Mazda Millenia

heybrady · January 2004

I have a 99 P with no major problems. Bought it with 34k in March and have 58k right now. Only problem is my seat heater stopped working, and I havent felt like gettting that fixed. Other than that it has been great.

That pricey 60k tune-up is only pricey on the S model. The timing belt on the P does not need to be changed until 105k, so it is nothing more than spark plugs and air filter at 60k. Nothing you couldnt do yourself pretty easily. There are some suspect shifts when gassing after a "rolling stop", but it is common on all Millenias and you will get used to it.

The stereo system (Bose and Standard) are both great and the ride is even better. Gas mileage was about 25 in warmer months and closer to 22 in winter. Tires on the P are more expensive than normal because they are wider and lower profile than the average 16 inch tires, but the 17's are even more expensive. Just buy good ones and you wont have to worry about them for 50 or 60k miles. You should be able to get a 99 and maybe even a 2000 for 10-12 grand.

The car is definitley put together well, there are no squeaks or rattles.

Good luck.

greg114 · January 2004

I have a 1999 Millenia S. bought new, now with 52K miles. Happy with the car but recently noted a smell of burning oil, from the engine compartment, not the exhaust. When I check the oil, the level is OK.

Curious if this could happen from over-filling the crankcase after an oil change? The level is definitely high on the dipstick, but just slightly so. Smells like oil leaking an exhaust manifold? Not real bad, any only after 1/2hr or so of driving. Any ideas?

fwatson · January 2004

I shouldn't comment on this being that my MM is not an S. But from what I have read here and a couple of other places, my guess is that your supercharger is leaking.

I have no details for you, but you might proceed on that premise to check it out.

kcm8419 · January 2004

When you say that the engine is slightly over filled how much are we talking about? When the oil was replaced how much was put in? If the oil and oil filter were both replaced the service manual says that it should take 4.3 quarts of oil. If just the oil was changed without changeing the filter then only 4 quarts should have been used. If 5 quarts was put in the excess oil has to go somewhere. Look for oil leaks in case a seal is going out. Also did you check the oil level while the car was warm? The car is supposed to be at normal operating temperature, and then allowed to cool for 5 minutes and then checked. It goes without saying that it should be on a level surface.

For those of you who do not have the S model just changeing the oil it should take 3.9 quarts of oil. If you replace the oil and the oil filter it should take 4.2 quarts of oil.

fwatson · January 2004

I change the oil and filter on my '01 P, exactly 4 qt puts it right on the full marker, and I use a longer filter than the OEM. It stays on the full mark for the usual 3000 or so miles between changes.

I drain the oil completely after driving until the oil is hot, so it is not retaining any appreciable quantity of old oil.

greg114 · January 2004

Thanks for the posts concerning my problem. I did check the oil after afew minutes of cool down. The level was slightly above the upper full mark. I usually have a 'quick change' place do my oil changes. I know they work fast and could potentially over-fill the crankcase.

Probably just wishful thinking that the problem is that simple. Any other fix most likely means big $$. I'll double check the oil level. That dipstick is a hassle to read accurately and maybe it's way over the full mark.

kcm8419 · January 2004

Since you had a quick oil change place do the oil check your receipt, sometimes they will put the amount of oil that they put in to the car. If nothing else take the car back to them and let them check it. If they did put too much in they can take some out for you. Also if they did over fill it they then should be liable for any damages that they may have caused by over filling it. Make sure that you know for sure before you let them touch it. I know that these dip sticks can be a headache reading them with new oil in the car.

greg114 · January 2004

I'll check out any receipt, which I may not have. I'll also check the oil afew different times to get an average reading. You're right, new oil is real tough to read on the dipstick.

sda · January 2004

Could be a valve cover seeping oil and dripping on and then burning off an exhaust manifold. One drop leaked causes quite a stink. Not really a problem, unless it leaks a lot. Just annoying. Early 2.5 V-6 were noted for this, I don't know if this is the case with later models. Ofcourse when you had the oil changed, they may have been sloppy and spilled oil which is burning off.

erinsquared · January 2004

I have the same symptoms you describe on a '98 Millenia S model with 75k miles. I change the oil myself with around 4.3 qts of synthetic per change. I suspect that it is either the valve cover gaskets leaking or perhaps the supercharger itself, but everything is too crammed in the engine for a casual inspection. It burns a little oil on startup on really cold days which some people have attributed to seepage from oil seals in the supercharger. I do not notice any excessive oil consumption between changes and performance is exceptional, so I suspect this may be normal for these engines and am not too concerned.

rpdrpd · January 2004

After searching and searching, bouncing from I30s to Lincoln LSs to ES300s to whatever else caught my eye, the search is over. Last night I drove home my 2001 Millenia S, black with gray underneath, 4800 miles (yes, 4800 miles), certified preowned from Mazda, for $17,500. Dealer also agreed to call me when he got a Millenia in with chromes, and for labor cost he will swap my rims with the chromes.

My final decision last night was between my new Millenia and a 2003 Mazda 6, 8500 miles, $19,995, 6 cyl sport, leather, heated seats, sunroof, etc. I liked the way the 6 drove, liked the interior layout, the overall "new", contempoary design of the car. But I couldn't stop looking at the Millenia. I've always wanted an S, love the color, really love the miles, satisfied with the price.

I look forward to many years of satsified ownership and will be checking in with progress and any questions. And I do have a question. It seems as if the driver's sideview mirror is slightly distorted. Not like the designed "distortion" of the passenger side mirror, but distorted all the same. I was wondering if this is common, correct, or I have a problem. I also thought the sideview mirrors were heated with the cold weather package, but can't figure out if they are.

And yes, a minor complaint. Unless I am missing it somewhere, there is no light or anything indiciating when the fog lights are on. This is very annoying and very bizarre. The master cruise control switch has a little amber light, but the fog light switch does not.

In any case, I love the car already. An Infiniti dealer wanted to sell me a 2000 I30t with 45,000 miles for $18995, and would not budge on price. When I told the salesman that I purchased the Millenia, he sneered. They just have no clue.

I have enjoyed reading this discussion area, and have learned a lot.

fwatson · January 2004

I can only answer a couple of your questions.

First, I have had no distortion in the sideview mirror.

The other concerns the fog lights. They only operate when you have the main headlights on in "low beam" position. I too had a problem getting used to whether they were on or not, and resorted to turning them on/off reflecting in someone elses bumper. I found out that once turned on they stayed on and operated when the low headlights were activated. I agree, it is a strange situation as is the position of the main cruise control switch.

These are very minor though and you get used to it. You will also have to get used to the transmission shifting at very low speeds.

Congratulations on your new MMS.

erinsquared, I hope that supercharger is OK, because it is about a $5000 problem if it goes out.

rpdrpd · January 2004

I did notice the transmission shifting at low speeds. I had the cruise set on 60 mph going through a hilly, up and down, slightly twisty county road and noticed the cruise flucuating quite a bite, especially going down hill, with numerous up and down shifts. I guess that relates to the transmission.

Yes, the cruise and fog light switches are strange. I just don't get why no amber light like the cruise control switch. Oh well, can't have everything.

rpdrpd · January 2004

I got the impression that the car had heated sideview mirrors from Edmunds. Pricing out the car, one of the options to select was "heated sideview mirrors". I assumed I had them since the car has the 4 seasons package, but I saw no mention of them in the owners manual.

Second, the owners manual discusses a "mid-range" adjustment on the radio, along with the bass, treble, etc. I have the bose radio, six cd in-dash, and I thought that was the top of the line. But I do not have the "mid-range" adjustment feature. So I don't have the top of the line stereo?

viceroy57 · January 2004

Hi, everyone. This is my first post.
Purchased a 2001 Mill S demo with 4000 miles in Oct 2001, I have 30,000 miles on it now. Im running out of warrantee and am a bit desperate.
In black and silver with chrome wheels ($590+ to replace) and a timeless design it is one of the most beautiful cars now and for a long time to come, and I would like to keep it.
BUT, since day one I've had a problem with the ride. It seems under certain road conditions, i.e., wavy road surface, sharp bumps or pot holes, and certain speed bumps, it feels like the suspension leaves the frame for a brief second. Sometimes the front end crashes (very hard metal to metal sound). Very disconcerting. Sometimes the front end overreact to bumps. At other times, again on certain road surfaces at speeds more than 40 mph, I feel an oscillation. Sometimes, I feel as the temperature drops, lets say, below 32 degrees the ride improves. I feel there is something definitely not right with the struts/shocks.
Ive contacted Mazda in California by phone early on, and they tell me that the low profile tires with a sports suspension is the way it is supposed to feel. I say, baloney. Ive been driving cars for 40 years, all makes and models, and I can feel if something is not right. Ive been to four different dealers over the last two years and they claim they cannot duplicate. They look at me like Im a head case. I just dont trust them. Wheel weights have fallen off after they tried to balance the wheels within a hundred feet of their service bay. Another dealer wrote it up as a model 626. Where does a dealer in Manhattan, NY test drive the car? On the 6th floor of their garage? I think the dealers just dont see enough of this model car.
One reason Ive been so long with this is - I had a chrome wheel that could not be balanced early on. I thought this could be the problem. Mazda said I did it by hitting a pothole or something. I said no, it just a bad wheel. Finally, 18 months later, after much discussion, they agreed to replace the wheel, gratis. Naturally, the ride improved, but did not solve the problem.
BTW this bad wheel masked a bad rotor problem, which was discovered at the 18,000 mile mark. I paid $468 (ridiculous) to cut the rotors and replace the front brake pads. Too late they said, I have to pay.
Ive had this car at several local mechanics also, and they said everything is normal. Im beginning to feel that it is truly all in my head and nothing is wrong. So posting here is my last hope of discovering what if anything is wrong.
Im hoping someone out there may have comments or suggestions that point to a nut, a bolt, a spring, or something I can use to help the dealer figure it out next time I visit.

PS. If it helps - The car tracks straight and true. Tire wear is even. Ride is very good when not being tested by bumps or holes. No shake in the steering wheel. About 5-8 thousand miles of tread left on the Dunlop 5000's ($290 at Sears to replace).
A mechanic on the radio said, poor shocks, replace them with Koni, Bilsteins, KYB, or the like. But, I cant find any after market shocks/struts for this car and I am willing to buy.
If I can't resolve with Mazda,does anyone know where to buy? I dont want Mazda replacements. I might have the same problem and the dealer just over charges. Thanks

tomekk · January 2004

Heated mirrors are turned on with the rear defrost switch. I think if you have heated seats (easy to check that!), then you have the 4 seasons package with heated mirrors.
Anyway, you'll see they work once ice starts melting off the mirrors...

Bose does not have mid-rage tone control, only bass and treble.

Tomek ('01 S w/Bose and 4 seasons)

lammy1 · January 2004

Hey Millenia Owners - looking for some suggestions or indications that anyone else has experienced this problem. When I go to fill-up on gas in my 1999 Milennia S, lately it will not take a full tank. The gas stops pumping, when I get in the car, it shows that it is only 3/4 full on the guage, was wondering if this was common, and suggestions as to what the problem may be. Friends suggest that the float inside the gas tank is no longer working. Any suggestions???

Lammy

tomekk · January 2004

After the pump stops for the first time, I can get usually 2 more gallons in. It shows full either way, but if I get those 2 gallons in the fuel gauge needle is pegged on the top rather than merely showing full.
It seems that with some nozzles on certain gas pumps it is more difficult to top it off. I had exactly same issue with Nissan Stanza years ago and was told by the Nissan service that "it's how Japanese cars are" and never really contested that (Nissan Stanza, built in Smyrna, Tennessee...). So, I never really questioned the same behavior in Millenia.
Hope this helps,
Tomek

fwatson · January 2004

problem I have not had. But a word of advice from what I have read. Don't force fill your fuel tank. These cars have a pressurized fuel system, and when the pump shuts off, you should too.

It it actually does not fill, try a different station. If it still won't fill you have a problem with the fuel system that needs repaired.

smagee1 · January 2004

My 18 yr old son is considering trading his 2000 Ford Exployer Sport (106k mi) for 1996 Mazda Mellenia (90k mi). We have no experience with "foreign cars" looking for any suggestions/advise.

fwatson · January 2004

is that a loaded question. ;-0

The Millenia are excellent cars, but 90000 is a lot of use by who knows who. If it is an S, it may end up costing more to fix than it costs to buy if that Supercharger goes bad. And if it is a P or an S which has not had the timing belt changed he is in for a very expensive job to do so.

I love my MM, but I'm not at all sure I would buy one with 90000 miles on it unless I personally knew the present owner and could see all the records proving it has had all necessary maintenance. If nothing else I'd pay a very trusted mechanic to do an end to end inspection of it or any other car with that much milage.

And coming out of a truck he is going to feel like he is sitting on the ground. The MM is very low.

Good luck.

rpdrpd · January 2004

Thanks fwatson and tomekk for your responses. Here's something you may or may not have come across.

I have had my "new" MMS, 2001, for less than 48 hours. It has been quite cold here in NJ. I was standing directly behind the car, just checking it out, when I saw a rather long icile hanging from the left rear. Looking underneath, the icile was hanging from the driver side "tow hook" just underneath the rear bumper. The tail pipe is of course on the passenger side. I cannot figure out where this moisture is coming from, to trickle down the tow hook and form this icicle, which is nearly touching the ground. I did run my hand under and around the area and did feel air rushing by, out the rear of the car. The car was running at the time and the HVAC system was on. I am thinking this icicle is a byproduct of the HVAC system, but I have never seen icicles forming like that before on any other car.

I am going to call the mazda dealer and speak to service, but I thought I'd throw the issue out here.

wwbradley · January 2004

Hello folks. I've been lurking in this discussion group for months now. I'm interested in automotive "value" seams, those places where the "value" of the vehicle is more than the price. From all our your comments, it seems that the Milly fits this, more car than the money would indicate.

So, today I bought a 2000 Milly from an auction. Mazda Credit dumped the car in the auction on a snowy day here in Ontario. Few buyers, and I bought the car for $9400 US. $12,200 Cdn. It is pearl white, has leather and a sunroof. That's all I know about it, I haven't even seen it yet. My broker is delivering the car to my mechanic for complete fluid changes and safety certification. I appreciate the description of all your experiences. I'll report in as I figure this thing out.

Lots of snow here, zero F. I hope it's good in cold weather. It's my winter beatewr for my '87 Supra Turbo.

kcm8419 · January 2004

I hate to bring this up because it sounds to rediculeous to mention, but are you sure that all the bolts are still in the suspension system. It almost sounds like some bolts are missing and the whole front end is moving like there is no struts attached to it. I guess that you would also pick up a rattle in the front end if this was the case.

Lammy1 I agree with tommek in that I can normally put in an additional 1.5 to 2 gallons more gas after the initial shut off of the pump.

Rpdrpd on your icicle, I read someplace that all cars have a drain line for their a/c. So I would assume that the Mills is in the back therefore the icicle.

rpdrpd · January 2004

I did talk to Mazda service and they had no idea what I was talking about. I am leaning toward's the drain line idea, but would like to know for sure if the MM has its drain line coming out the rear of the car. Any confirmation?

I do love this car. I turn down the dash lighting at night a bit because it is rather bright. Love that the heated seats cycle on and off based on the thermostat setting. My 97 MM's heated seats would roast my butt, then I would have to turn the heat off, only to turn it back on again. Annoyances like the steering wheel radio/cruise controls not being lit, no auto-on headlights, lack of fog-light on indicator, are completely overshadowed by the MMS's looks, especially the 2001 re-do, the ride, comfort and performance.

kcm8419 · January 2004

Now that I am finished thinking out loud about the absurd I have a few questions. You never mentioned if the car nose dives when you hit your brakes? Have you pushed down on the front and the back of the car to see how much the car rebounds? Is there a big difference between the front and the back rebound? Have you taken your car to a front end specialist to let them check it out?

Rpdrpd you mentioned that you had the hvac running when you noticed the icicle and then you felt air coming from that area. Did you turn your hvac off and then check for air?

fwatson · January 2004

Quote " I am leaning toward's the drain line idea, but would like to know for sure if the MM has its drain line coming out the rear of the car. Any confirmation?"

The AC drips from the right end of the firewall (glovebox)area.

rpdrpd · January 2004

I figured as much, fwatson. And no, kcm8419, I didn't turn off the HVAC to see if the air still blew/blowed. That would have made too much sense!

Running the HVAC on auto I see that the A/C is always on. Yet last night I did not see any icicles, and it was cold enough. It will be even colder tonight so I will continue checking.

kcm8419 · January 2004

Common sense says that the a/c drain would be up front but I thought I would put it out there. I do have another suggestion though and that is the sunroof. It sounds strange but looking up in the '02 service manual it says that there are two drain lines for the sunroof. One for the front of it and one for the back of it. The drawings are not big enough to get a lot of detail but it looks like the back one comes out by one of the rear wheel wells. My guess is the left rear wheel well. Hope this helps you.

sprocketboy · January 2004

I have a 00 MM S with 65K miles on it, bought in late 2002 for $14,700. At 58K, the dreaded Check Engine light came on and I learned that all the oxygen sensors needed to be replaced. This came, with parts and labor, to $1200. Now, having driven 7k mi in the last year, the CEL has come back to haunt me. At first, the garage (not a dealership) said that Unknown Code showed up on the diagnostic test. The light was reset. Two days later, it came back on and the mechanics tell me that the there is an uneven firing of the cylinders. I noticed a moment of roughness just before the light came on. To repair this will apparently mean new ignition coils and to be sure to get the problem solved I will need six of them at $240 each and labor of $225, totalling around $1750. They tell me that I should have this work done soon as raw gas going into the system will eventually wreck those really expensive oxygen sensors. I have noticed no degradation in gas mileage or performance; in fact, the car runs like a clock. I am surprised that a four year old car that has been well-treated needs this much expensive work related to the electronics. I will have spent more in two years maintaining this car than in seven years with my Integra. Do I have a lemon or does someone have a better idea? I see that other posters here have gotten by with just replacing one coil, although the labor is as much as changing all six of them. But $450 is a lot more attractive than $1700. The CEL is on steadily and does not flash. So this is what happens when you fall for a pretty face...

kcm8419 · January 2004

I would go to Autozone and let them read the code for you. Make sure you write the code down, because it should be able to tell you exactly which ignition coil it is. If you can get the code number come back and I will see if I can help you. I think some mechanic is seeing dollar signs to say that they need to replace all six. I also think that you might want to look for another mechanic because I doubt they needed to replace all your sensors. It sounds like the only way they can fix any thing is if they replace half the engine just to make sure they actually did get what was causing the problem.

sprocketboy · January 2004

KCM8419, thank you for your comments. I went to AutoZone this morning and they were very helpful. The code read "P0301--1 cylinder misfiring." The AutoZone man thought it was probably a plug or plug wire at fault.

Shortly after a warm start this morning, the car ran more roughly and then smoothed out again.

I will indeed find another mechanic as I am not very confident after I was told that 1) there is no problem and 2) well, there is and it will cost you $1700 to fix it. A bit slapdash.

kcm8419 · January 2004

The PO301 - PO306 are the cylinder codes. The last number tells you which cylinder is causeing the problem. In your case it is cylinder 1.

mohammsa · January 2004

Can anyone help me? I have a 1999 Base Millinia (with just about 24,000mls) and would like heated seats, heated mirrors and keyley entry. I prefer to install only Mazda components if possible. Have anyknow if this can be done? The dealer is of no help.

tomekk · January 2004

Just leave them on all the time (they go off a minute or so after you switch the car off).
tomekk

rpdrpd · January 2004

Thanks tomekk. I have been using that trick.

Does anyone have the dealer installed autodimming review mirror? Does it have a compass? I was wondering how much you might have paid and if it was installed properly.

Thanks
2001 MMS

tuckerdog1 · January 2004

rpdrpd,

Don't know if this will help or not...I have the auto dimming mirror on my '02 mms. It does have a compass. Doubt the dealer installed it though. I didn't order the car, it was just on the lot with every option & I bought it that way. I still have the window sticker ( yea, I'm one of those guys ) and under the options section on that, it lists the mirror at $150.

Tuckerdog

rpdrpd · January 2004

Thanks tuckerdog1. I downloaded a 2002 Millenia Accessories brochure from Mazda's website. Along with car covers, sunroof deflectors, etc., it showed the autodimming mirror, and described it as a dealer installed accessory. Interesting though that it shows up on your window sticker. Called the dealer. The mirror costs $150, and installation will be a little over $200. Since there probably aren't any wires or anything the mirror needs to be connected to, and depending on how the mirror is actually mounted to the window, I think I could save the $200 and install it myself.

tuckerdog1 · January 2004

rpdrpd,

I'm pretty sure there is some wiring involved. My wife is out with the car right now, so I can't check it. But it does seem like there is a black line coming off it. It has to get the power to operate from somewhere.

Tuckerdog

rpdrpd · January 2004

You're right tuckerdog, there is wiring involved. I looked again at the picture of the mirror in the Millenia brochure, then looked on e-bay, and I think I see the same mirror for sale all over e-bay. I actually saw a mirror I like more on e-bay, a Gentex. Have no idea if it would work in the Millenia, and if I buy it I have no idea who I would get to put it in. I still think $200 is a lot for Mazda installation, but I do want it done right.

Do you have a compass/temperature readout, and where is it, within the actual mirror or on the bottom of the mirror, in the frame?

dmoyer · January 2004

95L 2.5 liter with 95K miles. I researched this engine at 60K when the book calls for replacement of the timing belt and found that this engine (95 to 02) in not a interference engine (If the timing belt breaks, mechanical engine damage occurs. It most commonly involves open valves being struck by pistons, resulting in the need for expensive repairs. In extreme cases, a replacement engine may be required.); the same belt is used on both the CA and outside CA engines; and the CA replacement is only at 105K. So I waited until now to have the work done and the old belt still looks ok, but then looks can be deceiving. Total cost for belt, camseals and related PS/WP and AC/Alt belts was $160, plus 4.5 hrs labor $225, total $384. Except for normal maint, tires, spark plug wires and value cover gasket replaced ($330), this 95 has been good to me.

fwatson · January 2004

for the price information on the 105000 mile service. You are right that both MM engines are non-interference, a great advantage in case of belt breakage.

I have to admit though that as I started to read your post I thought you were saying the non-interference engine was subject to all that damage, but you did clear it up. I just want to be sure that someone else doesn't think they can destroy the MM engines by letting the belt break. ;-)

wwbradley · January 2004

Yuk, more seat heater problems. I can see some hints about this problem in past posts, but I can't tie anything down to what I'm seeing. My seat heaters aren't working and it's zero F in Ontario right now. You southern gentlemen and ladies just have no idea what it's like putting your tender tush down on ice cold leather.

Here's what I've been able to determine. The seats aren't heating. The little lights on the switches do not luminate when they are turned on. Fuse number 18 in the engine compartment fuse box, which is the one for the seat heaters is fine. The seat heater relay, which is located behind the rear seat passenger side (in the trunk actually) seems to be powered on all the proper terminals.

Has anyone figured out the right procedure to trace this?

tig2002 · January 2004

Well, looks like I am jointing the club in real world now. I got the check engine light on yesterday - '02 Millenia P with 23,800 miles. First what I thought was the fuel cap since this is the most common cause, but after checking I found it in secure position, so that is basically all I could do before taking the car to the dealer. The car is under warranty, so I am not so disappointed. But I am really scared because of my bad experience with auto mechanics, even with trusted authorized by factory ones. They may or may not fix the original problem, but also will do other unnecessary work that car does not really need, especially working on the car with warranty (something like what some doctors do with patients who have medicate). In my case, they may reset the CPU, but claim that the problem is fixed and some defective part was replaced, and then if I complain after a while with the same problem, they will find something else. Unfortunately this happened to me in the past, and not once. For example I had ABS light on with my '98 RAV4, and after going through diagnostic tests Toyota dealer said that all four ABS sensors are bad - what a nonsense! I purchased one new ABS sensor myself and started replacing one by one until light went off - only one was bad. The estimate was $1,090 with four parts and labor, and I ended up with $145.

I did not notice any loss of power, and the engine works as smooth as before. What I did notice is that the gas mileage went down a few weeks ago, but I thought this is due to cold weather  from 22-23MPG to 20-21MPG in town.

Does someone have any recommendations or suggestions? If not, I would probably go to AutoZone and ask them to read the code of the failure, and then compare what dealer says afterwards.

fwatson · January 2004

Why wait? The only way to know the answer is to read the codes. AutoZone does it free, and you will be armed with the answer before taking it to the dealer for repair.

The CEL on my '01P was due to a faulty knock sensor which AutoZone read out. The dealer got the same code and replaced it. End of problem.

tig2002 · January 2004

Thanks fwatson. Do you think this could be the reason of the gas mileage difference? I also heard that one of the most common reasons is the oxygen sensor failure. Oh, well. I will just visit the AutoZone and take the car to the dealer to compare the results. I am glad the car is under warranty, but such failure at 23,800 mi. is quite disappointing.

P.S. I still love my Millenia.

tig2002 · January 2004

OK, now I am confused. I already made an appointment with dealer, but I just started my MM and the light went off. I drove about 5 miles, and everything seems to be fine for now. I am wondering if it has something to do with the fuel cap that I removed and placed back yesterday, and it took a while to reset the CPU.

fwatson · January 2004

Don't be confused by it going off and on. Mine did that constantly. Sensors go out frequently on all brands of cars. With mine it was that moisture had gotten into the sensor causing it to work intermittently, thus the off/on cycle. I didn't check the milage, but it did cause a slight decrease in performance when the light was on.

When the ECM went out on my 95 Olds 88, the CEL also came and went.

Edmunds has a thread on Check Engine Light in the maintenance forum.

alcan ""Check Engine" light" Jan 29, 2004 5:17pm

It's interesting reading but you won't learn much there except that this is a very common problem to all cars.

tig2002 · January 2004

Thanks fwatson. Should I keep my appointment with dealer even with "check engine" off? Do you think that diagnostic tests will identify the cause of intermittent failure?

tuckerdog1 · January 2004

rpdrpd,

Sorry it's taken 2 days to reply. Haven't been back here. The wires go up under the headliner. That's likey why the dealer is charging so much to install. As far as the readout, it just gives compass direction. Outside temp is on our dash. It switches between the climate control temp & outside temp. The mirror readout is on the bottom of the mirror frame in a green LED like display.
I like the mirror, but I don't think it's worth the $350 it would cost you for the item & install.

Tuckerdog

Mazda Millenia

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