Noob - Needs Advice.
 

First I just want to say thanks for accepting me. I am the proud owner of a used 2005 MT 8 and I also own a 2007 Mazda 3. They are both Titanium Grey. And I enjoy the hell out of both of them. BTW, I only paid 10G (great deal) for the car. I did a carfax report and the previous owner backed into post that he couldnt see and it deployed the rear driverside air bag and broke the plastic piece around the drivers side exhaust, which I replaced. According the the dealer and the report that is all that ever happened.

I have been surfing this site since I bought my 8 this past November. I love all the DIY threads, its wonderful and very useful. At the time it had only 30,000 miles on it and appeared to be in great shape. It came with the effects pakcage. It still has until June on the original warranty and I purchased an extended warranty. Ive already used the warranty to have both the front headlamps replaced, along with the tail-lights. They were both condensating.

Ive used many of the different threads to check things out. I already pulled both door panels and got rid of alot of the noises that hide there. I put on slotted and vented rotors new Hawk pads. Bought aftermarked wheels that I could afford and new tires. I have a list going in my head but Im not sure where to start. Ive painted the calipers on both cars a nice yellow along with black heat sheilds.

Anyway, I did the the 2 different resets using the ignition key and odometer along with the key and the brake pedal. I now have a CEL. Any advice?

Another issue that is very recent is that I now have what sounds like an electrical buzzing sound coming from under the hood somewhere.

The last thing is that I was wondering if its normal that when you turn the key off, there should be a very noticable and loud "click" sound from the engine area?

Sorry the post is so long. Im new to this. Thanks in advance.

David

Welcome to the club. For CEL's I take it to Autozone or some place where they can read (and clear them if you wanted) them for free. Need more info on the buzzing sound. Is it upon start up for about 30 seconds or is it always on even once the car has warmed up? And yeah my car makes a pretty loud click when I turn it off. I have 41K on the clock and its been doing that since I got it at ~18K. No worries.

you can clear the code youself by disconnecting the battery BUT I always recommend finding out what the code is for before you do that. Autozone will pull it for you.

The click is probably normal, mine makes a click when I turn the car off as well.

What? Who the hell checks those things? Reading CEL's is for suckers. Just clear it. If its not there it didn't happen ;)

:rofl:

A spot of electrical tape over the light.... ;)

Turbo guys have been doin' it for years.... LOL.


O/P - As I read your post, your car is still under basic warranty. If so, just take it to the dealer... (don't point out the Yellow Calipers... hahaha)

^haha

+1 on reading the CEL tho - i'd do it for 'just in case' purposes. Usually autozone or pep boys has a scanner on deck that they can help you decipher the code. If it's nothing, you can always disconnect the battery and reset it that way.

Long shot diagnosis: have you checked your gas cap? If it's loose or not tightened, it will throw a CEL.

and as other's have already said...The loud click is normal, i have the same as well. The buzzing will need further description though...

Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the addiction!

I hate the dealership here. If it were my car, they'd automatically void the warranty just by looking at the brakes. Not because they're upgraded brakes, but because they're a different color :banghead:

heh - my dealership wanted to void my warranty when i said i was gonna buy the exhaust they had in the show room...

funny thing is...the exhaust was from MAZDASPEED

:icon_no2:

Well duh cuz the Mazdaspeed exhaust just adds so much horsepower that it puts the rear axle at risk :)

:lol:

that'll teach me to buy products that wield too much horsepower...

[B]Adds an additional 50 rwhp![/B]















*results may vary

Just to clarify, I had no CEL before the resets. So I was wondering if that is normal after soing that or if because of that I now have a "real" CEL issue?

The buzzing sound is like a loose or bad ground type of sound. Tried but cant pinpoint its exact location. I cant hear it in the cabin, only when outside the car. And it is much more noticable when in my garage.

Does the warranty cover the 30,000 mile service? And as far as I know, its never had any of the updates.

BTW, the yellow and black calipers are awesome:). I hate the obligitory red. Although red does look good on certain colors.

If you just reset your ECU, then yeah it picked up a geniune problem. How potent the problem is remains to be seen. Have it checked out ASAP. Couldn't tell you about the buzzing sound. Take it to your dealer if you want. My previous experiences with the dealership have been horrible however, and to put it politely I hate every single one of their guts and hope they all get hit by a bus :)

Disconnecting the battery shouldn't cause a CEL - Well, at least from what i've seen on the forum. I know it's a dumb question, but have you checked the connection to the battery? a loose connection may cause it as well.

And the gas cap is on tightly correct?

I didnt disconnect the battery. I just did the ECU resets.

But any ideas on the other stuff, ie. Dealing with the Dealership on the 30,000 mile check up and the system updates. As far as if i have to pay and if so how much?

Again, Autozone is your friend. I would NOT take it to the dealer unless you absolutely had to. Not just the Mazda dealer here, but every dealership I've gone to has typically been a total waste of time, they're unorganized, and they like to play the blame game between co-workers when things go wrong (notice I said when, not if). Understaffed and overpriced. Take it to Autozone, tell them you need a CEL read, and within 5 minutes you should have your code diagnosed. Take it from there.

There are no free services with this car. Freebies on warranty work, and if your car is laid up while under the bumper-to-bumper you get a free loaner. But it's not like BMW where a few years of routine service is part of the deal.

Seems like checking out a CEL while the car is under warranty should be a dealer freebie. Try going to the place that replaced your lights - you know how to work them :)

Ken