Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

dinu01

I heard of a similar incident but with the HB. Unfortunately, we're not allowed to post links but if you check other Mazda3 forums you may find the info.

Dinu

audia8q

If a dealer sells and installs a non-mazda item that has caused a problem the dealer should stand behind it.....unless the consumer was warned it might cause a problem and the consumer still insists the item be installed.

mazda6s

I agree.

pocketrocket

Fellow M3'ers are you satisfied with the performance of your a/c system? I'm not!!
I have had my M3 for only a week and I notice the a/c doesn't cool properly. This being a new vehicle I expect the system, when put in max cool mode, to get cool enough to "Hang Meat!"..... What I notice my system doing is the vent temp constantly cycles between very cold and barely cool. Now I know the compressor will cycle off when your under acceleration, but my constant, and I mean constant ,temperature change occurs even when I'm on level ground and not accelerating. I took my car to the service department, they checked it out and said they could not find anything wrong. So how about it guys, what do you think? does your system perform this way?

Thanks for any feedback..

m3momma

Has any one gone to the NHTSA and complained about this problem?? National Highway Traffic Safety Administration??? It seems to me that if we all let them know about this safety related issue. they may be able to get Mazda off their butts faster than all of us complaining individually. there is an easy to fill out on line complaint form. you need your cars vin# etc and then just type in your issue. I did.

www.nhtsa.dot.gov

z71bill

I have the exact same issue with my AC - at times it blows cool - but not real cold - then 5 minutes later the air is very cold.

I even did a test comparing the air temp of my 2001 Tahoe VS the Mazda3. The outside temperature was almost 85 degrees - both cars were sitting in the sun after about 10 minutes of high cool in recirc mode the temperature of the air coming out of the vent in the Tahoe was 51 degrees the Mazda was at 56. I am not claiming to be an expert, but a 29 degree change in air temperature seems OK to me - I concluded the AC was working. But I am still concerned that when the outside temp gets close to 100 degrees that my Black Mazda3 will be hard to keep cool.

I plan to have the dealer look at it when I go in for my first oil change.

bigdadi118

I don't think it's fair to use a monster like Tahoe to compare a economy Mazda3. I am sure the A/C design is different between the 2. Try to do same test on same class like Sentra, Civic and Corolla and see how their temp readings in 10 min.

pocketrocket

that is one of my primary concerns as well, since I live in Florida. The dealership here says they go by a temp difference of 40 degrees between outside temp and vent temp as their standard. I got a second opinion at a a/c service center that I had used before on another vehicle of mine and their standard is 30 degrees difference. Mine meets both their standards (barely), although I feel that there is still something not right about this constant change between blowing cold air and barely cool air.
Please post what you find out when you have it checked out at your dealership.

nctrnlrdhd

I have not bought the 3 yet due to the comments in this group. On my last test drive, I noticed the a/c problem. Living in Houston, you don't want an a/c that cuts out. I test the a/c in every car I look at. If you find out what the deal is please post it. The sales guy claimed this is "normal". The a/c in my 1992 Protege works much better than the a/c in the 3. I will say that the a/c in the Protege is only mediocre compared ot a bigger car, but I would expect that . The change the 3 is not what I would expect. I cannot not figure this one out. I did notice that the a/c worsened when I switched the car to the manual mode.

Conrad

pocketrocket

Conrad & Z71bill,

After further researching the entire Mazda Owners Club forums, I have found that our a/c problem is prevelent with the RX-8 as well. According to some of these owners, Mazda is aware of the problem but have not come up with a fix yet.

Funny,my service advisor didn't mention their knowledge of this problem.

But he will come tomorrow, I guarantee you that!

I wish I had noticed this problem on my test drive like you did, I would not have bought the car!

That's a shame too! because I really like this car. They had better come up with a fix real soon because it is going to get very hot soon here in Florida.

roger341

If the brake dust on the rear rotors is because the emergency brake is not fully disengaged, would the following test determine that to be the case?

When traffic is light, it's possible for me to drive the car for several miles and come to a gradual stop without applying the brakes whatsoever, from start to finish.

If I got out and felt the rotors, should they be cool to the touch? I'm thinking they should, unless the emerg brake is dragging a bit, in which case they should be at least warm if not hot.

Does that test seem reasonable?

mazda6s

The rotors will take quite a while to cool down, so you would have to go for quite some distance without touching the brakes.

roger341

What I'm saying is that at no time, from start to finish of the test, would the brakes be applied.

So under those conditions, the rotors shouldn't be even warm, unless the emerg brake didn't fully disengage.

mdaffron

Hey all, I don't own a 3, but I think it's a fair bet to say that the a/c system in the 3 is closely related to (if not exactly the same as) the one in the last-generation Protege.

My 2000 ES 5-speed is my third Protege; I owned two 1992s in the past. And right now my wife drives a 2002 Protege5, so you could say I'm "eat up" with the Protege experience.

One thing I've noticed -- and this comes up every spring when new Protege owners turn on their a/c -- is that the a/c systems in Proteges seem to work most efficiently when the engine is above about 1500 rpm. At idle their cooling capabilities are kind of mediocre, but get going down the road and they kick the proverbial butt.

I'm a big guy (270 pounds), and I live in Richmond, Virginia, whose 95-degree, 100-percent humidity Augusts can be pure hell. Even so, I find myself turning the thermostat UP in my 2000 ES after cruising down the highway for a while. I once stuck the probe to a digital thermometer in the vents of my Protege after a romp down the highway, and found that the a/c'd air blowing out of them was blowing a chilly 42 degrees!

Give it a try. Just remember, keep it in recirculate!

Meade

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nctrnlrdhd

Like I said before, I drive a 1992 Mazda Protege. The a/c in it still work (knock wood). I have to use it year round in Houston.

The a/c in the Mazda3 is not even as good as in my '92 Protege. The newer a/c cuts on and off depending on the what you are doing. When I would try to pass someone, the a/c would shut off. I experienced that a few times on my test drive.

 I opted to not buy the car due to this. I asked the Mazda reps at the car show and they claim to know nothing about this problem. The dealership claims the same. If they can't take responsibility for their mistakes, then I don't have time for them.

Obviously, I have been watching this board to see if the initial problems were getting worked out. It appears they are not. It looks like a Toyota Matrix or Rav for me.

Conrad

pocketrocket

Conrad,

When I confronted my dealership about this issue, they said the same thing as yours. They told me that they would have a factory rep call and speak to me about it, that was a week ago and I'm still waiting for the call! I'll keep you posted to what I find out because unlike you, I bought the car, so they are going to have to address this issue!

mazda6s

A few years ago somebody invented a device that would turn off an AC compressor when under acceleration. This was found to save fuel without significantly affecting AC effectiveness, and at the time was the only device certified by the EPA to actually improve fuel mileage. Could Mazda have used this device on the Mazda3? This could explain the compressor cycling.

We may need an "insider" to check into this one.

langod

Cars have had this feature for years. (unless I mis-understand your description.) I remember a car my family had in the early '80s that had an actual mechanical switch under the accelerator pedal that would turn off the AC compressor when you mashed the throttle. Every car I've owned since the late '80's has had some sort of cutout that turned off the compressor at some amount of acceleration. Some cars were very sensitive and would cut off the A/C under light-medium throttle, others (usually with big engines) would only turn off when they detected high throttle input.

mdaffron

I can tell simply by holding my hand over the vent (on one of our trademark 95-degree, 100-percent humidity August afternoons here in Richmond) as I exit a toll booth in true zoom-zoom fashion. Once I pry the accelerator out of its dent in the firewall, the a/c kicks back on. Makes it good for true zooming with full boosters.

Meade

kmh2468

Hey gang, I discovered a part possibly missing on my 3 from another board but wanted some additional help here.

Here's a picture of the underside of my bumper of my sedan that appears to be missing something:



Does anyone here know if this is "normal" or does Mazda owe me a part?

Thanks.

lmp180psu

It looks like you are missing the license plate light assembly, which turns on when you have the headlights on, to illuminate the plate. I would definitely ask for this part. Weird seeing a part like that missing

jrct9454

...nothing like an unlighted license plate to get the attention of the police...

cooldog2

Hey, Just wanted to let you know that I had a rattle in the rear of my hatchback and the dealer found rocks in the cover of the oil pan?? anyway they discovered it while changing my oil and now the noise is gone.

*** Also hatchback owners look at my comment in the hatchback discussion regarding my paint problems, and also the dealer discovered that the rocker panels themselves fill up with dirt and stones.

kmh2468

The light is there - checked it the other night but apparently I'm not the only one as I've had responses from other boards... Does anyone else's look this way? Thanks.

lmp180psu

I just checked out my sedan, and it looks like what you describe: There is a cover on the light, but looks unfinished around the cover. And yes, I have seen others "complaining" about this on the other MZ3 boards.

Not a big deal IMO; when I first saw the pic, I thought the whole light assembly was missing. At least no one will be able to see this, unless they are kneeling on the ground

kmh2468

As an update, I dropped by a dealership and looked at some of the other 3s on the lot and they look the same way. So it appears that's how they are. Thanks.

regretful

I just recently bought a Mazda 3i w/automatic trans. Almost from the first day I've had the car I've been having a problem where the car doesn't want to start without a 2nd try. I'll turn the key in the ignition and the car will rev, but it won't turn over until I stop and try again. It never fails the second time. Other times it starts right away without a problem. The struggling start up only seems to pop up after a long period of no use (approx 12-24 hours), but sometimes it can reoccur after only an hour, but if I shut down the engine immediately and restart it again, it starts fine and I can't replicate the problem that way. I took it into the dealership and they were unable to replicate the problem even after leaving it sitting for about 7 hours. They didn't think anything was wrong with the battery/starter and pretty much told me they couldn't help me if they can't replicate the problem and if it kept occuring I'd have to leave at the dealership over night so they can try to get the struggling start up to reappear. I took the car home and sure enough this morning the problem reappeared. Has anyone experienced or have any ideas about this kind of problem. It's pretty embarrasing to take someone for a ride in your brand new car and your having trouble getting the damn thing to start. I might as well have just stuck with my old rusted out chevy. zoom zoom my butt.

bigdadi118

Why don't you just leave the car at the dealer late afternoon (get a loaner) or at night (need friend's car to pick you up) drop your key with a note into the early-bird bin. The overnight stay there should enable them to start your car in the morning to duplicate your above problem.

I think this is the best way for you to help Mazda, in order for Mazda to help you to pinpoint the problem.

54maxell

I bought the mazda3-i/auto about 2 months ago and I don't have the starting problem that you are mentioning. I only drive the car about 3 times a week and so far (knock on wood) no problems. I have read in other forums (and I have no idea if this really makes a difference) that if you turn the key half way and wait until you hear the fuel injection 'click in' and then turn it on. Ever since reading that I follow this, I am not a mechanic so I don't know if it makes a difference.

regretful

I already plan on bringing it into the dealership and leave it overnight. I was just wondering if anybody else had this problem or had anymore insight into it. Thanks for the tip about the "click in" I'll check it out and see if it makes a difference. I've only had the car for a little over a week by the way. Even if I leave it overnight, it's not guaranteed to reoccur, it's pretty random, but it does seem to occur more often after sitting overnight. There was a day it started up with no problems though after probably sitting overnight for 12+ hours.

bigdadi118

Try turn the key to the position right before cranking (where dash board lights all on), count 1, 2, 3, then turn key to start cranking engine.

lexxm3

Does anyone know where the correct jack points on the Mazda 3 are? I don't mean the ones identified in the owner manual, the ones for the manual jack. I means points where I can safely place jack stands and a hydraulic jack, both front and rear.

Thanks,
  Lexx

jrct9454

Yes, it does sound like the fuel pump needs to a couple of seconds to prime the system. I too would encourage you to try pausing a moment with the key in the "on" position before moving it to the starter position. Just a couple of beats...then turn it all the way. I'd wouldn't be surprised if this solves your problem.

everfeb

When I first bot my Acura3.2TL the service manager advised that on the first start up of the day or if car has been sitting for some time to turn key to the position just before start so that all the instrument panel lights come on, count to 3 or 4 and then start engine. He said something about gives things a chance to get moving before the engine actually fires up. Don't know if this is true or not but I do this with my 3 also and never had a start up problem.
everfeb

dmg196

Your hard start problem is your fuel pump I also had same problem on my Mazda 3. Lots of others are having the same problem as you. All your dealer has to do is call Mazda tech line they are fully aware of this problem but you have to be forceful. Since mine was replaced never have had hard start problem car starts right away first try every time. also make sure they have part before taking your car apart because if you have to wait to get part from Japan you will be without vehicle for 2 or more weeks as I was.

regretful

I'll make sure to bring up the fuel pump when I go to the dealership this week, it makes sense. I tried the turn the key to the on position for a few seconds before trying to crank it trick and it started without a problem(it had been sitting out overnight) so some sort of faulty fuel pump seems like it would be a likely cause. I definitely don't want to be having to start my car like it was an old broken down old nintendo forever. Turn the key counter-clockwise 6 times, tap the horn 4 times, fart,and then crank it and it should work just fine. It'll probably just keep getting worse. I better be able to get the dealership to understand there is definitely a problem instead of staring at me like I'm crazy.

gfuzzy

I have read many posts re: unusual pad/rotor wear, excessive dust, etc. It appears to me that the ALB/EBS has something to do with this.

I purchased my M3s, 5spd,(no ALB), in Jan. Now, three months later, have 7,000 miles and have had not a single problem with any system. I drive 50 miles one-way to work and go from 4,000' to sea-level, so LOTS of braking and shifting. The car is a joy!

waygrabow

I had that occur on my Mazda3S but only for one tankful of gasoline. So, naturally, I assumed it had something to do with the gas. It hasn't recurred. I also had my left turn signal stop operating; when I flipped it on all I got was a steady light. So I started flipping the lever up and down manually to make it flash on and off. After about a week of that exercise the turn signal started operating normally again. That problem hasn't recurred either.

mike_il

Hi everyone! I'm new here, and a new Mazda3 owner (Ti Gray, 5Door, CD Changer/Moonroof, and Xenon package). I love the car, but have a problem accepting the paint chipping problem. Less than a month of ownership, 3 chips (1 near moonroof, 1 on rear driver's side door, and 1 near washer fluid outlet on hood). In addition, some bird droppings were on the hood, which I wetted down, when wiped off scratched the hood.

I'm afraid to touch the car....

Any positive responses or suggestions on how to deal with this? Any good experiences with dealers or Mazda corp. on the problem?

Please post back, as I'm preparing to contact my dealer.

roger341

Had a strange thing happen today. Pulled into driveway, shut car off and then decided to straighten it out just a bit.

I hadn't yet taken out the key, so I just went to turn it back on and nothing. No starter crank, just silence. Tried it several times, no luck.

Waited a couple minutes, still no start.

Then my wife came out, got in and removed the key, re-inserted it, and it started immediately.

She looked at me like I was nuts. So maybe it was a vapor lock or maybe it just prefers my wife's butt behind the wheel.

For what it's worth, the engine was warmed up when I first shut it off.

ish2l

Is your key on a keychain, do you have other keys attached to it...I remember seeing something in the manual that no other metal should be touching the key for it to work.

jrct9454

The phenomenon you describe is electronic. It's possible the lock cylinder in the ignition is defective, but in any case, this has nothing to do with fuel delivery [your clue here is that the starter isn't cranking]. Only two suspects: the key, or the ignition lock.

edgarem

"Then my wife came out, got in and removed the key, re-inserted it, and it started immediately.

She looked at me like I was nuts. So maybe it was a vapor lock or maybe it just prefers my wife's butt behind the wheel"

Agree it's electronic - but may not be a big deal. Even computers bug out "for no reason" occasionally and then reboot fine. The clue is that your wife removed the key and reinserted it, freeing the immobilizer.

Experiment - it may be a one of a kind event.

bmwbobby

Hello Regretful,

   I have a 3i manual and have experienced the same problem intermittently as you describe. One of the reasons I have not brought it in is that it probably only occurs one about 1 in 7 to 1 in 8 cold starts and I feared that it wouldn't happen the day I brought it in. I have never had it happen on a warm engine start which may make sense for two possible reasons. Firstly, it takes a lot less battery power to crank a warm engine over and probably needs less fuel too to start up. The viscosity of motor oil is about 15 times more at 60F vs oil at its operating sump temperature around 200F and hence the power to cover pumping and crankshaft churning losses is much much less. ALso, the fuel sytem may be retaining it's primed state if the engine was run recently.

  Anyway, I did talk to the dealer on the phone and they acted unaware of this "fleet issue" and all others which sadly seems to jive all too well with the experience of others on this board. They are either paid liars or grossly undertrained and incompetent. They also told me my 2.0 liter 3i uses a cartridge oil filter but I later found out that it uses a normal canister filter (I understand that the 3s 2.3 liter has the cartridge type) and changed the damned oil myself with Mobil 1 0W-20 and a Mobil 1 filter. The car seems to run great on the Mobil 1 oil. I will try the technique recommended here where the key is set to the ready position a few seconds before cranking. If this doesn't completely alleviate the issue, i'll take it in and [non-permissible content removed] but as i said, it is a very intermittent problem or I'd have already brought it back.

Thanks and good luck to all 3 owners.

mason12

I was told when I picked my 3 at the dealer after paying for it that you need to give the sentry theft protection time to work before the car will start, by pausing for a second or two before turning it. Mind you I don't do that, and have never had a problem with the starter, but maybe that's what your problem is.

siverm3

Hello all, I'm new to the edmunds forum. So far I've had one of the problems mentioned above. I get alot of rear brake dust buildup and it it looks like groves in the rotors also. My other problem hasn't been mentioned yet, so I thought I's put it out there. After only driving 700 miles I noticed that my side flares before the rear tires was getting sandblasted by little rocks. So if they can't do anything about it I'm ordering 3M protactant paint film for that area. The only reason I looked there was I heard of this problem on other Mazda3 forums. Mazda should have put mud flaps or gaurds on the front. I'm dropping my car off at the dealer Monday afternoon and the salesman said he would check everything out and will give me a rental for the time being. I also noticed how some people were getting free oil changes for the life of the car. The dealer I purchased my car from didn't offer this, but offers free inspection for the life of the car.

siverm3

I'm going to have my first oil change done at the dealership. After that I want to start doing it on my own. I'm used to working on my own cars and was wondering if anyone has attempted to change there oil on there Mazda3. I wanted to know if the oil filter is in a hard place to get reach and if any special tool is needed. Thanks

Mazda3 S 2.3L

npaki786

Hi I'm new to the forum. I just had a couple of questions for you mazda 3 owners. Im thinking of buying/leasing/finacing a mazda 3 hatcback. i was just wondering what you thought overall about your car, and if you would recommend it. And if any of you are leasing/financing how much you are paying a month and gave on down. Its hard kina finding it online, i mean i want to get a real feel for it. Thanks!! no need to be exact but general prices are appreciated.

bmwbobby

As I just mentioned a few posts back, I changed mine on my own. However, mine is a 2.0 liter "i" model engine and has a standard canister filter whereas yours has a cartridge type that the owners manual says requires a special tool. If you check the Purolator and Fram websites, you will also find that your cartidge filter is not made by them yet and may never be) and sold at the local parts store. You will have to get filters from a Mazda dealer and possibly get the special tool also. Another pain in the butt is that you will have to remove 7 little 10 mm fasteners which secure an air cover plate which covers the bottom of the motor. Other than having to remove the plastic cover plate, the 3i was easy to do and did not require jacking up the car believe it or not. I recommend that you watch the dealer do your first one and then you can see what is really required to remove your filter. I recommend using either Mobil 1 0W-20 or the Motorcraft 5W-20 sythetic. After my engine breaks in more, I plan on using 5w-30 or 0W-30 in the hot florida summers. The 20 weight thing scares me a little bit for 95F days.

Bobby