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Mazda6 Maintenance and Repair

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  • pamablapamabla Member Posts: 2
    Blackmazda---

    I purchased a 2006 Mazda6 Grand Touring with 18 inch wheels and have been having the same problem since I bought it in July of 06. Is your model the fully loaded, BOSE, leather...etc model? I had my car in the dealership the very next day after I picked it up for an alignment. They said it was all fixed. It still pulled. Then they said it was the Perelli tires and I had to contact a dealership for the tires, which I did. The tire dealership said the tires were fine. Then the Mazda Dealership had my car for 3 weeks trying to figure out what was wrong with it. They said it was in the suspension and that it was fixed. My car still pulls. I have contacted my attorney and plan on pursuing the lemon law against Mazda. I am not paying for a car that pulls to the right as bad as mine does. NO WAY! I also had my check engine light come on after only 8k miles. I took it to the dealership and they said my ignition coil was worn. WORN? Geeze, I don't want to keep this car any longer to see what happens at 20k. Regardless of it is a recall, they have ONE chance to get the steering right under the Lemon Law, once that chance is up, as a consumer you have the right to sue the Corporation. Look it up.
  • blackmazdablackmazda Member Posts: 4
    Yes Pamabla, My mazda 6 is fully loaded with the leather,Bose, etc. I was reading a another post either on here or some other forum where someone said it was the 18 inch wheels causing the pulling problem. He said when he switched them and put on 16's it was much better. Have you heard anything like that?
  • christanchristan Member Posts: 10
    You made me feel better over the holiday, Mr. Shiftright.

    However, the New Year brings me back to an ugly reality: The carpet has been cleaned, and, I'm informed, the milk smell is no longer in the carpet. Unfortunately, the guy who did the work tells me the car itself still smells like milk -- an indication that the smell got into the fabric upholstery. He recommends some detailing work to get the smell out (he's just a carpet guy).

    So, I'm thinking of taking it to a detailer, but not going all-in for the shampooing of the carpet, which doesn't need to be done at this point.

    My question: How likely is it that this smell will actually come out? Should I just save my $180, or whatever, and learn to live with the hideous odor?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I don't see as you have a choice...if he steams the upholstery, that should do it.

    Why don't you get another nose in there, and see what they say about the smell...if it smells bad to them, and if it does, if they can identify where the smell is. I'm not buying the idea of the smell "getting into" the upholstery.

    Was the carpet taken up completely?
  • ericzoomericzoom Member Posts: 213
    I agree. I would have them steam clean the upholstery, because it can end up smelling pretty nasty when the hot weather comes.
    Reminds me of that episode of Seinfeld with the smell he couldn't get rid of in his BMW. (just kidding)
  • janellekay1janellekay1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi- I have a 2007 Mazda6 i Touring. I got a great deal on the car, but unfortunately it had the rear wing spoiler as a factory installed option.

    Does anyone have any recommendations of rear mount bike racks that will go under the rear wing spoiler?

    Thanks!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You might have to work with one of those trailer-hitch type racks.
  • jtkrushjtkrush Member Posts: 1
    I recommend saturating the affected carpet area with "ConSan Triple Action 20" This kills the bacteria causing the odor. It can be found at Lowes and/or Home Depot. Follow instructions and check for color fastness.
  • christanchristan Member Posts: 10
    What about Febreeze Auto Cleaner? I've been spraying that on the upholstery, and letting a Yankee Candle air freshener (vanilla) cover the smell for a couple of days. It's hard to tell if it's working, although Febreeze is an "odor absorber" -- that should be what I need. Right now, though, the car smells ... Febreeze-y.

    As for the carpet, it doesn't smell. I've put my nose right up to it. And I believe the cleaner's account. He told me he pulled the rug, cleaned it, replaced the saturated padding underneath, and still had to use warm water to break up and extract congealed milk in the flooring of the vehicle!

    All in all, I feel like he did good work. The smell has dissipated considerably. He suggested just letting the car air out for a day or two, but with the colder temperatures, and no garage at my home, that's difficult for now.
  • tminchew01tminchew01 Member Posts: 3
    Here's another problem with the ACC...

    I'll set the ACC to 72 to get cold air. It works great as I'm driving. However, sometimes, when I come to a stop, the ACC will blow HOT air. Once I start driving again the air gets cold again. The dealer says I need to spend $56 on a cabin air filter to fix the problem. I think this is BS because I only have 14,000 miles on the car and the filter can't possible need to be replaced. And why would that cause this type of issue anyway? Does anyone know what might cause this...or have any suggestions? :mad:
  • uffdaoleuffdaole Member Posts: 37
    Regarding front end pull the TSB# is 10020554 issued Oct 10 2006.Worked for me (04 6 wagon) Good luck! :)
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    Concerning the cabin filter... How old is your 6? I've made it a habit to change mine once per year (between 15-18K miles). Believe me, even with that interval, it gets pretty dirty. Save some $$$$ and order a new cabin filter from an online source. Even with shipping, it'll be less than $30, and it takes less than five minutes to change it yourself. Since the forum rules are pretty strict, feel free to email me if you need any info concerning where to get the filter and how to change it yourself.

    Will that solve your problem? Probably not, but it may be a good idea to change it anyway. :) At least try it and see what happens.

    As for the ACC, if it continues to blow out hot air, I'd have them check to see if your compressor has a slow leak and/or needs to be recharged.
  • tminchew01tminchew01 Member Posts: 3
    We have a 2006 6S 5 door. A few months ago the cruise control ON/OFF switch stopped working on the steering wheel. The dealer replaced the cruise control switch on the steering wheel and said it was fixed. On the way home, the cruise ON/OFF switch stopped working again. I took it right back and the dealer kept it 12 days! Finally, they said they had to replace a ground wire and the ON/OFF switch started working. Now, all of a sudden, the ON/OFF switch is broken again!!! We moved out of state recently so we took it to a new dealer. They looked up all of the history on the car and said they need to replace the switch again! OMG! This didn't work the first time so now I'm really getting upset. This is the 3rd time it's been in for the same problem, but since we're in a new state I don't know if the lemon law applies? Does anyone know...or have any idea about the cruise control buttons? ANY help would be great.... :lemon:
  • thecatthecat Member Posts: 535
    My girlfriend has a 03 Mazda 6 on which condensation is building up on of the headlights. She purchased the Mazda "bumper to bumper" extended warrenty when she bought the car but is being told the headlight isn't covered. I could understand the bulb not being covered but the light is $400 and it seem to me it's somewhere in between the front bumper and the rear bumper.

    Anybody here have any problems getting service under the extended warranty or have any suggestions on getting resolution to this.

    Thanks ....
  • lx100lx100 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2004 6S. Whenever I start my engine (usually when the car has been off for an hour or more and the engine is cold), it makes a screeching sound as I turn the ignition. The sound lasts only for a second. It runs fine with no unfamiliar noises after that. Has anyone had this problem or know what it may be?
  • geodoschgeodosch Member Posts: 5
    Sounds as if it might be a loose fan belt.
  • mjvchicagomjvchicago Member Posts: 149
    If it's a short screech that ends and doesn't happen if you start the car when its warm, it sounds like the problem I'm having. It's been diagnosed as a starter issue and apprently there's a service bulletin out for it. It's not serious, and the dealership says that if you can bear it, you don't need to replace it as it shouldn't cause the starter to fail.
  • lx100lx100 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for both replies. mjvchicago, that's exactly what it is; a short screech that ends and doesn't happen when its warm. Do you know where I can find the service bulletin?
  • mjvchicagomjvchicago Member Posts: 149
    There's a really good Mazda 6 site out there called Mazda6tech.com. They have an area that lists all TSBs including this one for the starter.
  • lone_monkeylone_monkey Member Posts: 1
    I'm running into the same problem with my 2004 Mazda 6i. Did you find a solution to the problem, or has anyone out there got any ideas? I'm stuck and any help would be greatly appreciated. It's kinda cold here.
  • hagayhagay Member Posts: 2
    Hi There.
    Yes, I had exactly the same problem with my Mazda 6 a few months ago. In addition, you might have also noticed that the fan works constantly (or at least a lot more than what you would expect it to work). In my case, the fan used to work about a minute after I turned off the car. And, as you mentioned, the AC would run hot when I was stopping. Unfortunately, since the problem was solved under warranty, they didn't tell me what it was exactly (or I didn't care). But I know they replaced a controller of some sorts. I just know it had something to do with the fan.

    Hope it helps...
  • hagayhagay Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2004 Mazda 6. I have to admit that I never liked the car, but more recently I just hate it. I now have a huge leak of water in the car, mostly on the driver side at the back of the vehicle. There was at least 1/2 inch of water above the carpet when I got to the car this morning.

    Anyway, the thing is that even though the dealer believes he knows what the problem is (he claims that a grommet in the firewall was out - I'm not sure I believe it), MAZDA will not cover the problem under warranty!!!. They claim that the fix is called an "Adjustment" that is only covered for 12 months instead of the normal warranty.

    Please visit my blog if you want to read more about this story (http://mazdasucks.blogspot.com)
  • isseyvooisseyvoo Member Posts: 121
    Unfortunately it's not only Mazda that plays this game. I traded in my Oldsmobile on a Mazda6 after experiencing a similar problem. My leak was because of a faulty installation/sealing of the windshield at the factory and water was coming in behind the glove compartment and dumping into the passenger floorboards. GM acknowledged that it was a factory error, but my warranty, though in effect, did not cover issues that were not directly related to defective or broken parts. Shoddy workmanship was not covered. I had the leak fixed at my own expense, but traded in the car soon after (with only 24,000 miles on it)because of that and various electronic gremlins that made me lose confidence in it. Took a bath on depreciation as you can imagine. At 9 months, I've been pleased so far with my Mazda6.
  • amatusf21amatusf21 Member Posts: 2
    I am having the EXACT same problem...around christmas my car started having what felt like seizures while accelerating between 40-60 mph....cant tell if it is engine or transmission but it is getting worse. And 2 days ago i noticed oil on the floor of the garage. I took it in to a service center (not a dealership). and they said the whole underside of my car was wet with oil, looks like the main rear seal is leaking. My car does not have the milage on it to have this sort of problem. Perhaps the shuttering is shaking everything apart?? I'd really LOVE to know what the real problem is, and if one caused the other.
  • xcpag95xcpag95 Member Posts: 2
    My wife and I had the same issue with a full gallon of milk in the trunk of a 2002 Mustang GT which burst and went under the rear seat into the under mat and floor board behind the front seats. We had to take it to a guy and have the trunk liner, rear seat under mat insulation, and the padding under the carpet replaced to get rid of the smell completely. You may have to get your carpet and padding replaced man. Sorry.
  • redfire6redfire6 Member Posts: 2
    I had it happen in my Dodge Aries and coat the trunk carpeting. It was in the summer, so it smelled really bad. I took out the carpeting and cleaned it with baking soda, and the smell went away.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    It comes down to this--if you have a major spill of some organic type of substance that will rot or decay, you have to pull everything up....there's really no other way...some odors will eventually go away, but food products of that sort...not likely.
  • birdbmwbirdbmw Member Posts: 4
    I had a similiar problem with my Mazda6 Diesel Sport 2006.

    It kept pulling to the nearside on a flat road, the dealer ship told me everything was OK. I would not accept this being an ex Police vehicle examiner. I took my car for a full computer geomtry examination.The settings were at the extreme but within Mazda's tolerances.I requested my car be set up as close as posible to the centre of the tolerance.
    Afterwards my car drove completely different, I have not had a problem since. Regarding the bill of £80 I sent this Mazda direct and they paid it.One other point get rid of those Bridgestone tyres, they wear out quickly and give out extreme tyre noise, try Michelin or Goodyear. :)
  • christanchristan Member Posts: 10
    WOW. I had no idea so many others had this exact same spill.

    Thanks, everybody. In case it wasn't clear from my earlier posts, the guy I took it to is indeed a carpet guy, who removed the entire carpet, and all the padding. He said the milk had congealed *underneath* the padding as well, and that he'd poured warm water into the flooring to break it up, sucking everything out with a shop-vac.

    The slight smell that lingered would, he thought, go away as the car aired out. I bought a Yankee Candle vanilla air freshener, and some Febreeze auto spray, which I sprayed on the seats.

    Then I waited.

    I've since had four people ride in the car with me. All of them have noted the air-freshener smell. None of them has indicated that there's any objectionable odor in the car.

    I'm breathing a huge sigh of relief. I've been running the heat in the car, and the smell hasn't re-materialized. It's gotten cold again, and I suppose the summer heat could bring the smell back, but frankly, I doubt it.

    One last thing: I now transport our two weekly gallons of raw milk in a box, so the jars no longer tip. :)
  • jtorres19830jtorres19830 Member Posts: 1
    hey i have a mazda6s 2003 and i have the exact same problem. does anyone know what i need to do to get that to stop. i have a stick shift.
  • mazda6iguymazda6iguy Member Posts: 365
    I have a 2003 Mazda 6i with automatic. As I drive down the road, i can put my right hand down on the transmission tunnel directly at the behind the base of the center console and feel and hear a 'percolating' tap, like a cable is loose and flopping around the trans tunnel. I notice this most at highway speeds. I have started noticing it for a few years now, but is not really in your face noticeable unless you are looking for it. If you have the radio on, you don't hear it much and you forget it. It is kind of quiet, and I thought it was just part of the road noise. The further back you place your hand from the base of the console the less percolation feeling. Is this a problem? All the Mazda full circle inspections i've had since the car was new have not pointed anything wrong with the transmission, except of course once they reprogrammed something that was on the recall list. Performance wise, the car is running well.
  • hotdesertshotdeserts Member Posts: 1
    My car starts making scaping noise after driving a while. This is especially annoying when stopping for light :mad: . But if you shift gear to parking, the noise disappears. :surprise:

    Anyone has similar experiences?
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    Here's a headlight available on Ebay for a 2003 Mazda 6. It's used but much cheaper then a new light.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mazda-6-03-04-05-06-Left-Headlight-Driver-Side-Ma- - zda6_W0QQitemZ170077512924QQihZ007QQcategoryZ33710QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
  • digitomdigitom Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had a problem with a tire hop/wobble/bump on their Mazda. Love the styling and the performance my wife and I bought this car new a few months ago at the dealer based on what we had read and after 3 weeks noticed a vibration problem. It this point I'm really upset with Mazda we have a wheel or supention issue that mazda acknowleges in the wheel package offered with the car 18" rims with Perilli P Zero tires nice looking Package. The problem comes at driving speed with a type of bump / hop/ wobble/ skip not a vibration like an out of balance wheel. Mazda has said it's the tire issu I contacted Perilli and corrected that with them replaced all the tires. The problem is still there. Just for my own satifaction I've driven 5 or 6 other 2006- 2007 Mazda 6's from other dealers with the same wheel package and some with the 17" wheel package and still felt the same problem. I'd like to know if anyone else out there is having a similar problems. Mazda is aware of this but not willing to step up to the plate or acknowledge it to the conumer with the attitude of if we don't do anything it will go away. I've been driving preformance tires and cars my whole life and never had this type of problems with tires or wheels. Could this be a deffect in enginering on this car. At this point in time Mazda has no work around or answer on how to solve the problem. I'm to the point of the car has been in now 4 or 5 times for this and to no avail been corrected I'm about at the end of my rope and I know I can't be the only one in the contry with this problem. If I felt it in 5 or 6 other cars that I test drove after noticing it in mine. Mazda needs to address it or I will start a lemon law action suit. Can anyone help me with this ( is there a work around / solution. I love the car and don't want to file a suit. Has anyone had the same experience in their car. I know at least three other people who have had the same problem and are living this hell too!

    Thanks Fustrated
  • markk1markk1 Member Posts: 30
    Our 2003 Mazda 6 check engine light came on a couple of weeks ago and has stayed on with no obvious running problem. The car has about 70k and is out of warranty. I need to get it fixed prior to the end of the month so i can then get the car inspected.

    Typically after warranty we have taken our cars to an independent repair shop that we trust, mostly as a matter of of convenience, since we work near the shop and the Mazda dealer is about 20 miles away. My question is this the type of issue better handled by the dealer or should an independent shop be able to handle it?

    One related comment a couple of years ago under warranty the check engine light came on and the dealer re flashed the program in the module (I think it was a recall) so I assume that is not the problem.
  • evaddaveevaddave Member Posts: 156
    Advance Auto Parts will loan you a scanner that you can use to diagnose the code that is causing the check engine light. (Other stores may do it too--I only know about Advance from personal experience.) I had to leave my driver's license with them for the 10 minutes it took for me to walk out to the parking lot, plug in the scanner, and get the code. That will let you know if the problem is something minor, like an O2 sensor, or something more major.

    Another idea is to call the shop and find out. Given the amount of electronics in today's cars, I expect they'll be able to handle it.
  • zzzooomzzzooom Member Posts: 17
    The starter motors on the manual versions get an accumulation of clutch dust and the starter gear does not retract immediately. after starting. Your Mazda dealer will replace your starter under warranty.
  • markk1markk1 Member Posts: 30
    Update on this problem. I took the car to my mechanic who reported back that the problem was a loose gas cap at some point. I mentioned to them that the light was on for about three weeks through at least 2 gas refills. My mechanic told me that on some cars the light resets and on some it does not (evidently the Mazda 6 being one it does not). At any rate they reset the check engine light and I have not seen the problem again.

    For the next time my wife leaves the gas cap loose is there anyway for me to reset the light?
  • evaddaveevaddave Member Posts: 156
    My mechanic told me that on some cars the light resets and on some it does not (evidently the Mazda 6 being one it does not).

    My own experience is different. I accidentally left my gas cap loose and got the check engine light. I tightened it, and several trips later the light went off. But then it came on again once the tank got low. I filled up, and the light went out, only to come on again when the tank got low. Another fill-up turned the light off again, but then it came back on while the tank was still full. When I took it to the dealer, they told me that I needed to have an Actuator Valve replaced (under warranty). The light hasn't come back on since then.

    I have a Speed 6, so things might be different, but I can't imagine that your light wouldn't automatically reset itself. Eventually.
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    My mechanic told me that on some cars the light resets and on some it does not (evidently the Mazda 6 being one it does not).

    Not specifically WRT a Mazda, but I've been told in the past that some codes will reset, if the problem goes away and some do not. What I was told is some are what are called "hard codes" and will not reset on their own. One do-it-yourself method of resetting those is to disconnect the battery for a period of time.

    Does not seem likely that a problem related to a loose gas cap would be a "hard code", though.
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    It's happened to me. The CEL went on because of a faulty gas cap on my '04. The gas cap was replaced and the light reset, and it's been fine ever since.

    You can reset the light by disconnecting the battery, but you'll lose all your radio presets as well. The bigger problems is that the CEL may not be a loose gas cap, but a bigger problem that should be diagnosed and fixed, instead of just tightening the cap.

    If the light activates again, take it to an Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts. They've got equipment that'll find the code for you, and reset it if necessary. Just makes sure they have a CAN-compatible scanner.
  • krame00krame00 Member Posts: 21
    Hiya everyone!

    I was a regular of my forum in my early ownership of this car, and it was instrumental in getting Mazda to correct some very major issues with my car early on (clutch judder, squealing brakes, etc.). Now I am in a later stage of issues (beyond 50K miles), and I again turn to this forum for help. I love my Mazda 6, and I intend to keep it for a long time, however, now I seem to be experiencing some major issues again.

    My little 6 now will intermittently not start, and the headlights were flickering on and off. I had the battery checked, and it checked out fine at a local trusted retailer (who sells batteries!).

    I took it to the dealer (where "intermittent" means "crazy chick") who proceeded to spend 3 hours diagnosing with no answer other than that I had a burned out bulb, and that the battery was "bad". When I asked them why the battery was bad, when it had checked out fine in a shop that makes a living selling batteries, they said that according to the special Mazda test, it failed.

    Anyway, here I am with a new battery and $300 poorer, and the car still does not start intermittently, and one of the headlights is out again. If the car will not start, I just have to keep trying (take the key out, put it back in, sometimes rubbing it superstitiously on a piece of clothing) and it will turn over.

    Any thoughts? Does this sound familiar to anyone?

    Khana
  • evaddaveevaddave Member Posts: 156
    I had a similar problem with a Bronco once. It turned out to be a bad negative battery cable.
  • mz6greyghostmz6greyghost Member Posts: 1,230
    I agree. It sounds like you have a loose connection in the electrical system, or have a faulty wire.

    You could either return it to the dealer, insisting that the problem isn't fixed, and hope that they find the short and refund you the price of an unnecessary battery, or take it to a shop that specializes in electrical work (or any good repair shop IMO), and explain them the problem in detail.

    Good luck.
  • kmaynkmayn Member Posts: 2
    Hi,

    When you say it will not start can you be more specific? Does it turn over and not start or does it not crank at all? You answer will dictate possible problems.
  • krame00krame00 Member Posts: 21
    Hi!

    When I turn the key, nothing happens...

    Khana
  • kmaynkmayn Member Posts: 2
    Check this the next time it happens. Look at your dash where it shows park, neutral, reverse, drive, etc. If your is like mine (2006 model) it will light up to show which mode you are in. I had a similar problem and it turned out that my gear shift lever linkage (automatic) needed an adjustment so that it would fully engage in park. Since it was not fully engaging in park, the safety switch would not let the starter engage. I noticed this because one time when it would not turn over I had my key in the on position and looked at the dash. The P was not lit up even though I had the car in park. I hope this helps.
  • krame00krame00 Member Posts: 21
    Oooh! You got me excited there for a minute - but I have a manual transmission. The only kind of safety that is built in is that the clutch needs to be engaged before the car will start. Maybe I will try fiddling with that stuff (including the stick shift) and see if it makes a difference.

    Thanks!

    Khana
  • evaddaveevaddave Member Posts: 156
    Similar idea. There's a switch that tells your car when the clutch pedal is pushed in. If that switch is bad, it could keep your car from starting.
  • wak1wak1 Member Posts: 5
    i have just bought a mazda6 20l katano could anyone advise me on some rally good wash,wax kit so i can keep it in sparkling condition.
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