The goddamned headlight retaining clip on my Mazda 3

The BBQ Pit
1

I got this car in 2004, the first model year, and other than utterly predictable user-error (forgot to have the belts changed on time), it’s been 100% solid. I’ve loved it.

But I don’t think I’m ever going to buy Mazda again.

Why? Well, I was on a trip this past Friday night, and my driver’s side headlight blew. I was in the wilds of Chilton County, Alabama, so I thought my chances of finding a parts store open at 8:30PM on a Friday were pretty slim. But I really needed one, since I was an hour from home, and still several hours from my destination; I didn’t want to collect tickets for improper equipment all the way to the coast. Hark! An AutoZone! Saved!

So I buy my $16 light bulb (:rolleyes:) and go to replace it. Well, shoot, this dang clip holding the bulb in is a pain in the…rrrrgggh…ow…wait, aaaaaalmost…

snap

Shit. The stupid thing broke off in my hand.

Ah, screw it. I just duct taped the bulb housing in and decided to handle it later.

OK, so the “clip” is nothing more than a 4" cheap piece of pot metal wire that is held on one side by a single set screw (forming the hinge) and is clipped over the bulb housing to hold securely behind another metal tab on the other side. Simple, crappy design.

I went to my local Mazda dealership today. “Hey. I need a driver’s side headlight retaining clip for my 2004 Mazda 3.” I knew the price would be outrageous. I figured they’d want $50 for the little piece of paper clip wire. Whatever. Fine.

“We can’t sell it to you.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, it’s part of the headlight housing. You have to buy the whole thing.”

“The whole headlight housing? But it’s a piece of wire! How much is the housing?”

“$250.”

“WHAAAAAAAAT?! You want me to pay $250 for a tiny piece of wire?”

Apologetic shrug. “That’s the way it’s done.”

“That is never going to happen. Ever. In fact, enjoy the money of mine you already have, because it’s the last I will ever pay you.”

Is this standard practice with all car companies these days?

:mad::mad::mad::mad:

2

Are you sure you want to get into this?

I got blasted for suggesting that $2.00 worth of hardware (key) $5 worth of electronics and $8 worth of programming shouldn’t make buying a spare care key a $350 experience.

The local mechanics, dealers, and parts managers who frequency the SDMB tore me a new one for having such a blaspheming attitude.

3

I’m going to guess yeah.

I drive a 1995 Honda del Sol, which I love dearly. When I bought it, I read the owner’s manual, cover to cover. The OM told me that, somewhere around 10 years, the airbags start to degrade so I should have them replaced. They located a little idiot light conveniently near the gas gauge to remind me when it’s time. Fabulous.

Fast forward ten years and presto! The little airbag light comes on. I call my shop and ask what the cost might be. “Oh, we don’t do that here. You have to take it to your dealer. But I don’t recommend that you do.”

Dogzilla: “Oh really, why is that?”

MechanicZilla: “Well, they have to tear up the dash to get to it. You end up replacing pretty much the whole dash. It’ll run you around $4000.”

Dogzilla: :eek:

Dogzilla: So, if I don’t go have them replaced, will they still work?

MechanicZilla: Might. Might not. Dunno.

Dogzilla: But surely, if I go over to the Honda dealership talking about replacing my airbags on my ten-year-old Honda, there is no way those people are letting me outta there without trying to sell me a brand, spankin’ new Honda, right?

MechanicZilla: Yep.

Dogzilla: Okay, I think I’ll take my chances.

So far, I haven’t ever taken the car in for new airbags and that was five years ago. I’m tiny, so I figure if they actually deployed for something, I’d probably suffer more harm than they’d prevent. At least a good broken nose. I called my insurance agent to make sure that doesn’t change anything (it doesn’t and I still get the airbag discount, even if they don’t work!), so I just never bothered.

Planned obsolescence. I believe the idea is to force you into buying new rather than repairing what you’ve got. I have a houseful of junk that I couldn’t get anyone to repair, so I ended up buying a new one.

I’ve noticed that it’s hard to find windshield wiper blades anymore. Now all the boxes come with a new arm; you have to replace the arm and the blade. Apparently, the wiper companies weren’t making enough money off just the rubber blades, so they started selling the little arms too. So what used to be a $5 purchase is now more like $25.

4

Just go to a junkyard. Probably only cost you a couple bucks.

5

Ogre, junkyards are yer friend. Don’t be scared of a pic-a-part.

6

What I want to know is, what is up with everybody I know these days owning a Mazda 3? Was there some convention I missed?

7

Granted, I haven’t scoured the local junkyards yet, but the online search of Pull-A-Part’s entire database turned up no hits. All other searches for used Mazda 3 headlight parts result in either 1) people bitching about having to pay through the nose for the entire housing, or 2) people selling the entire housing for anywhere from $250 to $400.

8

Heh. I bought it the first model year, and nobody had one. But the truth is, they’re (overall) good cars. Plenty of power, excellent handling, well put-together interior, 4-wheel disc brakes, good gas mileage, and really good cargo hauling capacity (for the hatchback, which I have). And the whole package, at the time, was less than $20,000.

9

Please at least tell me you’re not a computer geek. The other people I know who own them are all programmers.

10

No indeed. I’m a filthy, sweaty, outdoorsy biologist.

Well, you know, not TOO filthy.

11

Yeah, and it was GREAT! Actually there is a bug in the in some models’ ECU that will cause stalls while driving…not good at all! Also, the liquid-filled motor mounts are a poor design and have a tendency to wear out prematurely. Other than that, the Mazda 3 is a great little car (as the original name suggested all those years ago)

–blondbear, owner of a 2008 5-door.

12

Oh, thank god, that would have been way too creepy.

Not after the third shower, anyway.

13

I think that piece of wire is pretty standard these days, I have dealt with something similar on other brands of vehicles.

Yes, it’s stupid, and these car companies all need a major kick in the ass. Cars are generally good and reliable these days, and perform well. Efficiency, well not so much. But parts are a major racket. There are too many cheap clips and plastic fasteners everywhere.

14

I heard Ford state somewhere that they price the parts on used cars in a way that will force people to decide to buy new rather than repair. They have trouble doing this on competitive parts that AutoWorks and chains sell, but on dealer items, they make it up. Body parts and fittings are in this category. One time I needed an adapter for a converter on a Fiesta that had rusted as they all did. Ford had a neat little adapter for $75 that was worth $6. I came home and fabricated one that worked well enough. I’d do the same thing with that light clip. I have the supplies to make most anything. Spring wire? NO problem.

15

Wanna make me one? I’ll pay! No, seriously.

16

Junkyard really is your best deal, if you go to a “pull it yourself” yard you’re talking a buck or two. Even if you have to buy the whole headlight assembly from the junkyard it should be a fraction of the price.

17

You’re on the right track with duct tape. Parts stores have this epoxy putty that you kneed for a few minutes and then apply as desired. I’ve used for all kinds of stuff from plugging holes in radiators and fuel tanks to repairing a broken weld holding a power window rail in the door of my (yup) Ford. It’s fantastic stuff. I’m sure you could find a way to make it work for you. Or you could keep visiting junkyards. OR see if you can locate a good-ol-boy body shop and have them locate a used housing for you. It’ might still be stupid expensive ($90?), but it won’t be $250.

18

Heck, there was a time when you could just buy a mirror and glue it in yourself, instead of having to replace the entire side-mirror mount.

Plus replacing one little red piece of plastic instead of replacing an entire rear-light assembly.

Bastards.

19

You still can. It just isn’t necessarily going to be a mirror that fits the shape of the mount.

20

The stuff I used is called JB Weld. I used it to repair a crack in a plastic radiator overflow tank, worked great.