5-speed manual owners, check your mats...

[rodslinger]

Anyone else out there with a 5-speed manual have a problem with the mat getting caught by the clutch pedal when shifting?

My front mats have been changed twice already and is doing it again after about four months. What I've noticed is the retaining ring on the mat itself begins to tear away from the backing. This appears to allow the mat to move forward a few millimeters and just enough for the clutch pedal to catch the edge of the mat when shifting. The mat lifts up on top of the clutch pedal and sometimes flips over the brake pedal also.

It's really driving me nuts and am worried about the mat getting in the way one day when I really don't need it to (thinking about safety here).

 

[Wagonbacker9]

its only really a problem when releasing... the real emergency situation would be when you need to depress the clutch. my last car did this, but there was no retainer to keep the mat from moving forward.. haven't had a problem with this car yet (I'm assuming your mats are of equal quality to mine).. you're probably just doing something by force of habit which is causing stress on it...

 

[wmzda5]

Anyone else out there with a 5-speed manual have a problem with the mat getting caught by the clutch pedal when shifting?

My front mats have been changed twice already and is doing it again after about four months. What I've noticed is the retaining ring on the mat itself begins to tear away from the backing. This appears to allow the mat to move forward a few millimeters and just enough for the clutch pedal to catch the edge of the mat when shifting. The mat lifts up on top of the clutch pedal and sometimes flips over the brake pedal also.

It's really driving me nuts and am worried about the mat getting in the way one day when I really don't need it to (thinking about safety here).

Are you using all weather floor mats? If so maybe you are using it on top of the regular mats? Take off the regular carpet mat at least for the driver side as this makes the all weather mat sit higher and closer to the pedals when depressed. I had this experience before when I first bought the car. The SA warned me about this, no more problem even when using sports pedal.

 

[rodslinger]

Are you using all weather floor mats? If so maybe you are using it on top of the regular mats?

I'm not using all weather mats and who in the world would lay them on top of existing mats anyway....

These are the stock carpeted mats. It gets to the point where the end of the mat flips up on top of the clutch pedal EVERY TIME you shift. It sometmies pulls the mat up enough to go over the brake pedal also. I've had it get in the way a few times when I hit the clutch only to push down on the mat AND the clutch having it snag the brake pedal also. Nothing like brake-checking someone on accident when trying to do nothing more than shift gears.

 

[Fiyawerx]

Anyone else out there with a 5-speed manual have a problem with the mat getting caught by the clutch pedal when shifting?

My front mats have been changed twice already and is doing it again after about four months. What I've noticed is the retaining ring on the mat itself begins to tear away from the backing. This appears to allow the mat to move forward a few millimeters and just enough for the clutch pedal to catch the edge of the mat when shifting. The mat lifts up on top of the clutch pedal and sometimes flips over the brake pedal also.

It's really driving me nuts and am worried about the mat getting in the way one day when I really don't need it to (thinking about safety here).

Started on the ride home from the dealer, hasn't stopped yet. Plan on getting the All Weathers, thought it was just my mats deformed or something. Thought it was a problem with my clutch until I got out and looked and noticed that it was just picking up the floor mat on the way up, such an annoyance, and yes, it does feel like it could be a safety issue.

 

[Mazda5wannabe]

Coming up to my third year with by 06 GT 5 speed and have never had the mats get in the way, either the stock carpet ones, or when I have the all weather ones installed.

 

[coolmazda5]

Nope from wife and I, no probs (scratch)

 

[rodslinger]

It's starting to look like an issue with stacked tolerances. The eyelet on the mat may open up a bit and it may or may not be an issue depending on where the retaining clip is located on the carpet.

I went back to the dealer and put my mat in another 5-speed van. It looks like the retaining clip on my van is about an 1/8th inch further forward and is just enough to cause the problem. My mat would not catch on the other van but the mat from that van DID catch in mine....

If Mazda can make a clip that is a few mm shorter then it may fix it permanently. Otherwise they might need to cut some mats with a little more lenght so the clutch pedal lands on top of the mat instead of grabbing the end of it.

 

[wmzda5]

It's starting to look like an issue with stacked tolerances. The eyelet on the mat may open up a bit and it may or may not be an issue depending on where the retaining clip is located on the carpet.

I went back to the dealer and put my mat in another 5-speed van. It looks like the retaining clip on my van is about an 1/8th inch further forward and is just enough to cause the problem. My mat would not catch on the other van but the mat from that van DID catch in mine....

If Mazda can make a clip that is a few mm shorter then it may fix it permanently. Otherwise they might need to cut some mats with a little more lenght so the clutch pedal lands on top of the mat instead of grabbing the end of it.

Just take out the retaining clip and make it shorter...bend it cut it whatever...

 

[Heat]

Yes, my '09 with manual does this if the floor mat hole is in the prong near the seat.

The only way to avoid it is to pull the mat back an inch or so - it won't be on that prong, but it also doesn't catch on the clutch.

And yes, this is definately a safety issue. The floor mats are too long.

 

[doctorz]

interesting. Never had a problem with this.