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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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#4457 of 4532 Re: Lost power and acted like it wanted to die [KansasGirl30] by sonnyrocker Mar 22, 2009 (3:54 pm)
Replying to: KansasGirl30 (Jan 23, 2009 11:21 am) You might have a transmission problem there.
#4458 of 4532 What's Semi Synthetic OIL by joem5 Mar 24, 2009 (9:21 am)
Well, I'll be driving back from Vail Co to Maine and Colorado winters are easier on you than back east.                     In Maine at camp it gets 20 to 30 below so that the inside hinges on you're camp door frost up.In CO the the Rockies block out alot of bad weather and you have ten straight days of sun and the trees give off heat.                    The only thing I know is the Mazda dealer told me to always use semi syn oil 5w 20. The air is thin here and I feel that my Mazda 3 I touring is lagging due to thin air, and the Dunlop tires I put on for the snow.Now, I use 5W 30 in the snow blower.       Maybe ,I should be driving a car such as Roadburner has. A natural aspirated car struggles here. The base lodge is 8000 feet above sea level. Alot of people have GTI's, WRX's and Subie Turbo's  and a million 4x4 pick up trucks .I haven't seen A Mazda Speed here. Replies to this message: shipo (Mar 24, 2009 11:57 am)
#4459 of 4532 Re: What's Semi Synthetic OIL [joem5] by shipo Mar 24, 2009 (11:57 am)
Replying to: joem5 (Mar 24, 2009 9:21 am) Semi-Synthetic oil is simply oil that has a mixture of conventional Group II oil and synthetic (sort of) Group III oil. The Ford/Motorcraft 5W-20 is a good example of this kind of oil. Personally, I prefer fully synthetic oils as well as oils that flow better in the winter when cold, and yet are a bit thicker when hot, hence the fact that I use 0W-30 in my Mazda3 i Touring.   Best regards, Shipo
#4460 of 4532 Oil filter cartridge by blueiedgod Mar 27, 2009 (8:41 am)
Has anyone found an adaptor to convert 2008 (I am sure other years as well) to take spin on kinf of filter instead of the cartridge? Replies to this message: nifty56 (May 01, 2009 5:06 pm)
#4461 of 4532 Gear selector/ neutral safety switch? by moozmooz Mar 28, 2009 (9:55 am)
Mazda3 auto won't start in park because it doesn't know it is in park ie P light not on. Of course it is in park. I have to put it in neutral to start it. Can sometimes start in park if I wiggle the stick around enough to find the park "sweet spot". Is there an adjustment for this. I took apart the console and couldn't see anything obvious. Anybodt else with this type of problem. 2004 mazda3 auto Replies to this message: halser (May 15, 2009 7:09 am) igozoomzoom (May 15, 2009 7:32 am) halser (May 15, 2009 8:09 am) and 3 more...
#4462 of 4532 Help.... by crowheart Mar 30, 2009 (8:55 pm)
My wife and I were test driving a 2009 Mazda 3s Touring tonight. This is how my experience went. The salesperson wanted us to do a test drive. The lot were they kept their inventory was about 2 miles from the dealership, the lot was secured. When we got there the salesperson brought with her a little battery jumper. When she got to the car we were supposed to drive she had to jump it, She said the cars sit to long and need to be jumped many times. Then we had to drive to a gas station with the car on empty so she could put in 10 bucks worth of gas. My wife who was driving the car was driving with the autostick in M instead of D (the selectors are so close together) I thought she had it in drive as well.The trans/engine was whinny all the way back to the dealership by the time we got there we could smell burning. The salesperson told us the burning smell was normal that it was from an oil coating on the engine from the manufacturer. I didn't believe this for a minute.   I like the car and after my wifes debacle I drove the car in the proper gear and it drove nicely. The salesperson wanted us to take the car home for the night. We agreed but when we got back out to the lot the battery was low and the car would not start. She was going to jump it again. We left, but agreed to come back tomorrow.   What a bad first experience with Mazda! Did my wife screw up the trans? If we actually bought the car would the trans later act up. What about the battery situation has anyone heard or experienced anything like that at a dealership?   Am I crazy for still wanting to buy this car? Any and all advice would be appreciated...Thanks Replies to this message: blueiedgod (Mar 31, 2009 5:34 am) backy (Mar 31, 2009 9:05 am) igozoomzoom (Mar 31, 2009 5:41 pm)
#4463 of 4532 Re: Help.... [crowheart] by blueiedgod Mar 31, 2009 (5:34 am)
Replying to: crowheart (Mar 30, 2009 8:55 pm) It is not uncommon for lead acid batteries to discharge over time.   Look on the door jamb for the manufacture date. It will tell you approximately how long the car has been sitting.   If the battery is completly discharged, it will take a few long highway drives to charge it up completly, or the dealer should put it on a charger to fully charge.   A typical lead acid car battery that has been discharged beyond the safety threshold will not charge ever again, since the PbSO4 pellets fall out of the Pb mesh. It will need to be replaced. Luckily, it will be covered by the warranty and will probably be done before delivery.   As to trans, didn't the high revs alert anyone in the car that it was in the wrong gear?
#4464 of 4532 Find a new dealer by halser Mar 31, 2009 (7:50 am)
I have a 2006 Mazda 3s, with the 2.3 and a 5 spd. Its a great car! I think the whole thing sounds fishy, You are looking for a new car. You would expect problems with used ones. When I was looking there were a lot of dealers here in NJ. I would look for a new dealer with a quality car!
#4465 of 4532 Re: Help.... [crowheart] by backy Mar 31, 2009 (9:05 am)
Replying to: crowheart (Mar 30, 2009 8:55 pm) The part about the "oil coating" is probably true. Cars shipped from overseas typically have a protective coating to fight corrosion during the sea voyage. It does take awhile to wear off, and it can be smelled during that time, especially if any has been sprayed on the exhaust system. It usually wears off in a week or two of daily driving.
#4466 of 4532 Re: Help.... [crowheart] by igozoomzoom Mar 31, 2009 (5:41 pm)
Replying to: crowheart (Mar 30, 2009 8:55 pm) The hot/oily smell is probably legit. I've test driven new cars and noticed a smell similar to how it smells after you have an oil change and the mechanic spills some oil on the outer parts of the engine and it has to burn off. Driving a brand new car at a constant, higher rpm (in Manual mode) could exacerbate the smell.   So, while the situation was less than ideal, the car was probably not faulty....That said, you should NEVER buy a car if you don't feel confident and secure in the purchase! Go drive another Mazda3 at a different dealership. Actually, you could drive the 2009 and 2010 models back-to-back. Hopefully, you'll have a much better experience.   The only potential harm done to your test vehicle is driving the car at a constant speed/rpm for a prolonged period of time. During the first 250-500 miles (the "break-in" period), you should not drive at a constant speed and/or rpm for any extended period of time. I had a 200 mile trip back home when I purchased my '06 Mazda3 back in 12/05. It was all highway and I alternated driving speeed limit, 10mph above and 20mph above speed limit in 10 minute increments....probably overkill.   For your peace of mind, DON'T buy the specific car that you test drove. Tell them you want a different one or go to a different dealer.

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