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I do have a hard time finding a filter. All online sources don't list one.
When I did the oil change, they said it would cost 50$ (I'm not even sure if it included the filter), no way...
Is there a good source for Mazda parts online? It seems I can order fenders, engines.. but not the cabin filter :-)
another thing I want to install, is there a wat to get an ambient thermometer (like they are standard in hte 2006 ones)? Is it easy to install the autodimming mirror that includes the thermometer in my 2005 5-door? Or is there anither way to get a decent thermometer without spending $200?
i mean, I don't want a cheap Walmart thermometer for 10$ that is somehow difficult to install in a nice way (after all, it is a Mazda and not a Kia :-) without cables laying around?
By the way, the oil change cost 27$ including tax... decent price. the replaced one of my tire valves that lost air (thanks to the tire pressure monitor I noticed it..) free of charge.
It sounds like it may be coming from inside the pillar between the front and rear door - like maybe from the place where the drivers side seat belt hooks to the car. I have pulled the plastic trim off and everything looks tight - so I don't think its coming from the seat belt.
I get the noise when I back out of my driveway - and other times when turning on a slope - also sometimes happens when I stop - its almost like the frame of the car is flexing and I am getting a clicking sound.
At first I though it was just the rubber weather strip rubbing - so I put silicone on it - did nothing.
Planned to having Mazda look at it at my last oil change - but the service department was backed up and it would have taken 2 days.
Since I own a Chevy I am an expert at finding / killing rattles - but this one has me stumped.
I also had a very hard time starting the Mazda3 this morning - took 3 tries - its almost like I have the fuel pump problem again! Anyone had to have their fuel pump replaced more than once?
I pulled the spark plugs three looked good - one was a little dirty - not sure what that means - but it can't be good.
I've had this rattle (like a drum tap or making popcorn sound) in the rear of my hatch for a while (since October). Occurs under 40 mph. I've ripped out the entire rear of the hatch putting the jack and pieces up front, but leaving only the spare in tact (actually, I took that apart and re fastened it). I think I've narrowed it to the hatch door locking mechanism vs. the 2 bumpers. It seems that the door locking mechanism is seated about 3/8 inch or 1cm out of its unit. It may need to be seated to about a 1/4 inch. Though, slipping a dollar bill between each bumper with the hatch closed produces a significant compression. I also get the popping noise when closing the car doors with all the windows closed (pressure effect). One other thing I noticed is that the hatch door bumpers seem to stick to the sheet metal to the point that it leaves a black residue at contact.
I also have an annoying squeak/rattle somewhere in the floor/front left suspension area that comes and goes. My biggest fear is that it's suspension related because whenever I hear it, I feel it too. It pops up over broken pavement and feels like something is wrong. Dealer can't duplicate problem even though they claim they drive the car over rough surfaces.
Doing anything for 2 hours mechanical requires a lot of patience and not worth the hassle imo.
Thanks for confirming that working on the car for 2 hours to install the mirror is not an easy DYI project. I'll stick with my magnetic compass and wal-mart thermometer, thank you. :P
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/manuals/2006Mazda3OM.pdf
Learning to operate hand held GPS, that's probably another story
Seems like if you set the manual system on max cooling - and do the same with the auto climate control system you would get the same amount of cold air. At least that is the way it works with my SUV that has an auto feature - I get the same amount of cold (or heat) even if I switch over to manual - the only advantage of the auto system is it turns itself on and off to keep the temperature within a set range. It actually slows down and speeds up the fan.
I am not saying it is impossible that the cars equipped with the auto system have better AC -
but
If the cars with the auto climate control do have better AC systems (vs the manual controlled cars) then there must be something else that is causing the change. Maybe a change in the control logic that keeps the system running longer.
I also do not see why having 7 fan speeds would make much difference (in cooling capacity). If it is just more fan settings - assuming the max speed is still the same. My car actually cools better on speed 3 than it does on speed 4. Even though speed 3 gives less air volume - it is colder air.
This is almost always the case. It was once explained to me: The slower moving air at the lower fan speeds has more time to "get chilled" passing thru the evaporater. If you put a thermometer in the vent, you can see this right away as you increase the fan speed, the vent temp will also increase.
On the issue of the auto climate control vs manual AC...I tend to agree with your premis...unless the cooling hardware is different, i doubt there will be any significant difference in the cooling capabilities of either system. Unless, as you mentioned, the sensors in the auto system somehow allow the compressor to stay on longer.
My son had an 05 hatch titanium...(unfortunately totalled 2 months ago) and replaced it with an 06 GT red. (w/the auto climate controls) We live in Tucson, so we know about summer heat and AC....he states that the 06 cools better than the 05. Altho he admits that my Highlander cools down much faster, and blows colder...even with the much larger interior volume.
It seems to me, as noted many many times here, that for some reason, the 3's compressor just doesn't stay on long enough to cool the car rapidly. z71bill...I feel your angst... :-(
BTW, my son had both cars tinted, and said it made a big difference, but when the car has been sitting soaking in the sun in 95+ degrees all day, it takes a very long time to get comfortable. But so did his 2001 Civic....he states the 3 is the same as the Civic in that one regard...however he will not buy another Civic...the 3 being "so much better in every other way." :-)
With my other vehicles (ones I own now + prior) the inside of the car would cool down faster and become colder if the fan speed was set at its highest level. This is not true with my Mazda3.
(Made up numbers - just an example!)
With my other cars it was like 20 cubic feet/minute of 44 degree air (fan on high) made the car feel cooler than 15 cubic feet/minute of 38 degree air - fan on medium speed.
I think the reason this is normally true is - if the fan is on high you have more air being forced through the evaperator - this larger volume of air keeps the evaperator from cooling down - once the evaperator cools to a set point (around 32 degrees) a signal goes to the compressor to shut down. By not allowing the evaperator to cool down to its set point (as fast) - makes the compressor run longer - so it is able to do more work.
As far as the auto climate control making the system work better - I have not tried a Mazda3 with this feature so I don't know - but most cars with a auto climate control can be switched over to manual control. If the auto feature really is the reason the system works better then I would think if you switched over to manual mode the AC would not cool as well - but if it still works just as well in manual mode - which I assume is better than my car that only has manual mode - then there must be another reason for the improvement.
I will take my Mazda3 into the dealer on Monday - I had a hard time starting it again this morning - engine turns over fine - but it just takes a long time to start up. After it finally does start it seems to run fine - so I am thinking its the fuel pump (again). I am going to try and get them to also replace my spark plugs with a hotter plug.
Eureka! problem found.
But, if you like to tinker and take things apart in your new car go ahead. Some people don't tinker and don't want to complicate things. Some people also like to do bungee jumping and do river-rafting, or swim with the sharks. Different strokes for different folks.
Anytime myself or anyone else including a certified mechanic worked on any car for more than an hour, something is always screwed up. It's the law of averages. Besides, if someone has 2+ hours to burn on installing a mirror, it's probably time to get a part-time job or do something else more practical with their time and life. :shades:
I am thinking it makes no difference - unless the sunlight sensor overrides the system and tells it to run longer between cycles when in auto mode.
Its good if Mazda improved the AC for the 2006 model year - but shame on them for letting all the customers who took a chance on a 2004-2005 model just twist in the wind (or bake in the sun) It will be very hard for me to ever buy another Mazda - like their car - hate their service after the sale.
It makes no difference to me if the A/C doesnt work well in manual mode. With the auto feature, it becomes redundant. The auto uses the interior sensors to climatize the interior properly. Analysing the manual component now becomes a moot issue.
And your mistaken, Mazda did NOT improve the A/C in [some] 2006 and 2007 models in Canada. They only added the same features that's always been available in Mazda3 in other countries. It's totally insane why Mazda didnt even introduce climate control in any Mazda3's in Canada while in the US, it's available in 2006 GT. I guess they think the temps are around freezing and we all wear beaver pelts all year round. WTF?? :mad:
Clearly, Mazda has heard the complaints (but won't admit they exist) about the poor A/C and finally decided to put back what they NEVER should not have removed when assembling the Mazda3 for North America.
To be honest, I'm a physician so I am quite busy, and I have to work non-traditional hours. However, I do enjoy talking about cars with folks online when time permits. I also enjoy learning how to do new things. I am proud that I successfully modified my car with a new gadget. Your last post kind of torched me, calling me lazy? I hope it made you feel better. Nice place, you Canadians sure are a friendly lot...Next topic please, I consider the issue dead.
moontom, you say your say the dealer fixed your A/C? that's like saying you had cancer and now your're cured. can you elaborate what dealer did to fix your problem??
Agreed. The more we pay attention to the maintenance and upgrade of our zoomobiles, the more we appreciate them. I'd encourage Mazda and its dealerships to consider offering "how to" sessions similar to the Saturday show n' tell improvement sessions offered by Home Depot and others. Here are a few examples: how to check engine fluids and do a monthly inspection; how to switch wheels in the winter; how to upgrade your wheels; how to change your battery; how to change your spark plugs. Some may think this counter to a dealership's interests, but I'd venture to say that a lot of good will would be created by these efforts with participating dealers receiving good references which hopefully would result in new and repeat business.
p.s. Likely, once some of us see what's involved in the work, we'd gladly let the mechanics do it.
hmmmmm - you mean as opposed to spending countless hours in online forums for example???
I agree with autonomous - doing things yourself is an excellent way to learn more about the vehicle you own. That can't possibly be a bad thing.
Interestingly, I believe I read somewhere that Saturn used to do those Saturday clinics autonomous is speaking of.
thank you for observing the rules of common courtesy!
best
MrShiftright
Host
BTW - I dont' think the temperature sensors produce any cold air (do you?) - so they do not increase the system capacity one little bit. They just turn the system off and on - so - if the AC with auto control is better - they must have improved / changed something else - right?
Trying to find out why the manual A/C is inadequate is an exercise in futility...now that we know that the everywhere else in the world the Mazda3's had climate control going back to the production years of 2004 and have had no complaints. So, no. I dont think Mazda North America changed anything, they only neglected to add the auto climate control in Mazda3's until recently and only in 06's GT's in the USA.
Basic common sense tells us that are car with interior A/C sensor(s) will have more of a constant temperature than one without. Even an inferior system can be made to work well as long as the sensors tell the PCM to keep running the compressor. And this is the problem, if you havent figured it out by now.
I can now move on knowing that auto-climate control is the answer and always has been. However, I do wonder why those dumb [non-permissible content removed]'s at Mazda North America didnt want the auto climate in their Mazda3s and people like us are suffering as a result.
All I care about it is how can I get auto climate in my Mazda3 installed and working because believe it or not, Mazda has left us to dry on this one.
If you want to become knowlegable on how auto climate control works, I suggest visiting that A/C forum link I previously posted.
This should have nothing to do with how long the ac compressor works. My understanding is the ac system compressor comes on until a certain temp is achieved then the compressor cycles off until a high limit temp is reached and this cycle continues. If you add heat to the air coming into the car has nothing to do with this cycling. These high and low temps are monitored inside the ac system itself not in the interior of the car per se.
I can attest to this - as I've stated here before, we've had several 90°F+ days here in balmy South Carolina and the automatic A/C in my '06 3GT has had no problem quickly cooling off the car. Even after it has sat with its black leather interior baking in the sun for four hours.
If you search on other forums, you'll find others too with automatic A/C in their '06 3's that are getting satisfactory results.
The bottom line is - it works. We could spend 100 postings speculating as to why this is - but it will still be speculation. As for those with sub-par systems, I feel for you - I'm miserable in the summer heat and it's a pity that Mazda hasn't satisfactorily addressed the problem in your cars.
They do have a solution however - the proof is in these '06's with auto-A/C that work exceptionally well.
Maybe I'm expecting too much from it - not sure at all how it's calculating it. All I know is that every time I check it against my calculations it's about 1-1.5MPG low.
For example - last night the trip computer was showing 21.9MPG. When I filled up - I calculated it at 23.2MPG based on my mileage and the amount of fuel I put in. It's read consistently low like this since purchase 2200 miles ago.
Incidentaly - this was all city driving with lots of stop and go... hence the 23.2 MPG - I got around 33MPG on a longer highway trip recently.
Antedoctal evidence about how well any one system (automatic climate control or not) works is just that. Only a side by side comparision yields anything. Just like in medicine.
Love to see someone measure some air temps in both versions and give us something we can hang our hat on.
Since not all 2006 Mazda3's have auto climate control - are the cars with manual control still having AC issues?
Has anyone with an auto climate control experienced poor AC performance?
(Again) - Anyone with auto control experience a big drop in the cooling performance if they switch their AC over to manual control (set AC to max cooling)?
However - I took a digital thermometer and measured the air coming from the center vents under the following conditions:
Auto-Climate Control: OFF
A/C: ON
Recirculate: OFF
Temperature Setting: Lowest possible, 60°F
Fan Speed: 1
Ambient Air Temperature: 69°F
The air coming from the center vents measured 40.9°F and the compressor cycled on for approximately 10-12 seconds and then off for approximately 15-20 seconds consistently during the 5 minutes I took measurements.
It's actually been pretty cool and overcast today, so not the best "test" day. We should have some 85°F and sunny days towards the end of the week - I'll post results again on one of those days.
Hope this helps answer some questions.
BTW, my auto-climate control seems to keep my car plenty cool so far. I have tinted my windows to 30% all around, so that helps too.
If the auto climate control forced the compressor to keep running after the evaperator reached 32 degrees it would freeze over and the cooling would drop to zero.
The auto climate control simply adjusts the fan blower speed - if you set the system on auto (hot car) the fan will run on high speed - as the car starts to cool the fan speed will slow down.
slate1 - the test I would run would be to set you system to run on MAX cooling for both auto and manual control - does the vent temp change when you switch between manual and auto? That is the change you are trying to determine - my guess is it will not change much if at all.
If the auto control switches between recirc and fresh air then try and run the test with the recirc on.
Your question was if there was a significant drop in performance in manual mode.
If it's throwing out ~40°F air at max cooling in manual mode, then, it's an easy conclusion that the answer is "No". The output in Auto-mode would have to be in the low-mid 30°F range in order for that to hold water. There's no way it's going to be that low. On the other hand, if you want me to do it to satisfy your curiosity I'll be happy to do so - only took about 10 minutes.
As for the auto-climate control only adjusting fan speed, that's simply not true. It adjusts fan speed, where the air is directed (feet, vents, etc.), recirculate or fresh intake (overrideable without going out of auto-mode), and also adjusts what I can only call mixture... that would be how much a/c cooled air is being mixed with warmed or ambient air.
In actuality, the A/C NEVER goes off in Auto-mode. When it's 30°F outside and the auto-climate control is running, the A/C light is still on and the compressor is indeed cycling. Before you ask - the auto system heats the car up quickly too...
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It was - does the auto climate control cool better (as in make the car colder on a hot day) than the manual system? OR - Did installing the auto climate control solve the weak AC issue in the Mazda3?
I do see your point - if the manual mode blows 40 degree air that is pretty good - so that would lead me to think that Mazda has done something else to get more capacity (other than just adding the auto feature).
The reason I am beating this thing is if I could somehow figure out what was changed I would try and get Mazda to do that to my car. I ask them last year if the sunlight sensor would improve my AC - I would have been willing to pay them to install it - but I was told that it could not be done - and would not make any difference anyway.
You havent been paying attention, have you? :P The auto-climate control was made and installed in the 2004+ overseas models just like the rest of the body parts. In otherwords, you're asking: "which came first, the chicken or the egg"?
I disagree that there is no link between auto climate and the compressor. I believe (unless an A/C tech tells me otherwise), the auto-climate control DOES control the compressor cycling time. The interior sensors send a message to the onboard computer and that plays a key role in controlling the cycling time.
C'mon, think about it and let's get back to what was originally said here, the compressor is on for 10 seconds. It "rests" for 60 seconds and then restarts again. It's during the "resting" phase that there is inadequate cooling because the gas is not being pumped. If the compressor was on longer, a lot longer there would NOT be an A/C issue. The actual vent temps prove this. It's when the compressor is off that there is no cold air. Make sense? :confuse:
The manual A/C system on it's own is bad but that could be due to the 134A gas and the size of the evaporator. However, Mazda engineers knew of this when the designed the Mazda3 so they offered their Mazda3's equipped with auto climate control to greatly improve the A/C performance (wer're talking many years ago when they were CADing the Mazda3.
And forget about Mazda doing any mods to your car. The car cannot have ambient temperature monitoring. The wiring harness to do so cannot be installed in our models. Doing so would basically require the car to be torn down and rebuilt. This is why Mazda North America won't acknowledge the problem. They neglected to include it in their North American Mazda3 models. They realize it was a mistake not to offer it in North American models and now are including it (or soon will be) like they did when they first built the Mazad3 years ago for countries other than Canada and USA.
The AC compressor does not care about the temperature in the car interior at all. If you have your auto CCset for 70F on and 80F day the ac will work until interior temp is 70F. If interior temp goes below 70F the ac compressor continues to work, a blend door or some system bleeds in a little warm air until you get back to 70F.
The only time ac compressor is off is when you default it off, shut off the fan or if the outside temperature is below the low default temp fot the evaporator (if it is already cold enough no need to come on). I'm not an ac tech but the above is my understanding about how ac works. If you watch closely how/when your ac works I trust you'll agree.
Bottom line as mentioned earlier by others is unless Mazda made other changes to the ac system, making it auto would have little/nothing to do with the ultimate performance or cooling ability.