Clunk Updates

Mazda Dealers supposedly got their letter about the TSB in the mail today for the clunk. The TSB is 02-003/03
 
I now have to eat some crow....I have been bashing dealerships to no end since I've joined the board (and they've fully deserved it). However, today I had the VERY FIRST DEALERSHIP IN RECORDED HISTORY actually do something out of the ordinary to please me!!!!! I still cannot believe it as I'm typing this!

I was just thinking of calling my dealership up this week about the new bushings since they've had 1 month to get the news now. Well low and behold THEY called ME!!!! He said Mazda has just officially released the TSB for this (TSB #02-00303), which I don't know if that's true but who cares - he actually KNOWS about it! The funny thing was, after my ECU flash I gave the dealership semi-bad grades because I told them about the clunk and they did NOTHING - didn't even look at it. So I wrote that right on the survey and thanks to this forum I actually wrote down the part # of the new bushing even!! Well, my survey eventually made it to the service manager and then things started to be done! He read my comment to me and said he was sorry but he didn't know about the "fix" until today (still doesn't excuse why they didn't even LOOK at my bushings when I had it in before). I also wrote on the survey that I dread the fact that I have to drive over 100 miles to get to the nearest MSP dealership -- and at that point he said that HE would call up the nearest Mazda dealership FOR me and explain the fix to them so I could just get it done there! I couldn't believe he called me for one thing, but then to offer to call another dealership and explain the fix is even better!! I was blown away.

It was funny when he called my nearest Mazda dealership because the closest one sold MP3s but didn't become MSP authorized -- well needless to say the guy already knew about the latest bushings and said that he's "changed a ton of them on MP3s before so getting mine in and done will not be a problem at all."

This whole experience was SO surprising -- after dealing with all the headaches and BS regarding the ECU flash it is amazing how smooth this experience was. It has to be credited to the hundreds of MP3 guys that have dealt with this problem for so long -- thanks for going through all the BS so I don't have to!

Can't wait to get mine installed -- this coming Monday and it'll only be a 20 minute drive to the dealer! I think my MSP is clunking worse than any other Mazda in recorded history too, so it is going to be a night and day difference once I get them new babies on. Can't wait.
 
girth said:
[clip] I think my MSP is clunking worse than any other Mazda in recorded history too, so it is going to be a night and day difference once I get them new babies on. Can't wait.


:eek: You should have heard mine by the end of last winter... It sounded like i had a bowling ball in my trunk!

good new on the TSB, hopefully this clunk will be a thing of the past.
 
paulmp3 said:
:eek: You should have heard mine by the end of last winter... It sounded like i had a bowling ball in my trunk!

Only a bowling ball? It sounds like somebody set up a whole bowling ALLEY in my trunk!!!:p :p

Seriously though, a bowling ball is an EXCELLENT description of how the clunk sounds IMHO.(thumb)
 
you 2 are right, bowling balls is the perfect comparison. I went into the dealership today to have them replace my shift knob and scheduled another time for them to replace my bushings again. Although when i gave him the part number for the 156E's, he told me that they came up not as 156E's but as something else. I wish i could remember what he said, i think it was something like 156cs's or something, sorry but im not sure, appointment is next week friday, i will be sure to ask for the part number
 
-instylz
"Had new 156E Bushings Installed on the Speed today
Well Just had the dealer install these new bushings and I'm loving the fact that I don't hear a damn body rolling around in my trunk anymore. Hopefully these will fix all of our problems but hey this is what the 3rd or 4th revision? This is the first time I had them replaced on my car. (3.5k miles) Those of you hearing the clunk should have it done asap don't want to tear up your swaybar then have to wait longer for a factory replacement to come in. As far as the creaking in the front goes my tech said the bushings looked fine and lubed em up. I hope this is a solution and not just a bandaid. Anyone have any luck getting the front bushings replaced and are they the same ones that would fit in the back? Also If anyone lives in the NJ area and is looking for a good tech I would have to recommend both Open Road Mazda (Off rt 1 in Edison) and Sansone Mazda (Off Rt 1 Avenel NJ). Never have I had the service that these guys offer. Friendly,Fast and no BS...well I've said my piece..."
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figured I'd post this update here from yet another thread starting on this...
 
Someone really needs to get an admin to post a sticky in the suspension or MAzdaspeed/MP3 sections concerning the clunk. I'm too busy today to do anything
 
Just took my MP3 in the 3rd time to get the clunk fixed - told me they are replcing the sway bar. Has anyone's dealer done this yet? What are the chances of the clunk reappearing?
 
racinemp3 said:
Just took my MP3 in the 3rd time to get the clunk fixed - told me they are replcing the sway bar. Has anyone's dealer done this yet? What are the chances of the clunk reappearing?

if you got the E bushings, you have a chance of it not reappearing, that's yet to be found out yet.

If you got the D's you may as well schedule another appt
 
My car doesn't clunk anymore!
1244 (msporange:mad:
I miss the CLUNK!
fab2c9e5.jpg.thumb.jpg
 
racinemp3 said:
Just took my MP3 in the 3rd time to get the clunk fixed - told me they are replcing the sway bar. Has anyone's dealer done this yet? What are the chances of the clunk reappearing?

Replacing the sway bar? how'd you get the dealer to do that? :p

Im getting my Es tomorrow.
 
They just called me and said they were going to order me a new sway bar. I don't know what provoked them to offer that???
 
racinemp3 said:
They just called me and said they were going to order me a new sway bar. I don't know what provoked them to offer that???

you got a nice dealer :p


Hmmm let me see if my dealer will order me a new one when i go in tomorrow for the Es........

*b**** mode activated*... :D
 
I've had the swaybar and endlinks replaced twice now I think. Dealer is great. Granted, the swaybar was a mess, scratches, paint gone from wear, smaller diameter at mounting points :O
 
-instylz, I went yesterday to have my tech replace the rear bushings with the new ones (E). No noise from there anymore but it's too early to call this a fix instead of a patch yet. As for the front bushings, no they are not the same since the sway bars are not the same size. My tech lubricated them with WD40 but it didn't work at all even though it wasn't that cold outside. He told me that he would inquire about new replacement front bushings but since it's not even a TSB yet, I wouldn't count on it for a while. I guess we'll have to fight for this one as well...
 
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you may NEED to get the bar replaced. If it is too worn from the previous bad bushings, there will be no paint on the bar. This means the bar is actually smaller in size, and the new bushings won't fit as tightly...and might fail too. Hasn't happened yet though.

This has been mentioned 1000 times already. If the E's fail....ask yourself this question...was the bar replaced?
 
have the Es in today and had the front bushings re-lubed...

The Es are so good so far...! my ride's rear end feels so much tighter and stiff i can get my MP3 handling back!

and no more bowling balls in my rear trunk :D
 
Got my 'E' bushings in today. I'll put these suckers to the test because it is F-ing cold here, the shittiest roads on the planet, and I have to drive over 4 sets of railroad tracks per day. They're good so far (obviously)...although the service mgr showed me the new bushing before installing it and when I said "I hope these WORK this time" he just said "expect to be back." Hehe, at least he's honest -- and shouldn't give me crap if I have to come in every 3k miles or so.
 
Is mazda going to call us to ask us to take our cars in? im going for my first oil change sometime this week but im so fearful to ask my dealer, most likely they wont know s*** about these bushings and will probably feed me some lingo about cant trust forums and s***. I dunno, will try though
 

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