Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

mdaffron

Does that include having Judy as my daughter?

ex_tdier

Hello " ex tdier " you're back. By rough idle, do you mean in neutral? The engine is vibrating, missing, running too slow? If it does this while not in drive, that's not good. If it is in drive, and the engine is cold or the air conditioner is on at the time, many a car will try to slip into gear

Hey, m1miata. I got now 1550 km on my new Mazda 3. The idle is a little rough in gear (D). Almost like it needs more choke. No A/C is on. It was most noticable the other day when my fuel was near empty but I had about 43litres/55 litres in the tank when I was stopped on a hill. I've went to different gas stations so I dont think it's bad gas. If this car had a carb instead of being fuel injected, I would say that the carb needs to be adjusted. It makes no difference if the engine is cold or warm or whatever the outside temperature is. I noticed this as soon as I took the car home after purchasing it. I could've returned the car back to the dealer and wait another month for another car, but I thought this would be an easy fix, say a faulty O2 or MAF sensor. Now that I think about it, I am not so sure.

Someone suggested grounding the throttle body (how do I do that) and the problem would go away. I called various dealers around town and they all have the same answer: they never heard of this problem. It seems you guys are all correct, Mazda's service sucks, just like Volkswagen's.

Maybe I jumped from the frying pan into the fire here?

m1miata

Did they test it out on the road so you could show them what the problem is? They never heard of such a problem, is a problem - I agree. Ya don't want that sort of reply. Keep trying different dealers, maybe you will find a mechanic at one sooner or later. It sounds to me like it is trying to go into first gear, like the idle is set too high, but what do I know. Ask the experts. I do know that my Toyota and my Dads Toyota will tend to want to start out in idle, which can sometimes make the engine sound a bit like a stumble sound. I put the car into neutral for longer stop lights. I hope it is not the transmission. If they are not wanting to fix anything, maybe it is time to get the district rep. involved. You may want to have a chat with the owner. Is this person accessible? These cars must be fun to drive, from what is said about them here, so maybe you could let the owner know that you love the car, but it is this one problem you have which is an unknown as to the degree of problem, and you need to have resolved. You may want to ask a salesman there, or someone at the office as to meeting with the owner. Service may be reluctant to call up the boss. Before doing that, I hope you can find a service dept. rep. that can get some action taken. You can usually get a feel as to how things are going after a brief encounter with an individual, if ya know what I mean. Good luck! - Loren

etack

Some of you on this board have described Mazda USA as penny wise pound foolish. I have a good example of this, I think. As a Mazda owner, I got a coupon for $500 off a new Mazda. I went shopping for a new car, but the dealer couldn't guarantee that the car I wanted would arrive before the rebate expiration date. It would be within a few days of the deadline, though. No problem, I thought, I'll just call Mazda and ask about the possibility of extending the date a couple days. The customer service representative checked with his manager who said no. I said, what if this means the difference of buying a car or not, and the service guy said, the deadline is the deadline end of story. He wasn't very nice about it. How's that for encouraging customer loyalty? That kind of attitude forces me think twice about buying a Mazda.

mdaffron

Why don't you just do the paperwork now?

Meade

etack

I did all the paperwork, but the offer states it's only applicable to cars in the dealer's inventory. (No one in the region has the car I want, but there's one arriving within 1-2 weeks that the dealer can request.) The Mazda customer service representative even said I must take possession of the car from the dealer's inventory by the deadline, which is Saturday. I trust Mazda has a way to check arrival dates; otherwise, the dealer probably would have agreed to back date the purchase date.

m1miata

Well coupon of not, just figure out what a fair price on the car is and stay on that number as the final bargaining price to pay. Without looking into it hear on Edmund's , I would assume that about $1,000 off on a base model, and $2,000 off on the more expensive models is about fair. Maybe $2,500 off if it is top of the line.
Loren

autonomous

I did all the paperwork, but ...

Does "paperwork" mean you have an invoice with the rebate listed on it or does paperwork mean something else? On the invoice, I think you would need the VIN for the car listed, plus the rebate shown, a deposit to the dealer and your signature. If you have not signed and deposited anything you might be out of luck as you could appear to be fishing.

If you don't mind me asking why did you switch the discussion about your purchase to this forum from the Mazda3 Prices Paid and Buying Experience forum you have been using?

etack

Yes I have an invoice and a vin number. The rebate is listed. I made a deposit and handed over insurance/registration information. It was still made clear to me that the rebate will not be valid if the car doesn't arrive in time. I posted the original comment here because it was intended to further the discussion about poor Mazda customer service rather than describe a purchasing experience. From reading this thread, it seems when people encounter problems and call Mazda America, they aren't treated very well. This was my experience. A real example of "penny wise, pound foolish," I thought.

anon70

I'm planning on buying a new car, and am looking at the MAzda 3 (automatic).

but i've read that it has A/C problems???

Can someone elaborate?

THX!

mazda6s

"That kind of attitude forces me think twice about buying a Mazda."

What you're asking them to do may seem reasonable to you, but I doubt if any car manufacturer would do that for you. It's not just Mazda.

npaladin2000

Heck, ask yourself if a store would accept an expired coupon. Most would say no.

If you want a certain color or option package bad enough, then you'll feel it's worth paying a little extra for. If getting the money off is more important, then pick one of the cars off of the lot. Option C is not getting it both ways....it's doing neither.

daryl

I've never owned a car that is so mileage sensitive to so many things. Hot weather, cold, highway, city, etc. I have a 5spd 5-door. I can average 28+ or 23- per tank depending on hard driving or a lot of highway miles. Overall I don't waste any time thinking about it. It's a wonderful car, totally problem free in my case, and it's a car that's made to be driven a lot of ways.
Daryl

autonomous

It was still made clear to me that the rebate will not be valid if the car doesn't arrive in time.

It appears that the dealer is protecting himself in case the car you want does not show up in time. To protect yourself, I would make that a condition of sale and include that as a clause in the "contract". I have done that in the past with a phrase directly on the contract like "Unless car requested is delivered by April 30, 2005 purchase null and void and all moneys deposited will be returned to the purchaser". I would not fault Mazda USA for giving you a clear answer about the rules. The dealer may want to still make the sale and offer it for the price you both negotiated.

ask yourself if a store would accept an expired coupon. Most would say no.
Exactly

mdaffron

If I'm not mistaken, the "Problems & Solutions" discussion exists to discuss problems with the car, not sour grapes about whether or not a coupon is honored after expiration. After all, the person complaining in this case doesn't even own a Mazda3.

Meade

guest

Let's keep the discussion about prices, rebates, and coupons over in Prices Paid.

mresox

There is a recall for that issue. Crack in sensor housing allows moisture in and then you have a short circuit. Same thing happened to me and dealer replaced the sensor unit

natenj1971

I'm going to test drive a Mazda 3 tonight. I've read up to page 60 on this list - so I'm familiar with some of the early model owners problems.

I'm writing to ask if anyone knows whether Mazda has corrected these problems (AC/rear brakes/electrical - airbag sensors etc ).

Thanks,

Nate

legal22

I just got my 2005 Mazda3 SP23 a little over a month ago. I have about 1500 miles on it. I read the previous posts about the AC, brakes, etc. too and I have to say that my car, so far, is performing flawlessly. I'm averaging about 27 mpg with a combination of highway and surface road travel. The special edition is a really nice ride. My son's friend thought it was a Lexus IS300! It seems that Mazda has learned from the other owner's problems and corrected them in the 2005 model. By the way, speaking of Mazda not having good customer service or wanting to honor warranty work, I think Mitsubishi is the worst! My brother owned three Eclipses and nothing but trouble with them, and Mitsubishi could care less. At one point, my brother didn't have his car for six months because the dealer would'nt fix the problem under the warranty. Finally, another dealer fixed it for him!

natenj1971

Thanks for the feedback legal22. I've been reading about the SP23 online. I wonder if you know, does the SP23 come withrear view mirror with tempt and compass? I like that option on the M3S. I'm trying to find a dealer with one in stock in the NNJ area.

Thanks again for the feedback.

Nate

tony002

I just bought a M3S which is one step below the SP model. I bought the compass/outside temp/auto dimming mirror as an accesory. It cost about $200. It is a great feature.

npaladin2000

I know exactly how to disable it...the only approved, legal method.

Put On Your Seatbelt!

bluem6i

z71bill,

I don't know if you tried this yet, but here goes... (BTW, I don't have a Mazda3 - do have a Protege and a Mazda6i)

I took my 02 Protege in for service because the A/C would cut in and out with the fan speed set to 2 (it worked fine in the other positions). The dealership replaced the faulty control unit (BL8F-61-190D). They said there was a service bulletin on it.

I got it back and the A/C performance was very subpar. It barely cooled the car at 80 degrees (found this out weeks after the fix). I went back to the dealer and complained. They tested the output and it was only blowing at 50 degrees. They re-adjusted the cable and now the cars blows out 40 degree air.

I don't know if this helps you... maybe get your cable checked out.

waygrabow

I'm getting ready for the next "go-around" concerning the A/C on my 3S. Had them put the diffuser plate in; really made no noticeable difference. In my own tests, the air conditioner on my Mazda effectively brings the air temperature down to the same temp. as the outside air. That actually means something; the unit effectively counters the heating effect of the air passing through the engine compartment (wow). But it is easier to just open the window.

My Mazda's 20,000 mile checkup is coming soon (along with warmer weather). We'll see what the dealer's attitude is on the A/C issue. Other than that, I love the car. Perhaps I can mention this cable adjustment.

markls8

Hello all - just picked up our (for my wife) new Mazda 3 sport GT 5-speed, have 200 or so km on it so far. What a blast to drive! Great handling and the 2.3l engine is a perfect match for the 5-speed. Minimal body roll. And I'm usually quite unimpressed with wrong-wheel-drive, non-V8 cars!

It's well known that the single greatest improvement that can be made to a vehicle's performance is obtained by a tire upgrade. Well, it's already been done on this car right from the factory with 17" V-rated Eagle RS-A's.

I do have two minor concerns, technical in nature...

One. One of the wheels has 11 weights on it near the valve stem which total 110 grams!!!! I've never had to reject one yet, but in the past when buying tires I would always make sure that no more than 50 grams was needed. The wheel doesn't vibrate noticeably on the highway right now, but does anyone else have this much balancing weight on their tires? Looks like there's a hole in the Mazda factory TQM. I'm going to bring it up with the dealer. That's odd for a V-speed rated tire, so it might be the rim.

Two. I notice that the rear wheels slope inward at the top when viewed from the rear of the vehicle (wheel camber), even without any passengers or cargo. It's like, but not quite as severe as this emoticon. :sick: I know some older independent-rear-suspensioned cars did this in the past for handling reasons and that it can cause uneven tire wear. Anyone notice this on their cars? It will only increase in time.

Thanks in advance for your input.
Regards - Brian.

mdaffron

One of the wheels on my new 3S wagon has a bunch of weights on it too. I'm not too worried about it.

I too noticed the toed-out camber of my rear wheels, and I've seen the same thing on every other 3 I've looked at, both on the lot and on the road. I know Mazda must have an improved-handling reason for this, but the same thing was done on my 2000 Protege ES and its rear tires always wore unevenly -- the inside treads wore out much faster than the outside (surprise, surprise). I am going to ask about it when I take the car in for its first service -- it's only got about 1,200 miles on it now. (Of course, with the free tires for life thing, I really don't care that much this time -- it may force my dealership to replace my sucky Goodyear Eagle RSAs more often, which will make me feel better about wet-weather traction!)

Meade

ikeedum

I have an 05 Mazda3s sedan, manual trans, w/sport package and xenon tmps.

I first noticed this on the highway but kind of thought it might just be my imagination - then I was idling in a parking lot, waiting for a phone call when I noticed the noise louder. It was very distinct, kind like a wheeze, and definitely something mechanical. I timed the noise with my cell phone (stopwatch feature) and it goes off every 30 seconds on the dot and lasts for about 5 seconds each time. While timing, it kept repeating for a good 5-10 minutes. Then I got the call and took off.

It's faint when you're driving, you can barely hear it over the road noise, but more distinguishable when you're idling. I can't say it's always happened or that it always does, but I live in the city and it's very noisy.

It sounds like some kind of pump or motor or something. Any ideas? Maybe something wrong with the headlight height adjust (thought I didn't notice them moving). I will be bringing the car into the shop this weekend and hopefully they might have a clue.

Thanks for any crazy ideas.

backy

Was the A/C on? Could be the sound of the compressor cycling.

markls8

Hi Meade -

Looks like we both chose almost the identical 3, and the same colour too!

Interesting about the camber. My dealer is a 30 minute drive away and I've so far only seen one other 3 sport on the road. Not much to compare it to. Tons of Matrix's (Matrices) around here, I guess none of them test drove the 3 sport. My question is how do other suspensions get great handling without using negative camber? And certainly wheel rotation cannot be neglected.

Did the tire on your car with all the weights on it by any chance come installed on one of the rear wheels?

I'm curious - do you get some sort of tire wear warrantee that we don't get in Canada? I know your warrantee for the car in general is 4 years where ours is 3 years. I guess it all evens out in the long run because the last car I bought included all regular scheduled maintenance (oil and fluid changes etc.) for 4 years whereas it was only for 3 years in the States.

I haven't read any reviews of the RS-A's yet. Are they not so great? They seemed quite firm and grippy to me, for the small bit of testing I've done so far. For the last 25 years I've purchased nothing but Michelins, summer and snow, so now I'll get to find out how Goodyears are.

- Brian.

mdaffron

Hey Brian. Well, it's nice to see someone else with similarly great tastes in automobiles.

First, before I forget: Here's the link to TireRack's page on the Eagle RS-As. I went to get the link for the reviews, but it was too longggggg. Just go to this page, and look under the Goodyear logo -- you'll see the "Reviews" link to click on:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Eagle+RS-A

Yes, I believe my heavily weighed tire is the left rear one.

We get a pro-rated tire warranty from the tire manufacturer, up to a certain amount of mileage and life. I can't remember it right now and my car is a block away in a parking deck. I'll try to check later unless someone else beats me to this answer.

We used to get 3 years/50K miles here in the U.S. until about two years ago when Mazda upped it to 4 years/50K miles. The 2000 Protege I traded for the 3 on April 7 had the 3/50, and my wife's 2002 Protege5 purchased in January 2002 also only had the 3/50. (I did purchase the TotalCare extended warranty for the Mazda3 -- like I had on my Protege and I have on my wife's P5 -- which extended the warranty to 6 years/100K miles.)

We get free oil changes and lube jobs for the first 3/36 -- it's actually a Chrysler premium; I know because I just received the coupon book in the mail the other day. I can bring the car in every 3,000 miles for a free oil change and lube job with one of the coupons. We also get free tires for life as long as we perform all of our recommended maintenance at the dealership. I'm still on the fence about this since (a) dealership maintenance is expensive, and (b) it looks like I'd be stuck with RS-As as replacements unless Goodyear discontinues that tire. I've read the contract and it seems I'm stuck with the Goodyears. When the time comes for new tires, I plan to haggle with my dealership to see if I can't swap out to BFGoodrich Traction T/A VR4s, which we have on the P5 and I had the predecessor to (Touring T/A VR4s) on the Protege. They're much nicer, smoother, quieter, and equally performing tires, and my argument will be their wet traction and the fact that they're about $50 less per tire. My dealership might bite on this since (a) they'll save $200, and (b) I've been a customer of theirs for 14 years and six cars, and they do tend to do things for me since I'm a very loyal customer. (For example I was so miffed that they delivered the car to me without its wheel locks, and with 52 lbs. of air in each tire, that they took me up on my demand for a set of $90 Mazda3 "premium carpet floor mats" as compensation for being completely out-to-lunch on delivery.)

(Besides, the floor mats that come with the car are as durable and high-quality as, shall we say, dryer-lint-covered fruit rollups?)

"Matrices." I love it.

Meade

ndphdjd

I have a Mazda3s (purchased 10/04), 5 sp. Unfortunately when I bought the car I had no way of knowing that the A/C was so weak. Anyway, I took the car to the dealer a few weeks ago to have the A/C checked. I was told that it blew within a few degrees of factory specs. In any event, I had the diffuser plates installed about two weeks ago. Like other posters, the air feels no different. It seems that the air is actually cold, but the compressor cycles on and off about every 20 seconds or so. The dealer said that this is normal (and other posters have said the same). I've owned over 12 cars, and none has had such a ridiculous compressor cycle. While idling you can watch the tach rise and fall as the compressor cycles on and off -- hot/cold/hot/cold! I think that if the cycle were less frequent, the car could actually cool down. I know that there is a temp sensor/switch in the passenger compartment. Is that sensor responsible for the crazy compressor action?

Thanks

saintirish

Has anyone had any better performance by using synthetic oil or synthetic blend? I was thinking about doing it, but just wondered if anyone else had tried it first.
By the way, I have an '04 Mazda 3s sedan.

ikeedum

Hi Backy, good point, let me check.

Don't believe that to be the case (cool New England weather), and haven't purposely used the AC, but with it still barely Spring here, truthfully, AC didn't even really cross my mind.

bunk1968

I am searching for another Mazda 3 used.
I live in MI and am leary about buying one out of state, but I am hopeing that if it has low miles, and because of their good reliability rating, I may be safe.
I have found a 2004 hatch with Leather, Navigation, ABS, Moonroof, CD changer, and it has 10162 miles on it.
CAN ANYONE tell me if the car being from California has modifications done to it. I thought that I had heard that California requires certain modifications in order to cut down on pollution. I have also heard that this can affect the speed and performance of the vehicle??
Can anyone clear this up for me and let me know if paying 16,999 for this car is a good deal. I would have to pay about $800 for shipping. I was told the car was turned in by a pregnant woman who needed something larger so she purchased a Tribute. They told me the car is in perfect shape??
I know no gaurantee's.
Please give advice if you have answers and time. Thanks.
Oh, and what kind of mileage can I expect from city driving in this car?
Is it true that the leather is kind of slippery when you are having fun on the twisty roads with this car?
Is there any bugs with the 2004's that were not in the 2005's (air conditioning, brakes...) that I should worry about?? I heard things, but do not know the facts.

markls8

Hey Meade -

All those extra perks taken together when you consider their dollar value certainly do make the 3 an even better buy (for you). I also noticed that in the US you can get some options not available to us in Canada. When we ordered our car we got every available factory option on the car except leather seat (faces), and I still see in the owner's manual and on this forum that there are other options other than those which we have to buy in packages or trim levels. There does seem to be quite a few dealer add-on options available on top of these as well.

I plan on installing a few of these myself (eg. block heater, aluminum dash kit, rear bumper pad) because the very high dealer markup on these things permits me to pay myself over $100 per hour to do it. Not only that, but also I know the job gets done right!

We get a pro-rated tire warrantee as well, but I usually look at those as a way that they use to get you to buy another one of their tires once they're ready to be replaced (except, of course if the tire fails early).

I got caught ("hosed") in the Ford vs. Firestone fiasco with another car a couple of years ago. The tire's belts shifted. Took it to Firestone. Firestone said I didn't rotate the tires. I told Firestone I have a perfect record of rotation by the dealer (it was included in purchase price for the first 4 years of the car, so why would anyone NOT have it done?). Firestone said the dealer was just saying they rotated the tires without actually doing it... Huh!? I left vowing to never purchase a Firestone tire again. That was TWO strikes against them - inferior product plus inferior customer service. I did let the dealer know what Firestone was saying about them though.

Thanks for the tire link.

Brian.

relentless3

this is for bunk1968-$16999 is way too much for that car! Shop the internet and get an '05. they have improved them, especially with the brakes and air con problems! I just brought a new 3S last month for $16700. It has automatic and wheel locks and we love it. We have been averaging 26-28 mpg on gas. I live in Mo. and I shopped dealers through the internet that were 200 300 miles away from me and brought my best deal to my local dealer and was driving the 3S home within an hour! Good luck! Relentless3

npaladin2000

My dealer won't even put in synth until a certain mileage is reached...I forgot exactly what it was, but I think it's either 10k or 20k. Something about Mazda not recommending or allowing it.

Nice guys at my dealer...I know there's some out there that would take the opportunity to charge extra for an oil change and who cares about the warranty the poor customer just invalidated.

lacv75

Hi, any of you know where can I get Auto-light/auto-wiper kit?? It is a standard feature in some countries but no in the US....

satchmo

Since February I've owned a 2005 MZ3 5-door manual, and I have a couple of concerns: I sometimes have trouble shifting into reverse gear (most noticeable when engine is warm). Has anybody else noticed this? Could it be the nature of the beast? Or a question of clutch adjustment?
Also, when I'm cruising on the highway or secondary roads, I notice a slight whistling sound coming from the engine when I press the accelerator, even slightly. The sound is barely audible and not objectionable, but should I look into it?
Otherwise I'm really happy with the car, which rides, drives and (especially) handles very well indeed. (For those of you who want to capitalize on the Mazda3's great handling, you can replace the stock Goodyear RS tires with Toyo T1-S ultra performance tires, with impressive results --a simple expedient, albeit not cheap.)

jaw407

I just had my second oil change done at my local dealership on my 04' M3. The total charge for just an oil change and new filter (didn't even check the fluids) was $38.00. When I told the service rep. that I thought $38.00 was extremely high he told me they have to use a special filter and they also have to use synthetic oil. I've read my owners manual and can't find anywhere that specifies using synthetic oil. I'm going to start changing the oil myself (I found a website where I can buy the filter cheaper than my dealer). Does anyone know if synthetic oil is a MUST for the M3? I have a feeling I'm being taken for a ride by my dealer..........OH, they also told me I have to change the oil every 3000 miles, however the manual states the oil should be changed every 7.5 thousand miles.

cti

Who would you rather believe, the people who sold you the car or the people who designed it?

I'd find another place to get my car serviced.

Jason

kyfdx

Well.. almost every dealer will tell you that your oil needs to be changed every 3000 miles... whether it does or not...

But, I really doubt that they used synthetic.. My dealer is up to $31.95 for an oil/filter change and that is with regular oil...

If they did use synthetic, then that was a bargain, and I'd use them every time.. But, only every 7500 miles...

regards,
kyfdx

npaladin2000

Well.. almost every dealer will tell you that your oil needs to be changed every 3000 miles... whether it does or not...

Pretty much every oil change place will tell you that too. Listen to your owner's manual, not some guy who makes money the more often you bring your car in for oil.

2005mazda3i

i think i heard this noise the other day. got a litlle curious . i thought it was the AC but i didnt have on. as soon as let off the break it stopped.

waygrabow

My dealership charges $19.95 for the oil and filter change and an inspection. The dealerships recommends an oil change every 5000 miles, which is the same as I use on our other vehicles. I used to change the oil (myself at home) on all our vehicles every 3000 miles but, where we live now, most of our miles are easy driving highway-type trips so I think 5000 miles is adequate.

mdaffron

Not only does my dealer recommend oil changes every 3,000 miles, he's paying for the first 36,000 miles of them!

That and free tires for life ...

Meade

chacobleu

First, the whistling sound: unless someone else is in the car with you, it's probably the electric-hydraulic power steering, since it only happens when pressing on the accelerator. Though, I wonder why you only hear it when cruising on the highway?

Second, the tranny: I've been driving manuals for over 20 years, now (btw - I'm 35). I'm so used to grounding/neutralizing the tranny (don't recall what exactly gets grounded in the tranny) before shifting into reverse. I do this by engaging the clutch (all the way to the floor) and holding it there while I shift into 2nd gear then shift into reverse.

Hope this helps!

satchmo

Thanks for the observations. Yes, I did find them helpful. I think the reason I noticed this very slight whistling sound only on the open road is that I live in the city where the noise & traffic normally drown it out. I'm a bit puzzled as to why the source would be in the steering as it doesn't seem to respond to steering input.
I do appreciate your comments on shifting into reverse. I suppose they imply that, rather than look for some defect, I simply should adjust to what is really a normal situation.

lisa26

7500 miles is only if you travel in perfect weather and road conditions (consult the manual for the details). I went in for my second oil change after 3K miles and my dealer told me that I should wait and save my money. With the conditions in Los Angeles traffic, 5000 should be enough but he suggested 3,000 if I plan on keeping my car for a long time and want it running smoothly. I'll have to ask about the synthetic oil when I go in this weekend.

kyfdx

Well... it doesn't have to be perfect.. just normal.. Your engine doesn't care about the weather much.. Dusty conditions and your driving habits are more germane to whether you will need to follow the normal or severe maintenance schedule..

I'm curious about the synthetic oil thing, also....

regards,
kyfdx