I got my new Mazda 3!!! (some questions included)

[levets]

In my price range, I didn't really have many options that weren't what I consider "death traps". I was looking at the Mazda 3 primarily, but wanted to give the Chevy Cruze (and didn't want to get down into the Sonics, Volts, Fits, and so on) a chance as these were the two I could get that weren't smaller.

I ended up getting a base 2016 Mazda 3 in the blue crystal mica (the dark blue) with the black interior.

I've been able to get out on the road the last couple of days - mostly suburban to urban in-traffic stop and go as well as crawling traffic where I had to sit for a while.

I can't be happier.

There are of course nit-picks but I'd have them with any vehicle - nothing's ever perfect. And the nit-picks are really just minor annoyances - nothing that "spoils" the experience or makes me feel like I "settled" in any way shape or form.

After having adjusted the seat more (which I really didn't do during the test drive) I feel the cabin is a lot roomier - possibly more than the Cruze I tried. Yet I feel "cradled" more in this car (and one aspect of the Cruze felt "constraining"). Seat is way comfy, leg room is fine for me (I'm short), belts sit comfortably, and was able to adjust the tilt and telescope of the steering column to a point where I can drive comfortably with my hand on any position on the wheel, and can rest arms on the armrests and still reach buttons and knobs easily.

It is, as everyone says, actually "fun" to drive. It's a little dangerous though because it feels like I'm going much slower than I am and I'm already looking down to find 5 or 10+ mph than I'm feeling like. My son said the same thing riding with me.

I'm still learning the Infotainment system menus, but I've stored favorites, figured out that you can manually tune to HD2 and 3 stations using the dial if they weren't picked up in a search, got my bluetooth handsfree to work (coming from a 97 Civic, these are worth the price of admission alone!).

Questions:

1. How can I tell where the car was made? Are they all made in Japan?

2. USB ports versus the Cigarette Lighter port - it seemed like my phone did not charge very fast with the basic USB to Thunderbolt Crapple cable - I tried both USB ports in the dash. I moved it to the Cigarette Lighter port (for which I have an adapter for the Crapple cable to plug in) and it seemed to charge faster - granted I was stuck in traffic for a long time, but it did seem more effective. Is one better for charging than the other?

2.A. Leaving a charger cable with an LED light on it plugged in all the time - or no? Is it draining the battery - the Cig Lighter one I have has the LED on it. I assume the USB doesn't draw current unless something's plugged in, but not sure about the Cig one.

3. I don't have any Navigation features. I read in the manual (or Bible as we're calling it based on thickness) that the SD Card slot was for info for the Nav system. So mine is essentially useless?

4. 2 USB ports - can't they both be used simultaneously for music storage? One might be more than enough, but hey, unless I can find the old iPod, that would be my go to - plug 'em and leave 'em.

5. Tire pressure thingy - worth it? Is it actually useful, or more of an annoyance? Never had one before and not sure how accurate/effective the sensors are - do they give back false readings, etc.? Now that our local 7-11s have "exact air" air pumps, it'll be easier to keep them optimum (stock tires, will be no changes in the near future!). I know you have to set it first, but how's it work after that?

I discovered lots of cool little features I've never had in a car before by going through the manual - like the 3 flash lane change - but it is huge. Any tips/tricks/secrets (base model remember) that may not be obvious in the car or on reading the manual? I would have never guessed to long press anything in the infotainment system but read that and that's saved a lot of additional button pushes.

 

[YelPro03]

Congratulations on your new Mazda 3. I just got my 3s a couple of months ago myself. Since I'm still relatively new to the Gen3 3 I'll try to answer as much of your questions as I can. I have a 3s Touring Hatchback with a manual transmission and I don't know what a "base" model comes with so I'm going to answer some question with the assumption that you have an infotainment screen in the middle top of your dash and a wheel knob on the console just in front of the center arm rest.

1. On the window sticker which the dealer should have given you it will tell you where the final assembly was.
2. The USB ports serves multiple functions (provide charge and act as a data port for music) so the amperage may be low. Amperage on a dedicated cigarette socket will be much higher.
2A. I do notice that the cigarette lighter socket does stay on with the car off and Ive left my charger plugged in for days without driving it and so far no problems since the little light on the charger doesnt draw much power.
3. Does your car actually have a color touch screen? If so then if you want the navi feature then I think you can buy the SD card from the dealer. The SD card slot is for that purpose only so it is useless if youre not using it for navi. Don't try to nab a navi SD card from another Mazda owner and use it because it will only work for 1 vehicle. Which ever car it was used in first will be recoreded on the card so if you try to use it on another vehicle it will cause all kinds of problems.
4. Yes, they both can be used for music. Again, if you have the touch screen and go into Music you can actually pick which USB port you want to access your music from, assuming you have both USB ports plugged in with a USB drive and/or iPod.
5. I love the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and I would recommend using it. What you need to do is initialize the TPMS warning light. The TPMS doesnt measure the actual tire pressures in each tire. All it can do is measure the loss in pressure against the value that was set when you initialize the system (set a baseline). So heres what you do. First, make sure the tires are cold (let it sit for about 30 minutes to an hour after youve driven the car) and then make sure you have 32 psi in all four tires (or whatever the recommended pressure if for your car) AND the proper tire pressure in your spare. If youre going to take it to your local 7-11 to pump it up to the exact psi then make sure you let your car sit for a while so the tires get a chance to cool down first before you pump it up. So go brows around the store a bit I guess. So after you have the correct psi in all four tires and the spare then go ahead and start the TPMS initialization process. Put the ignition in the ON position but leave it parked. Then push the SET button until the TPMS light on the dash flashes 2 times and you hear a beep. So now your car knows that the current pressure is the correct pressure. If it senses that pressures in any of the tires (including the spare) falls below a certain amount then the TPMS warning light on the dash will come on. This is important to do, especially for the spare because people tend for forget about the spare tire until when they need it and then realize that it doesnt have enough air in it.
Good luck and enjoy.

 

[kms1990]

1st digit in the vin is the country code 1 is usa 2 is canada 3 is mexico 4 and 5 is usa as well j is japan etc most mazdas are made in japan however some may be made here in the usa as well as they have small plants here the link below has some usful info for decoding your vin and knowing what it says: (yes its wikipedia but whomever built the page did some good research)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_identification_number#World_manufacturer_identifier

tire monitoring is more to warn you of sudden loss of air pressure before you have a major issue. always check your air pressure at least monthly with an accurate gauge while the tires are cool (before you've driven or after about an hour if you have been driving) the tpms system is not designed to be the only warning for low air pressure. i have one and i hate it, mainly because i can just check my own air pressure and its one more thing to fix when it breaks , the sensors in the wheels only have a 5-7 year battery life and thats from their date of manufacture and they could be years old before they get to your car to be installed.

as far as i know the cigarette lighters should not get power without keys in the ignition unless they got that dumb idea from ford my dads 14 6 cigarette lighter does not have power while the keys out. same with my 08 3. so that should not be an issue.

and just out of curiosity you have sd cards? i havent seen one of those being used since 2004 lol

 

[levets]

Ahh, so mine was in fact Made in Mexico. Don't know if that's good or bad

Our local 7-11 just installed an "Exactair" system or something similarly named. You can pre-set the pressure on the machine and it beeps when you've reached the exact pressure on each tire which is way better than having to check the pop-out gauges in the older style hoses - assuming that is the digital one is more accurate (and as reliable over time).

Just getting in the habit of doing that once a month might be a better idea.

 

[levets]

Oh, and already got my first ding today - rock hit the windshield on the interstate. I heard it hit but didn't see anything until my son said "what's that" when we parked - it's behind the mirror so I can't see it from the driver's side, but he could see it and it's visible from the outside - bit of pitting and about an inch-long "crack". Insurance would cover it but I don't want to have to go through the trouble of having it replaced - probably will screw up the radio antenna, rearview mount, or something if it's not OEM...

3rd day of driving it. Haven't had a rock hit my windshield in my previous vehicles for probably years now... :-(

 

[concept]

I too experienced a rock-chipped and cracked windshield within a month of buying my car. Fortunately the local Auto glass shop did an excellent job installing an OEM windshield and I haven't had any further impacts from giant tire-equipped Jeeps for almost one year now.

 

[YelPro03]

I would recommend going to professional windshield replace/repair shop like Safelite so the crack doesn't spread. They fixed the small spider crack on the windshield of my other car and they did a great job. With the cold weather fast approaching the crack can easily spread when moisture gets in the crack and freezes.

 

[FiftySix]

Safelite is great, IMO.

My experience with them is windsheild replacement. You can set up an appointment on their website and they will come to your home or work and do the whole job in a reasonably short amount of time. Not too pricey either.

 

[concept]

FiftySix,
You don't still have the RX4, do you? My first car was a 3 year old 1974 RX4 coupe with rear window louvres, rear speakers that were built into the seat back, and a mirror tint strip across the top of the windshield that spelled "Mazda" to the car in front of me as the driver looked in his or her rear view mirror.

 

[FiftySix]

FiftySix,
You don't still have the RX4, do you? My first car was a 3 year old 1974 RX4 coupe with rear window louvres, rear speakers that were built into the seat back, and a mirror tint strip across the top of the windshield that spelled "Mazda" to the car in front of me as the driver looked in his or her rear view mirror.

It was my parents RX4. They bought it new. It was dark blue with white vinyl seats. I got to drive that car a lot in '80 and '81 when I was 15 and 16. That car is what I honed my early stick shift experience in.

My first car was a used gas hog 1974 Mercury Cougar with 460 V8. So different than the Mazda.

 

[kms1990]

down here in texas rock chips are the norm, i got one flung at my car from a mower that was being used to mow the field beside the freeway on ramp and got 2 very small chips in my windshield. there are several rock chips on the front of my car but the dark grey color of my car hides them well. most cars down here have chips all on the front bumper and front of hood because of the big trucks and many rocks.

 

[FiftySix]

Regarding the TPMS on a car, I like it until a unit in a tire fails. My local Discount Tire will only put new seals in a wheel TPMS unit, but will not replace them or put batteries in them. So, the TPMS becomes useless to me in time.

Another thing, levets. If you are the do-it-yourself kind of guy, save up and buy an air compressor for your garage. I got by without one for 20+ years by always going down to a local gas station, which was interesting when I would change my own motorcycle tires.

Anyway, about 10 years ago I bought a simple Craftsman 1HP 125psi 7 gallon job on wheels. Man, I use that thing at least once a week. Airing up all the tires or using the blower nozzle to clean out tight spots. My compressor is too small for air tools, but is good enough for everything else. I should have bought one 30 years ago.

 

[kms1990]

Regarding the TPMS on a car, I like it until a unit in a tire fails. My local Discount Tire will only put new seals in a wheel TPMS unit, but will not replace them or put batteries in them. So, the TPMS becomes useless to me in time.

Another thing, levets. If you are the do-it-yourself kind of guy, save up and buy an air compressor for your garage. I got by without one for 20+ years by always going down to a local gas station, which was interesting when I would change my own motorcycle tires.

Anyway, about 10 years ago I bought a simple Craftsman 1HP 125psi 7 gallon job on wheels. Man, I use that thing at least once a week. Airing up all the tires or using the blower nozzle to clean out tight spots. My compressor is too small for air tools, but is good enough for everything else. I should have bought one 30 years ago.

yes a compressor of your own is nice i have one and like you i use it once a week or so i check the tires while i wash the car

 

[leftoverture]

Regarding the TPMS on a car, I like it until a unit in a tire fails. My local Discount Tire will only put new seals in a wheel TPMS unit, but will not replace them or put batteries in them. So, the TPMS becomes useless to me in time.

I think you better double check that. They only replace the seals as part of a routine new tire install, but Discount Tire does and will replace the TPMS sensors if you tell them you are having an issue. They have little testers and can test each one individually and replace as needed. I just had this done on one of my vehicles. It does, of course, cost a little money as you have to pay for the new sensors.

 

[kms1990]

I think you better double check that. They only replace the seals as part of a routine new tire install, but Discount Tire does and will replace the TPMS sensors if you tell them you are having an issue. They have little testers and can test each one individually and replace as needed. I just had this done on one of my vehicles. It does, of course, cost a little money as you have to pay for the new sensors.

not for mazdas from 07-09 as my 08s cannot be read by the scanners. they are not like normal tpms systems in other makes in early mazdas with tpms they use wheel rotation to determine pressure variation. i found this out when i was coming back from a 75 mile trip one day and almost home my tpms light comes on and starts flashing a mile later. i pull over and look at the tires and they all look aired up and read at 37-38ish psi when i put my gauge on to check them. so i went to the ntb where i had the tires installed and he pulled up the info on my car, the system said in plain english that tpms scanners cannot be used on my car as the sensors do not work with them, and it told me how to do a relearn by driving slow for a few miles and seeing if the light turned off (which it did and has not come on again after about 2 months) if it comes on again i am going to see if there is a way to over ride the system so the light wont turn on anymore as i know when i have a flat or low tire and do not need an idiot light on the dash to tell me. none of my other cars have had tpms lights and society has not collapsed without them for 100+ years we have had cars so i do not see why i need them.

 

[levets]

Regarding the TPMS on a car, I like it until a unit in a tire fails. My local Discount Tire will only put new seals in a wheel TPMS unit, but will not replace them or put batteries in them. So, the TPMS becomes useless to me in time.

Another thing, levets. If you are the do-it-yourself kind of guy, save up and buy an air compressor for your garage. I got by without one for 20+ years by always going down to a local gas station, which was interesting when I would change my own motorcycle tires.

Anyway, about 10 years ago I bought a simple Craftsman 1HP 125psi 7 gallon job on wheels. Man, I use that thing at least once a week. Airing up all the tires or using the blower nozzle to clean out tight spots. My compressor is too small for air tools, but is good enough for everything else. I should have bought one 30 years ago.

My cousin needed some help a weekend or so ago and he pulled out a little one that was a compressor, jump starter, and USB charger all in one. Kind of cool. I actually have used a bicycle pump on vehicles with a slow leak or even when you pull the doughnut out and find it has gone flat from years of no use/neglect. But I'm always needing to jump my lawnmower, so it would be handy to keep something like this in the garage (I think you just plug it in the wall to charge everything up to use it portably as necessary).

 

[kms1990]

yea, levets most car parts stores sell these theyre great but i cannot seem to bend to spend the money

 

[larson701]

The newer Mazdas do not have TPMS sensors. The Mazda equivalent uses the anti-lock brakes wheel speed sensors to measure the difference in wheel speed due to a difference in tire pressure (tire diameter).

 

[kms1990]

well my 08 has them mounted on the rim so it does have tpms sensors, all the way up til 2012 looks like use internal rim tpms sensors and newer ones use the system you described larson701

 

[larson701]

I just thought it was a little misleading that there was a discussion of TPMS sensors when the new car, a 2016, does not have the sensors. I am currently running a set of snows on wheels that have sensors from my previous Si. No muss, no fuss.