most embarassing Mazda3 stories

[SwampAss]

Mine was when I first got the car. I was out driving around when I had a early to mid 90s Camaro pull along side me and drop to 2nd or so. It was an auto. It had some shitty sticker/graphic on the rocker panel and some Burt Reynolds styled louvers on the rear window. He lines up beside me at the next light. It's very late at night and the area I live in isn't exactly a metropolis. Light turns green and he's off. I was in neutral. DOH. I catch him in 2nd and then shift to 5th instead of 3rd. I'm flooring it in 5th thinking....ok, when's the boost going to kicking in. Camaro checked out. I turned around and went home. I later told my wife who laughed at me. Both for racing, and then for losing to some date rapist who was probably on his way to taco bell with Van a Halen cranked.

[b15nut]

Other day I was at the light of an overpass that has three lanes that merge to two from right to left. I was in the far right lane and next to me was a 2007 Lexus GS350 (303hp didnt know that at the time :)). I needed to get over so I though I could wiz bang right by this guy. Light turns green I bog the start (smash)then spin ruthlessly from 3k to shift at 6k in first (drive2). By this time the Lex realized what I was doing and floored it (guess he didnt want to be behind me). Second was all good had him by about half a car then the quick shift to third and....bang right into the shift gate!! I sheepishly got in behind him and think to myself DAMN SHIFTER (bang)(bang)gotta fix that!!! Also thought must look up more info on this GS 350 :)

[Falconx84]

i hate 2-3 shift .... only gets caught when you need it most like when showing off, lol

[DeadGeneration]

At least you all don't have the embarrassing moments when you try to shift out of 5th gear and then realize you have no more gears so you go back into 5th and cry.

[b15nut]

LMFAO Nice

[DredPir8Roberts]

yesterday a WRX pulled up behind me on a pretty steep hill. I was looking in the rear view mirror, trying to see if the driver knew what a MS3 was. As I'm trying to read his facial expression the light turns green, and on the steep hill with the AC on, I stall the car. To add insult to injury my girlfriend says to me "why'd you do that?" I was so mad/embarrased that I floored it to get started on the hill and spun the tires like mad, guy behind me probably thought I was trying to be a dick (after very obviously stalling the car).

[Mocoso]

Had a Civic who was being a real ass and doing the "slide on the right turning lane" but bolt straight to avoid traffic... Im the first car on the intersection on right lane and he's sitting here revving his vcrap engine blocking traffic turning right... hell no was I going to let him in front....

Not only did he get in front but every car around me figured I had broken something... pulled clutch out too soon before 2nd gear was fully engaged... grinding sound was horrible...... Im still looking for that friggin civic....

[flipstylex]

Well, mine was a month ago, I was at a stop light , right after rush hour ... there was a lot of cars behind me... when i checked .. a ricer civic pulled up next to me... then there was a camaro behind a civic... and a gto next to the camaro. for some reason, i had a feeling this civic was gonna race me... aperentley, he started reving his engine...

Then i heard the 2 domestic cars behind us reving theirs as well... maybe they wanted to race too right after me and the civic went at it...

Heres the embarassing part... i overreved mine before lauunch ... and the car couldnt catch traction... i guess i didnt slip the clutch the right way.... and this civic just toook off.. then, try to put it on second an still... i was just spinning the tires !!!!!

i was like wtf,...... almost started to cry....the civic and the camaro was out !!!!! while the gto behind me was honking his horn... !!!! lol.....he pulled up next to me..... rolled down his window and said " you fuked up big time pal... learn how to race that thing will ya,....thats why i dont get jap cars, they dont get traction !!!!! " ....

and then he took the exit and was out.... i was about to say shit.... if i didnt know how to race this thing.... illl blow your azz right now haha.... but he took the exit... what a bummer... oh well...

[flipstylex]

worst part of this story is........ losing to a honda.........this ads to my lifetime achievement with the ms3.....i killed 37 riced out honda in 6 months......and lost 1 .......... wtf....lol

[shamrock]

i hate 2-3 shift .... only gets caught when you need it most like when showing off, lol

Does this happen alot and will a short throw and shifter bushings help this issue

And from reading a few of your posts does the MS3 have terrible traction on launch. Obviously if you launch at 4,000+rpms. But say you dont rev it at all and take off does the car pick up speed quick.
Thanks
Ryan

[joshj84]

Here's one a bad one as well... lol my MS3 was my first manual car i've ever had so I pretty much learned on the fly lol. Anyways It was probably 1230am and I was at a 4 way light sitting waiting for the light to turn green, well it turns green and I start easing out of the clutch and giving it gas and I get going a tiny bit and stall. I'm like wtf did I do wrong? Start it up let go of the clutch a little slower and give it more gas and stall....I'm really starting to get frustrated and embarrassed at the same time and that doesn't help and start it up again and try to take off and stall again. Finally I'm in the middle of the intersection still green and stalled like wtf is going on...pull the stick out of gear and put it back in and start it up and do it again and I drove off embarrassed beyond belief lol. Thankfully it was late at night and only one person waiting to turn left saw it happen... The reason? I had forgotten to take it out of gear when I had stopped and by the time It turned green thought I had put it in first.... nope...it was still in 3rd whoops. Taught me really quick to always put it in neutral at a light.

[DeadGeneration]

lol I did that once or twice but I realized it after the 1st stall each time. Yea, you don't have to put it in neutral at the light, I prefer to stay in 1st. You just gotta remember to go into 1st, lol. I find that being in neutral at a light always makes things worse because then you have to remember to go into 1st when it turns green, plenty of times I just rev the engine trying go and then it's like obvious I forgot to put it in gear. Then you might think you are practiced at going into 1st when the light changes, but just wait until say the light turns green and you didn't see it and then you realize it's green after 2 seconds and you gotta punch it so traffic can start moving because you feel like an ass for sitting there at the green light. That's when you will punch it and rev to 6k in neutral and then another few seconds later you sheepishly go through the intersection as it turns yellow.

[johnnyB5646]

I was taking my wife out to lunch and we decided to take her CX-7 because I "drive like a maniac" in the Speed3(if she only knew). So I go to start her up and my left foot instictively goes for the clutch and hits nothing but air. My wife says "Why are you kicking my car?" and laughs at me when I tell her what I was doing. I kinda tweeked my knee and felt like a moron, but I haven't driven a auto consistently in 10yrs so my routines for starting a car takes over.

[dkswim]

I have a couple of good stories ill have to post one or two after I get off today.

[mckraut]

I was taking my wife out to lunch and we decided to take her CX-7 because I "drive like a maniac" in the Speed3(if she only knew). So I go to start her up and my left foot instictively goes for the clutch and hits nothing but air. My wife says "Why are you kicking my car?" and laughs at me when I tell her what I was doing. I kinda tweeked my knee and felt like a moron, but I haven't driven a auto consistently in 10yrs so my routines for starting a car takes over.

Lol, I feel your pain! Not a Mazda story...but after driving my first car (a manual) for a good year and a half and then jumping into my dad's Dodge Ram, I tried to put in the clutch only to step on the kick plate and pondered for a minute how I could have broken the clutch pedal that easily (since the kick plate sits on the floor). I felt real smart after that...

[Hikaru9]

Does this happen alot and will a short throw and shifter bushings help this issue

And from reading a few of your posts does the MS3 have terrible traction on launch. Obviously if you launch at 4,000+rpms. But say you dont rev it at all and take off does the car pick up speed quick.
Thanks
Ryan

4000+ rpm? What traction? lol~
I wouldn't necessarily call it "launching"... more like a massive burnout. =p

[Hikaru9]

I don't really have good stories like other folks here since I don't race people (I just don't need to make any more cop friends), but something funny did happen just the other day.

I was sitting at the light and this old 300ZX pulled up next to me. He started revving his motor as if to say he wanted to have a go, and I was just chillin' since I didn't feel like abusing the clutch of my new vehicle. The light turned green, and I just drove off normally while the Z somehow managed to stall. I was laughing my ass off, and a few seconds later the Z blew past by me. I guess he thought he'd look cool to pass my MS3 going the speed limit of 35mph at 90mph with his Z. It would've been funnier if there was a cop waiting right in front of us. lol~ *^_^*

[DeadGeneration]

I was taking my wife out to lunch and we decided to take her CX-7 because I "drive like a maniac" in the Speed3(if she only knew). So I go to start her up and my left foot instictively goes for the clutch and hits nothing but air. My wife says "Why are you kicking my car?" and laughs at me when I tell her what I was doing. I kinda tweeked my knee and felt like a moron, but I haven't driven a auto consistently in 10yrs so my routines for starting a car takes over.

Yea. That happens to me and also I never drive with 2 hands on the wheel even if it's automatic, too used to one handed driving now. Also some times I hit my left foot on the brake in an automatic.

[Falconx84]

^^ speaking of which... I used to drive an ambulance. My particular unit had a custom exhaust and strobes --- and extremely tight aftermarket brakes. Nothing is more embarassing than running lights/sirens to a call and trying to hit the clutch to downshift and locking up the wheels instead

that and once I almost fell out of the seat trying to grab the gearshift, lol

Hmmm... come to think of it, I'm probably the only person here to drive a modded ambulance, lol

[b15nut]

I had the same problem after having my Saab for a couple of years. Get into any other car and instinctively try to put the key in the center console!! Also I reach for the stick to shift when I drive my wifes automatic and reach for the clutch when I try and start the car. Must be just muscle memory :)

[b15nut]

Does this happen alot and will a short throw and shifter bushings help this issue

And from reading a few of your posts does the MS3 have terrible traction on launch. Obviously if you launch at 4,000+rpms. But say you dont rev it at all and take off does the car pick up speed quick.
Thanks
Ryan

Only when you need it to be perfect. I have only had it happen once.

Traction: If you bog the start it feels like an eternity before the boost hits. If you give a lil gas and time the clutch right there is no problem with traction on take off but once boost hits and the road is not smooth, you will spin through boost in 1st but once you hit second you are in a slingshot on wheels

[grazzmaster]

Hmmm... come to think of it, I'm probably the only person here to drive a modded ambulance, lol

awesome

[Craighjr]

Run your bov in vta. Pull away from a traffic light with light normal throttle. When you shift to second give the gas a blip to bring the revs up. More than once I have had this bucking venting burnout then repeat rapidly broncco ride that is horribly embarrasing. I also have a HKS SSQV so it goes WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE for way to long and draws attention to this stupidity.

[BluMicaR]

Today I had the dealer do my free 7k mile oil change, at 5400m. They did me a good 'un. I put Royal Purple in there, expensive ass oil! The maintenance guy parked my car outside, right behind an RX-8. I got in and backed up - right into the concrete of a goddamn light post. About 5mph. The damage is negligible, scratches, slight slight gouge in the plastic for about 4" on the right side back bumper, in the black. Just over the tip exit. In the end, no big deal, no need even for repair. But how fuckin' stupid of me. Sorry mods if I'm not supposed to use the swears, just feel better referring to myself as a dumb noob driver. So, yeah, in the long run learned, again, to be more careful, even backing up a foot.

Ack.

[Nokkers3]

When I picked up my car today (07 Black Mica MS3 GT), it was backed into the parking space so I didn't have to worry about backing up. I made a quick stop at my work to drop off some stuff and when I was leaving, I couldn't figure out how to put the car in reverse! I had to pull out the owners manual before figuring it out lol. At least no one was in the car with me =P

[Falconx84]

i had to tell my mazda salesman how to put it in reverse -- that and I had to tell him the car was turbocharged. "That thing has a turbo??"

[Mocoso]

I had the same problem after having my Saab for a couple of years. Get into any other car and instinctively try to put the key in the center console!! Also I reach for the stick to shift when I drive my wifes automatic and reach for the clutch when I try and start the car. Must be just muscle memory :)


Yea well dont do what I did: Was doing about 20 MPH in my other car which is automatic and coming to a red light when "muscle memory" decided to apply the clutch.... Not only did I scare the hell out of myself but every car around me that couldnt figure out why I had slammed on my brakes with nothing around me... Im lucky I didnt have anyone behind me...

[Stu C]

^^^ When I end up driving an auto, I make it a point to bend my left leg completely back so I don't do that.