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Mazda3 Maintenance & Repair

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

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#51 of 4533 Air Bag Light by x_typer_pilot Jan 24, 2004 (7:48 pm)
Well...   It seems my air bag light went on tonight and keeps on coming back on...?   Maybe it's the cold...? Maybe something else...?   No aftermarket electronics installed. I'll leave it for the weekend to see if it clears itself up and have the car checked on Monday if it doesn't.   Anybody have any light to shed on this one? Replies to this message: mresox (Apr 29, 2005 6:32 am)
#52 of 4533 sftony by mazda6s Jan 24, 2004 (9:01 pm)
If you can feel the grooves, I would go to a Mazda dealer and have them take a look. I suspect they would say it's "normal", so then I would take it to an independent brake shop (or two) and get their opinion. If they don't think it's normal, then Mazda Customer Support would be my next call.
#53 of 4533 re: Airbag light.. by stokkes Jan 24, 2004 (10:49 pm)
Looks like this might become a recall issue. When my light went on, I brought the car in.   Turns out, they called Mazda Canada, and although they at first thought it was some electrical problems due to my car starter, Mazda Canada told them that they were getting lots of reports of faulty sensors/fuse boxes. When they inserted a screw driver into the fuse box and wiggled it around, it activated all the in-dash lights. THey told me they need to replace the entire fuse box and the primary sensor (whatever that means). Product is on back-order, will probably take 2-4 weeks for mazda to get the parts in. Looks like they're getting lots of these and I wouldn't be surprised if they put in a recall or something.   What the mechanic assumed was that due to the extreme cold, the whole thing froze due to a manufacturer's defect. Who knows what the real problem is.   I'd take it in if I were you, ask them to call mazda canada about it. On my 3, it lit up the airbag light constantly(although it hasn't gone on in a few days), and once, the ABS light.. also, my windshield wiper low-fluid light goes on even though I have about 1/5th fluid, i can still go for a while. Guess everything is related to that problem.   -- stokkes
#54 of 4533 Love that AC - Stevefl by guskim Jan 25, 2004 (6:06 am)
Hey Stevefl,   Gotta love that AC, eh? I would gladly trade-in these Canadian winters for those prolonged moist hot southern-U.S. summers. But if I could change the world's weather patterns, I would not be talking on the Mazda3 board...probably would have bought a Mazda6 instead.. It's good you don't notice a dropoff in summer vs. winter fuel economy, but believe me, air conditioning will definitely increase your car's fuel consumption (compared to not using it).   Your AC compressor runs directly off the engine. When you engage the AC, your engine is "carrying" extra load that doesn't go to propel your car forward. The effect can be fairly noticeable for 4 cylinder cars with a smaller displacement. And so it just doesn't affect fuel economy, it can sometimes actually affect real-world power. This is the reason, during any test drive (esp.for 4-bangers) you should always see what effect the AC has on the vehicle's performance. For some, let's say 3.0 V6, it's not as noticeable. But for my friend's 2000 1.8L Toyota Celica, it can be noticeable...and then there was my dad's old Pontiac6000, where he had to turn OFF the AC, whenever he went up a hill...   I have not noticed any power drop-off on the Mazda3 though. But like any other car, AC will increase gas consumption. Guaranteed. This doesn't mean we shouldn't use it though. It's no fun sitting in a cool-looking car during the summer, if you're not..well..cool.   post-script: Having said that, if you're on the highway, turning on the AC can sometimes be BETTER for fuel economy compared to opening the windows due to the increased air drag. But if you kept the window closed & kept the AC off (and were masochistocally willing to suffer), maximum fuel would be saved..but at the cost of too much discomfort.
#55 of 4533 A/C and 4 Cylinder Engines by pcs15394 Jan 25, 2004 (6:15 am)
There have been times when I have had to turn my A/C off on my four cyl. vehicle in order to get enough juice to merge onto the interstate (Central Florida). I think the A/C definitely has an impact on mileage and Horsepower available to the car and I prefer to drive without it when I can.
#56 of 4533 Fuel Economy and A/C use by nne3jxc Jan 25, 2004 (7:13 am)
For what it's worth: I remember reading an article (wish I could find a link) that said todays cars by and large get better fuel economy with the windows closed and the A/C on, then they do with the A/C off and the windows rolled down. The short of it is: The drag on the engine by the A/C compressor is less than the aerodynamic drag created by open windows.   I have had cars that had a significant lack of power with the A/C on -- I haven't noticed it with the 3 so far. Also, most newer cars (including the 3) will turn off the A/C compressor at WOT. In older cars it was an actual switch under the gas pedal, nowadays it is controlled by the computer.
#57 of 4533 Here is one article on Fuel economy by guskim Jan 25, 2004 (8:04 am)
nne3jxc,   Here's an article by master automotive mechanic Jim Kerr. It has some great tips:   http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/jk/at_000703.htm   Cheers.
#58 of 4533 Acceleration shuts off A/C compressor by stevefl Jan 25, 2004 (10:38 am)
You don't really lose vital power while running the A/C. Whenever you accelerate, even slightly, the clutch on the A/C compressor is released to give full power to the wheels. The compressor is restored to normal operation when acceleration ceases. This is not a new wrinkle for modern cars; I had this system on my '79 Horizon. I presume the Mazda3 has this same manner of A/C operation.
#59 of 4533 Fuel Economy Factors! by guskim Jan 25, 2004 (2:47 pm)
Here is a great fuel economy table that spells out the effects of various factors on fuel economy. It's pretty informative, and is carried out by Petro Canada, one of this country's biggest producers. Ugh. Looks like my "rainy week-wipers" poor fuel economy is more a symptom of the effect of *wet road conditions* on fuel economy.   Check it out! It's in metric, so for our American friends: *30km/hr vs.40km/hr is 19mph vs. 28mph, while *110kph vs.90kph is 68mph vs.56mph   http://www.petro-canada.ca/eng/prodserv/fuels/6826.htm ----------------------------------------   Here are some other good articles:   I like this one: http://www.seattlegasprices.com/tips.asp   And this one from Western Asia is also informative. http://www.peemac.sdnpk.org/resource/fert/deet3.html   Cheers!
#60 of 4533 Nav question by gazelle2 Jan 25, 2004 (3:49 pm)
Bit the bullet and bought a loaded Titanium hatch yesterday. I'd have preferred no nav or xenon, but lack of patience is deadly--didn't want to wait five weeks for the promised trim levels from Hiroshima. I read the manual, but can't find a preference which would prevent the nav screen from popping up every time I start the car. I'd think you'd have the option to choose the nav only when you hit "open" rather than upon start-up. Does anyone know if that's true?

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