Mazda Has Some Fun with an Old 626

OEM's like to have fun, too.  And everyone knows that Mazda knows how to do that (Zoom Zoom!...).  This time, Mazda took the humble 1991 Mazda 626 of Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris (even more humble than his loved car), and gave it the restoration it needed.  Now, it looks like it just came off the factory line.

Bentley, the name Alfred's trusty sidekick has taken on, went through a rigorous 275 hour restoration while Morris drove a loaner 2014 Mazda6 (lucky him!).  The effort seems to have been well worth it, with Mazda presenting the car back to him as if it were a brand new model, though some modern touches were added.

Obviously, you might be left scratching your head and wondering why anyone would go through the trouble, especially Mazda itself, to restore something so old and seemingly mundane compared to today's offerings.  Our best guess?  Every now and then you find people who get so attached to their car, no matter how old or how beaten up it may be, and those people will do anything to hold onto that feeling.  We think Mazda gets that, and saw that with Alfred Morris and his '91 626.  

Want to see the restoration unfold?  Autoblog has plenty of pictures detailing the fun project.

Fall Means Festivals, Food, and New Mazda Models!

 

 There's no denying that fall is a fun time.  The food, festivals, events, and weather just can't be beaten.  Of course, fall also means new Mazda models!  We'll get to that later.

We've searched the local sites a few times to find the best list of fall events and festivals going on in the Triad, and it looks like the VisitNC website has the most listed.  So, if you're ready to have some fall family fun, we recommend checking out that link!

Now, as for Parks Mazda, we love fall for a different reason: new models!  Even better is that most of the 2014 Mazda models have been completely redesigned, like the beautiful, fun 2014 Mazda3.  We highly recommend checking it out now too, with all these fun fall events going on now.

We hope all of you enjoy the fall and the great weather and events, and if your fall schedule shows you might be interested in a new Mazda, Parks Mazda will be happy to help any way we can!

The Importance of Brake Fluid

There are maintenance items on our cars that we sometimes forget.  For many of us, brake fluid can easily be one of them .  But first, allow us to explain what brake fluid does.

Brake fluid is fed through a series of lines to your brake calipers to help them clamp down on your rotors.  The fluid itself is pressurized by your brake booster, located in the engine bay.
When brake fluid is low, your braking will show.  A low amount of brake fluid will result in less pressure, and air in the system.  Air in your brake lines causes your pedal to feel soft and sluggish, which results in poor to very, very bad braking.

If your brake pedal feels soft, it likely means your fluid is low and/or air in the system.  Give the pedal some pumps till it feels firmer; many times this won’t solve the issue and you’ll need to service your brakes by “bleeding” the lines.  One way to tell is if the fluid in your reservoir is full but your brakes still feel soft, then it’s time to service them, which Parks Mazda can happily do for you in case you don't have the time or tools.

New Service Specials

We have a bevvy of new service specials posted on the Parks Mazda site!  Feel free as well to browse them below and print whichever special best fits your needs.  In addition to these specials, whenever you buy tires from us, we'll rotate your tires free for life.  


 

Know Your Parts: IAC Valve

 

You may or may not be familiar with the working of an idle air control valve, but just in case, here's what it is, where you can find it, and how you can tell if yours is going bad.

An Idle Air Control Valve, or IAC Valve for short, is controlled by the car’s computer, and uses a solenoid to control a valve that controls the air flow into the air’s intake by bypassing the throttle body through an alternately routed air tube coming from your main inlet air tube attached to your air filter at one end, and your throttle body at the other.  For reference, it is attached to your Mazda's throttle body.

So, why are we mentioning this to you?  Sometimes an IAC Valve can have an effect on your vehicle’s performance.  If your vehicle idles funny, or perhaps even stalls, it could be due to a faulty IAC Valve.  Most commonly, IAC Valves simply get dirty, but every now and then the solenoid can stop working, causing severe idle problems.

If you think you might have an issue with your IAC Valve on your Mazda, or think yours needs replacing, feel free to send us a message.  We’ll be happy to help!

All-Season Tires and Summer Tires: What's the Difference?

We've all heard of all-season tires, and many of us are familiar with summer and winter tires, but what's really the difference?  Here's our take.

With all-season tires, you are getting the "second-best" of any tire style, rolled into one.  This means you're getting good to great traction in all seasons, but probably not the best for any specific season.  You might get a little bit better traction on snow, but sacrificing some wet gripping capability.

As for summer tires, or any season-specific tire for that matter, they're usually offering the best technology for summer.  When conditions don't involve snow, go for the summer tire.  You get great grip in both wet and dry conditions.  However, if you live somewhere (like NC) that experiences all seasons, you're going to want either winter tires or opt for the more manageable all-season tires.

Here's a great article from Popular Mechanics covering this issue more in-depth.  Ready to get new tires?  Parks Mazda can help you decide which are best for you, or help you find the ones you want.

2013 Mazda CX-5 Awarded for Quality

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 was recently awarded for its great looks and functionality.  The J.D. Power APEAL award, short for Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout, judges vehicles based on their overall design and the performance of that design.

"The CX-5 is Mazda's first vehicle to fully incorporate SKYACTIV® TECHNOLOGY as well as the KODO "Soul of Motion" design language," says Mazda.  "Offering best-in-class combined fuel economy, including the highest highway miles per gallon (MPG) of any SUV sold in North America – hybrid or not – at 35 MPG."

The CX-5 is also cited to have great safety technology, handling, and of course, price.  All these things make the CX-5 a great value year after year.

If you think the 2013 CX-5 is a good fit for your needs, feel free to stop by Parks Mazda to see if we can help you decide it's the car for you.

Mazda Clebrates Ten Years of the Mazda3

In celebration of the Mazda3's tenth anniversary, it looks like Mazda will be unveiling a new Mazda3 very soon, or so we've heard. Whether it's the new Mazda3 or something different, we can confirm that the unveil will be in coordination with the new Xbox One console.

This comes on the heels of the new Mazda6's success in coordination with the new Star Trek Into Darkness film, so we think this is a perfect way to keep riding the innovative wave with the newest Mazda3. Back to the new Mazda3.

Regardless of when or how it's unveiled, we think the newest iteration will follow the new Kodo design that's implemented on the 2014 Mazda6. Needless to say the newest Mazda3 should look equally great.

 If you want to keep up with Mazda and Xbox One, check the hashtag #GameChanger, and be sure to enter the contest!

The Mighty Mazda Miata

Are you ready for a showdown?  Enter some of the world's fastest production cars, a few top notch domestics, and...a Mazda Miata, all vying to be crowned the fastest:


  How great is this video? We hope you got a small kick out it!

Spring Car Care Tips

With springtime now in full bloom, we thought we’d share a few care care tips to help keep your Mazda in top shape this spring.

The most important and most obvious starting place is performance of routine maintenance as indicated by your Mazda owner’s manual.  This includes changing the oil and flushing of other fluids among other things.

Next, replace your wiper blades and filters.  This could include your air filter, oil filter, or fuel filter among a few others that have become clogged or dirty beyond cleaning.

Also check that your tires are ready for springtime's heat and rain.  Winter and snow aren't friendly to cars, especially the tires, and can cause low tire pressure which might result in unbalanced tread wear.

Finally, make sure your engine is good to go.  This means your serpentine belt is tight and your car is starting easily and running smoothly at idle.  A few causes for these problems relate to electrical malfunctions, be it in the ignition or sensors.  Also be sure to make your A/C is functioning properly as it can effect your Mazda’s cooling abilities.