of jumper cables (a) in my trunk, and (b) in the trunk of my wife's car -- so we're fine unless both of us leave our lights on the same night -- then we're screwed.

sschaffer

Remote keyless taking one click for driver's and 2 for all doors is also on toyotas and Nissans.

Toyotas will relock if you don't open a door.

Toyota and Nissan have anothe little quirk:

If when exiting the car you lock the doors with either the power lock button on the armrest or the remote, the locks will not unlock with the power button on the armrest. This is so nobody can hit the unlock on the power switch with a coathanger and enter your car, haven't tried this on my Mazda yet.

Also, if ignition is off but keys are still in the ignition, the power locks will lock and immediately unlock to prevent you locking the keys in the car. Same thing happens if engine is running but driver door is open.

One feature I like on the Mazda 3 that Toyota and Nissan don't have:
If you hit the keyless remote to lock the doors it does not beep the horn, won't disturb neighbors, but hit Lock twice within 5 seconds or so and it will beep-helpful if, like me, you sometimes forget exactly where you parked the car and need that beep for a homing signal. No beep at all when unlocking keeps anyone closer to the car than you are from knowing it's just unlocked and getting into it before you can.

jandd1

I leave my lights on 'Auto'. They shut off when then car is turn off.

They turn themselves on in darkenes, off in light(go to daytime running that is) and illuminate the interior lights at dusk or dawn.

I have the 5dr GT sport - are the auto lights not available in th US?

npaladin2000

Nope

sschaffer

Cars sold in Canada are required by law to have daytime running lights.

This is not required in the US. Some mfgs use the same headlight system in both countries and others don't, and some have auto-off lights but no daytime running lights.

Auto-off systems tend to drain the battery if the car is parked for extended periods (5 days to a couple of weeks) if left in the auto position.

Not to start the usual flamewar, but I hate daytime running lights and don't like to rely on automatic systems to turn off my lights. I much prefer manual switching combined with a chime that goes off if the ignition is turned off while the lights are on.

marcvill

I had this experience too. From what I can figure out that you need to physically open a door after you unlock so the car stays open. I can unlock my car some 50 yards from it. By the time I get there it's locked. Done this at home too. 10 seconds seems a little short. Mine is at least a minute. Nifty little security feature though.

marcvill

I am beginning that we are a bunch of whinners in here. The brake dust issue. How many of you have seen BMWs, Lexus's, MBs, Jags or any other car, luxury or not, with a huge amount of brake dust on the front wheels? Everybody. The only thing that makes us different it that our dust acummulates is in the back, which, in mine opinion, is kinda neat. You'll never miss a Mazda 3 in this regard. This problem is never going to go away unless they find a different non-toxic clear material to make brake pads out of or you put on dust covers. We should be counting out blessings that the rims that come on our 3s are extremely easy to clean and don't need a toothbrush to get to every nook and cranny. I had a 88 Camry which I dreaded cleaning because of the rims. Most BMW rims make me shudder if I had to clean them. So stop whinning and start cleaning.

oskwi

I knew just from reading your first sentence that you must be from Canada...then the flag confirmed it!

I live in WNY and we have four international bridges within a 15 mile radius of each other. Back in the late 80's/early 90's, it was easy to tell which cars were from Canada because they would have their lights on in the daytime. Now its more difficult since cars manufactured here have DRL too. It still boggles my mind that all car manufacturers don't offer DRL...at least as an option. There have been numerous studies over the years that the single biggest deterrent to accidents is the presence of DRL...drivers can see one another and avoid each other! ABS, traction control, etc help too.

alphaq301

I have a 3i automatic and my AC worked fine in high 80s/low 90s weather. The build date is late 6/04 since i got mine straight off the truck on first day of august. I think mazda has solved the problem on the new 3's being built, but are being slow implementing a tsb.

sschaffer

My 6/04 3S has coped well with 102 here in Fresno. So far it's on a par with the 98 Camry I had for a few years, much better than the 01 Sentra I traded for the MZ3. I've also driven Ford Focus's, Scion XBs and Tcs, Toyota Echoes, none of which had as good AC as my Mazda.

I am convinced that some kind of change has occurred in production vehicles as of 5 or 6 of 04. Typical time between production changes and tsb issuance on Toyota can be anywhere from 3 to 6 months, depending on the complexity of the fix.

One thing I've noticed is that the compressor seems to cut out when I floor the gas for freeway onramps, maybe for about 5 or 10 seconds, as the outlet air temp rises noticeably, but once I let up for cruise it cools right back down. Doesn't do this noticeably when I accelerate moderately onto the freeway or in most town driving.

I'm the squeak and rattle guru at the Toyota dealership service dept. where I work and am glad to report that in the 3 weeks I've owned the Mazda 3 I have not heard one single rattle, squeak, or buzz. I think that antenna mounted on the rear edge of the roof is maybe making a bit of wind noise but don't see how it could be avoided given it's location. It's not real bad and I can definitely live with it.

mdaffron

"One thing I've noticed is that the compressor seems to cut out when I floor the gas for freeway onramps, maybe for about 5 or 10 seconds, as the outlet air temp rises noticeably, but once I let up for cruise it cools right back down. Doesn't do this noticeably when I accelerate moderately onto the freeway or in most town driving."

It's supposed to do that. Most cars do under heavy acceleration to protect the compressor and provide as much power as possible, noting that by mashing the accelerator you apparently need to go, and immediately! My 2000 ES does it, and my 1992 LX did it too.

Meade

sschaffer

Yeah, I figured it was supposed to do that which was why I wasn't worried about it. I actually like it, as this car is a lot better merger than my '01 Nissan Sentra SE was. On the particular onramp I use most often, the MZ3 can hit 70 about 100 yards before the end of the ramp, while the Sentra could only manage 60 or so at the very end of the ramp.

My friend who always shuts off the compressor on her Altima when merging was amazed when we took my car and achieved a higher onramp speed than her Altima could muster without having to switch off the AC. I didn't tell her about Mazdas doing this on her own, just let her be jealous.

sleeekone

Does anyone with biuld date 04/04 have an AC problem? i for one do not.

dougpaw57

Yes, I have an April 2004 build and the air is the worst. On the other hand, most of the AC units on [non-permissible content removed] cars don't do very well. If you like cold AC, the old adage still applies, "Buy American." My Ford truck blows snow in less than five minutes even when it's over 100 degrees.

jandd1

I think it is a brilliant idea also - especially at dusk and dawn when we tend to forget to turn our lights on. They bother no one and could save lives - but then again some people don't wear seatbelts and many think that ABS is more dangerous because stopping takes longer.

I was not aware that auto lights use battery if the car is dorment for extended periods of time - thanks.

sschaffer

The automatic lights on most makes (I'm talking about automatic lights, not DRLs) do create a parasitic drain on the battery, just as the memory circuits for the clock, radio, engine ecu, seat position memory (if equipped) etc.

Parasitic draw (current used when car is parked with key off) can vary tremendously. I work on Toyota so will use them as examples. An Echo or Corolla will typically have a draw of from 15-20 milliamps, while a fully loaded Avalon may draw as much as 30-40 milliamps. Some Lexus models draw as much as 70 milliamps--needless to say they come with really big batteries.

Toyota recommends turning the switch to the full off position if the car is not going to be driven for several days.

If you're going to leave the car unused for a week or more, but less than 2 weeks or so, it's a good idea to just disconnect the negative battery terminal. If it's going to be longer than a couple of weeks a good automatic trickle charger should be used to keep the batter up.

Car batterys can't tolerate too many total discharges and recharges, so it's best to avoid letting them run down even if you are good with jumper cables.

jts

I just took delivery on Monday of an 04/04. Too soon to comment much on the AC as it's not warm enough, but it does seem to cycle on and off a lot! Otherwise the family loves it after 1000Kms.Will advise when it warms up in the next week or so.

perrito

Folks, I don't know if this will help any or everyone having A/C issues on the 3, but I have resorted to doing "fresh" air circulation when first entering the M3 and it's hot, then switch it over to recirculating air after about 2 minutes and gets a lot colder...quickly. Best of luck!

rinebird

Ihave tried that ,but it is a good suggestion.Althought my AC has no TSB my brakes and painthave.So that there tells me when my car was made there are too many errors.

rinebird

I have the AC problem with no TSB. My car's VIN has a TSB for the paint and the brakes.
I have had the paint and the rear brakes fixed.
I had to complain of course (not knowing about the TSB). I was told my brakes were fine .I went back after I noticed grooves in the rear rotors. I mentioned I had been on the NTSB site in regarsd to complaints then sudeely had a rental rather then sit another 4 hours and the rotors and pads were replaced.

Here is my point: If the brakes and the paint have a TSB. MY AC is poor with no TSB.( there is an AC belt TSB) so who ever built my car 3/04 made a few errors already.It si far to common for those of us with cars built before 5/04 with AC problem.

runin

How would you know if your car has a TSB on it and what would be the course of action if it did?

neomonkey

I might be shooting a dead horse here but I am noticing a pattern (I know the sky is blue) on the problems board.

There are fewer and fewer problems reported currently as ppl have purchased the mewer build dates of the Mazda3 as compare to back in april or March, etc.

Hopefully my 2005 will have the minor issues ironed out.

sschaffer

If my car is any indication I think you're right.

Mine was purchased on 7-31, is a 6-04 build date, now has almost 1k miles on it. I have not had a single problem with it, not one, not even a tiny little inconsequential squeak, rattle or buzz anywhere on any road surface. The brakes don't squeak or moan or make grindy noises of any kind, the AC works fine, all is good.

Of the 9 brand new cars I've bought in my lifetime this is one of only 2 on which absolutely nothing, not even a rattle, has gone wrong in the first month of ownership.

waygrabow

My Mazda3 has a build date of 10/03; it now has 11,000 miles; and I have experienced only one real problem. The A/C is a faint puff of cool air. I can run the A/C at its max. setting for hours on a day in the low 80's and still not worry about getting too cool. If the weather is really hot. I just drive with the windows open because the A/C is less effective than a breeze of outside air.

We really love the car otherwise. My dealer acts unaware of any A/C problem with the early build dates. I'll have to press the issue to acknowledge the problem before my full warranty expires.

z71bill

I am also a 10/03 - sounds like we have the exact same problem.

I just don't understand - if Mazda made a change to fix the AC on cars built after 5/04 why not offer it to the owners that stepped up and bought the car when it was just introduced? It can't be that big of a change.

My brake grinding noise is starting to get loud again - I am due for an oil change in 3 weeks - think I will have the dealer take a look.

redpr5

The build date on our 3 hatch is 11/03. Our A/C generally works great, but on occasion it would not be sufficient. Lately it has been fine.

However, we have 5,600 miles on the car and on making a hard left turn to go around a circle, we have started hearing a popping noise coming from the passenger front tire. It did not do it every time at first, but is now beginning to happen every time when we test it.

What really aggravating is the time we took it in to the dealer, it would not make the sound. Even when I got back to the dealer, I couldn't get it to make the noise.

Other than that we really like the car. It has the feel of a more larger car. It doesn't handle quite like my 2002 Protege5, but since it is my wife's car, it does great.

runin

My build date is 11/03 and I have had no problems with my car at all. Brakes are fine and the AC seems to work well. I am in NC and it has been hot and humid. I do the fresh air, window down trick for a minute and then go to recirc with windows up and it gets cold enough that my girlfriend always asks to turn it down to 1 and I'm still very comfortable. Of course my 1994 Golf was absolutely ice cold (colder than the 3), but the AC in my car is good enough for me here in NC during the summer.

eaglewings

Interestingly enough, there is a brake pad made by EBC ("Green Stuff") which does not use metallic base, instead using kevlar material which does not produce anywhere as much brake dust. However, I don't believe any is made for the MZ3. My MINI Cooper uses the EBC Green Stuff brake pad.

As for the hatch opening when the battery is dead, it would be nice if Mazda designed a mechanical release from the inside of the car, just as the Acura TSX has for their sedan. It's located just behind the rear seat, near the parcel shelf. The newer MINI models also have release pull strap under the rear seat to open the hatch in case of emergency. The MINI, like the MZ3 does not have a keyhole for the hatch door.

mafya

Hi

I am a first time car owner and infact a proud one. I bought a black Mazda 3s with A/T, ABS, leather seats, sports package, 6 CD changer w/moon-roof, xenon lights and rear wing spoiler.

I used drive a rental car before (an Oldsmobile Alero) and I have noticed that I feel the road more in my Mazda 3. Is it because of the sports package. Do other owners too feel the road as much.

Am sorry if the question is too dumb or has been asked before.

Thanks
mafya

npaladin2000

Well, I certainly feel the road more, and I'm also coming from a GM product. In my case it was a Chevy Corsica. I think it's just the fact that GM bought WAY too much stock in that "riding on a cushion of air" bit. When I took my Mazda in for an oil change/CEL, I was in a rented Malibu Classic (Corsica the sequel) and was wondering to myself "Where the heck did the road go? How am I supposed to drive this thing?"

sschaffer

As a general rule, the more you feel the road the faster a car can safely be driven around a corner and the more responsive it will be when you turn the steering wheel. The softer the ride, the more the car will tend wallow on corners, and the less responsive it will be to steering inputs.

Some people prefer an ultra soft ride and don't car about sporty handling--that's why there are Buick LeSabres and Toyota Avalons.

Others prefer a more controllable car, with sharp responses to steering inputs and the ability to go around curves faster without the car wallowing or losing control. The Mazda 3 is meant to appeal to these people, as are BMWs, Audis, etc.

The Oldsmobile Alero is meant to be biased more toward the soft ride side of the equation than the Mazda 3. It's handling is less responsive, and the car does not feel as secure at high speeds going around curves.

A more sophisticated suspension system (more expensive to build) can allow a better ride with the same handling qualities as a less sophisticated suspension with a harsher ride.

My previous car was an 01 Nissan Sentra SE, with optional sport package. This car had a relatively simple twist-beam rear suspension, handled decently but rode very roughly.

The Mazda 3 has a more sophisticated fully independent rear suspension and thus can ride a bit less stiffly than the Sentra and still corner better.

My Mazda has the 50 series 17" tires vs 55 series 16 inchers on the Nissan and still rides noticeably better.

widow1

Just bought a 5 speed 3i sedan with a build date of 6/16. Have a few questions and would appreciate some input from owners and the technically knowledgeable. First, I have the power package with the 16" wheel and 205/55 Toyo AOS tires. Will the car get the 35 EPA highway mpg on the window sticker with the wider 16" tire or is this only possible with the 15" 195/65 tires that come on the 3i w/o the power package ? The Toyo original equipment tires ... what performance category do they rate in ? Is this one of Toyo's cheaper tires ? What kind of mileage can I expect from them ? Anyone care to suggest a tire upgrade ? Secondly, I've noticed brake dust on the rear wheels. From the posts this seems to be a common problem. Any solutions or is this something 3 owners have to live with ? Did the old Protege have this problem ? Never saw any brake dust on the Corolla S I traded for it or on my other car, a 2004 Civic EX sedan. And here I thought brake dust was only a Ford Focus problem. But then Ford owns Mazda, now doesn't it. Third, did Mazda address the AC problems on 3s like mine built later in the model year or am I going to have to open my windows on hot days too ? Finally, I did have a driver's door rattle which the Mazda tech treated by putting in a anti-rattle foam pad as a shimmy-like device. Seems to have solved the problem. Anyone have a similar problem ?

backy

The 3i 5-speed that CR tested in their August issue had the power/alloys package with the Toyo tires. They averaged 33 mpg, with 24 in the city and 42 on the highway. So there is hope for you to get 35 mpg on the highway.

ifa

This may be an over-simplified potential solution, but have you checked the tires for debris? (i.e. a chunk of rock or security glass in the treads) This can sometimes create a noise as the one you are describing.

widow1

Thanks, Backy. I'll check out that August issue of CR. That's a hopeful note that they did the mpg test with the 16" wheel and wider tire. My initial impression with my first tank of gas in exclusively highway driving between 55-65 mph was that I was getting around 30-32 mpg. Maybe after the break-in period of engine and tire the numbers will get better ? Is the Toyo O.E. tire (I know little of Toyo tires ... Bridgestone, Michelin, Dunlop I know) one with low rolling resistance and selected by Mazda for this reason ? I hope the Mazda 3 is not like the Ford Focus where gas mileage can vary considerably from unit to unit. This is my first foray out beyond a Civic and a Corolla and I have my fingers crossed. I bought late in the model year, hoping any first year glitches in early production models might be corrected by later in the model year. Of the common complaints in the posts, I do have rear wheel brake dust. Have not yet used the AC in really hot weather to test its efficiency.

z71bill

The diameter of the tire for all three tire/wheel combos is almost the same.

15" is 24.98 inches in diameter, 16 is 24.88, 17 is 25.07.

These are so close that you will notice any difference in MPG no matter which one is on your car.

kyfdx

Wider, lower profile rims/tires are often heavier than the smaller sizes... Most of the extra weight comes from the extra width.. Usually, bigger tires/rims tend to hurt off-the-line acceleration slightly, while increasing grip.. MPG will be affected also.. unsprung weight is not your friend.

regards,
kyfdx

jrct9454

...the wider, lower profile sizes have more drag associated with them. The wider contact patch is what is mostly responsible for any fuel consumption penalty - more friction and more drag due to more rubber actually making contact with the road.

This is why most Hybrids use relatively tall, skinny sizes - a smaller contact patch means less fuel used.

Just a classic tradeoff - and in any case we are talking about fractions of % in terms of total effects on fuel consumption.

kyfdx

All true... and since all the wheels are factory, they likely aren't extremely heavy.. You just can't believe what some after-market wheels weigh! Even high dollar well-respected brands... You can turn a small engine car into a slug with some of those wheels.

z71bill

I still think the difference between the tire / wheel sizes & the impact on MPG will be so small it will not be noticed. If you end up getting 25.975 or 26.025 who cares?

I put 285 75 16's on my 4x4 PU truck - it came stock with 265 75 16's. I never put the two different tires on a scale - but know from lifting them that there is a big difference in weight. My MPG never changed. Although I will agree that a small 4 banger may be more sensitive to weight change.

If someone is that concerned about MPG then they really should be looking at a hybrid. The 48 MPG for the Honda Civic would be almost 3 times the 16.5 I got on my last tank - mostly city with weak AC running full blast. Although I doubt that the 93 HP Honda would be as fun to drive as the 160 HP Mazda3.

murray53

I can think of some good reasons for this (besides cost, which should not be a problem for BMW). It is a good way to prevent someone from entering the car by jimmying the lock on that side. It is easier for someone to break in on that side (most of the time) since that is the side which is usually not in view of passing cars. My mother's Toyota Cressida was broken into several times in this way by vandals. With the keyless entry on most new cars it is not really necessary anyway. It makes more sense to just have a cylinder on the driver's side since someone has to get in on that side to drive the car.

sschaffer

Makes perfect sense to me, keyless entry makes the right side door lock cylinders sorta unnecessary. You only need the one just in case the remote is lost or the battery goes dead.

But from what I've seen, most jimmying of doors doesn't involve the lock cylinder.

I work in a car dealer service dept. From time to time a customer will leave a car and not the keyless remote. The car may be 3 years old and never had the doors unlocked with the keys so the lubricant in the lock cylinders gets stiff and the door cylinders don't work and we can't unlock the car. Having 2 doors to try gives us a better chance of not having to break out the slimjim, lol.

So everybody out there with keyless--be sure to use the key in the door once in a while to keep it operational!!

rinebird

TSB: I found a note on this board about a TSB web site.You have to have complained about a problem in order that the dealers's service department will let you know about the TSB.in my case I had complained, about brake noise.The service department told me the brakes were fine.I saw the TSB and I went back( grooves in the rotors) so in my case they did not let me know about the tSB even though I reported a brake problem.I had the paint problem( glue marks from the wrap) that had a TSB. In my case I reported it to the dealer.The dealer doesn't have to let you know ulness you complain of a problem( in regards to any TSB)

modestmouse

"Makes perfect sense to me, keyless entry makes the right side door lock cylinders sorta unnecessary"

I'm really concerned about people depending on all these neat little technical "innovations" on cars. Of course I'm annoyed that my 94' achieva doesn't have locks on the back door. I have to open the front door just to unlock the back, thus opening two doors when I only wanted to open one. Now I've done twice the work. Doesn't sound that convienent to me.

Lets just let the car think for us, make political decisions, heck lets let it make our schedule for the day, or even decide when or where 'it' thinks we need to unlock our trunk.

Why make everything automatic, remote, "intelligent". Forget manual thats a thing of the PAST, just like analog. *sigh.

Sarcasm aside a manual lock on all doors is necessary if you ask me. Why take my decision away wether to use my keyless or my key. Thats ridiculous IMO. Why must everything be streamlined to the point where its 'assumed' that you don't need a manual lock on your passenger door.

Why not concentrate on something useful like making engines more efficient. Seriously people a four cyl. only getting above 20-30 hwy/city? This is the 21st century, cars are supposed to fly by now. *wink

"Lets party like its nineteen ninety-nine."
MM

z71bill

I was walking through a parking lot on the way to my car a few years ago - a lady ask if I could help her - she was locked out of her car - the battery in her remote was dead.

I took her key - walked over and manually unlocked the door - I really think she did not even know that the key hole in the door was a key hole.

dougpaw57

I guess it must be cooling off everywhere, there are no more complaints about the lousy air conditioning. My dealer said there was an updated part, he said it was a "diffuser"? Beats me. The part is on backorder, but I hope it gets here soon so I can see if it makes a difference. It's still plenty hot enough in the desert north of Los Angeles to tell if it makes a difference. I guess another e-mail to Mazda is warranted, just to let them know they're still on the hook for a fix to this issue. Everybody else with the problem, enjoy the winter and hope they have a fix by April 2005.

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gambit293

Wow, bill, that really happened to you?

I've seen that story (or similar stories) circulated by e-mail, but always assumed that they, like most stuff on the Internet, were fabricated urban legends.

I guess you can never underestimate some people!

ramon1

There are three reasons (actually one reason with three names) you will not see both manual and automatic fetaures on some cars: cost, margin, and profit.

The auto industry has a tremendous amount of excess production capacity, and margins, especially on small cars, tend to be quite thin. Every dollar counts. On high-volume cars the impact of eliminating parts and the labor required to install them can be significant.

harddrivet

That sounds great, let us know if the new diffuser solves the weak AC, or not. It could be worse though, I just read that Top of the Line Acura is re-calling over 150K cars due to flaky light's, that has gotta stink paying 40K for an Acura and have no lights, go figure.