Pro-Fit Splashguards

[idreamofmazda]

Pro-Fit states on their website that #1 and #2 Splashguards will fit on the Mazda 3, has anyone tried to install?

http://www.ultimateautoaccessories.com/Car%20Category%20Pages/Splash_Guards.htm

[bluntman]

Geez, don\'t put those on your car.

[miggiddy]

I believe the GX/GS and GT w/o GFX has front mud guards. Just looking at the picture I wonder if it will fit on those 3\'s with the GFX package/Sport versions.

[Xenon]

apparently installing mudguards on my hatch is a bad idea. Dealerships say I run the chance of tire scrape-age...

I don\'t really care... My car\'s visiting a car wash every 2 weeks in the winter anyways :p

[Newlook]

I don\'t want the molded ones on my GFX, I\'m looking into something like these ones:

http://www.tvin2000.com/mike/photo/1993%20Protege%20GT/slides/104_0490.JPG
(Picture from http://www.3mike.tk/)

My friend got 4 yellow ones on his Civic and he said they aren\'t expensive.

I can easily fit in the front ones, however....
I need to drill through 2 pieces of plastics for the rear (on the side sill and bumper).

Would it look absolutely weird if I just have 2 on the front??

[bluntman]

Originally posted by Newlook


I don\'t want the molded ones on my GFX, I\'m looking into something like these ones:



You\'re kidding right?

[Newlook]

Originally posted by bluntman

You\'re kidding right?

Was I sound like kidding?
I don\'t mind to have them if they would safe my sides from chipping (thinking about winter already). How bad is it after going through a winter anyways?

Checked Pacific Mall for price - $27.99 a pack of 4. Blue, black, yellow or red. No silver \"Mazda\" on the bottom, I dont want it there anyways.

[miggiddy]

I say go with black.

[bluntman]

As miggiddy said, stick with black. The ones in the link belong on a rally car or an SUV. I\'ve seen several people in the TOProtege club put these on their car (1st and 2nd generation, sedans and hatches) can I couldn\'t understand their reasoning.

[idreamofmazda]

I finally got around to buying the splashguards from Canadian Tire. It was recommended to use model #1 for the fronts, and #2 for the rear. Without opening the package, it looked like #2 would fit better on both front and rears. Still without opening, I held the rear ones in place to see how it would fit, and I was thinking that wasn’t going to be suitable at all, as it looked like the splashguards wouldn’t be vertical, more like leaning forward.

I took them back to Canadian Tire for a refund, and today during lunch, went to Mazda for the real thing. I will install my self, and the cost just for the parts, for both front and rear, with taxes, is almost $158.00, so they better fit perfectly.

I will try to get around to installing by the weekend, and keep you posted with my results, and maybe a photo or two.

[RedRaptor]

Cool. idreamofmazda, what car do you have again (ie. Hatch or Sedan)?

What do the OE Mazda ones look like? I haven\'t seen or heard about them in any accessories website or booklet. Are they colour coded for the different colours of the 3? What does installation involve?

Please keep us updated as I am interested in mudguards for my car also.

[idreamofmazda]

Hello RedRaptor,

I have the Sedan GX.

I found an accessory page from the UK, check out page three to see the mud flaps:

http://www.mazda3.co.uk/sycomax/uploadpool/documents_UK/brochures/Accessories_Mazda3.pdf

The mud flaps are black plastic, nothing fancy; I don’t think there are any other colours. I have scanned the instructions as PDF in low resolution, thinking that I would be able to post, but I see now, that won’t be allowed to, so let me know an email address, and I will send to you direct. I will try tomorrow to re-scan as a word, or JPG, if I can make it into a small file size, and repost.

I must say, the instructions for the fronts were confusing to me, but I managed to install, without following most of what was written. The front was actually quite easy, had to turn the wheels to one side (then turn the other way for the other side). There are round clips on the mud flaps, which fit into a hole in the bottom of the fender. Remove the plastic plug from the underside of the fender (they are painted over, and I found one a little hard to remove, as I had to use a knife to cut the paint on the edge, in order to insert a screwdriver), by inserting a small screwdriver, and then prying off. Remove the three bottom screws from the fender (the top one is different so don’t mix them up), then the two bottom plastic inserts. Snap the round clip of the mud flap, into the bottom hole of the fender, and insert the two plastic inserts (the ones that you removed), into the two bottom holes of the fender. Then screw in the three screws that you removed. In all, it was easy, and don’t understand the enclosed instructions, perhaps a different model would require different instructions.

As for the rears, I haven’t attempted yet, but no surprise to me, that the rear wheels will have to be removed to install the mud flaps. The template to drill the holes was included, but it’s too big for to fit in my scanner. I will repost when I complete. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.

[idreamofmazda]

Okay, I finally finished installing the rear mud flaps. See my previous post on the instructions for the fronts. I have to say; the rears don’t fit as nicely as the fonts. It was no surprise to me that the Mud Flaps weren’t made by Mazda, Mazda has better things to do, than to worry about some pieces of plastic, so I am guessing that a different company designed these, by Mazda providing the specifications. The quality is good, and the price was worth the cost, but I think it’s hard to get a perfect fit. The instructions are pretty much useless, and I didn’t even use the template to drill the holes. I can’t see a mechanic cutting out the very long, paper templates, like a little girl in grade 1 art class. Drilling the top hole was the most important, a fastener is provided, and a 8.5mm drill bit is required, but the biggest that I had was ¼”, so I had to made do. My instructions goes as follows, I have pictures, which I will attempt to attach:

Each mud flap was provided with 3 U-shaped nut clips with screws, and 1 fastener with a center screw.

Removal of the rear wheel is required, loosen the wheel nuts before jacking up the car (so you don’t tip over), jack up the car (if you use the one provided with the car, watch your knuckles on the driveway, as I took my skin off after turning the jack-handle), and remove the wheel. Use one of the provided U-shaped nut clips on the underside of the bumper, on the hole that is beside the bottom screw. Screw in one of the scews to hold the bottom of the mud flap. Press the mud flap in place, to find the best fit (I couldn’t do this well, as when pressure is applied, the mud flap bends, flexes, and the bumper moves too, so either it fits well onto the bumper, but bending where I needed to drill the holes, or vice-versa). Drill the top hole using the mud flap as a guide (the bumper flange is like butter, drills very easily so no need to drill a series of small holes, going bigger each time as suggested in the instructions), a 8.5mm drill bit is recommended, but I used a ¼” bit. Insert the fastener into the top hole to hold in place, but you will need to remove again, so don’t push in all the way. While holding the mud flap in its final seated position, drill the next hole down (7mm is recommended for the two bottom holes), and if you can, the bottom one (I found the brake calibers was in the way, and to use a marker to mark the bottom hole, but more importantly, there wasn’t much width to drill into, so no margin of error, so look before drilling). The nut clips were suppose to fit over the plastic bumper flange, to give a base for screws, but the holes that I drilled were in too far, and the clips weren’t deep enough, so I just held in place from the back side, which inserting the screw, and as for the bottom one, had to cut the clip, as there wasn’t room (it was made of plastic, so not a big deal). So screw in the two-bottom screw, and insert the fastener into the top hole, and since my hole was a bit too small, had to find a smaller screw, to use a center screw. Reinstall your wheel, lower, tighten to specification, and repeat for the other side.

I did the right side first, but did a better job the second time round, on the left, but satisfied with my results for both. If I think of anything else, I will repost, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask.

The picture is the rear, the sunlight was making a reflection, so it looks better for real. I will post again for the front, as I don\'t know how to attach two files.

[idreamofmazda]

Let me try this again, the rear:

[idreamofmazda]

The front (not sure why the picture doesn’t appear as is):

[RedRaptor]

Looks very good and clean, I like it.

Are the front and rear mudguards the same model as in they have the same part#? Too bad they don\'t come in the colour of your car although you can\'t go wrong with black.
Are there different part#s for the hatch back?
Which Mazda dealer did you get them from again?

You should put together a formal write up and get it sticky here. You can upload your pictures to a host server and then use the WWW LINK OF PICTURE HERE . That is how you insert a picture into a post.;)

[idreamofmazda]

No, the fronts and rears are different; here are the part numbers, and prices (before taxes), I think the rears were more expensive, probably due to the package of hardware:
BP4K-V3-450F $63.50
BN8P-V3-460F $73.65

I am not sure if the flaps are different for the hatch back, it’s best to tell the dealer what you have, they only asked if I had side-skirts. I purchased from Morningside Mazda.

Anymore questions just ask.

PS. I am still learning this website, so I will try what you suggested next time.