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Comments
Also, there is a wind whistle coming from the left side of the car at highway speeds. The dealer also could not find anything wrong, although he did hear the noise.
Any suggestions?
I sprayed the bolt where the seatbelt buckle attaches to the seat with some Dupont Teflon Silicone spray and all seems to be quiet now.
If you look between the drivers seat and the center console you'll see a bolt that attaches the buckle to the seat. There is a small plastic lock-washer between the bolt-head and the buckle mechanism, it seems that washer is binding and making the "creaking" noise. I chose the Teflon/Silicone because it's specifically designed for to reduce binding between metal and plastic.
Here's a link to what I used:
Dupont Spray at Lowes
Welcome to the world of unknowns. This plagues my 05 M3too. It started happening about the same time, 5000 KM (that's metric). At least you know when your stall will likely to happen. The dealer couldnt recreate the problem for me. As of this moment, according to Mazda, your vehicle is operating within spec [so don't bother us]. The latter part is what they really mean. I think the dealers are not doing any more troubleshooting either on this issue. Looks like they have been ordered not to do so by Mazda. YOu may get a road test, but that's about it.
I completed a Mazda reliablitly survey that included info to JD Powers. So, to the poster that mentioned it only looks at reliability for the first 90 days is mistaken. In one of the questions, it asked if I had any wind or road noises.
This seems to be a common problem. And will Mazda do anything about it? What they will do is ensure it's not evident in other model years but leave those of us with the problem stranded. Good job Mazda!!
BTW, can you say, "Class Action Lawsuit"?....I knew you could.
The sound comes and goes - but seems to happen when I "hit the brakes" from 45MPH - its like the body of the car is flexing because of the torque being caused by applying the brakes.
I also get the creaking noise when going slow and turning - like into my driveway - that is on an incline - but - when I get the creaking noise as I pull into my drive way - if I back out and pull in a second time the creaking is gone - it only happens once - but If I drive around the block - then pull into my driveway again - CREAK.
I have also lubed everything - door seals, hinges - moon roof - at times I think I have it solved - but it always comes back.
The class action lawsuit would be a waste of time - unless you are the lawyer - it would take years - so even if you win in 2010 - and get a few coupons for a free oil change and maybe a $200 discount on a new Mazda - it would be a hollow victory. The lawyers may get $100,000,000 in cash but that does not make me feel any better.
Again, Mazda's mentality, ideology and beliefs is so freaken close to Ford's that we really should not be calling our cars Mazdas but Formaz or Mazford.
Hearing all this really sickens me. Arggh! Time for my anxiety pill. :mad:
The sound comes and goes
I got that too. :lemon:
A class action lawsuit would NOT be a waste of time because it would be the lawyers that do ALL or most of the work. That's why we have to pool together and find a lawyer friend that can do this....but in Canada, we don't like to sue one another. We handle most our disputes over some beer and back bacon. If we do go to court, the judge will look at you and say to himself, why should you get something, you [non-permissible content removed]?! then says "dismissed" or award you ~ $1.oo if you have overwhelming evidence. In the absence of tough criminal sentences and lemon aide laws, it's a really bizarre criminal and tort system. No wonder it's a haven for con artists worldwide.
Volmaz or Mazvol or Mazvolford
thanks
Mark P.S If it has not been answerd, cooling fan should be on with a/c, speed controlled by system pressure, and mine continues to run a few secs after vehicle is shut down, normal operation.
The rubber seal (weather stripping) around the doors - wiped them down with silicone - no change
The plastic Side Sill Extensions - if I pushed on them I would get a similar creak - my thought was when the body flexed the plastic was rubbing against the car - I put enough lube on them so they no longer creak when I push on them - but it did not solve my problem
The moon roof - the rubber seal was dry - if I pushed on the moon roof I would get a creak - siliconemade it quiet - but my creak is not
let me know if the seat belt adjuster does anything to solve it - I don't plan on taking my car in until it needs another oil change - which is 3-4 months away.
I am starting to think that the noise is a result of something in the body of the car was not welded properly - maybe it is tack welded - so the flex is causing the metal to move just enough to make a creaking sound.
It was no worth the wait - and at that point I really thought I could just figure it out on my own.
Maybe Mazda will issue a TSB for it - maybe gas will go back down to $.99 a gallon - and my AC will start blowing ice cold air - it could happen!
Hi, we just bought a Mazda 3 with the same problem. I was wondering if your car continued to shift smoothly after the re-flashing, or if the problem has since come back.
On the last 5 minutes of drive to work, today I was traveling behind a Lexus IS 350. Rear wheels were caked with brake dust with the fronts relatively clean (observed while making right angle turns). Either they have the same issue or characteristics as the Mazda 3 braking systerm or the tires were rotated and the rims have not been cleaned, since.
My AC has been weak from the start - I have done just about everything I can do to get Mazda to resolve the issue - no luck yet.
On one of my many visits to the dealership service department to try and get my AC fixed a Mazda corporate tech was at the dealership - he checked over my AC and of course claimed it was operating as designed. But I did have a chance to talk with him.
I had the same concern as you do about the radiator fan - it seems small and if you don't have enough air flow over the condenser no system will cool very well.
I ask the Mazda tech if installing a second fan that is wired to turn on as soon as the AC compressor comes on would improve the cooling capacity of the system.
His answer surprised me a little - he said it would do little or nothing to improve the system. Since my AC is just about worthless when I am stuck in heavy traffic I really though some increased air flow would help.
I even did some checking - there are many after market fans available - I almost bought one - I was going to hook it up with a toggle switch so I could turn it off and on when ever I wanted - and if it improved my AC I would have added the automatic control feature. I think the cost was around $100 for the kit.
The thing that stopped me from adding a fan (besides the advise from the Mazda tech) was a little test I did on my own.
I took my air compressor and hooked it up so I could blow air through my condenser - wife thought I had lost my mind - I also stuck a thermometer in my AC vent so I could monitor the temperature of the air.
The result was - no improvement - the air temp did not change - the compressor still cycled on and off the same - and I concluded - it was a waste of time to add a fan.
The A/C *should* cool just fine at level 1 but it doesn't. Having it higher than level 1 makes inside your ride quite noisey but that may be ok for many since they have there Ipod or sound system cranked up quite high anyways so they like or dont mind the "noise"
I pretty much dismiss those people who say their A/C is fine with their 2005 3's and earlier model years.
It is hooked on to the radiator with zip ties that are put through the fins - I had a vision of a radiator leak caused by the zip tie -
If my compressed air test would have even shown a small improvement in air vent temp I would have moved forward with the fan.
One other option would be to see if any parts from the RX-8 could be used on the Mazda3 - the RX-8 uses a 2 fan system.
I am trying to recall exactly what the Mazda tech told me concerning the condenser - its been a while - He picked his words very carefully - he said Mazda was aware of the AC ISSUE - he also said that the evaperator / air handling box was a new design - also said that the condenser and compressor had been used in other vehicles and had not been a problem. This lead me to believe it was not the compressor or condenser - which pretty much leaves the evaperator - which is one of the parts that was redesigned - made smaller I think.
The Mazda TSB to add the diffusser in front of the evaperator also makes me think that Mazda knows the evaperator is the problem -
I will guess it would cost Mazda a small fortune to rip out the small evaperator and install a larger one. This is IMO the reason Mazda is not fixing the problem. They simply do not want to spend the money.
Wow, you got more info from your dealer and mechanic than 99.9% of the rest of us.
It has 2500 miles on it. I took it to be serviced after the first incident. The paperwork stated that it was an internal failure and they updated the calibration: EGI system, purge solenoid valve, and the powertrain control module.
However, being only 22 and this being my first purchased car on my own, this seems like a load of [non-permissible content removed].
Not sure what my next step should be. Any suggestions?
Does the 2006 Mazda 3 still have:
The stalling problem?
Weak AC?
and is the AC improved in the Grand Touring (vs the touring)?
Other specific (and semi-disasterous) defects?
Which of these problems might be apparent at the dealership?
thanks-in-advance.
Luckily I haven't had any problems with my A/C but still have that wind whistle as highway speeds.
NO offense, but it sounds like the dealer is telling you bs. They don't get their engineers to come to a dealership, especially since this problem has been going of for sometime and effecting a lot of Mazda3's.
In any case, if anyone can verify that there is indeed a flash out there for stalling, please post the warranty code number.
Sometimes my 3 drives great and then some days it drives like I'm dragging an anchor. No rhyme nor reason - use the same quality gas all the time - have switched and used a different gas for a while - no difference.
I get 20-22 mpg consistently - 50/50 highway/city driving - no A/C, no defrost. The best mpg I got was 25mpg once.
I have had my car at the dealer 3 times with nothing achieved - no CEL - nothing to fix is their motto.
I'm ready to sell - any help or ideas?
My CD player will spit CD's out over the smallest bumps, it will spit out a CD out when parked if the interior gets hot and now won't eject a CD.
Just wondering if anyone else is having the same problem.
Onto some good news: Dealer told me that there is a new fix coming out that should "help" witht the poor A/C. He said to hang-tight!
A month or so ago my car was getting hard to start in the morning - I called service and set a time to have the car looked at - I thought the fuel pump was going bad - again.
I had less than 1/4 tank - so I decided to fill up the night before - Next morning car started fine - I thought the problem went away - no need to take it in because they could never find the problem. But as my tank goes down my car becomes harder to start - I thought it was just a strange coincidence - but I have been starting to think this is a real problem.
The hard part is - what can possible cause a hard start condition just because the gas tank is low?
Dirty or contaminated gas tank, inadequate fuel pressure? Just guessing.
Y'all are describing it as if it were some kind of mystic and arcane procedure, when the reality is quite mundane - if a bit far-reaching.
Anyway, the more I read this thread the happier I am with my non-Mazda3 hatch, which had been, for a while, the exact car I was looking for...