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Mazda3 Climate Control Questions

155 messages,  Last post on Sep 24, 2009 at 7:30 AM

You are in the Mazda3 Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Mazda MAZDA3, Mazda MAZDASPEED MAZDA3, Heating / Cooling, Hatchback, Sedan


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#58 of 155
Re: Happy New Owner by jluke [b4wrn] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jul 02, 2006 (7:38 am)
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Replying to: b4wrn (Jul 02, 2006 6:11 am)

You're lucky you have manual control on an old Benz. Stuttgart is a long way from Phoenix, and maybe Hiroshima is, too.
 
#59 of 155
Happy New Owner by ex_tdier
Jul 02, 2006 (10:29 am)
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Every manufacturer seems to be different. About 4 years ago when I was test driving vehicles, I drove the BMW 3 series. It was their base model but it had A/C. The A/C was just awful and gutless. That was the first thing I noticed about it. On the otherhand, the A/C was very good in my 2002 4 cylender Jetta diesel. It also uses the same refridgerant as the Mazda. There seems to be no complaints whatsoever with the Mazda3'models with auto climate control. This won't be made available in Canada until 2007; however, the Mazda5's here do have auto climate control.
#60 of 155
Hot day.. by dc_driver
Jul 04, 2006 (7:03 pm)
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Happy 4th!
 
Today, the temps were well into the 90's near the Nation's Capital (heat index was 105 degrees F!)..
 
I figured this was as good a time as any to really put my A/C to the test. The car had been parked under a tree but was still very hot before I started it. In fact, it was so hot that I could barely put my hands on the steering wheel.
 
I started the car and lowered all four windows halfway. I switched the A/C to "recirculate" (per the owners manual), had the air set to "3", all the way cold and started to drive. After about 2 minutes I raised the windows and left it on recirculate and level 3 for about 3 more minutes. After five minutes I was able to set the fan level to "2" and changed from "recirculate" to "outside air" and was quite comfortable. The air does not get as cold as my Honda Odyssey, but my 06 3i Touring (manual air) is plenty comfortable in the hottest temperatures.
 
I have read about the 3's weak A/C issues on other boards and do not believe it is fabricated. It just seems to affect random people. Some folks have issues and some folks don't. I really hope Mazda finds a solution for the folks who are having problems.
 
I plan on tinting my windows very soon and will post about it. It should help my dark interior stay a little cooler when the car is sitting in direct sunlight.
 
Take care!
#61 of 155
Re: A/C issue with 06 [ex_tdier] by fugufish
Jul 11, 2006 (4:11 am)
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Replying to: ex_tdier (Jun 24, 2006 11:45 am)

That's because the auto climate control sets the system to recirculate by default until the set temperature equals the ambient (outside) temperature. You can manually override it without taking the system out of "auto" but I'll bet most people never notice.
 
On a hot day, the system will constantly recirculate. Sounds like a kludgy way to compensate for a weak A/C system.
#62 of 155
Re: A/C issue with 06 [fugufish] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jul 11, 2006 (8:30 am)
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Replying to: fugufish (Jul 11, 2006 4:11 am)

I always thought that switching to recirc was what you were supposed to do after the car got cool? Am I wrong about that?
#63 of 155
Re: A/C issue with 06 [Mr_Shiftright] by dc_driver
Jul 11, 2006 (10:38 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2006 8:30 am)

Yes. You use recir to quickly cool or if you are in dusty/foul air. You should switch to outside or fresh air once the car is cool. I checked and my 06 Honda gives the same guidance.
#64 of 155
Re: A/C issue with 06 [Mr_Shiftright] by nifty56
Jul 11, 2006 (11:02 am)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2006 8:30 am)

Mr Shiftright you are correct sir, don't listen to dc_driver as he is just trying to confuse us. No where in the Mazda manual does it say to switch to outside air mode after the car has cooled down when using the A/C. Who cares what Honda suggests, besides it sounds like they are wrong.
#65 of 155
Re: A/C issue with 06 [nifty56] by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Jul 11, 2006 (11:27 am)
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Replying to: nifty56 (Jul 11, 2006 11:02 am)

whoa, nifty, thanks for the heads up, but let's be nice.
 
I think we could compromise here...would it make sense to advise people to use recirc to cool the car down quickly and then say occasionally switch to outside air setting for a few minutes to refresh the air in the cabin?
#66 of 155
Re: A/C issue with 06 [Mr_Shiftright] by dc_driver
Jul 11, 2006 (12:32 pm)
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Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Jul 11, 2006 11:27 am)

Sure.
 
Look, people can run their A/C in recir all day long if they wish, it should not hurt their vehicle. Nifty is right in the fact that the Mazda manual suggests using recirc to cool the car down as quick as possible. But they also state on page 8-2 of the manual to use outside air for normal driving conditions. If you ask me, the Mazda manual is a little lacking in detail, so I reference the Honda manual because, well, it is a little better written
 
For folks that live in a hot climate (especially if they have a dark interior like mine) here is a climate control tip posted on the Honda Owners website. I have found this to work well for my Mazda3 and am passing this information along to anyone who might find it useful:
 
(Q) How can I cool my vehicle down quickly after it's been sitting in the sun?
 
(A) Start the engine and push the A/C Button to turn on the A/C. Make sure the temperature control lever is all the way to the left. Set the fan to maximum speed. Open the windows partially and select Recirculation Mode. Once the cool air has replaced the warm air, close the windows, switch to Fresh Air Mode and turn the fan to the desired setting.
 
** Note "Fresh Air Mode" is "Outside Air" in the 3..
 
Enjoy..

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