Mazda Millenia

fwatson · July 2003

I don't know the answer to your question, but I agree it would be a nice feature.

I hadn't noticed it on my "01 MMP, but will look to see if it is there. I have seen such ghosts displays on other cars though and would assume they are there in connection with other options. The MM doesn't have options of that sort, so I like you wonder why it was included in the display.

fairwood · July 2003

This is very interesting folks. I recently purchased a 2000 MM S here in Canada and the temperature readout was in Celcius not Fahrenheit which I prefer. As I stated in earlier post here, my dealer did not have a clue how to change or even if it was possible. The Canadian Mazda web site is not very user friendly so I e-mailed the question to Mazda USA and within 30 hours I had the answer: put key in ignition but leave in OFF position. Push the AUTO and OFF buttons at the same time while turning the ignition key ON. Lo and behold, suddenly I had readings in degrees F. I haven't seen this "hidden" readout for MPG but don't doubt that it is possible to get it to read. The integrated circuits that control all the various readings etc. are now very cheap to produce and there is no way in hell that Mazda or any other mfgr. is going to have separate pc boards for their world wide locations. What is missing is the hardware to bring the readings up, that is, the button or switch you would push. Either that or the reading would have to be active at all times. Also, it may be an addition to the models produced in 2001 and 2002. A few e-mails to MazdaUSA.com asking for clarification would be in order it seems. Speaking of gas mileage, I am using premium of course and am on my 3rd fillup since end of May (retired so I don't join the happy commuter throngs each day). I am getting around 20mpg (U.S. gallons, not Imperial) and that is around 70% local and 30% highway. I have a heavy foot with this car (it begs to be pushed doesn't it?) much more so than in previous car, Lincoln Town Car!. Gas mileage is better so difference in cost is not part of the equation. Keep in touch. fairwood

un_yz · July 2003

Thanks fwatson and fairwood for your comments. I will try to contact the Mazda USA site, lets see if they can help.

Over the weekend I drove a Maxima for around 1000 miles. Though the car has good engine and farily good transmission, the interior material and dash board quality/layout in Millenia is far better. Its a class apart. The finishing within the trunk in Millenia is also far better. Overall, after the Maxima drive I have started liking my Millenia more.

heybrady · July 2003

I have had my 99 P for 4 months now. It is great. The thing that suprised/impressed me most is how well it handles at high speeds (70+). Granted I never go over 80 or 82ish, but it feels as stable and is as quiet as if I was only going 40. Usually by this point the steering wheel starts to shake and the car is very loud on other cars, not this one. I think that would be great if it is possible to unlock the MPG display. On a non-related note, have any of you put in the "fake" HID bulbs in the car? If so, any good ones out there? Just curious. Thanks.

fairwood · July 2003

Hi, I agree with you regarding feeling at high speeds. Before I know it I am doing 70+ mph and that is in my driveway! Just kidding. Very easy to get up over speed limit in these beauties. Regarding HID bulb conversions - you will find lots of discussion on this matter in this forum and other Mazda owner sites. Big worry or warning is that some of the aftermarket bulbs draw excessive current and melt the wiring harness. Other bulbs may be street illegal (too bright) and you will be stopped by the police. Go to eBay and do a search on Mazda Millenia and you will get 4 or 5 pages of Millenia items, including a lot of these bulbs, wiring harness etc. Tread carefully. I have not heard back from MazdaUSA yet regarding ghost mpg readout. fairwood

fairwood · July 2003

July 10 12pm Eastern. Just got an e-mail from MazdaUSA regarding gas mileage. The respondent said no such conversion exists. That may be only for 2000's. I notice that 2001's have a digital mileage odometer readout and perhaps more than one odometer setting. I had this on my Lincoln Town Car. So there you go. fairwood

csuftitans · July 2003

I have been using my CATZ bulb for over a year and half now without any problem. Check out my post on this forum #1334 and #1360 for more info, sorry it's late, I'm too lazy to type. Oh and BTW, I've had my 2000 Mill S at speed over 135 and felt very solid, stable, no shaking, kinda feel like the car is glued to the road, unlike any other cars I've driven, not even my parents mercedes. The car just gets better as speed increases :-), no really. Just make sure you have at least a V rated tires to go that fast.

fairwood · July 2003

Several posts back un_yz noticed some "ghost" LED's for gas mileage. In a previous post I said that MazdaUSA indicated that no such additional readout exists. un_yz noticed it when sunlight fell at a certain angle so I decided to use a flashlight in the garage and this is what I found. Running along the entire width of the display area, both top and bottom is a broken or dashed line, some spaces longer or shorter than others. It resembles a linear digital readout that some spedometers had some years back, or a volume level indicator on a stereo amp. Just above the 4 clock LED's is the following in very small letters: CONSUM. CUR. AV. REMNG. I am not sure of the period after each word but these old eyes have been known to lie before. In any event it seems obvious that the intention is or was to give current gas CONSUMption based on CURrent conditions; AVerage consumption since last calibrated; fuel REMainiNG based on current driving conditions (speed; temperature etc.). To the right of the last clock LED is: Km and below that is: L/Km which is kilometers and litres per kilometer. The European and unfortunately Canadian official system works with kilometers and fuel consumption is "how much fuel is used to go 100 kilometers". The American and formerly the Canadian (and still my) system is: how many miles you travel per gallon of fuel. The European system roughly translates to: how many gallons used to go 100 miles. Anyway, I have a 2000 MM S, fwatson has a 2001 P and un_yz has a 2002 MM S and none of us has access to these very desirable features. Less gimmickry such as motor driven steering wheel positioners (a simple mechanical lever would do just fine) and more useful features such as these readouts would have gone some distance to keep Mazda customers coming back. Just my feelings. fairwood

fwatson · July 2003

One more set of led's in the lower right hand corner says "Econ". It was obviously set up for fuel monitoring. I have to wonder why they never activated it. As you say, it would be a good addition.

fairwood · July 2003

A little humid in central FL is it? Been there in August, no mo' thank you very much. Winters are good, not summers for northerners. Anyway, about that Econ - If you push the A/C switch a little A/C LED comes on, if you push it a second time the A/C light stays on but the Econ also lights up, at least it does in my 2000 MM S. Or is there another Econ on yours? And just what is A/C Economy setting anyway? I knew that Mazda or any other builder would not have engineered separate pc boards for each model. PC boards and integrated circuits are so cheap to make in large quantities and the addition of more (often useless) functions adds virtually nothing to the cost of the end product, only the intitial time to design.
I know because before I retired I worked for the world's largest mfgr of hearing aid amplifiers and the artsy-fartsy gimmicks we could and did add on cost peanuts but the OEM's who make the final product around the world can add these gimmicks to their sales pitch. Just look at any of the remote controls you have for TV, CD players, hi-fi amplifiers etc. How many of the functions do you - or can you - use? My stereo amplifier baffles me no end and yet I made a very comfortable living all my working life in electronics! When my editing VCR has a fit or I need to reprogram the recording timer I have to get out the 78 page, 8 1/2" x 11" manual. The remote has a flip up lid with more nonsense inside. How did this go from a Mazda to gimmicks 101? Sorry if I digressed. fairwood

fwatson · July 2003

I got out the owners manual, and sure enough the Econ is for economical A/C. I had just never run on anything but "Auto" set at 76 degrees. But your guess is as good as mine as to what "Economical A/C" means. I do know one thing though. You can have the frozen northland. I was born and reared in Missouri, and 20 below is about 60 degrees too cold for this transplanted southern boy. I have been here since 1962 and will most likely leave this world a Floridian. We have this thing called A/C in our houses as well as our cars. That is as cold as I want it.

I was also in electronics, but when I started we had good old vacuum tubes. So I helped usher in those fancy gizmos called transistors led's and IC's.

Oops, back to the proper subject.

lizziesmom822 · July 2003

We just purchased an 02 Millenia S - The car has 13,200 miles and has Ventus tires. Can any one tell me anything about these tires? What kind of wear do they get? Do you like them? Dislike them? I know they are Korean made. Thanks for any info.

fairwood · July 2003

They are a brand within the Hancook line. I could find nothing at www.tirerack.com which is one of the best sites for tire info, reviews, etc. I did find one review thru search engine Google. The reviewer said the tires were cheap (economical) but wear out fast and never again would he buy Hancook tires. How much tread is left? Do they look worn or do they look fairly new or brand new? Did you buy car privately or from a used car lot or a Mazda dealer? Without knowing any of the above it sounds like the previous owner has put on the cheapest set of tires he or she could find that fit those 17" wheels. With only 13,200 miles on the odometer I doubt that the original tires wore out and I have no idea what the factory tires were for 2002 model year. Others who come here can tell you more. fairwood

lizziesmom822 · July 2003

Thanks, fairwood for the info - We bought the car from the Mazda dealership but know the previous owner. One owner car - tires look great - are not brand new - I was just curious about Ventus. Like you I found the same review which actually was the cause of my first post.

fairwood · July 2003

Duh!! Just noticed the other day that there is a small black sensor type device about the size of a peanut shell or little larger with a black wire feeding back under the molding. I assume it is some sort of temperature sensor but who knows? Just curious, still learning about my MM S 2000.
Also I am finding that these low profile tires don't hold the air as well as "normal" tires; no dings or whatever on rims that I can see, don't know about inside edges. Left rear mostly. fairwood

tomace · July 2003

lizziesmom822, the original tires on my 2002 MM S are Dunlops SP Sport 5000 Ms size 215/50/R17 V. Mine has the chrome rims I don't know if STD rims come with different tires. I'm puzzled as to why your car has different tires with such low miles. I have 23,0XX miles on mine and the tires are wearing very good. I have rotated them about every 5,000 miles and expect to replace them between 36 - 42k. I will most likely replace them with the same Dunlops. Mazda must really like the Dunlops SP Sport 5000s because my wifes 2002 Protege 5 has them on it as well.

heybrady · July 2003

What is the warranty on a 99? I saw someone say 50k, but how many years? FYI, have put about 10k miles on mine since april and get consistently about 26mpg with 85% hw and 15% city.

csuftitans · July 2003

it's funny that your wife drove a P5, 'cause my wife drove the same car, in black. Yeah, my Millenia S is a 2000 model, but I know of two other ppl that has that combo :-).
BTW, since we're talking about tires again, I just bought a pair of Falken Ziek512 in 225/50/V17 (yes, it's a tiny bit wider & taller than the stock, but fits perfectly), while it's pretty cheap, so far I'm not too happy with it. I've only used it for three days, but I noticed that this tire is quite noisy.
While it actually absorbs bumps much better than the Falken ST115 that I used to have, it's not worth the trade-offs. I was hoping that this tires would give me more comfortable ride than my ST115, oh well.

BTW, I know mazda recommends about 32psi for the 17" tires, but wonder how much air you guys puts in on your 17".

heybrady, the warranty on '99 models should be 3yrs/50K

billyperks · July 2003

The warranty is 3years or 36,000 miles.
I had a 99 and gave it back last December-end of lease.

tomace · July 2003

The warranty on a 1999 is 3 years 50,000 miles. I sold Mazdas in the mid 90s and the 50K was always a selling point over Honda and Toyota. I also owned a 99 Mazda. Mazda just recently changed their warranty to 4 years 50,000 miles beginning with model year 2003.

Mazda recommends PSI 32 fronts and 28 rears on 2002 MM S with the 17 rims, that is different than what Dunlop recommends. I run 32/28 when the weather is cool, but run 34/32 when the weather is hot (June, July, Aug in St. Louis). I do notice more noise with the higher pressures.

rosatiamo · July 2003

I was not going to buy it but the dealer talked me into it. It is a 2001 P with only 606 miles on it. It was used as a demo. I paid USD 16,500 for it, is it a good deal? It runs very well and I like it a lot. However, I have never had a luxury sedan and thus I have some concerns. First, is the insurance premium on this car very high (compared to a regular sedan like the Camry)? Second, how is the maintenance cost? Mazda does not make Millenia anymore, so do the parts cost a lot? Lastly, is it a hot car that often gets stolen? Do I need more security than what comes with it? Thanks for your help!!!

csuftitans · July 2003

rosatiamo, congrats on the new car (I considered anything below 2000 miles a new car). I think you got a very good deal, since you're getinga luxury car and you can't get anything in theat price range that even remotely close to the refinement and features that you're getting with the Millenia; I think you can get a base-base honda accord for the price though :-), without leather, auto, Bose audio, V6, etc,etc.
I wouldn't worry too much about parts availability, since eventhough mazda discontinued the model, parts for this particular one should be very easy to get, especially since the V6 engine is pretty much the same as those on '93-on Mazda 626, MX6 and some eamid 90s Ford Probe. As far as maintenance cost, it should be similar to any V6 engined car. BTW, one of the best thing about owning a Millenia (there's lots of good thing about this car, expecially since you got the 2001 model) is that almost nobody wants to steal this car, unless you have like a $20K audio equipment in there. There's not much demand for Millenia as a car and carparts, so it's not on car thieves lists :-).

fairwood · July 2003

Yes, my congrats as well. Even for a demo and a 2001 model to boot that seems like very, very little mileage. Even if a car does not get used very often the "experts" say that the oil should be changed every X number of miles or every 6 months, even if not driven. The oil gets contaminated with moisture etc. For the price of an oil change and filter I would be inclined to spend the bucks. Cars are an item that needs to be used in order to stay in shape. Maybe that's why I have a stomach that gets bigger with each passing day! Since you do not have the S or supercharged Miller Cycle engine your engine parts and labor should be somewhat less than the S folks. Insurance rates depend on many variables, your age, location, previous claims, etc. Don't try to save money by using the cheapest gas you can find; stay with the recommended premium. The cost difference over a year of normal driving (10 to 12 thousand miles) is perhaps $50 or $60. fairwood

rosatiamo · July 2003

I was not planning to buy a luxury car and thus did not do enough research on this car. I am now very happy that experts like you thought it was a good deal. I am also happy with the 3 year/50,000 mile warranty. I guess the dealer was just trying to get rid of the car that has been in their lot for a while. He also tried to talk me into buying added security - window alarm, which goes off when somebody knocks at the window. He said that installing this alarm would reduce my insurance premium enough to justify the cost of it - USD 400. Do you think it is worth the investment? Thanks again!

csuftitans · July 2003

I don't know about a $400 alarm that's installed by dealers. I would rather get my own $400 worth Clifford alarm, which should be better and you'll probably get more features. I've never had alarm installed on my 2000 Millenia S. I believe the standard alarm from Mazda is good enough. I guess it also depends where you live, is it a good/bad areas for car thieves. I live in decent part of los angeles and don't feel that I need an extra alram for my car. Off course if I drive an acura TL/accord/camry/civic/integra, I defeinitely will put top of the line alarm on the car, but like I said earlier, almost no one wants to steal a millenia, which is a big peace of mind for me :-).

billyperks · July 2003

I don't care if you sold Mazda in the early 90's or even now.
The 1999 Mazda Millenia P I had was 3yrs or 36,000 miles.Maybe Mazda did an upgrade for the model year 2000, but the Millenia I leased from Westchester Mazda had 3yrs or 36,000 miles.

tomace · July 2003

I called the my local dealership and they concurred with the 3yrs 50,000 miles. Maybe it varies by geographical region. I would suggest anyone who questions the warranty to call their local dealership. One would have to find out when the car was originally purchased new anyway to determine when the 3 yrs is up.

Has anyone had a problem with the compass on the clock going out? On my 02 MM S the compass has been stuck on N for the past 2 months.

tomace · July 2003

Edmunds also lists the warranty at 3yrs 50K if you research used cars and click on warranty when you get to the 99 MM.

billyperks · July 2003

My lease was initiated 10/25/99.
If memory serves me right, Mazda upgraded to 50,000 shortly after that.

tig2002 · July 2003

All cars with remote lock-unlock feature that I have seen have a response from the car when you lock or unlock the car - mostly flashing turn signal lights and/or headlights. My Millenia does not show any response on locking or unlocking the car except the horn signal when you hit the lock button on the remote twice, and the door locks do work. Sometimes I cannot hear the door lock click when it is noisy outside, and I am not sure if the doors are locked or unlocked. Is this normal for Millenia, or the turn signal lights should be flashing as well when locking or unlocking the car with the remote? Are there any modes that can be changed (with flashing lights or without) by some kind of programming? I know that on Maxima there is a simple programming when you can activate or deactivate the horn. Thanks in advance for your help.

fairwood · July 2003

tig2000: There is no visible confirmation when locking by keyless remote. Second push of lock button will beep horn which is pretty well standard on most modern cars. I am not familiar with flashing parking lights etc on other cars. I did disable the horn honking on my wife's wheelchair van (Plymouth) a few years ago. It was a pain in the butt and the owner's manual had the instructions. Don't get me started on those people who insist on retaining that annoying oink oink when opening the car from a few feet away, same with locking. The Mazda owner's manual for my 2000 Millenia S is very vague on some of the finer points that would be nice to have without having to search the internet and 3 other Mazda owner's web sites or e-mailing MazdaUSA for instructions. Such as: how to convert temperature readout from C to F or vice versa. Also how to re program the keyless remote if you purchase a second one on eBay because the jerk who originally bought the car did not turn in the second remote or the valet key that came with the car and did not turn in a second ignition key. That stupidity cost the Mazda dealer $135 to get a new one cut in Battle Creek MI. Ah, that felt good to get that tirade off my chest. One other thing that I recently discovered (only had car since end of May) is that you can release the trunk lid with the keyless remote while moving. I assume it can also be released at any time with the button inside the glove box. A passenger rooting around in there while moving could release the trunk just as easily. I could not do this with my Lincoln Town Car. I find this Mazda oversight to be rather dangerous. Hitting a hard bump or going over a curb or whatever could finish the job of the lid popping completely up and blocking your rear view temporarily at least. Terrific engineering in many items, absolutely stupid, mindless childish gimmicks in others. Give me a simple mechanical lever to adust the steering wheel angle, not a motor driven slow-as-hell device. I want to get out for a second or two but cannot get my gut past wheel so have to shut engine off. tig2000, what was your question again? Just kidding. fairwood

tig2002 · July 2003

fairwood: Thanks for the comments. Actually I noticed that you always check this message center and post very helpful messages, but I did not know that you hate your Millenia that much, especially after owning it for only a few months.

I am Nissan Maxima fan, and think that Nissan builds excellent cars, especially during last few years. The main drawback of the Millenia P in my opinion is very slow engine when the AC is on. The Maxima's engine is unbeatable. I owned '00 Maxima GLE before I got my Millenia, and was absolutely happy with it until the car was totaled after the accident. One of the reasons that caused the accident - too powerful engine, and my wife has not noticed that only after a few seconds of entering to freeway she was driving at 60MPH... Luckily she survived the accident - thanks to Nissan. I love my Millenia even after owning the Maxima, and now think that 255HP engine sometimes can be dangerous. I notice some annoying rattle noise from the dash and sunroof when the interior is hot, but overall I am pretty satisfied with my purchase. The car is at the dealership now for the entire dash board warranty replacement, and I am renting Protege... I can't wait when I get my Millenia back

csuftitans · July 2003

Maxima's engine is one of the best V6 around, I'm sure driving it slow at speed limit would be hard to do. For some reason, maxima's styling just doesn't do it for me tho, not even the new '04 version. I think the best looking Nissan is the Murano.

Yes, it would be nice to have a lock confirmation by blinking lights; my wife's 2002 Protege5 has that feature. It would blink different when you open it and when you lock it too. It better than having your horn beep.

BTW,I don't think fairwood hates his Millenia, but looks like that trunk open thing really bugs him. The funny thing is that my remote won't open the trunk when the car's moving, maybe another programming fufu that fairwood need to contact MazdaUSA about :-), jk man.

fwatson · July 2003

"The main drawback of the Millenia P in my opinion is very slow engine when the AC is on."

I find that a very strange comment. My "01 P responds no differently whether the AC is on or off. That is to say it was never intended as a stop light grand prix racer, but is certainly very capable in all normal driving situations. For those who feel the need to drag race, how about a Corvette or Viper. No need to stop at a measly 6.8 second 0-60 Maxima As for me, 8.5 or so seconds to get to 60 is hardly "very slow". And learn that the MM throttle goes past the first 1 inch of travel, it makes a big difference if you are used to an engine with huge low end torque.

The Max-V-Mil thread got locked, so I'll just make a quick observation here. All Max's up until the new ones were very common looking with awkward styling to say the least (I almost bought one). The new ones sure show the Renault influence, but at least are interesting looking as are all French cars

fairwood · July 2003

No I don't hate my MM S - in fact it is the first car in many cars owned that I can't wait to get out and go (I have said so in previous posts). I just find the strange engineering bits and pieces hard to comprehend. Absolutely top notch in most areas but over-the-top in needless childishness in others. Remember the talking cars from Japan a few decades ago? "Yur sseet belllt is undunn"; "Ur lites rrr on". Never owned one but there were probably a lot of dashboards banged with a base ball bat. I will check the trunk opening while moving again, I tried it out only once just as I was arriving home and garage door was opening. Maybe speed sensitive. I am the only one driving car anyway, my wife has MS and we both can drive her wheelchair van, she uses hand controls and I drive it normally.
Regarding the P versions being dragged down when A/C cycles on and off: I had a 1984 Volvo 760 turbo diesel (phoney gas shortage still on our minds back then). It was like pulling the Queen Mary away from the dock until up to speed and turbo kicked in at around 3500 rpm. When A/C kicked in I thought I would be thrown thru windshield. Just like hitting the brakes - had to turn A/C off when going up shallow inclines or pulling away from light. Even my previous Town Car slowed noticably. My MM S is first car that does not telegraph that the A/C is on or off when it cuts in.
So the love affair with my Mazda goes on even with all its little quirks. Ain't too many of them around in the mall parking lots. The local Mazda dealer has a 2002 MM S in the showroom right now, it was a salesman's demo and I think they are still asking over $29,000 U.S. Only about 600 miles on it I believe. Finally, I do like the look of the rear ends of the new Nissans of past two years or so. fairwood

fairwood · July 2003

Just back from a nice jaunt in the country on a sunny summer day, checking out our old haunts! Popped the trunk at 40mph with the button on the driver's door. Hit a few bumps here and there on purpose but lid stayed down. I would be interested in what others experience. fairwood

nzigma · August 2003

It's been a month sice I purchased my 2001 S. A couple of issues here. Firstly I discovered a rattling sound , that emanates when the car goes over a bump. This happens when the bottom (manual) sunshade is opened. Wonder if this is under warranty or if a simple fix could be done at home ?

Also I have the original Dunlops (rated for perhaps 60K miles. They seem to have worn off more the usual 20% left for the front and 50% for the rear @ only 18K miles. Do I have any recourse here with the tire manufacturer. I don't see any warrantk card from Dunlop. Thanks

tomekk · August 2003

Rattling: I think this might by the rubber seal around the sunroof rubbing againt the edge of the sunroof cutout, this makes creaking sund only in hot weather.

Tires: I got 30K on mine and they look fine maybe 50-60% worn, but I noticed that my dealer always underinflates them (should be 34 front and 32psi back, they leave it 30psi all around and I just pump them up to 34/32). That'll make them wear quickly - I've heard 30-36K at the dealership. It look like mine will take me well over 40K though...

dancerman · August 2003

From your description I think that your tires were not rotated at the proper times. Your well worn rear tires were likely left on the front axles for many miles. tomekk is right that the pressures set by dealers are on the low side which makes a softer ride but also cause rapid wear. I would run 35 psi all around.

fwatson · August 2003

I have a "P", and a '95 Olds 88. My dealer did the opposite and put 35 PSI all around on my MM. That caused the Michelins on the rear to make extreme noise. Due to a large difference in front/rear weights, I think you are better off to run the rear tires about 3 PSI lower than the front. That did a lot to even out the tread wear on both of my cars, despite the Olds calling for 32 all around. I run it at 32 front and 28 rear, and the Millenia at the recommended 31 front, 29 rear.

Overinflation gives you a smaller patch on the road which I believe is dangerous especially on wet pavement.

fairwood · August 2003

I'm with fwatson on this one. My dealer had inflated all four corners to about 40psi. Felt like riding on loose bricks. I now run according to the book on my 2000 MM S -- 32 in front and 29 in back PLUS one or two more at checkup time. I lose a few pounds from left rear in about a week. Nothing shows on outside of rim so I suspect a bit of a dent on inside rim. Nothing serious, "yet". That rattle in the overhead slider when opened part way might be a common problem. I get a bit of a rattle when opened part way - the piece does not have any support along front edge in this situation. I had a sunroof in an '84 Volvo but this is first car with a moon roof. Not very useful yet - either the A/C is on or window is open, don't see usefulness of hole in roof with sun beaming down, reflecting off mirror, etc. People Come In Bunches ... no postings here for days then everyone comes to the party!! Nice to see regular interest. fairwood

tomekk · August 2003

... "and the Millenia at the recommended 31 front, 29 rear." - that's for a P I believe, S has different tires.
There is a label on the driver's door jamb that shows recommended pressures - It is 33 front / 31 rear for my '01 S. Again, I run it 34/32, because I do tend to go 80-90 mph during my 16 mile commute to work (most of it highway "against" the traffic).

My '95 Passat GLX had 32/32 - or 40/40 which was recommended - and I quote - "if you frequently travel at speeds over 100 mph with full load". Nice thought, huh?
Tomek

fairwood · August 2003

tomekk: Interesting that your '01 S has different recommended pressures. Looks like we have the same car except mine is a '00 and yours a '01. Owner's manual and door jam figures are 32 front, 29 rear. Like everything else, we are always learning as are car manufacturers. Experience may have led to upgrading tire pressures. I will try your settings but don't expect too much difference. I had a bit of a scare yesterday pulling away from stop light in moderate traffic. Radio was louder than normal and I could not hear what was happening early on. Instead of expected pull away, transmission seemed to be erratic or jerky or slipping or something. I sure wasn't expecting that and my mind started analizing a dozen things at once. Overall symptom would be that car wasn't pulling away smoothly and not as fast as expected for position of gas pedal. I pulled over about a mile later, first oportunity to let traffic go by and pulled away normally. Will go out later today and play around a bit. Pavement was a bit wet from earlier light showers but Michelin's have always dug in without popping.
Engine light has never come on except during startup during bulb test. I purchased extended warrenty at end of May when I bought car used so not too worried about tranny. I hear and read horror stories about cost of parts for this car, especially the supercharged models. Just read that there are no spark plug wires as such, each plug has its own coil in the lead? fairwood

tig2002 · August 2003

A several posts ago I mentioned that I took my '02 Millenia to the dealer for an entire dashboard replacement under warranty because of rattling and squeaking noise above the glove box when driving on bumpy roads. The service at D. Dahle Mazda in Murray, UT was excellent - provided rental car (a class higher than what Mazda pays), very polite and friendly. I picked up the car after it's been in the shop for 3.5 days. After checking the dash for rattling I was surprised... same exact thing. I went back to the dealer and asked if they really replaced the dash. They did(!). They showed me the old dash, plus the newer one is much cleaner (tan color). I was even more surprised when I checked another '00 Millenia that they had on the lot - same problem. The dealer said that this is the first time they hear this type of complaint, although admitted that it is an annoying noise, and was going to call Mazda and ask them if they have such complaints from other customers, and if they have fix for it. The problem is: when you press on the dash in the middle above the glove box you can hear the squeaking noise, especially at normal or cold outside temperature. You can hear this noise sometimes when you hit bumps. There is no noise when the dash is hot. May be I am too sensitive to any unusual noise and should just disregard this noise as well as others (sunroof). But check yourself and you should have the same problem with your dashboard.

Unfortunately I have never seen any tire service center that would keep the tire pressure according to what manufacturers sticker on the body of the vehicle says  never! They usually put too much air as well as oil change centers put too much oil. At least with my experience, even when I ask them to double-check the tire pressure or oil level. And I can feel the tire pressure on any vehicle  not only Millenia. You put 40-45 psi in any vehicle tires, and even Lexus becomes a tractor. Thats what I get after visiting service centers  40-45 psi tire pressure or an inch higher than Max oil level. I usually adjust the tire pressure every season of the year since the outside temperature affects the pressure in the tires, and always check the pressure at morning when the tires are cold. Always follow what auto manufacturer suggests, not a tire manufacturer, and always check the pressure by yourself, do not trust the service guys. The ride on my Millenia with 32psi front and 29psi rear is perfect.

fwatson · August 2003

Finger fart. My '01 "P" also calls for 32/29, which is where I keep it. Not 31/29. By the way, at almost 12000 miles the only tire wear I can detect is that the manufacturing "[non-permissible content removed]" have worn off.

I have no dash or roof rattles. I did have a loose tire pressure gauge in the glovebox, and a cup in the right door pocket that rattled a little. Repositioned both with complete success. Now I have a box of tools in the trunk that rattle some, but that will go away when I get through helping my daughter move and remove the toolbox.

fairwood · August 2003

tig2000: That squeaking you hear is at the joint where the right hand side of the dash meets the lower left corner of the SRS panel (Safety Restraint System or air bag). Right?? It is the rubbing of the harder plastic SRS cover and the slightly softer dash material. It drove me nuts for first few days after picking up car. It has to be quite a rough road to make it happen. I thought I could lick the problem by injecting talcum powder with a fine nozzled puff bottle but that was useless. I am surprised that your dealer went to all that trouble because this is not an unknown problem and surely they must have had one or two prior complaints. My dealer was afraid to use any pressure or force because the air bag was involved. I can live with a car if there are a lot of rattles etc but if there is only one I will go to the ends of the earth across broken glass in my bare behind to find it. This has not yet reached that stage but is fast approaching. I will take a thin sliver of hard wood or something to wedge between the surfaces. My wife cannot ride in my car - she has MS and we have a wheelchair accessible van for her. So I doubt if anyone would be sitting there when I hit that brick wall at 90mph!! Stay tuned for results. Also just back from road test after yesterday's transmission experience. Hard to tell as strange as that may sound. Maybe I am just getting used to the car - it sure was different from my old Lincoln Town Car for a few weeks. I am finding out that the electronic shifter for the auto transmission needs to go back to school for a refresher course. When it is cold it is not very friendly. I have read on other Mazda sites that this is part of the animal's behavour. As it warms up it gets smoother. That has been my experience anyway. I am dreading the coming of winter - first winter in 10 years that we will be staying home instead of going to Florida for 5 months. I will have to rely on fwatson to keep me informed of what is happening around the Tampa Bay area. My wife wants to get the NFL Sunday package so she can watch her Bucs. Sheesh. She even taped the preseason game from Japan to watch later. fairwood

fwatson · August 2003

Yes, the transmission shift pattern, especially if you slow almost to a stop then accelerate is a little abrupt. In a short while you learn to usually avoid that, but not always. I believe it is programmed that way to downshift and compensate for the less than backbreaking torque Mazda designs into most of their engines. Like I said many posts back, GM especially, and other American mfg's to a lesser extent really have the autoshifting down to a science while a lot of "foreign" cars exibit more noticable shift patterns.

tig2002 · August 2003

fairwood: No, it is not the joint where the dash meets the SRS panel. The squeaking noise comes when you press the soft vinyl dash right in the middle between the SRS cover and the edge of the glove box. Imagine a vertical line between the center of the lower edge of SRS cover and glove box. Press right in the middle of that vertical line. It is the material behind the vinyl dash that makes that noise. When the dash is hot, it becomes very soft when you press it, but when it is at normal temperature, it makes that squeaking noise.

The transmission of my Millenia is not smooth at all compared to the Maxima or even '03 Ford Taurus that I rented while my Millenia was in the shop. After seeing many complaints about the smoothness of MM transmission I realize that this is the design of MM. But sometimes I find interesting when the transmission shifts to higher gear at low speed with no reason, especially during left turn (?). When I am at intersection not at complete stop and accelerate to make a left turn, it suddenly shifts to higher gear even when the speed of the vehicle would perfectly allow the tranny continue working on existing gear. Right turn does not change the gear though at the same speed. I always predict that change before making left turn and try not to accelerate hard to increase the lifetime of my transmission.

P.S. I always forget to try to open the trunk with remote while driving to see if it really opens the trunk

fwatson · August 2003

"Imagine a vertical line between the center of the lower edge of SRS cover and glove box. Press right in the middle of that vertical line."

Not on all of them. I just pressed both softly, medium hard, and very hard over that entire area. I was met with complete silence.

"P.S. I always forget to try to open the trunk with remote while driving to see if it really opens the trunk."

Make sure it isn't full of feathers at the time. I don't think there is a lockout on the trunk latch, but I haven't tried it at speed. I do know, that unlike my Olds 88 which has to be taken out of gear for the electric release on the trunk to work, my MM will allow me to pop the trunk as I approach the garage with groceries. But it doesn't fly open like the Olds does. Just releases and the lid stays down.

fairwood · August 2003

When I first tried to push in at center of "line" it was very solid behind, almost like a sheet of steel behind the padding. Then it started to give and now it squeaks across much of that panel!!! I'll get you for this!! Hope it isn't permanent. Like I need another squeak or three. I think we all need to get together at Mon Venus on Dale Mabry in Tampa and have a few Jack Daniels and compare notes. Bring your own car for road testing. And money. And a designated driver. And a list of excuses for our wives. Oh and tig, I'll need your street address so the boys in big black cars can get you for my new squeak. Yeah, right. Stay in touch. fairwood

Mazda Millenia

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