Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

mzda

I have a late model 2004 3i Manual with Power, 6CD/moonroof, and Safety packages. I love everything about it, and it has been problem free through 6000 miles...except...

The clock has never kept time correctly. It loses about fifteen minutes a week, which makes it pretty useless. I mentioned this to the dealer at my first service, and after researching it, he said I would have to leave the car overnight for them to see how much it lost, and it would have to be more than three minutes for them to do anything about it. 3 minutes in one night (12 hours) would be about 42 minutes a week! Which means they are saying more or less that if my clock loses a half hour a week, it is fully functional. Does anybody have any ideas on how to handle this? Anybody have any similar problems with the 6CD changer system, or have any advice on what to say to get the dealer to just fix it?

z71bill

I have almost 12,000 miles on my Mazda3 and have had all kinds of problems. I have been very critical about the level of support Mazda provides - but.

Your post nails the Mazda customer service level better than anything I could possible say.

Now we can measure the level of Mazda customer service in terms everyone can understand - it is hard to do with things like poor AC performance - because the car does actually blow cool air, it is hard to do with grinding brakes - because the brakes do in fact do a good job of stopping the car - but a clock that does not keep time.

I think any reasonable person would agree that 3 minutes off in 12 hours - 42 minutes per week is not acceptable for a clock - but it is within the acceptable limit for Mazda.

mmsld

Hello all,
This is just a general information post. If your car has ANY of the following problems please, PLEASE, run down to the dealership immediately! They are a potentially VERY dangerous problem!
1) Repeated lighting of the check engine light, even after taken in for the 'phantom code' recall.
2) Refusing to start or having to start the vehicle more than 1 time before getting it to catch.
3) The car surging or lurching forward when you barely touch the gas (this one is ESPECIALLY telling of this problem)whether the car is in cruise control or not.
4) Very poor gas mileage (having taken into consideration your personal driving habits) say under 20 MPG.

My Mazda 3 nearly killed me due to a purge valve which was stuck open and letting too much air into the fuel system. This causes the car to keep feeding fuel to the system. In my case it fed so much that the car would not stop even though I took my foot off of the gas. I came dangerously close to slamming into a cement divider at 85mph! (Fortunately I had the presence of mind to put it in neutral and shut the engine down.) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your car into the dealer for the purge valve if you have the above issues.
Sorry about the long post but I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt if I had the power to help stop it, so I felt it was important.
By the way, as an aside...if a dealership tells you that a power train related or electrical problem must be duplicated to be repaired, BOLT! This is not usually the case as most (not ALL) of the problems that happen to these two systems create a code which is stored in the central computer chip of the vehicle and can be read by the Mazda technician. This is generally a ploy used by Mazda (NOT the dealer) to avoid paying for a known problem with a vehicle while they try to figure out a permanent fix for it.

tonyvmazda3

Question for Mazda3 owners (2004):

I've noticed something a bit odd with my 3 in the past couple days: As you know, the vent controls have 5 setting: (left to right) vent at chest, vent at legs and chest, vent at just legs, vent at legs and defrost, just defrost.

Now, I've notived that when I put my 3 in the mode where it should be just venting to my legs (top of the vent knob), I do get air coming out at leg level, but I also get a lot of air coming out of the defrost vents on the dash. I'm just not sure that this is supposed to be happening - I would expect that all air should be blowing out the leg vents when the knob is in this position. I'm wondering if a helpful 3 owner could check out what his/her car does when the system is set to vent to the legs only - do you get a lot of air coming out the dash vent, too?

Thanks!

tonyvmazda3

I have a Strato Blue Mazda 3, 2004, and I've had TERRIBLE luck with the paint. It scratches very easily - even a hand wash or a touchless car wash has left me with scratches down to the primer - I kid you not. I did contact Mazda with this complaint and I was told to take it to a dealer. The dealer told Mazda that the scratches and paint damage were normal. If you read back through this forum, you will find others will complaints about the paint... may not be just the Strato Blue, of course, but either way the paint is not doing well over time.

z71bill

The paint on my Black 2004 Mazda3 is holding up fine.

I can see from your post you are being given the normal Mazda customer care treatment.

If you have a problem - Mazda customer service will tell you to go see the local Mazda dealership - the dealership will tell you that the problem is normal - if you are not happy you can call the Mazda 800 customer service number - if you call the 800 number they will tell you to go see the dealer.

You are stuck in the Mazda customer service - no customer service spin zone. They will be very nice to you on the phone - they will tell you that they care about you, that they want to help you - but if you ask them - what are you going to do to solve my problem - about all you will get is - go see the dealer - if you talk to the service manager at the dealership you may get the truth (it took me several tries before I was told)

Unless Mazda approves a repair we (the dealership) can't do anything about the problem.

taylor3

As stated in the message right above. I too "was" a victim of the "Mazda NO Customer Service Spin Around".....That exact same thing happened to me many times.

Sold that Problematic Mazda 3 Hatch and have never, never once missed it or Mazda Service.

everfeb

What did you buy???? I've given up hoping to get knowledgeable service from the dealer I bought my 3 from. I'm about to try a 2nd one and hope they are "more up to speed" regarding problems with the 3. If not, well...what did YOU buy?LOL
everfeb

backy

OK, this may sound stupid but here is an idea... take your car to a Mazda dealer (a different one) and ask for an appraisal for a trade-in. Be sure the car is spiffed up as much as you can--except the paint of course. If the appraiser says anything about the paint needing work, ask them to put the appraisal with the comment about the paint in writing, tell them you'll get back to them. ;-) Then take the appraisal to the other dealer and ask them, "If this is normal for a one-year-old car, how come a Mazda dealer isn't treating it as normal wear?"

peterdh2000

...just to stick up for the little 3. we just rolled over 12k this week in the titanium hatch. 5/2004 build, bought 7/2004. buying experience relatively painless, oil changes at 5k and 10k handled quickly and efficiently by selling dealer. zippy, fun, tightly screwed together, 24-25mpg mixed driving. a broken clip for the cargo net is the sum of our problems so far.

tough car, also: g/f hit a water-filled traffic barrel (narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with an inattentive driver) which gave the car an ugly black eye and scuffed up quarter panel. it looked like a reportable accident when she came home, but to our delight, NO body damage and all but a few hairline scratches disappeared with a wax job. i also solved the aforementioned paint spot problem with a clay bar, and the brake dust on the rears is weird, but not as bad as the fronts on some other cars out there.

love it, would buy it again in a minute.

z71bill

If you are lucky enough to get a car that has no problems then the quality of the service after the sale is not really all that important. Even though many dealerships have horrible service I would guess 99.9% of them can handle an oil change every 5K without calling in the technical experts from Mazda corporate.

The issue here is what is Mazda customer service willing to do WHEN a problem pops up.

autonomous

Thanks for posting your experience, Peter. Even if a car has no problems it's worth noting as that balances the discussion in this type of forum.

p.s. I share your positive experience with my Mazda (a 2002 Protege5).

z71bill

Maybe we should change the name of this board to PROBLEMS, SOLUTIONS and NO PROBLEMS -

I guess that would be the PC thing to do - after all doesn't everyone go to a PROBLEMS thread to read the good things people have to say?

vaughn1

The paint on my Mazda 3 GT Silver is excellent. I did take the precaution as I live in a climate that salt is used on the roads to have my car sprayed with rust protectant. Will see after two- three years how or if this was worth the 100.00 Canadian dollars yearly

vaughn1

I have read a number of mesaages regarding rear brake problems. I have had none to date but have had some squeeling noise and excessive dust in the front brake system. I have had the car in to the dealership and they tell me now that they are replacing the pads with a newer pad that has the problem fixed. Waiting for delivery of the pads.

Will let you know later how it works out.

Anyone with similar problems please post.

My car was manufactured in June 2004 and I took delivery in July 04. So far I am pleased with this little fighter.

vaughn1

Has anyone purchased and instalkled a mazda 3 fuel filler door accessory. It has a sporty look.

What is the cost and how difficult to install?

m1miata

I picked up the Consumer Reports last night. Lists the Mazda3 as reliable.... hummm? People surveyed on the 2004 did not seem to have problems to any large degree. Seems to be all too many problems listed on this board. I wonder if it is best to wait for year three on any model car? It is fun to have the very first - something really new, model when it hits the show room. That fun can turn to agony though if the car suffers from build problems.

z71bill

The real issue with Mazda is their complete lack of support after the sale. They just do not stand behind their cars or honor their warranty. The 4 year 50K miles thing that they talk about means nothing if every time a problem develops it is considered normal operation.

The post a while back about the clock (in a Mazda3) that will not keep the correct time is a perfect example of this lack of support. In Mazda's world unless the clock is off by more than 6 minutes per day it is considered GOOD ENOUGH. Just tell your boss that being 6 minutes late to work everyday is within acceptable limits and see how long you keep your job.

bostonred

Z -
And everyone else I am seriously thinking about buying this mazda 3i 5speed. I have read all the issues and to tell you it does send up some red flags but not as many as my current vehicle. 97 cadillac catera. first year model and at least you all can speak to the dealers on the vehicles. GM will not work on the catera any longer and if you can find and bribe a dealer to work on it. You are talking serious $$$$$.

Here is the question... Is it worth the $$?
Am I getting into the same lemon I am stepping out of?
And anyone want to buy a catera? LOL!
Thanks,
BostonRed

backy

It is a great small car. It's hard to buy more driving fun for $16k or so, plus it's economical with gas. No car is perfect. If you want the best chance for few problems, go for a Corolla or a Civic, but they are ho-hum IMO compared to the Mazda3i. Be sure to test all the other top small cars first so you make the best decision for YOU. And get the safety package with the SABs and SACs...

bostonred

Backy thanks!
I am new here so bear with me....
what are SAB's and SAC's?
I have test drove the corrolla, jetta, Cobalt(auto), Cavalier 04, and the malibu(it was there). So far the 3i is the car. I just do not want to get into another lemon. To go from the car that zigs and zags to the car that zooms.

m1miata

Corolla = most reliable, with Matrix as a possible for more style
Jetta = best looking interior and solid feel to a car which may or may not be reliable, as the luck of the draw. Some burn oil.
Cobalt = too new to tell if reliable, but has good crash scores and lots of HP for the bucks. Possibly a good value if bought under $15K +tax
Cavalier = close out prices may be enticing. Was it built cavalier, or do you driv'em that way?
Mazda3 = Zoom-Zoom , and nice interior, with telescopic steering wheel. Lots of problems reported here on this board, though fewer reported to Consumer Reports questionnaire, so go figure. I do not know what to make of that. I do know I would not want to hear my steering assist while driving. A whine noise would be terrible. Not sure I am sold on electric assist steering anyway. I do like more everything else about the car. Never use to think about SAB or Side Air Bags, but I guess with all those SUVs out there, it may be a good idea. I hate to think of someone hitting my older Corolla or Miata on the side. Oh well, no one leaves this world alive.

I liked the test drive on the Mazda Tribute, though I have to set up to get in - short legs. Anyone compare the Mustang V6 to the Mazda3. A 2004 new or used would cost the same or less and it has a 5 star rate for crash test, and the RWD. I like the PT Cruiser, but I am sure the Mazda3 will get better gas mileage. Short term reliability is great with the PT, but long term could possibly be better with the Mazda. Most Mazdas hold up well L.T. though the Corolla may do even better for the long run. On paper, as in stats, and on the road, as in Zoom-Zoom, you can not beat the Mazda3. Just wondering about strange problems listed here, vs. not many cited on Consumer Reports. Maybe a 2006 model is the way to go???

backy

If you are going to wait for a '06, then you will have some other interesting choices, such as an all-new Civic and Elantra. I drove the 3i back-to-back-to-back with the Cobalt and Elantra 5-door, and the 3i is IMO the best overall package, but the Elantra isn't far off. The Cobalt has really nice ride, but IMO it doesn't offer any other advantages over the 3i.

magpie1

I bought my Mazda3 hatchback on 2/25. I made the deal over the phone and within two hours I was at the dealership. I went over the body pretty thoroughly and pointed out some very small scratches to the salesman. He was like, 'you expect it to be perfect?' and I was like, 'uh, yeah.' He took it away and when it reappeared all the scratches were gone and I was happy. The next day while I'm washing it I notice that one of the front wheels is scratched - as if someone had driven alongside a curb. Since I hadn't parked it on the street, I knew it wasn't me so I called and was put through the the Customer Care rep. Although she didn't seem too pleased she told me to take it to their body shop. The body shop made it better but not perfect and today another rep called to ask me to bring it back in on Monday, they will give me a loaner and they will either have it fixed by an outside person (apparently it's beyond what the body shop can do) or they will arrange for a new wheel. Then yet another Customer Care rep called me to find out if I was happy with the service and with the car. What could I say? I'm pretty impressed. It's not as if I'm calling them every day whining about something or other. They're going out of their way for me and I appreciate it.

akl88

to have a lot of problems with their 3's. Is it still worth it to purchase a 3? I mean I don't want to have a Mazda 3 that has many problems and is stuck at the dealership half the time trying to fix the problem. Are these problems gonna be common in all Mazda 3's?

npaladin2000

Nope. Mine's been trouble-free since purchase. Only problem was a defective windshield wiper relay that we noticed when picking up the car (they had gotten it from another dealer who didn't bother fixing it). Once the relay (which, unfortunately, is integrated into the fusebox) was replaced, the ONLY thing has been the occasional check engine light, which gives me a perfect excuse to get the free loaner car for when I take her in to get an oil change.

daryl

Purchased an "04 in August. 8,000 miles, trouble free. Mazda has sold plenty of these. With access to forums of almost any topic, it's natural to see more negatives than positives. I think the problems you read about here are a miniscule number compared to all the trouble free Mazdas currently on the road.
Daryl

audia8q

If you read the "problems" thread for every make and model you will think that nobody builds a good car..

z71bill

npaladin2000 - So your definition of "trouble free" is how many trips to the dealer for warranty work? You don't count the CEL coming on "a few times" as a problem? Defective windshield wiper - not a problem. What does it take to qualify as a problem - complete engine failure?

I guess if you look at all of these as normal then are qualified to work as a Mazda customer service representative! If you can say - have you taken it to the dealership - and - I am sorry you are having problems - but we will not do anything about it - you could have a bright future at Mazda corporate.

So lets find out how low our standards are - how many trips to the dealership (not counting things like oil changes) can a car have in its first year and still be considered TROUBLE FREE?

The obvious answer - ZERO - must not be correct.

I made 12 trips the first year - does that qualify as a slight problem - or is it better to just say my car is mechanically challenged.

npaladin2000

The CEL went on 3 times total. Hasn't gone on in quite a long time. And when it did go on it was the whole "loose gas cap thing." Which means it ISN'T a problem with the car. Other than those, there was ONE trip, and that was for the wiper thing. That we knew right when I picked up the car, and sceduled a visit before I left with it, to figure out what was going on.

And incidentally, instead of wait for them to fix it before picking it up, I insisted on taking it home. I had no car at the time and was in a bit of a hurry to be back on the road.

So in essence, there was one minor problem (The wipers sometimes wouldn't shut off without shutting off the car) that would have been fixed before I even took delivery if I hadn't needed to be in such a hurry to take delivery. Which means yes, it's been trouble free. It's DEFINITELY been trouble-free since I picked it up.

z71bill, we ALL know you've had a major problem with your particular 3. We ALL know you're steamed about it. And to be honest, we all agree you have a right to be steamed about your particular issues with your particular dealer and your particular vehicle. Any one of the rest of us would be, in your position. I personally would have gotten a lawyer and threatened legal action in order to get them to buy the car back. I honestly think you should have gotten out of it a long time ago, because you seem so dissatisfied with the service, but you admitted that you genuinely like driving the car, so the problem, while "major," apparently isn't enough to get you to take the loss and ditch the thing. Yet, anyway. But a single lemon-vehicle does not mean that the entire line or the entire brand is worthless. There are many of us driving around trouble-free, while having zero troubles with Madzda Customer Service, and going to dealers that have been extremely helpful. The rest of us are careful to tell our good stories about Mazda and the 3 in order to provide a perspective. The fact is, a large percentage of customers are very happy and very satisfied with our Mazda3 purchase. I plan on keeping mine for a LONG time to come..or until Mazda comes out with the MX-Crossport anyway. I'm so satisfied with the purchase of my 3 that I'm a 100% Mazda-brand convert. If I had gottan a 3 with a bunch of problems, it might be a bit different. But it isn't.

m1miata

So z71bill, you had Mazda3 which had to come for service 12 times? Not good! I had an Oldsmobile which I had to keep taking back in for this and that. Got to know the service writers by name. After awhile they all become like family, the service rep, and mechanics. You start to spend much of your life in loaner cars and walking around the dealership, wasting time. Heck, a great opportunity to discover how other cars feel to drive, as yours is in for service. I was hoping those days were gone. Those days when they built a car, then you took it back to the dealership to make it actually run. The last Olds. I had was not too bad once it got past the first six months and some eight trips back to get things right. Always like GM cars for fuel economy and the V6 had power. The once great body by Fisher seems to have gone by the way though, and the engine in one car had the mass air flow sensor replace, a program mod., and a crank case sensor. That finally did it for getting the engine to run without unexpected stopping when it wanted to do so. Then the tranny blew at 62k miles. The paint went bad. My dad had a couple Oldsmobiles and they were pretty good except for gas mileage and over heating. But those were pre-73. Seems like the wheels came off of GM around the mid-70's and things just got awful for the big three. Mazda seems to be pretty good. I own a Miata, and it has been pretty good to me. Also own a Corolla, which had two items fixed under warranty. Got almost 80K on it now, and replaced some brake pads. Pretty much trouble free. I would feel as safe, or safer driving it across the desert than driving a brand new USA make. That said some are doing better. I would consider a Mustang, say an '04, as they have good stats for reliability on Consumer Reports and MSN site and JD Powers. A new make, like Cobalt, who knows, it could be a crap shoot.

Loren

bostonred

Thank you to all of you for all your input z71bill sorry about all your issues. Right now I am in your boat with a lemon. If it is any help my cadillac is probably more expensive to fix. They have to make some of the parts in Germany from blueprints because they do not make them anymore! LOL!
I think I made my decission...
The mazda 3i is the way to go... someone said earlier that if I keep looking here at all the vehicles I will see probs with them all. The 3i is my first choice, The sentra is my 2nd, and the cobalt would be my 3rd. Now it is just the financing junk to get through with dealing with the salesmen.

Anyone in New Hampshire have any good Dealers they like to deal with? Mazda? or other?

Thanks all, Go BC!

m1miata

All three are good little cars, I guess. Ya never know about the first year cars by GM, but what the heck, life is no doubt a gamble. At least the Cobalt cost less than the Malibu. The Sentras are on sale. I had a great Datsun 510 in early 80's, but I don't know how reliable they are these days. Certainly not the worse by any means. As for the Mazda3, it is the coolest by far. As long as the steering is not singing, or other weird stuff going on, I would say it is by far the 1st choice indeed. Looks great, has zoom-zoom built in, and the interior is good, with telescopic steering wheel, and all.

Loren

kagedude

I was kind of wondering why the car was so bumpy and gokart like. I thought it was just the zoom zoom style. My 2 week old Mazda 3i which I bought from Middletown Mazda in NY delivered it with scratches (previous post) and this morning with the tires cold, tested the tires at over 50psi. My gauge was maxed at 50psi and I had to let the air out a few for it to go down to 49psi. It took a while more to go down to 32psi. The car now feels normal on bumps. I called service to ask about that and they don't know why it was not the recommended pressure.

Anyway, after 2 weeks and 1500 miles, the car has developed a rattle coming from the front passenger side speaker/seatbelt area and also a "vibrating pebble" feel coming from the windshield defroster vent area. I now wonder if going through too many bumps with overinflated tires prematurely worn out the car or maybe its just the build quality.

Still, the car is definitely a great all around car. It proved itself last weekend in a snowstorm. Driving from Troy NY back to NYC, we hit a snowstorm and had to make first tracks on the snow. I was going 40-45mph while an Acura TL and a Maxima SE I passed was weaving and only going at 30mph.

npaladin2000

I bought mine from Middletown. Talk to the service advisor and tell him what's going oh. Big dude, very knowledgable. They'll help you out, don't worry. I know they (and I) were in a hurry on my delivery, since I didn't have a car at the time...I literally picked it up the same day it arrived from another dealer, which explains how Middletown didn't know about the wiper thing. Did they have to bring yours in from another dealer too? Maybe I'll see ya there, I'm due for an oil change sometime in the next week.

kagedude

Thanks. I bought from their lot and it had 1 mile on it. The salesman knew the scratch was there because when he saw me look in the hood area (some bird stuff), I remember him telling me not to touch it since its dirty and it will get cleaned. Then he admitted knowing about the scratch after the deal was finalized and them taking off $300.

A little disappointed that he just sent me on my way not finishing the delivery process because there was a customer waiting for him. He gave me a gas voucher to fill up the car on my own. Did you get their line of filling out the mazda survey and that the score has to be perfect? I don't know about that now.

I drove the car for lunch today and the rattles are more manageable than before. I'm sure its because the tires are now inflated correctly. Now my main question is what is dealer prepping if they can't prep the car correctly. I should go check the oil level too.

npaladin2000

Hmm, ok, sounds like you had a way different salesman than I did...mine spent over an hour with me and the car showing me all the little doo-dads before I drove off. That's how we found out about the wipers. I got a full tank of gas with delivery too, no voucher junk.

I DID however, get the same line about the Mazda survey. But this has been covered in another forum...I think that's pretty much global with any and every car dealer. But they treated me real well, so I mostly gave them perfect or near-perfect scores.

At least he made some good on the scratch...for $300 you can probably have it fixed. They probably should have offered to have it done for you though. Besides delivering a nice, pretty car, it would likely have cost THEM less than $300.

mazda6s

Cars are shipped with high tire pressure. The dealer is supposed to set the correct pressure during their prep. The fact that they didn't do it indicates sloppy dealer prep work. I wonder what else they forgot to do?

waygrabow

We test drove the Civic, Corolla, & other comparables before buying the Mazda3S. We owned a previous Civic and have had various Toyotas. I stopped in to test drive the RX8 and ended up buying the 3S MT. This is our first Mazda automobile. I couldn't be much happier. Yes, the A/C is very weak. but, here in the mountains, it is seldom used. The CEL came on about 3 days before the already-scheduled 15K service; so that was immediately fixed with no hassle (driveability was unaffected).

This car drives wonderfully! It may be a small car, but it does not feel like an "economy" car. I have been using my 3S on mountain trips because it is so comfortable; handles so well; plenty of power; and excellent gas mileage. On a recent skiing trip we were running 90+ mph across a lonely plateau with a sense of handling confidence. Today I refilled the gas tank; it took 12.6 gal. to refill after 471.3 miles. That's not boasting; just facts. Sorry I don't have any rattles, brake dust, or other problems to obsess over. Just thought someone may want the other side of the story.

autonomous

Wayne said: "This is our first Mazda ... drives wonderfully! ... I have been using my 3S on mountain trips because it is so comfortable; handles so well; plenty of power; and excellent gas mileage. On a recent skiing trip we were running 90+ mph across a lonely plateau with a sense of handling confidence. Today I refilled the gas tank; it took 12.6 gal. to refill after 471.3 miles."

Terrific numbers, Wayne!

z71bill

Have you ever checked your odometer for accuracy ? Maybe you got a car that is programed for kilometers rather than miles!

waygrabow

I would HATE the Mazda3. We had snow yesterday and today, so I am not ready to test the A/C yet. But, next visit to the dealer, I intend to bring the subject up again. I once had a Toyota Corolla that I bought in CA and sold 9 1/2 years later in SC which had no A/C. The A/C on my last car did not work for the last 10 years I had it, and I didn't use it during the first five years (thus ruining the seals). But I know that there are some areas where A/C is extremely important.

By "plenty of power" I mean that the car can go at or above the speed limit, or any reasonable driving speed, even going up mountains, Fourth gear is a nice road gear for up inclines. Sure, the car could have more power to burn rubber and win stoplight drag races, but that would only get me more traffic tickets.

The odometer is accurate. I expected the mileage to be good, but it exceeds any expectations I had when the car was purchased. Perhaps, if I opened up the A/C pump, I would find that it is just an empty box with no horsepower-robbing internal components.

z71bill

Your Mazda3 has the best MPG that I have ever heard of.

My kilometer theory seems about right -

Your odometer shows 471.3 "clicks" and you used 12.6 gallons of gas. Since a kilometer is .6214 of a mile then - (471.3 * .6214) = 292.86 miles.
So your MPG would be 292.86 / 12.6 = 23.2.

Which is still better than the 19-21 I have been getting without using my AC. Last summer I was getting between 17 - 19 - with AC on most of the time in mostly city driving.

From your posts you live somewhere in Colorado - what is the elevation?

My house is 26 feet above sea level.

It seems like the air down here should have more oxygen - so my engine should be more efficient.

I know from several trips to Colorado that regular gas is 85 octane (VS 87 in Texas) mid grade was 87 (89 in Texas) and premium was 91 (93 in Texas) - what octane gas do you use?

waygrabow

I can understand your consideration of the kilometer theory, especially after the mileage (19-21) that you listed. When I drive at the same speed as surrounding traffic on the Interstate, at the end of an hour I have gone 75 "clicks", not 120. When I drive to work in any of our three vehicles, they all register 22.5 "clicks" and it takes about 30-35 minutes. I lived in Europe for five years and am familiar with kilometers. The odometer is accurate.

My 3S is a manual transmission model with no options. I have always felt that MT is the way to go with small cars and 4 cylinder engines. The Mazda6 with the 2.3L engine is listed as 31mpg highway. With the same engine in the 3S, I figured it could do significantly better than that. I was thinking possible 34mpg; so I am delighted with the actual result.

I can't explain the results it is getting, only guess. I live at 7600' elevation. What difference that makes, I am not sure. I have tried both 85 and 87 octane gas; didn't seem to make any difference. I know that you have had problems with your Mazda3; I would be sick if I had your experience. With my previous car, Taurus SHO, I would get 22-28mpg, and that had 220hp (sweet Yamaha engine); I would be really disappointed to get less mileage in such a smaller and less powerful car. The reason I rejected getting an RX8 was because of its reputation for poor gas mileage.

z71bill

So that kills my kilometer theory -

How about this then -

Maybe you got a Mazda3 S with the gearing of the i model. From what I understand the i model has a much taller final drive ratio -

I am somewhat disappointed about my MPG - the last few months I have been at - or slightly over 20 MPG - I can live with that. It was last summer when I hit a few tanks that were around 17 that was a little but hard to understand. My Tahoe with the 285 HP V8 gets 15 MPG in town - seems like a Mazda3 should beat the MPG of a Tahoe by more than 2 MPG.

waygrabow

Consumer's Reports testing of a Mazda3i model resulted in 40 mpg highway. So I am surprised that more people don't report excellent MPG. Now, from what I am reading on this forum, I have wondered some if my 3S may have a taller final drive ratio; if so, I'm keeping it. (If I remember correctly, the engine turns 3000rpm at 70mph.) It is perfect for my needs.

Is your Mazda manual or automatic? How many miles on it? Do you do alot of real stop and go in heavy traffic? Have you done any long highway trips? I get 17-20mpg on our V6 Explorer. You should be getting much better mileage than any SUV. Your dealer says that your mileage is normal when EPA lists 25/32? I can understand variation in mileage, but your results and mine just seem too diverse to be reasonable.

z71bill

I have an automatic - about to hit 12K miles.

Houston traffic can be a real pain - heavy stop and go - which sometimes seems like more stop than go!

I know that will reduce MPG - that is why I compared it to my Tahoe. The Mazda3 replaced the Tahoe as our main daily driver. Tahoe always got 15 MPG in town - close to 20 MPG during road trips.

One pure hiway trip in the Mazda3 we got a shade over 29 MPG - since the auto Mazda3 is rated 24/29 it is right at the EPA estimate on the highway.

At 3,000 RPM I am going 65 MPH -

ex_tdier

My 2005 GT Auto's engine has just been broken in. I have reached 1000 KM but there is slight rough idle at a stop light or while stationary. This was from day 1 after picking it up at the dealer.

Is this normal and if not, does anyone know of the fix?

Thanks.

waygrabow

OK, now I understand the situation better. Your driving environment is way different than mine. I do almost no stop and go; usually about 4 red stoplights in my 22.5 mile commute. Your Mazda3 mileage probably will get better as you put more miles on it. I bought my Mazda3 so I wouldn't put so many miles on the Explorer. SUVs are great for towing or hauling, but not the best for the daily commute.

cti

I would suspect your car should be silent at idle. In park your car's engine should be so quiet that you can't tell it is running.

Jason

(This doesn't apply for the first minute AFTER you have started the car.)