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Mazda 3 Tire & Wheel Questions

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  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited July 2011
    I just bought a set of four Toyo Garit 205/55/16 H winter tires. They seem up for the job, but I was wondering what others thought of them. Does anyone else out there have them?
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    I haven't heard anything bad about Toyos; I think they will work fine.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • jessica_limjessica_lim Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2011
    My tires got worn and need to be replaced. I am interested in a deal at Costco now. However, not sure if it is a good choice for my car. Any suggestion or feedback would be appreciated.

    My car is 2009 Mazda 3
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Based upon the reviews over at TireRack.com I'd rank the G019s in roughly the top ten for the Mazda3 (I have a 2009 as well).

    FWIW, I've run the last 45,000 miles on a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/Ss (which I had mounted when there was only 714 miles on my car), and I'm "T-Minus" about 5,000 miles from the next set. My current "Top-Two" are as follows:
    - Continental ExtremeContactDWS ($139 per tire)
    - Michelin Pilot Sport A/S ($171 per tire)

    The thing about the Pilot Sports is that even though they are considerably more expensive than pretty much any other tire in the high-end All-Season category, they've performed so well on my car I'm going to have to do some serious soul searching before I buy something else. :)
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Based upon the reviews over at TireRack.com
    Agreed. Tire Rack is a great site for researching tire and wheel information; their ratings eliminate some of the guess work in finding a good tire. Be aware that there are brands that are not included in their listings (such as Toyo).

    If you pick a well-known brand, it is likely that it will be sold in several stores which will enable some cross-shopping. Don't be shy to ask for a discount, especially if you are buying a set of 4 new tires, for example a $100 off a set is not unusual; some places offer the 4th tire free which is even better.
  • jessica_limjessica_lim Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your feedback. However, I still don't know how to make a choice between the Continental DWS and Bridgestone Potenza G019 since the price difference is about $200. Is the Bridgestone Potenza G019 not good?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited August 2011
    Is the Bridgestone Potenza G019 not good? I don't believe anybody has ever written or even implied such. That said, based upon both the reviews as well as the treadwear ratings, the Continentals will last roughly 20% longer than the Bridgestones.

    A few comments/questions:
    -- If you are only planning on keeping your car for another twenty to thirty thousand miles, either tire will be more than acceptable.
    -- If you are planning on keeping your car longer (but not so long as to require yet another set of tires), the Bridgestones will be looking pretty thin by the time you're going to want to sell your car and that may negatively impact your sale price.
    -- If you are planning on keeping your car long enough to necessitate buying another round of replacement tires, then the Continentals will probably work out to be less expensive per mile in spite of their higher up-front cost.
    -- For my part, I won't even consider the Bridgestones for my Mazda3, the new tires will either be a set of Continental ExtremeContactDWSs or a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/Ss.

    Edit: How do you figure the Continentals (at $131 per tire) will cost $200 more than the Bridgestones (at $110 per tire)? By my math there is only a difference of $84.

    Continental ExtremeContactDWS
    Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grid
  • jessica_limjessica_lim Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your reply. The $200 is because there is an instant discount for $100 for purchasing any Bridgestone tires at Costco right now. My total cost including installation is $467.96.

    I have to pay more than $650 if I order the Continental DWS online and plus mounting and balnce because Costco doesn't provide the service for other tires which not sold by them.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited August 2011
    Tire Rack shows the Potenzas as 11th on the list of High Performance All Season tires with an excellent record for the most part (one exception is "Noise comfort").
    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=HPAS

    The Continentals are listed as the top choice for Ultra High Performance All Season tires.
    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=UHPAS

    In other words, both tires are excellent choices but you get what you pay for.
  • jessica_limjessica_lim Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for information. They are very useful. However, my concern is what a difference of the noise is between the Bridgestone Potenza G019 and the Continentals DWS? Is it really so different? That might be a problem if I can not hear any music while driving.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Is it really so different? That might be a problem if I can not hear any music while driving.
    Good question. According to the ratings, the noise level is "good" not "unacceptable" so I would be surprised if the Potenzas are so loud that you will not be able to hear music. But, if you are concerned you know there's another option that is "superior" according to the results.
  • mrgreymrgrey Member Posts: 7
    That might be a problem if I can not hear any music while driving.

    The Mazda 3 must be the loudest car I've ever driven. I can almost never hear the bass with it at max, there must be zero sound insulation in this car. So I can understand your worry. I personally can live with the noise because I bought my Mazda for the safety rating and handling - but it is annoying.
  • mrgreymrgrey Member Posts: 7
    Yeah, I've just checked our Mazda 3 - we are now at 34,000 miles, and the Turanza EL400s on the rear are down to 2/32". Time to replace this week. I note that these tires have terrible reviews on Tirerack.

    http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ST

    The tires on the front are fine - my wife has the car serviced, I wonder if they were never rotated? Does anyone know whether it is advisable to put new tires of a different type on the rear (such as the Pilot Sport), while keeping the same older tires on the front? Will this cause additional wear on the new tires? - Thanks.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    The fact that the rear tires are worn and the fronts are in good shape suggest that the tires have been rotated exactly once.

    On a car like the Mazda3 it is not a good idea to mix tire types, your best bet will be to buy a set of four and be done with it. FWIW, I'm about the replace a set of Pilot Sport A/Ss on my Mazda3 after over 45,000 miles; I'll either opt for another set of Pilot Sport A/Ss or a set of Continental ExtremeContact DWSs.
  • mrgreymrgrey Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the response - I just went on Sears website, and they don't list the Pilot Sport A/S as a tire type for my car. I have the vanilla Mazda 3 Touring Sedan (I think this is "i"? - it doesn't say this anywhere on my documentation). I wonder why Sears doesn't recommend them for the Mazda 3 - they definitely sell them.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited August 2011
    I have a 2009 Mazda3 i Touring Value Edition which came with 205/50 R17 tires; this may or may not be the same size as on your car. If your car came with say a set of 195/65 R15 tires, then Michelin doesn't make the Pilot Sport A/Ss in that size (the do make them in the 205/55 R16 size however).

    FWIW, for my tires I simply order a set from TireRack.com and then take them to my dealership to have them mounted and balanced; they're easily competitive with the local tire shops on the mount/balance price.
  • mrgreymrgrey Member Posts: 7
    Thanks - I'll check out their prices. I have Turanza 205/55 R16 89H at the moment.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Take a look at the Continental ExtremeContact DWS while you're on the TireRack site.
  • hae3hae3 Member Posts: 2
    I'm thinking of buying the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus for my 2005 Mazda 3. I drive 60/40 highway/suburbia and drive about 12-15K a year. I live in NJ so I need tires that will perform in rain, snow, and sleet. I am not a performance enthusiast and don't know a lot about tires but I've read on this forum and on a few others that people are happy with these tires. I'm willing to buy them but would prefer less expensive tires if they will last as long and perform as well as these. Any suggestions? My tire size is 205/50/17. Thanks in advance!
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    See the post right above yours; the Continental ExtremeContact DWS isn't quite the high-performance tire the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S is, however, in pretty much every other metric (including price), the Continental beats the Michelin.

    I run the same tire size on my 2009 Mazda as you run on yours and my current set of Pilot Sport A/Ss have just over 45,000 miles on them and are beginning to show their age (or more correctly their miles). I'm currently leaning toward the ExtremeContact DWSs when replacement time comes in the next four to five thousand miles.
  • hae3hae3 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for your help! I'm going to look up those tires now to price them out. :)
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    shipo, I can thoroughly recommend the Continental's and think you would be very happy with them. I've purchased many tires and wheels from TireRack over the years and these have been a great choice for our Mazda 3 (2007 s Grand Touring, 52,000 miles with no problems). In fact I liked them so much I bought another set to replace the Michelins that were on my wife's Lexus RX.
  • mrgreymrgrey Member Posts: 7
    Ok folks - one last question on the Continentals - I've looked around online, and many people are saying that Continental tires have serious tread separation problems. Has anyone experienced this? My Mazda dealership also warned me against them for this reason - not that I particularly trust the dealership.

    Thanks.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    I can thoroughly recommend the Continental's
    Interesting. Tire Rack classifies them as All Season tires. How would you rate their performance in the winter snow and sleet? Would you say they are as good as dedicated winter tires?
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    edited August 2011
    All-season Continentals came as OEM equipment on my Nissan Versas and I've been less than impressed with the traction performance. I switched to Cooper CS4's

    On the subject of all-season vs dedicated winter tires, I'd say that while you may live in an area where you can generally get by with all-seasons, as I do, dedicated winter tires will always give you better snow performance without question
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    dedicated winter tires will always give you better snow performance without question
    Agreed. That's what I have always understood.
  • JBaumgartJBaumgart Member Posts: 890
    I run dedicated winter tires on both the Mazda and my wife's RX (in Minnesota). So I can't comment on how the Conti's perform in the snow and on ice. However as I recall from reading the user reviews on TireRack, most believe they offer very good winter traction for an "all season" tire. Based on my experience there are no "all season" tires than perform as well as good winter tires in deep snow, and especially on ice. If you've never owned a set of modern winter tires you'd be amazed at how much of a difference they can make in poor winter driving conditions. P.S. Normally I would purchase a pure summer tire for the other 8 months of the year, except the Mazda is primarily driven by our teenage daughter, so going fast is NOT a priority! And the wife's Lexus RX is obviously not a performance vehicle so an ultra high performance tire wouldn't be the best choice there either! ;)
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited August 2011
    As some of y'all know I'm running down the last few thousand miles of life on the 205/50 R17 Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires mounted on my 2009 Mazda3 and am actively evaluating what I'll buy to replace them. To date I have about 46,000 miles in the Michelins (which I had mounted on my car when there were only 714 miles on the odometer, the OEM Goodyears were absolute junk), and while it seems likely they'll last until the 50,000 mile mark, winter will be looming large by that point and with the thin tread (not yet to the wear-bars) I wouldn't trust these tires in so much as a dusting of snow.

    So, with the above said, I've been planning on either a second set of Pilot Sports (which have gotten considerably more expensive over the last three years), or a set of Continental ExtremeContactDWSs. A recent check of tires meeting my requirements (i.e. good handling, long life, passable in snow) revealed a new player on my radar scope namely the Yokohama AVID ENVigor. The reports seem to indicate the Yokos will outlast the Michelins, will handle nearly as well as the Michelins (something the Continentals cannot claim), and yet will cost a bit less than the moderately priced Continentals. Suddenly my short list looks like the following:

    1) Yokohama AVID ENVigor at $119 per tire
    2) Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus at $195 per tire
    3) Continental ExtremeContactDWS at $131 per tire

    I know several folks with the Continentals and they've been very happy with the tires, however, the numerous complaints of soft rolly-polly sidewalls has me a bit apprehensive given that the roads around here in New England are anything but straight. With the good handling reports and good treadwear ratings the Yokohamas are generating, that tire has materialized out of nowhere to be placed on top of my short list.

    I'd love to hear from anybody with experience on the relatively new to the market AVID ENVigors.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    205/50 R17
    Have you considered downsizing to 16" winter tires? The Mazda3 easily accomodates a 2055/55/16 tire. This could save you a few dollars.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Nah, I've gone that route on other (RWD) cars; I don't like the trade-off when the roads are clear in the winter (which is most of the time, New Hampshire really gets after it when comes to snow removal).

    As for savings, given that the Yokos are reasonably inexpensive to begin with, I don't see how I could amass much savings. Now on my BMW which came with summer performance rubber worth $350 per skin, yeah, the trade-off made huge financial sense. :)
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited August 2011
    given that the Yokos are reasonably inexpensive ... I don't see how I could amass much savings.
    I see your point (especially if you had to purchase 16" rims as well as tires).

    Here is a tire site with quite a few user comments on the Yokos:
    http://www.1010tires.com/tires/reviews/Yokohama/AVID+ENVigor

    As you noted, snow handling does not seem to be its forte.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited August 2011
    Snow handling isn't exactly the forté of the Michelin Pilot Sport A/Ss which are currently on my car and they've served perfectly well. When you consider the number of my miles driven in the snow during the winter is a bare fraction compared to the number of miles driven on cold but otherwise clear roads, and considering that if snow is deep enough to really be an issue I can work from home, winter tires don't seem to be very cost effective for me. :)
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    edited August 2011
    Mazda isn't the only manufacturer which configures their cars with rear camber set up for racing so nothing new there; I rather doubt the class action suit will yield much of anything except for some profits for a few lawyers.

    FWIW, I've owned several cars from different manufacturers with rear camber settings tuned for racing and which are notorious for generating rapid tread wear, cupping, and tire noise, and I've found that running a set of high performance All-Season tires typically renders the issue moot. In the case of my current car, a 2009 Mazda3, I chucked the factory tires (205/50 R17 Goodyear Eagle RS-As, quite possibly the same tires you have on your car) after only 714 miles in favor of a set of Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires and as of this writing they have 46,000 miles on them and are just about spent. The good news is that while the Pilot Sports aren't the quietest tire out there, they were constant in that department from the day I put them on until the day they come off (in the next couple of weeks); the other bit of good news is that the tread wear is pretty even on all four tires from shoulder to shoulder in spite of the fact that I only rotate them every ten to fifteen thousand miles or so.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Gaithersburg Mazda ... said it’s because I didn’t rotate the tires often enough (supposed to do every 3,000 miles they say) ... I rotated my tires at 17,000

    Tires are a tricky issue. Isn't the dealership quoting what is in the Driver's manual? If you decide to change the rotation period shouldn't you accept the consequences (e.g. premature wear)?
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Given that the same post from speedster3s is elsewhere on the internet it seens as if the OP is more interested in making noise than looking for help or answers; I doubt we'll hear from him again.
  • karena1karena1 Member Posts: 1
    I need to replace the tires on my 2008 Mazda 3. The dealership tires are totally unacceptable for here in MN. I'm still deciding on tires vs a tire & wheel package. My biggest question is how do I retain TPMS capabilities? I can't tell if it's a tire thing, a rim thing, either, or both.

    As long as I'm showing my ignorance, I'll also ask for thoughts on changing from the 205-50-R17 size tire to a smaller size. Smaller wheels & tires are cheaper, but I haven't found much solid information on what the tradeoffs are. I don't drive the car much over summer (the Miata is so much more fun!).

    Performance driving isn't an issue here - just getting where I need to go safely.

    Thanks,

    Karena

    p.s. I'm looking at Blizzaks, and any advice on how much loss I would incur by driving them ~800 miles/year over summer would be appreciated.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 906
    A reliable tire dealer ought to be able to set you up with a tire and wheel package that will work. Generally, going down in rim size - in your case frrom 17' to either 16" or 15" - results in a narrower tire with a taller sidewall, but about the same overall diameter.

    Your speedoameter wil be unaffected and you'll gain a bit of better traction. The idea is that snow has such poor traction that if you can get down to the pavement - even a tiny bit - will result is more traction.

    TPMS? The dealer ought to be able to get the right sensors - and prgram them so your car will function as before.

    But it isn't recommended to use winter tires over the summer. Winter tires are designed for winter use and not only will they wear rapidly during warmer weather, there is a chance that the heat generated will be too much for the tire during the summer months. Tire failures are something to be avoided.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    My biggest question is how do I retain TPMS capabilities? I can't tell if it's a tire thing, a rim thing, either, or both.
    The best source of tire information that I have found is at TireRack.com. If you do a search for TPMS you will find a lot of useful information.

    Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors (TPMS) are inside each wheel attached to the valve stem. When you buy new wheels you will need to transfer your old sensors or buy new ones. I've never bought ones myself, but I understand from others that they can be pricey.

    In most cases if one is planning to have new tires with TPMS and also changing tires for winter vs. summer driving, it is strongly recommended to buy a tire+wheel package. In such a case, the advantage of having dedicated tires+wheels for winter driving is that the seasonal change-over is much simpler and one avoids wrecking the sensors.

    I don't drive the car much over summer (the Miata is so much more fun!)
    Have you considered using the Mazda3 strictly for winter driving with winter tires and using the Miata the rest of the year?

    I'm looking at Blizzaks, and any advice on how much loss I would incur by driving them ~800 miles/year over summer would be appreciated.
    My understanding is that driving winter tires during the summer wears them out more quickly since the tire compound has been engineered for cold not warm weather. Mind you 800 miles is not a substantial distance, so you may be able to get away with minimal deterioration.
  • docqualizerdocqualizer Member Posts: 1
    I am new to the forums, so I apologize if this post is in the wrong place.

    My son owns a 2006 Mazda 3. Last winter, he ran up on a snowbank and got one of the wheels wedged in the bank. When he freed the car, it apparently pulled out some clips/clamps that hold a plastic piece located above the wheel. It has shifted and is apparently rubbing up against the tire when he turns the wheel in particular directions.

    Are those clams obtainable from the dealer? If so, are they easy to mount. I would hate to have to take it to the dealer for them to do the work unless necessary.

    Thank you!
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    got one of the wheels wedged in the bank ... it apparently pulled out some clips/clamps that hold a plastic piece located above the wheel. It ... is apparently rubbing up against the tire

    If you mean the plastic rivets / grommets holding the plastic underbody to the vehicle, you can likely find something similar in a hardware store or have a local garage take care of it. I would just mention it the next time you bring the car in for service; I'd be surprised if they charged anything to fix the problem.
  • eoghan1eoghan1 Member Posts: 58
    Have your son stick his head in there and attempt to ascertain what has popped out. Go to the dealer parts counter describe what's missing and ask him for a photo copy of the diagram in his parts manual. Mine are pretty helpful. Not a big deal after a little study and some free advice from the counter guy. I don't think he will call it a brush guard; More likely the inner quarter panel or inner fender.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    I ordered a set of Cooper Zeon RS3-A tires to use as my winter rubber. I'll report back on how they compare to the Pirelli PZero Nero All Seasons I have been running.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

  • reymoore21reymoore21 Member Posts: 1
    I have talked to a tire distributor and wholesaler, they have expressed an opinion that the Mazda's eat up tires. It has everything to do with the design, the assumption that good handling cars all have the same problem is false.
  • mazdamarkmazdamark Member Posts: 7
    The dealer grudgingly gave me 600 towards the cost of new tires. had to buy the tires from them though- 950 for 4 of the pilot sport. let's not discuss the "blow to the head by blunt instrument" on that transaction.
    this was last year.

    Less than 12 months later- one of these tires just came apart. it tore itself apart. the mechanic couldn't believe it. however another guy there said that it is becoming quite common to see this with the mazda since there are now so many of them on the road.

    the mazda 3 simpy eats tires. it is due to the scalloping caused by the off centre angling of the tires - done to get better traction and corner hugging.

    NOise issues- unbelievably loud. there appears to be no sound proofing / insulation. the drone from the tires drowns out the stereo. Ear plugs are needed.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Could you provide a few more details about your experience with the Michelin Pilot Sport on the Mazda3?
    Example: model & year of Mazda3, tire model-size-speed rating (e.g. V), tire installation date, number of miles driven on tires, approx % highway vs city driving; average speed driven.
  • mazdamarkmazdamark Member Posts: 7
    hi autonomous.

    it's better if you take the time to read through all the pages. it gives a breakdown ( no pun intended ) on the quality of tires and life expectancy of each.

    the gist of it is :

    mazda knows about this issue.
    the mazda has off-set the alignment of the wheels for
    1. slow
    2. short trip
    3. city driving
    the tires scallop due to the off-set and then start making the loud looping ' whoop whoop " sound typical of scalloped tires.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Hi Mazdamark. Actually I did read through your 5 posts. What was unclear was the specifics. For example, your original post says you drove 40K in one year, that's the equivalent of over two years of driving for most people. Is that your normal annual rate? Of that 40K I imagine the majority is highway driving, but maybe not (e.g. taxi drivers and delivery men put on a lot of miles inside the city). Also, the type of tire (e.g. V or W vs. S or T rated) makes a difference. Hence, the questions about your specific situation.

    My experience driving a Mazda Protege5 and now a Mazda3 is that the tires are a very important element in the "zoom zoom" characteristic of the vehicle. For example, the Protege5 came equipped with V rated performance tires which not surprisingly wear much quicker than touring tires.
  • mazdamarkmazdamark Member Posts: 7
    sorry. I was not talking specifically about MY posts. Although my details were in there in my posts so it was relatively easy to find them.

    Many people posted comments about various tires and whatever else.

    It is a given fact that the tires will wear out given the amount of driving being done on them.

    the issue is not exlcusive to the fact that that they are wearing out although that is a part of the issue.

    It is that they are wearing out unevenly on the tires. they scallop. they are loud.

    and

    it doesn't matter what tire you put on the mazda - they all wear out faster than normal, on average. given relatively same driving qualities and quantities.

    tires have a lifetime of 80K - the tires are completely shredded at 40k. These things are not anomalies or outliers- these issues are happening with too many mazda owners to be easily dismissed as unimportant or insignificant. But this is what the dealers & mazda shop ppl do when you go in to complain.

    and

    then the issue is the denial from Mazda and their blaming the driver on something that they know all too well is that contributing factor- the off-set cambering to their tires contributes to uneven wear.

    and.

    they will offer to 'fix your problem " with a 500.00 dollar package deal.

    It would appear that the sales staff have been trained to behave in a certain manner when confronted by a mazda owner who has experienced these issues- arrogantly deny the problem or any knowledge of it.

    all work must be done by mazda certified dealers. which leads to another problem.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    edited March 2012
    tires have a lifetime of 80K
    Are you referring to a specific tire with a stated lifetime of 80K miles or are you talking more broadly? In my experience, many tires would not satisfy this criterion.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 17,288
    Are you referring to a specific tire with a stated lifetime of 80K miles or are you talking more broadly? In my experience, many tires would not satisfy this criterion.

    I agree. Frankly, if I get more than 35K-40K miles from a UHP all-season tire on ANY of my vehicles I'm more than happy.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive

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