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Mazda MX-5 Miata 2008
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Have fun... I know you will...
My wife isn't the excitable type when it comes to cars, but I've never seen her so happy about a vehicle before, so that's been fun. We're planning a roadtrip in Sept. thru Yellowstone and Arches Nat'l Parks, so it should be a blast. Have a good one in Colorado... I too will be in CO in June for a reunion w/ my 2 brothers, but I'm gonna drive my Mazda3... let the wife have fun w/ the Miata while I'm gone.
Did you have trouble to import into Canada? Will Mazda honour the warranty?
I'd like to import an Mx-5 into Toronto from NY state.
Your gonna love that drive down 89/189 through Wyoming then 191,did it about 12 years ago(in a mini van pulling a pop-up).but I was going north.
., don't forget your camera..
Congrats Again!!
The wait is over.
Gotta tell everybody out there... I've had my PRHT for exactly 1 week now, and we've got 1100 miles on the odometer! Of course, almost half was driving it home from Mpls., but we're on track for 52,000 miles in the first year of ownership!! Is this a great car, or what?! I took my 75-year-old mother for a ride today, and she couldn't stop raving about it! She absolutely had a blast! :shades:
I absolutely loathe the door mount cup holders - they hit my knee, virtually all the time. Naturally, when shifting, etc, they aren't a problem; but once I'm on the open road, and the cruise is set, my knee bonks painfully into the obtruding cup holder.
I also miss the door panel pockets - a perfect place for cd cases; and while the center console cupholders are worlds better than the one in the previous model, I miss the padded center console of my old car. The sunvisors are also very cheesy, and I'm not a fan of the new hard plastic dash.
OTOH, the PRHT is great - that is why I bought the car, and so far, it has not disappointed me. The car also rides better, and manages to track well on the road, while maintaining quick steering response. The one thing that doesn't look to be promising is fuel economy - I often got over 30mpg out of my 2000; how are you guys doing with your new ones?
This might solve your problem re: the padded center console. I can't vouch for the product, yet; am ordering one today:
http://www.zetaproducts.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=5
My MPG avg. is just over 25, but I picked up my car in late Jan., and live in Minnesota; the first few tanks were very low. I expect my overall average to end up in the 27-28 range by the end of 2008, and my commute is under 6 miles (suburban) each way daily.
rpm
So where in Minnesota are ya? I go to Burnsville about 4 times a year to see my son and family.. I have delt with the folks at Walser before and have been to the Mazda dealer up in Minetonka( getting my son out of his old protege speed into a less costly car).. I was just there last week.
Next time I'm taking the MX-5 up...
thanks
jon
If and when I buy one I will try to rig some sort of custom fix - maybe some padding of some sort.
I bought mine from Luther way up in Brooklyn Park. They were willing to sell me the PRHT at invoice, and give me a decent (after some negotiating, of course) price in trade on my 06 Prius. Morries (minnetonka) and Walser were thousands of dollars higher on the same deal... especially Walser, from whom I'd purchased the darn Prius (along with my wife's HyCamry and another Prius in the past couple of years). As I recall, my deal was my Prius +6k or so, and Walser wouldn't come below something like my Prius +10 or 12k!!!
By the way, I have a $250 "friends and family" coupon from Luther that's going to expire in a couple of months, if anyone can use it. I believe it's good at any Luther dealership, not just for Mazdas.
When I got mine at the end of Sept. last year I ordered a set of rims and Blizzax right away for fear that as we got closer to cold weather there might be backlogs on product.. and I have to admit the car is a blast in the snow, as much as I hate winter and cold..
If I come up there this summer ( I'm in northern Illinois) maybe you can let me know were the best backroad drives are...
I think the invoice was 27k, give or take $100, and the MSRP was 29.1-.3.
wilzap, I wanted Blizzaks, but I didn't buy my car until late january of this year, and either the tires or the alloys I wanted were on backorder until late enough in the spring that I decided to wait until this fall. I'm a big believer in dedicated snows.
generally, the best drives here are along the mississippi...either SE of twin cities (Red Wing, around lake Pepin, etc.) or north of Duluth. otherwise, anything in the interior qtr. of the state NE of Lake Mille Lacs is awesome too...
rpm
I don't think you'll be disappointed with it, we absolutely love ours. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
I was expecting more of a leather-wrapped pad. It's fine, though. I like having my forearm rest a little higher relative to the shift knob. Also, I will now not accidentally trip the window switches with a coat sleeve button!
rpm
I live in Ontario and want to import a Miata from the US. Can you please let me know the procedure you had to follow for importing the car in BC and whether this varies by province. Also, I note you actually bought and imported a new car here. I thought I had read somewhere that we are only allowed to import cars in Canada that are at least one year old. (I could be mistaken!)
Thanks
everything else, except for cheap visors and cupholder cover, is good. Haven't come up with any other ergonomic bitches. am out of break-in. My PHRT is way smoother riding, quieter, and tighter than my 2000 LS. Not quite as solid or confident in hard cornering, but maybe I just need to get used to it. Seems like there is a trade-off, between the more compliant ride and on the edge handling.
1st - Purge Valve Silinoid switch went bad and my check engine light came on...
2nd - Had to replace the Fuel sending unit because my gas gauge wasn't working properly
3rd - I had to get a new gas cap because mine wasn't sealing tight, yet causing the check engine to come on.
I hope I didn't make a wrong decision in buying my MX-5! :sick:
I am currently getting 28 to 30 MPG and thats with some agreesive driving, but I do have the 6AT and I think they are getting better MPG than the 6M, I don't think I could ever tell anyone they made the wrong choice in buying the MX-5...
Good luck and enjoy
So you gonna look for another Roadster? if so maybe check out the Honda s2000 ...BMW makes some nice toys also,but they won't sip the gas either.
In summary:
The good news is this is completely normal.
The bad news is that this is completely normal because you dont drive your car enough!! shame on you! ;-)
This is due to oxidation which builds up over time on your between your rotors and pads. If you dont use the brakes for a while you will get the squeal due to this build up. If will stop squeezing after a few days of "regular" driving and braking. You may confirm this by calling your Mazda dealer and asking someone in the service department. You will get pretty much the same response.
read this:
http://www.trustmymechanic.com/htmlmessage9.html
Great Site,
Glenda T.
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This unfortunately can happen more than you or I want it to. A certain amount of high-pitched brake noise is considered "normal" these days because of the harder semi-metallic brake pads that are used on cars now. In my experience, the smaller cars like Honda and Toyota seem to have the most trouble with this. Squeals heard the first few stops in the morning when the brakes are cold and somewhat damp from dew, and squeals that are heard the last few feet while coming to a stop are usually nothing to worry about.
Semi-metallic brakes are made of bits of metal shavings in place of the asbestos material that has been banned by the U.S. government. These semi-metallic brakes have great stopping power and have a long wear life, but can cause a high-pitched squeal that drives car owners crazy and frustrates mechanics who can't get it to go away to please their customers.
When are squeals not a problem?
Some brands of semi-metallic pads are inherently noisier than others because of the ingredients used in the manufacture of the friction material. Think of it this way, the longer life pads or pads that claim to have more stopping power usually contain more metallic material. Yes, they will last longer and could enhance braking but the chance of causing a squeal noise is very high. The squealing noise that might be caused from use of these pads does not affect braking performance and does not indicate a brake problem.
Brake squeal is caused by vibration between the brake pads, rotors, and calipers. Having the brake rotors refinished or trued (machining a small layer of the metal away from the brake rotor to make it smooth and "true" again) and a thin layer of a silicone compound placed on the back of the brake pads are a great way to reduce the squeal if the semi-metallic pads are the culprit of the noise and not due to a worn out brake pad.
Why does this squeal happen anyway?
The brake rotor is the round metal object that the brake pads squeeze together like the white part of an Oreo cookie. The rotor is metal and has a smooth slick finish, and the brake pads are made of metal shavings and also have a smooth somewhat slick finish. The more metallic material found in the pad the greater the chance for noise, and vise-versa.
The other type of brake pad is called organic. There is no metallic material used in this kind of brake pad. Organic style brake pads can only be used on vehicles that are specifically designed to use them. Improper use of organic pads on a vehicle designed to use semi-metallic can severely reduce stopping ability. Organic pads are softer than semi metallic and usually do not have a squeal problem. Unfortunately due to shorter life expectancy, inability to stop larger vehicles, and the addition of substances like asbestos in their construction, they are not very widely used.
When are squeals signaling a problem?
Sometimes brake squeals are an indication that maintenance is required. Some common conditions that cause brake noise are:
*
Heat cracked or worn "un-true" rotors
*
Rough finish on resurfaced rotors
*
Loose fitting brake pads in the caliper
*
Lack of silicone compound on back of brake pad
*
Missing springs or anti-rattle clips that should be on the caliper or pad
*
Improper tightening sequence of lug nuts or caliper hardware
Most GM cars are equipped with a small thin piece of metal attached to the brake pad to act as a warning indicator when the pad material is getting low and the brake pads should be replaced. This inexpensive warning device can be deceiving though, because this warning noise is present when the brakes are not depressed. When the brakes are applied, the warning noise goes away because the indicator has now been forced against the brake rotor and is not able to vibrate which causes this whistling noise.
If you hear disc brake noises other than a squeal, it could mean your brake pads are worn out and need to be replaced. If your brake pedal feels different than normal or if you've noticed any change in the way your vehicle brakes (pulls to one side when braking or requires more pressure on the brake pedal), have the brake system inspected at once.
What should I do?
What can you do as a customer to reduce the chance of squealing brakes? First of all, noisy brakes should always be inspected to make sure there isn't a problem with the braking system. If the pads have worn down to the point where metal-to-metal contact is occurring, your vehicle may not be able to stop safely, and you may damage the brake rotors or drums to the point where they have to be replaced. Sometimes a few harder-than-normal stops can "de-glaze" the brake pads and help reduce the squealing noise for a while.
There are many aftermarket brake pads that claim to be "quiet" or have been "designed" for import and front wheel drive vehicles that you can choose from. Personally, I have had the best luck replacing the brake pads on small vehicles like Honda and Toyota with original equipment pads from the dealership rather than using aftermarket brands. It is usually more expensive to purchase these pads from the dealership, but the quality is much better. I am an independent shop owner and my whole business philosophy is to buy as little as possible from dealerships, but after trying many squealing aftermarket brake pads, I have learned my lesson and pay the extra money.
Learn more about brakes and auto repair
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Blessings,
auto insurance
Austin C. Davis
The Honest Mechanic
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misspellings - disk brakes, disc breaks, breaks