Mazda 3 Problems

It all depends of what sort of a leak we’re talking about here. If the tank is constantly leaking after it’s been filled up, there’s clearly some sort of hole somewhere in the tank or its plumbing from the filler neck to the tank proper. You could surmise that the level of fuel in the tank at which the leak stops, is also the level of the hole or crack. As the fuel drains further (as you drive the car) the fuel level is below that of the leak-point and the leak stops. Either way, this is a dangerous situation as even if there’s no liquid fuel leaking, there’s almost certainly fuel vapour escaping (which is more flammable than petrol itself).

While it’s rare for a tank to fail, much more common is having the plumbing which takes the fuel from the filler neck to the tank cause a leak. But if the leak stops soon after you’ve filled up, it could simply be that a small amount of fuel has sloshed out of the filler neck and into the car’s body near the neck, where it can drain away, thanks to gravity, towards the bottom of the car where you’re seeing it. Next time you fill up, be sure not to overfill the tank and remember to use the watering can on hand to slosh away any spilled or excess fuel.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cars have never been more dependent on their electrical systems than they are today. Sometimes, changing a dead battery can lead to the sorts of problems you've noted, and while it could be something more mechanical, there's one thing you can try at home before phoning the mechanic.

Disconnect the battery and leave the car for at least half an hour. Then, reconnect it, start the engine and go for a drive of at least 30 minutes. That will usually be enough to perform what's called a reset and may solve your problems.

If not, you need to have the car scanned at a workshop to see what problems the on-board computer has identified.

Both these cars are well equipped, well built and have a good reputation in the trade. Which means you won’t regret buying either of them. In turn, that means that the decision will come down to whether the extra standard equipment of the Astina model outweighs the factory warranty of the SP25 GT.

The extra gear in the Astina amounted to 10-way adjustable powered front seats with a memory function, specific 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, radar cruise-control, forward obstacle warning, adaptive headlights, lane departure warning and lane keeping assistance, and smart brake support. Whether you reckon that standard gear is better than a year of so of factory warranty is entirely up to you. The only problem being that when the warranty runs out, you might start to think differently about the relative value of the two cars.

There are lots of really good choices in tyres for popular models such as the Mazda 3. You can shop online and find cheap tyres, but a much better idea is to actually contact (or visit) a tyre shop who will be able to guide you according to what you want from the tyres.

Some tyres have better life, some offer more grip, some are aimed at fuel efficiency, others are designed to run quietly and some are sold entirely on price. Some tyres will combine some of these traits, while others will be quite focussed on their priorities (performance tyres, for instance, often trade off lifespan and quiet operation for ultimate grip).

So talking to a person who sells and fits tyres every day, is a good place to start. Listen to the advice and proceed from there. There’s no need to ignore some of the Chinese brands these days, either; some of them are quite good and offer a good balance of performance and price. Most tyres are made in China today anyway, even if they’re a familiar brand. Speaking of price, expect to pay around $100 to $150 for a good quality tyre and don’t forget to have them balanced and the car’s wheel alignment checked at the same time. A good tyre shop can do all of this in the time it takes you to do your shopping and can offer advice that an online retailer simply can’t.

And don’t forget that car tyres remain a great example of the notion that you’ll only get what you pay for.

Mazda Australia has previously told CarsGuide that it would love to get hold of a batch of the hot-shot Mazda 3 Turbos. And while the local arm of Mazda has asked head office for a batch of the all-wheel-drive hot-hatches, no decision has been confirmed as yet.

Mazda’s problem is justifying the cost of making the car in right-hand-drive form, and the complex mechanical packaging makes that even more difficult than usual. Designed for the North American market, the lack of a right-hand-drive variant will likely be the biggest hurdle to the car making it into showrooms here.

Mazda Australia is obviously keen on the idea as it would give it a competitive product to tackle the success of the VW Golf GTi, the Renault Megane RS and the soon-to-arrive new Subaru WRX. The bottom line? Cross your fingers, but don’t hold your breath.