Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

ecofun

thanks.

sandman46

We've got that on our 3s and did the induction service (89.99), air filter (26.00), and an oil & filter swap this weekend. Went to a tire shop, as the Mazda dealer wouldn't price match. We bought a prepaid maintenance plan which goes for 45k miles. That covers 15 oil & filter changes, 7 tire rotations, 2 radiator flushes and a tranny service @ 30k miles. The only other expenses have been a set of wiper blades, a set of 4 tires & 2 tires prorated for road hazard issues.
Car's been pretty flawless and after the 45k mark, I plan to stretch the oil & filter swaps out to 5k miles. We should hit that in about a year and am predicting we swap cars in either 2010 or 2011, if the wife doesn't want to do it sooner. She still very happy with her choice.

The Sandman

chavis10

I just got that issue handled today. The strut bearings are worn out and your dealer should replace them under warranty. My car is junk- had two broken engine mounts too. The work cost Mazda about $800.

sportman

My wife likes her new "3" 5 door Touring Edition and so do I.

How about a thread for people who actually get their hands dirty once in a while - like installing remote starters, back up sensors, changing horns so it sounds better, hard wiring that radar detector, etc.

For starters, what's with the cartridge oil filter? I thought they went out back in the fifties. Does anyone know why the switch back? Is their a simple way to convert to spin on type?

roadburner

For starters, what's with the cartridge oil filter? I thought they went out back in the fifties. Does anyone know why the switch back? Is their a simple way to convert to spin on type?

To begin with, the new cartridge filters are much simpler to change than their '50s ancestors; simply unscrew the filter drain plug, let that oil drain, then unscrew the main canister. To install, replace the o-rings on the canister and plug, then simply fit the new filter element to the canister and screw it back on, followed by the drain plug. BMW has used this type of filter assembly for over two decades, the only difference being that Munich mounts it on top of the engine, which makes DIY oil changes a 15 minute snap.
As for replacing the filter with a spin-on, it can be done- but I've heard(and haven't verified) that Mazda may not honor the powertrain warranty if a spin on assembly has been fitted and the warranty issue is lubrication related. In my case, I plan retain the canister setup on my Mazdaspeed- and spend the money on a CAI :P

sportman

I appreciate your input but just because BMW uses it doesn't satisfy my curiosity, i.e. "German Engineering is an oxymoron."

You have outlined a six step procedure in place of two steps. Does the canister provide better filtration? Is the aluminum housing intended to provide increased oil cooling? What's the real reason?

Again, I do not believe Mazda is using it because BMW does.

sandman46

Had these service performed last week plus the oil changed. Car tracks very straight now, as it was cocked to the left a bit. The tech said it was out only a slight bit but all's perfect now. Will be interested to see if the mpg's rise a bit with the cleaning of the injectors combined with the new air filter. Drove it last night and it seemed a bit more energetic. But since I hardly drive the car, it could've been just a perceived increase in power.
Got the nitro-fill done, a free coupon from the dealer, and feel no difference at all. Not quite sure what all the hype is about. Hopefully they won't need to be topped off as often as regular air does. Since all the tires are relatively new, 3 from December and 1 from last week(love that road hazard quarantee), I'll keep a close eye on them.
Zoom Zoom!

The Sandman

roadburner

I appreciate your input but just because BMW uses it doesn't satisfy my curiosity, i.e. "German Engineering is an oxymoron."

Gotta love reverse snobbery/jealousy. My point was that BMW's implementation was superior because of the topside mounting.

You have outlined a six step procedure in place of two steps. Does the canister provide better filtration? Is the aluminum housing intended to provide increased oil cooling? What's the real reason?

Most likely to aid in used oil recovery/recycling- that's one reason why it's utilized in Europe.

Again, I do not believe Mazda is using it because BMW does.

And again, I never said that.

sportman

Reverse Snobbery!!! - I have owned Mercedes and Audi vehicles and my premise remains - German Engineering is an oxymoron. A German Vehicle will never again have me as an owner.

This is off message and I can see that you are up for a urinating contest which I have no interest in engaging. If you prefer German iron then by all means buy it. All initial quality surveys rank them far behind the Japanese, South Koreans and many American brands.

You get the last shot - I will not reply to this thread again.

andre1969

I've heard that the main reason they're going back to them, versus the spin-on type, is for environmental purposes. It's hard to get the old oil out of a spin-on cannister, so they often end up in landfills partially full of oil. Even if you turn one of those cannisters upside-down, it'll still hold oil. I guess if you really wanted to get tree-huggy, you could drill or punch a hole in the cannister and let it drain out first, but I dunno if that would still get it all out.

Those drop-in cartridges, while a pain in the rear, don't hold nearly as much oil, so when they get disposed of, they're better for the environment. Now the only experience I've had with a drop-in cartridge is with a 1957 DeSoto 341 Hemi. Royal pain in the rear, although I think that's more an issue of where the filter is located, kind of wedged under one of the Hemi heads but above the exhaust, and cocked at an angle. It's a pain to change, and evidently enough people griped, because for 1958, when they switched to Wedge-heads, they went to a spin-on cannister!

I've never had a new car with that setup, so I can't comment.

roadburner

The cartridge filters on the early BMW six cylinders were accessed from underneath the car and were also a bit of a pain to change. My 1996 Triumph Speed Triple also uses a cartridge but, like the top mounted BMW units, it's dead easy to change.
In high school my best friend's dad had a very clean 1955 DeSoto. We drove it around quite a bit in the mid 1970s. I think he ended up selling it for $1000 around 1980... :surprise:

jt120

Just changed oil and filter for the first time on my 2.3 and I kind of like the cartridge system.:) I think having a drain plug in the cartridge makes for a less messy operation overall.
What I think is a pain is removing the access pan/cover. If it wasn't for that it'd be a much quicker job. It's also too bad the oil pan drain plug doesn't face forward which would make getting to it easier.

roadburner

What I think is a pain is removing the access pan/cover. If it wasn't for that it'd be a much quicker job. It's also too bad the oil pan drain plug doesn't face forward which would make getting to it easier.

Agreed, that's the most annoying thing about the whole process. On my wife's old 528i the undertray had a molded opening for the drain plug. If you did need to take the undertray off it was secured by quarter-turn captive fasteners- a much simpler solution than Mazda's combination of bolts and plastic rivets.

conall

My A/C keeps the car plenty cool, as long as it is working.
Has anyone else's A/C been cutting off at random times?
Mine has been cutting off whether using fresh or recirculated air, during city or highway driving, just starting the engine or having run half a day.
I can tolerate alot of heat, but in such a new car I shouldn't have to.
The car has just been paid off and is still on warranty for another year, but the mechanics haven't found the problem.
They have replaced seals and recharged it so far.
I have a '04 with only about 27k miles.

shaypara

I have had some of the same problems that z71bill/rogerb1956 reported.
He mentioned he took a list of TSBs to the dealer and they fixed them.
My question is did they charge for it, i.e. do the NHTSA TSBs get fixed for free or does the dealer charge for it ?

Mr_Shiftright

I think TSBs are all internal and are optional with the dealer. He doesn't have to fix anything on the TSB as far as the gov'mint is concerned. I think he can just file them as he gets them. TSBs are not a recall, they are an advisory from the factory for the dealer who might be getting lots of complaints on one subject. I'm not sure how compensation for work performed under TSB is handled--whether it's handled as a warranty repair. I could check that if no one here knows the answer.

nifty56

You are wrong, saying it in a nice way, but the 50's canister filter is easier to replace than my Mazda.
I know I have a 1956 Olds that I have converted to a spin on. Before that I changed the filter my self. First of all no annoying under belly cover to remove. The housing is made of steel not plastic so no worries of cracking it like some have. My car has the filter drain plug. Remove the canister, take out the old filter, put in new filter, bolt back on, no need for a torque wrench, also no special tools. I rest my case.

roadburner

I know I have a 1956 Olds that I have converted to a spin on. Before that I changed the filter my self.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'm putting my Mazdaspeed3 and E36 3er up for sale and starting my search for a 1956 Olds... :P

ukzmisr

Found this if it is useful to anyone

http://www.icestormdesign.com/mwcc/mazda/manual/
http://www.miata.net/garage/nbaudio/#2DINSNB

nifty56

Hope you have the doe some are worth more than your mazda and E36, Olds, or any vintage going up in value and yours going down...hope you are successful in your search,,need any help..so whats the point of your post??

roadburner

Hope you have the doe

When did we start discussing forest animals?

some are worth more than your mazda and E36, Olds, or any vintage going up in value and yours(sic) going down...

Thank you, Mr. Obvious!

so whats the point of your post??

If you have to ask...

PF_Flyer

Let's stick to talking about the vehicles and resist the urge to comment on each other please.

Thanks

ru03j89

hello
I just bought a mazda3 s with 300 miles on it. however, I was wondering when I should bring the car into the dealer for ANY sort of maintenance. The dealer told me to do it at 3000 miles...? is he trying to rip me off?
what would you guys do?
thanks
Jas

JBaumgart

I would go with what the dealer recommends, just don't let them do any additional services other than what's listed in your owner's manual.

roadburner

Go by the maintenance schedule in your owners manual. The shortest recommended interval is every 5000 miles, which is the service interval I use for my MS3. There's simply no need to bring it to the dealer every 3000 miles unless you enjoy throwing money out the window.

JBaumgart

For the first oil change I went early, at around 1,500 miles, which may not be necessary but it made me feel better. I then had it changed at 5,000 and 10,000 and will stick to a 5,000 service interval (using synthetic oil) in the future.

roadburner

For the first oil change I went early, at around 1,500 miles, which may not be necessary but it made me feel better.

That's certainly not a bad idea, but I didn't do it. I'm probably going to switch to synthetic at the first 5000 mile change. In my other cars I run synthetics with oil change intervals of 7000-8500 miles, but with the MS3 I'm going conservative because of the turbo as well as the direct injection fuel dilution issues.

ru03j89

alight thanks guys. That really helped. When I bought the car the dealer included 1 oil change... So what does that include?
synthetic oil?
Also have another question
Whenever i have the car in P position and press on the breaks I hear some clicking sound. Also, when I have my hand on the gears while doing this I feel some vibration. Is this normal? I dont recall having this when I first bought the car...
thanks

roadburner

When I bought the car the dealer included 1 oil change... So what does that include?

Probably just an oil change. The 5000 mile service includes an oil change, a tire rotation, and an inspection of various systems.

synthetic oil?

I doubt it.

ru03j89

sorry what is the 5000 mile service? is it free?
they told me to go back at 3750 mile??
also what is synthetic oil?
sorry if my questions are really dumb. I am a new driver
thanks

JBaumgart

When the car was purchased the dealer may have given you a free service coupon so that the first service is free. If you can't find anything in your purchase documentation about complimentory service or discounts then you will pay the full amount when you bring it in. For routine oil changes which should include a check of a bunch of other fluids and components the cost is nominal anyway, expect around $30 - $40 or so.

If you are going to use regular (conventional) motor oil, which should be fine if you change it regularly, it will be cheaper than synthetic oil, like Mobil 1. Synthetic oil doesn't break down as fast as regular oil and therefore you can safely go a little longer between changes. 5,000 miles or even 7,500 miles should be no problem - just check the level periodically, at least once a month, and make sure it doesn't get below the lower mark on the dipstick. And never add too much oil to bring it above the higher mark on the dipstick. Keep it right in between and you'll be fine. The difference between the low and high marks is roughly a quart, so if you do have to add some it will probably require less than a whole quart. This advice on checking oil applies to both the conventional and synthetic types. If you've never checked and added oil before and are unsure how to do it, have the dealer or an experienced driver show you how.

For the first service it's probably a good idea to bring it in at the 3,750 mile mark just to make sure everything is functioning as it should. If you stay with conventional oil then you also may want to maintain the 3,750 mile interval from then on, and you should get many trouble free miles out of your car. Regular maintainance is cheap compared to letting things slide and having to pay for a major repair. Get familiar with what it says in your owners manual so you don't end up accepting unnecessary servicing things the dealer recommends - many of these are a waste of (your) money which the dealer profits from. Just have him do what is recommended in your owners manual so that your warranty stays in effect.

Good luck!

tiff_c

sorry what is the 5000 mile service? is it free?
they told me to go back at 3750 mile??
also what is synthetic oil?
sorry if my questions are really dumb. I am a new driver
thanks

Your questions for a new driver are very normal and you have to learn sometime.
Keep in mind that car dealers do not always do what is best for your car. Even worse the ones doing free maintainance.
Yes you need to follow their requirements for the sake of the warranty but let's say you live in a city with a ton of traffic and pollution, lots of stop and go traffic, or you haul a lot of stuff all the time.
You are far better off to change your oil more frequently because those conditions are harsh on your engine.
What I would suggest is that you use Dino oil (regular oil)
and change your oil at 1,000 miles. Then change it next when the dealer says to, then every 3,000 miles with Dino oil. After 10,000 miles or so the engine is mostly broken in and you can run synthetic oil. Synthetic oils will help the engine last longer. I use regular oil but change it out every 3,000 miles. I'm well out of warranty now and no drama with the engine at all.
Honda has a thing where you can go 10,000 miles on the oil, well that's nice..... but unless it's synthetic oil in easy driving I'd get it changed as I do now. Your warranty is not going to be voided because you change your oil more often. It's cheap insurance. How long do you want to own your car? If a long time, change the oil and filter.

roadburner

sorry what is the 5000 mile service? is it free?

No, but it's what Mazda calls for. Basically, they want you to change the oil, rotate the tires and inspect the car at 5000 mile intervals.

they told me to go back at 3750 mile??

It wouldn't hurt to do do that for the first oil change; after that anything other than 5000 mile changes is overkill- unless all your driving involves short trips of less than 10 miles.

also what is synthetic oil?

Synthetic oil is oil that is artificially made rather than refined from crude oil. Synthetic motor oil can provide improved protection to engine parts and allow longer oil change intervals, depending on the vehicle and the operating conditions. In your situation I suspect synthetic oil is not needed and I would simply use a good conventional oil and change it at 5000 mile intervals.

sorry if my questions are really dumb. I am a new driver

Your questions aren't dumb; how else are you supposed to learn? Let me know if you have any more questions.

mariod

What's is a strut bearing noise? My 2005 Mazda 3s makes a strange noise when i hit small bumps on the road at low speeds, 15 to 40 MPH.

Help....

PF_Flyer

The Mazda Club Chat is on tonight. The chat room opens at 8:45PM ET Hope to see YOU there! Check out the schedule

eoghan1

What is this about "direct injection fuel dilution"? I don't have DI on my standard 3S but am curious what you mean. Maybe you mean oil dilution caused by fuel more directly entering the cylinder? Even if so, this is the first I heard of such.

roadburner

Sorry, I am referring to dilution of the oil by fuel. It is proving to be a common problem with DI engines. In addition to the DISI 2.3, it has been detected in the BMW N54 twin turbo as well as the Audi RS4 NA V8.

inwilddreams

I am hoping that there is someone that can give me some intelligent advice. I bought a used 2004 Mazda 3 with 29,000 miles a year and 5 months ago from a local dealership. It now has close to 65,000 miles on it. While driving to work last week, I heard a loud pinging noise coming from the engine. That night I had it towed to a local repair shop. They told me that, at the least, it needs a new crank shaft ($1500)and possibly a new engine for $6800. I did not buy the extended warranty due to the advice of the two men that were with me when I bought the car. This is the 15th vehicle I have had in my life, and I have never ever had to do any kind of major repairs like this to any of them, some well over 200,000 miles. So I am just not understanding how this is possible. (And No, I did not run it out of oil!!) I have never owned another Mazda before, so I am unaware of their history and reputation in most categories. Other than this event, I love this car. Does anyone have any advice or similar experiences? PLEASE HELP!!

autonomous

I would get a second opinion, from a Mazda dealership.
Did your first advisor scan the car?

Mazda3 is a continuation of the Mazda Protege line which has had a long reputable history.

mariod

Wow, New engine... That seems VERY odd. Check to see if the dealer gave you and kind of warranty when u bought the car, they may have. then bring your car to a few Mazda dealers and get a few more opinions. Don't share any of them with the other dealers (yet). If you do need a huge repair ask the dealer that you bought it from to help you pay for it. due the car being pretty new and this is NOT a common problem they (mazda cooperate) may pick up some of the charges.
Good luck! and Zoom-Zoom. I love my Mazda3 it's the best car i owned!!!

yu203964

It's the cracking noise from the struts when you turn the wheels. It happens when the bearings are dry and with no lubricant. You can hear it even the car is idle. Your noise on small bumps I think is due to other issues.

mariod

Thanks for the reply... BUT, I just got the noise fixed a few days ago. It was coming from my brakes NOT being installed correctly! I had my rear breaks done at a Mazda dealer about 6 months ago and I guess the mechanic that changed them did not install them correctly... So the metal spring or bracket broke and would scrap everytime I went over a bump... Strange... So the new Mazda dealer replaced them free of charge. No more noise......

sandman46

Best to look in the owners manual to see what is recommended depending on one's particular driving style. One can always modify the schedule to one's own needs. Every person is going to have a different opinion on when to change out the oil & filter but consult the manual and use it as your benchmark.
My Civic has the oil life monitor which takes the guess work out and I suspect that the next generation 3 will also include this feature. Don't know why it's not standard on every car by now. Would probably save a whole lot of wasted perfectly good oil in this world. And we all need to remember that oil is not an infinite resource...sooner than later we will deplete the earths oil supply.

The Sandman :mad:

ex_tdier

It seems different dealers locally have different opinions or recommendations when you should do the flush. Some say 56,000 KM, others say when the AT fluid looks grey, others say every 2 years.

I dont buy the recommendation to do it when the fluid looks grey, it's already too late. There seems to be no general consensus.

mazdazoom

I suppose you may get a different answer depending on who you ask, but generally speaking most manuals call for an AT fluid flush at approx. 60,000 miles. That is what I have always done and I have never had a problem. You can keep an eye on the fluid yourself, it should be reddish in color. If it is a very dark red or blackish color and smells somewhat burned you are already on your way to having problems. Check the AT fluid regularly and when if the discoloration starts to get bad before 50-60K miles I would flush it. It never hurts to do it early, but can kill you if you wait forever . Good Luck.

autonomous

When I asked my dealer rep about servicing the AT fluid, he advised around 50,000 Km which corresponds to the following recommendation: "Most experts still recommend changing the fluid and filter every 2 to 3 years or 24,000 to 36,000 miles" (see http://www.aa1car.com/library/atf.htm)

Being unaware of this, I did not get mine changed until my Mazda reached nearly 100,000 Km. The transmission had no apparent problems. After the service, the transmission seemed very smooth.

My previous car, a 1991 Toyota Corolla automatic, never had any AT work done and it's happily chugging along at over 200,000 km.

drewbacca

Before I go postal on the dealer who last serviced my car, I thought I should ask some folks online what they might think is wrong with my car. I purchased a pre-owned 2005 Mazda3 sedan (2.3) in May, and I'm about to bring it back in for service for the third time.

A little over a month ago, the power-steering light came on in my car. After restarting, it went away for a few minutes -- then the light came back on, followed by the engine light, the AT light, the speedometer stopped working altogether and the power steering went out. Was not a great moment for me.

As the car is still under factory warranty, I took it to a local dealer. I assumed something was wrong with the car's computer, but the dealer told me the car needed a whole new transmission. Sounded funny to me, but I don't know enough about cars to argue (and it was under warranty), so I handed my car to them for 10 days.

When I got my car back, it drove a little strange at first, but the very next day it rained (which is rare for Los Angeles, where I live) and the car began stalling every time I came to a stop in-gear. I brought the car right back to the same dealer, and was called the next day by a mechanic who said they drove the car for 15 miles and couldn't duplicate the problem -- the car seemed fine. I should add that the weather was quite nice that day.

So ... here I am 2-3 weeks later and it has gotten cold and rainy outside, and what happens (in my car with the brand new transmission)? My car begins idling funny, when I begin driving it jumps immediately to 4th gear, then 1st, the power-steering light comes on, followed by the engine light, the speedometer stops working, etc. ALL of the problems I had before I took my car to the dealer a month ago.

So ... I'm obviously not going back to the same dealer to service my car, but I was hoping someone out there who doesn't stand to make a buck out of my problems might be able to speculate what's going wrong. I would really appreciate any help you could give me.

Many thanks in advance,

Drew

mazdazoom

I know that sometimes an AT will "slip" if the synchro's are worn out, it is possible they did not replace them when they replaced/rebuilt the transmission, I would be curious if they dropped a brand new tranny in there or just replaced parts and "rebuilt" your crappy old one. I have no idea why the rainy weather would have an impact, but if it were me I would take it back once more since it is under warranty and demand that everything be replaced with new parts and demand documentation. If you have the problems again you should be able to replace the whole car under the lemon law, at least I know you can do that in Texas. You may even be able to do that now...? Good Luck man...

autonomous

It does sound suspicious if your car is having all the same problems that it had before the "fix". I suggest you start a written documentation trail and record each event (including each time you have a problem with the specifics, the visits to the dealer, communication with the dealer and Mazda USA). Speaking of which you should prepare letters / emails to the dealer copied to Mazda USA. Good luck.

p.s. Moisture (e.g. rain) can affect electrical equipment.

drewbacca

I just spoke with my sister and she said that she had similar problems with her old car (I believe it was a Jetta) when it rained, and her car's problem was that the distributor cap was cracked which was allowing moisture inside. I'll admit to being a complete idiot when it comes to cars, but does this sound like it could be the problem with my Mazda?

Many thanks for your responses!