Please! Help me out!

[mikeyb]

I have never been at a dealer with a car that acts right when it is in to see "the doctor."
My dealer is not actually open on Sundays, they employ techs from 9-3 M-F, the service manager is there until 5 all the time and they are physically open until 5 but they don't house techs that late.
I tell them what I think it may be, they can take ti with whatever grain of salt they want, which is usually none. This is actually my second dealer, once the dealer I bought it from did all that crap on 7/12, I never went back. the problem with going to another dealer is that they're out in Oakland or SF or up in Antioch which are all too far away for me if they wind up not doing anything. I played dumb the first time I went into this dealer and it did nothing for me.
When I bought it I got 22 city, it went down to 20 a few months later, then down to 18 and now it's going down to 17. I don't drive it hard, this is the mileage I get.

Because it's the "sportshift" automatic, it's marketed as a sport transmission, I would hope it can downshift from 2 to 1 with my foot on the gas to get some speed.
I tried to get it into my friendly Ford dealer but the service manager couldn't figure out a way for him to pay his techs to look at it and we don't have any transmission shops aorund here that I know of but I can do a search.

Here is how I drive, it's how I drive teh Expedition, the 99 V70, the Fusion, it's how my mother has driven all of her cars and my grandparents and what I picked up from being exposed to it:
I get in the car, put it in R, back up and slow down, at about 2MPH I put it into D and drive away. This is what I mean by a slow roll. So far this is the only car that I have driven has ever had a problem with it.

I have been thinking your terrible mileage have something to do with your aftermarket air filter. Go back to a stock paper filter to see if your gas mileage goes back up. Are you in stop an go traffic or are you doing 80 mph blasts on the hwy? What are you using for fuel?

You really should come to a complete stop and then put the transmission in gear. It does not matter what brand or model you are driving. Do you throw the transmission into park before the car stop moving? When I first got my license I was driving a Nissan pickup truck with an auto that I would just throw it into parkor into a gear before it came to a complete stop. Well guess what it ended up needing? A complete transmission replacement.

 

[my3needsaname]

You really should come to a complete stop and then put the transmission in gear. It does not matter what brand or model you are driving. Do you throw the transmission into park before the car stop moving? When I first got my license I was driving a Nissan pickup truck with an auto that I would just throw it into park into a gear before it came to a complete stop. Well guess what it ended up needing? A complete transmission replacement.

No, I fully stop when putting it in park. I slipped into park in the Volvo once and I never want to hear that sound again. I can't remember if it has happened on this car, I don't think so. Mainly because of the gated shifter, it keeps me in check. The Volvo is a straight shot to P though.

 

[GoFast]

The compressor is what cools the air coming in through the A/C when it is switched on, no?

Yes, but this is just physics. There is nothing that can be done to stop the extra load that the AC being on causes except to take the compressor off and give up AC. Unfortunately that is just the reality of things.

Ah, but there is:
Here

Yes but that recall is for a 2004 and you have a 2008.5

They had a cheaper oil change price and were open when I could get the change done. Diablo Mazda of Walnut Creek, CA is not open for service on Saturday.

All I can say here is to either try a different dealer or take a day off of school. You can;t expect Mazda to rearrange their schedules because you have school.

I swear I'm not, the passenger window and driver's side window used to roll up the same way. Since that visit I learned that the car prioritizes the driver's window making the passenger's window roll up slower.

SO problem solved then.

It sounds reasonable until they tell you to pay $20 bucks and wait a week for the Mazda AUX cable to come in. Although this time the techs said they use the Monster iCable, bought one at apple, works great.

See the techs are can be helpful.

Further down the line they ordered the parts and installed the foam clips, doesn't make noise anymore.

good deal

He wrapped a bolt in the headliner with foam tape, they haven't been able to hear the steering wheel yet.

Try bringing it to them JUST FOR THAT. before you do though, play around with it and see if there is a way that you can get it to repeat on a consistant basis. The goal being that if they say I can't seem to get it to do it then you can say ok try this...

It was actually diagnosed by the Ford dealer we bring the Volvo and 2 Fords to. They said it could be the header because it was concentrated into the back side of the engine underneath the heat shield on the passenger's side.

The problem with this is that a ford dealer is a ford dealer and the techs are not used to working on mazdas. Yes i understand that ford has/had a vested interest and some make that the argument that mazda is ford but i still say BS. The fact is that the techs there know the nuances of Ford vehicles not Mazda vehicles.

Dealer did that, it actually worked for about 2 days and then it came back. It's really annoying being right next to my ear as I drive.

Good then tell them to do it again.

I hope it isn't the header but I'm pretty sure it is.

I am pretty sure it isn't. Header gaskets blowing out on a 2008 car just isn't likely. More important is that there are thousands and thousands of mazda3's that have noisy valve trains that make a ticking noise. you just have to look at the stats on this one and accept it. If you brought it to mazda and they said that header(exhaust manifold) isn't leaking then chances are, they are right.

The only thing is it didn't happen from the beginning, it showed up later on.

again you bought it in june. It doenst make noise when it is warm. It does it when it is cold. Again it is just part of the suspension and the materials that were used. nothing that can really be done.

 

[my3needsaname]

Yes, but this is just physics. There is nothing that can be done to stop the extra load that the AC being on causes except to take the compressor off and give up AC. Unfortunately that is just the reality of things.

I remember at one point being in some Mazda showroom and talking to a salesguy and if I remember right he was saying that's why they put the electric motor onto the steering and something about not being surprised if they did it to the A/C also...I don't fully remember though.

Yes but that recall is for a 2004 and you have a 2008.5

True, but it is easy nonetheless and could have been attempted.

All I can say here is to either try a different dealer or take a day off of school. You can;t expect Mazda to rearrange their schedules because you have school.

I took the morning off to meet with the rep and it didn't yield anything good, I asked to drive one of their techs around but in the end I left without being able to.

SO problem solved then.
See the techs can be helpful.
good deal

Yep, just on the small things though.

Try bringing it to them JUST FOR THAT. before you do though, play around with it and see if there is a way that you can get it to repeat on a consistent basis. The goal being that if they say I can't seem to get it to do it then you can say ok try this...

They know what it is but I can't physically make it work, it's the unmoving headliner, something is just whacked out up there.

The problem with this is that a ford dealer is a ford dealer and the techs are not used to working on mazdas. Yes i understand that ford has/had a vested interest and some make that the argument that mazda is ford but i still say BS. The fact is that the techs there know the nuances of Ford vehicles not Mazda vehicles.

Ah this is the beauty of my Ford dealer, the service manager there specifically hires techs that are trained in other Ford areas like Mazda so when they have a Mazda or Volvo or whatever come in there is someone there that knows what's going on and how to properly deal with it. they also have service manuals for about every car make and model. They always have other brands in their, mainly Frods for specific reasons but they get all sorts of cars.

Good then tell them to do it again.

I will, Tuesday when it goes back for the brakes. They've sort of fixed it before so I think it should be simple.

I am pretty sure it isn't. Header gaskets blowing out on a 2008 car just isn't likely. More important is that there are thousands and thousands of mazda3's that have noisy valve trains that make a ticking noise. you just have to look at the stats on this one and accept it. If you brought it to mazda and they said that header(exhaust manifold) isn't leaking then chances are, they are right.

I hope so, it would be great to have them be totally right about something but having another opinion makes me a bit skeptical...even if it is from a Ford dealer.

again you bought it in june. It doenst make noise when it is warm. It does it when it is cold. Again it is just part of the suspension and the materials that were used. nothing that can really be done.

The thing is, it's only the front suspension, the only thing I get from the rear suspension is the right rear wheel "clunking" over bumps. But I've seen threads about what it could be and the end links on the roll bar are fine.

 

[GoFast]

I remember at one point being in some Mazda showroom and talking to a salesguy and if I remember right he was saying that's why they put the electric motor onto the steering and something about not being surprised if they did it to the A/C also...I don't fully remember though.

The steering is called Electro-Hydraulic Power Assist Steering (EHPAS). They do not have that for the A/C compressor. The only thing that they have is smaller, lighter, and more efficient compressors. Try to remember that for the most part, sales guys are sales guys, not car experts and you should really not listen to them when it comes to mechanical issues and your car.

True, but it is easy nonetheless and could have been attempted.

If it is easy then you do it.

I took the morning off to meet with the rep and it didn't yield anything good, I asked to drive one of their techs around but in the end I left without being able to.

This is a good example of being vague. Why did you leave without being able to?

Yep, just on the small things though.

Regardless, it was fixed. Quit crying about it.

They know what it is but I can't physically make it work, it's the unmoving headliner, something is just whacked out up there.

Are you sure that they know what it is? If they did, don't you think that they would have fixed it? The only reasons that would not fix something that they are aware of is because they didn't have the part or they are able to assume that it was caused by you.

Ah this is the beauty of my Ford dealer, the service manager there specifically hires techs that are trained in other Ford areas like Mazda so when they have a Mazda or Volvo or whatever come in there is someone there that knows what's going on and how to properly deal with it. they also have service manuals for about every car make and model. They always have other brands in their, mainly Frods for specific reasons but they get all sorts of cars.

I don't care. 85% of there day/week/month/year is spent working on FORDS. They do not see 30 mazdas a day with the same issues. Mazda dealers do. Start going to a mazda dealer.

I will, Tuesday when it goes back for the brakes. They've sort of fixed it before so I think it should be simple.

OK

I hope so, it would be great to have them be totally right about something but having another opinion makes me a bit skeptical...even if it is from a Ford dealer.

see 2 answers up. If you told them that you think your header is leaking I promise, they looked and came to the conclusion that it's not. end of story. Again, these MAZDA dealers see the same car coming in with the same question 30 times a day. I think they know. let it go and accept it.

The thing is, it's only the front suspension, the only thing I get from the rear suspension is the right rear wheel "clunking" over bumps. But I've seen threads about what it could be and the end links on the roll bar are fine.

You just don't listen do you?? This is the problem that I have with you. You have been told by so many people that the suspension is just noisy but yet you keep on arguing. Do you think that we just make s*** up? Do you think that the 50 threads in the mazda3 and mazdaspeed 3 sections ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE are imaginary??? Give it a rest. No wonder why you aren't satisfied with your car. You don't know anything about cars and yet you don't listen to people that do!

This brings me to my final point and warning. All of these questions have been answered and discussed before. I understand your desire for more than one opinion but 1000 opinions is just too much. Like I said in my first post in this thread. Anymore threads about ANY of these problems and infractions will be issued. This also goes for complaining about your situation in any other threads.

 

[CrazyFace]

Have you been to Fremont Mazda? I've had a few issues with my 3 and they have been beyond great.

 

[my3needsaname]

Have you been to Fremont Mazda? I've had a few issues with my 3 and they have been beyond great.

There's a Mazda dealer in Fremont? I'm in Danville so idk how far or where they are from here.

The steering is called Electro-Hydraulic Power Assist Steering (EHPAS). They do not have that for the A/C compressor. The only thing that they have is smaller, lighter, and more efficient compressors. Try to remember that for the most part, sales guys are sales guys, not car experts and you should really not listen to them when it comes to mechanical issues and your car.

I know this but the guy was making a point.

If it is easy then you do it.

It'll void my warranty if I do anything and idk how to take the headliner down.

This is a good example of being vague. Why did you leave without being able to?

Their techs were busy and both service manager and rep just wanted me gone.

Regardless, it was fixed. Quit crying about it.

I'm not crying about it.

Are you sure that they know what it is? If they did, don't you think that they would have fixed it? The only reasons that would not fix something that they are aware of is because they didn't have the part or they are able to assume that it was caused by you.

Yes, it was addressed before, they wrapped a bolt in foam tape and it worked for 2 days. How can I have caused it?

I don't care. 85% of there day/week/month/year is spent working on FORDS. They do not see 30 mazdas a day with the same issues. Mazda dealers do. Start going to a mazda dealer.

I do go to a Mazda dealer, I've been to 2, they don't help like Ford does.

see 2 answers up. If you told them that you think your header is leaking I promise, they looked and came to the conclusion that it's not. end of story. Again, these MAZDA dealers see the same car coming in with the same question 30 times a day. I think they know. let it go and accept it.

But I know for a fact that they have not looked at it, if they looked at ti then the service records would say tehy dismantled the thing and inspected it.

You just don't listen do you?? This is the problem that I have with you. You have been told by so many people that the suspension is just noisy but yet you keep on arguing. Do you think that we just make s*** up? Do you think that the 50 threads in the mazda3 and mazdaspeed 3 sections ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE are imaginary??? Give it a rest. No wonder why you aren't satisfied with your car. You don't know anything about cars and yet you don't listen to people that do!

No I don't. I have a hard tiem to believe that this car out of any others I haev owned or driven has something like this come up only when it's cold and not even when it starts to get cold, a few months into when it's cold. It's not that I don't believe anyone it's that the end result is hard to believe from what I know.

This brings me to my final point and warning. All of these questions have been answered and discussed before. I understand your desire for more than one opinion but 1000 opinions is just too much. Like I said in my first post in this thread. Anymore threads about ANY of these problems and infractions will be issued. This also goes for complaining about your situation in any other threads.

Great, I haven't been. I wasn't planning on starting, and I will when the thread topic relates to it.

 

[my3needsaname]

Ok, I ticked over 5000 miles today and instead of making a new thread, I want some answers here please!

It was really interesting because I was coming to a stop with the A/C and music on at about 21 and then it clicked over and all of a sudden the engine was idling extremely rough...rougher than the first day I owned it and the mounts were new and harder...then I turned down the music and that helped a bit but IT WAS STILL ROUGH AS s***! I have no idea WTF the problem could be, it needs a servicing now but the oil has at least another 1064 miles before it has to be changed. To get a bit more specific, it made that "sand in the engine" noise when it got rougher too.

 

[Gothkid]

OK, im going to touch on this carefully

im a chysler tech, and i own a 08.5 mazda 3 s. 2.3

i know a lot about the mzr 2.3 and issues with it.

there is in fact a tcm flash, a tech forgot to do it with my tranny and it somehow confused 3 and 4th gear. the tranny locked up at 3500 miles and had to be replaced. it was overall a software error. a rep from mazda came out and verified it. it happens in 1 out of 5000 mz3's auto trannys. u might just need it flashed, or it will crap out all together and they have to replace it for you. this however is not very common. although i dont approve of harsh driving on an auto tranny, this particular tranny is build like a tank. the only downfall is its software.

as for the suspension........it squeeks it creeks it does what it feels. all 3's i know of do that. just crank da tunes and ignore it, if everything feels snug its fine.

your burning brakes might be a stuck caliper, if that is the issue it would be the cause of your awful gas milage. personally i get 23-25 mpg city driving the hell out of my car with and aftermarket intake. it could also be a mis-adjusted e-brake sticking. i have a hard time believing its caused by your intake, unless it is not the correct one for your car, or was installed improperly.

water noise is fairly normal depending on the humidity, the a/c system creates a lot of condesation which drains out behind the firewall; this makes a water trickling noise. its not that bad so just deal with it.

as for other squeeks and stuff, i hear that sometimes in my car, but its caused by my subs. idk if noise like that is normal, i just crank the radio. XD

if theres anything ive missed make a small detailed list of anything else that you might be worried about.

 

[my3needsaname]

OK, im going to touch on this carefully

im a chysler tech, and i own a 08.5 mazda 3 s. 2.3

i know a lot about the mzr 2.3 and issues with it.

there is in fact a tcm flash, a tech forgot to do it with my tranny and it somehow confused 3 and 4th gear. the tranny locked up at 3500 miles and had to be replaced. it was overall a software error. a rep from mazda came out and verified it. it happens in 1 out of 5000 mz3's auto trannys. u might just need it flashed, or it will crap out all together and they have to replace it for you. this however is not very common. although i dont approve of harsh driving on an auto tranny, this particular tranny is build like a tank. the only downfall is its software.

as for the suspension........it squeeks it creeks it does what it feels. all 3's i know of do that. just crank da tunes and ignore it, if everything feels snug its fine.

your burning brakes might be a stuck caliper, if that is the issue it would be the cause of your awful gas milage. personally i get 23-25 mpg city driving the hell out of my car with and aftermarket intake. it could also be a mis-adjusted e-brake sticking. i have a hard time believing its caused by your intake, unless it is not the correct one for your car, or was installed improperly.

water noise is fairly normal depending on the humidity, the a/c system creates a lot of condesation which drains out behind the firewall; this makes a water trickling noise. its not that bad so just deal with it.

as for other squeeks and stuff, i hear that sometimes in my car, but its caused by my subs. idk if noise like that is normal, i just crank the radio. XD

if theres anything ive missed make a small detailed list of anything else that you might be worried about.

I don't have an intake on the car, it's what I am planning.

I had a rep come out and look over the car but he was practically useless and didn't care for anything I had problems with.

But, see my last post for the latest thing that is kinda odd, it happened the moment it ticked to 5000 also.

 

[Gothkid]

sounds like one of your pulley bearings might have been sticking/locking up. from what you said, its sounds like you have a lemon. i live in ga so i dont know if the law applies, but im pretty sure you can go back to the dealership u got it from and trade it, without charge, for a new one. there's a dud in every so many car even with a 99.99% success rate. it happens. u may have to get a lawyer, but i would follow up on the lemon law for this one.

 

[Olestra]

I think you have 3 major issues and the rest seem really far fetched or not worth it.
It does come across that alot of this stuff is in your head or you're being really picky. I mean 18 times to the dealership with no progress, that seems unlikely.

Issues:
1. Suspension. As you know this is common because our suspension is stiff. If you've checked the endlinks like you say, then try greasing the bushings. Other than that, i don't know what else to say. When my car is warm, its as quite as a cat, suspension creaks go away.

2. Engine. Rough idle after 5000 miles. I find it funny it happened right at the 5k mark. Ever heard of placebo effect? Anyways, if its true and it idles really rough, this should be easily reproducable. You should be able to drive straight into the dealership no questions asked. So go there.

3. Transmission. It sounds like you're complaining about shift shock. There is a TSB for shift shock but it's for 04-05. Don't go into the dealership with a TSB that doesn't apply to your car, they will laugh at you.
GoFast addressed all of the issues that I would have said. Don't change gears while moving. If you wrecked the tranny, you may have to live with that. PS auto trannies don't have a clutch, so stop saying that your clutch is broken.

So in the end, you have 1 major issue to worry about, which magically appeared at 5k.

I genuinely wish you had all your problems fixed and that you were happy with the car. I know it hurts to have something that you like and would love to have in perfect condition but doesn't work properly.

 

[my3needsaname]

sounds like one of your pulley bearings might have been sticking/locking up. from what you said, its sounds like you have a lemon. i live in ga so i dont know if the law applies, but im pretty sure you can go back to the dealership u got it from and trade it, without charge, for a new one. there's a dud in every so many car even with a 99.99% success rate. it happens. u may have to get a lawyer, but i would follow up on the lemon law for this one.

CA lemon law basically makes it so you never bought the car in the first place, the car price is refunded by manufacturer, TTL refunded by dealer, all dealer installed accessories are refunded. The only things I would never get back are the cost of perma plating and tinting. If I get no progress within the next week, I am taking affirmative action and probably going this route because they haven't offered to trade my car with a new one and wishing for that is a stretch in this state.
Thanks for not saying there is no possible way my car could have any problems.

I think you have 3 major issues and the rest seem really far fetched or not worth it.
It does come across that alot of this stuff is in your head or you're being really picky. I mean 18 times to the dealership with no progress, that seems unlikely.

Issues:
1. Suspension. As you know this is common because our suspension is stiff. If you've checked the endlinks like you say, then try greasing the bushings. Other than that, i don't know what else to say. When my car is warm, its as quite as a cat, suspension creaks go away.

2. Engine. Rough idle after 5000 miles. I find it funny it happened right at the 5k mark. Ever heard of placebo effect? Anyways, if its true and it idles really rough, this should be easily reproducable. You should be able to drive straight into the dealership no questions asked. So go there.

3. Transmission. It sounds like you're complaining about shift shock. There is a TSB for shift shock but it's for 04-05. Don't go into the dealership with a TSB that doesn't apply to your car, they will laugh at you.
GoFast addressed all of the issues that I would have said. Don't change gears while moving. If you wrecked the tranny, you may have to live with that. PS auto trannies don't have a clutch, so stop saying that your clutch is broken.

So in the end, you have 1 major issue to worry about, which magically appeared at 5k.

I genuinely wish you had all your problems fixed and that you were happy with the car. I know it hurts to have something that you like and would love to have in perfect condition but doesn't work properly.

It could be shift shock, I really doubt it, it always happens when it shifts gears but it appeared later on. Idk why it would do this but here's a perfect example: Tuesday night I was coming off my driveway and it went from 1 to 2 and you hear this loud bam type sound and it jolted the car back. This was in D and it was on the C line of the temp gauge.
Yea I've heard of the Placebo effect but I don't think it would apply because the stuff reappears after it has been "fixed" or it was never fixed in the first place.

 

[Olestra]

It could be shift shock, I really doubt it, it always happens when it shifts gears but it appeared later on. Idk why it would do this but here's a perfect example: Tuesday night I was coming off my driveway and it went from 1 to 2 and you hear this loud bam type sound and it jolted the car back. This was in D and it was on the C line of the temp gauge.

When this loud bam happens, are you giving it lots of throttle?
Are you changing the throttle input at the time, in other words are you giving it more or less gas just as the bam happens? Or is your foot not moving at all and you're gently accelerating?

Also what is the C line of the temp gauge?

 

[my3needsaname]

When this loud bam happens, are you giving it lots of throttle?
Are you changing the throttle input at the time, in other words are you giving it more or less gas just as the bam happens? Or is your foot not moving at all and you're gently accelerating?

Also what is the C line of the temp gauge?

Nope. Just accelerating. Sometimes it happens when I change pressure on the throttle but usually when I'm straight accelerating.

The bottom line...the "Cold" line.

 

[Olestra]

Oh I see.

Well maybe you should post a video or something.
Mz3 tranny should be silky smooth.

 

[Lord_Zath]

Regarding the creaking issue - I own a P5, but I had the same problem with the car. I brought it into the dealer and asked the mazda tech (who's now the service manager) about the creaking. His response - it's normal when it's extremely cold out. They said that since the car was still rather young, they could lube up the joints under the car and the squeak was gone.

Next winter, the creaking sound returned. It's been there ever since, and I can understand your concern - I don't like to hear it either. But at the same time, I'm not about to pay someone to lube up my car.

 

[my3needsaname]

Regarding the creaking issue - I own a P5, but I had the same problem with the car. I brought it into the dealer and asked the mazda tech (who's now the service manager) about the creaking. His response - it's normal when it's extremely cold out. They said that since the car was still rather young, they could lube up the joints under the car and the squeak was gone.

Next winter, the creaking sound returned. It's been there ever since, and I can understand your concern - I don't like to hear it either. But at the same time, I'm not about to pay someone to lube up my car.

See that would probably help but my dealer just tells me it's normal and runs off. They never offer me any options except "you can keep coming in and we'll evntually find it." sooo...yea.

Oh I see.

Well maybe you should post a video or something.
Mz3 tranny should be silky smooth.

Didn't think of that, it's hard to get a vid though because like everything else that happens in this car, it happens when it happens. There's no particular time it happens...it just does when it does. :/

 

[Olestra]

Didn't think of that, it's hard to get a vid though because like everything else that happens in this car, it happens when it happens. There's no particular time it happens...it just does when it does. :/

Well, you have to put effort into it to get your issues resolved if they are intermittent. Intermittent issues are a pain as you know.
So keep a camera in your car for a month and just pull it out of the glove box when your issues pop up.

 

[my3needsaname]

Well, you have to put effort into it to get your issues resolved if they are intermittent. Intermittent issues are a pain as you know.
So keep a camera in your car for a month and just pull it out of the glove box when your issues pop up.

What's terrible about that is it'll start doing it, I'll pull out the camera and just hit record, and it'll be done for another month. (argh)

Would anyone happen to know why the car would stall when it shifts? Like I was backing up the driveway and had to reposition so I put it in D and pulled forward, stopped, put it in reverse, and hit the gas but it didn't engage and was rolling forward while I was pushing on the gas, then I hit the brakes and it engaged and stalled...while I was stopping.