I dunno if this is a common problem but it's happened twice already. My 3 has a rain/light sensor in the windshield. A few years ago my windshield developed what looked like a glue leak coming from the sensor. The windshield and sensor were replaced under warranty. Now, I have the same thing happening but it's just starting out as a bubble. I have no idea why it's happening since I havent seen any other 3 with this problem.
Common problems with the Mazda3
- Thread starter blondee_yvr
- Start date
mollymazda
Member
clock malfunctions and other issues
I have black mica 2008 mazda 3 gt 5 door with navi and remote start. If I try to unlock my doors during the start up procedure my clock show all pound signs and I have to restart the car to correct. I haven't dealt with the dealership about it yet because i felt it was because i was being impatient. the onlt other problems i have had my passenger seat buckle was shorting out making a noise and my power steering pump went out at 20,000 miles. apperantly they had an issue will makeing the power steering lines and they started to rust prematurely and when the rust flake frees it chew up rthe impeller. also the pump was on a global back order and it happened in the middle of my pcs transfer to florida. it broke down in oklahoma and was told by mazda that they could not release the car to me due to liability issues. i had to report to my duty station in five days so i had to leave the car behind and was told to get a rental in florida. half way through arkansas mazda south west region called me to say that i can only pick up a rental where the car is and i am sol and that the wait was roughly 3 months for the pump. by now i was furious since this is my only car, so i called mazda customer service and oppened up a case with them. i had informed them that i was going to contact base legal and talk to a jag lawyer to review my legal options. so mazda called me back in 2 hours and told me that my case had made it to mazda usa's CEo's desk and he promise that my car would be fixed in three days since i was in a special situation. non the less i still had to pay to have some one bring my car to me from half across the us, but atleast i did not have to wait three months. i pretty much jump 5 cars on the list for parts at that dealer ship. other than that the car is great. if the dealerships give you problems call mazda customer service and they will take care of you. they can pull more strings than the repair manager. there number is in owners manual.
I have black mica 2008 mazda 3 gt 5 door with navi and remote start. If I try to unlock my doors during the start up procedure my clock show all pound signs and I have to restart the car to correct. I haven't dealt with the dealership about it yet because i felt it was because i was being impatient. the onlt other problems i have had my passenger seat buckle was shorting out making a noise and my power steering pump went out at 20,000 miles. apperantly they had an issue will makeing the power steering lines and they started to rust prematurely and when the rust flake frees it chew up rthe impeller. also the pump was on a global back order and it happened in the middle of my pcs transfer to florida. it broke down in oklahoma and was told by mazda that they could not release the car to me due to liability issues. i had to report to my duty station in five days so i had to leave the car behind and was told to get a rental in florida. half way through arkansas mazda south west region called me to say that i can only pick up a rental where the car is and i am sol and that the wait was roughly 3 months for the pump. by now i was furious since this is my only car, so i called mazda customer service and oppened up a case with them. i had informed them that i was going to contact base legal and talk to a jag lawyer to review my legal options. so mazda called me back in 2 hours and told me that my case had made it to mazda usa's CEo's desk and he promise that my car would be fixed in three days since i was in a special situation. non the less i still had to pay to have some one bring my car to me from half across the us, but atleast i did not have to wait three months. i pretty much jump 5 cars on the list for parts at that dealer ship. other than that the car is great. if the dealerships give you problems call mazda customer service and they will take care of you. they can pull more strings than the repair manager. there number is in owners manual.
So, basically you're saying that, when taking a curve on the freeway at speed (assuming >speed-limit) and you hit a pavement seam with both left and right tires simultaneously (meaning they both lose contact with the road surface for an instant) the lighter rear end of the car seems to slip out a bit? It seems to me that this is what would happen to any car in a similar situation. Additionally, it sounds like a pretty big pavement seam if it's having that much impact on the handling through the turn. Again, on the assumption that you're exceeding the posted speed limit for the turn (and why wouldn't you, right? (glare) I mean, that's where the fun is!), it might be worth exploring what happens if taken at the posted speed limit.
There's a curve in the highway near me that I looove pushing through without slowing down (50MPH curve taken at 65-70MPH) just because I can, and there's a seam a bit more than half-way through it. When I hit it, the back end definitely reacts more than the front does, but it doesn't shudder the way you describe -- it slips and then digs right back in, which can be jarring if it's not expected. When I take the same curve at the posted 50MPH, the seam has basically no effect.
So, maybe there is something wrong with your rear shocks... (dunno)
If the wheels appear to have a 5-spoke "snowflake" pattern (each spoke splitting into a 'Y' toward the outside), then they're factory (see my sig pic). And yes, the Sport GT comes with 17's, but the factory tire size for them is 205/50R17. I'm betting the current tires are something like 225/45R17, which will fit with minimal trouble, but will also necessarily change the handling aspects, although I would think it would make them more grippy, not less. (uhm)
And, yeah, 40PSI is way too high to run the tires -- harsh ride and poor handling, especially over bumps in a turn. Had a silver 04' M3H that had an overinflated mismatched set of tires when we bought it used two years ago. Rode like crap until I set them at 32PSI and the center of the tread was almost worn to the bars with plenty of tread left on the outsides. I'm surprised that you didn't notice any difference at all after lowering the tire pressure. (uhm)
In my experience, front wheel hop seems to have more to do with the tire, the road conditions and the weather than anything to do with the suspension, at least with this car. The factory BadYear RS-As never gave me a lick of wheel hop if I stomped on it, but that was largely due to them sucking and preferring to spin instead, instantly engaging the TCS. The new tires I have (Dunlop SP Sport Signatures) have given me some hop, but only on damp pavement with no standing water with an ambient temperature ~50F.
I hope at least some of this helps.
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Miller Time
Member
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- 2000 Millenia S, Twilight Mica Blue
Thanks sunrun for the lengthy discussion and ideas.
Heh, heh - not saying I'm averse to a little extra hot sauce on the odd ramp, but, alas, no - this condition will present itself at speeds as low as 60 km/h on very average sized expansion joints, potholes, broken pavement, etc...
Today during my 48K service Mazda diagnosed bad struts. How they went bad at this low mileage is anyone's guess. They will be replaced under warranty. When I get the car back tomorrow I'll fling it about a bit to see if that indeed is the problem.
Right on both counts, sir. My wheels are exactly like yours and the tires are indeed 225 45 17s.
My fear was that the dealer would notice these right off and blame the non-standard rubber as I've noticed when diagnosing problems they usually look for the quickest answer requiring the least effort - especially where warranty issues come into play. This time they either didn't notice or didn't care.
As I say, much appreciate the time you took to respond. I'll report back after the shakedown (or not!) cruise tomorrow after work.
Heh, heh - not saying I'm averse to a little extra hot sauce on the odd ramp, but, alas, no - this condition will present itself at speeds as low as 60 km/h on very average sized expansion joints, potholes, broken pavement, etc...
Today during my 48K service Mazda diagnosed bad struts. How they went bad at this low mileage is anyone's guess. They will be replaced under warranty. When I get the car back tomorrow I'll fling it about a bit to see if that indeed is the problem.
Right on both counts, sir. My wheels are exactly like yours and the tires are indeed 225 45 17s.
My fear was that the dealer would notice these right off and blame the non-standard rubber as I've noticed when diagnosing problems they usually look for the quickest answer requiring the least effort - especially where warranty issues come into play. This time they either didn't notice or didn't care.
I hope at least some of this helps.
As I say, much appreciate the time you took to respond. I'll report back after the shakedown (or not!) cruise tomorrow after work.
Hi new to the forum, looking at buying a 1.6 Mazda 3 Diesel. Every interesting reading.
Thought you guys might be interested in this problem concerning Mazda 3's in England
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=76964
Thought you guys might be interested in this problem concerning Mazda 3's in England
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=76964
BlackDethBob
Member
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- 07Mazda3
2007 mazda 3 sedan....2.0L.....drivin it 40,000 miles and drivin it hard for about 15,000 miles....no problems with cops and no problems with mechanical other than the wires to my (aftermarket) intake for the mass airflow sensor snapped in cold weather....simple fix though
2004 Mazda 3 Headlight Frustration
This is the 6th time a low beam headlight has gone out since we purchased our 2004 Mazda 3. It has alternated between the passenger and driver side each time. Searching for answers because Mazda won't give me one. We have paid more than $500 getting headlights fixed and I am sick of it.
This is the 6th time a low beam headlight has gone out since we purchased our 2004 Mazda 3. It has alternated between the passenger and driver side each time. Searching for answers because Mazda won't give me one. We have paid more than $500 getting headlights fixed and I am sick of it.
goldwing2000
Turd in the punch bowl
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- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 269,000 miles
I'm having the same problem. If you changed them yourself, you would have saved yourself more than $440. It's quite simple to do. The passenger side requires no tools at all and the driver's side needs only a phillips screwdriver to remove the battery vent duct.
I am married to someone who knows nothing about cars. Can't blame him, I don't either. But, that is one reason why it cost us so much. He attempted to change out the very first one, and he broke a part. He rigged it for a while, but finally had to get the entire light/casing and all replaced at the dealership. Can you pass on instructions or lead me to something on the web? If we could learn how to change it ourselves, that might help me cope with this problem.
goldwing2000
Turd in the punch bowl
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- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 269,000 miles
Oooo... you broke the retaining clip, didn't you? Yeah, you can't buy those separately. Found that out the hard way, myself.
Do a google search for Mazda3 change headlight bulb. It pulls up a LOT of pages. Ignore any time they instruct you to disconnect the battery. That's pointless.
I'd give you links but I'm on a slow connection and can't easily browse through the articles to see what's worthwhile. Try to find one with pictures. The hook that holds the clip isn't visible but once you see how it works, you'll facepalm and wonder why you didn't see how easy it was before. Do some reading and PM me with any questions you have. The passenger side is easier to see, so you can use it as a reference if you need too. A small mirror might help. I can change out a headlight in less than 10 mins, now.
DO NOT read this article: http://www.ehow.com/how_5218903_change-headlight-mazda.html
I don't know what car he's working on but it's not a North American Mazda3.
Here's a good write-up on our "competitor" forum. These dumbasses around here think that forum's name is a bad word, so you'll have to manually copy and paste the link and take out the three asterisks. (braindead http://www.*mazda3*forums*.com/index.php?topic=4139.0
Learning the hard way always sticks with you. Thanks for all the advice. We will see what we can do. I also thought of someone who knows a lot about cars. He is almost always working on one. I could probably ask him to look over our shoulders. Thanks, I feel a little better.
goldwing2000
Turd in the punch bowl
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 269,000 miles
Happy to help.
Where do you live? You might be able to find another member on here who is close enough to lend a hand. Try the regional forums. http://www.msprotege.com/vbb300/forumdisplay.php?f=52
Starter Problems
Sometimes (NOT ALWAYS) my 2004 Mazda3 1.6 Saloon wont start, the starter just whirs as if its broken, I can bump start her no problems and then everything seems fine. This has happened twice now, both times in the afternoon (probably not relevant though). However the next day the car has no problems at all, I have replaced the relay switch for the starter motor in the fuse box under the bonnet but it has done the same since.
Sometimes (NOT ALWAYS) my 2004 Mazda3 1.6 Saloon wont start, the starter just whirs as if its broken, I can bump start her no problems and then everything seems fine. This has happened twice now, both times in the afternoon (probably not relevant though). However the next day the car has no problems at all, I have replaced the relay switch for the starter motor in the fuse box under the bonnet but it has done the same since.
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mars local
Member
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- 2008 Mazda3 S Sport 2.3L A/T
$#@@%$ Power Steering.... went out again today..... sigh, stealership appointment on Tues if the parts arrive in time..... =(
goodluck. My PS pump has gone out atleast once a month now. All dealerships say they cannot find anything. I f'n hate my car now. The list of TSBs is endless, and the dealer fails to acknowledge any of them.
FOr number 3, I have the same exact problem and it started at around 40K, too. Took it to the dealer 2 times...they found nothing. Cost me $180. It actually gets worse, though. I am at 65K now....yes over the warranty. Now, sometimes it really sputters, shakes, then stalls during during start up.
same issue here. Dealer says they cannot find anything wrong.
No real issues, just imagined? LOL.2.5 years, 50k and no real issues
