Mazda 3 Issue with Aircon and Mazda Isn't Helpful

KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 13:13
Last edited 02/03/2026 - 18:06 by 1 other user

Hi all, I have a Mazda 3 2020 model and I had a service with Mazda on Friday.

On the way there my air conditioner was working fine but, on the way back I have noticed that airflow is about half the strength and feet section of driver's side hardly blows air. Before I only kept my aircon at 50 percent and now it's weaker at Max strength. Today is a much colder day in Adelaide and they looked at my vehicle and have said that air conditioner is working normally. I hope that I'm not going insane, but I don't know what to do now. They have not given me any report which normally they do after inspecting my vehicle.

Any advice would be much appreciated as I honestly don't know much about cars. Car is still under warranty as I have purchased 2 additional years when I bought it. I believe it's not a Mazda warranty, but a third party and I don't know much about it. I am about to look through initial purchase documents with all warranty etc documents. What would guys on OzBargain do next? Any advice is appreciated.

Ps. I have given them a call and asked them for a report on diagnostics. Hopefully they send it to me.

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  • Wiadro on 02/03/2026 - 13:16
    -8

    I hope that I'm not going insane

    I hope so too.

    Wiadro on 02/03/2026 - 13:16 (Collapsed - Offtopic. Show)
    • jv on 02/03/2026 - 13:17
      -4

      Your support is much appreciated Wiadro… 🥰

      • Wiadro on 02/03/2026 - 13:51
        -2

        i just got selected to be the mental health first aider at work today

        • JIMB0 on 02/03/2026 - 15:46
          +2

          That’s great. Do they allow you to clock in from the OzBargain comments section?

          • Wiadro on 02/03/2026 - 16:47
            -2

            @JIMB0: im paid by comments i make

            • JIMB0 on 03/03/2026 - 09:51
              +1

              @Wiadro: I’d believe that. I’m guessing payment must be based on volume more than anything else.

        • tenpercent on 02/03/2026 - 16:43

          i just got selected to be the mental health first aider at work today

          And how does that make you feel?
          R U OK?

        • Muppet Detector on 03/03/2026 - 05:11
          +1

          i just got selected to be the mental health first aider at work today

          Sole trader?

    • Eeples on 03/03/2026 - 08:55

      “Is that relevant?” - Egg.

  • Jaduqimon on 02/03/2026 - 13:25

    What did the service involve? If its just an oil change, unlikely they did anything to the ac…

    • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 13:33

      They said that they didn't but this is what they did according to their report.
      Replace engine oil, engine oil filter, vehicle brake fluid, engine air filter element.
      Inspected body electric system, brake lines hoses and connections', Brak eunit and vacuum hoses, engine cooling system, power steering system, vehicle battery, windscreen washers,tyre wear and pressure, tighten bolts and nuts of chassis and body, inspected the vehicle parking brake, hood striker.
      That's all that's written on their report.

      • Dr Phil on 03/03/2026 - 07:45
        -2

        My friend has 2019 Mazda 3 and it blows cold air through passenger side and hot air on drivers side.
        Tried changing individual temp control and dual control. Nothing works to change it.
        Terrible driving it on those hot days

        Mazda 3 Air conditioning sucks big time!

        • MS Paint on 03/03/2026 - 08:24
          +5

          Mazda 3 Air conditioning sucks big time!

          That's obviously the issue. It's meant to blow not suck.

        • KinderBueno on 03/03/2026 - 10:56

          I'm hoping that this will have an easy fix. Someone will come and have a look at it over the weekend and then he will advise me on the next steps.

        • 2centsoff on 03/03/2026 - 22:14

          Tell them to get it regassed Dr Phil

          • eddyah on 04/03/2026 - 06:59

            @2centsoff: Now you're really blowing air up his arse.

            Re-gassing will fix cooling issues but not airflow ones.

            • 2centsoff on 08/03/2026 - 10:41

              @eddyah: @eddyah Sorry my comment was in reply to Dr Phil, who's friends car is blowing cold on one side and hot on the other. It's a sign of low refrigerant

      • Oztx on 04/03/2026 - 09:36
        +3

        I would check the air con filter to see if its seated properly, maybe they pulled it out, checked it and found nothing wrong with it but didnt put it back securely which led to weak airflow.

        Aircon filters on mazdas should be behind the glove compartment, you have to remove the box cover (its just 2 latches iirc) and pull the air filter out and make sure nothing is off with it and put it back securely. (just youtube mazda 3 2020 air con filter, its a 3 mins job and anyone can do it).

        • MS Paint on 04/03/2026 - 13:32
          +1

          It's a cabin air filter not an aircon filter.

        • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 18:45

          My little brother did it and tested it and it is not filter issue. Wish it was that easy.

      • fredk1000 on 04/03/2026 - 20:08
        +1

        If its an oil service unlikely the interior got fiddled with. I had a similar experience but I had an passenger air bag replacement, they had to disassemble the whole dash. The air cond was bad for a while, it wasn't cooling properly. I think the servo that controlled the vents was messed up. It seemed to correct itself but, works okay now, vent servos still make this sound when you turn off the engine, like a motor keeps retrying to do something. Try pressing the button if it has one that controls the vent to the dash, under the dash and forward to see it makes a strange sound.

        • KinderBueno on 06/03/2026 - 11:39
          +1

          You could be right. We will see what is the issue after car gets inspected. At this stage it's not the filter.

          • fredk1000 on 06/03/2026 - 21:16
            +1

            @KinderBueno: Good luck with that, hope it doesn't cost anything. The sound I was trying t describe is like it is retrying like 10 times before it gives up, in quick successions, half a second each sound before it repeats, if it was working correctly it would be a single smooth sound, maybe two seconds. When I was researching I did find it on youtube but I have a Subaru.

  • MS Paint on 02/03/2026 - 13:32

    Climate control or manual old school knobs and dials?

    • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 13:36

      Knobs and dials

      • MS Paint on 02/03/2026 - 13:46
        +3

        Ok. Then my suggestion was going to be the same as Euphemistic below. Blower motor resistor failure can cause all sorts of issues with fan speed.

        Could also be a blend door or small motor failure that opens and closes flaps to direct air.

  • Euphemistic on 02/03/2026 - 13:38
    +2

    Is the air coming out cold? If so, its likely the blower fan/motor/controller. The AC part of the system might be working perfectly fine.

    Maybe do a little search on mazda 3 blower fan not working and see if there are any cheap fixes.

    My Navara 'fan load resistor' fried and the fan wouldnt work on 1,2 but worked on 3,4. Was about $25 part and 5 minute fix. Later the fan siezed and burnt out. That resulted in no blow plus the bonus of a scary electrical burning smell. That was a $150 part and an hour to fix.

    You might have a similar problem. Could be as simple as a blocked duct though. Check some youtube clips (i found some, but havent watched due to time limitations)

    • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 13:46

      On Friday when it was hot it was but strength of it was about half on the upper part. Below where feet are it was hardly blowing any air.

      I appreciate your help but it is something man are competent to do to find a solution and fiddle around with vehicle parts. I don't even know how to open the front part of the car where engine is.

      • Euphemistic on 02/03/2026 - 13:59
        +1

        Was the air cold? Also try moving the selector to different zones and see if it changes. Try different fan speeds to see whats up.

        Im not suggesting you open up parts and have a look, but rather educate yourself a little on symptoms and potential causes. The better you can describe a fault to a technician, the quicker they can disgnose and repair. You are the one that knows something is different to before, not the technician. If the technician is told the AC doesnt work, theyll check if it blows cold. If it does, then there is 'no problem'. If the technician is told the air isnt blowing as hard as it used to, thats a different diagnosis path.

        And dont be hard on yourself, nor give up. Its not a 'man' thing to know about cars. Any one can learn.

        • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 15:24

          There was cold air blowing which is part that AC button makes it happen. It is fan speed I think that is the problem. My mother's friend came over and said that Arcon turns on as he somehow hears it in the sound of engine area. He also mentioned that humidity might effect it, as aircon struggles during days that are humid. Thanks a lot for your input. Much appreciated.

          • AustriaBargain on 02/03/2026 - 17:53
            +1

            @KinderBueno: Where are you from? There's been a tropical storm the last couple of days and I've had 90% humidity in my own private domicile which matches the outside 90% humidity, everything is kinda wet to the touch. You'd think that 2020 Mazda AC could handle it though.

            • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 18:28

              @AustriaBargain: Adelaide. We had higher humidity levels in the last couple of days. I didn't even think that it could impact the aircon until mom's friend pointed it out.

              • AustriaBargain on 02/03/2026 - 18:41

                @KinderBueno: Is there a button on the AC that lets you change from cooling the outside air to recycling the inside air instead, if it's not already selected? The buttons might show the cabin with arrows coming in from the outside and the other button is the cabin with arrows circling around inside.

                • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 20:48

                  @AustriaBargain: Yes there is an option and I have tested it both. If it's recycled from inside it usually is a bit more loud and somehow works a bit better. Nevertheless it's still weaker than it was before I took it to service. I am just waiting on report to see what temperature they had today if they write it down so I can get someone else to test and see if they can get the same results.

      • Grunntt on 03/03/2026 - 10:49
        +1

        I don't even know how to open the front part of the car where engine is.

        US model shown so yours will be on the drivers side

        (Also, they obviously don't look after their paint over there.)

        • KinderBueno on 03/03/2026 - 10:52

          I'll test that today hehe. Cheers.

  • ValueBob on 02/03/2026 - 15:09

    The issue is primarily "Air Flow".

    Air Flow Selector: Toggle and change the air flow options (if you haven't done so already). May be as simple as that.
    Note: Manual Knob/Dial Air Flow selector may not be precise. Sometimes, "in between" options is the "correct option" or what you're after.

    Air Recirculate Selector/Button: Recirculate option result in stronger air flow.

    Cabin Air Filter is blocked and time for a change (if you/Mazda haven't done so already). They get filthy dirty very quickly.

    Also, it may already be like that just before the service, and you just noticed it after the service (because you paid more attention than before).

    All else fails, bring it back to Mazda.

    • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 15:28

      Thank you very much, I will look into this as well.

    • MechEng on 03/03/2026 - 10:16
      +2

      Yes this. Check if the mechanic removed the bag of the cabin filter. Or remove the cabin filter and test. If that works you have your culprit.

      • eddyah on 04/03/2026 - 07:01

        Yeah I too think the cabin filter (or another inlet within the car) is blocked.e

        • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 08:10
          +1

          My little brother just checked the filter and removing it didn't fix the issue.

          • eddyah on 05/03/2026 - 10:41
            +1

            @KinderBueno: Hopefully that was the cabin filter he removed and not the air intake for the engine…

  • wallet72 on 02/03/2026 - 15:26

    it's probably the blower resistor. That's the exact same symptoms I had and replacing the resistor fixed it.
    A quick Google will show that it's a common issue at the car ages, and as long as you don't have 10 thumbs you can replace it yourself.

    • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 16:03

      Thanks I will looks into this. Someone also mentioned it above. Cheers.

  • Brick50 on 02/03/2026 - 21:14
    +2

    Could also be freezing up due to something like a faulty evaporator temp sensor. Had a 2016? CX-3 which would do this because the AC compressor wouldn't turn off.
    Look in your engine bay when the airflow is restricted and see if any of the AC pipes from the compressor into the cabin are frozen, if they are take a photo of it.

    This would likely only be the issue if it starts off blowing high and then the flow becomes slowly restricted after 30 mins or more of driving time

    • KinderBueno on 02/03/2026 - 22:10

      Thanks. I will add that to my list as well.

  • ytthr on 03/03/2026 - 07:59

    My personal experience with Mazda is if it required ant troubleshooting or problem solving they are lacking.
    If you happen to get a troublesome Mazda the dealership the warranty process will not solve your issues.
    Worst new car experience I have had.

    Only positive thing about buying anew Mazda is theare always good discounts and deals available.

    • KinderBueno on 03/03/2026 - 10:50

      I kinda went for a new one to avoid going to mechanics often. Had bad experiences in the past so I thought I'd avoid problems… I was deciding between Honda Civic and Mazda 3 at the time. Since this is 6th year for me the warrenty expired but I got 2 extra that I purchased though a third party. I think it has lots of exclusions so I'm not sure if this is covered. Will contact them about it today.

  • abear on 03/03/2026 - 14:20
    +1

    Had the same issue on a Honda Euro years ago.
    Slow leak in air con causing one side to blow cold , the other just warm air.
    All good , once fixed

  • BartholemewH on 03/03/2026 - 20:58
    +1

    Take it to a motor vehicle air conditioning specialist. They'll diagnose it in 10 minutes (if not 60 seconds).

    • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 06:11

      It is last resort as I was hoping to avoid paying alot for it. But you are right it must be done.

      • ReaperX22 on 04/03/2026 - 10:25
        +1

        Or just an auto electrician in general; I had my old car down the road half a day with one guy; he spent a while on fixing the issue I had (was just like.. a cable? or something in the end he needed to swap), but my car was a 2008 lancer; and it fixed my issue (AC not blowing cold, condenser/gas was fine). He charged me less than 200 so ensure you go to an independent, not a chain. YMMV of course re price and this was about 3 years odd ago too.

        But honestly; if Mazda are wasting your time anyway; at some point they'll probably start charging diagnosis fee etc too. I'd say just get it done/out of the way; peace of mind and not wasting anymore time can sometimes be worth a couple hundred even if it's not ideal.

        • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 18:48

          Yup. Not much you can do when they say there is nothing wrong with it. Hopefully it won't be more than 200.

  • JustASmoothSkin on 04/03/2026 - 05:03
    +4

    I work on AC issues regularly particularly in vehicles

    It's better to think of your cars cooling/heating system as three parts.

    1: The air conditioner (what makes it cold)
    2: The heater (what makes it hot)
    3: The fan (what blows)

    Without going to far into the specifics on the first two, faults with it not blowing centre around the blower motor. It needs to be able to bring air in and pass it though a few different components depending on the settings.

    These components are, the cabin filter, ducting and either the heater core or evaporator cores.

    The cores can get gunked up with residue dust and dirt (unlikely to be the fault unless you smoke and regularly hit dirt roads)

    The cabin filter can also get dirty which can restrict airflow.

    Blower motor resistors do fail, but traditionally they fail low. Because they are a resistor, they have multiple switched circuits that convert the electricity to heat to waste off energy to allow the blower to spin slower.

    That's way most of the time 1/2 won't work on a failed resistor but 3/4 will as 4 is a direct connection with no (negligible amount) of resistance.

    Last is the blower motor itself, usually they fail noisily though due to failed bushes or smoke because they burn out. (If it burnt out it wouldn't be working at all so if you cant hear grinding but you can here it whirl to life, it's probably fine)

    You can test the parts as follows;

    Turn it on full heat and fan on highest setting, this will test for a clogged core, if it blows more air on heat your evaporator may be gunked up.

    Check cab filter, you can run it without the cab filter this will improve the amount of air but if it is substantial best to get a new one.

    Blower resistor, can be done alone. But if you get someone to stick there head under the dash on the passenger side you can set the fan speed to the lowest setting and ask if they can here it spinning. If they can, it's more than likely fine.

    If none of this works, you will have to take stuff apart to replace/clean the evaporator/heater cores and blower motor, which I am unsure how DIY you are so I wouldn't recommend doing it if you are unsure.

    • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 06:19

      I didn't think to test it with heating. Thanks I will do that later on today. I tested the cold aspect and that seems to be working but I think issue is with blowing out the air. I will have someone look into it over the weekend.

    • grr1701 on 04/03/2026 - 11:07

      Wow! Brilliant answer!!

    • mrvaluepack on 05/03/2026 - 02:59
      -3

      Wtf u talking about? the heating for ice cars comes from the engine heat. There is usually no heater in cars unless ev car. Op, please dont listen to random advice on internet. Just send car to AC car specialist or a car mechanical/electrical repair. NOT a general service centre like mycar.

      • JustASmoothSkin on 05/03/2026 - 04:19
        +3

        Mrvaluepack, how do you suppose the heat gets from the engine to the vents? Because if you think the air comes off the hot engine and into your vents, that's a pretty good way to die from a carbon monoxide leak when your exhaust gets a leak.

        Attached to your engine is a pair of hoses that run coolant into the cab of your car, this coolant passes through a "radiator" in the dash (usually a huge pain in the rear to remove as it is well tucked away). This "radiator" is called the heater core. Cars use a blend door to adjust the air flow from the blower motor through the evaporator core and heater core to adjust temperature.

        Also bonus fun fact, some ice vehicles do actually include a seperate electric heater to help warm the cab up faster. While not often a option in Australia due to our climate, a good example you may have seen is the older pre-2012 diesel Hilux. It had a option to have a electric heater that can be activated with a seperate button because it would take a fair while for the engine to warm up.

        I have worked in the automotive repair space professionally on and off for almost 10 years, I gave the OP methods I use to hopefully help diagnose a fault. There is further tests that can be done, but OP may lack the knowledge to try to do those without damaging the vehicle so I didn't recommend them.

        Also, this is OzBargain. Not send your car to the mechanic for a $200 bill when it could just be the $24 cab filter. We try to learn here so we don't get ripped off by greedy Joe when he tries to upsell you a new evaporator, blower motor and AC regas for $1000.

  • SoapyWooder on 04/03/2026 - 07:07

    Maybe they forgot to remove plastic packaging of cabin air filter

    • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 08:09

      My little brother just checked the cabin air filter as you guys suggested it. Removing didn't fix the airflow issue on drivers side underneath. To be honest since it happened after the car service I'm worried that they disconnected something and they didn't want to look at it, just measured cold air and that was it. They tried to convince me that all cars airflow is like that. You only feel breeze on a cold day and on a hot day in that area where driver is you don't feel like it's working at all.

      • nwa on 04/03/2026 - 11:24

        Most likely that's what happened they have accidentally unhooked something or had to do it for servicing but not put it back the way it was. Also could be an accidental damage or electric short. Whatever it is, it's not generating a check engine light. Do a visual check yourself and I would speak to the manager about this concern to see if they can have a look.

      • Randxyz123 on 04/03/2026 - 12:16

        They tried to convince me that all cars airflow is like that. You only feel breeze on a cold day and on a hot day in that area where driver is you don't feel like it's working at all.

        Ok you spoke to a newbie or someone who has been told to straight up tell you some BS and hope you believe it. I've never heard that before in my life. None of my cars have ever done that.

        Go back to where you got it serviced. Tell them it is not working and insist they look at it again. Don't start pulling things apart if you don't know what you are doing. Yes it might well be an easy fix but you still have 2 years of warranty and voiding that probably isn't worth it.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 04/03/2026 - 11:46

    Check the cabin filter. Also try recirculation on/off.

    I have a Mazda 3 cx and the aircon is great and blows strong

    • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 18:50

      Mine used to be strong too until that service on Friday. It's not cabin filter tested it today. Recirculation doesn't effect it much. Bit stronger if it's using air from inside.

  • Powershopz on 04/03/2026 - 11:57
    +1

    Well this hit's close to home. Have a 2018 Mazda 3. It hasn't occurred after a service or just randomly overnight but I've been convinced in my head that my AC performance has degraded in the last couple of months.

    Past 8 years have generally always had the climate control set to 20-21. Now the last couple of months find myself switching it to 18-19 to keep a similar temp feeling (yes…. I know it's summer but even on non-hot days). Also seems to take longer to bring the temperate down.

    • soidesire on 04/03/2026 - 13:12

      Your condenser could be on the way out or gas leaking?

  • soidesire on 04/03/2026 - 12:32
    1. Can you set AC to Auto (the Auto button is in the middle of the temperature control dial)?
    2. Dial the temperature down to minimum (18 degrees if it has digital screen showing the temperature setting)

    This will crank up the fan and set your AC to full blast in hot days or higher fan speed if outside temperature is not that high

    If the fan speed does not increase as you dial down the temperature then the fan is the problem.

  • KinderBueno on 04/03/2026 - 18:54

    It doesn't have digital stuff. Cannot set temperature. If you increase the fan it just sounds loud but air isn't blowing as it sounds. Before I never had aircon on max as it was too cold. Now at Max still feels not adequate. :/

  • Domingo on 05/03/2026 - 14:31

    You said that the air wasn't blowing strongly near your feet - what happens if you turn the selector dial to windscreen demisting and turn the fan up to full?

    I would try each mode on the selector dial, which should tell you if the issue is with one or more of the pipes/flaps which direct air as per the selected mode. If one or more modes appear to work well then it is likely an improperly connected pipe or a flap not operating correctly.

    If all modes don't work, then the problem may be further back towards the fan source.

    • KinderBueno on 06/03/2026 - 11:47

      Windscreen seems to be working but also at reduced strength. If I select feet it's not just blowing lightly at the feet but i think more air comes out to top where windscreen is. Which is interesting. I don't know if this is how it's supposed to be working. As you increase the aircon strength towards the max it is blowing faster and faster and stronger but still much weaker than it used to before the car service.

  • b2tf on 05/03/2026 - 21:37

    Tell them it is giving you headaches on hot days which could lead to future health problems

    • KinderBueno on 06/03/2026 - 11:50

      They don't care, they refuse to help. This is 3 times that I have taken the car to them since last Friday. They just say if you take it to independent and they find a fault we will fix it.

  • PatrickChung on 06/03/2026 - 23:43

    My mazda 3 2020 model AC is also dead, not blowing cold air. I had it checked by an auto air mechanic, they said it is probably the faulty valve as the compressor is not pumping. I have booked a service with a dealer in 2 weeks, they said I have to pay for the diagnosis, and then they will get some sort of financial assistance for me. My car just passed the warranty period by 4 months, which sucks. The air con on mazda 3 definitely has some common issues.

    • KinderBueno on 07/03/2026 - 10:10

      Damn, i was paranoid about warranty issue so purchased 2 extra years and only found out it doesn't cover everything like first 5 years. Good luck! Hopefully it won't be too expensive to fix.

      • PatrickChung on 07/03/2026 - 22:38

        I expect AC should definitely last longer than this under ACL. It might due to the covid supply chain chaos so that car manufacturers cut corners on parts.

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