Hello there
Had my mx5 mk4 for three years now. Just cleaned the hood drains out as I was getting dampness in the car. That all seems to have gone well but…….
I used the good old trombone brush to clear one drain and I think I have knocked the bit that goes on the end of the drain off. Can’t find it on the driveway so god only knows where it’s gone!
So really after where the drains come out (in case it’s still hanging off and how I can order replacement bits (guessing it will have to come from Mazda) and what they are called
Any help gratefully received .
Can’t say I’m sure really I think it’s still all intact. On the MK3 there was something that went on the end of the hose to prevent road noise. So I imagine it probably sits on the outside of the car inside where the hose exits from the body - if that makes sense.
Pushing the trombone cleaner all the way down has probably knocked it off or out. Which is why I’m getting the road noise in the car now.
I’m guessing it’s going to have to be ordered from Mazda - at great expense no doubt. Thanks for the pic btw going to get the car up on ramps next week to see if I can find where the drain pipes come out.
You don’t say if your car is an RF or soft top and they have different drain arrangements. The drain filters on the soft top work very well and I would be surprised if you had to use a trombone cleaner.
I would disagree with the filters working well on the soft top. I’ve had water coming into both sides at different times and filters and sponges virtually clear.
Both times there has been a build up of gunge in the bottom of the pipes. I’ve never been able to get a trombone brush all the way down on either side. Almost gets there but not quite.
There doesn’t appear to be a flap of any sort at the bottom. Pushing a trombone brush up from the bottom brought out all the gunge and got water flowing perfectly. Rather than crawling under the car I did it from inside by unclipping the tubes. If the car is on a ramp then just clearing the bottom couple of inches from underneath with the brush should do it.
Not had any problems with mine (yet!). I think that having a half cover helps greatly though. I like your solution to getting better access. How do you get to the tube joint from inside? Do you have to remove the plastic trim from behind the seats? Cheers.
Thanks Robbie, that’s great. Removing the panels behind the seats was how I accessed the filters on my first ND. I now have a technique for accessing and removing the filters for cleaning with the hood down rather than with it up and crippling myself or removing the panels. Knowing the drain tube can be accessed behind the plastic covers lower down is very useful to know. I am sure that Awase will find that a great help. Cheers.
Hello Winter is coming. It’s time to put the little half covers on for those of you who are not fortunate enough to have your little beauties tucked up in a warm garage… The half cover doesn’t just protect the soft top roof material. They also cover the areas that we call ‘ The Shuts ‘. Areas that allow water to penetrate unseen areas and might create rust etc… if you haven’t got one. You should consider buying one They are easy to put on ( about two minutes ) And are worth their weight in gold, I bought mine from MX5Parts for about £45 quid My roof looks like new even after a windy rainy night. So do all the windows…
Best regards from Ray in a very windy Essex
HI Guys
thanks for all the help it’s proved very useful. I have cleaned out both top filters and sponges and I’m getting additional road noise on the side i pushed the trombone brush all the way through.
I tested both drains today and the water is flowing freely through them on both sides . I also had a long chat with the man at Magna Mazda parts today. Although the blown up picture of the drain parts was pretty poor looking at it we reckon there is an upper filter and a lower filter - I guess the lower filter is what has come out on the passenger side where i pushed the brush all the way through.
Anyway the good news it that both filters are around the £5-6 mark each which means when I get the opportunity I will put the car up on ramps and have a better look for the lower filters etc… Hoping that’s the end of the leaks for a while.
Your right there Raymond. I got one of the ones you mentioned quite recently
Has done a great job during the recent torrential rain and gale here in Pembrokeshire.
Welcome aboard daijohn …
hope you enjoy the club and the many forums etc…
Yes, The half cover is a priceless little beauty. It stops cats climbing on the soft top and “clawing” at the material ( oh they Often do during the night whilst you are asleep ) It’s nice and soft for them to curl up on. and it’s nice and high so they can look around - as cats do …
And of course it stops the soft top becoming messy with Pigeons Muck ( which becomes hard to remove ) ! And of course the half cover also covers a lot of the gaps around doors , boot lid, and scuttle. So less penetration of rain etc… Worth their weight in gold …
Now here’s a tip for all of you who have your cars outside Using the half cover during winter !
When a strong ‘WIND’ is forecast or Torrential rain or gales. Open your doors and tuck the surplus Material inside The car door windows. This will stop the “ cover “. Lifting up in the wind (They can do this in strong winds and gales ) Very rare but it does happen This doesn’t happen if the side area of the ‘ cover ‘ Is trapped inside of the doors just while the gale is raging around the car … It works a treat. I have done it a dozen times… Just trying to be helpful …
Ps is Pembrokeshire anywhere near ‘ horseshoe pass. “ Answer in your own good time. I’ve been to wales several time’s
Betwe y cowed… Conway…St Aseth… etc… Lovely area …
An excellent post. You got a From me,
But can you Really discern any extra road noise through those tiny drain pipes ? And is it an irritating noise above that of the road noise and exhaust and general clutter of the working parts ? If so I will listen out for it when I next go out… I had never thought about this,
But I had read something elsewhere about this “ noise “ coming through the drain pipe’s … How sensitive some peoples ears must be…?
how do you sleep at night The. Grass in the garden must be deafening when it’s windy …
Got it Now Ian?.. I suppose the noise is exaggerated because of it location close to the drivers ear, That makes good sense, I suppose the only way to see the difference is to block it off ( temporarily ) to see the difference , I gave you a heart
The things you learn on these forums is priceless …
From me,