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Mazda Millenia

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Comments

  • fwatsonfwatson Member Posts: 639
    Because this is not an Acura Forum.

    ALLDATA: 2001 Acura TL

    GENERAL RECALLS:

       1. 02-027 AUG 03 Campaign - Automatic Transmission Warranty Extension

    BACKGROUND

    In certain vehicles, a higher than normal number of
    automatic transmissions may have defects in material
    or workmanship that could cause premature wear or
    failure. To ensure that customers have adequate
    warranty coverage, American Honda is increasing the
    warranty on the transmission (including solenoids) and
    the torque converter to 7 years or 100,000 miles,
    whichever occurs first.
  • rnfisrnfis Member Posts: 1
    Hope you can help to shed some lights...I have an interesting probelm. I have a 2001 Millenia S, just turned 26k miles, and my TCS, TCS off, and ABS lights are all on. When I shut the engine off and restart the lights seem to go out. Then just come back on from time to time. Also has anyone heard of rat's getting in under the hood and eating away at the fire-proofing? Can this be covered under the Mazda Warranty?
  • fwatsonfwatson Member Posts: 639
    Well, the rats will tear up any insulation they can find to build nests. No way Mazda or anyone else will cover that.

    But the light problem is definitely covered unless your warranty has expired. Of course if rats have torn up the insulation, they might also have chewed up wiring, and that is not covered under warranty.
  • mazdafreakmazdafreak Member Posts: 27
    Hey guys,
    Just noticed my headlights need a little adjusment
    Can i do this myself? Any tool or gizmos to do it?
    Thanks.
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    Nice and simple. If you check the manual, it has a diagram. Each light has a white screw and a white wheel, located near the twist-cover that protects the bulbs. One is for horizontal and one for vertical, I dont remember which is which though. You basically just turn them to adjust the headlight position. PIAA, who makes high-end lighting, has an aiming guide here. http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/LightAimingGuide.html

    Should be pretty easy to do yourself. Just a few minutes of your time.
  • kcm8419kcm8419 Member Posts: 121
    You might want to check your fuse and/or your wiring harness. If you have rats they may have chewed through your wires.
  • erinsquarederinsquared Member Posts: 178
    A slight bit of oil consumption in the Millenia S is probably acceptable given the complicated nature of the engine. The supercharger shares lubrication with the engine and, with impeller speeds in the tens of thousands, you have to expect the tolerances to allow a little bit of oil seapage between the seals as the compressor wears. If you replace the supercharger, you may be back in the same boat after another 30-60 k miles. I would ask the service dept. what would be considered an acceptable oil consumption rate. A general rule of thumb would be 1 qt. per 1000 miles with no noticeable leaks on the driveway (indicative of other leaks). If you are not failing an emissions inspection, I would not worry about it. I have not heard of a single instance where people have had the supercharger lock up or even heard significant operating noise indicating an impending failure. One thing all Millenia owners need to do is check the oil level frequently. The Millenia has only about 4.3 qts of oil and dropping below 1 qt. could put the engine in serious danger.
  • mazdafreakmazdafreak Member Posts: 27
    Dear heybrady!
    I'll check it out.
    Thanks a lot!
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    Lately, been having issues with the keyless entry. Hit the buttons, and no response. Usually if I squeeze the transmitter, or bang it on my hand, it works again. Thinking the battery connection is maybe a little flaky, or the battery itself is dying. Doesnt look like there is an easy way to replace the battery. Anyone have an luck with something like this? Always thinking I could ebay another if it came to that.
  • mazdafreakmazdafreak Member Posts: 27
    You will notice on the loop side of the remote a little notch (joint),
    just pry it open with a tiny flat blade screwdriver. Both piece should
    separate.You will then have access to the battery. Check your connection and battery voltage & in any case change your battery.
    If your thinking of E-Baying one, make sure the FCC# matches the one
    engraved on the back cover of your remote.
    That's it!
  • fwatsonfwatson Member Posts: 639
    Sheeesh!

    I'd tested my MM's alarm system, but what happened yesterday was a little embarrassing.

    I parked in a medical center parking lot waiting for my daughter to come out. To help keep the car cool, I opened the moonroof and windows and wandered around the parking lot to kill time and get a little excercise, with the car always in sight.

    When I went back to it, it was locked, then the fun began. Not aware that I shouldn't, I reached through the open driver's window and unlocked the car using the electric rocker switch.

    WRONG!!! As I opened the door, the alarm went off in full fury. I used the red remote button to silence it. Ah, fine. Nope!! When I tried to start it with it's proper key, it again threw a tantrum and shut down the ignition system. This went on for about five minutes until I finally hit the right combination of closed windows etc, and it finally agreed it was my car after all.

    Moral of the story:

    If you leave your MM unlocked with the windows and moonroof open, and come back to find it locked (it seems to have locked itself), DONT unlock it by reaching inside and using the door buttons, use the remote control (I think that would have averted the alarm episode).

    I thought I was going to get arrested for grand theft auto. ;-{
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    That is funny. I did the same thing a couple weeks ago after I got done playing basketball. Left the windows down and the keys on the seat. It locked itself, like it normally does. So I reached in like fwatson did and unlocked it. MM was not happy. Took me 30 seconds to realize the red button does not kill the alarm, the black unlock button does. I noticed that the car locks itself about 2 minutes after you unlock it, if you dont get in the car. Must be a feature to prevent accidental unlock. Never tried to see if it locks if I were to forget to lock it, like in a parking lot. Anyone else ever have this happen?
  • kcm8419kcm8419 Member Posts: 121
    Shortly after I bought my car I had to go back to Mazda to pick up the service manual that I ordered and my wife came with me. She decided that she was going to stay in the car and wait for me. While waiting she became too warm and decided to open the door to get some cool air in the car, and guess what happen? Thats right the alarm started to blow. When I came back to the car, after she already shut the alarm off, she was mad at me saying that I should have told her that was going to happen. Like I already knew this was going to happen.

    Then last year my mom told me that my parents '02 S locked automatically. I told her she was crazy that it does not lock by itself. To my surprise last weekend I was at my parents house and was talking to my dad outside so I unlocked the car door. Then about 2 or 3 minutes later while I was still talking I heard the car door lock automatically while I was still talking, luckly I still had my keys in my hand.

    The mechanic that I go too asked my sister, when she was going to pick-up one of her vehicles, if she had ever heard of a car locking itself because he had a BMW that he was working on, he had the engine running at the time, that the doors locked automaticlly on him.
  • tig2002tig2002 Member Posts: 81
    This is a feature that implemented in many "higher class" vehicles today. The only time the doors lock automatically is when you unlock the doors using remote control and do not open any door during next 30-120 seconds. But I never heard of automatically locking doors while the engine is running. At least, it will never happen with MM. In fact, if you try to lock the doors with the key in ignition switch, they automatically unlock. Another words, you are in trouble only when you remove the key from ignition switch, leave it on the seat and lock the doors manually.
  • poppiepoppie Member Posts: 9
    I was thinking about purhasing a 98 Millenia with 157000 miles on it. Could anyone tell me if this would be a good bad idea? Also, could anyone tell me anything that I should be looking out for?

    This seems like a lot of miles for a 98?

    Thanks!
  • tomekktomekk Member Posts: 310
    Is this related to your recent message saying "Hello everyone, I am thinking about purchasing a 95 Millenia with 127000 miles on it."?
    Sure it is a lot of miles... good idea or bad? Well, for me it would be bad.
  • poppiepoppie Member Posts: 9
    No,

    I ended up not purchasing that car and then came across this one. The miles just turn me off though. From the looks of the car it looks nice.
  • erinsquarederinsquared Member Posts: 178
    Millenia's are excellent cars with great reliability, but can be very expensive to repair. As with any car, I would hire a really thorough mechanic to check out the body for collision damage and the mechanicals. I would also only buy a car with receipts proving a good service history. I would not be surprised to see many Millenias pass the 200k mile mark. Remember, Mazda slated this car for a luxury brand and there is a lot of quality engineering built into this thing.
  • mazdafreakmazdafreak Member Posts: 27
    I'd like to change the plugs on MM '00 2.3L.
    I've changed plugs before but never on this car.
    The space seems restricted! Anyone with experience
    in the matter?
    Also, i can't seem to find V-Groove (OR higher performance) plugs for this car, only OEM.
    I wouldn't mind the Platinum coated ones.
    Anything for Fuel effeciency and performance is good!!!
  • ohmygoshohmygosh Member Posts: 66
    I need some feedback if anyone can help. I bought a '99 Millenia S new and have had no problems until now. I have 40,000 miles on this car and last year purchased a set of Goodyear Tires, at a cost of $150 per tire. Three months ago I started loosing air in one of the tires and took it back to the tire dealer. He could find nothing wrong with the tire and insisted that the standard chrome rims were rusted and flaking on the inside and this was causing the problem. I took it to my own mechanic who confirmed this fact , and said it was even pitting the tire. He tried to sand it down but after a few days the tire lost air again. He told me that I can expect this to happen with all the rims. Has anyone else had this problem ?? If so what recourse did you take ?? The rims are the most attractive part of the car and I hate the thought of having to replace them. Not to mention the cost. HELP
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    There have been past posts with similar issues, but it is usually related to the rim being bent slightly from potholes, etc. I'm no expert, but it may be possible to have the rim refinished on the inside. You could also go to the dealer and see if they can do anything. May be a lost cause though. Too bad they didnt up the warranty to 4/50k until the 2000 or 2001 year.
  • crowbarredcrowbarred Member Posts: 8
    Have not posted in a while.

    Your rim is probably OK. When I changed tires, I suddenly had 4 rims with leaks. I had the tires remounted after the rims were cleaned and "lubed" with the standard "sealant" that tire shops usually have.

    All the tires leak less air now than they did with the original tires.

    If you have a bent rim that is bad enough to cause a leak, you will probably notice it while driving. Been there; done that.

    Hope that helps.
  • erinsquarederinsquared Member Posts: 178
    I had the same problem with a slow, leaking tire which would loose about 5 psi per month. The clip-on weights that are used to balance the tire can sometimes prevent the tire bead from making a complete seal, which could cause a slow leak. They removed all of the weights, rebalanced the tire with new weights, and the problem has been solved. Also, make sure that the tire dealer replaces the valve for good measure (mine did this too on a previous attempt to fix the leak, but it did not correct it).
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    Was driving earlier this week and noticed a pretty bad shake coming from the front left tire. Got real bad up around 70+ mph. Thought maybe a weight fell off, so took it in to the tire place. They came back and said it was a bent rim, rebalanced it, and put it on the back left of the car. I drove a good 400 miles yesterday on a trip and it was only noticable up around 60+ mph and when braking. Is it possible to get the rim bent back to normal? Or do I have to buy a whole new rim. I remember reading something on here about being possible to bend the rim back, and wonder if anyone has had that done, and to what degree of success. Thanks.
  • rotarykidrotarykid Member Posts: 191
    there is a special program for the chrome millenia S rims. there have been multiple cases of the finish coming off so mazda has replaced them free of charge. I dont have access to the bulletin/repair info right now but I can get it tomorrow........
    dan
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    Rotary, do you have the login info for that link? It asked me for username/password. Also, my rims are not the chrome, they are 16 inch split 5-spoke that came with the 99 and 00 Premium. Any ideas?
  • rotarykidrotarykid Member Posts: 191
    didnt count on the log in..no can do. anywho it only applies to the chrome wheels that are still under warranty....but some exceptions are made
  • jazzygermainejazzygermaine Member Posts: 3
    you better BUY that car.....wish that was me, I got a 98 millemuim mileage was 72K for $13K Good Price so so so on the mileage. You better get that car that's a STEAL great price EXCELLENT MILEAGE. My brother has a 95 with $190K miles....and he just replaced the radiator...for $174.00. He installed it himself....

    I love MY 98 Mazda S hunter green with alloy wheels....check me out --->http://members.blackplanet.com/Jazzygermaine/#
  • jazzygermainejazzygermaine Member Posts: 3
    My steering wheel has lost its power to adjust....is this a electrical problem or is it as simple as replacing a fuse...?

    Please help please RESPOND......Im 5'1 in height and cant drive with the steering wheel locked in the postion as though Im driving a BIG RIG.....BIG TRUCK ....I cant see over the steering column
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    You may be out of luck. I doubt it is just a fuse problem if all the other electronics inside the car are working properly. There have been a bunch of earlier posts on here, with most resulting in replacement of the motor that moves the steering column.
  • erinsquarederinsquared Member Posts: 178
    I'm almost positive that you need to replace your electric motor. This is not too difficult of a task, but alas the motor kit is pretty expensive ($150-200). I did it myself on my '98 S about two years ago, but if you hire someone, should not take more than an hour's labor for an experienced mechanic.
  • jazzygermainejazzygermaine Member Posts: 3
    Greetings!....Im driving a 98 Mazada Millemium and it only cost me $13K but with tax $16K.....so you do the math.........
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    Millemium!!?? Who is this chick? Does she really not know the name of her own car? Oh, and that is one hell of a 23% tax rate. Glad I am not buying anything in her area.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hang on here - typos are ubiquitous, no need to slam someone. You've probably made a few of those yourself, haven't you? I know I have.

    Jazzygermaine, that does seem like an outrageous amount of money for the tax - is that what you meant to say, $3k in taxes?
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    Not trying to cause trouble. I understand the typo, but it was spelled wrong two different times, both the same spelling. Coincedence, maybe. Just hope she didnt get swindled into paying fraudulent taxes. Let's hope 3K was the typo.
  • wwbradleywwbradley Member Posts: 25
    Hello my Millenia friends. Many of us northern members suffer with cold bums in the winter because our seat heaters are broken. Toast, like in cold toast.

    I, being a person of determination, decided to do whatever it was going to take to fix the problem. As an engineer, I approached this in a systematic way. I first obtained the wiring diagrams and located all the possible failed components.

    You have to first start with the two fuses that might be blown.

    Next you check the relay behind the rear seat to see if it is powered and delivering twelve volts to the switches.

    Next you have to check the switches to see if they are in fact powered, ready and able to deliver power to the seat heaters. In my case the little lights did not illuminate so I replaced the switches. Getting them took a week. Don't try and pry them out, you have to start inside the center console and remove the panels around them.

    Each seat is a circuit on its own. There is a heating pad inside the seat bottom, and another in the seat back. If either of them is burned out, the seat will not heat. It is possible for one seat to be burned out and not working, while the other one works fine. They are very separate, at least after the relay.

    After I determined that power was being delivered correctly to both seats, and still no heat, I decided to really get into this. This forum contains some real myths about the seat heaters - let me clear these up. You do not have to take apart any of the leather. Once removed, the seats come apart fairly easily from the bottom. You have to remove the hog-rings that hold the main seat cushion in place. This takes hog-ring pliers and some strength. Once you release the hog rings, and are able to lift the seat cushions, you will be able to remove the seat heaters.

    Here's what they look like when they are out:
    image

    Here's some close-ups of the burned wires sticking out.

    image

    image

    It is my opinion that the chance of failure of the fuses, relay and switches are pretty remote. The failures are ninety percent the seat bottom heating element. Failure of the element in the seat back is not very common, and in my case I didn't try and remove them because they worked fine.

    Once you have the element replaced, you have to use those hog-ring pliers and some new hog rings to put everything back together.

    The replacement heating elements are not made by the same company as the originals - probably a good thing. Maybe the replacement parts will be better than the original ones.

    Anybody in Ontario that wants their seat heaters repaired, let me know.
  • tomekktomekk Member Posts: 310
    That's a very helpful message. Thank you!
  • fwatsonfwatson Member Posts: 639
    An outstanding post. I don't have seat heaters being in central Florida, but it is too bad that article can't be somehow pinned for future use by those who do. It is difficult to get good information like that, even on BAT and other mechanic forums. But as an electrician those burned areas are scary to me. I sure hope the surrounding materials are fireproof.

    One observation. Quote: "As an engineer, I approached this in a systematic way."

    "While you approach it as an engineer, that is the exact method any good mechanic would use to isolate the problem. I am sure you have greatly cleared things up for some who are experiencing cold butts in St. Paul and Alberta. :-)

    I think your site deserves this link.

    http://www.kw.igs.net/~bradley/
  • heybradyheybrady Member Posts: 75
    That was possibly the greatest post of all 3144 on this forum. How much did the replacement parts cost you? My drivers seat does not work and would be very interested in fixing it myself. Once again, awesome post.
  • wwbradleywwbradley Member Posts: 25
    I'm a Canadian, as you can tell by the little Canadian flag. In Canadian dollars (the "northern peso") the seat heaters are about $160 each, which would be $ 120 dollars each in the coin of the Excited States of America. One seat out, one element replaced and then everything put back in place should run you less than $300 US unless you are being gouged. Like at the dealer.

    Replacing them requires that the seat be removed and disassembled. It's not a very difficult job, but does require hog ring pliers and a set of new hog rings. A hog ring is a little ring about a half inch in diameter, and they secure the seat bottom to the seat frame. There are a couple dozen of these to be pried apart, and then after the job is done, replaced with new ones.

    If your seat heaters don't work, it's more than ninety percent chance it's the elements.

    The next one I do I will photograph the entire process, step by step. Seems to be a lot of interest in this....
  • wwbradleywwbradley Member Posts: 25
    There exists on the web a complete guide to changing the spark plugs on a Millenia. If you find this helpful, perhaps a nice message to the author could be sent.

    http://home.att.net/~rexjr/Spark_Plug_Changing_Guide.doc
  • fwatsonfwatson Member Posts: 639
    Of course the P plugs are far easier to get at. That is only for the S (supercharged) engine. I just mention that so people with MMP's don't download it thinking it applies to their cars. :-)

    But please keep MM information coming, I have googled for various aspects of maintenance on them, and seldom find anything useful.
  • wwbradleywwbradley Member Posts: 25
    I like to post these very detailed technical posts, but Pat, our moderator seems to find things wrong with them, and deletes them. Then I get mad and leave Edmunds for months. Either I was careful with these last few, or Pat is on holiday....
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I am here and if you have questions about what is appropriate and inappropriate to post, just email me.

    I have removed only one message that you posted and that occurred about four months ago. It was not a "detailed technical post"; it was a message that contained some thoughts and observations about your vehicle. It also, very unfortunately, included a violation of the Membership Agreement. You and I had an extended email exchange about why it was necessary for me to remove it. If you still have questions, please feel free to get back to me off-line and we'll talk some more.

    The Membership Agreement and the Rules of the Road (links at left and above) try to explain our community standards, but if anything is unclear, I am more than happy to try to help. Just let me know.

    :)
  • kcm8419kcm8419 Member Posts: 121
    Excuse me if I missed this from your post, but what year is your car? I assume that you have the S model.

    A second question and this may sound stupid but what are hog-rings?
  • wwbradleywwbradley Member Posts: 25
    Hello KCM. My MIllenia is a 2000 S and it's that car that I took the seat heaters out of.

    Hog rings are small circles of wire, probably about a half inch in diameter. They are a fairly high quality steel because bending them takes a special type of plier, and when they are bent, they stay bent. They are a very common item used in upholstery and fences.

    Here's some pictures of hog rings, and if you surf this site a bit, they'll show you some pliers.

    http://www.hooverfence.com/catalog/cpage58.htm
  • wwbradleywwbradley Member Posts: 25
    http://www.profhdwr.com/hogring.htm

    That's an even better picture of hog rings and a pair of pliers.
  • thickcommishthickcommish Member Posts: 15
    ...just wanted to say thanks to everyone for helping me figure out my millenia problems. I will be attempting to change the o2 sensors due to the check engine light being on. It will not pass emmissions inspection without being changed so the dealer has alreay screwed me twice by me letting them change 2 already at over 300 a pop. I went to autozone.com where they have the manual to show you how to clear the codes as well as change the o2 sensor. Wish me luck, i will report back later with hopefully good news. As for the rim problem posted earlier I would like to see the retail bulletin as to if it is covered or not. Everyone I have talked to with a 98/99/00 with those rims start to have air leakage around 50k or 2nd set of tires. I have had several opinions and have looked at the rims myself. I looks like they oxydize (sp?) and rust from the inside which does wear on the tire and cause air leakage. Only a few ways to fix it. If you want a quick fix have the tire guy use some of that rubber cement/sealant and put it all over the rust spots and around the whole inside lips of the rim. This should temporarily stop the leaks. Also use new valve stems and seal around it too. Otherwise you'll need to get a wire brush and try to get it all off and smooth before mounting the tires, even refinishing them but that can get pricey. Thanks again!!
  • kcm8419kcm8419 Member Posts: 121
    Since nobody has much too say right now I thought that I would bring up a discussion that tends to appear about every 1-2 years, mpg's. Since gas prices are high I thought that this might be a good time for this. I filled up my '02 S on Sunday and my calculations show that I am getting 24.24 mpg in town. My parents also have an '02 S and they are getting about 20 mpg in town. I guess I can not complain about my mpg's.

    Thank you wwbradley on your hog ring info.
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