HorsySce

I have an '06 3 hatch and am wondering when I should expect to need new brake pads and/or rotors. The 30k maintenance is coming up ($$$) and I'm trying to prepare myself for the costs. They feel fine now, but I can see that the tires are almost done (at only 20,000 miles!)

Also, when should the 3 have a tune up? The dealer says 30k but the book says later..

Thanks

KrayzieFox

Well that depends on how much of the pads is actually left. I dunno if you can see it on the 3 without taking off the wheel, but if you peek down at the caliper you should be able to get a rough idea on how much pad is left over. If you can't see it, take off the wheel and it should be way easy then. I would say you should probably be getting close to having to replace them, but if they can last another 5-10K miles then why not use them you know?

When I hit 30K miles I just took it to the dealership to get the automatic transmission fluid flushed out and upgraded to Mobil1 Synthetic ATF instead. I ordered PosiQuiet brake pads and replaced all those by myself, switched out the stock plugs to NGK IX Iridiums, cleaned my air filter, drained & flushed the radiator and switched to GM DexCool fluid, and started using Mobil1 Synthetic engine oil as well.

KrayzieFox

Oh and about the maintenance, don't bother spending the money. Here's pretty much what they do so you decide if it's worth the $$$ or not:

Dealer's "4-Cyl Tuneup"
-Check all lights, horn, and turn signals
-Check wipers and wiper blades
-Visually inspect belts and hoses
-Visually inspect battery and cables
-Check air filter
-Check all fluid levels
-Check tires for wear and pressure
-Visually inspect brakes
-Visually inspect exhaust
-Visually inspect undercarriage

You can do most of this stuff yourself, and should be doing it on a regular basis anyway. You know when your lights go out, you know when you need new wipers, belts and hoses are usually good for at least 50-60K miles, battery should last you a couple more years at least, air filter can be replaced very easily and should be done every 5-7K or so, fluids & tires can be checked very easily as well, and brakes are the same.

Now, if the brakes need to be changed .. let them do it unless you really feel like taking the time to do it yourself to save some money. If you have an automatic transmission I would highly recommend that you have them do a tranny flush and look into upgrading to synthetic fluid, and if you have a manual then don't worry about it until 50K miles or so. You will also want to change your plugs if you haven't already done so, and perhaps do a coolant flush while you're at it as well. All of this can be done by yourself for very little money except the auto tranny flush.

HorsySce

Thanks for the info. The front pads look okay and the rear pads are a little more worn but still have life.

I've never changed my own pads but would really like to try. Are there some good instructions out there anywhere? I'm not afraid to try as long as it's clear about how to bleed them and stuff. How do you know if you need to have the rotors turned?

1 more question - does a tune up consist of anything more than changing the spark plugs? I'm going to see if I can find out how to do those myself.

At 30k then, I'll have the dealer do the tranny & coolant flush and I'll do the rest. I need to clean my engine anyway, so I can inspect everything at that time.

KrayzieFox

It was easy on my Protege5 and I anticipate it being the same process for the Mazda 3 as well. You shouldn't even need to bleed the brakes unless you disconnect the brake lines, which I didn't do at all.

Most brake calipers are made of two pieces that have a pivot on one end, so the caliper can be opened up for brake pad exposure very easily. There are two bolts which hold it together on one end, that once removed will allow you to slide open the caliper and simply take out the olds pads & replace with new ones. See pages 18-23 to get an idea of what I'm talking about.
http://protege5.ugly.net/04-11.PDF

Yet again, this is all info about the P5 and I don't know for certain if the MZ3 has the same setup, but I would expect it to be very very close.


As far as the rotors go, you should turn them every time you replace the pads. Reason being is because the new pads will not wear properly if the rotor is warped at all, and will almost defeat the purpose of replacing the pads at all to begin with. What you may want to look into is see if you can find a shop that can machine the rotors so they're perfectly straight once again.

KrayzieFox

A "tune-up" is simply a detailed inspection of all critical parts, and replacement of those that need it. You'd probably get new brake pads, fluids, and spark plugs even if they didn't need to be replaced yet just because they will need replacement sometime in the near future. If you wanna learn how to replace spark plugs, it's very very easy. You'll need to remove the plastic cover on top of the engine to gain access to them, then take out the plugs wires (they just pop out). Then you should get a deep socket extension, and a special socket for spark plugs only. This socket has a rubber piece on the bottom that holds the plugs in place and prevents it from free falling back on top of the cylinder when you try to take it out. If you don't have one, you can get it for a couple bucks just about anywhere. While you're at it, pick up a spark plug gapping tool too cuz you'll need to properly gap the plugs before installing new ones (gapping specs can be found in your manual). Once you get the old ones out, gap the new ones, and carefully put them back in using the spark plug socket. DON'T tighten them too much, once you feel the threads getting tight only do another 1/4 turn at most and leave them alone.

KrayzieFox

And a coolant flush can be done very easily by yourself as well. You'd need to let the car cool down, take off the radiator cap once the car is COMPLETELY cool, and unhook the tube that goes to the overflow tank. Your radiator has a plug on the bottom of it that can be unscrewed very easily to let out all the old coolant. Let the coolant drain into a canister of some sort and dispose of it at a local automotive store (do NOT dump it onto the ground .. it's very bad for the environment).

Then to flush the system you will simply take a garden hose and stick it into the top of the radiator and let it run until all the coolant is out and the only thing you see coming out is just pure water. Then put the plug back in, fill the radiator with water and put in some coolant flush substance as well (can be bought anywhere for $4 or so) then turn on the engine with your heat on as high as possible for 5-10 minutes. Turn off engine and let it cool down for a bit, then drain out the water & coolant flush. Run some more water through to get it squeeky clean inside and repeat the last step once again (install plug, fill with water, run engine w/ heat on max for 5-10 minutes). Let engine cool down, then drain the water for the last time and hook up the hose again. Once it's all clear inside, plug up the radiator and fill it up with new coolant/water mixture.

You can buy coolant that is pre-mixed 50/50 or you can mix your own. If you choose to mix your own, use distilled water and try to get as close to 50/50 water to coolant ratio.

dentinger

hmm... thats pretty much what we do for the oil changes at canadian tire, except we dont check the breaks or the undercarriage

all that and the oil change for around $30-$40 cdn