Frequently Asked Questions
If you don’t see the answer to your question on this page, please don’t hesitate to call Daytona Mazda and one of our friendly representatives will be happy to assist you.
Maintenance
- How many miles before my Mazda needs an oil change?
- When you invest in the Daytona Mazda ownership experience, we worry about your maintenance schedule so you don’t have to. When it’s time for scheduled maintenance, someone from the Daytona Mazda service center contact you to make arrangements. You can also stay abreast of the maintenance schedule for your specific Mazda by checking your owner’s manual. Do not hesitate to call our service center if you cannot find your manual – a service adviser will help you replace it and inform you of the mileage intervals for oil changes.
- When should I replace my car battery?
- You can easily find the replacement date on your battery. Look for a short series of letters and numbers on your battery. The letter is the month – A for January, B for February and so on. The number represents the year. A battery that shows B17 means a replacement date of February 2017. Change the battery just before this date to help ensure your safety. Definitely have your battery checked at our Mazda Service Center to ensure that it is still capable of holding a charge.
- What if my vehicle doesn’t start?
- A dead battery, bad starter or bad alternator are all possible causes here; however, your Mazda could also have a stretched or broken timing belt or a bad sensor.
- If the issue is your starter, you will generally hear a click when you engage the ignition. However, a dead battery could also cause that symptom. If you have a voltmeter, check the battery. It should read at least 12 volts when the vehicle is off. Have someone turn the key while you check the voltmeter. If the voltage does not drop below 10.50 volts, the problem is most likely the starter, assuming that all other systems are working fine.
- What if my “Service Engine Soon” light turns on?
- If the service engine soon or the check engine light comes on, you should get the vehicle to our Mazda service center as soon as possible. The only way to check the problem is to plug a code reader into the diagnostic port of your Mazda vehicle. Once this is done, your expert Mazda technician will be able to tell you exactly what the problem is and how he will fix it for you.
- How can I extend the life of my vehicle?
- If you keep your vehicle well-maintained by following its recommended maintenance schedule, it will last much longer. Whether your intention is to drive your vehicle for as long as it is road worthy, sell it, or trade it in, you’ll get more miles and more money from your Mazda when you take care of it properly. There are very few maintenance investments that will not pay themselves back at some point in the future.
- Tires are also part of maintenance. Always maintain the proper air pressure so that your tires do not wear themselves down too fast.
- How often should tires be replaced or checked?
- This depends on how you drive, where you drive and what type of tire you have on your vehicle. Tires wear faster if you drive on rough surfaces like gravel or off road surfaces. Tires made with softer rubber, often known as “highway tires,” wear faster. Every tire has an estimated number miles that it is expected to last. You should always check your tires for wear, low pressure and other problems. When the tread is almost even with the wear bars, it’s time for new tires.
- Do I need to align my tires when I get new ones?
- It’s always a good idea to have the alignment checked at every routine vehicle maintenance appointment. If your vehicle’s tires have an uneven wear pattern, you should definitely have the alignment done.
- What kind of tires should I get?
- Let your Daytona Mazda service adviser know what kind of driving you do, whether it’s mostly highway driving, city driving or driving on off road surfaces. Also, let your technician know how much driving you do in order to get a recommendation for the best tire for your driving habits.
Tires
Parts
- When should I replace my belts and hoses?
- The time frame varies. When hoses start to get soft, or if they are showing cracks, they should be replaced. When belts show dry rotting, if the bottom side is shiny, or if the belt no longer holds tension, it’s time to change the belts.
- What is the difference between OEM and generic parts?
- OEM parts are “original equipment manufacturer” parts. They are made by the manufacturer – in this case, Mazda. The parts may be sold by Mazda or by third parties. Generic parts are made by another manufacturer to fit your Mazda. While most generic parts do fit, they may not have the quality that OEM parts have. Rest assured that Daytona Mazda uses only Mazda OEM parts for all procedures.
Certified Professionals
- Why Use ASE-Certified technicians?
- No one knows your Mazda better than the technicians at Dayton Mazda. That’s because Mazda Service Center personnel are Mazda trained and certified—so they’ll fix your car according to the exact manufacturer standards. Furthermore, in order to properly service a Mazda vehicle, technicians must be certified in the use the special equipment required to properly diagnose today’s vehicles. Without these tools, technicians cannot properly identify a problem. An inaccurate diagnosis could bring you additional expenses needlessly. We assure you that that will never happen at at Daytona Mazda.
- Trust your Mazda vehicle to an ASE Certified auto repair technician with specialized Mazda training. Rest assured that the repairs will be performed correctly the first time.
- What’s wrong with uncertified mechanics?
- When you choose a mechanic without Mazda certification to repair your vehicle, you won’t be certain that the person knows how to do the job. Nor will you know if that person uses quality OEM parts. Furthermore, that person may not be ASE Certified and may not guarantee the work and the parts used.
- What are the certification requirements?
- The technicians who work for the Daytona Mazda Service Center must take and pass the ASE certification test in their specialty. If a technician is a master technician, he or she must pass a group of tests in a series. A master technician must also have two years of documented hands-on work experience.
- For automobiles, a master tech must pass eight tests for the master status. For collision repair, a tech must pass four tests in the series. The A series for automobiles and light trucks include:
- Engine repair
- Automatic transmission/transaxle
- Manual drivetrain and axles
- Suspension and steering
- Brakes
- Electrical/Electronic system
- Heating and air conditioning
- Engine performance
- The ninth test in the series is for light vehicle diesel engines. That test is not required to become a master technician
- Master techs in body repair or collision must pass these four tests:
- Painting and refinishing
- Non-structural analysis and damage repair
- Structural analysis and damage repair
- Mechanical and electrical components
- All master tech must re-certify every five years.
- Call our certified technicians at the Daytona Mazda Service Center to schedule an appointment for maintenance and repairs.
- Mazda Connect
- Mazda Connect kicks the excitement factor of owning and driving a Mazda into high gear. This next-generation connectivity system is now included with all Mazda vehicles and allows you to access your smartphone’s functions safely as you drive.
- Enables the use of a variety of website applications and services such as AhaTM by linking with your smartphone.
- The in-vehicle software can be updated to support additional functions and evolving smartphone operating systems so that it will never go out-of-date.
- A flexible hardware structure featuring a module unit for each function allows the system to meet a wide range of needs flexibly.
- Moving forward, the range of applications and services available with the system will be expanded.
- Next-Generation Human Machine Interface
- Mazda’s Heads-Up Cockpit concept is powered by a next-generation human machine interface (HMI) to deliver exceptionally safe driving environment — even when the driver must process an array of pertinent information.
- Next-Generation HMI
- Heads-Up Cockpit
- Intelligent Drive Master (i-DM)
- What is “intelligent driving”? At Mazda, we consider “intelligent driving” to be that which is fun for the driver, yet considers the comfort of passengers as well. As a bonus, such driving also leads to improved fuel economy. Mazda’s Intelligent Drive Master (i-DM) is a system designed to help you improve your technique and driver more “intelligently.”
- The human-centered design aims to minimize visual, cognitive and manual distraction.
- The simple cockpit has different zones for different types of information.
- 7-inch center display (1) sits atop the dashboard making it easy to see without lowering the eyes.
- Command controller (2) is designed to be operated entirely by feel.
- Active Driving Display (3) projects important information such as vehicle speed and turn-by-turn navigation above the meter hood.
- Functions can be controlled voice-recognition.
Technology
Does Your Car Have a Safety Recall?
Recalls have been in the news a lot lately. We know you have questions about the effect of these recalls on the safety of you and your passengers. We can’t service every vehicle with an open recall, but we can alert you if your vehicle has one.
Find out if your car is affected.
