how's it going, everyone?

i'm brand new here and i'm pretty psyched about my car purchase. the car is so much fun to drive; can't wait until i get it home for good.

unlike my other cars in the past that were just 'point A to point B' types of things, i'm going to baby this one.

since this is my first turbocharged car, i'm totally new to this and i'd like to know if anyone could point me in the direction of a good maintenance schedule to follow for the car (and basically anything else i need to know)

also, does anyone know where i can find out the recalls list on the '08 speed 3's to find out if i need to get anything serviced from the dealer? (buying from a private party)

thanks!
- g

 

In response regarding recalls. I just bought a 2009 Mazda 3i sport and was informed of 2 recalls via my car fax. One is the power steering and the other is the wiper motor. I have only had my car for 2 weeks and my power steering light came on today. I called the Mazda dealership and they are going to fix it free of charge due to it being recalled. I suggest you call your Mazda dealer and they can tell you all the details. I want to get this done right away since loss of power steering is a safety hazard.

 

The loss of power steering is not a safety hazard; the car is completely controllable with no power steering assist at all.

FWIW #1, there is significant evidence which suggests the standard power steering setup on the Mazda3 is, in and of itself, not an issue; the problem of failed systems is because so many folks turn the steering wheel to full lock and then keep it there for some number of seconds when parking or maneuvering in tight spaces. Said another way, those of us whom were properly taught to never hold the steering wheel of a car with power steering at full lock will probably never have the problem manifest itself in our cars. Case in point, my 2009 Mazda3 now has 45,000 miles on it with the original power steering system and no such problems. Will I have the recall performed? Whether I want it or not, my dealership will probably do the work when I have my tires changed in the next month or so.

FWIW #2, I routinely turn my engine off while I'm coasting down my driveway, well before I have to make a ninety-degree turn into the garage. Yes, the steering is heavier, and yes, the car is still completely controllable.

 

I agree with that, having driven vehicles not equipped with power steering they can be controlled. However my 5 (which had the same recall) did go out and was a major PITA, but only because we were in a parking lot.

 

i hear you guys... and i thank you for your responses, but if i can get the recalled fix done for free, it's a no-brainer, right? (fyi, i've been driving around a big, heavy ford truck for the past 8 years and the power steering would clunk in and out on it all the time - still controllable, but PITA, as someone said)

what's really freaking me out is the turbocharger - i keep reading everywhere that it requires "more maintenance than a regular engine," but i can't seem to get a good description of what exactly that will be more than checking fluids regularly and changing the oil every 2500-3000 miles. (and using synthetic oil)

really? is that what the big stink is about?

 

i love that ^^^^^ i'm a hard-core Jets fan, but that's awesome! more power to you. lol

 

Turbochargers can be hard on the oil when the engine is shutdown immediately after being run hard (kinda like the old horse analogy "She was rid hard and put away wet", not good for horses or cars with turbochargers). That said, if you use a high quality synthetic oil, there is no reason to change the oil every 2500-3000 miles; complete waste of time, money and resources.

Were it that I was driving a MazdaSpeed3, the ONLY oil I'd use is one which carries the stringent VW/Audi 502.00 certification. Any number of companies sell oils which meet this requirement, my two favorite are Mobil 1 0W-40 (which is at the very low end of the "40" spectrum and can easily be used in an engine which specifies [something]W-30) and Castrol Syntec 0W-30 (also knowns as German Castrol or simply GC).

Funny thing, 502.00 certified oils are so robust that even in turbocharged applications they can be run for well over 10,000 miles and still not be exhausted (of course you will need to employ Used Oil Analysis if you want to push things beyond Mazda's recommended OCI).

 

you, sir, are the man. thank you.

you pretty much reaffirmed my previous beliefs (in much more educated detail) and you also inadvertently explained to me why my brother in law has a timer on his Subaru STI that makes it idle for about 1-2 minutes after he shuts the car off. (i've been considering getting one of those for 99 dollars. ... worth it?)

 

wow... okay... hold on. just went to eBay to see prices on the Apexi turbo timers and the range is from about 10 bucks all the way to 100. scratch that 99 dollar idea.

any input on what i should buy (if indeed this is a good idea?)

 

Personally I think turbo timers are kind of pointless. I've racked up nearly 250,000 combined miles on two turbocharged cars and have never had any issues. I simply used high end synthetic oils and was mindful of when I'd driven hard before coming to a stop (you know, things like blasting down the freeway at extra-legal speeds and then pulling into a service area for gas). Other than that I never bothered idling before shutting down.