29th May 2009, 11:11
Somewhere here I read that CEL lights are often caused by faulty tank lids. Maybe a new tank lid is all your Millenia needs.
10th Jun 2009, 23:42
Clara, '98 Milli w/2.5 liter, has been a peach since mile 12 on her odometer. She now treads along with 178,000 plus miles and she wears many the same scars as her sisters/brothers on this forum. CEL still on after replacing the 02 sensor near the firewall. No other code comes up on the code reader.
I have always used good gas, gas treatments, had oil changed every 4,000 miles. (Owners manual states 5,000 and dealer says 3,000) Tranny replaced at 130,000 but was result of incident with debris on road.
Good girl since then.
I'd only give her up due to children being so very tall and do not find rear seat comfortable. Was considering 2009 Mazda6 but dealership wouldn't budge on pricing, so I walked.
Good luck.
17th Jun 2009, 06:40
I have a 2001 Millenia (base model) and have had very few problems with it... Until this past year and that was just the timing belt needing to be replaced.
However, in the last 2 weeks I am hearing a noise from under the hood that sounds like a quiet helicopter. Does anyone know what this noise is?
I also need to get front brakes and new spark plugs. My dad also said that I may need new half shafts. Any clue how much this will cost? And taking into consideration the helicopter noise, do you this it is time for a new car?
Help!
28th Jun 2009, 09:00
I have a 1999 Mazda Millenia automatic, V6 engine. Perfect car. 121,000 miles. No major repairs. I just had a 60-point check to see if all was well. Mechanic said it was time to replace timing belt, that along with oil change and new spark plugs would cost $1700. So I looked in manual. The manual says that for intially registered California cars (which mine is) that the timing belt needs to be changed at l05,000 miles. Five years ago, upon another mechanics advice I'd had the timing belt changed at 60,000 miles. So should I figure that timing belt should last another 105,000 miles? And that I don't need another new one until I have 165,000 miles on the odometer? Car runs perfectly and always has.
11th Jul 2009, 19:39
To those Mazda Millenia owners with the mystery "check engine" light on, I had this problem in my L model Millenia for 3 years before I fixed it myself for the price of a can of carb cleaner. If your ODBC-2 diagnostic code is related to the EGR, this could be your solution too. I ran my car on cheap regular gas for years, which caused gummy residue to build up on the throttle butterfly valve and in the throttle body, and it clogged 2 small holes in the base of the throttle body, which are part of the EGR system. Go ahead and remove your throttle body and clean it out thoroughly, and make sure all the small internal holes are clear of gunk... put it back on and you're good to go. I now have 167,000 miles on my '96 millie and it runs like new.
17th Nov 2009, 13:16
Well, I guess I've just been extremely blessed!! I own a 2001 Millenia. All I've ever had to do was change the oil every 3k miles and rotate the tires every 6k miles.
That's my story! I'd buy another one in a heart beat!
12th Feb 2010, 12:03
I own a Millenia 01, bought it with 75k miles, never had a problem until now that checkin lights came on. Is the O2 sensors, not big deal, but this car is great, wish Mazda would it remake them, such a great car. I spent almost 2 grand in stereo on it, I love my car.
16th Feb 2010, 14:02
I've had my 2001 Mazda Millenia since Dec. of 2001. I had a 1997 Mazda Millenia prior to that. I have loved both cars. I have 112,000 miles on it and I, like just about everyone else on here, have a check engine light that won't go off. The mechanic says I'm getting readings for the knock sensor and catalytic converter. It's going to cost $2,500, so I'm done. It's time to move on.
The car still rides like a dream. In fact, I find myself comparing the rides of the newer vehicles to my Millenia. Now if I can just find another vehicle that I'll like as much as I've enjoyed this one. Wish me luck!!
29th May 2009, 05:40
I've owned the standard version of the 2001 Millenia for just about four years now. My father drove it before me and put 99% highway miles on the car. I do more city driving, but haven't encountered any significant repairs with the car.
Before purchasing it from my dad we replaced the caty converters and sensors, with hopes of fixing the CEL light always being on. Like so many others, it fixed the problem just long enough to pass the emissions test, but the light is often always on.
I now refer to it as a "time to fill er' up" light, and completely ignore it unless it begins to blink. I have encountered the blinking and had a mechanic tell me I had a piston misfire (commonly occurs in this car w/high mileage while going up a steep hill).
I have also replaced the original battery with a fancy interstate battery that seemed to give my car a bit more juice. Other maintenance at 100k was tires, new belts & filters etc.
Things that I've seen and problems I share with my Millenia:
1. Notice that the car gear (s) "slips" or hesitates between 1st & 2nd gear, but is fine past that. Greatest shifts come higher up (3rd into 4th).
2. CEL light comes on regardless of repairs, often goes out when car tank is full or I manually disconnect the battery when I'm bored of the orange. (cheapest solution is a piece of electrical tape over the CEL light on the dash!)
3. Car "runs rough" during the cold winter months. Extreme conditions like -5/-10 degree nightly temperatures here in WI will probably do that to any car. Also, during winter the TCS light comes on when initially starting car until it "warms up" after a minute or two, and drives just fine after.
4. On rare occasions I experience the "front end rumble." Not sure what this is, but seems to go away after putting the car in gear. Often happens during the cold winter months.
5. Button to release the gas cap often works at a winning the lottery frequency. This has gotten better since I've passed the 120k mile mark. It works every time now (knock on my interior wood)!
All in all I think it's a great car. I have Z-rated Michelin tires on the car to add to it's performance, handling, and overall riding comfort. I will never buy a cheaper tire for this vehicle, these are a must!
Seems like a lot of the mechanics are quick to blame an 02 censor or caty converter. Not sure these are even the problem at all, as I've replaced both with my CEL light igniting while leaving the lot of the repair shop.
This car offers a luxury offer to it's driver (s) and I believe is highly reliable, once you can get past worrying about that stupid CEL light.
I would definitely recommend keeping the car, barring any severe transmission work if you're still making payments. Good luck Millenia owners!