Elephant's Car Thread - 2013 Mazda 3 Skyactiv

[Ze Elephant]

Had a beautiful night to wash Reginald, so I stripped off the old wax and put on some Auto Shield sealant/protectant/glaze/whateveryouwantocallit that my uncle uses on his Corvettes. I think that and the Turtle Wax Jet Black tire shine helped to clean him up real nice.

 

[GDII]

Had a beautiful night to wash Reginald, so I stripped off the old wax and put on some Auto Shield sealant/protectant/glaze/whateveryouwantocallit that my uncle uses on his Corvettes. I think that and the Turtle Wax Jet Black tire shine helped to clean him up real nice.

Looking good. That's a nice colour for the car.

Tip:You need to press enter after your lines of text to get your images to sit properly. 👍

 

[Ze Elephant]

Thanks, I didn't care much for it at first, but it's really grown on me. Who knew beige could be so endearing?

So on to some other things. Coming soon will hopefully be a center dashboard trip computer to fill the annoying cubby in the dash, and I'll also be checking out the resistance of the plug wires. I filled up and got my best mileage yet, but 23 still isn't that great for a smaller 4 cylinder sedan, even if it is American, so next on my list of cheaper things to try to replace is wires. Any other ideas for boosting mileage would be greatly appreciated, I'd like to get to the estimated 26 combined. If I ever got close to the EPA's 30 mpg highway I'd be ecstatic.

Also somewhat on my mind is a cheap 1.5" EZ Lip for the front end, just to try to beef up the current protrusion under the bumper and hopefully cut down on some drag. There aren't any spats or anything to push air away from the wheels, so if I got a lip I'd be overly hopeful for what would most likely be a minute gain in mileage.

 

[Obelisk]

Thanks, I didn't care much for it at first, but it's really grown on me. Who knew beige could be so endearing?

So on to some other things. Coming soon will hopefully be a center dashboard trip computer to fill the annoying cubby in the dash, and I'll also be checking out the resistance of the plug wires. I filled up and got my best mileage yet, but 23 still isn't that great for a smaller 4 cylinder sedan, even if it is American, so next on my list of cheaper things to try to replace is wires. Any other ideas for boosting mileage would be greatly appreciated, I'd like to get to the estimated 26 combined. If I ever got close to the EPA's 30 mpg highway I'd be ecstatic.

Also somewhat on my mind is a cheap 1.5" EZ Lip for the front end, just to try to beef up the current protrusion under the bumper and hopefully cut down on some drag. There aren't any spats or anything to push air away from the wheels, so if I got a lip I'd be overly hopeful for what would most likely be a minute gain in mileage.

Couldn't you also get a spoiler to improve the airflow over the back, too?

 

[SVX]

Couldn't you also get a spoiler to improve the airflow over the back, too?

And create drag...?

 

[Obelisk]

And create drag...?

A spoiler and a wing do different things. A well-done spoiler makes the airflow over the back of the car less chaotic. The older NASCAR wing (the flat panel on the back) worked like this.

 

[SVX]

A spoiler and a wing do different things. A well-done spoiler makes the airflow over the back of the car less chaotic. The older NASCAR wing (the flat panel on the back) worked like this.

I never actually knew that.

 

[Ze Elephant]

Couldn't you also get a spoiler to improve the airflow over the back, too?

I cold look into thins a bit more, but right now I'm having some issues with finding some solid information on what could work and what will hurt.

Also on the list is the possibility of a partial undertray leading into the rear bumper, and maybe another partial tray over some areas of the engine. My biggest issue with these two will probably be fastening the trays to the vehicle in a way that they're easily removable. Some time under the car with some cardboard and a sharpie can hopefully sort this out.

 

[Ze Elephant]

Finally! Yes! Finally! The exhaust is fixed at last!

This past Thursday was the day. I put Reginald up on ramps in the garage, and once my dad got home we got to work. A 13mm and a ratchet were all it took to get started. My dad pulled on the first bolt and... snapped the head off. Same story with the second one, too. For being sixteen year old exhaust bolts, it was expected. What wasn't expected, though, was for the top two to come off pretty easily.

(vertical photo, forgive me)

With these out, my dad decided to get to work pulling the other two bolts out. We moved the exhaust out of the way the best we could and he got to work with a torch, vice grips, and some WD-40.

About twenty minutes into trying, the first bolt actually came loose and was able to be spun out. Both of us were pleasantly surprised, but the second wouldn't be that easy.

After trying for about twenty minutes and failing on all accounts, we decided it was a good idea to remove the exhaust from the car since we couldn't replace the flex coupling with it on, anyways. We pulled the exhaust off and replaced the old flex coupling with the new, fixing the exhaust leak.

(another vertical pic. I was tired, okay?)

With this done, we looked back to the stuck bolt in the manifold. The only option now was to drill it out. My dad tried with a cordless drill at first and used a small drill bit, but that broke off in the bolt. Next up was the Milwaukee corded drill, and that took care of business-- after three more ruined drill bits and two others that were salvaged. My dad figures he didn't clear all of the first broken bit out of the old bolt and the other bits were getting ruined on that.

By this point, it was about 8:20 at night, and all of the stores around us were closed, so we ran to my work and grabbed some bolts from there. We figured we could pay my uncles back the next day.

We ran home and put the exhaust together in about twenty minutes. Joy of all joys, the exhaust finally sounds decent again!

Fast forward a week to today, and I snapped a couple of potato-quality phone pictures on the drive home from work (the second one is my favorite).

 

[Aerocoupe]

Is that dent recent? I don't remember it being there before.

 

[Obelisk]

Is that dent recent? I don't remember it being there before.

I didn't even notice that.

Seems to have been there this whole time, but he mentioned a rocker panel incident.

 

[Ze Elephant]

Is that dent recent? I don't remember it being there before.

Seems to have been there this whole time, but he mentioned a rocker panel incident.

Yeah, the dent in the front bumper's been there from the beginning. It happened with the previous owner, so I'm not really sure what happened. Probably something from one of the many DUIs she had. The rocker panel incident was because of good ole Michigan rust. Thanks Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa County Road Commissions!

 

[lbpomg95]

Increasing gas mileage? Premium fuel and weight reduction worked wonders on my car. Depends if you can remove anything. My little Corsa has no back seats, rear plastic trim or stereo but then I have two other cars for creature comforts. Premium high octane fuel added about 1MPG to my average while weight reduction added about 5MPG. The weight reduction amounted to about 50kg I'd guess. Which isn't bad for a 900kg car with 60BHP. It now does 55MPG average over an entire tank!

I guess you could spring for lower resistance tyres but the difference they make is minute at best.

No idea if it's an automatic or manual but if it's a manual, don't change gear too early for the sake of MPG. It's not worth it and the car won't like it. Find a happy medium and just smoothly (if not slightly briskly) accelerate to the speed limit.

As for a spoiler I can't see it making much difference at all at motorway speeds.

 

[eiriksmil]

I guess in terms of weight savings GM sheet metal and paint together with Michigan winters will do wonders..

 

[lbpomg95]

I guess in terms of weight savings GM sheet metal and paint together with Michigan winters will do wonders..

Much like our Fords here in the UK!

 

[Ze Elephant]

I can't justify paying thirty cents a gallon more for maybe one mpg, so premium fuel is out. Weight savings, I'm not sure what I can get away with in order to maintain the drivability of the car and what I use it for.

I guess in terms of weight savings GM sheet metal and paint together with Michigan winters will do wonders..

Oh trust me, Chrysler sheet metal is FAR better for weight savings.

In other news, since the exhaust has been fixed and the sensor by the catalytic converter is now getting accurate information, my mileage has gone down to 20.5 mpg.

 

[lbpomg95]

I can't justify paying thirty cents a gallon more for maybe one mpg, so premium fuel is out. Weight savings, I'm not sure what I can get away with in order to maintain the drivability of the car and what I use it for.


Oh trust me, Chrysler sheet metal is FAR better for weight savings.

In other news, since the exhaust has been fixed and the sensor by the catalytic converter is now getting accurate information, my mileage has gone down to 20.5 mpg.

Everything else will likely cost more than you'll gain, so basically, drive smoothly and hope for 22mpg

 

[eiriksmil]

Oh trust me, Chrysler sheet metal is FAR better for weight savings

I wrote GM, didn't I.. lol. Kinda brainfarted

 

[homeforsummer]

Everything else will likely cost more than you'll gain, so basically, drive smoothly and hope for 22mpg

Indeed - changing driving technique will generally make far more difference than any modification. @Ze Elephant what's your typical usage? Guessing in Michigan you don't encounter too many hills, but what are you like for traffic/speed limits/stop signs/lights etc? The most effective way of improving your economy is better anticipation - lifting off the gas a little earlier when you see a red light in the distance (so it has a greater chance of being green by the time you get to it), backing off when approaching a line of traffic rather than braking heavier when you get to it etc. Reduces wear on your car and your journey speeds don't change. They can even improve, if you get good at it - no reason being economical should mean going slowly. Though shedding a few mph from your normal speed along a certain section of road (when there's nobody behind) can also be effective.

Incidentally @lbpomg95, the 1mpg you're seeing from premium fuel sounds a little too close to being within a margin of natural error to determine whether it's really making a difference - unless you're particularly stringent about your measurements.

Even over several tanks, a rise in 1mpg could be due to pretty much anything - slightly higher ambient temperatures, slightly more favourable traffic conditions, changing gear marginally earlier etc. Your Corsa will have been designed to run effectively on 95, so 98+ won't really be beneficial. And certainly not in cost terms - the extra you're paying for premium every time you fill up will almost certainly outweigh the extra 10 or so miles you're (maybe) getting from your ~10 gallon tank...

 

[Ze Elephant]

Indeed - changing driving technique will generally make far more difference than any modification. @Ze Elephant what's your typical usage? Guessing in Michigan you don't encounter too many hills, but what are you like for traffic/speed limits/stop signs/lights etc? The most effective way of improving your economy is better anticipation - lifting off the gas a little earlier when you see a red light in the distance (so it has a greater chance of being green by the time you get to it), backing off when approaching a line of traffic rather than braking heavier when you get to it etc. Reduces wear on your car and your journey speeds don't change. They can even improve, if you get good at it - no reason being economical should mean going slowly. Though shedding a few mph from your normal speed along a certain section of road (when there's nobody behind) can also be effective.

Hills basically fill my drive to school, unfortunately, and my normal mileage before was working right around 21-22. I try to coast up as much of a hill as I can and then get my speed back up afterwards, but beyond that there's not a whole lot I can do. I hit 9 stop signs in the 8 mile drive to school.

One thing I really should do it avoid mentioning my pipe dreams of what I wish I could do. In my head I'd love to do so many things, but I know it's not really worth it to do any of them in the real world. Oh well, I guess dreamers won't stop dreaming.

 

[lbpomg95]

Indeed - changing driving technique will generally make far more difference than any modification. @Ze Elephant what's your typical usage? Guessing in Michigan you don't encounter too many hills, but what are you like for traffic/speed limits/stop signs/lights etc? The most effective way of improving your economy is better anticipation - lifting off the gas a little earlier when you see a red light in the distance (so it has a greater chance of being green by the time you get to it), backing off when approaching a line of traffic rather than braking heavier when you get to it etc. Reduces wear on your car and your journey speeds don't change. They can even improve, if you get good at it - no reason being economical should mean going slowly. Though shedding a few mph from your normal speed along a certain section of road (when there's nobody behind) can also be effective.

Incidentally @lbpomg95, the 1mpg you're seeing from premium fuel sounds a little too close to being within a margin of natural error to determine whether it's really making a difference - unless you're particularly stringent about your measurements.

Even over several tanks, a rise in 1mpg could be due to pretty much anything - slightly higher ambient temperatures, slightly more favourable traffic conditions, changing gear marginally earlier etc. Your Corsa will have been designed to run effectively on 95, so 98+ won't really be beneficial. And certainly not in cost terms - the extra you're paying for premium every time you fill up will almost certainly outweigh the extra 10 or so miles you're (maybe) getting from your ~10 gallon tank...

I'm well aware that it's not worth it from a mpg vs. money spent point of view. The main reason I use it on all my vehicles is simply because they run more smoothly. Noticeable on the Corsa because it's a 3 cylinder engine. My averages have been worked out the same way over every full tank. premium fuel has consistently been at least 1mpg higher over a tank throughout the warmer and colder months.

 

[Ze Elephant]

Well, this wasn't my plan for Reginald today...

I was driving to work this morning and was paying attention to a van that was backing out of their driveway. I didn't notice the garbage truck stopped with a couple cars stopped behind it and made some contact with a newer silver Camry. The Camry made out of it with some scratches and a hole in the bumper cover. We'll see what happens from here, but I got super lucky with where and how the damage happened. The bumper cover, hood, headlights, and radiator core support got trashed in the accident, but nothing mechanical was harmed. No fluids leaked and the air conditioning still works just fine.

 

[Obelisk]

Well, this wasn't my plan for Reginald today...

I was driving to work this morning and was paying attention to a van that was backing out of their driveway. I didn't notice the garbage truck stopped with a couple cars stopped behind it and made some contact with a newer silver Camry. The Camry made out of it with some scratches and a hole in the bumper cover. We'll see what happens from here, but I got super lucky with where and how the damage happened. The bumper cover, hood, headlights, and radiator core support got trashed in the accident, but nothing mechanical was harmed. No fluids leaked and the air conditioning still works just fine.

Oh, no! Thank god nobody got hurt.

 

[lbpomg95]

Reginald got hurt. Not good. Sorry to see.

 

[Joey D]

You should be able to source those parts out of a junkyard I'd think. Where at in Michigan are you? (Looks northern, like Mount Pleasant maybe?) I think I've been to damn near every junkyard in Michigan.

 

[Ze Elephant]

Luckily things happened as well as they did. No airbags went off and no injuries happened. I was going to inquire to LKQ to see about parts (I'm right nearby in Salem Township, and the accident happened in Dorr Township. @Joey D as I recall, you used to be right nearby in Leighton Township), however, I seem to have gotten the the best of luck. There is a 2006 light blue Stratus for sale on craigslist for $500, and it shockingly has a pre-facelift hood, headlights, and front bumper in the same color tan as Reginald. If all goes well, Stratus number three will be mine on Sunday. I figure $500 is a fair price for the front end, and if I sell the rest to the same guy that bought my other parts car, I'll have $300 put into the new front end.

I suppose I forgot to put this in my last post, but the accident did result in a ticket. My brother-in-law is an officer in a nearby county and said $135 is about right for the fine, and it normally puts 3 points on your license. Here's to hoping I can take another driver's training course to negate the points for my first infraction. My brother was able to do that when he was caught going 77 in a 55 mph zone.

 

[Joey D]

Luckily things happened as well as they did. No airbags went off and no injuries happened. I was going to inquire to LKQ to see about parts (I'm right nearby in Salem Township, and the accident happened in Dorr Township. @Joey D as I recall, you used to be right nearby in Leighton Township), however, I seem to have gotten the the best of luck. There is a 2006 light blue Stratus for sale on craigslist for $500, and it shockingly has a pre-facelift hood, headlights, and front bumper in the same color tan as Reginald. If all goes well, Stratus number three will be mine on Sunday. I figure $500 is a fair price for the front end, and if I sell the rest to the same guy that bought my other parts car, I'll have $300 put into the new front end.

I suppose I forgot to put this in my last post, but the accident did result in a ticket. My brother-in-law is an officer in a nearby county and said $135 is about right for the fine, and it normally puts 3 points on your license. Here's to hoping I can take another driver's training course to negate the points for my first infraction. My brother was able to do that when he was caught going 77 in a 55 mph zone.

Yup, that's where I used to live. LKQ in Wayland is going to be your best bet. Looks like they have a 2003 Stratus in tan in their inventory right now that looks in decent enough shape.

They also have a gold 2002 Sebring that they just got in too.

Oh and you might be able to negotiate with them on a price if you bring cash. I managed to get a package deal on a bunch of parts for my racecar when.

Good luck with the repair, if I still lived in Michigan I'd help you pull the parts at the yard since I was there nearly every weekend.

 

[Ze Elephant]

Well, the parts car fell through since the listing is down and the guy selling it won't reply to me by email, text, or calling. In lieu of that car, a friend and I are going to LKQ and pull parts from the car Joey posted, or from whatever Stratuses/Sebrings there are available with decent parts.

Tonight we got the hood pulled and straightened out a couple bent pieces for mounting the headlight to, so here's how Reginald sits right now:

 

[eiriksmil]

A good excuse for a facelift Sebring front end. Officially, my vote

 

[Ze Elephant]

Well, here's the first "rebuilding" update. On Monday my friend and I went to LKQ and picked out parts. The car that Joey posted was stated as tan everywhere we looked, but is a silver car. However, that car had the best hood, so we took it. The best looking radiator support (least rust and no crashy smashy bends) came from a black Stratus, and we got the front bumper from a very red Stratus with foglights and a 2.7 V6. Sorry @eiriksmil , I didn't want the car to say Chrysler on the front and Dodge on the doors . We walked out paying right around $165, plus $6 for the two of us to get into the yard

We got home and got the rad support and hood installed, taped up the driver's side headlight housing, and then set the bumper cover on the car to see how it looked.

The fog lights are very cloudy, and the grille is the same color red as the rest of the bumper, so I decided to fix that today. I removed the foam bumper and grille from the bumper cover, then removed both fog lights. The grille got wet-sanded with 600 grit before being primed and painted black and re-installed. With the fog lights, I disassembled both light units and then wet-sanded them with 400 grit, then 600, then 1500, then buffed with an admittedly too strong rubbing compound (come to think of it, I should have used scratch remover after the compound). Once I was satisfied, they got hit with some clear coat.

The fun process was reinstalling the lights and housings. The light is set so it can pivot up and down in the housing, and it's adjusted with a screw. There's also a very heavy duty spring over the screw to keep the light at the adjusted level. Well, only one housing had the screw and spring.

So, I had to look around the garage and inside the house to improvise.

I found a screw and the nylon spacer inside some part holders in the garage, and the spring is a motor height adjustment spring from an airsoft gun motor. The three together seem to work pretty well at holding the light where it should be.

With this jury-rigged together, I got the fog lights secured and the bumper put on the car. I forgot to take a picture when I got all done, so here's one I took after work.

Tomorrow the new headlight housings come in, and I'm hoping to wire the fog lights in. I don't have a fog light switch on the car, so I was thinking of piggy backing the fog lights on the parking light wiring. They would always be on, but it'd be a lot less hassle than finding something to wire them into and sourcing and installing a switch.

As for the colors, do not fear! I ordered some paint from Automotive Touchup this morning, and it should be in next week. Hopefully I'll get decent results with it. Stay tuned for next week's episode of Garrit's Car Woes to find out!