MZ5 Anticoolant Tank Cap. The Mazola Effect

[coolmazda5]

Does MZ5 stand for Mazola 5?

If you ever lose your anticoolant tank cap you can call a Mazola oil container (1 quarter) to the rescue. All this of course, while you find the OEM replacement.

During this week there were 2 unexpected long trips that came along so I had to check for fluid levels late at night. Since the actual areas are not easy to see in the dark I had to open some of them. After checking the anticoolant tank level, its cap fell through the engine (duh!). Given that the MZ5 has some plastic aero parts in the bottom the cap got stuck before reaching the floor (and yes, it couldn't be found afterwards). Since the car needed to be ready for the early morning, I had 2 immediate choices:

1) Seal the tank opening with an ugly plastic sack (the old way)
2) Find a temp fix. After measuring the opening I found that it matches the Mazola oil (1 quarter) container cap somehow.

It is not a 100% perfect fix but did the job. The car has been running well since. I had a good laugh afterwards. Yes, Thursday I got the news that a black "thing" fell and rolled in the highway. I was not driving but care to guess? (shocked)

Of course, if you have hints for a replacement while I search on the Web please let me know. I've found that most sites sell the whole tank, which is not the best option.

 

[Wytchdctr]

ha, good to know.

 

[dommo_g]

Before searching on the web, try your dealer. They may replace it for you, calling it a warranty issue, even though it's really not a warranty problem. Some dealers are cool like that.

 

[dommo_g]

Thinking about it, and why would you need to check coolant level on a brand new car? Have you had a problem with leaks or low levels?

 

[zoomzoom mazda5]

Lucky lucky lucky!!!!, but thanks for the information, hope it doesn't happen again to you. zoomzoom

 

[coolmazda5]

Thinking about it, and why would you need to check coolant level on a brand new car? Have you had a problem with leaks or low levels?

Thanks for the good tip!

For the 2nd part: no trouble with levels or leaks so far, yet this has been always a roadtrip checklist item for us (+ possibly an older car owner's nervous tick )

 

[flatfoot]

p.m.

Thanks for the good tip!

For the 2nd part: no trouble with levels or leaks so far, yet this has been always a roadtrip checklist item for us (+ possibly an older car owner's nervous tick )

You are like me. I do a preventive maintenance(PM)
on all my vehicles every friday before going to work. (I dont start till 3.00 pm.
And before any long trip, I go through everything also.
I read a study somewhere, that when aaa did a survey on people that had broken down on the side of the road, for whatever reason, over 90 percent of those people, say they never check anything on their vehicle themselves, and either wait till a warning light goes on, or trusts their mechanic/gas station to check for the.
So it would seem prudent to check your vehcile.
When ever I park my vehcile for the night, as I am walking away I look to make sure no lights are still on, and that the tires all seem to be filled. Whenever I approach my vehicle for the first time each day, or after a long spin, I always look at the tires with a quick glance.
Every few years, I pick up a slow leak on one car or the other this way, and it enables me, not to break down on the road, and also save a tire/wheel before it can get damaged beyond repair.
Call me anal retentive, but for three cars, this whole process takes about a half hour a week, which includes a quick hosing off with water.
I have never broken down on the road ever, except for a flat tire penetration, and once for a broken serpentine belt, that I was still able to nurse home, with no power steering or charging.
Take car of your car and your car will take care of you. LOL
Now at work, our fleet of cars are used round the clock, and not maintained very well, and you would not believe how often they break down. I can tell you a million stories about those cars.
Right now we use caprices but we are going to I believe change over to dodge chargers. We are testing them out now.

Stay safe.

 

[zoomzoom mazda5]

Great reply to this thread, I'am always checking my mazda5 and the wife's car too!, and for my work i have not broke down on the road in almost 16 years (the last time was in gulf war, small land mine). zoomzoom

 

[flatfoot]

break down

Great reply to this thread, I'am always checking my mazda5 and the wife's car too!, and for my work i have not broke down on the road in almost 16 years (the last time was in gulf war, small land mine). zoomzoom

Do you remember how quick our tires wore down in the sand. They didnt have enough tires to replace, and we were running patched bald tires on our humvees, but always pushed on.
Ive been to the sandbox twice already.

Stay safe