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I'm looking for a car cover for my 2011 Mazda 3 Hatch, so if anyone can recommend a place/make/whatever, I would appreciate it. It will be under a carport, but the roof is fairly high so it will be catching some sun and some weather. The harshest part will be Texas summer heat and dust. (I will be in CA for a month in March then deploying overseas for the better part of a year, so a good cover would be worth it, I think). LTBS, this may be completely silly, but my 2011 with under 10K miles was making a hell of a lot of noise on bumps at low speed (under 30 MPH) on the rear wheels. Took it to the dealer and they found that the sway bar links needed to be retorqued. Took care of a lot of noise(s) and the car seems to handle better now. Wish I'da gone to get that checked sooner. North Park Mazda for anyone in or near San Antonio has a really great service department (should've bought the thing there  )Definitely loving the bumper-to-bumper coverage on the car while I'm paying on it. Got a new speaker for the passenger door due to be put in soon.
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Feb 14, 2012 23:16
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opengl128 posted:Amazing this is still an issue. This happened to my 08.5, and I think I've read about it happening to people with 05's and 04's.  boo. Does yours also have the issue with the rough shift when you decel to like 1st gear then accel again? Makes city driving a pain sometimes (not to mention the fact that it makes you look like you're an idiot driving a stick wrong when it throws you forward or back in your seat). Service guy at the dealership said his '11 6 had the same thing.
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Feb 14, 2012 23:53
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MetaJew posted:That's so strange. Do you have the Bose system? The front passenger speaker went out on my 09 ms3. Fortunately, it was also replaced under warranty. I think I might, not 100% sure though (sport package, I think  )CharlesM posted:Could that be why I sometimes feel what I think is suspension judder that is kind of like a wheel off balance? The more I think about it, the more I think this is very likely the case. I likened the noise to the one you might hear on an empty trailer with mega leaf springs (if that makes any sense at all).
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Feb 15, 2012 04:46
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SynMoo posted:If you're deploying for the better part of a year, I'd recommend storing it on jack stands, with a full tank of gas and a battery tender. Yeah the service guy at the dealer told me to either disconnect one of the battery leads or have someone drive it periodically 15-20 mins. Still seems like keeping it covered would be a good idea though, eh? Amazon is yelling at me that the covercraft you mentioned WILL NOT FIT OMG 
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Feb 17, 2012 20:24
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Anyone with a 3 had any issues with the power steering? At very low speeds I can hear it making some noise (whirring/mechanical), not sure how typical this is, but it seems a bit odd. Could just be that I don't have enough momentum and as such the pump and system are having to do more work than usual and I just happen to be able to hear it.
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Feb 26, 2012 00:44
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Definitely recommend disconnecting or charging your battery if you're going to leave your car sitting for a long time, I was a dumbass and didn't (and couldn't get anyone else to do it while I was overseas) and it kilt the original battery. Lo and behold, that's not covered on the "everything's covered" plan that comes as you pay. Was cheaper/faster to just fix it myself. Two new questions: How much should a good auto-tint job run for a Mazda 3 hatch (2011)? Highly rated place here advertises for like $289 but honestly that seems a bit steep, but I really have no idea. Also, are the any after market pieces that you can attach to the top of the rear bumper? You know like many cars have to cover the plastic/metal bit just on the edge of the trunk or just inside the doors? I use my 3's hatch and expanded back seat a lot to haul furniture, dogs, etc, and the plastic on top of the rear bumper has taken a bit more of a beating than I expected. Seems (I hope) like putting a rubberized plastic piece that fits along the top of the bumper would be the best solution (and hopefully not look too bad).| Thanks for all the help from a long while back guys, it was much appreciated. Still think this is the best looking hatch on the road, bar none. Starting to get annoyed that I can't use my headlights during the day *and* be able to see my gauges on the dash, but I have always been demanding like that.
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Sep 11, 2013 20:27
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air- posted:There's a bumper step plate/bumper guard, basically goes on with double sided adhesive. Buy it via a Mazda parts site. Is there one that goes all the way across? Unfortunately that dip in the middle is what's been gouged on mine kefkafloyd posted:You know you can push in the headlight dimming knob and it'll turn off the dimming, right? It's right next to the speedo, you normally turn it to adjust the dimming. It turns *and* pushes? Ye gods. I knew I'd messed with it before but being overseas made me stupid(er).
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Sep 11, 2013 21:07
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Franco Caution posted:I checked in both CO and FL on my 12 Speed3 and it was always between $160-$180 at decent shops. I also of course got a couple bids in the $230-$250 range but that just seemed silly and overpriced. drat, everywhere here is trying to sell me $200+ at basically the low end, what the hell, Texas? Any recommendations for what film is actually worth a drat? They are all touting top-of-the-line crap at $400+, annoying
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Sep 11, 2013 22:14
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As far as your height, the MS3/3 hatch will be solid. Dealer told me I wouldn't have fit in the regular 3 but the hatch has a ton more headroom (I'm 6'3). Somehow an aftermarket sun/moon roof seems an invitation for issues but I don't really know. The biggest complaint I recall hearing for anyone concerned with performance was that they were very heavy compared to those without. Considering going to a truck customization shop to see about getting a full bumper step strip, will let you guys know how dumb I end up being. Dealer will do my tint for $250, something about ceramic? But it's got a lifetime warranty and at least this way any dealer would cover it for me.
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Sep 12, 2013 22:42
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Related yet unrelated: I've been surprised I only get 26-28 mpg hwy in my 2011 3 hatch, was expecting a bit more (have only really started doing serious driving here recently, 100+ miles per day, basically all highway) Also, is there any decent fix for a better connection with the aux audio input? The guy at the dealer kind of shrugged at me when I asked but I play music almost exclusively off my phone and have had nothing but problems with it, static/sound loss/etc - the cord seems to be the biggest issue but I don't want to have to keep buying cords, seems silly
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Oct 21, 2013 18:30
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Where is the power steering pump on the '10-'13 Mazda 3s? I'm hearing a lot of whining that sounds to be coming from the very front right corner (from the driver's seat) of the engine compartment. At first I thought it might be due to the cold, but it doesn't seem to stop once the engine warms up, and whines more when turning (hence my uneducated guess). Also getting some squeaking from the brakes, although that, at least, seems to only happen due to the cold. (Just hit 20k miles so these seem a bit odd to me).
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Dec 7, 2013 22:00
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SiB posted:The electric/hydraulic power steering pump is in fact below and behind the right headlight. Has anyone else run into this? I just haven't had a good chance/spot to try and look at anything.
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Dec 9, 2013 03:32
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I am still running mine on the dual wires, have a ton of trouble with the aux in wire, on my third or fourth wire. Ordered a newer, slightly pricier wire, but haven't even gotten bold enough to try something more, kind of accepting it's always going to be a pain.
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Dec 15, 2013 04:30
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Martytoof posted:Do you not have terrible ground loop interference when you have AUX and power plugged in? I fear I would not have been able to call it that, just a lot of static and sound breakdown (losing sound in certain speakers, losing certain parts of tracks) but I had this problem before I had a car charger, so I have always assumed it was the aux cables making GBS threads the bed due to poor quality and rough temps here in TX. Right now I always end up having to reposition and contort my iPhone frequently (even when just plugged into the aux cable) and it is really, really annoying.
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Dec 15, 2013 06:05
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My biggest issues with the cold have been a newly noisy power steering pump (which I guess is fairly common) and very noisy brakes (still haven't figured that one out). I find the road noise is so loud though that I might not even be able to hear suspension noise or the like.
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Jan 25, 2014 18:51
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As far as the bike rack, my girlfriend has an over-the-trunk removable style that seems to be pretty good (straps and a small metal frame) and would fit on the rear door of the hatch, but I was worried about it putting weight on the spoiler.
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Mar 26, 2014 00:15
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Kraftwerk posted:Will do. Is there anything you'd recommend for winter climates? Make sure you at least get washer fluid rated below 32 degrees (I think some are down to 0) and good wipers as well. I find rain x for both is usually a good bet - some people don't like them, but I find the wipers stay pliable down to lower temps.
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Apr 15, 2014 15:14
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Rhyno posted:Get the Skyactive. You'll regret it in the long run if you don't. My poor 2011
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Aug 4, 2014 13:43
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Which of the 30k mile services are really necessary? Of course any shop would love to sell you several hundred dollars worth of services, but I don't know mazdas that well. The fuel injection/system cleaning seems worthwhile because I've been noticing the throttle isn't quite as responsive, etc. (2011 3 hatch). Also going to have to do my headlight lenses already, kinda bummed about that. REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Aug 9, 2014 |
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Aug 9, 2014 19:20
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B!G_$W@NG@ posted:Which of the 30k mile services are really necessary? I guess I will re-phrase this a bit then and ask whether, say, any of these can be reasonably done on my own, ie does the fuel injector cleaner you put in your gas tank work worth a drat or is it necessary to have them do the full flush, etc in the shop? I don't have a good, safe, level spot to do much else on my own so I am trying to figure all of this out.
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Aug 18, 2014 03:41
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IOwnCalculus posted:Do you have a Skyactiv 3 or the old-school MZR? Any variety of "fuel injection service" will be near worthless on the direct-injection Skyactiv - I never heard of a MS3 having dirty injectors, and the Skyactiv should run a good deal cleaner than the DISI does. The only cleaning you can do is to blast the back of the intake valves and that's not what anyone doing a "fuel injection service" is going to be doing. Mine is a 2011, so just before skyactiv (odd to think of that as old school haha). How do you get to the cabin air filter on that model 3? I figured through the glove box but I was told you have to get in through the dash. I'd like to take care of anything I can on my own (probably need to rotate the tires again too) rather than pay several hundred dollars.
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Aug 18, 2014 16:37
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Viper915 posted:Here's a guide I found when I went to do mine. Very easy, one filter slides in then you push it up until it stays, then the second filter slides in below it so they're stacked. Had to order from amazon but looks easy enough, will try next weekend. Anyone have suggestions for a good sun shade? I still have my super old one from my last car which fits great but doesn't do poo poo to keep it cool. The top one from amazon doesn't seem like the right dimensions (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E5OUOCQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1408980715&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40) - I measured like 53" by 32". Obviously I haven't bought one in ages so I don't know what's decent nowadays.
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Aug 25, 2014 17:05
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Anyone know the secret to replacing the rear wiper on a 2011 3 hatch? I don't want to risk snapping anything and I'm hoping a mazda part isn't necessary. A quick google yielded nada.
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Sep 13, 2014 00:23
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Out of curiosity, has anyone ever run a decibel meter on their 3 hatch going at highway speeds? I ran a super basic one on my phone just now and it was over 90 dB (50 was the baseline just sitting). I will do a more extensive test tomorrow, but the noise is worrying me a bit. I will post a short clip if I can find an easy host - someone that heard it thought it might be something with the rear diff - it's a swelling/receding roar that cycles every few seconds (many rotations of each tire). Edit: http://tinypic.com/r/2nqbls6/8 REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 01:28 on Nov 14, 2014 |
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Nov 14, 2014 01:11
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Well I made no promises that I wasn't a dumbass. Edit: apparently I'm past warranty, poo poo. I appreciate the help guys, but I don't have a safe, level place to work, so this may have to go to a shop. Hopefully not an arm and a leg. REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Nov 14, 2014 |
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Nov 14, 2014 16:32
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Apparently my problems/noise are all from the tires. 35k miles on them. Dealer said I needed new tires, service place down the road called bullshit. Got the alignment done (dealer had it all day on scheduled appt and didn't get poo poo done). No real difference in feel/noise thus far but hoping I can just run these tires for a while longer. REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 02:57 on Nov 23, 2014 |
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Nov 22, 2014 22:28
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Thanks, I will go take a look at mine later today to see what I can find. What tires did you end up replacing yours with? I figure to run mine a while longer, 35k seems awfully low to replace if traction/tread, etc is still good. I'd like to hope for less than 90 dB inside but I doubt tires alone will take care of that. I probably need to rotate my tires again, actually (I doubt they did that when they did my alignment unless that's standard and I just don't know about it). The only difference thus far after the alignment is the steering feels a bit looser and the noise is the same except it sounds like more on the front tires now.
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Nov 24, 2014 17:51
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Have any of you switched off the stock wheels on the last gen 3 (I guess they're 17s)? I was considering switching to some old steelies off an '05 or so corolla (if the bolt pattern even matches) to see if I could get better wear and possibly less noise. I'm doing almost exclusively highway driving and will keep all-season tires on them, but I was curious if anyone had tried it and noticed much difference.
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Dec 11, 2014 18:01
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Cheers for the info, just kind of brainstorming since 35k on a set of tires seems really poor to me.
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Dec 16, 2014 18:21
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Stock - I didn't realize they were rated so poorly, but oh well. Since changing wheels may be more trouble than it's worth, which of the replacement brands have you guys found to be best? I think the dunlops were rated decently on TireRack but I'm clueless on the other brands/etc I've found.
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Dec 16, 2014 20:19
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Correct, that's the size the dealer sent me (I quickly and politely declined their $1000 offer for some new Yokohamas). I was looking at michelins but somehow missed those first time around (costco had a special going which is of course done now). From tire rack, it looks like the top three choices are the Pirelli cinturatos mentioned above, Michelin premier a/s, or perhaps a continental. I'm driving in south Texas so I figure an all-season is best. Are the wear bars for you guys getting noisy before the 2/32 rule?
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Dec 17, 2014 05:07
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dissss posted:Is that really considered poor? Do you not have any corners in your part of the world? It's entirely possible that my memory is serving me particularly poorly, but from past experience, I get the notion that you should at least get 50k out of a set of decent tires (and I realize that orig equip tires don't always qualify), and plenty of these we're discussing have a 70k warranty (for whatever that's worth). I realize I'm probably the village idiot with most things here, so maybe my numbers are unrealistic. What gets me the most is the 90+ dB of road noise (and my memory from the first year of ownership may also be failing me here) for hours on end when I drive on highways - I haven't noticed any real degradation in handling with the tires but maybe I just need to cave and do it. The only thing it can really be now is the wear bars. Edit: I hope I don't come off as ungrateful on any of this, I do appreciate any and all input/discussion.
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Dec 17, 2014 05:33
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CharlesM posted:This is my one real complaint about my car. It just gets loud at 60mph. I guess I just forgot about this while I was gone/not driving it for a year, I genuinely don't remember it being like this in the first year after I bought it. I will definitely be looking into some noise insulating stuff after it's paid off. I will check into strictly summer tires as well.
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Dec 17, 2014 15:42
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Cygni posted:The older, pre-Skyactiv engines don't get great mileage. Thats probably the biggest knock against the pre-'12s. Verifying this on both counts big time. 26-28 mpg avg and around 35k on original tires (2011).
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Feb 19, 2015 23:04
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trem posted:Changing the cabin air filter (for the first time ever) in my 2008 Mazda 3 tomorrow. Not looking forward to it. Hope you're a fairly small person, my 2011 took ages and sucked way more than I thought possible (top filter wouldn't stay, etc)
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May 5, 2015 02:34
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MetaJew posted:I don't have any experience with the regular 3s, but my 09 MS3 hasn't given me any issues in my five years of ownership. I took it to the dealer twice while it was under warranty. Once for when the passenger door speaker blew itself out, Huh, apparently this is more common than I knew, my '11 3 did the same thing. I've been pretty impressed with the sound system overall though. Also have noise in my dash but a mechanic I asked seemed to think it was fine. The top fan speed seems so drat loud though (and worse on head/floor split).
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Jul 8, 2015 13:11
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I guess I've got it easy then, the dash on my 2011 3 pulled itself apart 
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Aug 7, 2015 00:23
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Has anyone had problems with the hatch latch on their 3? Mine has issues from time to time and flat refused to work the other morning (I'm guessing because it was slightly cooler out but not sure). Also, has anyone had their dash separate? Mine pulled apart (from summer heat, despite windshield cover and window tint) right above the middle displays (2011) and now the plastic in front of the displays hangs at an angle, so far it doesn't obscure them but I'm sure it will over time. I'd glue it back but there's probably not much point. Edit: mostly curious whether I can/should attempt to fix these issues REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS fucked around with this message at 00:45 on Nov 5, 2015 |
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Nov 3, 2015 17:20
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At least last time my local place tried that they actually showed me the fluid. It was only 30-35k miles (on a 2011, done maybe a year ago) but the stuff was terribly dirty, not really sure why as I don't have a heavy foot and have been doing primarily highway driving the last 2+ years. Definitely keep an eye on that one. The only plus to having a shop do it is they can use a pressurized machine to move out the old fluid and move more in until they can see it's clean - I may have been sold on a gimmick there (and didn't end up using that shop, but should've). I was also told by a shop or two that Mazda ATF changes were a serious pain and wanted to charge me more I still think it ran me $100.
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Dec 4, 2015 18:44
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It was mine, walked out to the car in the bay and they pulled the dipstick and put some on the paper showing the 100s of dollars of services they wanted me to get. I am extremely wary of all that stuff but the other shop I had change it also said "drat, that's pretty bad" still don't know why though.
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Dec 4, 2015 19:18
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