the CAI install should not be a terrible ordeal. many people are simply intimidated by the idea of "ripping their car apart" and end up paying mazda to do it. the install is actually not nearly as bad as they usually think!
the MS CAI itself will always be warrantied whether you installed it yourself or had mazda do it, so save yourself a good 100-200 and do it yourself!
(mswerd) The install is extremely straight-forward and is not a daunting task even for novices. Removing the splash guards and the damn plastic attachments is the toughest part.
Took me about 2 hours (and 3 beers) from start to finish.
Yes I did thanks ZooMIN3. I asked a guy at work and he suggested a mechanic that services all our company cars. He installed it for me for $70.00 Canadian. As far as I can tell he did a great job. Much cheaper than paying Mazda for doing it, and I also have the peace of mind it was done right by a qualified mechanic. Only got it done yesterday so I'm not too sure yet about gas mileage or gains but I'll let ya know when I see a change. Thanks!
I would assume the dealer would charge you at least one hour...if not two.
They like to charge more than what the actual job takes; most mechanics are slow (well, its not their fault really since a 15 min job is listed as 45 mins; whos going to rush?)...
If a mechanic is slow, he is just slow. It has nothing to do with the fact that the job is listed as taking more time than it really does. In fact, a good mechanic making "shop rate" (essentially getting paid by the job) will bang that job out quick and do it right. That way he can get on to the next job and bang it out too. By doing it right the first time, he doesn't have to worry about it coming back on him and wasting time he could be billing to more jobs. Good mechanics make huge money this way. I've got friends who typically put in 45 hour weeks and get paid for 75 hours because they get paid for the number of hours the job is rated and they can do most of them in half that time. Trainees and lousy mechanics get paid by the clock, good mechanics get paid by the job and like it that way.
I almost forgot, I put my MS-CAI in through the wheelwell in about an hour and two bandaids, taking my time. Easy job.
I spoke to a mazdaspeed 3 servive manager and according to him you need to order the ms cai through them and have them install it or there could be a warranty issue.
I spoke to a mazdaspeed 3 servive manager and according to him you need to order the ms cai through them and have them install it or there could be a warranty issue.
That is such a brutal cash grab! I mean you can partially justify them wanting to "properly" install it for warranty purposes, but having to buy it through them? That's crap! If you get a brand-new unopened ms cai from somewhere else there should be absolutely no way it can void your warranty. It might be worth talking to Mazda's head office about this, it seems that too many dealers will scare people into buying stuff from them by mentioning "warranty issues".
I spoke to a mazdaspeed 3 servive manager and according to him you need to order the ms cai through them and have them install it or there could be a warranty issue.
I believe he's wrong. He is probably referring to "Mazdaspeed Blue" items that require the dealer to install. That is not the case with the CAI or the CBE. They are "Green" meaning they are approved for use with the car and can be installed by anyone. This came right from my dealer and from the Mazdaspeed parts catalog...
An untrained, retarded monkey could install a CAI, and the dealer wont know who the hell put it on as long as it's installed properly. It probably comes with step by step instructions. Do it yourself using the instuctions. It will make you feel all good inside.
I believe he's wrong. He is probably referring to "Mazdaspeed Blue" items that require the dealer to install. That is not the case with the CAI or the CBE. They are "Green" meaning they are approved for use with the car and can be installed by anyone. This came right from my dealer and from the Mazdaspeed parts catalog...
Im sure you are right. The guy sounded like an a hole and I am not going to be taking my car there. I just called a random mazdaspeed service department to see what I may be dealing with around here.
