Recent content by katapaltes

If you can't fix it, maybe just don't use the brake. I put my manual transmission P5 in 1st or 2nd gear when I park it and I don't set the brake. I learned as a kid that this was a valid option and I've never had a problem in 21 years. If you've got an automatic, you can put it in Park, of...

As a general statement about car-part.com, I had a good experience with my one purchase from a car-part.com-affiliated seller, but I had to be careful. For example, I would see a listing for an MP3 ECU and the vehicle pictured was just a regular Protege - and most listings do not even have pics...

I hope it's not every 10,000 kilometers. That would be extreme! :D My JDM engine has the same sticker.

Would a salvage yard be a good option for you? Most P5s I see in my local yards have the original roof rack, but I think later models (2003.5 or Canadian models or something?) may have come with the filler strips. Even if they didn't come that way from the factory, you may find a car that had...

That's fantastic news. :) Not really related, but you made me think of this... Way back at 30k miles, I got my manual transmission fluid replaced *at the dealer*. Car immediately had intermittent trouble shifting, most noticeably from 1st to 2nd. I turned the car around and went back to the...

I got my MP3 ECU from car-part.com. The seller even sent me a pic of it before I bought it. You may be able to find an MSP ECU there.

I've had good luck by replacing three of my four mounts so far with OEM ones, but they were spendy. While I drive spiritedly, I don't shift anywhere near aggressively, so maybe my needs are less.

I was wondering about that radiator as well. Definitely keep an eye for leaking coolant on the ground and the level of coolant in your translucent coolant overflow/reserve tank. Hopefully your hood latch is still secure enough that it won't fly up on you at highway speeds. I just replaced my...

That certainly sounds scary, if the wheels "shifting" during a turn is definitely due to rust where the suspension mounts (and can't be explained by rotten bushings or loose fasteners). If you're looking for advice on whether you should try to fix it, you might get more feedback here if you can...

Based on what Rock Auto shows (or doesn't show), I'm going to say that the passenger-side axles are the same for auto and manual. If you want to be sure, find the parts catalog PDF for our cars and compare the part numbers. Or it may be easier to visit one of the online Mazda dealers and look...

I just replaced the four bulbs in the instrument cluster. I'm embarrassed to say that they've been more than half burned out for ten years or so, but I didn't know they were so easy to replace. Bulb sizes I used were 194 and 2723. I reused the little orange slip covers that were on the...

You're going to think this is silly, but the title of the thread is literally "What have you done to your P5 today?" So remember... "You asked!" ;) I replaced the little foam seal on my air intake. The old one was crumbling, and while it wasn't allowing unmetered air or anything, I wanted to...