Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

audia8q

Mazda issued a TSB yesterday for those of you who have A/C problems...Bulletin no 07-005/04

The cause may be due to uneven airflow across the evaporator core creating inefficient cooling. They will install a top and bottom diffulser plate..

everfeb

Thanks audia8q. Good news for many on this forum!!! Hope it works!!! Do TSB's apply to Canada as well as the U.S.??

everfeb

everfeb

Would this A/C "fix" do anything to improve my very poor floor heat in very cold weather. Any opinions?

everfeb

audia8q

I don't know if this TSB applies to Canadian MZ3's...check with your dealer

jaa37

Thanks audi, but I can't seem to find any mention of the TSB anywhere on the Web. Where can I take a look at it? Also, if I get a mazda3 with a build date after may or june, should I not worry about this problem? Seems like from what people are saying that the newer models don't have an AC issue...

dougpaw57

I just received this from Mazda, according to this, they are still looking into options for this solution.

Hi Douglas!

Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.

In regards to your inquiry, I have not heard of any updated information
on a fix for the air condition system for the MAZDA3. I understand we
are still testing out different solutions for it. As soon as a
resolution becomes available, we'll be sure to contact our
dealerships.

We appreciate your patience during this process. Please let me know if
you have any questions.

Have a great day!

Please take a moment to give us your opinion about our e-mail service.
Click or paste the link below to complete a brief, online survey.

http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2F699VSGP

Regards,

Charlie Kim
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business

audia8q

Check with your dealer...

Also, this is not build date specific or vin specific.

dougpaw57

Have looked everywhere on the web for AC TSB. I could not find anything on the entire site. Can you post a link?

sschaffer

Even though the tsb isn't build-date or VIN specific, I'd hate to take mine in only to discover it's already been done at the factory--mine's a June 04 production date and seems to work much better than what some early production owners are describing, certainly better than some other cars I've owned that I know for a fact had nothing wrong with their AC systems.
Since this involves removing and replacing the AC/heater housing (major surgery on most cars) which in turn would involve draining the engine coolant and emptying the r-134 from the refrigerant system as well as major dash disassembly I'm going to wait for more info as to whether mine might have had this solution applied at the factory.

There's a possibility that the housing was redesigned somewhere along the line and the tsb had to wait for retrofit parts to be designed and produced for pre-redesign housings.

sschaffer

"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"

I beleive it, have had similar things happen on numerous occasions.

Customers come in complaining of no dashlights, very angry until we turn up the dimmer knob for them--usually turned all the way down by some carwash guy cleaning the interior.

Toyotas have a nifty feature that disables the unlock side of the power window switches if you lock the car as you exit or with the remote--keeps coathanger weilding types from hitting the switch and unlocking the car.

Typical scenario--couple is driving along and driver decides to stop at 7-11 for a soda, gets out, locking door as he exits, leaving wifey inside car. She gets impatient and decides to go in after hubby, hits power switch to unlock car, switch doesn't work due to anti-theft feature described above. She panics as she now can't get out of the car!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course she never even tries the regular manual unlock button on the door handle.

npaladin2000

"Mazda issued a TSB yesterday for those of you who have A/C problems...Bulletin no 07-005/04

The cause may be due to uneven airflow across the evaporator core creating inefficient cooling. They will install a top and bottom diffulser plate.."

They mention anything about a range of VINs? Or at least dates?

dougpaw57

Come on folks, how about a link to the TSB site. Can't find it.

z71bill

I am due for an oil change within the next 2 weeks - I wonder if parts are available?

My fan motor stopped working yesterday - like a fuse was blown - then it just started working again on its own. Made a clicking sound like something was hitting the fan blades or maybe a fan motor bearing was going out. Only makes the noise on speed 1 & 2 - but maybe the noise from fan covered up the clicking when at the higher speed.

I am interested to see if this fixes the problem - it sure would be nice to have an AC system again. I am still deeply disappointed with Mazda customer service -

audia8q

unless your a mazda dealer I can not provide the link...I got it directly from mazda.

dougpaw57

The people at my dealership are either incompetent or liars. They say there is no TSB for air conditioning problems. I thought TSBs were supposed to be publicly posted on the NHTSA web site once they become official? Oh well, I guess I have wait. At least I'll never make the mistake of buying a Mazda again. Like they say, live and learn!

audia8q

why blame mazda for your dealers ineptness? did you ever think about using a better quality dealer?

dougpaw57

I would think about it if there was another dealer within 75 miles. The fact that Mazda corporation doesn't communicate with the dealer, is something that the dealer should raise hell about. No one entity is completely innocent in the dealer/manufacturer circle.

cdnp5

If I listened to every person that said that I don't know of many if any cars I would be able to buy. Just because a dealer doesn't know anything, go to one that does know their business. This is no different than any other product. Do your research. I had to change dealers for my servicing because I did not like the service from the dealer I bought my car from. There are people that will work for your money.

mazda6s

If I were you I would call Mazda Customer Service at 1-800-639-1000 and complain (politely of course) that my local Mazda dealer doesn't seem to know what's going on.

audia8q

you say..."The fact that Mazda corporation doesn't communicate with the dealer, is something that the dealer should raise hell about..."

Well the fact is they did communicate this to the dealers, how do you think I found out? maybe your dealer does not read his email.

if the zip code on your profile is accurate, there are 2 other mazda dealers closer than the 75 miles you mentioned....Give them a call and see if they can do the work for you.

sschaffer

"Well the fact is they did communicate this to the dealers, how do you think I found out? maybe your dealer does not read his email."

I don't know for sure how Mazda does this, I'll assume it's the same as Toyota (and Nissan).

Toyota has a dedicated website called TIS (Toyota Information System) on which all TSBs, Recalls, various service manuals and electrical wiring diagrams in pdf form, etc. are available. We have to go to the website and search to find new TSBs, they aren't highlighted on the homepage.

We have 2 pcs in the shop area dedicated to this system with printers so we can print out the tsbs or whatever for reference. The service advisors don't access this system and usually don't know what tsbs have been issued. It's up to us techs to check for tsbs whenever a car comes in with a specific problem.

We also have a technical assistance 800 number hotline which puts us in contact with a staff of engineers at Toyota HQ in Torrance. These guys can often come up with stuff even before a tsb is issued, and have a database of different solutions to different problems as discovered by dealership techs.

So if you called the dealership service dept. you talked to a clueless and/or lazy service writer who had no knowledge of current tsbs, probably doesn't know how to access Mazda's system, and didn't want to be bothered asking a tech to look it up on the system.

Since you have the number of the tsb as provided by adia8q, you could just go down there and ask them to look up tsb number 07-005/04 and see for themselves that it does exist and that it refers to a remedy for poor AC performance.

In my experience with Toyota and Isuzu (we sold them from 96 thru about 01) the factorys do everything they can to get this kind of information out, it's up to the dealerships to take advantage of the help the factories provide.

Too many dealerships don't want to bother to learn the new technology involved in getting tsb information, the service advisors learn the bare minimum to be able to write up a repair order and many techs are highly resistant to having to learn enough about operating a pc to be proficient at looking up tsbs and such.

I was resistant at first but after playing with the system for a while I really got to where I would not want to have to go back to looking everything up in binders full of printed tsbs, often with some pages missing etc. We can even download Engine Module software updates from the TIS system into the scantool and in turn update the software in the car's ecm.

z71bill

I called the Mazda 800 number yesterday to ask them about the AC TSB. They knew nothing about it.

I also sent an E-mail to Mazda customer service -
I got a reply today that said the TSB has been issues and if my dealer determines I have the problem I can get my car fixed.

I tried to call my dealership - the person I normally work with was out for the day - I will find out Monday if they know about it.

audia8q

In all of our dealerships, each tech has their own computer at their toolbox with full access to all of our mfg service websites...They have all TSB, recall and online shop manuals at their fingertips anytime day or night....I don't know why some dealerships dont make things easier for the techs to get the information they need.

mazda6s

Sounds like some of the people that work the 800 number are not too well informed.

Maybe Mazda is out-sourcing the work to some third world country to save money.

murray53

I guess a couple of drops of graphite on the key wouldn't hurt either.

z71bill

I took my Mazda3 to the dealer with the AC TSB number in hand.

They ran several tests of the AC system - per Mazda requirements - and said the car does have "the problem". This is the first time in the more then 6 months I have been dealing with this disaster that Mazda / dealership has called this a problem.

They have the parts on order - it should be 2-3 days before they come in. The service tech said the allowable labor for making the repair - ONE hour!

sschaffer

Glad to hear something is finally going to happen for you. Hope it works out.

btw, my experience with factory allowable labor times is that it usually takes twice as long or more than what the factory will pay on stuff like this. I'd plan on leaving the car most of the day if I were you.

cdnp5

I'm curious.... did you ask them what was so different this time? Why is it now a problem? Its funny how after a TSB is issued your car now has the problem but didn't before, even though it still works (or not in this case) the same.

z71bill

I thought about asking this question - but decided it would not do me any good to kick the service writer. I understand his hands were tied - it is Mazda corporate that was the problem.

npgmbr

Must say that im very happy to hear that the 3s A/C issue has been addressed. It really makes my decision to buy a 3 much easier. Im actually, waiting for the Chevy HHR to come out but im really itching to get a 3.

I understand z71bill's frustration but I can understand why it has taken so long for Mazda to find a solution. When it comes to stuff like this you can't just just throw a bandage on it and wait for it to heal. But better communication to customers might have made a huge difference in the eyes of customers as to how Mazda was reacting to their concerns.

dougpaw57

I thought I had it bad with lousy AC in my 2004 Mazda 3. A guy I work with has a 2003 Mazda 6 and the check engine light problem has gotten so bad that Mazda is negotiating with him to buy the car back. Not voluntarily, I'm sure. Lemon laws do work.

wiffle

Just curious on what mpg you're getting on whichever engine you have. I think the stick 2.0 is adequate but the 2.3 has to be more fun.

I drive about 35k per year. Is there a substantial mpg difference? Should I care?

z71bill

I hope that the AC fix solves the problem - but I am not planning on celebrating until I feel the ice cold air coming out of the vents of MY car.

I wish I could find out if Mazda made this change to the cars they are building now - or if they made some other change to really fix the problem and the TSB is just a way to get a little bit more cool air from a defective system. What seems strange is - if this change has been added to all cars produced after 04/2004 (for example) then why doesn't the TSB indicate a range of VIN numbers that are affected? That is normally how it would be handled if a change has been made to really correct the problem.

I would not be surprised to find out that Mazda is not REALLY fixing the problem in my car - but has instead come up with a cheap band-aid fix.

Only time will tell.

rainman

I hope the AC fix works. I would appreciate it if anyone who has it done posts their results ASAP. I have a 2.3 litre built 05/2004. The air conditioning doesn't come close to cooling the car to a comfortable temperature even running constantly on recirculate. The car is always hot. We have had weather in the 40's and I still haven't had to turn the temperature setting up from the coolest setting yet. I was out with my girlfriend Saturday. The temperature was about 60 and the sky cloudy. I had to use the air conditioning to make the car comfortable. On a recent 70 degree sunny day I couldn't get the interior temperature below 80 with the air conditioning on recirculate and the fan on 3 during a half hour drive. This is ridiculous. If Mazda fails to step up to the problem I will trade the car in early and move forever to a different brand.

livingstone1

I have 2004 Mazda3 hatchback: standard transmission, NO remote starter, standard basic 5 door factory configuration. Twice in the last 6 days I was not able to put the key into the ignition. Not even the tip of the key would go in. It felt like something was physically obstructing the key at the very "entrance".

First time I had this problem Mazda Roadside Assistance sent locksmith who poked around and got the key to go in.

The second time I had this problem Mazda Roadside Assistance sent the tow truck but towing guy was able to get the key in. He first disconnected my cell phone charger (from the "cigarette lighter" outlet). I was stunned as I was not able to get the key in to save my life minutes before he arrived. At a time I made no connection between the cell phone charger and my key problem. However:

I drove myself to a Mazda dealer who refused to take a look at the car because they could not reproduce the problem: the key was getting into the ignition without a problem! Mazda customer service confirmed that Dealer should not examine the problem because they can't reproduce it !!! A brand new car! Key won't get into the ignition and Mazda refuses to take a look at it! Shame on you Mazda. This is not how you treat III time Mazda owner !!!

I started chatting with the guy at the dealership and he told me that problem is most likely with the cell phone charger short circuiting something. According to him Mazda apparently changed their computers in 1996 so that cigarette lighter in a Mazda is no longer a standard DC power supply for accessories (how Inconvenient) - it is only cigarette lighter instead. I immediately checked the user manual for my 04 Mazda3 - 5door and sure enough it says to use the lighter outlet exclusively as cigarette lighter (they say don't use accessories like shavers and coffee makers - no mention of cell phone chargers though). The guy at the dealership also said they he had a lot of problems like this with Mazda 6s and Millennias but this was the first time he saw one with Mazda3.

So I have couple of questions for you fellow Mazda3 owners:

1) Has anyone else had this problem that key would not go into the ignition?

2) How related to cell phone charger the key/ignition issue might be? It felt more of a mechanical problem in the ignition to me since the tip of the key would not go into the ignition.

3) How far into the ignition does the key have to be pushed for any electrical circuit to be established (I guess I am trying to understand how this could be an electrical problem when it felt more like a mechanical one)?

3) Am I right to be annoyed with the fact that Mazda refused to take a look at the problem after 2 instances of the problem in 6 days. My thinking is that just because the problem is intermittent does not mean that I am supposed to live with it - for crying out loud this is a brand new car and I SHOULD be able to put my key into the ignition without problems. While I don't care for brewing coffee in my Mazda 3 or shaving my legs or any other part of my body, I expect to be able to put the key into the ignition and start the engine !!! Hello!!! DOH!

4) I am starting to think that I'll never buy a car made by a manufacturer owned by Ford, even if it is 1% ownership. This is our III Mazda and while Mazda 3 is a great little car and I love it to death, Mazda service and support seems to be on a steep curve down. I doubt we'll ever be IV time Mazda owners. We'll see.

Thanks for any input and happy ZoomZoom-ing.

Disturbed and disappointed Mazda owner.

sschaffer

the lighter socket gets no current with the key off on mine--so there's no way the inability to get even the tip of the key into the ignition can be related to having a cell charger plugged into the lighter socket even if there were some kind of electrical device designed to block the ignition cylinder, which I highly doubt.

Assuming you're using one of the original keys and not a copy, and the key is undamaged, it sounds like a mechanical problem with the ignition lock cylinder. Might be cured by spraying a bit of graphite into the cylinder, or WD-40, which is more of a cleaner than a lubricant.

the reason they advise against using anything but a lighter in that socket is because the socket is not designed with smooth barrel sides but rather has some protrusions to clip onto the little groove around the end of the lighter. The ground elements on the sides of most cell chargers or other devices can get caught on these protrusions if you don't insert it just right and when you pull out the plug the socket can be damaged or come out of the dash. Most cell phone installers can put in a dedicated accessory power outlet of the correct type to accomodate your cellphone charger.

akarli

I'm deciding rather to buy a GS or a GT Mazda 3 sport. I really like the outlook of the Mazda3 Sport and I know if I get GS I will loose few functions and the SPOILER. I could get GT, but the only problem is the 17 inch wheel. The dealer told me that the 17 inch wheel is not safe to drive. Has anyone found any problem during the Winter with the 17 inch wheel? Are there anything I can do to solve it? Should I just get GS and add the spoiler? Yet, I also heard adding a spoiler will make the car rust faster. I really don't know what to do! I really want the GT, but I don't know if I can take the risk of crashing the car becouse of the wheel. I can still live with a GS, (without the spoiler) but I know i will always ask myself why i didn't take the chance. Please, I need help!!

Akarli

qddave

You said, "3) Am I right to be annoyed with the fact that Mazda refused to take a look at the problem after 2 instances of the problem in 6 days. My thinking is that just because the problem is intermittent does not mean that I am supposed to live with it - for crying out loud this is a brand new car and I SHOULD be able to put my key into the ignition without problems. While I don't care for brewing coffee in my Mazda 3 or shaving my legs or any other part of my body, I expect to be able to put the key into the ignition and start the engine !!! Hello!!! DOH!"

This is a very touchy subject IMO. You need to first define what you mean by "look at". They tried to reproduce the issue, with no success. What did you expect them to do, start tearing your instrument panel apart, trying to hunt for a possible short circuit? The best thing for you to do is, next time it happens, record everything that is happening around you, temperature, humidity, time of day, time since you last drove the car or had the key in the ignition, if you have anything plugged in to the cigarette lighter, etc. Take it to the dealer and they may be able to diagnose the problem. Dealer service is by no means a miracle worker.

peterdh2000

we have 3s hatch, on a couple of occasions right before 5k oil change, the very tip of the key would hang up coming _out_ of the ignition, making it impossible to remove the key. seemed to make a difference which side of the key was up going into the ignition. after about 15 seconds of monkeying around, it came out. subsequently, it hung up a bit maybe 3-4 times, but not as bad.

mentioned it at oil change, tech was able to confirm a bit of resistance, he put the key on the "key wheel" and brushed it down. hasn't seemed to hang up since then. you might try taking the key to the hardware store and having them brush it down.

if you are stranded again, don't screw around. call roadside assistance and tell them to tow the car to the dealer. then the dealer gets the car with the jammed ignition. keep the receipts of the tow, then you have evidence of a safety problem which will help with your case if you have to lemon the car.

as far as the lighter, the worst thing you can do is blow the fuse out. i doubt it would have any effect on the ignition. mazda probably recommends only their lighter b/c they can't control the silly, cheap vacuums and glo-in-the-dark nose hair trimmers people will jam into the plug, and don't want to pay warranty claims to replace fuses. just be gentle pulling in and out and you will be fine. if you jam in and out you can pull the whole assembly loose, happened in my friend's CR-V. it still works, but it's ugly.

if you don't like your dealer, go to another one. mazda corporate provides the loaner cars, so you can have warranty repair work done at any dealer and get a loaner free. dont let them tell you otherwise. just make an appointment to reserve a loaner.

keep your spirits up. you could have a reliable accord with a tranny that locks up at 50mph, a maxima with an exploding sunroof, or a VW/Audi on its 10th ignition coil on four cylinders.

roger341

Next time it happens try moving the steering wheel just a small amount in either direction, then while holding it so it doesn't turn back in the original position, try reinserting the key.

Another thought- are both of your keys on the same ring? Try using just one key that is not attached to anything else, not even a key ring. Wipe the key a few times with a cloth before inserting.

I don't think it's your lock cylinder.

fuzzboxer

Yea, that's what I was thinking.

fuzzboxer

I just noticed that there is a key release for the manual transmissions. Could that have anything to do with it not inserting or removing correctly?

ronfc

i saw on the tv that there is a recall on 2004
mazda 3s does anyone know anything about it.
i think it is in canada only ?

fuzzboxer

Check it out here: http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=19&sid=122555

It has to do with the air bag housing which cracks and allow water to seep in. From what the dealer told me, it is only on early production models. They'll know the full list of VINs by the end of October.

peterdh2000

Wondered about the key release when mine got stuck, but monkeying around with it didn't seem to help the key come out. But...it would be a potential culprit.

Hey livingstone1, do you have a manual trans?

thunderbird

I am wondering, not at a specific model, but with Mazda dealer service in general, how do you rate being satisfied with how you are dealt with? Are the cars fixed right? Dealership attitudes? If you need to leave the car for repairs(warranty) does Mazda supply a loaner for you? Thanks, answers will help me decide whether to buy or not.

z71bill

Like most brands you will find good - bad and ugly Mazda dealerships. The main problem with Mazda is the HORRIBLE TREATMENT that you get from Mazda customer service - or Mazda corporate if you ever have a problem. I have purchased more than a dozen new cars in my life - many different brands - I have never been treated worse. When my AC would not work customer service told me to go to the states attorney general and file a complaint - they could not have cared less if I had a problem. Mazda is not part of the BBB program - so if you get a lemon - you need to get an attorney and file a law suite to get anything done. IMO that is almost never a good way to solve a problem. When I ask customer service if they would E-mail or call me if / when they found a solution to my AC problem (they claimed to know about the "concern" and were working on a solution) they said no way we don't do that - they gave me a government web address that lists recalls and told me to check it every few weeks - if they ever did develop a solution to the problem it would be posted on this site. When I sent additional E-mails to customer service they told me to stop sending e-mails to customer service - that they would no longer respond.

I have made 9 trips to the dealer to fix grinding brakes, poor AC performance, CEL problems. So far the only thing that has been fixed is the CEL.

I will never buy another Mazda product - I expect a company to stand behind their product -Mazda does not - once they get your money you are on your own.

audia8q

you said "I expect a company to stand behind their product -Mazda does not - once they get your money you are on your own"

Mazda has developed a fix for your problem, did youhave it done? Your statement leads us to believe it didnt work.

z71bill

I had the so called AC TSB done.

On a scale of 1-10 before the AC repair I would rate the AC performance a ZERO.

After the fix I can see little or no change. I still need to run the AC at Max cooling even on 80 degree days - the car still does not EVER really cool off. Have not had any 95 degree days yet - that will be the final test - but I just can not see how this fix is a true solution to this defect.

Considering all the posts about how Mazda was taking so long (IMO 8 months is a long time) to come up with a fix - because they wanted to make sure to get it done right - was a joke.

Some people even posted that Mazda would need to do additional crash tests - or EPA performance tests before they could make a change. The repair - putting a plastic diffuser on the AC evaporator - what a great solution.

I am still wondering what Mazda did to fix the AC defect on the cars that they are producing today - I would bet that it is more than installing a diffuser - but the cheap - could not care less about customer service folks at Mazda would rather save the few extra $ it would take to really fix my car.

But really - even if they do - some day - fix my defective AC that does not wipe away the stain of the way I was treated.

murray53

Sorry to hear of your problems. Service and support is one reason why I bought a Honda Accord after looking at the Mazda 3 and reading the posts complaining of bad A/C, poor MPG, poor dealer and corporate support, and extended waits for parts. Even though I can't go two blocks down the street without seeing another car like mine I think that the saying that there is safety in numbers sometimes applies to cars too. Now if we could get something that handles like a Mazda with Honda or Toyota reliability we would have a truly great car.