Mazda Millenia

max05 · January 2005

thanks for the reply...there is a 30 day warranty so i am taking it back to the shop that did the work originally (the light was on when i put a deposit on the car and having the problem fixed was a condition of sale). The dealer says they spent $800 fixing it and was shocked that the light came back on....anyway, your comment about emmissions is interesting because there does appear to be a large amount of exhaust (compared to my other cars)...although it is white....meanwhile the light (for the moment) is off, so tomorrow will be interesting....

max05 · January 2005

I'm not sure i'm in full agreement with you on the depreciation of maxima vs. millenia. I just traded my 2000 maxima (original price $25k) after 5 years and 60k miles for $11k on a 2005 maxima ($14k depreciation over 5 years). My original plan was to give the 2000 to my son (new driver), but i thought it had too much power and i didn't want to pay for collision, so i bought a 1998 millenia with 82k miles for $5k and put the $6k in my pocket. The millenia was a one owner car put into service in Sept.98 and my maxima was bought in Oct.99, so i got a car with one more year of driving and 20,000 more miles for less than half my trade....not sure what the original selling price was for the mazda in 1998, but it listed for $29k (about the same as my 2000 maxima sticker).

max05 · January 2005

Is it a "coincedence" that you spelled coincidence wrong?

max05 · January 2005

i checked the manual and where it shows the "alarm" should be, i have nothing but a plastic covering....so maybe it was not standard in 1998. Anyway, there were alarm stickers in the glove box, so i put them on the windshield anyway...since no one listens to an alarm going off anyway...maybe the stickers will keep someone away (and fool my insurance company)

wwbradley · January 2005

What's happened is that the original condition that caused the light to go on has disappeared and a set number of restarts has occurred, so the light has been turned off.

The interesting thing is that the code has been retained in memory and can still be read, up to about forty cold-hot-cold cycles. Get the code read and tell us all what it was.

Given the Millenia's OBDII system, (which will illuminate the light on the thinnest of reasons) I wouldn't worry much about it. You will see the light from time to time. Get yourself a code scanner, read the code, write it down and erase it. Standard Millenia procedure. The root problem is that the oxygen sensors they used were out of spec - far too sensitive, and Mazda replaced a lot of them under warranty.

max05 · January 2005

thanks a bunch. i am quickly learning alot about millenia's and check engine lights/oxygen sensors/knock sensors etc...i had the code read and it was an "idle sensor malfunction"....have driven about 75 miles or so over the past two days and the light has not come back on. Since i am still covered by a 30 day warranty, i will just keep an eye on it. I did stop at autozone and confirmed they will read the codes for free. this board helped me find that out as well.

ohmygosh · January 2005

I purchased my '99 Millenia S new and currently am approaching the 50,000 mile mark. The car has always run great but I am starting to get concerned. Any feedback on the following would be helpful;

1. Chrome wheels seem to be causing the tires to lose air. Could they be deteriorating on the inside?

2. Has anyone had experience with the timing belt ? When does it usually go, and how much to replace ?

3. Is the miller cycle engine still depenable beyond the 50,000 miles ?

lazyfox · January 2005

1. Generally almost all chrome wheels are theoretically prone to defects and air leaking. Sometimes it's enopugh to clean them, sometimes you have to re-chrome them.

2. Not sure, but seems like timming belt should be replaced for sure in recomended intervals or maybe a bit sooner. From what I was reading, if it breakes, it will ruin your engine.

3. I can't comment on that.

fwatson · January 2005

Quote: "From what I was reading, if it breakes, it will ruin your engine. "

Both Millenia engines are "non-interference" and will not be damaged by a belt breaking. The owners manual should show when to change it, and on the 99 S I think it was 60000 miles.

S owners can tell you more about high milage, but 50 thousand is not high milage, and you should easily double that with no major problems, but there have been posts about the supercharger leaking oil.

There was a recall on some MM chrome wheels that should be available at your dealer's or online at AllData. There may be a link on the Edmunds site for that.

Edit: Here is the recall information on the wheels for the 99S. "TSB#0200401 Wheels - Chrome Wheel Rusting "

ohmygosh · January 2005

Thanks for the feedback on my Chrome Wheels. I contacted Mazda but they did not have any recall info for my particular vehicle. They told me they might consider helping me if I took the car to the dealer for a diagnostic inspection. Somehow I don't think I am going to get any satisfaction.

tomekk · February 2005

>>2. Has anyone had experience with the timing belt ? When does it usually go, and how much to replace ? <<

In CA, the recommended timing belt maintenance is at 90K miles.

>> 3. Is the miller cycle engine still depenable beyond the 50,000 miles ?<<

I have 50,048 miles on my 2001 S, and the last 48 miles have been quite dependable :-)

Just met somebody by chance with 2000 S, 97K miles, still original timing belt, 4th set of tires, 2nd set of front rotors (expensive!), no problems overall.

mmerchant · March 2005

I had my 96k (60,000 mile) done recently at just over 100,000km. I got the timing belt replaced. I asked the technician who worked on my car about the condition of the belt. He said there was some wear, but I could have gone for another 10,000 - 15,000 km without any problems. He did not see a need to replace the pulley belt and other seals and gaskets as nothing was leaking oil. As part of the 96K, the rear rotors and pads were replaced, as well as the spark plugs. The front pads were replaced at 48K, and they will need to be replaced along with the rotors in the next 2-3 months.

The total cost of the 96K service was around $1350.00 Canadian.

As noted by another user, the Millenia has a non-interference belt which means that you will be inconvenienced if it breaks, but it won't damage the engine. Obviously if you have the extended warranty, which I have, you don't want to delay any scheduled maintenance on the vehicle. Thanks

mnoghost · March 2005

I own a 2002 mazda millenia L. It has 21,000 miles on it. When i first bought the car, a week or 2 after owning it, i heard a small whinning noise, which lasted about 1 day, and this was in may 2004. Scince winter came along, that noise came back, louder. It does it all the time now. Heres the thing. The noise starts after the cars warmed up and it starts after driving for 15-20 mins. The noise only happens when i press on the gas. Ive had the car to mazda 6 times. So far, here is what theyve done...

1st time, they couldnt duplicate the problem, probably because they only test drove it for 3 miles, and the noise doesnt happen until after youve been driving for 15 mins.

2nd time, mechanic came for a ride with me and it made the noise. They adjusted a rear ebrake spring. They still didnt realize it only does it after driving for 15 mins, and at this point i didnt know either. Got the car back, still makes the noise

3rd time, they sanded down the rear rotors and brake pads, and installed new calipers. Again, when i got it back, it would still make the noise

4th time i took it in, they resurfaced the rotors. I got the car back, and yet it still makes the noise. THIS is when i realized that the noise only starts after 16 mins of driving. They had no idea, did a repair and assumed it was fixed because they only drove it for 5 mins.

5th time, they replaced the right rear ebrake, hardware and shoes. Got it back, and it still made the noise.

6th time, i took it back, they replaced the right rear ebrake and hardware and shoes, and they adjusted the ebrake cables as well. I got the car back today, and after 15 mins it still makes the noise.

Anybody have any idea what this could be? theyve done all that, checked for a exhaust leak, the wheel bearing is fine. im out of ideas, all this was free becasue the cars under warranty. the noise sounds like a high pitched ring in your ear, or like a dog whistle. i read about the AT Cable service bulletin, but that doesnt apply to the 2002 millenias. anybody have any ideas? maybe they need to replace the ebrake cables completley?

ivbd85 · March 2005

Hhmmm...I'm glad to know that someone else has this problem, well not glad, but relieved that it's not only me! I too have somewhat of a humming or whinning sound from the engine--dashboard while the gas pedal is depressed.

I too have 2002 Millenia P 2.5L. The problem did not become noticeable until about November of 2004, consequently, this was right around the time that I had all of my brakes done, rotors and pads. The sound only seems to pronounce itself whenever I get up to 80+MPH, no sounds up until this point.

In an attempt to fix the problem, I have taken the car to shops and had them check everything thing that they and I could think of, but to this day, no one can seem to figure it out either.

I'll post again if anything changes...Anyone else have any suggestions???

mnoghost · March 2005

mines not coming from the engine, its coming from the rear passenger side wheel area. mine does it at about 20 mph and up, and only does it after 20 mins of driving. today it was doing it when pressing on the gas, then it went from that, to doig it while pressing on the gas, and after i took my foot off the gas, the noise kept going, and then it changed over to only doing it when my foot WASNT on the gas, and going away when i press on the gas, confusing as hell, what in gods name is this noise coming from! its a high pitched whistle noise like a dog whistle

mad1s0n1 · March 2005

My 99 Millenia has started to feel like it's losing its power steering - it's very difficult to turn the wheel and it "stutters" when it's going very slow and turning (into driveway or parking space, for instance). It seems OK while driving and making turns at normal speeds. Any ideas on what it might be/cost before I take it into the shop?

Also, I don't know if this is related, but the steering column has been stuck in the "up" position for a few months - never got around to fixing it, and it didn't seem to affect the steering.

Thanks!!

fwatson · March 2005

Only a wild suggestion, but I'd be wondering where the fuel pump is located on the gas tank. It is the only electrical thing (no power antenna) that I can think of in the rear area of the car, and the mechanical components have been replaced.

Good luck.

On the steering problem, I can't see the up or down position of the steering wheel being the problem. And it does sound like a power steering pump either low on fluid or gone bad.

I'd go ahead and take it to a repair shop for diagnosis. But that type of problem is not the exclusive domain of a Mazda dealer who most likely charges a high premium over an independent shop.

greg114 · March 2005

I have a smell of burning oil, after the car is driven, and is sitting. Little consumption. I figure it's a gasket leak on the supercharger. Anyone have this happen? When the timing belt is replaced, I imagine the gasket could be also. Anyone with experience in this? 67K on the car.

Thanks, Greg

cnuk · March 2005

I live in Western Canada and am looking to buy a used Millenia. I have been looking around and there are a several year 2000 and fewer 2001 models available. From what I've read this is a good used car to buy. Year 2000 with 80,000 km list for approx $17,000CDN but I understand will go for $14-15,000 CDN. 2001 looks like they had a large makeover and list for a little more....$18-19,000 CDN. A few questsion then from a potential buyer:

1. Confirm that you would indeed buy a Millenia?

2. Is it worth paying the premium for a 2001 versus a 2000? Are the updates worth the cost?

3. Would you consider a used Millenia with more than 80,000km? I am hesitant to buy a used Millenia with 130,000km but for no particular reason...just sceptical I guess.

4. Anything I should look for or ask inparticular when shopping?

Thank you for all your help. I'm anxious to pick one up.

phatpat · March 2005

I recently took my 95 Millenia S (111,000 miles) in for a major service. At this point they did everything with the exception of the platinum plugs, timing belt, and water pump. I ended up paying $440.00 to include a $129.00 transmission flush. Does this sound right? I read on earlier (long time ago) posts that the entire major service was running around $800.00. They also said that next week when I get the plugs and timing belt I'm looking at an additional $1200.00 because of the Miller Cycle engine. I just want to know if this sounds right because it's a little expensive. Thanks in advance for any input. -Patrick

heybrady · March 2005

Did you get a resolution to the high-pitched squeel? Just last week mine started to do the same thing. It only happens for the first minute or so after I start the car and only when I make a left turn and press the gas. Sounds like metal-on-metal rubbing in the rear right side. I am not too worried about it though, but was curious if you had a resolution.

Also, anyone have any experience getting bent rims straightened out? I have 2 bent from a pothole and an most likely going to buy a couple on ebay, but was wondering if anyone had any other ideas.

mnoghost · March 2005

the technican at mazda says its the parking brake heating up and rubbing on something, they even replaced the parking brake, but they still havent gotten it to go away yet, im sure its nothing major, but its very annoying and i guess im being picky about it, but i cant drive around with that noise, they have the car right now for the 7th time, i have a 2002 mazda millenia s for a loaner car, its under warranty so i ahvent paid a dime for any of the work theyve performed on it, so far theyve resurfaced the rotors, new calipers new brake pads, new parking brake and hardware, sanded rotors down, still havent gotten it to go away yet

vafox · March 2005

I just bought a 2002P with 38K miles from Carmax with 36/36 extended warranty. I have three days to rescind my contract on the $1,300 warranty if there's no strong reason to keep it. Has anyone had any covered repairs up to 74K miles? On my last used auto purchase (1994 Isuzu Trooper) the dealer actually recommended I not buy the extended warranty because he'd never seen a Trooper come in with major problems under 150K miles. He was right. I never had a penny's worth of problems under 150K. Can I expect this out of my MMP 02? Thanks for your help!

mazdafreak · March 2005

Please, do yourself a favour get the extended warranty. I own a 2000 S and i'm happy i did.
Bear in mind that it's a pricy car and like all higher end vehicles, nothing is cheap on it!
Browse this forum and you see for yourself.

The Mazda supercharger has an " history" and only that itself is woth more than the warranty.

Melcome to the forum!
Haven't posted in a long time, but i oftently log on to see what's going on.

j30 · March 2005

I also have an 02 P and I have about 3K left on the factory warranty and when I was quoted the 1200 for the extended warranty last month when I looked into it I almost laughed at him. I am not saying that not one thing will break on your car, but do the service and take care of it...
Who knows, you may total the car next month!
If you had an S model, yeah maybe, but the P is just a simple V6 with above average reliability.
Just my two cents.

heybrady · March 2005

Since you have the P model, there is no supercharger to repair. I have a 99P that I bought 2 years ago with 34k that now has 88k. The only problems I have had were the 2 front wheel bearings needed replaced. That totaled 350 bucks. Other than that, no problems at all. I would save the 1300 bucks, invest it, and by the time you get to 74k, you may have earned enough interest to cover the minor repairs. Extended warranties are generally a ripoff once you consider most stuff isnt coveredf (seat heaters, etc) and there is usually a deductible. Some may find the warranty useful (if you have an S) due to complexities of the engine, but the P has a normal 2.5 liter v6. Nothing fancy about it.

bigmutt · March 2005

Hello, I'm new to this forum but have read the last 30 or so posts.
I have been closely monitoring Millenia listings on ebay, cars.com, autotrader, and some dealer auctions: I want to buy a Millenia for a good price.
My problem, however, is that I keep going back-and-forth on the issue of "to S or not to S". Can you owners out their please give me your opinion of buying a 4-6 year old turbocharged car, or not? Price doesn't seem to be a factor when listing "S" models versus "P" models, so it comes down to this: are the extra-cost risks worth the benefits of the 2.3 turbo engine?
What do you think, experienced owners?
Thanks so much for any input. Rick Schmidt.

wwbradley · March 2005

I bought a used Millenia in January 2004. The car had 120,000 kilometers on it (about 72k miles. It's March now so I've owned it 14 months and driven it 35,000 kms. This would be my assessment:

- the best car that I've ever owned by far. A steep depreciation curve makes this a great buy as a used car. A lot of vehicle for the money.

- I've had great luck - the only thing besides oil changes I've done is the rear brakes which were $300 cnd for rotors and pads. Same as any other car. I fixed the broken seat heaters too, but that's kind of a vanity thing. You can find that post a while back.

- this thing seems to turn its check engine light on once in a while. Overly sensitive oxygen sensors trigger this about once a month. I bought a OBDII reader, and I just turn the thing off.

- Fuel mileage is great, about 24 miles per US gallon.

- I would pick the S everytime. Nice and quick, and as long as you don't abuse it, and you get a bit of luck, that supercharger might go 400,000 km.

Last word of advice - don't take it to the dealer. Find a skilled and honest independent mechanic and trust him.

mm2001 · March 2005

wwbradley..

Thanks for the review.

Just got a 2001 Millenia S myself last month. Just like new with only 8000 km on it. Really enjoying it so far.

As for gas mileage, I've been averaging only 19 mpg, mainly city driving in winter conditions (Manitoba) using premium gas (93 octane). Hopefully, the mileage will improve as the weather does.

Just curious why you recommend staying away from dealers. Bad experience or bad reputation?

vafox · March 2005

Thanks to all of you who wrote to help me decide about the warranty. I decided to drop it and risk that I won't have $1300 worth of repairs before 74K. I always keep up with maintenance a little ahead of schedule and my cars last me close to ten years.

vafox · March 2005

Any advice on how to remove the dealer logo from the rear of my MMP without hurting the finish? It's a black flexible decal sticker. I hate carrying around free advertisements for dealers for years. We pay good money for our cars -- I think they should contract to pay us to advertise for them!
Thanks in advance.

j30 · March 2005

If it is the kind that is a not an actually sticker but a little thick, all you have to do it take a hair dryer to it and heat it and peel it off, you will have a mess of goopy sticky residue, just put some wd-40 on a rag and wipe till all residue is off then put about 4 coats of wax on your naked paint.
Unless the dealer is going to pay me to advertise I will not drive around with a dealer logo on my car!!!

The decal stickers are all elbow grease, my new Tribute came with a white lettering decals almost like a paint. All I could do is wax, wax, wax until the darn thing came off, now it is just a Mazda Tribute...

wwbradley · March 2005

MM2001: The dealers have a lot of overhead to pay for, and they hire whatever technicians walk in the door. The really senior guys with any spirit figure out that the dealer is making all the money, and they will never see any of it. They start their own repair shops. Find a guy like that.

My mechanic here in Waterloo, Ontario was the shop manager at the local Toyota dealer. He got tired of the BS and went on his own. He doesn't use a flat rate system, he charges by how long the job takes, usually cheaper. Just compare the shop rates and the experience of the technician. I've got so many stories...

looking7 · March 2005

Hi
Thanks for the welcome. I joined this page, because I know very little about Mazdas. I was thinking about buying a 1999 Millenia. I was wondering what the most common repairs are on a Mazda, and how they compare with Nissans?

heybrady · March 2005

Bigmutt, I have a 99P so I cant really critique the S model, but here are my thoughts after reading every post on this board... The P is a "normal" car as far as parts are concerned. By normal, I mean it is a standard 2.5L v6 engine that is similar to every other engine in the way it runs. This is good in terms of repairs. Now the S on the other hand, presents more problems. First, is the supercharger. Reading past posts, it seems as if people have had problems with the supercharger leaking oil once it gets up there in miles, resulting in expensive repairs. But more importantly is the Miller Cycle engine. Since this is a rare engine, there will be some mechanics who will not feel comfortable working on this type of engine. With that being said, you could always go to the dealership, but dealership=money. Another point is the S engine requires the 60K maint that is usually around 500 bucks. The P model does not require the timing belt until 100k, so that maint is much cheaper.

Since the car is used, and you dont know how good of care was taken by the previous owner, I would stick with the P model. But that is my .02c. Mine has 84k and no problmes other than 2 wheel bearings, minor.

heybrady · March 2005

To update one of my previous posts about the metal-on-metal sound coming from the rear.... Took it to my mechanic and he found the rear brakes to be bad. Once they were replaced, the sound disappeared. Easy enough.

vafox · March 2005

Thanks once again for your helpful advice, j30!

royalcrown · March 2005

Hey everyone new to this forum just wondered if anyone has or knows anything about putting in an aftermarket speakers or subwoofer in a 1998 Mazda Millenia S...as the Bose stereo makes it hard. I find the bass lacking and wanted to put a 12' Alpine Type R sub in the trunk that i have lying around.
Thanks
Jeff

millenia02p · March 2005

hey, guys, having problems with my Millenia '02 P. The codes that came out on the OBD II was 1.P0302 2.P0325 3.P0431 4.P0431 5.P1455. Can anyone help me out these specific code readings

fwatson · March 2005

I found this, maybe it will answer your question.

http://autorepair.about.com/cs/troubleshooting/l/bl_obd_main.htm

Also, Autozone should be able to give you the answer.

But it may just be a glitch in the computer unless you are actually having a problem with the car. Try having Autozone clear the codes and see if they return.

Good luck.

cnuk · March 2005

Don't know about the 2002P, but I just picked up a 2000 Millenia S with 67000km. In Western Canada, the extended warranty I was offered was from CoverageOne. Don't know much about the company but it seems reputable from what little I could find. 2 Yrs/40,000KM everything included warranty was $1973 CDN. 2 Yrs/40,000KM powertrain only was $1590 CDN. I went for the all inclusive warranty because I just bought the car and don't have a history with it. The talk of supercharger (which doesn't apply to you) is enough to scare me into buying it. Like most extended warranty, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

mazdafreak · March 2005

IF U R INDECISIVE AS TO WHETHER GETTING AN "P" OR "S", TEST DRIVE BOTH. THERE'S NO CONTEST, YOU'LL GET AN "S" NO DOUBT.
I DO NOT AGREE IN GOING TO AN INDEPENDANT MECHANIC, MY EXPERIENCES WITH A MAZDA DEALERSHIP ARE ALL POSITIVE.HOWEVER THERE'S ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS
AND YOU WON'T KNOW UNLESS YOU TRY IT.
I HAD MY SHARE OF PROBLEMS WITH MINE (2000 S) WITH
78,000KM 2 SUPERCHARGERS IN 6 MONTHS ( BY ALL MEANS IF ANYONE NEEDS A SUPERCHARGER GET A REBUILD FROM PSE SUPERCHARGERS ) THE OEM IS OVERPRICED AND WILL NOT LAST AS LONG AS PSE'S)
THE KEY TO SUCCESS WITH YOUR SUPERCHARGER IS: CLEAN OIL! CHANGE IT EVERY 3,000MILES AND USE FULL
SYNTHETIC OIL.
THAT'S MY 2 CENTS!

millenia02p · March 2005

I basically gave it a tune up n walla! It's running great. But I do wanna thank you for helping me out.

petro572 · April 2005

I have recently purchased a 98 Millenia S w/ 109000 miles. One of the coolest cars I have owed. However, the engine make a faint rotory or "knocking" which adjusts speeds w/ RPMs. I have a friend who also has a Millenia S that make the same noise. The noise is more pronounced when engine is cold and generally quiets down a bit once the engine warms up. Is this just the normal sound of the Miller-cycle? Is there anyway to muffle the noise?

alexv · April 2005

I have a '95 Millenia, 2.5L V6, 127K miles. Especially when cold I hear a tapping metallic noise coming out of the engine. Asked a mechanic what could cause this noise and he said that it might be the friction gear spring on the camshaft that needs to be replaced. Anyone had the same problem or familiar with this? How serious is this and does it really needs replacement (someone told me that as long as it's not making too much noise it's ok) ? Also, anyone knows the mileage intervals at which the transmission fluid needs to be changed?

Thanks

mazdafreak · April 2005

Owners manual will tell you everything you need to know
about the recommended intervals.

Perhaps you don't have the Owners Manual!
I will look it up tonight and let you know!

But i think its 96,000km or 48,000 miles
not sure though!
:confuse:

silver · April 2005

I have a 2001 Millenia S, this is my second one, I believe you have to be prepared to spend some money on repairs, I love the cars and they absolutely drive great. My Lysholm compressor went out at 33,000 miles under warranty, repairs were 4300.00 which was a real shock. I have checked several dealers and they all have said this is very rare for this to happen but they have heard of a few doing this, it started with a sulfur smell from the exhaust and then eventually a cloud of blue/black smoke when started. Tires are expensive on the S's, oem's were $259.00 apiece as I had one blow out at 3000 miles. I had to have them replaced at 33000 and found replacements for 4 I believe was 600.00. My plan is to keep the car and see what happens, car looks great and I don't think you will find a better car for the price for the luxury of the millenia.

silver · April 2005

I believe there is a service bulletin on this from Mazda, it may not be your exact problem but is refers to a similar noise heard and I believe it has to do with the transmission. There is a site that you can go in to look at the service bulletins that are on a certain car, I can't remember where it was though.

fwatson · April 2005

Looks like AutoZone has taken over AllData. Here is the link.

http://www.alldata.com/

or

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/01_mk.html

For my 2001 MMP.

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/33/01333664.html

The TSB is: 0500101 APR 01 A/T - Whining/Ringing Noise in Interior

mazcarfan1 · April 2005

Does anybody know if the 95-96 Millenia's use a 'LCD' type rear brake light in the rear window? I had driven behind one and I notice that the light looks different more like what's found on cars today. I know the 97-00 used a single bulb light and 01-02 were 'LCD' types to I think.

Thanks In Advance!

- Allen

Mazda Millenia

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