[ELPREZIDENTE]

Here goes nothing. You guys are my last resort. I have an 04 6i. When I start the car in the morning the power steering is awsome. I drive for about 10 minutes and the steering starts to get stiff and the car starts to really follow the grooves in the road. I've taken the car to the dealership and they said they can't reproduce the problem (bulls!#t!, I could see the tech straining to turn the wheel). Now that it's starting to get cold in New York the problem is becoming hard to reproduce. Anything I should tell a mechanic to take a look at.

 

[DennisW]

Here goes nothing. You guys are my last resort. I have an 04 6i. When I start the car in the morning the power steering is awsome. I drive for about 10 minutes and the steering starts to get stiff and the car starts to really follow the grooves in the road. I've taken the car to the dealership and they said they can't reproduce the problem (bulls!#t!, I could see the tech straining to turn the wheel). Now that it's starting to get cold in New York the problem is becoming hard to reproduce. Anything I should tell a mechanic to take a look at. [/b]

sounds like possbily a steering rack problem. seals in them go bad and the steering gets hard to turn, usually in one direction though. it could also be a p/s pump issue, as the fluid gets warm and thins out the pump might not be putting out enough pressure to properly operate the steering rack.
if the dealer isn't competent to diagnose it, either try another dealer or a good front end shop, unless you're still in warranty and then you'd want to stick with Mazda. In that case possibly contacting Mazda North America with your concerns about the dealer not being able to address your problem might be the best thing to do.
If its in warranty, I would first suggest trying another dealer, and let them know you've not had any satisfaction with your previous one.

 

[ELPREZIDENTE]

The car is still under warranty. Is there anything in particular i should tell mazda USA if another dealer can't fix the problem. I haven't had any success with them at all in the past. Plus will they drive me crazy cause of the cold air intake I have installed . I know legally the can't, but that hasn't stopped them before.

 

[DennisW]

The car is still under warranty. Is there anything in particular i should tell mazda USA if another dealer can't fix the problem. I haven't had any success with them at all in the past. Plus will they drive me crazy cause of the cold air intake I have installed . I know legally the can't, but that hasn't stopped them before. [/b]

They cannot refuse you warranty coverage on your steering problem because of the CAI, only if the part causes a problem can they refuse to perform warranty work. If a dealer gives you a hard time this is definitely a matter to take up with Mazda Customer Relations, they are definitely in the wrong.
If you cant get dealer satisfaction, you should document your problems this far including work orders from the dealer that has "found nothing wrong" (they still have to produce a work order), names and dates of people you've dealt with, and the most accurate description of the problem. Names, places, dates, documentation are all helpful in presenting your complaint to Mazda.