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Mazda5 Owners Care & Maintenance

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Comments

  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    gladly. we bought in March 2006 and now have 26,000 miles. I like the handling, maneuverability, nimble driving feel, cheap price, lots of features and gadgets, quiet engine for a 4 cylinder. I don't like only black interior, small inside rear view mirror, small rear window, wiper lever works "upside down", key fob feels flimsy, cubby holes are the wrong shape and in the wrong places (need handier storage for long thin things like maps and sunglass cases). I wanted even more gadgets, like 6 speed MT, LH/RH separate hvac thermostats, heated mirrors, heated seats, stability control. I actually would have bought a Mazdaspeed5 were there such a thing and it had a sunroof.
  • mrbwa1mrbwa1 Member Posts: 42
    whobodym,

    What do you mean by "the wiper lever works upside down"? Just curious, is it works exactly the same and the wiper lever in our Toyota ECHO. I definitely agree about the cubbies in the 5. Again, that ECHO has spoiled us, but it would be nicer to have a few more cubbies. At least the glover box is freakishly large; techinchally the space is in the dash behind the glovebox. We currently have the Gigantic Manual, a power inverter, pluse a few other things back there with room to spare.

    We have the Auto-Dimming/Compass mirror and it is nice and large, so perhaps that is a worthwhile options for others to consider.

    As far as our first year goes ('07 Sport, Auto), thing are very nice.

    Dislikes:

    -Plastic "metallic" trim around the controls and shifter. scratched and gouges too easiy

    -Can be a little loud on the Highway with the OEM tires. Ironically our Snow tires seem quieter

    -A little more storage space would be nice. I have prescription sunglasses and need a spot to hold my glasses case in case a switchover is needed.

    Likes:

    -Quiet, Strong 4-cyl Engine (prenty of pull on a 2-lane highway with 4 adults onboad

    -Flexible Interior. Easy to reconfigure for people/stuff. Enough room for a real person, esp with a child in the middle. Car seats are fairly easy to install as well.

    -Respectable Fuel Economy. Returning 25-25.5 MPG in 50/50 driving in the middle of winter. My 30+ MPG ECHO is only giving 26MPG this winter, wheras the 5 seems unaffected. (well I secretly hope that summer will bring more like 30MPG in the 5 as well.

    -Responsive handling. She really drives like a sports sedan, albeit a tall one. I've driven a 3 and the 5 isn't quite as sharp, but handles nearly as well if you push. It'll lean a bit into a corner, but still turn in nicely if you keep going.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Re the wiper lever, I'm a Honda loyalist so I expect a downwards push on the lever to give one swipe of wipers then off. Mazda does this going upwards instead, and down gives the always-on positions. I suppose I can get used to it, but it still annoys after 2 years.
  • mrbwa1mrbwa1 Member Posts: 42
    Ahhh... sorry to hear about the wiper lever. I guess I haven't driven enough Hondas. I used to work for Enterprise Rental and drove a lot of cars (no Hondas though) and all the wipers always used up for the swipe (if available). That is one of those annoying little quirks that I wish car manufacturers would agree on.
  • mdchachimdchachi Member Posts: 275
    The problem seemed to go away for a while so I didn't follow up. However it seems to be back. I should take it in to look at that as well as the cold suspension noise.
  • thugusthugus Member Posts: 3
    Since we are on the subject of wipers, it seems that when the wiper is going, it sweeps a tad too fast, so the left wiper would *squirt* water to the right side. I checked on a Honda and BMW, and both sweeps slower, and also without the overspray action. Has anyone else notice this issue?

    On a separate note, went to the dealership yesturday, and we got new black plastic tabs on the door, replaced the cargo cover (the first one never retracted). After 1.5hrs of fiddling around, the service manager reported that the heated seat switch part is not available, so we would have to come back when they have the part.

    Other than that, the car is in great shape, and it is the prefered car for the whole family.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    The wipers need to move faster to cover the enormous windsheild. Are you comparing it to an Odyssey or a Civic?
  • thugusthugus Member Posts: 3
    I compared to the Civic, though I don't think there is a rule that from start to end of sweep that it needs to complete in ~1 sec. I rather have it sweep slower and not splatter the right side of the windshield with view distorting overspray. I suspect that by design, there is only 1 sweep rate, with varied time interval in between, whereas Honda has variable interval and sweep rate.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    You might want to take a look at FMVSS 104.

    Here are a couple lines that specify wiper frequency:

    S4.1.1.1 Each windshield wiping system shall have at least two
    frequencies or speeds.
    S4.1.1.2 One frequency or speed shall be at least 45 cycles per
    minute regardless of engine load and engine speed.
    S4.1.1.3 Regardless of engine speed and engine load, the highest and
    one lower frequency or speed shall differ by at least 15 cycles per
    minute. Such lower frequency or speed shall be at least 20 cycles per
    minute regardless of engine speed and engine load.


    So, set your timer for one minute and start counting.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Further discovery! A new Mazda Service Bulletin, #01-008/08, was published in Feb 2008. The subject is "Engine Stumble while driving with light acceleration at 1500-2500 rpm" and it applies to all 2006-2007 Mazda5s, manual and automatic, federal, California, and Mexico. The symptom description is exactly my problem, "some vehicles may experience an intermittent engine stumble... caused by the camshaft position sensor picking up [electrical] noise from the nearby ignition coil harness, which the PCM detects as an abnormal signal." I haven't had the fix done to our 5 yet but I'm finally very hopeful that the software engineers have understood the problem and found a fix.
  • gsupstategsupstate Member Posts: 6
    I noticed this somewhat on my '06 Touring, but even more on my new '08: if you touch the black dash in any way, or use normal paper towel to wipe/clean the dash, it leaves smudges and "lint" behind. Which, by the way, is next to impossible to remove. BTW-I'm talking about the upper black parts of the dash, not the center stack.

    What can be done to remove these spots? I haven't had my car a month yet, and the dash looks awful! Help! :confuse:
  • athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    Not sure if this helps but i just use a damp very clean dish cloth if it is really bad I put a drop of dish soap on it. i never use armourall or anything on the dash. i know what you mean re the paper towels bits. the benifits of the cotton dish towel is that it cleans well and does not leave any glossy surfaces and no VOC's
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    Use micro-fiber detailing towels and make sure the dash is not hot from the sun.
  • gsupstategsupstate Member Posts: 6
    Bought a new '08 5, GT a few wks ago. LOVE IT. I say this, coming from an '06 Mazda5 Touring w/5 spd manual. In comparison, the '08 GT feels much more substantial, smoother, even qieter. I love my new car!!
  • mws_74mws_74 Member Posts: 4
    Purchased a 2008 5 GT three weeks ago and have gone 1,000 miles. I called the dealer to schedule the first oil change. After reading the manual, it appears that Mazda does not require or recommend an oil change until after the first 7,500 miles. I have typically had my oil changed after the first 1,000 miles and every 4,000 - 5,000 miles afterwards. Is there a school of thought as to why one would wait for the 7,500 mile mark to perform the first oil change in a brand new engine?

    Thanks,
    MWS_74
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    On new vehicles the first oil change usually occurs at an "elongated" amount of time (usually 5000-10,000 miles) because engine manufacturers add a special additive that helps the "break-in" period of the engine and the overall reliability and longebility of the engine life. This is why the first oil change is not until 5k mikes or perhaps in computer controlled service minder vehicles (e.g. Hondas, etc...) somewhere in the 7500 mile region. My sister's 335i does not get her first oil change per BMW specs until 10k miles. with this in mind it is way better for you to leave the oil mixture the car came in from the factory as long as possible or reccomended by the manual. If after the first oil change you want to go back to the "old " mentality of "change your oil every 3k miles" then by all means go right ahead. the only thing you will hurt by doing so is your wallet, and not by much usually. As far as me I am sticking to the reccomended every 5k mile. Hope this helps.
  • mclincolnmclincoln Member Posts: 3
    According to the book you need to replace the Air Filter at 37,500. My local service station guy told me that I will be burning gas if I don't replace the Air Filter sooner. What's your opinion?
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    IMHO, the more often you can afford to to replace the air filter the better. I personally went with a "Drop-in" K&N filter and I benefit from a tiny bit better acceleration, 1-2 MPG increase and the ease of pulling it out and cleaning it and re-using it. Best $35 spent. Here is the link
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    or, for a more conservative approach, take out the air filter yourself and look at it. Yes a plugged up air filter is bad, but it entirely depends how dusty the environment of your usual driving has been. I replace mine on time, not early, and while they always look a little dirty, they aren't dramatically packed with volumes of dust -- you can tell what color the original new filter element was. My driving is ordinary urban/suburban Pacific Northwest, not very dry or dusty. I'd guess the midwest / south / eastern seaboard cities and suburbs would be similar, but the southwest, dry mountain west, and farming regions would be worse. Frequent dirt roads would obviously be bad. And I also advise, don't take mileage / power claims too seriously.
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    Well, to each its own. My claims of MPG increase and little pep is subjective. I also offered the K&N option because in the long run it last longer and pays itself off, rather then spending $15 or so on a replacement filter every 15K miles. Plus I live in sunny and dry SoCal, so for me that was my best choice. Just my $0.02
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Our left rear sliding door started intermittently failing to unlock with the remote, several months ago. It was most likely to fail first try in the morning, and most likely to still work OK, right after monkeying with the locks back and forth a lot. To my surprise and aggravation, it totally failed to misbehave during its first overnight dealer service visit, and they claimed nothing could be done. The second, two-night visit did produce failure for the dealer mechanic but their fix ("replace inner door handle") did not fix the problem. The third visit, to a second dealer, got a replacement lock actuator and it seems to be the ticket.

    My church buddy with another 2006 5 told me "ours does exactly the same thing". They had blamed the 3 year old son who sits in that seat in theirs.

    Maybe some of you have the same problem?
  • madsedanmadsedan Member Posts: 1
    Dealer has been unable over the last 2 years to resolve it, rear doors will NOT unlock by the remote, it was intermittent for about a year and now it happens more often then it doesn't.
    My wife has now witnessed that the inside lock retracts like its unlocked but when you go to open the door the door actually "re-locaks" itself and you can see the inside trigger for the lock go back.
  • athenasiusathenasius Member Posts: 118
    see this link for the message with the part number they need to replace. If the link does not work it is number 526 under the mazda 5 owners accessories & Modifications folder.

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef90f53/525
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    Yes, your description exactly matches our experience in every detail. The new lock actuator seems to have worked perfectly for about one month now.
  • jonat1xjonat1x Member Posts: 34
    Did you ever manage to get this done?
  • blynmazda5blynmazda5 Member Posts: 20
    I have a 2006 5 AT with 33K miles 75% city driving.

    There is no recommended time to replace the transmission fluid on the maintainence schedule. Have others changed the transmission fluid?

    How can you tell when it's time? To be honest I haven't checked the fluid since I first got the car. Three years ago when I checked it for the first time, I was surprised that it was clear and not red. Yesterday when I looked at the fluid it looks a bit dark, not red. There is no smell to it and it feels smooth to the touch.

    Thanks for the feedback.

    Gideon
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    I personally change (drain and refill) mine every 15K miles or 1 year. Call it over kill but this is what my older Honda (1996) called for and I adopted that interval for my Mazda5, plus I don't see a problem having clean fluid every 15K miles. It doesnt cost much and it only takes a few more minutes to do it when your doing your oil change (if you are a do-it-yourselfer).
  • kivokivo Member Posts: 64
    Has anyone had a problem with the rear door not closing? No matter how hard I slam it, it does not close all the way and the dashboard light is on. Any suggestions?
    Thanks
  • txf23txf23 Member Posts: 5
    What type of AT fluid do you use?
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    If you use Mazda OEM fluid it is what they call M-5 ATF, but all it really is Mercon-V, which you can find under Motorcraft at any Autozone.
  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    Congratulations! Enjoy! I have to say that I agree. When I upgraded from my '06 Touring Auto to my '08 GT, I immediately noticed a difference in quietness, smoothness and the more substantial feeling you're talking about. Totally true! Feels like a higher quality vehicle than the model before it. I wonder how much nicer the next one will be!
  • nissmazlovernissmazlover Member Posts: 162
    OK, so I hate to say it, but I'm having problems with my Max (that's my 5's name). We've been having really hot weather here in NYC - finally! (this summer's been weak) - and, just as Murphy's Law would have it, my A/C's not working properly.

    When on the "fresh air" setting, the fan blows normally, but the air that comes out isn't anywhere near as cold as it was, or should be. And when on "recycle/max" mode, the whole system weakens to barely as strong as a one blowing out of one's lips! Plus, the whole system then sounds clogged up and very strained. So, we're contending with frowns and sweaty back while riding in our 5. What do you think it could be? The A/C compressor?

    I'm taking it to Mazda on Friday, but I REEEEEEALLY don't wanna hear or read the dreaded words: "Unable to replicate problem", or I might just go all "Falling Down" on the service team! :P
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    nissmazlover,

    Check my reponse on your other post in Extended Warranty.
  • vassellevasselle Member Posts: 3
    Hi All,

    I am trying to build a case to have this lock thing dealt with as part of an overall recall (since I don't want to pay $150 for them to look at my car and then another $x to fix something that should have worked in the first place).

    If you have / have had this problem, would you mind e-mailing me at:
    vasselle_k@yahoo.com and letting me know your model, year, how much you spent to fix the problem (if it is fixed) or if you still have the problem. I will collate and send off to Mazda HQ to ask for a recall.

    I consider this a safety issue because if anything like that car fire happens and someone can't open the door due to the faulty lock, it would be a tragedy. Thx!
  • c_j_falkc_j_falk Member Posts: 4
    Although the factory service manual, the Mazda5 I test drove and every store and dealership I've checked with shows the Mazda5 takes a canister type oil filter, my 2009 Mazda5 (made in June of 2009 at the Hiroshima plant) has a spin on oil filter on it. The part number on mine is LF8J14302 which looks like it was superceded by LF1014302 which looks like it was supreceded by LF0514302A. I have no idea what is going on, but check under your Mazda5 before you buy a filter to make sure that you're getting the right one, or you might get a big surprise part way through your oil change.
  • ldislerldisler Member Posts: 83
    I'll have to check mine. It also was built in june 09. I bought 5 cartridge filters
    on ebay. I hope I can use them.
  • xspeedyxspeedy Member Posts: 3
    I have a June 09 build as well and was surprised to find the traditional spin-on metal filter. I actually ordered the cap wrench needed for the cartridge style filter and have no need for it now. All of the web resources show a cartridge filter for the 09, so this must be a mid-year change. What wrench works best for getting to the filter through the hole? The hole seems a bit offset for the filter itself.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    I have an '06 with cartridge filter, and the hole has always stumped me. It's not at all lined up with the filter and I envision quite a mess if I managed to unscrew the filter with the plastic still installed. I just remove the whole plastic belly pan each time I change the oil. There are 6 or 8 10mm cap screws to remove, plus two two "push pin" locating plastic plug deals (similar to those used on interior trim and etc.). The 2 plastic pin deals are more of a pain to remove especially as they get old and scratchy so I left them off altogether starting last year and haven't notice any ill effects.
  • blynmazda5blynmazda5 Member Posts: 20
    The protective cover that encases the passenger side tailgate of my 2006 5 is cracked with a small hole.. The tailgate works fine and I have taped the protective cover with clear tape.

    I looked online for a replacement cover, but am unable to find a match. It seems that in order to repair the tailgate, I have to replace the entire tailgate. Has anyone replaced only the protective cover to the tailgate?

    Thanks.

    Gideon
  • rsnoverrsnover Member Posts: 2
    Just purchased a new mazda5 with auto transmission.Does have the canister type oil filter.Wondering if I change oil myself if it will effect warranty,
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    I have changed oil myself in purchased-new still-in-warrantee cars for 30+ years with no problems. One case being our Mazda5. Save your receipts and initial your log book, so you have documentation if worst comes to worst. (and remember that of all the car warrantee problems you've ever heard about, how many involve engine internals? Me, 0%) You'll find this warantee advice is backed up by Consumer Reports, Car Talk, etc. etc.
  • rsnoverrsnover Member Posts: 2
    I live 60 miles from a Mazda dealer and am wondering If Mazda would consider Jiffy Lube as a substitute for the Mazda Dealer.
  • whobodymwhobodym Member Posts: 190
    you mean, will Mazda still honor your car's warrantee if you go to Jiffy Lube? Yes, absolutely, but the burden is on you to document that you did the required maintenance and did it on time. Keep your receipts, make sure that Jiffy Lube writes down the little tag, etc. If Jiffy Lube does something dumb like put in no oil, or leaves the oil filter loose, and you wreck your engine, then your dispute would be with Jiffy Lube not with Mazda. Someone else's negligent maintenance (whether me the DIY driveway mechanic, or what you might get as a quick oil change customer) is not a condition that Mazda's warrantee covers. But anyone can assure themselves this won't happen, if they pay attention to their dipstick, the oil pressure idiot light, and look once or twice (and sniff) that their car isn't dribbling oil out on the pavement. Then stop worrying.
  • ldislerldisler Member Posts: 83
    My 5 was manufactured 6-2009, and just changed the oil for the first time.
    It has a spin on filter not the cartridge. Auto parts stores didn't have a listing for this,
    but I found Purolator lists it on their website if you search a 2010 mazda5. It is the PL10241 or L10241.
    You must take the panel under the motor off, and I used a old style band wrench.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    I've got a $200 quote for tinting a 5, all windows different shades.
    Did anybody tinted their 5? What price did you pay? How did you do it?

    Thanks!
This discussion has been closed.