2014 Mazda 3

[marcyaptinchay]

Use some charcoal or thirsty hippo in the mean time , mold can be caused by too much moisture (band aid lang to and not a permanent solution)

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[travajante]

Use some charcoal or thirsty hippo in the mean time , mold can be caused by too much moisture (band aid lang to and not a permanent solution)

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This, too.👌👍

[rei_lied]

Before we start....Nothing spilt anywhere in-cabin recently? You checked shoes, pedals, floorliners, carpet for any sign of foreign caked brown stuff that may look chocolaty but doesn't taste so? Sure none?
Ok, hehe, seriously....

That musty/mildew odor, most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON, is likely the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by trapped moisture, leaks, condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse & common in high humidity conditions like ours here.

Please note that A/C odor is not Mazda-specific as it will occur in other makes and models.

Here are DIY steps one can take to investigate & minimize A/C odor:

-Check cabin floor & carpeting for moisture. If wet, address the leak source which is usually a clogged evaporator drain.

If no trapped moisture is detected, below are good habitual approaches:

- Keep the cooling unit dry by leaving the blower fan ON (at least on low), even if the A/C is not being used.
- In our high humidity conditions, or if the air has a lot of dust or pollen, keep the system in the “RECIRCULATION” mode. "Fresh" is for dry climate conditions.
- A few minutes before reaching a destination, turn the A/C OFF, but leave the blower fan ON. This stops the accumulation of condensation on the evaporator/cooling unit, and it helps dry the inside of the cooling unit.
-Leave in-cabin silica dehumidifying canisters. Replace before water accumulation reaches max level. Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Fridge Deodorizer may help, too.

If symptoms persist:
-Remove the cabin filter behind the glove box.
-Spray Lysol into the vents & the cabin air filter opening. That leads to the blower motor air intake opening.
-Switch the air circ mode to fresh & spray Lysol thru the exterior cowl vents near the windshield generously while AC on * full blower. Do the same alternately w/ heat on.
-Replace cabin filter(PN: KD45-61-J6X) w/ new, vid here:
Changing cabin air filter- 214 Mazda 3 - YouTube
...but if the used one is still new/clean/serviceable, spray some Lysol. Let dry before reinstalling.
-Dry the evaporator using the following procedure:
WARNING: Don’t run the engine when inside an enclosed area to avoid risk of CO poisoning.
A. Start the engine.
B. Set the HVAC controls as follows.
• RECIRCULATE
• FULL HEAT
• FAN HIGH
• A/C OFF
• AIRFLOW (FACE)
C. Open one window approximately one half inch.
D. Let the engine run for 15 minutes.

If symptoms still stubbornly persist, then we'll have to go more in-depth, more intrusive....Let's pray we won't need to go there.

thanks sir! Very informative. I was actually gonna do the lysol route but I didn't know where to spray. Sa youtube kasi nasa labas yung vent nila. Nasa loob yung atin?

Guilty ako sa basta pinapatay na lang yung AC and engine, sabay labas and lock the door. Dapat pala inoopen pa rin yung fan for a few minutes. Mukhang need ko rin idouble ang dehumidifier sa loob ng kotse ko. Or go to the cheapo route of putting charcoal

[travajante]

thanks sir! Very informative. I was actually gonna do the lysol route but I didn't know where to spray. Sa youtube kasi nasa labas yung vent nila. Nasa loob yung atin?

Guilty ako sa basta pinapatay na lang yung AC and engine, sabay labas and lock the door. Dapat pala inoopen pa rin yung fan for a few minutes. Mukhang need ko rin idouble ang dehumidifier sa loob ng kotse ko. Or go to the cheapo route of putting charcoal

AnytiM3. Spray inside thru the blower vents, cabin filter housing & OUTSIDE thru the COWL vents sandwiched by the hood & the windshield. When doing the cowl side, switch system mode to FRESH, not RECIRCULATION. Blower will suck fresh air in from the cowl vents.
Hope the DIY helps. Stretch that new car smell as looooong as you can. Mine bid me farewell right after the honeymoon. Daily hauler, blue collar workhorse.... sweet sweat of a typical dockworker travajante has replaced it....gross & sad

[gm3]

hi all, does anyone here have 17 inch rims installed in their m3? Is it a good balance of looks and comfort? plus 17 inch tires are a bit cheaper too. Also, any idea what is the front and rear fender clearance with the stock setup?

[travajante]

hi all, does anyone here have 17 inch rims installed in their m3? Is it a good balance of looks and comfort? plus 17 inch tires are a bit cheaper too. Also, any idea what is the front and rear fender clearance with the stock setup?

Stock ride heights vary among variants. Sedan, hatch, 2.0, 1.5....they differ in weight. Wheel preferences are subjective. Some like comfort, some like light, some... looks. Some, all 3, which is a difficult balance. Most get 2of3. I've yet to see someone on 17s here.

[lsdgenie]

Here's a pretty one on FlexZ coilovers, 19x8 et48 Lightweight RPF1s to jumpstart the week!


Oh, oven-fresh NO-DRILL M3 & M2 Plate Relocators are now available & ready to go...
For details, please email
satravajante*gmail.com
Thanks & an awesoM3 week ahead!!!

Extremely Hot! FlexZ's it is.

[rei_lied]

hi all, does anyone here have 17 inch rims installed in their m3? Is it a good balance of looks and comfort? plus 17 inch tires are a bit cheaper too. Also, any idea what is the front and rear fender clearance with the stock setup?

Also planning on 17in rims. My father is discouraging me actually to switch rims kasi babagal na daw ang takbo ng kotse at magiging matagtag. Mga after 6months pa ang decision ko. Susulitin ko muna ang 16 ko. Post kayo ng pic kapag nakapagpapalit kayo ng 17 sir

[lsdgenie]

Also planning on 17in rims. My father is discouraging me actually to switch rims kasi babagal na daw ang takbo ng kotse at magiging matagtag. Mga after 6months pa ang decision ko. Susulitin ko muna ang 16 ko. Post kayo ng pic kapag nakapagpapalit kayo ng 17 sir

Not much diff between 16s and 17s, looks wise - personally, Id just change the stock 16's to aftermarket ones for the looks if the main concern is FC and comfort...you'd save some cash on the outright cost, tires, while maintaining close to stock comfort levels.

[travajante]

Also planning on 17in rims. My father is discouraging me actually to switch rims kasi babagal na daw ang takbo ng kotse at magiging matagtag. Mga after 6months pa ang decision ko. Susulitin ko muna ang 16 ko. Post kayo ng pic kapag nakapagpapalit kayo ng 17 sir

I'm not sure if 17s would really be considered upgrades. Some below...

[marcyaptinchay]

Why not 18s (stock of the 2.0) imo i think the fc penalty will be minor as some of our friends have 18s and are returning fc better than the 2.0 (which is super tipid to begin with) ,pag dating naman sa speed , it will affect acceleration a bit but not the top speed , weight of the 18s will be lighter than the stock 16s (depends on the rims you get) then lower your car to get back some fc numbers due to less wind resistance 😄 (the lowering part is true but also a joke 😄

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[travajante]

Why not 18s (stock of the 2.0) imo i think the fc penalty will be minor as some of our friends have 18s and are returning fc better than the 2.0 (which is super tipid to begin with) ,pag dating naman sa speed , it will affect acceleration a bit but not the top speed , weight of the 18s will be lighter than the stock 16s (depends on the rims you get) then lower your car to get back some fc numbers due to less wind resistance 😄 (the lowering part is true but also a joke 😄

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What the good sir Marc is saying here is simple....unsprung rotational weight, not wheel size, dictates power & efficiency felt. The relation is inversely proportional. The lower the combined wheel/tire weight, the quicker, the more powerful & the more efficient the car feels. No placebo. It will handle & brake better, too. The impact of proper wheel choice goes beyond just looks.
Why spend for troublesome, pricey, warranty-voiding, invisible power mods like tune, headers, forced induction? Just swap those heavy stocks for lighter ones & feel the Skyactiv more, instantly, w/o any CEL risk.
You don't have to look far & wide, nor need to save much for a pretty lightweight set..Think ROTA. Pinoy proud less the price.
Good luck in your wheel hunt.....& lower it. No joke.

[rei_lied]

What the good sir Marc is saying here is simple....unsprung rotational weight, not wheel size, dictates power & efficiency felt. The relation is inversely proportional. The lower the combined wheel/tire weight, the quicker, the more powerful & the more efficient the car feels. No placebo. It will handle & brake better, too. The impact of proper wheel choice goes beyond just looks.
Why spend for troublesome, pricey, warranty-voiding, invisible power mods like tune, headers, forced induction? Just swap those heavy stocks for lighter ones & feel the Skyactiv more, instantly, w/o any CEL risk.
You don't have to look far & wide, nor need to save much for a pretty lightweight set..Think ROTA. Pinoy proud less the price.
Good luck in your wheel hunt.....& lower it. No joke.

Yup! Planning on buying ROTA coz they are cheap. Though I haven't actually ask shops yet how much their ROTA wheels are. Will 35k be enough for 18in? Hehehe

[travajante]

Yup! Planning on buying ROTA coz they are cheap. Though I haven't actually ask shops yet how much their ROTA wheels are. Will 35k be enough for 18in? Hehehe

Should be. PM the wheel gods: Hot Hatch, Geo_S or marcyaptinchay. They will guide you to ROTA.

[gm3]

Not much diff between 16s and 17s, looks wise - personally, Id just change the stock 16's to aftermarket ones for the looks if the main concern is FC and comfort...you'd save some cash on the outright cost, tires, while maintaining close to stock comfort levels.

There's not much choice for good looking 16's out there and options are limited also for the tires last time i bought a pair. I am considering to upgrade either to 17 or 18, less harsher ride than stock 18s. It is impossible to drive our roads without hitting potholes unless our cars float 😀, and that engine rev inspires to accelerate even on ph pavement 😂

[travajante]

There's not much choice for good looking 16's out there and options are limited also for the tires last time i bought a pair. I am considering to upgrade either to 17 or 18, less harsher ride than stock 18s. It is impossible to drive our roads without hitting potholes unless our cars float 😀, and that engine rev inspires to accelerate even on ph pavement 😂

Tire type & sidewall height are comfort factors. Stock 18s have 215/45s. If you go 225/45, it'll yield you about 4.5mm higher sidewall than 215s.

[vinrem]

To those with Flex Z coilovers, hows the ride, a little firmer than stock or firm? Any issues with the coilovers?

Just got back last week here in China, arrived at the house at around 8pm, cant wait to start up the car kaya when i offloaded all the baggages, i went on to work on the car immediately, installed back the negative wire to the battery and then prayed it will start and then vroommmm, what a relief when it started, the only issues that i found is the foul smell when i turn on the AC, dati wala naman, when i left the car before going back to the philippines, i put a bag of charcoal and a lot of silica gel inside the car, i havent checked on the cabin filter yet.

[travajante]

The humble Pinoy original M3 Plate Relocator™ just debuted in North America...

Sharing you some comments from across the Pacific pond:
"....Finally! Good lord what a long wait. I installed the plate in about 2 minutes once I got home in the cold and dark.....Love the plate relocated. Thanks!.....Woot woot!"

"Just received my plate relocator yesterday. It's very well done for a custom made product (well packaged too!). Mazda would actually be smart to buy the mold from you guys and sell it themselves. Of all of the car work I've done over the years, this is definitely the most professionally done custom part I've come across. As corny as it sounds, I feel very exclusive to have one on my car.*
I'm assuming you either know someone with an exceptional amount of skill over there, or you had this done through blow-mold. Definitely worth the money in my opinion."

This 1's for the Pinoy Mown3r...your appreciation, embrace, inspiration, passion & support....much valued. The bonus of friendships made here, there in that great M3SCPh family & thru Mown3rship in general.... such a priceless blessing.
Humbled & sincerely grateful.☝

For those who still need M2 or M3 relocators, just please email
satravajante*gmail.com
Thanks & God bless.☝

[lsdgenie]

the humble pinoy original m3 plate relocator™ just debuted in north america...

sharing you some comments from across the pacific pond:
"....finally! Good lord what a long wait. I installed the plate in about 2 minutes once i got home in the cold and dark.....love the plate relocated. Thanks!.....woot woot!"

"just received my plate relocator yesterday. It's very well done for a custom made product (well packaged too!). Mazda would actually be smart to buy the mold from you guys and sell it themselves. Of all of the car work i've done over the years, this is definitely the most professionally done custom part i've come across. As corny as it sounds, i feel very exclusive to have one on my car.*
i'm assuming you either know someone with an exceptional amount of skill over there, or you had this done through blow-mold. Definitely worth the money in my opinion."

this 1's for the pinoy mown3r...your appreciation, embrace, inspiration, passion & support....much valued. The bonus of friendships made here, there in that great m3scph family & thru mown3rship in general.... Such a priceless blessing.
Humbled & sincerely grateful.☝

for those who still need m2 or m3 relocators, just please email
satravajante*gmail.com
thanks & god bless.☝

congratulations!!!

[lsdgenie]

There's not much choice for good looking 16's out there and options are limited also for the tires last time i bought a pair. I am considering to upgrade either to 17 or 18, less harsher ride than stock 18s. It is impossible to drive our roads without hitting potholes unless our cars float 😀, and that engine rev inspires to accelerate even on ph pavement 😂

To be honest, I didnt find the ride harsh on my stock 18's (then again I was coming from an SUV daily driver). That being said, I found the ride improved with my new rims (18's too) which are lighter, and with the change in tire size (I use 235/40's). Looks better too IMHO (Might even get another set of 19's after several other upgrades).

Doubt however that even this could match the comfort level of stock 16's, if that really matters. As sir Travs said, its usually a trade off somehow between comfort, looks, and weight.