2012 Mazda MAZDA3 Technical Service Bulletins

446 technical service bulletins (TSBs) are on record for the 2012 Mazda MAZDA3. TSBs are notes manufacturers send to dealers about repair procedures for issues seen in the field. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault.

• 10201777Sep 24, 2021Equipment, Engine cooling. Ethanol is becoming a common additive in gasoline. Gasoline containing ethanol is likely available at your local gasoline station. Typical blends of ethanol include E10 and E85. E10: A blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, E85: A blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, All Mazda vehicles can run on gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol (E10) but only some 1999-2001 B3000 trucks can run on gasoline with more than…
• 10201768Sep 3, 2021Transmission and drivetrain. Some vehicles may experience the check engine light and automatic transaxle warning light ON with one or more of these DTCs stored in the TCM memory (P0842, P0847, P0872, P0877, P0780, P1738). P0842:00 - Oil pressure switch No. 1 (oil pressure switch B) stuck on, P0847:00 - Oil pressure switch No. 2 (oil pressure switch A) stuck on, P0872:00 - Oil pressure switch No. 3 (oil pressure switch A) stuck on, P0780:00…
• 10200933Aug 24, 2021Engine cooling, Electrical system. This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure.
• 10200527Aug 17, 2021Equipment. This service bulletin provides information regarding the proper use of the driver’s floor mat to avoid any potential interference with the foot pedals. The following are possible causes of floor mat interference, which can be avoided with proper usage.
• 10198689Jun 9, 2021Equipment. Accessory instructions can be found on OneMazda under Dealer Resources - Parts & Accessories. The links provided below can be used for quick access: For 2016 models and newer: NOTE: Instructions are found under the "Attachments" section once a part is selected. Accessories E-catalog For models prior to 2016: Accessory Parts and Installation Instructions
• 10198691Jun 7, 2021Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building or Low-E windows. This may be caused by the sun's reflection.
• 10198574Jun 1, 2021Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors). Some vehicles may experience exterior trim heat damage when parked near a glass building. This may be caused by the suns reflection. If a building creates enough of a curve with a series of flat windows, which act like mirrors, the reflections all converge at one point, focusing and concentrating the light onto the street below.
• 10194659May 7, 2021Electrical system, Equipment, Engine cooling. When programming a key or installing a Genuine Mazda Accessory Remote Engine Start system, you may encounter programming difficulty. This may be caused by a customer installed aftermarket decorative trim and/or cover on the START/STOP ENGINE button. The aftermarket accessory may create electrical interference, which may interfere with programming.
• 10194661May 5, 2021Air bags. Subject: ** UPDATE** - Takata Inflator Special Service Program (Extended Warranty) Special Service Program SSPB3: In December 2017 Special Service Program SSPB3 - Takata Inflator Extended Warranty was announced. The extended warranty was a result of the Takata airbag inflator class action settlement.
• 10194657May 5, 2021Equipment, Electrical system, Engine cooling. If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal Workshop Manual diagnosis. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Ask the customer if any aftermarket devices have been installed.
• 10189797Mar 15, 2021Electrical system. If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal Workshop Manual diagnosis. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Ask the customer if any aftermarket devices have been installed.
• 10189953Mar 2, 2021Transmission and drivetrain. Csp09 - 2010-2013 - mazda3 2.5l clutch reimbursement program (no repair with this program)
• 10188016Feb 8, 2021Electrical system. This service bulletin provides testing and charging procedures in order to promote proper battery maintenance, to deliver new vehicles with fully charged batteries, and to reduce unnecessary battery replacement cost. For new vehicles in stock at the dealer, inspect and maintain the battery periodically according to the repair procedure.
• 10188015Feb 8, 2021Electrical system. The Mazda DCA-8000PM is required for all warranty battery testing. If the Mazda DCA-8000PM is not used, incorrect battery testing may result in unnecessary battery replacement. Use the following test procedures in this Service Bulletin to test Mazda vehicle batteries and to generate a Warranty Code.
• 10186701Jan 26, 2021Equipment. A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating. It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse during high humidity conditions. “Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating” is…
• 10186703Jan 21, 2021Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Equipment. In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer
• 10186693Jan 21, 2021Steering, Transmission and drivetrain, Wheels, Engine cooling. Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers.
• 10183601Nov 17, 2020Equipment, Electrical system. Some vehicles may exhibit a Connectivity Master Unit (CMU), a BLUETOOTH® hands-free unit or text messaging related concerns. To improve the handling of BLUETOOTH® hands-free and/or text messaging customer concerns, Mazda created a special service and parts exchange program as of February 2010.
• 10183604Nov 10, 2020Engine cooling. Some customers may complain about high engine oil consumption. Before attempting any repairs, verify the complaint by using the guideline below to determine if an engine repair is necessary: Engine Oil Consumption Inspection Guideline 1. Record the vehicle mileage. 2. Engine at normal operating temperature, top off engine oil level to the full mark on the dipstick. 3. Ask the customer to return to the dealer after…
• 10183592Nov 3, 2020Transmission and drivetrain. Some customers may complain of a whining noise from the automatic transaxle when driving at 10 mph and above. The noise:  Depends on the vehicle’s speed only (the more speed, the more noise)  Occurs with all types of driving (acceleration, deceleration, steady speed)  Does not depend on rpm, gear, or ATF temperature
• 10182123Oct 28, 2020Equipment, Engine cooling. Currently, the instructions on MGSS recommend the use of Loctite 962T or equivalent when installing a SKYACTIV cylinder head, but it is no longer available. The following 3 adhesives are alternatives available as an equivalent to Loctite 962T: Loctite 272, Loctite 518 Threebond TB-1386H
• 10182131Oct 27, 2020Body and structure, Electrical system, Equipment. SSP99 - 2010 MAZDA3 - DASHBOARD UPPER PANEL STICKY SURFACE: For certain 2010 Mazda3 vehicles, the warranty coverage for dashboard replacement for sticky surface condition only is extended to 10 years (120 months) from the original Warranty Start Date, with no mileage limitations. Any other condition for dashboard replacement, such as discoloration, warp, or material splitting, is covered only for 36 months or…
• 10179079Aug 21, 2020Engine cooling. Some customers may complain about an unusual noise coming from the engine compartment for about 20 seconds after a cold engine start. This noise is a normal engine operation for improved exhaust gas emissions. The noise does not indicate a malfunction. ACCELERATED WARM-UP SYSTEM (AWS): All SKYACTIV-G engines adopt AWS to reduce exhaust gas emissions immediately after a cold engine start.
• 10179228Aug 3, 2020Wheels, Tires. New CARB regulation regarding mandatory checking and documenting of tire pressure whenever a vehicle is in for service work. This applies to all service shops (including Mazda dealerships) in California effective September 1, 2010.
• 10177847Jul 20, 2020Equipment. When encountering a vehicle with paint damage, refer to the "Mazda Paint Warranty Guide" to determine cause, prevention, remedy, and warranty coverage (if applicable).
• 10177844Jul 17, 2020Transmission and drivetrain. Some vehicles may exhibit one of the following concerns:  Sometimes the shifter may jump out of 3rd gear over a road bump when accelerating after deceleration at 25-40 mph (40-65 km/h)  Hard to shift into 3rd, 4th, 5th, and/or 6th gear  Shift lever vibrates when driving in 3rd or 4th gear. This is caused by inappropriate transmission internal parts.
• 10177853Jul 15, 2020Equipment, Electrical system. If you encounter any type of electrical concern (e.g, dead battery, engine no start, DTC(s) stored...), interview the customer before proceeding with normal Workshop Manual diagnosis. Aftermarket devices may be the cause of the electrical concern. Ask the customer if any aftermarket devices have been installed. Below are a couple of examples of unusual electrical concerns caused by aftermarket devices.
• 10177843Jul 9, 2020Engine, Equipment, Transmission and drivetrain. Some vehicles may experience the check engine light and automatic transaxle warning light ON with one or more of these DTCs stored in the TCM memory (P0842, P0847, P0872, P0877, P0780, P1738). This is caused by the oil pressure switch A and/or B at the control valve body temporarily or permanently getting stuck due to contamination entering the passage. To correct the problem, some mass production changes have been…
• 10177012Jun 10, 2020Transmission and drivetrain. When replacing manual or automatic transmission, make sure to remove the plug from the old transmission (as shown below) and then re-install it to the new transmission with a new washer. The new transmissions (including remanufactured A/T) have a shipping plug, as shown in the figures (M/T: black, rubber made; A/T: pink and black, with breather). This plug is for shipping use only and needs to be removed in order…
• 10173097Mar 12, 2020Transmission and drivetrain, Equipment, Brakes, Engine cooling. Mazda has developed factory recommended scheduled maintenance services that support all major vehicle systems. Mazda recommends dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers.
• 10171792Feb 26, 2020Transmission and drivetrain. Service part Automatic Transaxles (ATX) manufactured on or after July, 2018 are shipped with a blank TCM that requires configuration. NOTE: The following Caution is included with every ATX that requires configuration.
• 10170817Jan 13, 2020Equipment. When encountering a vehicle with paint damage, refer to the "Mazda Pocket Paint Guide" to determine cause, prevention, remedy, and warranty coverage (if applicable). Copies of the Mazda Pocket Paint Guide are available for order on Mazda e-Store (part number: 9999-95-MPPG-12).
• 10170661Jan 9, 2020Equipment, Electrical system. In accordance with Federal regulations, follow the procedure listed below when replacing a speedometer. NOTE: Tampering with a motor vehicle odometer is strictly prohibited by Federal, and State laws. It is the dealer’s responsibility to comply with Federal, State, and local laws concerning odometer and related documentation requirements when providing a repair or replacement.  Mazda vehicles are…
• 10170656Jan 9, 2020Suspension, Equipment. Some customers may complain of signs of oil on the struts or shock absorbers. In most cases the oil that is present is normal, and a result of the oil that remains on the shaft during the normal sweeping process of the shaft seal. Follow the inspection guidelines below to determine if the condition is a result of the normal sweeping process or a failure of the shaft seal.
• 10170657Jan 8, 2020Brakes. Some vehicles exhibit brake related concerns such as brake noise, brake judder or brake dragging. If you encounter a customer complaint for any one of these symptoms, refer to the following information to understand why symptoms may occur, and to better assist the customer in resolving their specific brake concern.
• 10169540Dec 19, 2019Equipment, Engine cooling. If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold is not cleaned properly, the replacement engine may fail prematurely. Metallic debris from the old engine (with catastrophic internal mechanical failure) may rest inside the intake manifold.
• 10169539Dec 17, 2019Equipment. A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating. It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse during high humidity conditions. “Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating” is…
• 10169537Dec 13, 2019Equipment, Engine cooling. There is a concern that some water pumps are being replaced that are not faulty, due to signs of a very small coolant leak from the bleed hole. This Service Bulletin is to inform you about the water pump sealing mechanism and the criteria if replacement is necessary or not.
• 10169509Dec 5, 2019Engine cooling, Transmission and drivetrain. GUIDE LINES AND PHOTOS TO DETERMINE IF FLUID/OIL SEEPAGE OR LEAK IS SEVERE ENOUGH TO REQUIRE WARRANTY REPAIR OR TO CLEAN AND MONITOR. Some customer's might state that they notice fluid or oil leaking/dripping on the ground when the vehicle is parked. For this concern, inspect the vehicle for any trace of a fluid or oil leak and use the following examples as a guide to determine if it is severe enough to require a…
• 10166848Oct 8, 2019Engine cooling. Some customers may complain about high engine oil consumption. Before attempting any repairs, verify the complaint by using the guideline below to determine if an engine repair is necessary:
• 10165676Sep 30, 2019Engine cooling. If an engine assembly is replaced after a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, clean the intake manifold internally before installing a replacement engine assembly. If the intake manifold is not cleaned properly, the replacement engine may fail prematurely. Metallic debris from the old engine (with catastrophic internal mechanical failure) may rest inside the intake manifold.
• 10164267Aug 23, 2019Engine cooling. Some vehicles may experience a rough idle with the check engine light on and DTC P0015 / P0524 stored in memory. P0015:00 - Exhaust CMP timing over-retarded. P0524:00 - Engine oil pressure too low. This is caused by a drop in engine oil pressure due to a piece of foreign object stuck on the oil pump pressure relief valve or oil control valve (OCV). The temporary entry of the foreign object triggers a check engine…
• 10163334Jul 31, 2019Equipment. The database error discovered with IDS 114.00-114.02 release has been fixed with IDS 114.04 release and is now available for download.
• 10163367Jul 16, 2019Equipment. A musty/mildew type odor may come from the vents when the air conditioning (A/C) system is operating. It is most noticeable when the A/C is first turned ON. This odor is the result of mold growth in the A/C evaporator/cooling unit which is caused by condensation, dust, and pollen within the cooling unit. This condition is usually worse during high humidity conditions. "Mazda Air Cooling Coil Coating" is available…
• 10163333Jul 9, 2019Equipment, Electrical system. Due to a database error discovered with IDS 114.00-114.02 release (which affects Recall 3719F), it will be necessary to uninstall IDS 114 and install IDS 113.00 and 113.06 update. The Recall can be performed after removing IDS 114 and installing IDS 113. This SA will be updated when more information is available.
• 10163362Jul 2, 2019Engine cooling. Some vehicles may experience the Check Engine Light ON with DTC P0300:00, P0301:00, P0302:00, P0303:00 and/or P0304:00 stored in memory. P0300:00: Random misfire detected, P0301:00: Cylinder No.1 misfire detected, P0302:00: Cylinder No.2 misfire detected, P0303:00: Cylinder No.3 misfire detected, P0304:00: Cylinder No.4 misfire detected. Carbon may be deposited around the intake valves, resulting in unstable engine…
• 10162013Jun 6, 2019Transmission and drivetrain. Some vehicles may exhibit one of the following concerns: Sometimes the shifter may jump out of 3rd gear over a road bump when accelerating after deceleration at 25-40 mph (40-65 km/h), Hard to shift into 3rd, 4th, 5th, and/or 6th gear, Shift lever vibrates when driving in 3rd or 4th gear. This is caused by inappropriate transmission internal parts.
• 10160555May 20, 2019Transmission and drivetrain. Some vehicles may experience the check engine light and automatic transaxle warning light ON with one or more of these DTCs stored in the TCM memory (P0842, P0847, P0872, P0877, P0780, P1738). P0842:00 - Oil pressure switch No. 1 (oil pressure switch B) stuck on P0847:00 - Oil pressure switch No. 2 (oil pressure switch A) stuck on P0872:00 - Oil pressure switch No. 3 (oil pressure switch A) stuck on P0877:00 - Oil…
• 10159201Apr 1, 2019Equipment. MAZDA IDS INOPERATIVE WITH VCM-II LICENSE EXPIRATION MESSAGE - If you encounter an IDS inoperative problem with VCM-II license expiration message, follow the instructions below: 1. CLICK HERE to download the resetting tool to your PC desktop. 2. Reboot your PC, DO NOT start any application after restarting. 3. Run the resetting tool by double clicking the "Reset.bat" file (on your desktop from step 1). 4. Press any…
• 10155437Mar 27, 2019Transmission and drivetrain. Some customers may complain of a whining noise from the automatic transaxle when driving at 10 mph and above. The noise: Depends on the vehicle’s speed only (the more speed, the more noise)Occurs with all types of driving (acceleration, deceleration, steady speed)Does not depend on rpm, gear, or ATF temperature.This is caused by a damaged bearing in the transaxle due to improper configuration…

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