So What's The Reason for the Slats in the Wheel Well?

L

LBV

Member
Anyone got any idea why Mazda would cut slats into the front of the wheel well liner on the driver side?

With a CAI on the way, I'm thinking I'm gonna have to cover these up to keep water and dirt out of the filter but they must have put them there for a reason? Maybe some cooling effect, but on what?
 
If the airbox is anything like the base mazda3, the intake tract actually opens up directly behind those slats and draws air from the wheel well.
 
I have a 6s and I've had my MAFci for two years with those slats open. I haven't had any problems yet.
 
dmention7 said:
If the airbox is anything like the base mazda3, the intake tract actually opens up directly behind those slats and draws air from the wheel well.
Click to expand...

That's probably it ... kinda obvious now. Thx!
 
dmention7 said:
If the airbox is anything like the base mazda3, the intake tract actually opens up directly behind those slats and draws air from the wheel well.
Click to expand...

Not that I could tell when I removed my stock airbox. The intake was from a "tuba" in the front right above the headlight. These slats seemed to serve no purpose to me. I covered them with a piece of aluminum flashing, I've also herad of people using several layers of screen or mesh material also.
 
Gandalf said:
They cool the brakes. They have nothing to do with the intake.
Click to expand...

IIRC the slats are only on the drivers side. The passenger side is solid, it is ridged the same but there are no slits or holes??
 
jdub260 said:
IIRC the slats are only on the drivers side. The passenger side is solid, it is ridged the same but there are no slits or holes??
Click to expand...

Confirmed! Can't be for the brakes then. I think I'll be covering them up when the intake goes on.
 
(no idea what slats you're talking about, never seen under the hood of a 6 so this comment could be way off)

is it for either an oil cooler or a/c? the back side of some sort of heat exchanging device?
 
jdub260 said:
Not that I could tell when I removed my stock airbox. The intake was from a "tuba" in the front right above the headlight. These slats seemed to serve no purpose to me. I covered them with a piece of aluminum flashing, I've also herad of people using several layers of screen or mesh material also.
Click to expand...

If that's the case, then my guess is that the wheel well splash guards are probably a carryover from the base 6?
 
jred321 said:
(no idea what slats you're talking about, never seen under the hood of a 6 so this comment could be way off)

is it for either an oil cooler or a/c? the back side of some sort of heat exchanging device?
Click to expand...
That's my guess, like DSMs have for the sidemount
 
Just to be clear we are talking about the slots pointed out on the right had side of this pic right??


attachment.php
 
No. There's no need to open up your hood. Just take a look at the wheel liner in FRONT of your driver side front tire. IE. squat down beside your tire and look into the wheel well, at the front.
 
Yes Jdub those are the slots, just from the top looking down. They are easily spotted by simply looking to the front of the driver's side wheel into the wheel well.
 
Ok, now I see them in that shot just above the head of the right arrow ... look in the wheel well as I described, much easier to see.
 
I know that you can see it from outside guy's, but I already had that pic and I was at work without a digital camera so I figured that pic would be fine.
 
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