hey tm3 members, I've got my eye on an 05 mazda3 gt that a mitsubishi dealership has on their used car lot. I've heard good things about the car other than their tendency to rust. is there anything in particular I should watch out for with this car?
hey tm3 members, I've got my eye on an 05 mazda3 gt that a mitsubishi dealership has on their used car lot. I've heard good things about the car other than their tendency to rust. is there anything in particular I should watch out for with this car?
Rust in the usual spots. check the struts/shocks as I found they go quicker than others. Rear brakes also as OEM brakes squeal like a stuck pig. If it's auto, look for "shift shock". Check the rear motor mount as they are pretty bad. Hope for a different set of tires as the stock RSA's are pretty shitty.
Also, you have to insist on getting BOTH sets of keys and FOB transmitters as they are fricken expensive!!!
Paint chipping, Engine failures, weird fuel economy, and just about everything else in this forum. =)
Kerry drives a...
2007 Titanium Gray Mazda 3 Sport GT MT
R.I.P.2006 Carbon Gray Mazda 3 GT MT
One of the problems is that a dealership would have cleared all CEL's so engine failure is difficult to spot during a 10min test drive, as is bad fuel economy. Unfortunately neither can be found out the easy way
But yeah...search around the posted link there. A lot of it is REALLY good info when it comes to real consumer experiences.
thanks for prompt replies. sorry for the coming noobiness but are there symptoms of struts/shocks at the end of their life? can you post a pic of the engine mounts? I should be lookin for the black hydraulic fluid, right? what are the most common areas for rust and/or paint chips? I think I read rear quarter panels somewhere for rust....
RSA's on it but the tread depth looks good. any (quantitative) way of gauging clutch wear or do I have to feel it out?
I know there's not much I can do abot engine failures or fuel economy, I'm planning to ask for a service history and buy a carproof to cross check.
Signs of worn shocks/struts: Excessive wheel hop; Bouncy ride; if you can bounce the car on the strut like a ball
Test the clutch: When the car is moving slowly (Maybe less than ~30KM) put the car in 3rd gear, then push on the accelerator hard. If the RPM increases without the car accelerating proportionally = bad clutch. It's hard to tell how much wear is on a clutch though as each car feels different, and the car's hydraulic system will account for varying clutch thickness.
CURRENT: 2009 Subaru Impreza STI | 2007 Mazdaspeed 3 | 2003 Chevy Silverado 2500HD | 2009 BMW X5 3.5d
GONE: Apparently too many cars to list in the signature....
You should look at the for sale threads on these forums, i hear there's an awesome mazda3 for sale SUPER cheap 2, i thnk he was letting it go for 7k? with everything! i heard theres about 9k in work on that car so it's pretty much fully modded and runs like a dream; i can even vouch for it i seen it at some mazda meets! i think the users name was like blankets3 or something, im not 100% sure tho, you should check it out for sure tho
No Chrome on my wheels im a baller-4-real
Guide to mod ur N/A Mazda 3
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=39704
LOL !!! Shameless!
You couldve at least posted the link
lmao, no lie, that was pretty shameless. your car looks amazing, but I'm worried about two things, insurance and kms. besides, I'm new to modding; haven't done more than change a brake light. personally I don't wanna be rollin around in a tricked out car not knowing what half the parts on the car do