Mazda 3 2023

Mazda 3 2023 Q&As

Check out real-world situations relating to the Mazda 3 here, particularly what our experts have to say about them.

• 2005 Mazda 3 SP25 is using too much oil

  That’s not a bad innings for a four-cylinder engine, even a modern one (although I’ve seen similar engines with more kilometres and still going strong). There’s a fair chance the piston rings and valve stem seals have lost some of their mojo and are allowing the oil to be burned in the engine. It’s normal wear and tear, but it needs to be fixed on the basis of the pollution being produced from the tailpipe. Also, eventually, something major will fail spectacularly and leave you stranded.

  Your options include rebuilding the current engine or finding a second-hand engine with fewer kilometres on board and simply swapping it into your car. Thanks to the fact that the Mazda 3 was a popular car with younger drivers, they’re somewhat over-represented in wrecking yards, often with engines in very good condition. This would certainly be cheaper than rebuilding your current engine.

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• Why does my speedometer go so high if the car can't go that fast?

  It’s a bit silly, isn’t it? There’s absolutely no reason for a speedo in an Australian delivered car to read to 260km/h, particularly in a car that would never manage to gain that much velocity without the help of a mine-shaft. There’s no ADR requirement for it, either, so it’s probably a hang-over from other markets where average freeway speeds are much higher than they are here. In Germany, for instance, where there are still unrestricted sections of autobahn, the 200-plus-km/h speedo makes more sense.

  You’re probably right when you suggest this is all a one-size-fits-all approach by Mazda (and many other car-makers) who can save a few dollars by making only one speedo calibration and fitting it to cars for every market. More recently, a lot of cars have both a conventional and a digital speedometer fitted. Many owners have come to rely on the latter for clarity. My preference is for an analogue (needle) speedometer that has 100 or 110km/h at the 12-o’clock position on the dial.

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• Ripples have formed on the bonnet and doors of my Mazda 3

  The best approach might be to have the car independently inspected and assessed. Your local motoring club (NRMA) would be a good place to start, but you could also probably take it to an established panel shop an achieve the same thing.

  The results of that inspection will determine which way you go from there. If the inspection really does determine that the car has damage to its bodywork, then Mazda should treat it as a warranty claim and fix it. If the car does get resprayed be very selective on who does the work, as a brand-new car that has obviously been resprayed will raise eyebrows if you try to sell it.

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• My Mazda 3 ran out of diesel and now it won't start

  Many diesel engines don't appreciate being run out of fuel and will exhibit this behaviour if you allow them to run dry. That's because a lot of diesels have a fuel system that doesn't automatically prime itself and start pumping fuel once it's run dry.

  As a result, some diesel cars have a hand primer under the bonnet that allows you to prime the diesel fuel pump and get going again. But modern ones like your Mazda often don't, and priming them involves a specific procedure to get the fresh fuel from the tank to the engine. Most workshops will be able to carry out this job for you, but simply continuing to crank the engine with your fingers crossed will do nothing more than flatten the battery.

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