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Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

4532 messages,  Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 2:06 PM

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What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA3, Hatchback, Sedan

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#31 of 4532 grooved rotors by mazda6s Jan 23, 2004 (10:41 am)
Brake rotors with grooves after only a few hundred miles on a new car is very abnormal. I would take it to the dealer and ask for new rotors and pads. If they refuse, I would contact Mazda Customer Support.
#32 of 4532 Thanks for the pis. by mazdafun Jan 23, 2004 (10:59 am)
Looks to me like the rotor material is a bit too soft. What I've read indicates mfrs choose softer rotor material to 1) reduce cost as softer steel is cheaper than harder steel and 2) reduce the amount of noise (mostly squealing) from disc brakes. Used to be rotors would last practically the life of the car. Now many mfrs recommend changing the rotors with every other (or even with each) set of pads since they've been using softer steel.   Looks like those rotors are too soft for the pads (composite materials, like semi-metallics, have harder bits surrounded by a softer binder). It could explain the premature pitting and grooving.
#33 of 4532 jc106 by mazda3hatch Jan 23, 2004 (11:15 am)
The cold weather could have contibuted to the low tire pressure. Which might also explain why the light went off after they warmed up. Keep in mind that a visual inspection is never sufficent to judge tire pressure. If it was, you wouldn't need a TPMS
#34 of 4532 Help with brakes by sftony Jan 23, 2004 (11:48 am)
I've been driving my Mazda3 for over a month now, nearing 3000 miles. I'm a bit concerned about the brake issue, but I'm not sure what to look for when I look closely at the rotors. Can someone tell me what I should and should not be seeing?   Early on, I noticed the the rear brakes would squeal when was executing a slow turn, particularly when in reverse. I assumed it was just the new brakes settling in. They still do it occasionally, and this might explain why.
#35 of 4532 sftony by mazda6s Jan 23, 2004 (11:55 am)
At 3000 miles you should see some wear on the rotors, but no significant grooves.
#36 of 4532 Brake rotors by silver_bullet Jan 23, 2004 (12:42 pm)
Brake rotors on most production cars are machined cast iron, not steel. They do come in quite a range of hardness grades, and finish quality. Some aftermarket replacement rotors are quite good, others are junk. The same is true of OEM rotors. The Brembo replacement rotors I installed on my vehicle still look like new after 5K miles - just faint wear lines that can't be felt with a fingernail. I think Mazda and other manufacturers look for all kinds of ways to squeeze pennies out of their production costs, and perhaps cheap rotors is one way they keep costs down. FWIW, my old Focus went through its original rotors in less than 7K miles - they were noticeably warped. Lots of folks on the WRX forum have gripes about OEM Subaru brake rotors too... it isn't unique to Mazda.
#37 of 4532 TPMS by jc106 Jan 23, 2004 (1:01 pm)
I spoke to the service rep who says that they have seen the warning light activate with the combination of moisture and cold (both of which we saw last night). He said this is based mostly on their RX-8 experience which has a similiar/same system. We'll see....
#38 of 4532 vented discs by z71bill Jan 23, 2004 (5:34 pm)
All of my GM vehicles have vented disc brakes - both front and rear - 99 Silverado, 01 Tahoe and even my 81 T/A. Even if the rear is not vented I still think they are better than drums.
#39 of 4532 Fuel Economy by nne3jxc Jan 23, 2004 (7:54 pm)
Anyone else getting crappy gas mileage?   I've got a 4-door "S" with an Automatic. I've had it about a month and have put roughly 800 miles on it. I know that the initial break-in period may not deliver optimal gas mileage, but I seem to be only getting about 240-280 miles per tank. (approx 12 gallons at fill up.) That works out to 20-23 mpg. Most of my driving is on secondary roads with occasional highway, but very little city stop-and-go. I drive it sportingly, but I haven't been thrashing it because it's still under 1000 miles.   I'm very dissapointed since my last car was a 4500lb full size land yacht with a V8 and it got 18mpg with the same commute.
#40 of 4532 Fuel Economy by guskim Jan 24, 2004 (7:46 am)
I was getting 29mpg one month ago. Temperatures were warmer then 50F (10C)...but then they dropped to -4F (-20C), and fuel economy went to 21mpg..then when snow fell, it went to 19mpg.   So some questions are: 1) How cold has it been where you live, and what are the road conditions like (i.e. muddy, snowy)?   Temperature is very crucial to fuel economy. So is snow/mud because it increases rolling resistance.   2) Are you using your wipers, defrost, windshield fluid a lot;   These all endup making your engine work harder (esp.defrost) and thus, use up gas.   3) What is driving "sportingly"...hammer it to 55mph, but then don't exceed that...or continuous 65mph the whole way? Just trying to get an idea about your rpms.   A difference of 800 rpm can mean 33% increase in gas consumption, depending on the car.   Also, bottom line is I don't you think are going to get optimum fuel economy until at least 8000 miles or so. That's the case for most new 4 bangers. I would wait until the spring before getting worried. If your fuel economy hasn't improved significantly by then, then have the dealer check it out at the first oil change. Replies to this message: davo07 (Feb 06, 2007 1:02 pm)

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