Mazda6 Maintenance and Repair

ericzoom · July 2005

Mine doesn't seem to make that chime. It must of been turned off before i purchased the car which was brand new.

mazda6s · July 2005

short trips, on neighborhood streets

Most traffic collisions happen on short trips, close to home. Sure, it's your choice, but did you really think you would get people here to help you do stupid things?

mitchinpa · July 2005

I guess we dont live in America anymore! Freedom of choice people!!! And if you argue that the government, by enacting laws such as these are just looking out for our safety, then why does the state of PA allow people who ride motorcycles, to do so without the use of a helmet!

As I said in my original post, I do use my seatbelt on most trips, but when I have to go to my local "mom and pop" store, which is approx 1.7 miles from my house, on neighborhood streets which have speed control devices to slow people down, I dont want to be bothered. Again, it's my choice.

Thanks for the response mz6greyghost. Not the answer I was hoping for, but it will get done during my first oil change.

baggs32 · July 2005

then why does the state of PA allow people who ride motorcycles, to do so without the use of a helmet!

Because their argument was that people driving cars don't have to wear them. Wearing a seatbelt in a car saves lives but would most likely kill on a motorcycle as you usually do want to be thrown from the thing in an accident.

Wearing a helmet in a car (which might be something you should consider given your seat belt habits

) would save lives too but we're not forced to wear them and now bikers are not either. I don't agree with it 100% but this is really how our government works. Furthermore, go to any local racetrack with your car and see if they'll let you take a few laps without a helmet.

Since you live in PA too you've probably noticed that about 95% of all bikers are not wearing helmets now. WDVE here in Pittsburgh posed a question to bikers a few weeks ago asking if they think the changed law is for the good. Nearly all who called in were in favor of the no helmet law and some stated that they were actually in the process of trying to get the seat belt law repealed via petitions or something like that.

So when you ask the dealer to disable your seat belt chime you might as well ask to have the front air bags diabled too. I mean why not go all the way and give yourself a nice clear path to the hood? :P

mz6greyghost · July 2005

I believe '05 models have the chime that repeatedly comes on when the seatbelt isn't buckled, while the '04 and earlier do not. I have an '04 that doesn't make the chime (except when starting it, obviously), and a friend with an '05 that does make the chime.

I always wear my seatbelt, and my car doesn't go into gear unless everyone else is buckled up as well. It's also law up here in NY. Saying that, I don't give anyone else a problem if they don't wear their own in their own car, it's simply their own decision. They HAVE to wear it when they ride with me, but it's also my car as well. If people don't mind paying the fines when pulled over, and are willing to risk their life making a short trip, that's their decision.

Beside, they know they're breaking the law, and they know the risks involved. I hate getting harped on by people for doing some things I do, even though it doesn't affect them. Why should I do the same thing to someone else?

autonomous · July 2005

I do use my seatbelt on most trips, but when I have to go to my local "mom and pop" store, which is approx 1.7 miles from my house ... I dont want to be bothered. Again, it's my choice.

It's good that you buckle up most of the time but you're fooling yourself thinking that drivers "1.7 miles" around your home cannot hit you or that whiplash is only possible outside that radius. The best drivers prepare for the mistakes of others; buckling up takes a second and can save a life.

slickdog · July 2005

Here's another perspective on the seatbelt issue. Now I'm all for freedom of choice, and less govt. laws protecting us from ourselves, but to me the seat belt and helmet laws don't really fall into that category because they protect other people too (yes, OTHER people not just you). I didn't used to wear my seatbelt at all when I was young and cocky, but now that I'm older I realize that doing things like that can and does affect other people in a big way when something goes wrong. You're right that it is everyone's choice whether to obey the law or not, but if there is no law there are probably way too many careless people out there making the wrong choice. Furthermore, you should never assume that you can and will deal with any consequences of doing something that seems unsafe for just yourself. That would be reasonable if you were not out there sharing the road with everyone else, but unfortunately for us, you are.

How about this? I'm driving in your neighborhood, I make a mistake like pulling out in front of you because I don't see you emerging from behind someone's untrimmed hedges, you t-bone me going 35MPH and you end up injured and not able to work or dead because you weren't properly restrained and your head bounced off the door pillar, so your family sues me for lost income and now I have to live with that for the rest of my life. Now perhaps I win in court and don't have to pay a dime because you were negligent by not wearing your seatbelt, but the point is that someone other than you has to deal with the consequences and probably suffers because of it. Of course you can say I have no idea who you are, so I don't know you and I don't care, but if we all think that way about each other then doesn't that make this a crappy freakin' society to live in?

There's the insurance aspect of this issue, too. If enough people like you get into accidents and get injured because your seatbelts didn't get put on, that's probably resulting in higher health care and auto insurance premiums for the rest of us. Yeah, you can tell yourself I'm just one person and how much does that really matter in the grand scheme of things, but in a country of 300 million people I'm sure there are at least 10's of thousands out there who are thinking the same thing, and then we may have a significant problem, right?

I understand where you're coming from man, I really do because I used to think the same way myself but at some point I realized that there's just too much of that "America is a free country I can do what I want with my own life" attitude around, because many people just take it way too far. We don't all live in isolation, so people can and do get hurt or killed when just a few of us decide to thumb our noses at the laws and trade safety for convenience out there on the roads. It only takes a one small mistake and a couple seconds to ruin the rest of your life and someone else's in a motorized vehicle, so just put on the seatbelt!!!

Sorry moderator, that was way off topic but I couldn't resist jumping on the pile.

mitchinpa · July 2005

"Furthermore, go to any local racetrack with your car and see if they'll let you take a few laps without a helmet."

I used to run the SCCA circuit, so no need to inform about the rules of the race tracks, definitely not apples to apples there...

"So when you ask the dealer to disable your seat belt chime you might as well ask to have the front air bags disabled too. I mean why not go all the way and give yourself a nice clear path to the hood?"

Guess I should have them disable the side airbags too, they might get in the way too..

mitchinpa · July 2005

The point of the 1.7 miles comment was, it is impossible to go more than 15 mph on my neighborhood streets because they have these huge "speed humps" every 100 yards or so. Sure, anything can happen, there can still be accidents, but there is so small a chance that anyone would be involved in one going that slow, and that short a distance, that even if it did happen, a seatbelt is not going to have the impact that it would when someone is traveling at a faster rate.

And I agree with you, that the best drivers do prepare for the mistakes of others, but in this situation, it doesn't make a difference if a person is wearing a belt or not. When I drive outside my neighborhood, I wear the belt, simply because I do not trust others.

mitchinpa · July 2005

so your family sues me for lost income and now I have to live with that for the rest of my life. Now perhaps I win in court and don't have to pay a dime because you were negligent by not wearing your seatbelt, but the point is that someone other than you has to deal with the consequences and probably suffers because of it.

That's the great thing about this country, frivolous lawsuits! Here comes another! :P This is why I have a limited tort option on my insurance, because if I do get hurt, and it is of my own doing, I am responsible enough to live with the decisions I made, and not try to blame someone else. Sure, this is probably not the way a lot of people think today, but I do. Lawyers chasing the ambulance (or spilled McDonalds coffee cups) are ruining this country.

mitchinpa · July 2005

I hate getting harped on by people for doing some things I do, even though it doesn't affect them. Why should I do the same thing to someone else?

Amen....

cards_200 · July 2005

Although I always use seat belts when driving I think my '05 M6 design stinks. I don't want the warning to continually chime at me if I take my seatbelt off as I'm trying to talk to a drive-thru attendent (for example). Furthermore as you say Mitch - the book says dealer can turn off - but my dealer claims ignorance - perhaps doesn't want to. The audible designs in my Honda and even MPV are much better. No need to chime forever.

I have called Mazda HQ. They claim dealers may not want to make change out of concern for lawsuit. I have been told there is a process that consumer can disable, but it is very involved I could not get to work. I will put up with it - not the worst of problems. But I still say it is a crappy design. Warn me so I get the message and then shut up.

If your dealer refuses (like my did) I'd advise calling Mazda and get the detailed procedure. It is quite lengthy. Maybe you have more patience then me in trying to get it to work. They wouldn't email written insturctions.

Again, I'm a big advocate of seat belt use - but there are times when drivers seat belt may warrant unfasten. I believe Mazda will eventually concur with mistake and change to eliminate the continual audible warning. Just my opinion.

mazda6s · July 2005

Wrong.

mitchinpa · August 2005

I never said you could not get hurt at 15mph. But this is coming from someone who thinks that turning off a chime is stupid. Something that simple is not my idea of stupid. Jumping out of a plane without a parachute is stupid. :P

It still amazes me that people are so willing to jump on a guy for making a choice of his own free will. That's the sad thing about forums like these. Someone asks a question, and a lot of people get the "holier than thou" syndrome. Those types of responses would scare a lot of people away from ever posting to places like this, and potentially deprive the forum community of good input.

I'm done on the subject...

mz6greyghost · August 2005

I gotta agree with Mitch on this one. The forum is for problems and solutions for the Mazda 6. He asked about a problem for him (the seat belt chime), and he was looking for a solution as to how to fix it.

Now if there's a "Seatbelts: Why Should We Wear Them?" forum...

BTW, Mitch, have you taken the car in to disable the chime yet? I'm curious to see if they DO charge you or not...

snbservices · August 2005

I have a 2004 Mazda6 V6 5speed manual with 13000 miles. I have noticed that after any trip length, when the car is turned off and parked, the engine keeps "pinging" for about a minute. This has happened during the winter and summer months, and have gone through tankfuls of 87-93 octane fuels from all different brands of gasoline. The dealer tells me that the there is a plate at the bottom that is cooling down. The car otherwise zoom zooms wonderfully in local or highway driving.
Just wondering if this "parked pinging" is normal for this car..since i have not experienced this in the all the Honda's I have owned in the past

mz6greyghost · August 2005

Perfectly normal.

After the car is shut off, the "pinging" sound is made from the engine components cooling down and contracting, mainly the exhaust manifolds, the catalytic converter, and the heat shields surrounding it.

BTW, the engine is tuned to run at max power and efficiency using 87 octane. Using higher grades slightly lowers MPG and wastes your money.

mazda6s · August 2005

If you say that it's your choice and you are willing to take the risk, you're absolutely correct. However, if you try to justify your decision based on the false assumption that you wouldn't get hurt on a short trip at 15 MPH anyway, that's where you are wrong and people will argue with you.

I'm done with this too ...

jahnu04 · August 2005

Long back I remember reading on one of the forums on how to disable seatbelt reminder temporarily, don't remember which car it was and not sure if it will work for 2005 Mazda6. It said, turn the ignition ON, fasten the seatbelt for about 2 or more secs, then remove the seatbelt within 20 secs. The seatbelt reminder will be disabled until the car is turned ON next time.

mitchinpa · August 2005

BTW, Mitch, have you taken the car in to disable the chime yet? I'm curious to see if they DO charge you or not...

Not yet. My first oil change will be in another two weeks or so, and I plan on getting it done in conjunction with that.

If they refuse to do it, I'll take cards_200 advice and call Mazda HQ. (btw, thanks for the advice!)

x5918 · August 2005

Does anyone know how to turn off the annoying seat belt reminder chime on the Mazda 6? Owners manual says it can be done by the dealership. Nothing worse than making a 2 minute trip to the store and having to fight with a seat belt, or listening to that chime every 60 seconds. Thanks in advance!

Yes! I learned this from the Mazda dealership guy, who took the car out for testdrive. What the dealership people do, to avoid the annoying beeps, while they move the cars on the lot (for instance detailing, washing, waxing etc etc) is following: take the seat belt from the passenger side, and put the passenger clicker into the drivers side clickee.

Then the obligatory nag: alway wear setbelts, while driving. My own trick of "training" non-complaint passengers, especially the backseat refusers, is to say that my car has real nice accelleration and quickly spool up to 30 mph - then I snag the brakes real nasty! All belts are on in about 2 seconds! :surprise: click click.

mazda6s · August 2005

I know another way. Wrap the driver's seat belt around the driver's neck. Tie the seatbelt to the nearest light post. Accelerate rapidly. Shazam, the chimes are gone!

x5918 · August 2005

Well put. So the 2 minute to shopping driver, please note.

We have the click it or ticket campaign going on in Texas, which hits the nail right on on the spot (probably elsewere too). Consider this: unless you face looks like Mr.Frankenstein, you will appreciate the protection the seatbelts offer, even in ridicilously low speeds. Bruises on your face doesn't look flattering, and if the compression wound is severe enough, it will result in visible, permanent scarring.

Remember that airbags sometimes fail to deploy. Please use your Mazda seatbelts. The Mazda3 comes with seatbelt pre-tensioners for enchanced protection. Thank you Mazda.

slickdog · August 2005

Sorry for the rant, I certainly didn't intend to make this a hostile place. I wasn't trying to be "holier than thou" either, it's just that I see so much "what do YOU care if I get hurt, it's MY life" attitude in my neighborhood, that your comments struck a nerve I guess. Right now I'm fighting the urge to say something to the folks that keep riding their ATV's up and down my street with toddlers sitting on their laps, wearing shorts/t-shirts/sandals and no safety gear. That really makes me cringe.

As for getting jumped on, you really didn't get it that bad. Anytime you post comments on big issues like seatbelt or helmet use/laws, a heated discussion is sure to follow. I've seen some pretty brutal forums, but these on edmunds.com are pretty tame. I doubt we really scared anyone off with this thread. It is the Internet, and yeah you can get beat up once and a while just for posting your opinion but how much will it really hurt?

To steer this more on topic, I'll agree that the lack of a timeout on the Mazda6 seatbelt chime does seem a bit extreme. I'm sure there are legal reasons for it as you and others suggested. Enjoy the car, hope you find the solution you're looking for.

audia8q · August 2005

I can hear the lawyer now......

"now if mazda had made the seat belt chime one continuous fog horn sound it would have been ok....but one beep every 10 seconds is negligence on mazda behalf....my client is should be paid $50 million because mazda wants to kill people."

x5918 · August 2005

Wearing a seat belt is not a private decision. Insurance companies will pay out compensation for medical expenses, regardless if driver and passengers are wearing seatbelts or not. Failure to wear seatbelts increases injuries, and reflects in higher car insurance premiums for us all to pay, hence the interest of the public. Also: seatbelts keeps the driver in driving position, incase of a side impact. Maintaining control over the vehicle after a minor impact can sometimes be critical. My favorite Fox4 channel constantly airs freak accidents like: "car goes haywire over the median, hits the 18-wheeler, and then forces the schoolbus with 20 innocent children to swerve into an utility pole". With this in mind, wearing seatbelts should be enforced, in the name of public safety.

trafficboy · August 2005

Hello there. I was looking for your experience with the 6's 5 sp auto .. i hear the mz3 will have the 5sp auto in the 2006.. just wondered if you have had any problems with them... and were they resolved...

Thanks

boats · August 2005

It's a 6 speed automatic and seems to be very smooth... don't own the car yet, so can't report on problems...

mz6greyghost · August 2005

The 6-speed was made for the '05 models. The '03-'04 V6 models had the Jatco 5-speed auto, the tranny in question...

As far as I know, there aren't any major issues with the automatic. The transmission is known to run at a higher temperature than other autos, not causing any short-term problems, but long-term reliability becomes a question if you run the car hard frequently (i.e. "shotgun" starts, autocrossing on weekends, etc.). Then again, if you do that frequently, you'd want a manual 5-speed instead.

I'm not sure if this will end up being the transmission that the 3 will use. Rumors have it that they may go to a different supplier, but nothing is comfirmed yet...

stephen6 · August 2005

5 Month old 2004 Mazda 6, 5 speed manual, V6, Hatchback: CEL glowing bright.

Call dealer service; reply: 'Check gas cap, blah blah...'

Take it into dealer service...'repaired'. Get home CEL glows bright again.

Take it back to dealer service. Daily calls about status of repair.
Response: 'We are waiting on Mazda to send us a new Throttle Body...'
Finally get car back after 2 weeks - dealer removed Throttle Body from a new car on their lot and transplanted it to mine - problem solved.

Car is now 15 months old, so far so good.

Now if only I could get over the:
- Sloshing sounds from the gas tank
- Crunchy 1st. - 2 nd. gear shift
- Occasionally 'slippery' clutch
- Really loud AC Fan
- Loose screws appearing on the floor since the dealer got their 'techs' into the car
I'd really like this car.

Previous car 1988 Mazda 626 Hatchback w/manual transmission; owened from 1992-2004. Go figure.

slickdog · August 2005

We've seen the throttle body issue before, hope your replacement works better.

As for the others...

- Sloshing sounds from the gas tank
I'm sure we've seen that complaint before, my wagon does it too. I only notice it for a short time after I fill the tank, and only when I'm bouncing over the drain gutter at the bottom of my driveway.

- Crunchy 1st. - 2 nd. gear shift
This has come up in the forums before, but I don't really notice it much unless it's pretty cold outside. I plan to switch the gear oil to Redline MT-90 sometime, it worked well in my '00 626.

- Occasionally 'slippery' clutch
Not sure what you mean here, unless you're referring to the fact that the clutch doesn't always seem to engage/disengage at the same point, which I believe has also been discussed on one or more of the Mazda6 forums here in the past.

- Really loud AC Fan
My fan isn't what I would call quiet but it hasn't irritated me much yet. I think others here have complained about theirs, but I don't remember if anyone actually went to the dealer for it. Try a search on this and the other Mazda6 forums.

- Loose screws appearing on the floor since the dealer got their 'techs' into the car
Yikes, that doesn't sound good. Now I'd be wondering where those came from, and what is about to come loose or fall off. Hopefully they traveled into your car from the shop floor on the soles of someones boots!

soning · August 2005

well we have a 2004 mazda 6 sedan 4 cylinder their is rust under the steering wheel above the brake peddle. their is alot of over spray on the car plus the front brakes are different from the back brakes one set shinny the other dull we bought the car with 200 km on it the dealer says no hit hits. one other thing should their not be a button on the cluster panel to adjust the brightness of the dash lights like on the mazda 3 we had

monty617 · August 2005

I just recently bought a 2005 6i 5M and have been reading through these forums and noticed a post (Page 15 #288) which is a problem that I am also experiencing. I have looked through almost every entry and never saw a solution to this problem. I was wondering if this is normal, or if I should take it to the dealer. I have never heard this noise before in any car, and I am fairly mechanically inclined. A brief overview of the problem is as follows:

When cruising at a normal speed there is a noticeable low-volume, high pitch whining sound while pressing on the accelerator. When you let off the accelerator or hit the clutch it stops. This is not always noticeable but seems to be consistent.

This is very subtle and I dont want to take it to the dealer and be without my baby if it turns out to be normal. Any help or advice in this matter would be more then helpful.

escortowner · August 2005

In the last week or two I have noticed a burning smell through my AC from time to time. When I start my car it is at it's worst. I think it is outside of just the AC, but I am not sure. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

autonomous · August 2005

When you say "through my AC" did you mean through the air vents? Is the fan set to Fresh Air or Recirc? I would pop the hood to see if there's anything like a belt that is misaligned and giving off an odour. It could also be a musty smell coming from the vent as a result of mold; some have tried spraying disinfectant into the vents to kill the mold.

03silver6 · August 2005

I had the same problem too. I was driving about 45 miles/hour when the engine just automatically shuts off. I was so lucky I was really close to a stop light so it was natural to slow down and there was also a BP station where I could pull over. I called the 1-800 number and had them towed my car to the dealer. And dang that car didn't stall when the guys at the dealership drove it. So you're right the dealership couldn't do anything if the problem doesn't reoccur. But that was the only time it did it, 6 months ago when the car had about 20000+ miles. I also had other problems with my car.

Engine light had come on three times now. I have about 35000 miles on my car now. I took it to the dealer the first time. It was fixed. Second time it happened my husband disconnected the battery to reset the computer programming in the car. The engine light came on again within 1 week. I am going to take it to the dealer tomorrow.

Good luck.

boats · August 2005

Is there a way to figure out the build date and/or build day from the VIN on a Mazda 6?

gaye1962 · August 2005

My 2004 Mazda 6 has 12000 miles on it. The check engine light has come on for the 3rd time in 3 weeks. I am beside myself with anger. They told me it was a issue with the gas cap and replaced it after taking the car in the 2nd time. When my car was brand new it had a humming noise that I traced to the fuel tank. It took several trips to the dealership before they heard my noise and would fix the problem. They had to replace the fuel tank(they wouldn't listen to me -- had to hear it for themself). The car has outright died on me several times and they could not tell my why. I think I have a lemon.

guss · August 2005

Boats,

There is a plate on the drivers door that lists the month and year you car was built.

The day is not on it. I guess that prevents anyone from having a birthday party for their 6.

boats · August 2005

oh! a birthday party would be nice! but I'm getting ready to buy and was trying to avoid The Friday Car... VINs are posted online - was hoping to peek without being too conspicous... thanks...!

autonomous · August 2005

When my car was brand new it had a humming noise that I traced to the fuel tank. It took several trips to the dealership before they heard my noise and would fix the problem. They had to replace the fuel tank ...

Was the noise problem solved?
Sounds like your fuel pump was problematic. Did they replace it?

p.s. the check engine light comes on when one does not sufficiently tighten the gas cap

woody500 · August 2005

I have a 2004 Mazda 6 Hatchback with 32,000 miles on it. I noticed early that all the seats started to show early signs of wear such as pilling. But now the front passenger seat, mostly on the back portion, is almost worn to the foam. I have not taken this to the dealer yet. Has anyone had success at the dealer and what have they done? Thanks!

woody500 · August 2005

At 15,000 miles, my Mazda 6 had a humming noise at times but never stalled. The dealer replaced the fuel pump and the noise stopped. But the fuel gauge has never been the same. It doesn't go to full and when on empty still has 5 gallons left.

moose54 · August 2005

There is no sensor to adjust, there is a recall for the problem you are experiencing. The fan control module is bad and needs to be replaced. There are owners who have had their modules replaced twice already, including myself. There are other Mazda6 forums where you can find that information.

gcomvid · August 2005

My 2004 Mazda 6 wagon has made this noise since the day I picked it up: the passenger doors seem to jiggle slightly when going over bumps, creating a "chuffing" sound right in my ear. Dealer service has replaced the "striker plate" to no avail. Noise goes away if I push against the upper back corner of door. I'm thinking it needs more bracing, but I haven't seen any other such complaints in any forum. Advice?

pats1 · August 2005

There are service bulletins out about the check engine light problem. One is to replace the throttle body assembly with a newer version. I had that done with 1200 miles on my '05 - might be the same problem with yours (?). Good luck

raynham · August 2005

Only issue so far is a slight rumbling sound from the rear passenger tire area when going over a rough road. No problem over a smooth road. Any ideas? Thanks

dcf2 · August 2005

Just bought a slightly used 6i.
One of the fobs for the keyless entry doesn't work. The local dealer said it would cost 45 for a new fob and about 50 for programming.
I think I should be able to do better than that. Is there any aftermarket fobs that will work?
I changed the battery.

mz6greyghost · August 2005

Ebay, my friend!

Just make sure you get the fob for your particular car. The fob for the sedan is different compared to the hatch/wagon.

Once you get it, check out page 91 (I think) of this thread on how to program it.

Good luck...

dcf2 · August 2005

Thanks for the idea..didn't even think of it. Have 2 NEW ones on the way for 35 bucks W/programming instructions. Can't beat that!
Only had the car for a couple days but I really like it.
2003 6i auto with factory alloys, spoiler, skirts etc. Storm Gray
33,000 miles. Noticeably tight and rattle free.

Mazda6 Maintenance and Repair

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles