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- Spicy Orange cdn# 169 plus 2001 MP3
is not complaining and getting action from Mazda a talent as well...
Clunk Updates
- Thread starter Newf
- Start date
Toronto_Raj
Member
newf said:
(scratch)
(huh) (thought) Oh you mean good at "st"riping Mazda's face mask? hehe
(yippy)Albino Flash
Member
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- MP3 gone/now 2004 Civic
My buddy and I just took our MP3's in to Mazda of Bedford this week to get clunks and scrunching checked comming from the rear. Sure enough, the Energy suspension bushings w/ grease fittings have failed! Gerry, the service manager and part owner, replaced my buddies with the old Mazda bushings, and is very unhappy! I didn't get mine replaced yet. He said he was going to continue to call Mazda and b**** about this problem. His original complaining and ours is what got us these Energy bushings under warranty from Mazda in the first place. The only good thing is that they lasted approximately 18,000 - 20,000 miles for both of us, which is more than double the Mazda bushings. Gerry said he is glad he only has a few of us bringing in our MP3's for service because he is sick of having to work on them. He didn't seem too happy when I told him the Mazdaspeeds he is selling also have this problem.
HA HA HA HA HA
I mean....whoopie, he sees an mp3 every 18000 miles and complains...what a joke
Try my dealer, they see me every 500 kms.
I'm serious, I could get mine replaced every week if I had the patience and time.
I'll take 18,000 miles any day, heck 9000 miles!
My concern with these greaseable bushings has always been are they REALLY working, or does the grease just hide the noise? The noise is the side effect of the bushing failing. A failed bushing, really a loose bushing, means it's not working and you have more play in your sway bar, which also means, that's not working either. Just because it's quiet, doesn't mean the bushing isn't loose and moving around.
But, I never tried the greaseable ones, so I'm just speculating.
Regardless, interesting to know, and thanks for the update
As for the updated parts I mentioned last week.....still waiting to see what they are. My Mazda guy is MIA??? Illness in family. My bushings aren't that important, I'll wait until things settle down for him and see what's up then. Like I said, I'm 90% sure, the fix is not done yet, and these new numbers are something unrelated.
I mean....whoopie, he sees an mp3 every 18000 miles and complains...what a joke
Try my dealer, they see me every 500 kms.
I'm serious, I could get mine replaced every week if I had the patience and time.
I'll take 18,000 miles any day, heck 9000 miles!
My concern with these greaseable bushings has always been are they REALLY working, or does the grease just hide the noise? The noise is the side effect of the bushing failing. A failed bushing, really a loose bushing, means it's not working and you have more play in your sway bar, which also means, that's not working either. Just because it's quiet, doesn't mean the bushing isn't loose and moving around.
But, I never tried the greaseable ones, so I'm just speculating.
Regardless, interesting to know, and thanks for the update
As for the updated parts I mentioned last week.....still waiting to see what they are. My Mazda guy is MIA??? Illness in family. My bushings aren't that important, I'll wait until things settle down for him and see what's up then. Like I said, I'm 90% sure, the fix is not done yet, and these new numbers are something unrelated.
Albino Flash
Member
- :
- MP3 gone/now 2004 Civic
I agree, 18,000 miles was very exciting. However, During that time I was probably in there 3 times because of the front bushings,which are not Energy bushings, plus my buddy at work has also been in there. So my tech has still seen these two MP3's a lot in the last 24 months or so. The approximate tally for us both going in for bushings since we purchased them in June of 2001: Front bushings 10 & Rear bushings 12. This total should be higher, but we can't take our car's in every thousand miles or so.
Pants McGregor
Member
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- '05 Legacy GT wagon
I am still waiting for my dealer to call and tell me that all the parts are in. What is the 'general' length of time that people have had to wait for the parts to arrive ? Do they get them from Mazda or from Racing Beat ?
They tell me that they have the bushings but not the sway bar linkage (???). I may have that last detail wrong.
PM
They tell me that they have the bushings but not the sway bar linkage (???). I may have that last detail wrong.
PM
yeah, Slow down! 
As for the struts vs bushings, it's a different noise. Really hard to explain. The strut one is really quiet in comparison, doesn't seem to effect handling at all, and only happens when say you go over the type of bump where one wheel will drop into it quite far( keeping rest of car high up) and come back up again.
It's a really subtle noise, and not something I would even complain about. Mine don't do it anymore anyways. Struts mounts were replaced back before xmas, and everything was fine since then. Of course, I had the struts done as well at the same time.
Other things for your rear end??? Hemroids maybe LOL
Tire preassure, bad tires, warped rim, alignments, balance, grab the sway bar see if it's loose and check make sure bushings are still there! Grab that strut see if you can twist it as well. Would be better if she was jacked up first.
As for the struts vs bushings, it's a different noise. Really hard to explain. The strut one is really quiet in comparison, doesn't seem to effect handling at all, and only happens when say you go over the type of bump where one wheel will drop into it quite far( keeping rest of car high up) and come back up again.
It's a really subtle noise, and not something I would even complain about. Mine don't do it anymore anyways. Struts mounts were replaced back before xmas, and everything was fine since then. Of course, I had the struts done as well at the same time.
Other things for your rear end???
Hemroids maybe LOLTire preassure, bad tires, warped rim, alignments, balance, grab the sway bar see if it's loose and check make sure bushings are still there! Grab that strut see if you can twist it as well. Would be better if she was jacked up first.
After you reported not having a bushing I checked mine so i know they are there. I figured I haven't screwed with the new management at my dealership yet. I had given up on getting them changed but I might aswell get another set before I reinstall all the audio.
Volley2six
Member
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- MP3
Where can we get swaybar bushings??
Newf, What struts and mounts did you get to replace the old ones? The same from mazda or different ones?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.
Newf, What struts and mounts did you get to replace the old ones? The same from mazda or different ones?
Sorry if these are dumb questions.
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cjstringer
Member
Since this is back up top again, I'll post what I had happen.
Went to the dealer. They said there was another MP3 they had worked on also. Their fix was to order greasable bushings from Jegs. They bought them, installed them, and are warrantying them. Everything is great so far, almost 2 months, and they are nice and tight, and make no noise.
Figured I'd throw in my info to the fire.
Went to the dealer. They said there was another MP3 they had worked on also. Their fix was to order greasable bushings from Jegs. They bought them, installed them, and are warrantying them. Everything is great so far, almost 2 months, and they are nice and tight, and make no noise.
Figured I'd throw in my info to the fire.
Volley2six
Member
- :
- MP3
cjstringer said:
"Jegs" what's that?
So no clunk now??
Pants McGregor
Member
- :
- '05 Legacy GT wagon
BTW, this is the response I got when I sent an email to Racing Beat.
"We were never involved with the selection of the bushings that were used on
the rear bar. Racing Beat only uses urethane bushings on our applications,
Mazda made the decision to use the bushing that was supplied on the MP3.
I made an attempt to locate a compatible bushing from our supplier, but they
did not have a comparable replacement. I have not heard of a resolution to
this matter, I can only point you back in the direction of Mazda, sorry. "
PM
"We were never involved with the selection of the bushings that were used on
the rear bar. Racing Beat only uses urethane bushings on our applications,
Mazda made the decision to use the bushing that was supplied on the MP3.
I made an attempt to locate a compatible bushing from our supplier, but they
did not have a comparable replacement. I have not heard of a resolution to
this matter, I can only point you back in the direction of Mazda, sorry. "
PM
Well, another replacement later, and the car feels like new again...30k mi service+new bushings+new endlinks+new sway bar= once again...hopefully it will last through the summer.
My Dealership rules.
for anyone in PA North Penn Mazda/VW is GREAT. Really nice guys, knowledgeable and most importantly, they 'give a $*it' and take great pride in their work. One of the guys is almost just as frustrated as me with the bushings because he hates to see a car come back in for the same reason after he has worked on it. He didn't actually say it, but I could tell when speaking with him.
BTW: saw a titanium and yellow in person; titanium is dope, yellow is ho-hum, I guess because just about every new pocket rocket to come out now is yellow)
Also saw a 20th anniversary edition GTI and WOW! is that thing nice. (and expensive; but worth it if you've got it)
Can't wait for the R32.
once again...hopefully it will last through the summer.My Dealership rules.
for anyone in PA North Penn Mazda/VW is GREAT. Really nice guys, knowledgeable and most importantly, they 'give a $*it' and take great pride in their work. One of the guys is almost just as frustrated as me with the bushings because he hates to see a car come back in for the same reason after he has worked on it. He didn't actually say it, but I could tell when speaking with him.
BTW: saw a titanium and yellow in person; titanium is dope, yellow is ho-hum, I guess because just about every new pocket rocket to come out now is yellow)
Also saw a 20th anniversary edition GTI and WOW! is that thing nice. (and expensive; but worth it if you've got it)
Can't wait for the R32.
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