i am trying to figure how's it to live with the 2003.5 MSP as a daily drive
does it has a imobolizer for the engine?
does it has an incabin air filter?
is the kenwood headunit a direct swap with later kenwood units models (meaning the plug is the same and its basically a plug-n-play swap)?
how reliable/tough is the LSD unit, along with the drivetrain with slight mods?
i would imagine the oil change period is 3000 miles and the engine needs a new timing belt every 6000 miles
rear seat folds down (6/4)? is there a trunk pass through?
does the wing block rear view?
no side airbags, right?
thanks so much
thanks for the info
i think immobilizer is a device that detect a transponder in the original key
and unless the signal matches, the engine wouldn't start
btw, all MSP doesn't have sunroof, right?
1)Yes there is an immobilizer built into the ALARM (not the key). if the alarm is triggered (IE breaking into the vehicle) the ignition will be deactivated. Likewise if someone cuts/removes the alarm module - the same ignition deactivation will occur.
2)No in-cabin air filter... I havent found a need for REALLY having one - so I could care less if it was present. A 2004+ Mazda 3 incabin airfilter can be retrofitted IIRC, but its a pain and TBH - Id rather live without the hassle of installing one.
3)I cant answer the headunit question for sure, but most kenwood models should atleast be similar in plug setup - HOWEVER, manufacturers have been known to change harness design quite frequently. The reality is if you buy another kenwood, you can buy the new harness @ the same time.
4)Trans and LSD is good until about 260-300hp. People have had mixed luck with LSD failure and it is recommended that if you want any kind of life from your LSD that you weld it, or just wait till it breaks and replace with a welded unit. I have been fine (so far) @ 80k miles with no replacement... Id say your average is about 50/50 split as far as who has and has not replaced theirs due to failure. Dont EXPECT failure, but plan for it (as with any vehicle that is modded, you should plan for failures).
5)Factory recommended oil change interval is 5k miles. That said, I do mine every 3k with fully synthetic motor oil. With any turbocharged engine, keep tabs on your oil and be consistant with oil change intervals.. ESPECIALLY when not running synthetic (which has a higher flash point).
6)Yes rear seats are 60/40 split bench. There is no passthrough.
7)Compared to other vehicles, this wing does not block any serious view from the rear window. Took me all of about 1 day to adjust to the rearward visibility. Just like what was mentioned above, if anything - it helps judge distance of approach vehicles.
8) though Ive read articles to the contrary, this vehicle was NOT available with side airbags as an option. That said - other members can attest to the crash worthiness of this vehicle. I hope to never see that day, but I feel confident with the vehicle's ability to protect me.
- as for sunroofs - no that was never an option. A very short list of people have added moonroofs, but they were all aftermarket and not offered/installed by mazda. Mazda's original intent was to offer no sunroof to preserve structual rigidity for slightly more aggressive handling.