I have an '05 Shinka that runs great, no problems. On the other hand, the idea of having parts Mazda has improved really appeals to me. Should I ask the dealer to install 1) upgraded engine mounts, 2) upgraded "squeakless" sunroof tracks, and 3) new "non-milky" dipstick system if none of those things are causing problems?

 

i think you answered you own ? .... if it is a problem get i fixed.. i have an 04. no dipstick upgrade. no starter upgrade. i did get the new battery..

if it aint broke!!!!

beers

 

If you are not having issues then there is no need. FWIW I get TSB work done with scheduled oil changes and maintenances.

 

This is a rare occasion where I disagree with the majority. Me, I'm a cheap bastard. I love the idea of free parts, etc. Me, if I was going into the dealership for something independent of TSBs, I'd hit them up for everything that is "owed" to me by virtue of my purchase. Now, I won't fabricate stories or lie to get a TSB done. That's where I draw the line. But, if the service techs are cool--I usually ask them to do it and usually they do it with no issues.

Of course, there is a downside here. If you replace a perfectly "good" part with an "upgraded" part, you may find the new part problematic. In which case, I'd take it back to the dealer and have them "fix" it...

Part of my cheap bastard mentality, is that I don't like to let minor problems build into larger ones that may contaminate other parts. So, if Mazda has deemed a part to be below their standards--sure as ****, it's below mine.

2 cents.

 

so far, i've heard that the dipstick upgrade is pretty much a grommet that keeps the dipstick more clean...not really worth putting it in mazda's hands IMO.

The rest of them...I've always been a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" deals. I sure wish i'd followed that with the emissions reflash...

 

I try to get replacement parts whenever I have a chance, especially if its FREE.

Well, I did almost all TSB on my car already, except for SunRoof and the Oil Vent Kit. I think.

 

Only upgrade you should get is the recall flash if you haven't already. That way you can calmly drive your 8 below 3000 RPM without worrying about anything going wrong with the car, even though there's clearly something wrong with you if you're driving your 8 below 3000 RPM.

 

This "fix" is more elaborate according to a revised service bulletin, but the problem is still just an appearance thing, so it's hardly worth doing in my opinion.

 

If you don't actually have the problem, you can ask until you're blue in the face and they wont do the work. Service Bulletins are not recalls and they are NOT required to do it for all cars.

 

There's a tradeoff. When you get a new part, there's a chance that work required to replace that part will either be done in a shoddy manner, or the work messes up something else.

For example, I went in for my emissions recall and ended up with a punctured tire (the shop ran over a piece of sharp hardware) that they had to fix. My visor was replaced, but I found a scratch on my sunglass holder.