Mazda3

bluong1 · January 2004

shroud, what you describe seems to be side-effect when ABS kicks in.

My ABS-car does that when the ABS kicks in, that's normal. The ABS releases the hydraulic pressure by opening an oil valve. This happens very quickly like a burst, creating a vibration-like feedback to the brake pedal.

bluong1 · January 2004

Yeap, the Mazda3 rides nothing like the Protegé, it's much more like the Mazda6.

- The suspension is not as harsh, and the real multi-link with trailing arm setup works like charm. The ride is cushioned, but in the corner the car leans very little. I still amazed by the compromise Mazda comes up with. It's definitively more appealing for a wider spectrum of people, giving up the typically zoom-zoom-harsh of the Protegé.

- Both MZR engines is much more refined than the Protegé engine. Engine NVH has been greatly improved. I heard few complains about the lag of the electronic throttle pedal (someone told there is about 0.5 second lag).

- The steering wheel of the Mazda3 gives less feedback than the Protegé. It's also not as quick (2.9 vs 2.7 lock-to-lock). But it's still decend (note: I only drove the simple-hydraulic steering wheel).

- The new chassis feels even more rigid.

All that combines gives an impression of an up-scale car, very substantial. But one shouldn't looking for the Go-Kart-like fun of the Protegé (great road feedback, direct steering wheel, buzzy but short-time response throttle control, low-end torque engine, and shorter geared) with the Mazda3. Mazda3 is like a Dom Perignon, and the Protegé is like a Shinner beer. ;-)

swales · January 2004

Stokkes,

Glad to hear you made it back safely. So how cold were those leather seats after being out in the cold for long periods of time?

Pet,

I can't beleive you haven't seen any 3's on the streets of Ottawa. I see about two a day and have seen pretty much every color except orange, so I haven't seen you or Stokkes yet

mazdafun · January 2004

More headroom. Hatch latch at a good height. Less cargo space, but hey, if I fit better (which it appears is a possibility), I'd go for the Micro instead of the 3. This is the one Mazda is taking the lead on, right? No wonder the design actually takes human users into account, instead of just some designer's idea of what looks "swoopy" (which is typical of Ford design). Of course, I think that center stack needs more work. That big central dial reminds me too much of BMW's i-Drive system (or whatever that really bad interface is called). And again with the aftermarket-unfriendly stereo system. That seems to be an epidemic with new car interiors (Mazda isn't the only one to go in this direction, much to my displeasure).

lmacmil · January 2004

The "buzzing" pedal is most certainly ABS kicking in. The ABS system is designed to give the driver feedback thru the pedal so he/she knows the braking limit has been reached. When the wheel speed sensors detect that a wheel is about to stop turning, the ECU (computer) tells the hydraulic control unit to drop the pressure at that wheel just slightly to keep the wheel turning.

guskim · January 2004

Hey Shroud,

Your phenomenon is probably ABS if it makes makes a vibration or pulsing sound under swift braking in slippery conditions

BUT if you are getting a loud THUNK-CLUNK at very low speeds just before vehicle stops, this is most likely not ABS. This would be the pads actually *slipping* slightly, because the "virgin" pads are not yet seated to the rotor. I know because, it happened to me to, and now it's disappeared before 1200km. Quite a few people have reported this sensation about their Mazda3's and the complaints do not persist because the "KACLUNK-sound" goes away after the pads get seated.

bluong1 · January 2004

like a BMW Mini-Copper twin to me.

xeider · January 2004

The MX-Micro looks like a 4-door Mini Cooper. Interesting though....

Nice to see the Mazda 3 featured New Vehicle Spotlight on the front page of Edmunds....

guskim · January 2004

Hi Folks,

Being a hold-over of the "old-school" of new car ownership, I religiously have had my first oil change performed anywhere from 2500 to 3000KM.

The idea was that now this "break-in" period was over, an early oil-change would take away the little "metal filings and shaving" produced by blow-by, piston griding, etc.

Well, I just talked to a couple of Mazda dealerships, and both said "Don't do it." They don't think changing your oil before the recommended interval (8000km, i.e.5000 miles, or 4 months) is needed. One mechanic said "today's engines, at least Mazda's, are made so well now, and the tolerances are so tight, a quicker oil-change is not necessary".

I said "but I REALLY like changing the oil sooner". He said, "Well, if you REALLY want to do it, do it at 4000KM, but it's not needed, and why waste your money when you don't have to?".

So there you go guys. I guess I'll spend that extra oil change money on a cargo net or roof rack..

drumm01 · January 2004

It does look a a 4-door Mini Cooper. But judging from the picture of the MX-Micro next to someone, it looks bigger.

I have no interest in a SUV, but this looks cute and sporty. And what about that interior? Sweet shifter also, ala Audi TT

stokkes · January 2004

weapon...:

Guelph? Why would I go to Guelph? I don't think I know anybody in that part of ontario, although true, it's not that far from the big T.

petpad:
Not buying winters because frankly the holidays, my vacation, christmas ran me bloody dry. Don't have that extra 900$ to kick around for a set of winters, not this year anyway.. next year, no prob!

a few other things, i've only seen one 3 on the road in ottawa, which was at the beginning of december. As for my orange, I usually stick around downtown near the University where I work, the south area down bank street up to south keys.. i'm in those areas 99% of the time when I'm driving, so it's unlikely I'd ever see petpad's orange unless it was a pure fluke

stokkes

1davao · January 2004

Don't know if these were posted previously.
I can't seem to download the pics right. There's at least 100 of them.

http://www.media.mazda.com/CGI/photolibrary/E/search_list.cgi?sel- ect_name=new&data=off

1davao

barry42 · January 2004

The 3's are not here in Guatemala yet , but , my dealer told me yesterday that three of them have arrived at the pacific port of San Jose. One is reported to be a HB in " Shimmering Sand Metallic " -- We will see !!!

xeider · January 2004

There are some good pictures in there. All the pictures that I saw are zipped *.eps files. (Encapsulated PostScript)

You need a PostScript interpreter to look at the files in their full glory, though they do come with a small preview image embeded in the file.

tiredofmanual · January 2004

My 2002 Audi 1.8T has oil change intervals of 10,000 miles (~16,000 KM). I waited the full amount before the first change and that engine runs perfectly. Hasn't burned a drop of oil or anything. Smooth as silk, too. I really do believe that many old habits relating to cars are outdated. Drive the car like you stole it as you leave the dealership! The engine is fine.

Also, I have a quick question about the sport package on the S sedan. I know that you get side moldings and 17" wheels. Are there any suspension changes at all? Is the ride height lowered any?

bluong1 · January 2004

the suspension and car height are identical with or without the sport package.

everfeb · January 2004

The Ford Dealer scanned my 3S today and pulled

bluong1 · January 2004

lmp180psu · January 2004

the suspense is killing me

everfeb · January 2004

The Ford Dealer scanned my 3S today and pulled
CODE PO128...Thermostat -137 degrees.
They said this code showed Thermostat was or is stuck open. Sounds similar to MAZDA3INDY CEL problem. They (Ford) were not interested in doing anything other than the scanning as it took them awhile, they said, "just to figure out where to hook everything up on the Mazda and really didn't feel comfortable working on it".

After getting results from Ford I called my Mazda service supervisor in Winnipeg to relate the results to him and here is basically what he said...(and please, I am not a knowledgeable car guy, so if any of this is BS could you let me know-TIA)....
...he asked me "if the interior of the car warmed up and said if it did then it is unlikely the thermostat is stuck open". The car does warm up normally (from my point of view) and the temperature gauge sits just below the middle. He said it is possible the Thermostat WAS stuck open at some point causing the CEL to come on but is problably not open now or the heater wouldn't be working normally????

Before the scan a few other problems came up just in the last couple of days (prior to this the car ran good and everything seemed normal except the CEL was on) and I don't know if these new problems are possibly related to CEL thermostat issue or not. FIRST...I now seem to be getting lousy mileage although I can't prove it and am just now going to start to monitor it. I swear the last couple of days I could actually SEE the gas gauge moving.
Would poor mileage have anything to do with thermostat stuck open? Ford people said it could.
Mazda guy says if interior car heater is working OK then thermostat not stuck open??? SECOND..my car really vibrates (shakes) when it is moving but not when stationary. I can feel it in the seat, steering wheel and gas pedal. The vibrating is first noticeable around 50km (30m) per hour and the faster I go the more it shakes. At 90 kmph (56 mph) it is quite bad and I haven't driven any faster than that to see if it get even worse. Could this have anything to do with Thermostat?
Again...Ford said it could...but Mazda said it was probably a problem with ice build up on the wheels which a local tire dealer agreed could happen as tires, rims, whatever could be thrown out of balance. I was told by Mazda just yesterday, when I first had a chance to talk to them about this shaking, that ice build up could cause shaking (we had snowcovered then slushy, salted and gravelled roads here a few days ago and then it turned brutally cold so is it possible something like this could have happened? I don't know. The Mazda service guy said he had experience with this happening in the past with the Protege.

Anyway...the Mazda guy seems to think I don't have a problem unless the shaking continues after I've had a chance to try and de-ice the wheels. If it still shakes then I think I got a problem??

I'm out of my league here and feel like I'm babbling-it's all hard to explain. So any opinions, advice, thoughts regarding these issues will be much appreciated. Regards
everfeb

zaimon · January 2004

There's a new thread for the MX-Micro here.

everfeb · January 2004

I don't know how that happened, didn't faint and wasn't trying create suspense :-).
everfeb

x_typer_pilot · January 2004

I've had that vibrating thing happen to me in several previous cars...1989 crx si, 1992 integra GS-R, 1995 BMW 318ti, 1998 acura Type-R. All had reasonably low profile tires. If you have 16" or 17" rims with 55 or 50 series tires - you're going to get this problem once in awhile during the winter.

The inside of a wheel scoops up some snow, the centrifugal force keeps it there and if it gets wet & then colder - it freezes to the inside face of the wheel and acts like a weight. Of course, it puts your wheel severely out of balance. It usually get noticeable at speeds over 40 kph and downright scary at speeds over 80 kph, depending on how much snow/ice is lodged inside your wheel(s).

If you can take it to a touchfree car wash, the warm water should do the trick. Or one of those manual spray wand places, just spray the wheels, it should dislodge the ice & snow.

The vibration is totally unrelated to the CEL issue, but the out of balance wheel(s) may be contributing (at least a bit) to your poor gas mileage. The mileage may or may not be related to the CEL issue.

Hope I've helped.

zoom-zoom

everfeb · January 2004

Thanks for shedding some light on the ice build up in tire problem. I don't recall this ever happening to me. Your explanation was very enlightening and jives with what the Mazda guy was trying to tell me over the phone. I will try the car wash ASAP. Thanks again!!!
everfeb

silver_bullet · January 2004

If the engine control computer receives a continuous false signal from a coolant temp sensor saying the engine is cold (when it really isn't), it is possible for the computer to supply too much fuel as it thinks the car is permanently in warm up mode. This might possibly be the cause of the high fuel consumption you are experiencing. Never worked on a Mazda with this type of problem, but I've seen it happen often on Bosch injection systems.

bluong1 · January 2004

- I second x_typer_pilot, the vibration is likely NOT relating to the CEL problem. The most trivial cause is snow and ice stuck in the wheels. It could contribute to poor mileage.

- Now about the P0128 is indeed the thermostat. Normally, if the thermostat stuck open, the coolant is circulating all the time and the engine can't warm up to the nominal temperature (around 80-90 degree celcius). I find it's strange that the car warms up correctly as you said. The thermostat stuck open could be due to the water temperature sensor.

- As I said previously, could you check to see if the engine fan is working when the engine is still cold? If should if the thermostat stuck (fully)-open.

everfeb · January 2004

Thanks for shedding some light on the ice build up in tire problem. I don't recall this ever happening to me. Your explanation was very enlightening and jives with what the Mazda guy was trying to tell me over the phone. I will try the car wash ASAP. Thanks again!!!
everfeb

steb · January 2004

If you're going to do this and you need a 5 door to provide some photographic balance (interest?) let me know. I got my blue GT Sport on Jan 2. It stays sitting in my Centretown driveway all day as I walk to work (how sad is that). Although sometimes my wife drives it a whole klick or two to get groceries or go to class at Carleton. I'm looking for any excuse to go somewhere. Tonight I'm going to the Corel Centre for a game and the drive there (in that awful traffic) seems more appealing to me than the game.

I think that Micro could likely do very well in Canada. Not so sure about the states though. It would be nice not to own the smallest Mazda in their line-up. The 3 is a big thing in Canada as we saw with their 50% sales increase in December. My dealer told me that, no exageration, 90% + of walk-in traffic is to see the 3. As well, I really believe that Mazda Canada will raise the price by Spring. Likely a $1000. Simple laws of supply and demand. I think they can do it so they will do it.

As well, someone earlier mentioned that maybe Mazda is gradually pushing itself a step up on the Import food chain (below the Luxury mfgs but above everyone else)like VW has done and I can buy that. In that last week I was in one friends 2003 Jetta and another's 2004 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport. My Mazda 3 Sport GT is really similar to the VW. My buddies Impreza seemed a bit plastically, not upscale. And a tiny glovebox, door pockets and console. Nice looking outside though and great in the snow.

STEB

steb · January 2004

Just to clarify my previous statement comparing my 3 and my friend's Jetta I should have been more specific. In particular, the interiors were very similar. Especially the dash and instrument panel. I would say the back seat room is better in the 3 though. Much better than the Subaru Impreza for that matter.

Although, as my friends all agree, if you plan to have adults in the backseat on a regular basis, you're likely better off moving up to something a touch roomer if you can swing it. We're all 30 something kidless guys.

everfeb · January 2004

Glad to hear you second x_typer_pilot re: vibration and snow and ice stuck in the wheels. This is new to me, had me very worried and am going to car wash ASAP to see if that solves the problem. I will post the results in a day or 2.
About the PO128...the Ford dealer didn't specify that at the time of the scan the thermostat was in fact stuck open OR that it was closed. They just scanned the engine, pulled the code and told me what it was. They did nothing else. Wouldn't even consider actually looking at the thermostat because they "didn't know where it was and probably didn't have the correct tools anyway". The Mazda guy said the thermostat could have been stuck open for awhile causing the CEL to come on...but that it is likely closed now???? I don't know?? Does-can this happen?? A thermostat sticks open for awhile setting off some kind of sensor (CEL) and then goes back to operating normally???? What do you think?
Thanks again for you help.
everfeb

bluong1 · January 2004

Here is what I think.

If your engine can still warm-up quickly and the gauge don't go over the middle point, I think the thermostat works just fine. But then the question is why the CEL code is P0128 (thermostat anomaly)?

It seems to me the CEL reports the P0128 when it detects a discrepancy between the thermostat open /close states and the temperature reported by the thermometer. The P0128 could be due to a failure (or wrong calibration) of the the coolant thermometer and not the thermostat. This also explains why you have a poor mileage, because the correct air/fuel mixture can't be achieved when the temperature is wrongly read by the ECU.

When will you bring the car to your Mazda dealer?

mazda3hatch · January 2004

99% of the time you ask a tech if problem X could cause problem Y, they'll tell you it could. Doesn't mean it's probable. But I'd say they're right about the ice on the wheels, even here in NC I've had it happen, last year as a matter of fact. My question regarding your CEL is if the thermostat is functioning correctly at this point, why is the light still on? As for being out of your league, read this article and you'll know as much about cooling systems as anyone here. . . http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cooling-system.htm

odysseus3 · January 2004

Okay, I need reassurance. I've ordered a grey Mazda3 Sport, but I have never actually seen the colour on that particular car. I have seen the Titanium Grey Metallic on the Mazdaspeed, and the Dealer said it was the same colour. However, I was just looking at LavaOrange's shots, and the car almost looked light mauve. Is this a camera issue, or is the colour a little bit purple looking?

shroud · January 2004

If I may add my 2 cents:

leather + cold so far is a non-issue. They seem to warm up very fast under body heat - in fact, most of the time it's just that initial icy jolt when you sit, and then it feels like any other seats to me. I love them. LOVE the leather.

Jarrett

PS thanks on the brake vibration thing guys!

New gripe: wish the seatbelt warning beeper would relax a bit. Sometimes I might take my belt off temporarily in a parking lot or drive through lineup, and the beeper comes on every couple of minutes. Dont need to be repeatedly reminded. Maybe it's a legal thing now.

lavaorange3 · January 2004

It's just like the Mazdaspeed. What you see in the pictures is the byproduct of a very overcast day (in Hawaii!) and my inability to figure out my brother in law's new camera...

It's gray gray gray. No blue. No purple. No nuthin' but gray with silver sparkles in the paint, which you can only see in the sunlight.

It's very cool looking, and very stealthy compared to my former red P5.

Meantime, for what it's worth, Mazda is shipping these cars with iridium spark plugs. Pretty cool, I'd say.

As the days go by I've been tossing the car more and more and it responds just fine. Having a blast!

cogs25 · January 2004

I see from all the posts that the 2.3 is readily available in Canada; also, it appears, in the US east coast. However, when I check inventory for the Midwest area I live in, there are NO 2.3's in either hatch or sedan. Why is that?

Thanks

wongpres · January 2004

odysseus3:

The Titanium Grey on the Mazda3 has a different colour code than the Mazdaspeed Pro. I've seen them both in real-life side-by-side and the Mazdaspeed grey is a bit lighter. The RX-8 and Mazda3 have the same titanium grey colour code.

petpad:

There's already been a Mazda3 meet in Vancouver (and they have pics to prove it).

cogs25:

The MazdaUSA search pages are a bit screwy when you use the engine size criteria. I believe even the car info pages are screwy (e.g. hatches with 2.0l engines).

everfeb · January 2004

Thanks very much for the help. Gave the wheels a good soaking at car wash, waited a few hours for them to dry, took THE3 on the route where I first noticed the shaking, and IT is gone. Problem solved. What A Relief. I was very worried about this. Thank you.

BLUONG1...I am now going to see Mazda as soon as I can. It's the only way I can find out for sure what is going on. I was hoping to postpone until they get their new CD to reset the CEL..and I still need a block heater installed. I was hoping to combine all this in one trip (it's 4 hours one way) and have been postponing but I think this is getting urgent and I'm starting to worry about the things that you and SILVERBULLET have brought up. So I'm going to go ASAP - Thanks SILVERBULLET for taking the time to post your analysis.
MAZDA3HATCH..thanks for your thoughts and the website..it's great.

Bluong-you mention...water temp sensor...and temperature reported by the thermometer. Silverbullet said...a coolant temperature sensor in message #5422. Are you both pretty much talking about the same thing, idea, possible problem?? Which I am going to mention to Mazda service. Thanks again for everyone's help. Really appreciate it. Regards
everfeb

zc1 · January 2004

I haven't been following closely, but has anyone mentioned that mazda3indy had this problem as well? When it happened he had his car scanned and the code was the same as yours, P0128. Bruno reported to us, at that time, that this meant that the coolant thermostat was reporting abnormally (Message #5135). Bean3422 added that having the thermostat stuck open was not as big a deal as having it stuck closed (stuck open results in the engine taking longer to warm up, but it will warm up and not overheat; Message #5136). Mazda3indy reported that they replaced his thermostat and the light went off (Message #5129). As I said, I haven't been following this particular discussion all that closely, so someone might already have brought this up. I just did a search for "stuck".

1davao · January 2004

The New York Times reports on the North American Auto Show with a lineup of concept cars and 2005 models. I think pound for pound and for value, the
MZ3 is light years ahead. Competition is planning to lower their prices with more options to compete with Mz3's more complete and upscale ocnfigurations.

http://autoshow.edmunds.nytimes.com/news/autoshow/articles/100916- /page004.html

1davao

fowler3 · January 2004

of options on the Civic and Corolla and cut the prices -- very competitive! LOL!

fowler3

thesle2 · January 2004

What is the difference in handling,ride,etc or in other words why buy 17 in wheels? Can the M3s be that much better or is it just looks?

lavaorange3 · January 2004

Note the sixth paragraph...it indicates the Mazdaspeed3 will preceed the 6!

http://money.cnn.com/2003/12/22/pf/autos/mag0401_mazdaspeed_miata- /index.htm

bluong1 · January 2004

cogs25,

after pulling out the inventory list, you could check the engine/body type by the VIN (please do not trust the description on the website, as wongpres pointed out):

Sedan 2.3L: JM1 BK123? 41 1...
Sedan 2.0L: JM1 BK12F? 41 1...
Hatch 2.3L: JM1 BK143? 41 1...

Hope it helps,

Bruno

bluong1 · January 2004

What is the difference in handling, ride, etc or in other words why buy 17 in wheels? Can the M3s be that much better or is it just looks?

It's typical the difference between low/hight profile tires:

17": harsher, more road noise (IIRC, Preston though it's significant, right Preston?), but the car will reacts quicker to the steering input. IMO, the skid pad of 16" and 17" should be very similar (?).

bluong1 · January 2004

yeah, the Micro > Mini

length: 156.7 vs 142.8
width: 69.9 vs 66.5
height: 61.0 vs 55.4

bluong1 · January 2004

vishanp "Mazda3 Owners: Problems & Solutions" Jan 1, 2004 11:20pm

Sorry for the cross post.

silver_bullet · January 2004

When I first saw the 3 in this color, I said "that's it!", and I still like it quite a bit... but I've spent more than an hour just staring at the cars on my local dealer's lot, in both full sun and overcast, and the T grey sure seems to have a slight blue cast to me. Enough that I think Mazda should have put the black/blue interior in it instead of the black/red combo. Didn't a Canadian poster mention earlier that T grey cars up there come with black/blue trim? I've actually decided the white hatch looks pretty classy (I always liked the white P5), and seems to show off the car's lines nicely. Oh well, YMMV. Re: the P0128 code - keep in mind that a faulty sensor may THINK that the thermostat is sticking when it actually isn't... the only way you can be sure is to test the thermostat once it is out of the car. On the Bosch systems I've worked with that had either a faulty (stuck open) thermostat, or a faulty coolant temp sensor, the cold start injector would introduce extra fuel into the intake manifold and cause the car to essentially run too rich. On one car in particular, this problem was bad enough to blacken the spark plugs and deposit a trace of soot in the tailpipe, but that's an extreme case. I'd certainly want my dealer to verify what's going on.

bluong1 · January 2004

Yeap, the Ti in Canada comes with black/blue interior.

About the CEL, what kind of cars were you working on? Just curious.

I agree 100% what you have said.

xeider · January 2004

"By early 2005, performance junkies can expect a turbocharged Mazdaspeed 3 sports compact that should pump out at least 200 horsepower (or up to 240, if Mazda decides to offer an all-wheel-drive version). The hotted-up 3 should be followed by Mazdaspeed's take on the mid-size 6. "

http://money.cnn.com/2003/12/22/pf/autos/mag0401_mazdaspeed_miata- /index.htm

Mazda3

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