Mazda - Mazda3 :: Steering Wheel Vibrates A Lot
I have a 2006 Mazda3 with about 112K miles on it and what I have noticed recently is that the steering shakes a lot. I looked up online for a possible cause and have found that wheel balancing could be a reason. I got wheels balanced and aligned but still there is still some vibration in the steering, so what do you think could be the reason? I have got rotors machined once before, like a year ago.
View 10 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: 2008 - Burning Smell Intermittently From Left Rear Wheel?
A few months ago I bought a used 2008 Mazda3s sedan, and ever since I get an intermittent burning rubber smell from my rear left wheel. I recently got new tires, brake pads, and had the rotors turned, with no change.
The smell does not always happen, it will be there maybe one out of 3 or 4 times, and it is more likely to happen after long drives (e.g., one hour highway driving).
The wheel well also feels very hot. The obvious answer would be that the brake caliper is sticking, causing friction, heat, and the burning smell. However, if I touch the rotor it feels the same lukewarm temperature as the other three.
One additional thought is that this is caused by the exhaust, which is right next to this wheel well. I have noticed that the area of the floor of the trunk right above the exhaust gets very hot, which I had not seen in any other car I owned.
Could it be that the exhaust is causing the rubber of the tire (or something else) to overheat and smell bad? Visually, it does not look like the tire has a different wear or different appearance, compared to any other one.
This may or may not be related: my handbrake seems to be useless If I leave it on I can easily drive with little to no noticeable slowdown... I guess the previous owner did not read the part of the manual where it says you have to release the handbrake before you drive.
Mazda - Mazda3 :: 2005 - Sometimes Will Not Start
I have a 2005 Mazda3 with a 2.0 engine & a five speed transmission and 94,000 miles. Since June the car has twice not started, and so far three trips to two different Mazda dealers have not resolved the problem. The car had sat overnight, when I tried to start it the engine it turned over normally, and sounded normal, for just a second. Then it sounded like it started turning over much much faster than normal and the turning over sound changed to the sound of a high speed "whirl" (I don't know any other way to describe it).
In both cases the car just turned over and over and never sounded like it was going to start, resulting in a tow being needed. I've now found out that the dealer started the car by pushing the gas pedal to the floor, then cranking over the engine and then very slowly releasing the gas pedal until the engine started to fire. In the three months in between the non start days the car has started fine and it drives fine, lots of power, constant power with no surges or bogging down. The dealers have checked the compression, fuel PSI, and run computer diagnostics and everything appears to be normal. They also removed the value cover and say that as far as they can tell the fuel injectors seem to be functioning normally.
Mazda - Mazda3 :: 2005 - Brakes Fading Halfway?
I have a 2005 Mazda 3, with ABS. Recently, the brakes on this car began to fade about halfway through the pedal travel, then firm up. This is while driving, (ie, with the engine running). When the engine is off, the pedal pumps up high and firm. I bled the brakes, eliminated the possibility of any hydraulic problem such as a leak, no change. I then reasoned that since the problem only appeared when vacuum was applied to the power assist, that must be the culprit. Replaced the power assist, problem remains. Next suspect is the master cylinder, but, as I said, with the engine off, the pedal is fine. Usually cars make sense to me, but this has me questioning my instincts.
View 9 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: 2005 Making Clicking Noise
I have a mazda 3 and i just tried to start it but its just making a clicking noise. The radio works so does that rule battery out....
View 4 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: 2005 - Gear Selector Won't Click Into Position
The gear selector on my 2005 Mazda 3 with automatic transmission is difficult to move between P, R, N, and D positions. It does not "click" or fall into position like it used to. It has gradually gotten worse. When the car is in Park, it seems to not want to go all the way up into the Park slot. Even though the car actually parked, the P will not light up on the dashboard, which sometimes causes the car not to start when the key is turned. So sometimes I have to put it in Neutral to start.
Now the problem is that when it is in Drive, it will "fall out of gear". I put that in quotes because it is still in drive, but it was shift up to a higher gear if i don't physically pull the gear selector knob back. For example, if i'm driving and the car is in 4th gear going 60mph, and the shifter know slides up an eight of an inch, the D light will go off and the car will move into a higher gear (not sure which one, feels like 2nd or 3rd) and the engine will rev up. It doesn't feel like neutral.
Is there anything I can do myself? I plan on trading in the car in the next couple months, but I'd prefer to not have to get it worked on until then.
Mazda - Mazda3 :: 2005 - Winding Sound At Highway Speed
For the last few weeks my car has been making a winding sound at highway speeds. It sounds as if it is winding out at high rpms but it isn't. When I let off the gas, the sound doesn't decrease until the car begins to slow significantly. It also seems not to make the sound if I am going around a right hand curve. The car is a 2005 5-speed mazda 3.
What the problem might be? And is it safe to drive 600 miles back home before having it checked out. With the holiday, I don't have many options.
Mazda - Mazda3 :: 2005 - Take Longer To Reach Normal Operating Temperature - CEL?
Our 2005 Mazda 3 appears to have a problem with the thermostat. My mechanic read a check engine light code connected with a thermostat problem. My wife has noticed that the car seems to take longer to reach normal operating temperature than it used to (close to 15 minutes of driving). Other than probably diminishing the gas mileage and having to wait longer for nice heat is there any down-side to this problem? Is it likely to get worse and fail altogether? The shop guesstimates it will cost around $150.00 to replace.
View 15 RepliesMazda :: 2005 - Blinker Working Intermittently
So my 05 Mazda 6 was in a small fender bender several months back. One of the items that had to be replaced was the right headlight assembly. Once we got it back from the shop we noticed almost immediately that the right turn signal was working intermittently. We took it back to the shop and they said the assembly was defective so they replaced it and it worked fine for a few days. But then the intermittent problem started again. I didn't have an opportunity to take it back to the shop so we just deal with it. My state inspection is coming up soon and it won't pass if the light doesn't work. I kinda think the headlight assbly is the wrong model. It has a small led looking light in it that is on when the marker lights are on that the other original doesn't have.
View 1 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: Loud Noise When AC Is On And Accelerating
I have a 2004 Mazda 3. I just had it inspected and cabin air filter replaced. Now, my car makes a loud noise when the a/c is on and I'm accelerating. The noise sounds like a fan is vibrating /something is blocking it or like a motor is rev-ing that shouldn't be. There definitely is something wrong that wasn't there before the filter/s replaced. I watched a Youtube video on it... a real pain to replace them, but it looked like the fithad to be pretty tight... Could the filters have been installed incorrectly or some part not put back together correctly?
View 2 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: 2008 - Noise While Shifting Between First And Second
I hear a noise- what I can best describe as a metallic plucking sound - like a low metallic chord being plucked- when my automatic transmission 2008 Mazda3 shifts from first to second gear. It only happens the first time. I don't hear it after the car ihas been driving and is warmed up. Any thoughts on what could be happening?
View 2 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: Cutting Out While Driving / RPM Loss
My mazda 3i is cutting out while driving. I added fuel injector additive to gas and it still cuts out. Battery check is fine. What the issue can be. RPM loss
View 5 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: Heater Only Works Using Recirculation
I've noticed this winter that my Mazda 3's heater is barely working using fresh air. It definitely gives out warmer air than the outside temperature, but not by a whole lot. If I turn on air recirculation, then the air becomes appropriately warm. What would cause the heater to work one way and not the other?
View 3 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: How To Test If Clutch Is Going / Slipping
I own a mazda 3 6 speed and im curious as how to test my clutch for slippage. I read on a old forum that to put the e brake up and put the car in 1st gear and release the clutch. When i did that my car tried to move but after a couple seconds i put it back in neutral. Another forum said to do the same but put it in 3rd as i released the clutch it stalled right away.
View 5 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: Leaking Strut / Need To Be Replaced?
My mechanic told me today that one of my struts on my 2006 Mazda3 (with 110k miles) is leaking and that the strut needs to be replaced. Is this something that has an impact on safety, or is it something I can stretch for a while longer? Is the strut going to break if it is leaking? Also, wouldn't I have to replace both of them?
View 19 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: Skipping Gears While Shifting
Is it ok/better/worse to skip gears while accelerating in a manual car? Example would be starting from a stop in 1st and going strait from 1st to 3rd gear. , I have a mazda 3 and i usually run 1st up to 3500 rpm or so and when i hit 3rd its around 1400 when I let the clutch out.
View 13 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: 2007 Tough Startup After Fill Up?
My 2007 Mazda3 2.0 engine had the CEL on. took to autozone... gas cap code cleared. After the code was cleared next times I filled up, whether empty or 1/4 tank, car wouldn't start unless gas pedal is pushed to floor. Took to dealer. Dealer said code was for gas cap and maybe a vacuum hose. Did something to gas cap and cleared code. Light back on 2 days later with hard start still there. Replaced vacuum hose... CEL off, now 2 days later CEL off but still has the startup after fill up problem. At $90/hr I'm hesitant to return to dealer.
View 3 RepliesMazda - Mazda3 :: Overheating - Engine Temp Spiking
Last weekend we noticed that the engine temp was spiking. I still does. Sometimes it's a matter of just 8 blocks of driving before it's up, during which the heater doesn't want to blow hot air. Or, it will have a normal operating temp around town, and then start to spike when we hit the highway, and the heater works fine then (it even seems to take some of the temp off of the engine, like it should.) I took it to Autozone to have them run codes and it came back with a faulty coolant temperature sensor (I don't remember the CEL code.)
I have the replacement sensor and can replace it, but I'm not convinced that this is the problem anymore. Yesterday I had the coolant flushed, but I still have overheating issues. In fact, it seemed to be worse on the ride home from the coolant flush. Anyway, I noticed riding back from Autozone today that it felt like the engine was braking, as if my car were a manual. Now, I've ridden a few manuals before, and the braking I felt wasn't as heavy as the braking you feel when you release the accelerator and the clutch is still engaged, but it's similar. I think I'm a little overdue for a transmission fluid change. Could that be it?
My Mazda3 is a 2008 automatic with the smaller engine. It's stock.
Mazda - Mazda3 :: Strong Smell After Trans Flush?
I had a trans flush done a few weeks ago and when I picked up the car there was a strong smell in the car( I assumed it was from the flush and that they spilled fluid). The smell was coming through the vents. I needed a cabin filter change and that improved the smell, although occasionally I still get a mild whiff of that same smell through the vents. What this could be? I guess I should have complained about it immediately. It is so hard in the area I live on to get competent mechanics.
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