How’s it going so far?

Faults and Technical chat for the Mazda CX-3
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anchorman
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Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:23 pm

Post by anchorman »

Gus wrote:
anchorman wrote:I suppose I'll get the answer for myself soon but how do you guys rate the LED headlights?
I like them! Have just noticed tonight the beam angle altering when going round a corner.
Now I've tried them I like them too. Much better than I ever imagined.
CX-5 Sportnav diesel auto. AWD

Silver19
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Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2015 1:13 pm

Post by Silver19 »

Main/Full beam is great especially if go out in countryside with no street lighting.
CX-3 | AWD |Sport Nav | Auto | Diesel | Crystal White | Half Stone Leather
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anchorman
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Post by anchorman »

Silver19 wrote:Main/Full beam is great especially if go out in countryside with no street lighting.
Yes I agree. The only thing that is a small concern is that there are no bulbs and several servo motors inside a sealed unit. If any of them fail, a new headlight is going to be expensive. My life expectancy prediction is...........

Three years and one day!
CX-5 Sportnav diesel auto. AWD
Gus
Posts: 607
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:11 am
Location: Oxfordshire

Post by Gus »

anchorman wrote:
Silver19 wrote:Main/Full beam is great especially if go out in countryside with no street lighting.
Yes I agree. The only thing that is a small concern is that there are no bulbs and several servo motors inside a sealed unit. If any of them fail, a new headlight is going to be expensive. My life expectancy prediction is...........

Three years and one day!
I think someone needs to hug the happy tree :lol:
CX-3, Sport Nav, Auto, Petrol, Soul Red Metallic, Half Stone Leather, Sep 2015 to Sep 2018.
CX-5, Sport Nav+, Auto, Petrol, Soul Red Crystal Metallic, Sep 2018.
lancslad1985
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Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:57 am

Post by lancslad1985 »

anchorman wrote:It all depends very much on what kind of driving you do. The worst kind is short journeys where the engine doesn't get warm and the driver tootles round with low revs. The best kind (read that as the kind that would generate the least oil dilution) is when the engine is hot for longer periods and the driver gets up the Rev range quite a lot. This is because it is a combination of heat and pressure that best purges the soot out of the DPF (exhaust filter). If the filter is kept clean by normal use, there is no need for the computer to force a regen (filter clean) and no risk of diesel getting oil getting in the diesel. The dilution will only occur during regen but it can be seen that under the right conditions, a regen will never take place. However, even if driving style is mixed or even low duty which would cause frequent regents, the risk of the filter becoming blocked is considerably reduced by not using supermarket diesel as it contains very little of the pricey soot busting detergents. You also need to make sure that when the oil is changed, they use "low ash" oil with a C2 or C3 rating.

I am not able to tell you how often you will dilute your oil but you already reduce the risk with higher mileage runs. You might benefit from letting the engine rev on longer hills once a month and you should certainly avoid supermarket diesel like the plague. Use only branded or better still, high grade which has double detergent added. I would say that those examples where 20 oil changes are needed are rare.
Cheers for the information. I've never had any issues with a diesel car previously (currently drive a petrol despite my high mileage) and I've never had problems with supermarket fuel in any of my cars. Having said that, I work in the car care industry and I'm lucky enough to have lots of free fuel additives. Having also spoken with people at Shell during projects, they've told me supermarket fuel is exactly the same as their standard fuel as the tankers come to fill up at the same place in the refinery.

My only other question to everyone here is how comfortable is the ride with the 18" wheels? I can't decide between the SEL and full Sport Nav trim to test drive (only have time for one due to commitments outside work at the moment). All the reviews say it's quite firm, but I drive a polo blue GT and I'm yet to find a car that has a ride anywhere near as firm as a sporty polo on 17" low profile!
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anchorman
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Post by anchorman »

It is true that all the tankers fill up at the same terminal. Petrol arrives at the terminal via pipeline and is then pumped into enormous tanks for storage. Can you imagine how big the terminal would be if every brand had their own tank! For that reason all the additives are added at the time of filling the tanker compartments. He could add regular Shell at one compartment along with all the additives then draw forward to the next compartment and using the same base petrol but different additives, fill with Shell V Power. I can assure you that every manufacturer has a slightly different "recipe" although the branded fuels will turn out similar. These additives are expensive but crucial in diesel - more so than petrol as they control to some extent, the build up of particulate matter (it also requires some assistance from driving conditions). The supermarkets are not the "people's champion" when it comes to fuel prices. The are profitable businesses and take advice on what exactly they can sell that presents some sort of Merchantable Quality and attract customers through convenience and price.

As far as the Sportnav goes, I find it way too soft and would have the suspension stiffened in a heartbeat. It does provide a nice compliant ride on many roads but when unleashed on country roads, I find it a bit wallowy and on speed bumps it requires very low speed to avoid loosening teeth. The 18 inch wheels probably help me but I've not driven one on 16s to compare. The other benefits that really justify the cost to me are the AWD, the keyless locking and the active LED headlights which are astonishing.

I go to Manchester Piccadilly most days if you want a ride in mine if you struggle to find one at a dealer.
CX-5 Sportnav diesel auto. AWD
lancslad1985
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Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:57 am

Post by lancslad1985 »

Cheers for that information. I'd kill for something soft at the moment. My polo is a back breaker, though I suppose it's my own fault for choosing something with gti suspension..... Looking forward to the start of next year and a new car, plus everyone on the CX-3 forum seems very friendly! I've been on some forums where you ask a simple question and are made to feel like a moron.
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