Just take it back to the dealer and get everything checked out........you say it's 2005 with 27K miles, right? You should atleast still have the drivetrain warranty which covers engine and most parts under the hood.

Good luck!

 

lmao

 

i dunno i talked to the dealer scheduled to go in tomorrow for a list of issues

1. burns to much gas
2. needs new tail lights ( full of water)
3. buttons on steering wheel vibrate.
4. at low idle car vibrates ( sitting at a red light)

all and all i feel like i should have just got a GTO better on gas and faster out of the hole

 

called the dealer. told them the problems. i get a new tail light ! thats a plus they will check the brakes. they have no idea what the flash is or how to update it. any ideas what i can have them check?

 

get them to check the inside of the intake for oil - around the accordian area .
If there is oil everywhere (common on earlier 8's ) then you need to fit a catch can and clean the MAF .

 

Hey JTK07 I'm in Plano just north of Dallas, I have an 05 auto 4spd. If you want to get together we can check the performance of yours vs mine, just PM me and we can check it out. Don't let them get you down on having an auto it's still a great car. You're not going to be able to do any burnouts or hard launches unless you want to destroy your tranny, it's due to the craptastic torque converter they used. To get better launch you need a better torque converter or like everyone says, trade for a manual, you just can't get the revs up high enough to launch good unless you do a neutral slam but that can be very destructive. I haven't calculated my mileage recently but around town it is pretty bad but I don't think it's 9MPG bad, however on the highway I do get excellent mileage if I keep the revs down and on cruise control.

 

Bring these with you tomorrow:

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...13-08-1925.pdf
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...14-08-1924.pdf

The rough idle you mention is normal but again that may be an issue with your fuel trim or it can be indicative of a blown engine. Since you were getting decent, tho low, mileage before you may have blown your engine. Did you notice anything or do anything out of the ordinary between the 15 mpg and 9 mpg tanks?

 

like everyone else said...its a 4 port LOW POWER automatic
they are slower than s**t
I've driven 2 of them at work and my god I could ride a bicycle faster than those

In conclusion...somebody didn't do their research

 

rough idle could be a bad motor mount too

 

Nothing out of the ordinary happened. thanks for the SB much appreciated. im not sure how the car would run so good from 20 mph up so fast but 0 - 20 so slow. will ask about it tomorrow wen im at the dealer

Thanks for all the help

 

It's awesome, spin tires in first and second.

Your AUTO is prone to engine failure. It was a bad design from the get go, your friend must be lucky to have a good automatic 8.

Turn it in for compression check then get an engine replacement, should be fine after that.

 

If the party that you bought the car from doesn't know what a flash is then its time to take it to a good Mazda dealer for service under the Mazda warranty. Take the earlier advice to find recommendations on this web site. The dealer will connect the car to a computer that reads/updates the flash appropriate for your vehicle. While its there, spend a little coin on a compression test. You can get all kinds of information on compression tests off this site with a little searching. If the tests are good, you have eliminated a big potential problem and established a good baseline for monitoring your powerplant for the future. If it is bad, you have probably found your issue and the dealer can pursue engine replacement under warranty.

 

cars in the shop now but on a good note i finally got to talk to someone there with a brain. we think it could be that it needs the computer reset. also the vibration they are claiming may require new engine and trans mounts. hopefully this will fix it.

 

Keep us posted, I had to get my engine mounts replaced and it definitely helped the vibrations at idle.

 

ok so got word from the dealer.


to get rid of the vibration = new motor mounts all over and mount bracket
water in tail light = open dry it out new seal ( f this dont work new tail light)
slow acceleration = new coils plugs and wires (at there expense )
noise brakes = wait to get new brake pads 50% rear still good and 65% front
but ok atleast i know there still good.

should be done tonight so i can get rid of this junk rental mazda 3 with even less power.

 

Coils + plugs + wires == better mileage for sure.

 

Interesting. I've been putting the car in neutral when I see an upcoming red light and just coast. I've also done that on the highway as I'm coming down a mountain - sometime coasting to over 70-75MPH! I know the car uses more fuel at idle than piston engines, but is there proof that just keeping in gear and coasting is better? I tend to shy away from downshifting without a good reason. Brakes are far cheaper than a clutch - even with good technique.