[Supernova3]

Our Aussie forum is so quiet. Are you all getting bored of your 3's!?

I thought I'd share more hard facts about the Mz3:

- the back doors 'thud' a lot thicker and nicer than the front doors
- the rear window defroster works super fast, and turns off automatically after it has defrosted
- the plastics inside the car don't scratch easy, they just get marked easy (white marks)
- if you hate how the random mode on the cd player reverts to consequential mode when you click the next track button, a simple but tedious solution is to press the random button twice for the song to change randomly and for it to remain in random mode
- i have experience the power surge on 2nd gear as discussed in other forums. it feels rather cool, as if you've been slingshot across the road!
- i can't work out what 'retracting' noise is from the back end of the car when you turn the engine on. it sounds like an antenna retracting, which obviously our car doesn't have.
- one benefit I've noticed with the red taillights is that the whole red covering glows red at night, i don't know if the clear tail lights do this

that's all for now.

 

[ZOOMER]

Good one re: the random feature on the cd player SuperN. I have no idea where the fuel pump is on the car but could the "retracting" noise be the fuel pump??

 

[Elmo]

OK Supernova3.... I feel like saying the following for the benefit of existing and new MZ3 owners:

1. That big black monstrosity of a number plate holder is pissing me off now!!!! I'm gonna put it directly onto the bumper (slimline plates).. when I find time and work out how to do it!
2. What retracting noise... it's not there on my SP23
3. The auto tranny will take some getting used to (see my thread about the Auto Transmission -)
4. I just realised that the car that I took for a test drive (SP23 sedan) had Potenza S03 tyres fitted. The car I got has the Potenza RE8's which is an inferior tyre... can't believe I forgot to check that earlier! Future buyers beware... insist on the S03's...
5. Ever since I got the 1,000 klms service, the car seems to be running less smooth than it did before... will need to blast the dealer about this one. I saw them plug in a laptop of sorts and tune it... which I think stuffed it up.
6. I WANT MY CRUISE CONTROL NOW... have to have another week I was just told by my dealer.
7. Running the car of Shell Optimax is the way to go. I get an average of 550 klms per tank. I had to put in regular unleaded once (was in a rush and the light was flashing at me!) and the car ran very roughly - even though I only put in quarter of tank of that crap fuel.
8. I like the new Mazda 3 key ring I got in the mail yesterday... can't say the same about the amount of surveys that have accompanied purchasing of the car.

Okay that's enough now I think. Back to work.

 

[jeffyg]

I mounted my slimline plastes directly on to the bumper... there is plenty of dicussionon on this in other threads in the aussie section.

Hows about posting a description of your car as your signature, Elmo??

In fact that goes for everyone that hasnt done it....

 

[Supernova3]

yeh my dealer took off the american plate holders at my first service, and now it's just on the bumber. at first the plate 'hugged' the bumber bar, which looks ok, but since i've covered it with those lined premium glass plate covers. it managed to straighten out the plate a bit. those covers look great. just make sure to cover the holes on the plates first and clean the plates and the glass covers with glass cleaner so they are super shiny.

 

[Elmo]

Sorry.... here's the details of my new toy..

_____________________
SP23 | Sedan | Black | AT | Max Tint | Cruise | Feb 04 | Audio Upgrade, Sound Proofing, and Sunroof Pending !

 

[Supernova3]

tell you a lil story. everyone close their fists. you see the size of your fist. that was the size of a rock that catapulted from the back of a truck while i was directly behind it. i managed to dodge it (thanks to the great steering of the 3) but a couple small stones hit me. have a 2nd chip on my winscreen and more chips on the body paint.

those who read my prev thread about another truck incident might think im stupid, but this time i was desperately trying to avoid the truck (all trucks!) but it decided to merge in front of me before i could overtake it. it then got lost in the traffic and i was unable to get it's plate number. at least the chip is super tiny and my car is gonna be repainted in april.

can we petition the government to melt all trucks in existence? pls?

 

[Steve-o]

Yeah nothing much seems to be happening out there in MZ3 land. I'm currently on hold to Mazda Australia customer service. I just realised after reading Elmo's post that Mazda never sent me a copy of their survey.

How's that for bad customer service!

 

[Elmo]

Yeah Steve-o.... I picked up my car on March 1st... and only got the survey, and very stylish key ring yesterday...

Make sure you guys blast them on the survey... If you're like me, you'll rate them pretty highly in the 'tick one or more' questions, until I got to the 'please write any comments to improve the car here section' - I went nuts... used 10 lines, even though there were only 4 available!

 

[jeffyg]

I cant say the same... praise all the way from me!!!!

Any potential melbourne purchasers try Werribee Mazda... I know its a bit out of the city, but worth it!

 

[Steve-o]

Supernova3> At least you only have stone ships. I have half a Mitsubishi Lancer hanging off the back of my car. I am so pissed off that my new car is now "soiled".
I'm very tempted to sell the car once I get it back from the panel shop and buy another one. Maybe even updgrade to a SP23.

OK....I'm still on hold to Mazda Customer Service and I'm now first in line. It's only been 15 minutes. These people are useless. They don't even have hold music.

 

[olorin]

Ah! Some activity! One of these day's I'll start up a Cruise thread - but perhaps I'll wait until there is a little more time...

1. Oil and filter change coming soon! It will be done at WestEnd who have quoted me (I doubled checked) AUD 75... Its Caltex oil of some description (must make sure its weight) - I'll tell the rest of you (hopefully minority who didn't get the oil change at 1000k like this sorry soul ) how it goes...

2. They have also offered to remove the big plastic plate off my bumper and will reattach my plates via 2 newly drilled holes.

3. No retracting noise for me. Although I do hear the power steering in really quiet moments (i.e. parking in garage).

4. Mostly good things regarding car on survey, but bad things regarding service and some peripheral options on the car - e.g. sound upgrades, dead pedal, big plastic plate backing....

 

[Lancair]

Elmo,
Interesting coments about the tyres, our SP23 has Potenza RE040 fitted, which after some searching is a Japan and Europe spec tyre. Although searching Australia did come up with several hits finding them in reviews on WRX's, HSV's etc. I cant find anything on the RE8's you have ? After reading about the S03's, I agree they seem a superior tyre to what I have fitted, but if they fit the RE040's to BMW Z8 and Audi TT type cars off the production line in Europe they cant be too bad.

What tyres have other SP23 owners been supplied with ?

The noise some people seem to hear and others not, I think is the fuel pump charging the system, it is definately there on the SP23. Immediately you turn the ignition to on, but not start it, if you listen carefully youll hear an electric motor noise for about a second or two at most from the left rear of the car.

The number plate issue should be dealt with by your dealer FOC. I asked for it to be done pre delivery and it was. Although I noticed some very minor fin damage to the front of the A/C condensor, probably from some fat fisted mechanic gettting the bulky plate holder off. No biggy.

Since we put BP Ultimate in the car on our last trip into QLD (cheaper fuel) my wife doesnt want to put regular unleaded in it, she drives it more than me and notices the difference.

We havent yet got any keyring or survey in the mail but its only been two weeks today so I guess we need to give them time. Incidently, this evening the car is 45km short of 2000km in two weeks.

Lancair

 

[Sonic]

The two SP23's I test drove (at different dealers) both has S03s. I was just hunting back to the Wheels article on the SP23 (Feb 2004) and it says the one they test drove had RE040s. Damn I wanted the S03s!!

 

[Elmo]

Sorry Lancair.... they are RE040's.... I knew they were REsomethings...!

Anyways, I thinks it's a clever trick the dealers are using to reduce the noise in the SP23 when going for a test drive. I think everyone will find that the SP23's they test drove had S03's.... The RE040 aren't that bad, but I still think it's a bit shifty on the dealers part. The SO3's provide much better cornering crip.

It's a real shame that Goodyear do not make the Eagle F1 GS03's for the 17" size rims fitted on the SP23..... they are amazing tyres... had them on my Honda... and notices a massive difference in grip, cornering, take off, road noise, and smoothness. I am writing a letter to Goodyear to make a F1 GS03 that fits the SP23!!!!!!

ANYWAY... IF YOUR CAR HAS NOT ARRIVED YET... QUIZ THE DEALER ON THE TYRES THAT WILL BE FITTED... NOTING THAT THE TEST DRIVE VEHICLE HAS SO3's....

 

[shanyong]

Can someone kindly post pics of the mazda key ring they received in the mail.

 

[jeffyg]

Its very funky... my friend got a similar one with his Impreza (but Subaru brand of course). It says zoom zoom on one side and mazda 3 on the other. Its the type with the metal 'rope' that screws into the fob... sounds vague I know... Pic will help... but... cant post pic as im catching a plane after work and wont be back til monday... if no ones posted one by then, I will do it!

 

[Elmo]

Hope this image works...

 

[zookeeper]

I really, really, really like the tail lights on my car. Everyone notices them and they make parking much easier because you can see how close you are to the pole/wall by how they are reflected off it (big help in my very tight garage parking situation). Not one single scratch so far. The big semicircle you see on a side wall when you lock/unlock the car is verry cool.

 

[olorin]

Is THAT what that thing is?! I got it in the mail, thought it was a keyring and couldn't figure out how it was supposed to come apart. (Apart from simply putting another keyring wheel onto the metal bit). Stoopid me!