2004 Mazda3 with 105,000 miles, lets talk about it!!

[JetA1863]

Hey everybody!

I'm new, so it goes without saying, this is my first post!

As the title of the post says, I own a 2004 Mazda3 5-door with just around 105,000 miles. I've had it a little over 2 1/2 years and thus far, I'm very pleased with the performance, comfort, and over all fun of the car!

While the car as a whole is performing admirably, there are a few things that concern me, and I have a few questions about some other things.

Known issues:
1) Vibration:
-When I am stopped at a stoplight and the vehicle is in Drive there is a vibration that occurs within the 500-1200 RPM range. The vibration varies from gentle to a quite discomforting level. The vibration goes away when I shift into Neutral. The vibration tends to be worse when the Air Conditioner is on, however sometimes it has no factor on the vibration. I have been to a few shops and have heard that it is anything from an engine mount to an imminent transmission failure.
-Has anybody had any experience with this?

2) Engine clattering
-Whenever the engine is running, there is a clattering/clicking coming from the engine. At first I believed it was a misfiring cylinder so I replaced the spark plugs and tested the leads. This still didn't solve the problem. Any ideas?

Other issues:
1) Drivers door lock and door shut sensor inoperative
-The wind caught my door and slammed it hard. The result is that the "Door Ajar" annunciator is constantly illuminated on the panel, the power locks no longer operate the lock on this door, nor does the FOB. For a bit, the annunciator would go on and off making me think that the connection had come loose. Any ideas how the connection is done inside the door panel? I'm hoping I can just get in there and reconnect it, but have no idea how to go about it.

2) Cold air intake issues
-The cold air intake has tripped the Mass Air Flow sensor which I don't believe is really a big deal (please correct me if I'm wrong). I have an AEM intake which is down in the area where the stock air box was. It being in this position presents a problem with water ingestion to the point where I can't drive the car in any amount of rain. Recently, an automatic car wash got a bunch of water in there choking it out. Does anyone know of a way to save my engine from hydrolock?!

Thanks in advance!

-B

 

[xboxlivemonkey]

1) is it stick ? im not good with trannys but im sure its not the tranny unless you abuse the s*** out of it , also you would have mentiond shifting problems , any way bad motor mounts can and will cuase random vibrations
2) engine chattering ? like a harsh grainy noise? need some more info
3)sounds liek some thing was dissconnected but that would mean bad engineering
4)check the filter , and since i never really worked under a m3 cant really help you out but i found this for you



Treatment

Regardless of the cause, treatment is the same. Removal of the spark plugs will allow access to the combustion chamber. By inserting an irrigation syringe fitted with a flexible plastic tube on the end, you can suck out the liquid that infiltrated the combustion chamber. Once all the fluid is removed, the chamber should be sprayed with a liberal coating of a water displacing lubricant such as WD-40, and allowed to sit until the remaining water has evaporated. Once the water or coolant has been removed, inspect the combustion chamber for rust. The best option would be to remove the head, but a borescope or small flashlight and mirror will also work. Light surface rust will be normal, but if you see any heavy corrosion, it should be gently removed, and vacuumed out of the chamber. After inspection, pour a tablespoon of assembly lube (such as Marvel Mystery Oil) or clean engine oil into each combustion chamber. Attach a socket to the crankshaft, and slowly rotate the engine through a few revolutions. (Make sure that you turn the engine in the proper direction, see a service manual for proper rotation direction.) If you hear any clanking, or harsh scraping, you should bring the engine to a competent mechanic. After verifying that the remaining systems are free of water (electrical, fuel delivery, air intake, distributor, etc.), re-install the spark plugs and wires, and attempt to start the engine.

good luck

Hey everybody!

I'm new, so it goes without saying, this is my first post!

As the title of the post says, I own a 2004 Mazda3 5-door with just around 105,000 miles. I've had it a little over 2 1/2 years and thus far, I'm very pleased with the performance, comfort, and over all fun of the car!

While the car as a whole is performing admirably, there are a few things that concern me, and I have a few questions about some other things.

Known issues:
1) Vibration:
-When I am stopped at a stoplight and the vehicle is in Drive there is a vibration that occurs within the 500-1200 RPM range. The vibration varies from gentle to a quite discomforting level. The vibration goes away when I shift into Neutral. The vibration tends to be worse when the Air Conditioner is on, however sometimes it has no factor on the vibration. I have been to a few shops and have heard that it is anything from an engine mount to an imminent transmission failure.
-Has anybody had any experience with this?

2) Engine clattering
-Whenever the engine is running, there is a clattering/clicking coming from the engine. At first I believed it was a misfiring cylinder so I replaced the spark plugs and tested the leads. This still didn't solve the problem. Any ideas?

Other issues:
1) Drivers door lock and door shut sensor inoperative
-The wind caught my door and slammed it hard. The result is that the "Door Ajar" annunciator is constantly illuminated on the panel, the power locks no longer operate the lock on this door, nor does the FOB. For a bit, the annunciator would go on and off making me think that the connection had come loose. Any ideas how the connection is done inside the door panel? I'm hoping I can just get in there and reconnect it, but have no idea how to go about it.

2) Cold air intake issues
-The cold air intake has tripped the Mass Air Flow sensor which I don't believe is really a big deal (please correct me if I'm wrong). I have an AEM intake which is down in the area where the stock air box was. It being in this position presents a problem with water ingestion to the point where I can't drive the car in any amount of rain. Recently, an automatic car wash got a bunch of water in there choking it out. Does anyone know of a way to save my engine from hydrolock?!

Thanks in advance!

-B

 

[tsunami]

i would think your first 2 problems could be from a broken motor mount??

as far as hydrolock if you drove it home its probably fine but it can't hurt doing what xboxlivemonkey suggested thats for sure.

as far as the door agar its probably the clip that tells the system its open its just jammed up. i will take a look at my door next time i get in my car and see if i can't figure out where it is.