dickdoyle1

Hi guys,

Had a 192 for a couple of years, loved it, til the engine went at 100k, 2 years ago. Have decided to get a 231, arriving today, 25k on the clock. I'm in South Wilts, can anyone firstly recommend a place to get oil, and a type of oil - I was going to Wey Valley Mazda before.
When the weather gets iffy, I always had a real problem with the back end (don't we all !) - are there some tyres that help cope with the wet and snow or is it always going to be tricky then.
Any other tips to keep all running smoothly, and anything I need to be watching out for - it was registered Dec.2007.

ATB

Robin

paimon.soror

iTrader: (15)

Oil: grab yourself a 'good' 5w30, conventional / synthetic, doesn't matter. If you are willing to pay the extra price and not listen to the chatter about oil weights, step yourself up to a 0w40 for added protection. Mobil1, Pennzoil Platinum, Castrol Edge ... can't go wrong

Tires: The car plays best with a dedicated set of winter wheels. Some people want the 'best of both worlds' and swap out the OEM for an all-season, but end up hating the decision because of how negatively it affects the feel of the car. For what it is worth (not sure what you have there in the UK), I have heard fantastic things about the following tire. Not the best for hard cornering, but a good balance in the wet:

Continental*ExtremeContact DW

Lurk the forums here or on nasioc.com and find yourself a set of used 17's and get yourself some winter tires. You will save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run and stay far safer in the winter months.

dickdoyle1

Great, thanks for that. I notice on another post mention that I should get the compression checked - which was the reason the engine was knacked on the last one. Is this something my local garage does or do I take to a Mazda dealership. The car is coming from a car dealer in Leicester, and was serviced about 1000 miles ago - would this have been checked then ?

ATB

Robin

paimon.soror

iTrader: (15)

Mazda dealership will have the right tool for the job. Generally they dont do compression tests unless requested, or an owner comes in with a specific profile of issues that fit the 'loss of compression' scale.

At 25k one would say a compression test isn't needed, but for peace of mind I would most certainly do it just to get a baseline of what the numbers look like. Plus, if you are purchasing it, you can usually coax the dealership to run the numbers for you to solidify the deal.

dickdoyle1

It left Leicester a few hours ago :-) so will keep fingers crossed and have a word with Wey to see what they suggest...many thanks again.

wcs

iTrader: (2)

I'm rocking a set of those right now.
So far so good.

dickdoyle1

Just been for a little run. Coolant light came on. Turned cap and air hissed out, plenty of coolant (nearly to the brim) and light went out. A few miles on it flicked on for a secon then off again. Is there a problem ?

ATB

Robin

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

Notorious problem, the float loses buoyancy over time. Either replace the tank, or ignore the light and check every once a while.

Couldn't have stated it better if I wanted to.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Oh oh, oil topic.
Be afraid, be very afraid.

dickdoyle1

Hmm, you got me a bit worried there. OK, just took it for a 50 mile spin down the dual carriageway. Light seems to come on when pushing it (went past a mobile camera en route and I am not hopeful of the outcome !), but when I ease off, light goes off again. Temperature normal, oil pressure normal, sounds ok, revving in stationary between the 1 and the 3/4 mark - so all else seems ok - is it ??

ATB

Robin

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Sorry DD, kind of an inside joke.
I use Mobil 1 Ow-40 now, and premix.
No worries
Coolant light is common problem.
Quite a bit of discussion if you want to read up on it.

dickdoyle1

Lol I'll get them to forward the speeding ticket to you then

OK, so guess it will always just flick on and off, there's plenty of coolant in it so - nothing to worry about...? Just ordered a bit of oil :

CASTROL EDGE PROFESSIONAL A3 0W-40 Engine Oil - Fully Synthetic

As I said - a novice - if I read correctly, that is the right one (they say it's for a Ford Focus ?!) ?

ATB

Robin

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Sounds good, there is plenty of debate, but that was recommended by members with far more expertise than I.

dickdoyle1

Cheers bud. One more question for now. The owner's manual is missing. Been looking online, lots of CDs and downloads available, struggling to find a book. Any suggestions anyone please - just call Mazda ?

ATB

Robin

REtali8

iTrader: (2)

The coolant light bugged me to. Picked up the item below and haven't seen the coolant light since.

Mazmart Shopping Cart

monchie

I have the coolant light on for a while now. I need to get a new coolant reservoir kit to get that off. I always check the coolant level just in case.

khaira93

Synthetic oil?!

BLASPHEMY!

bladeiai

iTrader: (1)

Or you can just unplug the sensor attached to the res and keep an eye on it to make sure the level doesn't drop.

monchie

I was planning to do that anyway, getting tired of looking at that light...

bladeiai

iTrader: (1)

That's why I unplugged mine. It started going on and off every time I gave it a little gas or stopped to quick. Was giving me anxiety, even though I know it is just the sensor lol.
I also have an ODB scanner and can watch the actual coolant temps, so it made me feel better about just unplugging it.