New Bt-50 Electrical

My case manager has even suggested to me that a recall may take effect for all electric brake fits as there is a new wiring diagram from Japan just come in. Please check with your dealer and if he doesn't know, get him to find out.

Cheers.

Phillip, do you wipers wipe the screen once or twice every time you start the car? That is a annoying thing for me and no one, not even from Mazda can tell me if this is normal.

skeeterau

No they don`t.

The thing that I don`t like is the parking lights are turned on when a door is opened. If the door is not closed [ on first catch] It could flatten the battery.

I know that they can be turned off by flicking the light dipper twice, but children would no know.

Mazda dealer told me that the pilot light on the brake controller would flatten battery if the vehicle was left standing for a few days. It would not be as bad as the parkers accidentally left on. [Yes, the doors have to be closed to operate the lock.]

A good vehicle containing too many useless gadgets.

That's interesting about the wipers. I always thought that was a fault. Don't worry about your lights staying on. I leave all my doors open to clean and vacuum and the go off themselves. I have tried to time it numerous times but they won't go off if your watching them.....

Quote "Mazda dealer told me that the pilot light on the brake controller would flatten battery if the vehicle was left standing for a few days. It would not be as bad as the parkers accidentally left on"

Do you have a Tehonsha produced unit (P3 etc?) If so, he does not know what he is talking about. They go to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity and draw less phantom current than your car radio does.

Peter,I have a Tehonsha brake controler. I`ll save that for the Dealer when I am talking to him.

Thanks Gary, but mine was commisioned by Mazda before delivery. Take a look at the last paragraph on this bulletin-
hope this link works

Just days before the body control mod packed it in- the car was at Mazda having a temp fix for the bull bar. The very next day the 2 dealer fitted spot lights didn't work. I followed the wires and they were all good. It was both globes blown.
From memory now, there is a wire that dissapears in the firewall (high beam pickup via switch) and the main power came from the battery with an inline fuse. I dont think these cars accept that.

I know you are right. I am just fully stressed out and I appreciate all the comments on here. I have learnt alot tonight and I am confident that the problem lies in the current wiring and it can be fixed.

The work was done by an outside auto electrician.

All "dealer fitted" mean is it has been fitted through a dealer much the same as "factory fitted" meaning it has be fitted through the factory prior to delivery to the dealer.

Who ever fitted it for the dealer or factory is authorised to do so and most times they will outsource the work to a specialised fitter.

Well said Ron I agree, you mentioned accessories being a profit maker for the stealership/dealership, most people don't realize that the Mazda dealer who charged $50,000 for a BT50 paid Mazda Australia less than half of thta figure to have it in the yard for the customer to buy.

My daughter inlaw worked at a Mazda dealer and said the dealer paperwork showed he paid $10,800 for a new car from Mazda and then sold it for $22,000. A good mark up too.

Ross M

There is nowhere near that sort of margin in new vehicles!

I know a fellow who owned a Toyota dealership in Sydney, sold out about 8 years ago and he certainly wasn't spruking about big margins to be made which is why he got out of the industry.
Overheads to run a car yard would be substantial

Ross - I'm not sure how good those figures are, because I have some knowledge of car dealership markups, and between 15% and 20% on the wholesale purchase cost, is generally a good markup figure for the average dealer.
They don't make a fortune out of new cars, they make the real money out of parts and accessories, and the workshop.

Cheers - Ron.

G'day Ron
There was a bloke on the forums from Townsville and he bought a new Colorado from a dealer and had some warranty issues.
He sighted the paper work, relating to his vehicle, mistakenly left on a table at the dealers and it showed he had just paid slightly more than double the price paid by the dealer who sold it to him.
But, yes, there are overheads at a dealers though, but they do have room to Mooooove as the saying goes.

After nearly 18 years in automotive retail, I can quite categorically assure you the that is absolute garbage!

Talking of bolts no tightened, Two bolts on the tow bar [ fitted by the Mazda dealer] were only started finger tight [a couple of turns]. I found them after I had towed the van about 50 Ks.

I phoned the sales man, who sold me the vehicle to raise the alarm. I haven`t been back to see them. I tightened them myself.

Its an interesting one this one. I have been towing the caravan, done about 1000klms no problems. Nothing new electrical added. The only notable thing prior to the break down was the bull bar patchup the week before when the spotlights didnt work.

Update today via phone. They have sourced a control module and Mazda Ballarat will have it by the end of the month. It must be coming out by row boat............. I am afraid they will fit the module, alter all the wiring to suit Mazda Corporation Japan's specs- tell me its fixed and not really know what caused the problem.

At least one of every conceivable/likely to fail part, should be in Australia before any of those vehicles are sold in Australia. The stock should also be kept up.

The issue of non available means they haven't allowed for ANY failures of anything.
An appalling attitude from a company who just wants your money and only will attempt to get pars when forced to do so.
The spare parts organization should be in place before the sales launch.

Olcoolone you bet me to it with your reply.

Nobody wants to have problems, consumers or merchants and to be jumping up and down wanting a new one every time there is an issue is not reasonable or realistic, where do you draw the line of when a new vehicle should be offered.??? Leaking tyre valve, air cond compressor etc. .??
The merchant needs to be given the oportunity to rectify the problem and if the parts are not available surely you cannot be too hard on the Dealer who is only a reseller not a manufacturer of a product.
Having said that I would be expecting the dealer to provide you a suitable alternate loan vehicle and a few other goodies as a goodwill gesture whilst getting the issue resolved.

This calling the Lawyers in capper mentality every time there is spilt milk is part of the problem with our current society.
Things go wrong sometimes that is life. I hope they get it sorted out for you with as little grief as possible.

Alby - And it's people with your attitude that manufacturers love. They can walk all over you, they can use YOU as the test bed for poorly built, and inadequately tested products - and all the time the smooth ads are blaring away on TV - telling all and sundry what a superior product they are selling - and you're guaranteed to look like Tom Cruise whilst driving it, and you can expect the same adulation.

Meantimes, Skeeterau's experience is that he's walking when he should be travelling - he's paid $50K and get to drive around in a used Commonwhore - while he waits months for a major parts that is made of unobtainium - and which should have been ripped off a new vehicle at the very least, to get him going again.

He's had his major holiday plans destroyed because the company doesn't really care too much - about its products, and about its service and customer care levels.
I'll wager if the CEO of Mazda Australia had HIS BT-50 cease operating, it would be worked on around the clock, and parts air-freighted from the factory to get it running again.

This kind of BS treatment is exactly why America has Lemon Laws. The Yanks won't put up with being fobbed off with poor quality or faulty products. They go for the jugular, and rightly so.

Ron I can assure you that I do not get walked over by anyone. What I am saying is that you have to be realistic and reasonable.
Skeeteraus said that the dealer has had the vehicle for 1 month and awaiting a part to rectify the situation, they have provided him with an alternate vehicle in the interim and it is Skeeteraus saying that even if he gets the vehicle back in time, will not go on his trip as he has lost confidence in the vehicle.
If the type of loan vehicle is not appropriate I think he is well within his rights to request another more suitable one, likewise they should provide a vehicle for his holiday if they still have not fixed the problem.
He may well be happy with the Commodore in the interim but if not by all means communicate with the dealer so that you are happy as could be under the circumstances. I didn't read in his post that the dealer is refusing to sort out the problem or that he would only provide a commodore that was not satisfactory to him!

You are assuming the dealer does not care and is destroying his holiday, maybe the dealer is not even aware of his upcoming holiday??

By all means get the dealer to sort out the problem and provide a vehicle to allow him to still have his trip but my point is I don't think being trigger happy with Lawyers is a necessary action when the dealer is on the case.

Mazda Australia have bent over backwards to help me with everything in their power. I am still just a number, customer in the queue- awaiting my turn.

They were aware of all my circumstances and requirements and the first question asked when I was offered a rental- Do I require a utility for work purposes. I said no because I expected to receive a 1 ton tray type ute and I needed the seats.

When I informed them of my holiday they looked for a suitable rental vehicle to tow the caravan. It turns out that you can't easily obtain a rental tow tub (which is what I expected) from the major rental firms. They don't have vehicles set-up for towing with electric brakes and the like.
Even if they did, I wouldn't have taken the trip in one because- My holiday- would be in my rig. I would want to use my freezer in the back, use the extra 90lt fuel auxiliary fuel tank and carry all my gear that has a place of it's own in the tub of my ute. The holiday is in driving and enjoying your own set-up. I would have rather flown domestic than drive a hire car.

I have just been the unfortunate victim of circumstance. I purchased a new vehicle for reliability, to have a holiday without the fear of car problems. In hindsight, I should have kept my 2004 diesel pajero, that just clicked over 270k and has only cost me 4 sets of tyres & 7 sets of rego.

The commodore suits my needs to drive to work and back, (its more expensive to run than the BT-50) Its a SV6 with skirts and spoilers but drives like a bucket.

I am now just concentrating of getting my vehicle back- gaining trust in reliability and looking forward to having it back in my care.

I hope I didn't give the impression that Mazda Australia just dumped me, as this is not the case. I really feel sorry for my case manager who has to be the one to talk with me on the phone to tell me there is no further news. I would not want to ring someone like me. I for one, would not want his job.

The local Mazda dealer who sold me the car and fitted my accessories..... now that's another matter.
The feeling I get when I talk to them- They are doing me a favor, and its a pain in the butt having my car sitting in their compound.
When I spoke to them about minor electrical work to be done (Anderson plug and fridge power in the back), and I am nervous now about doing this myself like I planned- they said no you need to be careful when doing a job like this. You will need to take it to an auto electrician. That is ludicrous not being able to do minor work yourself like this. Even if I had the confidence I wouldn't now because it would make me responsible for computer failure.

I did make enquiries last week to my lawyer regarding my case. His thoughts were that Mazda Australia are doing their best to rectify the situation. I can only follow through the system and keep receipts for any undue costs that can be recovered. One thing he mentioned that I try to keep a paper/email trail. Phone conversation promises mean nothing.

AlbyNSW.... We get people at work acting the same and this is on their first contact with us....... we get great enjoyment from their bad attitude when we say "sure we will fix it"..... all of a sudden your thier best friend and you have them eating out of your hand....... but we also have a few who we have KICKED out our workshop.

99.9% of customers are fantastic but it's the .1%ers who leave you with fond memories.

skeeterau, it's funny how some (customers) deal with issues with a heavy hand and others like you are level headed..... good to see.

People with a level head usually gets better results.

As AlbyNSW said.... nobody want a vehicle sitting around broken, the customer, the dealer or manufacturer.

I feel sorry for you, sit tight and it will be all OK.

Olcoolone , I am in the building industry and our experience is similar to yours. I have spoken with a couple of Fair Trading officers who deal with disputes and they tell you that consumers and their unrealistic expectations is as much of an issue to deal with as merchants with faulty product.
Skeeterau, hopefully you get sorted out soon and that you are satisfactorily compensated for your expenses.
I know what you mean about it not being the same in someone else's vehicle, I often think how much money and time I would save flying to a destination like the Kimberly and hiring a 4 WD but it is just not the same sense of satisfaction.

Good luck and hope you are back on he road soon.

I think olcoolone has a vested interest here in keeping dissatisfied customers at bay.

Let's just run through the scenario again. Skeeterau has forked out probably in excess of $50,000 last NOVEMBER, to acquire a NEW vehicle, with a SUBSTANTIAL reliability increase, over an old worn-out one.

In the first 5 months of ownership, he has been overwhelmed by a raft of faults that have finally led to this NEW vehicle being taken from his use and possession, in an unuseable state - and this has been going on for in excess of a MONTH.

He's been informed that NO-ONE in the company has any idea of when a crucial component that is required to get his NEW vehicle running again, will be available.

I quote - "There is no further word on the computer and it could quite easily turn into months before it's fixed".

This is not a leaking tyre or an A/C fault - it is a case where a man has forked out a SUBSTANTIAL sum of money, for a new vehicle - only to see that vehicle perform, firstly, with a level of reliability that approaches a 500,000km vehicle - and secondly, it has been removed from his possession (and meantimes he's still paying the monthly payments - but doesn't have his vehicle - and thirdly - NO-ONE CAN TELL HIM WHEN HIS NEW $50,000 VEHICLE, WILL BE BACK ON THE ROAD!!!

This rates as the most appalling performance of a new item of equipment that I have heard about, in the last couple of years. As a businessman who has purchased and owned probably well over 2000 items of equipment and vehicles over 45 years of being in business - I can tell you, if this vehicle was mine, I would be savaging every senior employee of Mazda and going right to the top, to get some serious action - instead of INACTION.

In my case, on many occasions, I purchased new Caterpillar machines that in todays values ran into several hundred thousand dollar value purchases.
In a few cases, those machines performed badly. In every case, I was initially fobbed off by the dealer.

It was only after some hell-raising amongst senior management, that they usually belatedly admitted they had a problem. In several cases, components were pulled from new machines in stock to get mine going again immediately.
In one case, valves failed on a near-new Cat engine. A head fell off a valve. I paid for an engine overhaul, and the Cat dealer told me the problem was my operators methods, causing the failure. A week after the overhaul, another head fell off another valve, causing engine destruction.

After I made a trip to the senior managers office, raising cain about the problem, the senior management of the Cat dealer then admitted that, yes, there was a manufacturer problem. They had had a "crook batch of valves".

Lo and behold, a complete and full replacement of all engine valves was then supplied, gratis. However, if the dealer had admitted the problem in the first instance - they would not have been up for the (unnecessary) cost of a engine rebuild - and I would not have had a machine seriously broken down, and out of commission, twice in the one month.

If there's one thing I've found after 45 yrs in business, after buying lot of machines and vehicles - it's that a dealer will only admit to a major problem, and do something about it quickly - when they are harrassed beyond any normal level of griping.

In Skeeterau's case, this vehicle should have been at least provided with a new computer taken from another vehicle - immediately - so he could enjoy the new vehicle he's paid substantial sums of money for - and if the problems continue, Mazda should take the vehicle back, and provide a replacement or a refund.

Bill - It's called a lawyers letter - preferably written by a Rottweiler-type lawyer. Once they know you're serious, and are making it obvious you will not stand for their BS, and are happy to have your lawyer commence legal action, they might start getting talkative. Let's put it this way - refusing to talk about a problem indicates;

A: they have something to hide ..
B. they have little to no communication skills.

Either way, you have nothing to lose. People who run a business, dealing with the public have to have communication skills that are substantial enough to be bale to sit down, discuss, and thrash out problems.
The trouble is, that too many people running businesses have inadequate communication skills, and just hope that if they ignore the problems, they'll go away.
It doesn't work like that, and an unhappy client with a genuine grievance is the worst kind of (negative) advertising a business can get.

Of course, there are always people who are never happy, and who can be a nightmare to deal with. In business, one needs these type of people to sharpen ones negotiation skills - and to show one, how good most people are.

Cheers - Ron.