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The cause may be due to uneven airflow across the evaporator core creating inefficient cooling. They will install a top and bottom diffulser plate..
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Hi Douglas!
Thank you for contacting Mazda North American Operations. I appreciate
the opportunity to respond to you.
In regards to your inquiry, I have not heard of any updated information
on a fix for the air condition system for the MAZDA3. I understand we
are still testing out different solutions for it. As soon as a
resolution becomes available, we'll be sure to contact our
dealerships.
We appreciate your patience during this process. Please let me know if
you have any questions.
Have a great day!
Please take a moment to give us your opinion about our e-mail service.
Click or paste the link below to complete a brief, online survey.
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2F699VSGP
Regards,
Charlie Kim
Specialist, Customer Assistance E-Business
Also, this is not build date specific or vin specific.
Since this involves removing and replacing the AC/heater housing (major surgery on most cars) which in turn would involve draining the engine coolant and emptying the r-134 from the refrigerant system as well as major dash disassembly I'm going to wait for more info as to whether mine might have had this solution applied at the factory.
There's a possibility that the housing was redesigned somewhere along the line and the tsb had to wait for retrofit parts to be designed and produced for pre-redesign housings.
"I've seen that story (or similar stories) circulated by e-mail, but always assumed that they, like most stuff on the Internet, were fabricated urban legends.
I guess you can never underestimate some people"
I beleive it, have had similar things happen on numerous occasions.
Customers come in complaining of no dashlights, very angry until we turn up the dimmer knob for them--usually turned all the way down by some carwash guy cleaning the interior.
Toyotas have a nifty feature that disables the unlock side of the power window switches if you lock the car as you exit or with the remote--keeps coathanger weilding types from hitting the switch and unlocking the car.
Typical scenario--couple is driving along and driver decides to stop at 7-11 for a soda, gets out, locking door as he exits, leaving wifey inside car. She gets impatient and decides to go in after hubby, hits power switch to unlock car, switch doesn't work due to anti-theft feature described above. She panics as she now can't get out of the car!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course she never even tries the regular manual unlock button on the door handle.
The cause may be due to uneven airflow across the evaporator core creating inefficient cooling. They will install a top and bottom diffulser plate.."
They mention anything about a range of VINs? Or at least dates?
My fan motor stopped working yesterday - like a fuse was blown - then it just started working again on its own. Made a clicking sound like something was hitting the fan blades or maybe a fan motor bearing was going out. Only makes the noise on speed 1 & 2 - but maybe the noise from fan covered up the clicking when at the higher speed.
I am interested to see if this fixes the problem - it sure would be nice to have an AC system again. I am still deeply disappointed with Mazda customer service -
Well the fact is they did communicate this to the dealers, how do you think I found out? maybe your dealer does not read his email.
if the zip code on your profile is accurate, there are 2 other mazda dealers closer than the 75 miles you mentioned....Give them a call and see if they can do the work for you.
I don't know for sure how Mazda does this, I'll assume it's the same as Toyota (and Nissan).
Toyota has a dedicated website called TIS (Toyota Information System) on which all TSBs, Recalls, various service manuals and electrical wiring diagrams in pdf form, etc. are available. We have to go to the website and search to find new TSBs, they aren't highlighted on the homepage.
We have 2 pcs in the shop area dedicated to this system with printers so we can print out the tsbs or whatever for reference. The service advisors don't access this system and usually don't know what tsbs have been issued. It's up to us techs to check for tsbs whenever a car comes in with a specific problem.
We also have a technical assistance 800 number hotline which puts us in contact with a staff of engineers at Toyota HQ in Torrance. These guys can often come up with stuff even before a tsb is issued, and have a database of different solutions to different problems as discovered by dealership techs.
So if you called the dealership service dept. you talked to a clueless and/or lazy service writer who had no knowledge of current tsbs, probably doesn't know how to access Mazda's system, and didn't want to be bothered asking a tech to look it up on the system.
Since you have the number of the tsb as provided by adia8q, you could just go down there and ask them to look up tsb number 07-005/04 and see for themselves that it does exist and that it refers to a remedy for poor AC performance.
In my experience with Toyota and Isuzu (we sold them from 96 thru about 01) the factorys do everything they can to get this kind of information out, it's up to the dealerships to take advantage of the help the factories provide.
Too many dealerships don't want to bother to learn the new technology involved in getting tsb information, the service advisors learn the bare minimum to be able to write up a repair order and many techs are highly resistant to having to learn enough about operating a pc to be proficient at looking up tsbs and such.
I was resistant at first but after playing with the system for a while I really got to where I would not want to have to go back to looking everything up in binders full of printed tsbs, often with some pages missing etc. We can even download Engine Module software updates from the TIS system into the scantool and in turn update the software in the car's ecm.
I also sent an E-mail to Mazda customer service -
I got a reply today that said the TSB has been issues and if my dealer determines I have the problem I can get my car fixed.
I tried to call my dealership - the person I normally work with was out for the day - I will find out Monday if they know about it.
Maybe Mazda is out-sourcing the work to some third world country to save money.
They ran several tests of the AC system - per Mazda requirements - and said the car does have "the problem". This is the first time in the more then 6 months I have been dealing with this disaster that Mazda / dealership has called this a problem.
They have the parts on order - it should be 2-3 days before they come in. The service tech said the allowable labor for making the repair - ONE hour!
btw, my experience with factory allowable labor times is that it usually takes twice as long or more than what the factory will pay on stuff like this. I'd plan on leaving the car most of the day if I were you.
I understand z71bill's frustration but I can understand why it has taken so long for Mazda to find a solution. When it comes to stuff like this you can't just just throw a bandage on it and wait for it to heal. But better communication to customers might have made a huge difference in the eyes of customers as to how Mazda was reacting to their concerns.
I drive about 35k per year. Is there a substantial mpg difference? Should I care?
I wish I could find out if Mazda made this change to the cars they are building now - or if they made some other change to really fix the problem and the TSB is just a way to get a little bit more cool air from a defective system. What seems strange is - if this change has been added to all cars produced after 04/2004 (for example) then why doesn't the TSB indicate a range of VIN numbers that are affected? That is normally how it would be handled if a change has been made to really correct the problem.
I would not be surprised to find out that Mazda is not REALLY fixing the problem in my car - but has instead come up with a cheap band-aid fix.
Only time will tell.
First time I had this problem Mazda Roadside Assistance sent locksmith who poked around and got the key to go in.
The second time I had this problem Mazda Roadside Assistance sent the tow truck but towing guy was able to get the key in. He first disconnected my cell phone charger (from the "cigarette lighter" outlet). I was stunned as I was not able to get the key in to save my life minutes before he arrived. At a time I made no connection between the cell phone charger and my key problem. However:
I drove myself to a Mazda dealer who refused to take a look at the car because they could not reproduce the problem: the key was getting into the ignition without a problem! Mazda customer service confirmed that Dealer should not examine the problem because they can't reproduce it !!! A brand new car! Key won't get into the ignition and Mazda refuses to take a look at it! Shame on you Mazda. This is not how you treat III time Mazda owner !!!
I started chatting with the guy at the dealership and he told me that problem is most likely with the cell phone charger short circuiting something. According to him Mazda apparently changed their computers in 1996 so that cigarette lighter in a Mazda is no longer a standard DC power supply for accessories (how Inconvenient) - it is only cigarette lighter instead. I immediately checked the user manual for my 04 Mazda3 - 5door and sure enough it says to use the lighter outlet exclusively as cigarette lighter (they say don't use accessories like shavers and coffee makers - no mention of cell phone chargers though). The guy at the dealership also said they he had a lot of problems like this with Mazda 6s and Millennias but this was the first time he saw one with Mazda3.
So I have couple of questions for you fellow Mazda3 owners:
1) Has anyone else had this problem that key would not go into the ignition?
2) How related to cell phone charger the key/ignition issue might be? It felt more of a mechanical problem in the ignition to me since the tip of the key would not go into the ignition.
3) How far into the ignition does the key have to be pushed for any electrical circuit to be established (I guess I am trying to understand how this could be an electrical problem when it felt more like a mechanical one)?
3) Am I right to be annoyed with the fact that Mazda refused to take a look at the problem after 2 instances of the problem in 6 days. My thinking is that just because the problem is intermittent does not mean that I am supposed to live with it - for crying out loud this is a brand new car and I SHOULD be able to put my key into the ignition without problems. While I don't care for brewing coffee in my Mazda 3 or shaving my legs or any other part of my body, I expect to be able to put the key into the ignition and start the engine !!! Hello!!! DOH!
4) I am starting to think that I'll never buy a car made by a manufacturer owned by Ford, even if it is 1% ownership. This is our III Mazda and while Mazda 3 is a great little car and I love it to death, Mazda service and support seems to be on a steep curve down. I doubt we'll ever be IV time Mazda owners. We'll see.
Thanks for any input and happy ZoomZoom-ing.
Disturbed and disappointed Mazda owner.
Assuming you're using one of the original keys and not a copy, and the key is undamaged, it sounds like a mechanical problem with the ignition lock cylinder. Might be cured by spraying a bit of graphite into the cylinder, or WD-40, which is more of a cleaner than a lubricant.
the reason they advise against using anything but a lighter in that socket is because the socket is not designed with smooth barrel sides but rather has some protrusions to clip onto the little groove around the end of the lighter. The ground elements on the sides of most cell chargers or other devices can get caught on these protrusions if you don't insert it just right and when you pull out the plug the socket can be damaged or come out of the dash. Most cell phone installers can put in a dedicated accessory power outlet of the correct type to accomodate your cellphone charger.
Akarli
This is a very touchy subject IMO. You need to first define what you mean by "look at". They tried to reproduce the issue, with no success. What did you expect them to do, start tearing your instrument panel apart, trying to hunt for a possible short circuit? The best thing for you to do is, next time it happens, record everything that is happening around you, temperature, humidity, time of day, time since you last drove the car or had the key in the ignition, if you have anything plugged in to the cigarette lighter, etc. Take it to the dealer and they may be able to diagnose the problem. Dealer service is by no means a miracle worker.
mentioned it at oil change, tech was able to confirm a bit of resistance, he put the key on the "key wheel" and brushed it down. hasn't seemed to hang up since then. you might try taking the key to the hardware store and having them brush it down.
if you are stranded again, don't screw around. call roadside assistance and tell them to tow the car to the dealer. then the dealer gets the car with the jammed ignition. keep the receipts of the tow, then you have evidence of a safety problem which will help with your case if you have to lemon the car.
as far as the lighter, the worst thing you can do is blow the fuse out. i doubt it would have any effect on the ignition. mazda probably recommends only their lighter b/c they can't control the silly, cheap vacuums and glo-in-the-dark nose hair trimmers people will jam into the plug, and don't want to pay warranty claims to replace fuses. just be gentle pulling in and out and you will be fine. if you jam in and out you can pull the whole assembly loose, happened in my friend's CR-V. it still works, but it's ugly.
if you don't like your dealer, go to another one. mazda corporate provides the loaner cars, so you can have warranty repair work done at any dealer and get a loaner free. dont let them tell you otherwise. just make an appointment to reserve a loaner.
keep your spirits up. you could have a reliable accord with a tranny that locks up at 50mph, a maxima with an exploding sunroof, or a VW/Audi on its 10th ignition coil on four cylinders.
Another thought- are both of your keys on the same ring? Try using just one key that is not attached to anything else, not even a key ring. Wipe the key a few times with a cloth before inserting.
I don't think it's your lock cylinder.
mazda 3s does anyone know anything about it.
i think it is in canada only ?
It has to do with the air bag housing which cracks and allow water to seep in. From what the dealer told me, it is only on early production models. They'll know the full list of VINs by the end of October.
Hey livingstone1, do you have a manual trans?
I have made 9 trips to the dealer to fix grinding brakes, poor AC performance, CEL problems. So far the only thing that has been fixed is the CEL.
I will never buy another Mazda product - I expect a company to stand behind their product -Mazda does not - once they get your money you are on your own.
Mazda has developed a fix for your problem, did youhave it done? Your statement leads us to believe it didnt work.
On a scale of 1-10 before the AC repair I would rate the AC performance a ZERO.
After the fix I can see little or no change. I still need to run the AC at Max cooling even on 80 degree days - the car still does not EVER really cool off. Have not had any 95 degree days yet - that will be the final test - but I just can not see how this fix is a true solution to this defect.
Considering all the posts about how Mazda was taking so long (IMO 8 months is a long time) to come up with a fix - because they wanted to make sure to get it done right - was a joke.
Some people even posted that Mazda would need to do additional crash tests - or EPA performance tests before they could make a change. The repair - putting a plastic diffuser on the AC evaporator - what a great solution.
I am still wondering what Mazda did to fix the AC defect on the cars that they are producing today - I would bet that it is more than installing a diffuser - but the cheap - could not care less about customer service folks at Mazda would rather save the few extra $ it would take to really fix my car.
But really - even if they do - some day - fix my defective AC that does not wipe away the stain of the way I was treated.