David Anderson

He never called back - just got an automated text though for customer satisfaction were you happy reply yes or no if you want someone to call you lol Will be calling him later!

Service manager phoned who done the alignment and said I will straiten the wheel for you that's no problem, stuck to my guns and said there's no way I'm having the car in to you for a 4th time...nor am I paying again for it to be done somewhere else, either they can pay an independent garage to have it done or refund the money. Gonna call me back again. Asked about the caster which he said the bolts no sized the nut is so the bush is just spinning on both sides so the castor cant be adjusted, its common on mx5's and needs the bold burned off and bush replaced due to the burning. If infact correct and mentioned 1st time round or even the other day in this detail I would have probably opted to have that and new bush for all that would cost, even a 2nd hand one! Mentioned the trim height wasn't noted anywhere and he said that's not what matters its done by measurement of weight/fuel in the car to get the numbers to aim for.

Expecting a call back from the general manager today

Not going to have time to go in tonight so tried calling at lunch time and got someone else from the nissan desk... who was getting the mazda service reception to call me back - surprise surprise no phone call!

Thanks for that will see if Mazda will refund their alignment fee and book in I think!

Will be stopping in on the way home from work and will see what they say - im sure they will be p**sed at me coming in yet again lol not straitening the steering wheel is a joke, well it was already dead strait so effectively putting it out is a joke - even if things are sized and cant be adjusted that is just silly and annoying.

This place is a couple of miles from me http://www.pro-grip.org.uk/ and comes recommended. I think they will be reluctant to do a refund and it was only mentioned when I called him over to ask why the caster was still not equal on this occasion,.

I did mention that it was different from before though, he said the caster is only different from the other print outs because he has moved other things and that affects it.

I have no idea when I aske him he said oh the caster yeah it's all too tight. This is the service manager. He said " I took it out and because of the wet weather I couldn't chuck it round the corners as these cars are bad inn the wet, but it all seems good " Obviously he's blind and didn't notice the steeribg wheel being an inch off - kwik fit could do a better job - my local kwik fit now have a hunter machine which is interesting. Really annoyed with the steeribg wheel. Getting in my nerves all the way to work.

The caster is annoying and allegedly can't be adjusted. The steering wheel not being stair now is very annoying though!

New alignment results - https://mega.co.nz/#!lAhG1BjJ!popQM8-Rv5Lt3zUadO26kynMvYo9DMqYZmjWlyMWBms The caster still miles out and he said it's solid and he can't adjust it. The bloody steering wheel is not exactly center now which is the only thing I noticed driving home! I'm not sure about the numbers but the diagnosis seems miles out again specially the toe from the last alignment

Where should the trim height be on that print out? i cant see anywhere that says trim height (I could be suffering from a case of the Monday) How far from Exeter are you? I may be making the trip down there in a month or so! edit- Just had a look - other side of the country! lol

yeah I will make sure I get a print out. The service staff might be finished by the time I get thereto pick up the car but I have asked them to leave the info with the keys and another member of staff if thats the case. They will give a print out. I didnt get to speak to the tech just the reception this morning, the place wasnt even open when I was dropping the car off. Apparently the 'service manager' is doing the alignment as he told me last week...

I did have a look at the bushes, they were not twisted. The front bush on the upper wishbone of the driver side was a bit mangled looking and the rubber can be flapped about but its not twisted and no knocking etc and this was looked at by mazda when the car was aligned initially.

No the driver side which was deffinately replaced as it failed MOT in september and needed a retest frot he front offside spring fracture - this side is the side with is lower. Im just wondering rather than focusing on the driver side is sitting lower there is something wrong in that corner, it may well be more the passenger side is higher than it should be and something is wrong on that side. Just a thought as the driver side o look at looks about standard ride height on an MX5 NC1 and fro being just under an inch lower than the passenger side it should really sit noticeable lower but it doesn't its only when you measure it you see the difference - and you can tell the car leans a bit when looking strait on at the front. Are there any markings on the standard front springs from mazda? Did notice the rears have dots/stickers on the coils. Could be away of telling if both front springs were replaced. Theres certainly no markings on the front driver side.

Its more than 15mm and closer to an inch. The car is back at Mazda now, unfortunately I had a hectic weekend and never had the time to get the trim height so hopefully they sort it out today - I will be picking it up at the back of 5, they asked I leave the car with them this time! When looking at Eibach springs online last night and that they lower 35mm then looking at photos of cars with that (considering the height diffrence on my front axel is probably about that) I had a thought that its more along the lines off the passenger side is sitting high ratehr than the driver side sitting low! Its still very tractor on the driver side wihcih an inch lower than standard wouldn't be! It could be the passenger side the whole time thats the issue. I will need to inspect the strut bolts a bit closer on the passenger side to see if in fact both front springs were done. I was going to as Mazda to have a look at this but I have lost all confidence in them!

Could it be that the new spring is for an nc2 which are shorter?

I was counting the top part fo the passenger coil that comes round the front end ends as another helix. I suppose you could say its only half, 7 and 1/2 lol wheas the driver coil the end of the spring isnt visible from the front even though the bottom is sitting in the same position as the passenger I would have thought the top would be in the same place

I wont get a chance to measure until this evening. I was late home last night and forgot to pop out with the measuring tape!. It doesnt seem to look like theres any kind of end plate fort he top of the coil like the bottom? The passenger one looks like the end and 1st coil ring are spot welded together which is the rusty spot you can see in the photo - could just be the fast it was dark the rust patch on the spring was giving me that impression. Front the front view of the spring I could 8 coils and 7 on the driver side.. Could be conspiracy theorising but surely if a small top portion of the spring was what broke and failed mot surely the last owner wouldnt be able to just pull half a coil off and pass mot... The suspension nuts didnt look too played with and neither of the rpings look like they were replaced 500 miles ago.

Haven't been able to measure yet but here's pics. The bottom of the passenger spring sits about 1/4 of an inch from touching the end stopper on the bottom of the shock. The drier side sits firm against it. The tops though both sit differently from passenger side to driver, should they sit the some visibly? The top ends are in diffrent places Passenger side https://mega.co.nz/#!VEQSXCbT!ZQyALBts6lKHJNaUGHFLjU2DCjOdiV8soXvNbDHrLUM Rusty bit is the end of the spring visably at the front on this one. Driver side https://mega.co.nz/#!kNYiFTyT!EtnH1fU6LSsTBaOFPlDhrcK4waTCOM5rKdVV-q-r92o Did notice they only changed drop link in driver side aswell. Worth doing other side? Aftermarket part smd original on passenger side.

I dont have a measuring tape here but when I was out at the car at lunch I had a quick look on the front shocks both sides and the springs seem to be perched diffrent from passenger to drivers side... I can see the end of the spring towards me on the passenger side but the drivers one seems to be 'wound round' further and is hidden.. Ill try get photos - still have no idea if only 1 or both springs were done for the MOT fail in september by previous owner

Ok I will get that tonight. From the center of the wheel to the arch

I will have a look at that tonight if I can find some really flat land! I never made a note when I was checking and noticed the driver side was lower. Should just be standard height for 16" 1.8 NC1

Probably feels easier to turn right due the the OSF camber and castor disparity. As said before the figures also represent forces and each angles force changes as the suspension transitions. The static positions are a real measure of the dynamic handling. At the moment yours is dire. Thanks, would you have any recommendations of numbers that they should be aiming for?

Also. Would the caster being deferent on each wheel be what's causing the car To feel' like it wants to go right all the time? It's deferent by half a degree I think according to that printout. It doesn't drift to the right as such but the feeling in the wheel is that it wants to go right... If that makes sense at all