Mazda Problems

You've copped a bad run, that's for sure, perhaps you should consider buying a full sized wheel and tyre to use in place of the space-saver when travelling.

It sounds like a lovely old car, one I'm sure a Mazda enthusiast would be happy to have. You could Google Mazda car clubs on the internet to find one in New South Wales, or alternatively you could refer to one of the classic car magazines, such as Just Cars, where you will find a listing of cars clubs.

The most likely explanation for the dealers using the 10w-30 low viscosity oil is that they have a deal with an oil company to use it. It’s more likely to be based on a commercial arrangement than anything else. Use the oil specified in the manuals and you won’t go wrong. And Mazda does approve the use of E10 in your car, so I would be inclined to use it.

You typically lose one to two psi in the process of connecting the pressure gauge to the valve, so if you’re checking your tyres once a week the 2 psi loss you’re seeing could simply be due to that and not actually a loss of pressure at all. If you’re checking once per month and seeing a loss of 6-8 psi then that’s something to be concerned about. A loss of pressure can occur through a faulty valve, a poor seal between the tyre and the rim, and bleeding through the tyre carcass. Using a tyre cap is a good practice because it helps prevent dirt getting into the valve and causing it to leak. I wouldn’t be concerned about sealing the inside of the tyre; any loss through the sidewall is likely to be very small.

You can do a band adjustment without taking the transmission out.

Mazda's service interval is every 6-months/10,000 km and while that might be more frequent than most other makes, servicing is what keeps our cars in tip-top shape and I wouldn't recommend you vary your service routine away from the Mazda recommendation. Doing that while the warranty is still in effect could become an issue if and when you had a warranty claim.

I would urge caution. These systems work by substituting a percentage of the diesel fuel with LPG and do deliver more power or better fuel economy depending on how you drive the car. The general idea is that you don't have to depress the throttle as far to get the same performance and you can then realize some fuel consumption savings, but I have had quite a number of reports of serious engine meltdowns because the driver simply couldn't resist the temptation to keep the foot down on the throttle. My concern is also that there isn't the same experience with these systems as there is with dual-fuel systems on petrol engines, so they're more exposed to problems. Before you do it talk to other owners about their experience with the systems.

It has a chain.

If the car is in good condition, has been regularly serviced and hasn’t given you any trouble to date, you could reasonably have confidence that it will continue to give you good service and forego the extended dealer warranty. But if you feel more comfortable with the backup of the warranty them stick with it.