My Mazdaspeed 3 almost caught on fire.

So I am coming home from the store when all the sudden I smell burning electrical or brakes and I think to myself...wait I didn't slam on my brakes or anything...and out of the corner of my eye my dash lights (Where the A/C and what not are) begin to lose power, gain power, etc as if it is getting a power spike.  So the flashing gets worse and worse, smell goes away, smell gets worse and worse...I get home and turn the car off and there is that STRONG smell again when I get out of the car...I was like...well fuck it if it's gonna go up in flames it's gonna go up in flames but luckily it didn't.  This all happened in a matter of 3 minutes. 

Anyone else experience this?     

no.. thats scary bro... you talked to the dealership bout this?

were u punching it? was ur heat left on?

OUCH!~!~!~!  That is scary.
 
By chance, you didn't forget to drop the parking brake all the way did you?  I know I have occasionally forgotten to make sure it was completely off... not in this car, but others I've owned.
 
Had you just done an oil change, or tranny fluid, etc?  Check your power steering fluid level too.
 
I would try to remember exactly where all the settings in the car were when you smelled the burning smell.  Ten try to recreate it and see what happens.
 
 
 

the e brake sounds believable... it really stinks up the car when left up (not that i did it in my car; it was done on my friends evo lol)

quote:

ORIGINAL: virgin1


OUCH!~!~!~!  That is scary.

By chance, you didn't forget to drop the parking brake all the way did you?  I know I have occasionally forgotten to make sure it was completely off... not in this car, but others I've owned.

Had you just done an oil change, or tranny fluid, etc?  Check your power steering fluid level too.

I would try to remember exactly where all the settings in the car were when you smelled the burning smell.  Ten try to recreate it and see what happens.

Believe me.  That is one of the first things I check.  I checked the e-brake, turned the lights off then on, but I didn't want to turn the car off then on again because there is a tiny surge of power when you start a car so I didn't want to throw MORE power at it.

The car seems to be fine now...I just want to know what the lower dash lights are ALSO fused with...  

 Or in this case, the fuse box cover?   
 
 

thats scary dude. the e-brake is a problem. in fact my friend did that with his civic. it smelled really bad.. and he had to replace the whole drums on the rear.. 

i have a sensitive nose where i can smell things right away before anyone...

but.. there were a few times where i parked in my driveway after driving home from schooll... i smell burning rubber? like i wasn't driving fast or did anything to hurt my wheels... i'm not sure where this smell came from,but i am assuming my tires?

maybe you should stop burning out . im kidding. i have never smelt a burning smell except when i was first learning to drive my car... which was the clutch because i sucked hahaha

Fords were known to have their harnesses catch fire.
 
I realize these are mazda 3's based on a frame inspired by Volvo.  Which the electrical was handled by Ford.  I read that somewhere and take it with a grain of salt.

Don't know where you read that but you are wrong.  The Mazda3 is entirely Mazda. 
 
Can you show me a link about these Ford vehicles "known" to have harnesses catch on fire?
 
Electrical shorts can happen in any complex electrical system.  I'd have the car towed to the dealer and thoroughly checked out...that's what a warranty is for.

exactly how much can i get out of from the dealer? i have about 10700 miles in my car...

quote:

ORIGINAL: LordChrisofSith

Fords were known to have their harnesses catch fire.

I realize these are mazda 3's based on a frame inspired by Volvo.  Which the electrical was handled by Ford.  I read that somewhere and take it with a grain of salt.

 
I have heard a few ford models with faulty cruise controls. However, your Mazda shares the same technology in the body structure as the European Ford Focus, and Volvo C70/C30/S40, but is made entirely in Hiroshima, Japan by Mazda Motor Company, of which 33% is owned by Ford.
 
So any problems related to American made Fords have nothing to do with your Japanese Mazda.
 
How did it catch fire, anyway?

ur still under warranty (depending on the year of your car). but ur gonna ahve to be really specific about the smell.. even the guys at the dealership are retarded and they wont check it unless they know what they're looking for.

be like ummmmmm you burned out. because i smell it. but it smells like your tires so i assume that its your tires LOL. true stealerships have no idea what it is. however they found out waht the whistling noise in my car was when they drove it. it was ballin