Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

looking2buy

Hi,

I am considering buying a Mazda 3S automatic. I have read that the A/C is not all that cold. I took it for a test drive but I live in Chicago and it's in the 50's here so it was hard to tell. I would be getting a 2005. If it isn't is there any installation or change I could make to make it colder? A different compressor or fan etc?

Thanks much!

aric214

Thanks for the response, z71bill. I might decide to bring it to the dealer just to have them look at it since it's still under warranty and then see from there. After driving a few other cars recently, I have noticed how horrible the brakes are with the Mz3. *sigh*

kmh2468

I can't say if the paint chips anymore easily but the 3M product is a film that is placed on the front of the hood, on the bumper, side sills, front quarter panels, mirrors. From what I've read on other forums, the buyers of the 3M are happy with the product. For me, I opted not to put it on simply because I didn't feel comfortable with the local installers. I do get chips but they're easy enough to touch up. FWIW, the chips that I have gotten were well beyond where the 3M would have protected. So having the film wouldn't have helped anyway.

Costs that I've seen range from $300 on up.

gib11

i own a winning blue MZ3sport and it looks less dirty than the black ProtegeLX I had before. For exemple, dust shows less on blue.

z71bill

My Mazda3 has a defective AC system. I would look at it this way.

Mazda3 has many good points but if AC is an important factor then I would NOT get a Mazda3. It is very poor when the temperature is much over 85 degrees and if you are stuck in stop and go traffic it is almost worthless. Many times this summer while stuck in Houston traffic - in 90+ degree temps I just turned the AC off and rolled down the window. I know that no auto AC system performs great under these conditions but all of my other vehicles seem to handle the same conditions without any problems.

redpr5

Not all Mazda 3s have bad a/c units. My wifes 3 hatchback has a build date of 10/03 and works very well. We live in NE Louisiana and the temperature gets into the high 90s with 50% and up humidity. Z71bill has a 3 that has a very poor a/c unit that does not seem to work very well if at all during the hot summer months. Mazda does have a fix for the problem, but it did not help bill. His car's a/c must be completely defective and he has not been able to get any help from his dealer or Mazda itself. I've never had to deal with Mazda corporate myself, and don't know why they are giving him no help.

I like my wife's Mazda 3 enough that I bought me a red loaded 3 hatchback. It has a build date of 11/03 and it's a/c seems to work fine, but it is hard to tell with cooler weather coming on. My dealer said they would do whatever it takes to fix any a/c problem that I might ever have. It seems that most people that have bought a Mazda 3 with a build date in 2004 have not mentioned problems with their a/c. I hope this helps with your decision

mazdafun

It's an adhesive-backed clear urethane film. I think it's 0.020-.030 inches thick for the "paint-protection" film and 0.060-0.080 in thick for the headlamp and side-light protection film.

So far so good, though some in concave areas have lifted up and collected a bit of dirt. I'd have slit the film here in retrospect so it wouldn't have to stretch so far and potentially lift up.

The headlamp protectors on my '99 LX are probably due for replacement in a couple years. It does eventually get scratched up itself. The film on my wife's '03 P5 is holding up well, other than the lifting problem in concave areas I already mentioned. Would I do it again? Probably, as some of the gouges in the film suggested some large pebbles had made them. They probably would've made big chips or even dents in unprotected sheetmetal.

daryl

My Winning Blue stays clean looking for a very long time. The color is so sharp you have to be close up to really see the dirt film. I'm very pleares with it.
Daryl

tribbles

GOOGLE "CLEAR BRA"

redpr5

First off, where'd everyone go?

My new 3 hatchback, that I picked up last week, has black spots of something that looks like tar all over the paint and windows. These spots are small with the largest about 1/16th of an inch. I just noticed them when I washed the car the other day and found them everywhere. My dealer said it was more than likely some kind of over spray that happened at the port where the car was either shipped from or to. They say they can get them off with a combination of chemicals and elbow grease, then they are going to put refinish the shine with what ever it takes to put the car back with a new finish.

Any one else ever had this before? All other new cars that I have purchased have never had anything like this. I thought that maybe I had driven through some oil or new road tar until I saw spots in places that spray from the tires could never reach. If they can fix it, great, but if not, then I'll be some upset. So far this dealership has been wonderful in every request that I have ever made. I hope they continue being that way.

audia8q

We recently discovered a couple products that will solve your problem. We had a MZ3 come in with tiny specks all over the car that would not "buff out"...we were at a loss and planned on re painting the car. The company that supplies our clean up products suggested something called "clay away4" and "wipe out showroom spray wax". (They are used together but sold sepratly).......so we got some and sure enough this stuff not only took everything out of the paint the car looked great!!! This stuff can be found at prowax.com. It worked a near miracle for us!!

Rich

conall

If you can drive a car with a manual transmission, go for the 5-speed manual. It is much quicker off the line, and the 2nd gear in the automatic is a little too tall for my taste. It also puts a damper on zipping around corners.

z71bill

for a defective air bag switch - I have already made 9 trips into the dealer (for various problems and defects) in the first 9 months of ownership and was hoping to break the "one trip a month" curse. Looks like I will need to try again next month.

My AC is finally FIXED - I am so happy - the last few days the AC started working GREAT! I turn it on and within seconds it is blowing ICE COLD air. After a minute or two I must turn the fan speed down to ONE or I start to freeze.

Not sure but maybe having the outside temperature under 50 degrees is helping just a LITTLE! But really - even with the temp in the mid to low 60's I still need to turn the AC on - I don't ever recall (with other cars) needing the AC when the temp was in the 60's.

peterdh2000

We had a bunch of these spots too, just on the hood and roof. There's a TSB for "spots on paint" or something to that effect; I don't know if it's for these type of spots.

On ours the spots all came off, albeit with above average elbow grease, with a normal wax job a couple weeks ago. But I'd try the wax/clay bar route before a repaint or letting some kid at the dealer put "chemicals" on the paint. Repaints are never as good as the factory paint.

BTW, everyone who owns a black interior 3 should own a Swiffer duster. Amazingly easy to clean the 3 interior.

peterdh2000

Bill, what specifically did they do to your AC that fixed it?

z71bill

Lowering the outside temperature down to 60 degrees solved the problem!

sspeedracer

I keep reading posts about brake dust. From a performance perspective, this is not a bad thing. It means that your stock brake pads are higher performance compared to a typical non-dusting ceramic pad. It is a trade off- great rear brakes or clean rear rims. You cant have both.
These pads remind me of Hawk HP+ pads. Excellent temperature for the street both hot and cold. I love them. Its a good thing the rims are so easy to clean off.

Funny that no-one questions why the front pads dust so little compared to the rear.

Also, the rotors come with a surface coating (zinc?) to keep them from rusting in the unswept area. Very nice.

mz3mama

I have a Mazda 3 Sport GT with 17" wheels. I am looking for winter tires...any advice??? I live in the Mississauga area, so if you have any reputable recommendations would be appreciated too!!
thx

mz3mama

Ihave a Mazda 3 Sport GT with 17" wheels. I am looking for winter tires...any advice??? I live in the Mississauga area, so if you have any reputable tire dealer recommendations would be appreciated too!!
thx

mz3ct

Tire Rack recommends 16" steel wheels with Blizzak Ws-50s - I am getting ready to get this set $650 for northern Mass. It snowed last night for 5 minutes.

P.S. I'm at 17,000 on my 3 hatch and no major problems whatsoever - CEL comes on when the oil needs changing, then goes off when dealer changes oil, a few minor minor creaks somewhere in door...that's it...this thing feels great, tight, a total joy to be in and drive still. Best Car.

steb

Well, there's many different ways to go depending on how you want to do it. I went cheap and basic. 16" steel rims with Dunlop Graspic DS-1's (205 55 R16) from, I hate to admit it, Wal-Mart. Cheapest way out there. $97/ea. for the tires and $59 for the steel rims. Note: Oddly enough there is a 16" steel rim shortage in Ottawa (maybe T.O. too) so call first and see if they have your rims. Wal-Mart is totally sold out so I had to call around to CTC's until I could find what I needed. Then I took the steel rims to Wal-mart.

Of course, if I wanted to spend twice as much I suppose I would have got some Goodyear M2's, put those on the existing 17" rims and got some fancy aftermarket rims for the summer. Just thinking out loud........

saintirish

Let me name a few of the recent problems I've been having and see if anyone else has had them and know the best way to get them fixed. For reference, I have a black 2004 Mazda 3s manual with pretty much all options that Mazda has, build date 4/04.

First of all, my driver's side window has not been going down all the way (very intermittent however) when I press the auto-down button. It stops near the top, or in the middle, or sometimes gets almost all the way down, then stops. The dealer told me that Mazda has a fix coming out for it, but I have already had this problem "fixed" about four times and they haven't got it right yet.

Secondly, my stereo display has been going haywire. My stereo works fine, but the display isn't reading anything. The dealer is going to replace the radio tomorrow (I hope this will permanently fix my problem) but I am wondering if anyone else has this problem, and if I might be expecting it to crop up again.

Thirdly, just this week my engine started sounding a little louder than normal (I am at 8400 miles now) when in idle. Before I could barely hear the engine at all, but now I definitely can. I don't know if it could be related, but for the first time this Fall, the temps have gone below freezing at night. Could this affect the engine to cause noise? As a side note, it makes the noise with the heater OFF. Any assistance or sympathy (jk) would be greatly appreciated

wongpres

Not allowed to link other forums, but here are the Mazda3 packages from two Mississauga tire dealers. I didn't get mine from either of these companies but these two are the cheapest:

Tires23 - (905)286-1017

16" application:
205/55/16
Toyo GARIT HT with 16" steely $820
Toyo GARIT HT $640
Toyo SNOWPROX s950 with 16" steely $860
Toyo SNOWPROX s950 $680
Pirelli Carving with 16" steely $745
Pirelli Carving $565
Pirelli 210 Snowsport with 16" steely $885
Pirelli 210 Snowsport $705
Pirelli 240 Snowsport with 16" steely $1015
Pirelli 240 Snowsport $835
Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 with 16" steely $950
Michelin Pilot Aplin PA2 $770
Yokohama AVS V901 with 16" steely $925
Yokohama AVS V901 $745
Bridgestone WS-50 with 16" steely $970
Bridgestone WS-50 $800
Bridgestone LM25 with 16" steely $970
Bridgestone LM25 $790
Dunlop Winter sport M2 with 16" Steely $870
Dunlop winter sport M2 $700
Dunlop winter sport M3 with 16" steely $890
Dunlop winter sport M3 $720
Kumho KW17 with 16" steely $680
Kumho KW17 $510
Kumho KW19 with 16" steely $660
Kumho KW19 $490
Hankook W300 with 16" steely $665
Hankook W300 $485
Hankook W400 with 16" steely $650
Hankook W400 $470

17" application
205/50/17

Hankook W400 $530
Hankook W300 $580
Bridgestone LM22 $1165
Bridgestone LM25 $1180
Toyo S950 $990
Pirelli 210 $1020
Pirelli 240 $1070
Michelin Pilot Alpin 2 $1175
Yokohama AVS V-901 $1030
Dunlop M3 $1000
Goodyear GW3 $1060

All are sets of 4 and prices already include taxes.

Mounting NOT available, though wheels are balanced if you get one of the steel wheel packages. Steelies are not hub-centric but confirmed to fit a Mazda3 with 2.3l (so the larger brakes).

--

E-Spec Performance - (647)831-6228

205/55/16 (16"), Sets of 4
Dunlop SP WinterSport M3, w/ 16" Steelie, Mounted, Balanced - $880.00 (Includes Taxes)
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50, w/16" Steelie, Mounted, Balanced - $960.00 (Includes Taxes)
Kumho KW17, w/ 16" Steelie, Mounted, Balanced - $670.00 (Includes Taxes)
Hankook W604, w/ 16" Steelie, Mounted, Balanced - $605.00 (Includes Taxes)

205/55/16 (16"), Sets of 4, TIRES ONLY
Dunlop SP WinterSport M3 - $710.00 (Includes Taxes)
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 - $790.00 (Includes Taxes)
Kumho KW17 - $500.00 (Includes Taxes)
Hankook W604 - $435.00 (Includes Taxes)

rinebird

I had these little black marks all over my car .I was told it was from the wrap the car was protected with. the dealer removed them all

rinebird

I have the grinding noise especially after rain when I back out of my driveway. I already had the back brake rotors and pads replaced under 1200 miles.I haven't c/o noise again.. the TSB is for the grooves I saw on my brakes that is why they were replaced not because I heard grinding due to the LOUD noise I have.

rinebird

I have horrendous noise inside my car while driving, it sounds as if I am in a wind tunnel not a car? anyone else? I have the 17 inch wheels on a mazda 3 i sedan. The noise is worse when on a highway but always there.The service guy told me he never heard of it but then again when I c/o the AC they thought it was due to what I thought not the car....... then again Mazda did come out with a TSB on the AC. I was the first person at my dealer to get it fixed in .

aric214

Rinebird, do you have a link to the TSB for the A/C? I had my car checked before but they said it was blowing out ice cold air. I wish they would go driving with me on a nice hot summer day and see how much it stinks.

autonomous

Interesting.

I have been advised by Frisby Tire to go with a smaller size tire in the winter - the smaller the patch the more nimble the car in the snow, sort of like a sharpened skate; this was confirmed by some other "expert" (but whom I don't remember). I went for 14" rims + winter tires with the proper aspect ratio etc. and have driven it last winter without a problem and with increased sense of security.

You may want to check into this to save yourself a couple of hundred dollars (4 BFGoodrich Slalom tires + rims + installation + balancing + taxes = C$700).

chiyoko71

Funny you mentioned rear brake dust. I have been eyeing the Mazda 3 for some time now, looking for defects, pros and cons as I'm thinking of buying one. I noticed that EVERY Mazda 3 I saw had significant brake dust on the rear wheels. Obviously they're all wearing down the same.

z71bill

on the rear brakes that is the problem - it is the loud grinding noise.

I have had other cars & trucks that made a similar noise - not as loud - and only on the first few stops after the vehicle had been sitting for a day or more. But after a few stops they were quiet - The Mazda3 (mine anyway) makes this sound all the time on every stop. Dealer and Mazda Corp say it is normal - the dust is just a by product of the grind.

big_guy

You can actually find some good deals on alloy rims if you look around. I needed a set of snow tires for our MPV and was looking at some steel rims for winter use. My wife hates the look of a steel rim and has had bad luck loosing hub caps. She wanted an alloy rim. After a bit of research I was able to get a nice set of 15" alloy rims for $50 a piece then got some Arctic Alpine snow tires to go with it. I have been very pleased with the performance of the tires and the rims look great too.

rinebird

I do not have the TSB. I had complained when I got my car in May. I went to have my first oil change and they told me the TSB was issued for the AC.I was also told my AC was cold and fine when I first complained.They only honor those who complained for a TSB.so I would insist they fix it since you complained or contact Mazda.

rinebird

Check your rotors for grooves there is a TSB for brakes with grooves.I had the back pads and rotors replaced.I still have grinding noise especially aftera rain when backing out.

jrct9454

...is usually the rust that forms on the rotors being ground off by the first few turns of the wheels. This has been common on all of our cars, both Japanese and German. Only if the unusual feel [a sandpaper-ish noise] persists after a couple of brake application would I consider this anything but normal.

nvan

Same with me - doesn't happen going forward only backing after a rain. No problem as it is like a back-up warning buzzer at no cost. Goes away if braking forward. I have 8800 kms on 3GT

z71bill

This is no big deal - just something I think is strange. It has to do with checking my oil.

If I check the oil after the car has been sitting overnight when I first pull the dipstick out it reads about 3/4 of a quart low -if I wipe the dipstick off - and check it a second time (without running the engine) it reads full. Logically this is not possible - how can the first dipstick reading be lower that the second? If I check it after the engine is warmed up it reads full - BTW - I have never had to add oil between changes.

I know that you should have the engine at normal operating temperature when you check the oil - bla bla bla. But I have always checked my other vehicles first thing in the morning and felt it gave me a more consistent reading.

Anyone else notice this? Or is the problem in my head!

harddrivet

Folks, A bird did his doody on my 3's hood last weekend. It is purple and seems to have stained and embedded itself into the paint. I have gone to 3 different car washes since and it is still slightly there. How can I get that out without damaging the paint?
Thanks.

harddrivet

Bill, How did you get your AC Fixed?
I went to Mazda in August and they said they did not find anything wrong and that it met spec, I just went today for the airbag recall and asked them if they had a fix yet for the AC, they said were not aware of any fixes.
Thanks.

everfeb

Is it just my 3Sport or has anyone else who lives in a cold winter climate noticed that at around town speeds there is very little air flow and heat to the front floor. Yesterday, I fiddled with my floor heat again and although I don't have a gauge for measuring wind speed I swear there was very little or no difference in air flow between fan on high or low.
I first noticed this last winter (as I have a cold feet problem especially when it's -40) and the floor heater just didn't seem to work.

Anyone else notice this. Maybe it's an early build date thing. Could it be tied in to the air-conditioning problem?

I did mention this to the service department back in Feb. 04. At that time they said they hadn't heard of this problem from customers or Mazda. When I went for new fuel pump 9 months later in Oct.04 and talked to them about the A/C TSB and whether it was related to my poor floor heat problem the service advisor insinuated that he was expecting complaints on the floor heat this coming winter.
 
Anyone else with this problem? Or is it just my Oct '03 built 3 with yet another glitch that has been fixed along the way by Mazda. Thanks for any responses.
everfeb

denblak

I also received a re-call notice and I went to the dealer, and had the CRASH ZONE SENORS Replace.
this was done on a Friday, that night my car was in an accident which the front was damage,. Guess what,
the AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY,,,REPEAT,,,DID NOT DEPLOY. the insurance company feels the airbags should have deployed.
Now, I don’t know if there is a flaw in the design of the car where the air bags is,,or what. But I m going to get a expert lawyer who handles car safety, and have them look into this,
Also, if one goes to the NHTSA web site, and look under complaints, under Mazda 3 airbags you’ll see another car, where airbags didn’t deploy.
Any other owners of Mazda 3 who have problems with airbags please post or file a complaint with Mazda, and NHTSA. Remember these are New models, and may have a problem with airbags.
So please post your complaints.
if anyone wishes to e mail me , about airbags NOT deploying please do so
DenBlak@netscape.net

z71bill

The Mazda repair # for the AC diffuser is 07-055/04. I think they can look it up from this reference.

It did not do much to fix my AC defect - but some have posted that it made a difference

Good luck

audia8q

you say...."I m going to get a expert lawyer who handles car safety.."

If you want the truth hire an auto safety engineer to investigate the problem not a lawyer.

ses_650

you say...."I m going to get a expert lawyer who handles car safety.."

If you want the truth hire an auto safety engineer to investigate the problem not a lawyer.

truth or compensation?

kmh2468

Have you tried putting a clay bar to the affected area? The clay bar will remove any sort of residue that's affecting the car's paint. For more info you could take at Meguiar's website. Good stuff there.

howho

you are right, there is a sense of "very little heat" once the temperatures get below -15C. and at about -30c, i had problems defrosting the windows.

i also have problems with the a/c once it gets past +30C. must be related, somehow, with the actual hvac system, but who knows.

the only fix that i have found, after the dealer telling all the people in a service line that "he has never heard of this before" (one after another... he probably has a future in politics), is to install a separate plug in space heater, just like what you did in cars in the late 70's and early 80's, to keep the inside warm. then , keep finding parking spots either underground or with plug ins.

for those of you who live in a more temperate "goldilocks" climate, the mazda 3 is just fine.

oskwi

the more I think I should pursue a car other than the M3. Living in Buffalo, I would prefer to have a functional heater and defroster. Also, having severe allergy problems, I would prefer to have functional A/C during the summer months. How foolish of me to expect such luxuries!

I am very concerned with what I'm reading and hearing about regarding Mazda since I will be "in the market" this coming spring/summer and the M3 appears to fit my needs' list the best. It's disconcerting to think that the somewhat problematic M3 replaced the proven Protege! (...and yes I realize that some problems are to be expected with new models, but the problems mentioned, coupled with the general complacency of dealers/corporate, make me feel uneasy!)

birdman579

oskwi... I've found the heat in my Mazda3 to work extremely well. The car warms up very quickly, once warm I typically have to turn the fan down to the lowest setting and reduce the temperature from the hottest setting. Basically, the heat works very well. Fog is also quickly cleared using the defroster. I have the leather seats and although cooler than cloth, they are perforated so not as cold as standard leather seats. For the summer months, I found the AC to be decent. Its not spectacular, but decent for a car with a black interior and leather seats. The AC is definitely more effective at night. I see absolutely no reason to purchase a different car because the climate control system. Its not the car's strength, but hardly a negative. I have yet to have any regrets for buying my 3, its an amazing car!

scollin4

I was wondering if anyone was having problems with their auto tranny. I find that when the car is cold (overnight) that shifts from 1st to 2nd are extremely rough. All of the other gears work smoothly. Is this just a case of the fluid being cold or does Mazda have a transmission problem

everfeb

OSKWI...
My floor heat problem occurs at idle and very slow around town speeds when the temp is -15C (5F) or colder. At highway speeds it's OK. My 3 was built in OCT/03. From what I can see this build date seems to have the most problems. The more recent the build date the fewer the problems there seem to be. And every new car has problems of some type.

Anyway, if you are not buying until the spring/summer why not test drive a couple different 3's during some very cold Buffalo days and check the heat out for yourself. When doing this, try to test one with a cold engine and just do some low speed around town driving first. This is when I experience my problem. And check the A/C on a few hot spring days before you buy. I know now this is what I will be doing before I buy my next new car regardless of what the make is. BTW...my A/C was acceptable during the few 85F+ days we got this summer up here in NW Ontario. Took a while to cool down when left sitting out in the sun for a long period of time but then so does my Acura TL.

The 3 does have an awful lot going for it. And you are right, fully functioning HVAC systems are not luxury items. These days...every manufacturer should be able to get it right. Now more than 1 1/2 years into production...maybe M3 has fixed it's problem but I wouldn't know unless I test drove a recently built one. Regards

everfeb

everfeb

birdman579...glad to hear your 3 is performing so great...what's your build date and have you had your 3 long enough to experience well below freezing temps? My floor heat problem becomes apparent only in very cold weather when idling and at very slow around town speeds.
everfeb