Who do you trust?
 

Well, this kind of ties into the "to sell or not to sell" thread I started. Assuming I do keep this car, I will be getting into the high mileage area pretty soon. I am now at 60K miles so no more warranty. The Mazda stealership in my town is rediculous when it comes to prices so I would like to find someone else as far as a mechanic. Basically, I don't work on my own cars unless it is basic stuff like oil changes, air filter cleaning, etc. Assuming I look around and find a decent shop, how does it sound to have a 6-12 month check up to make sure the maintenance stays up to par. Is this overkill for a 60K-70K mile vehicle? Basically, as the car gets into higher mileages, I don't want to be like "Oh well im at XX,000 miles its time to replace (insert random part here)." What's the first step in searching for a shop to go on this high mileage journey with me?

And for you other guys that also don't work a lot on your own cars... do you have a local shop you trust or are you still being overcharged by the Mazda guys??? (Assuming you aren't still covered under warranty...)

Well, as far as finding a good shop, you'll want to check your regional forum for a good rotary shop (if there is one in your area at least). While it's nice having a rotary engine, it can be troublesome if you have a bad dealer in your area and no rotary specialists... Your average mom and pops type shop just wont cut it for any serious engine work.

So a reputable mechanic that doesnt specialize in rotaries wouldnt work for preventative high mileage maintenance stuff?

Well, if it's something like clutch, shocks, brakes, mufflers, etc... do you really need a rotary tech?

The only time I would take it to a Rotary tech is to get the engine rebuilt/ported/whatever. Most cases, if it's a Semi-intelligent tech, he should be able to figure out why you're backfiring a lot, or horrible gas mileage, or even vac leaks...at least, that's my personal experience.

for most stuff any good tech will work. If he's worried about engine stuff then he'll need a good rotary shop. So if he really doesnt like the dealer, he might want to keep that in mind.

Well its not that I dont like the dealer, but the head tech there just gives off this vibe that i really shouldnt trust him. He is on the verge of disrespectful. If I ever have any engine problems I would resort to taking it to them. I am more asking about preventative maintenance. Stuff like transmission issues, cooling system, spark plugs, etc. The dealer charges almost $100 bucks just for the full inspection for the car and I plan on looking for it cheaper if I don't have to sacrafice the well-being of the car. A decent non-rotary mechanic should be fine for this yes?

Most of the stuff you mentioned is pretty easy to do yourself. As far as changing spark plugs, air filter, oil, transmission fluid etc. You'll save money on labor over any tech and know the car better.

i'd still look for a rotary shop. 1) they only specialize in our type of cars, hense.. they know it like the back of their hands. so that the second you describe your problem, they mostlikly already know the cause. Our car uses special spark plugs, our transmission shows more wear if you drive rough (or something, i hear alot of tranny issues with gear grinding.. mine is starting to grind a little) cooling system should never be an issue.

stuff that normal shop can do:
change oil for you (specify the oil yourself) (DIY)
flush radiator(any shop)
change suspension set up(any shop)
intake, muffler, cat,(cat muff shops)
tint and interior(any shop)/Short shifter.(DIY)
but i'd only let rotary shop touch anything engine/tranny/oil distribution system related (or FI)


but ya.. our DIY section is very good, so you should really just DIY small stuff. (such as changing plugs and oils