Search results

When I first tried putting new brakes in my '12 Mazda5 (in 2018), I was all excited to be able to change rotors without having to unbolt the hub from the spindle like on my previous DDs. Little did I expect to find the rotor hats all fused to the hubs, so that I ended up despairing of getting...

My wife was complaining recently of smelling unburned hydrocarbons somewhere near the car. Checking it over this morning, I discovered that combustion blowby is so extreme there's an actual breeze coming out the oil fill cap with the engine at idle! I should really change the oil the next...

So, we've been having some fun learning experiences working through the FWD system on our 2012 "5", replacing things that look bad, and will hopefully eventually fix the annoying noise that got us tearing into the thing in the first place. Not terribly relevant, but I'm super irritated at...

Since my family now has two postmodern-era vehicles ('12 5T and '16 3iS), my keyring is getting ridiculous with not one but two giant remote controls dangling from it. Seems like time for an intervention. For the "5", I can get an ignition key with RFID from the hardware store for about $75...

I've noticed that this product (and similar products) are advertised to adjust camber only: https://corksport.com/corksport-mazdaspeed-3-camber-plates.html For other popular vehicle platforms, it is easy to get plates advertised to adjust caster also...

I've noticed that for some reason the only alignment plates that seem to be available for Mazda folks are designed to adjust camber only. This seems odd, as other Mac strut cars (i.e. several generations of Ford Mustang) have camber-caster plates available from a variety of sources. Seems odd...

(deadhorse After looking at lots of new and used wheels online and realizing how clueless that left me, I finally got around to making a measurement of my own, using materials from my own stash of junk. After removing the tire from an old Crown Victoria steel wheel (15x7ish, zero offset), I...

So three years ago I neither knew nor cared whether anything had Bluetooth technology. Then I bought my '12 Mazda5 Touring, which comes from the factory with Bluetooth, and it turned out it worked really well, making and taking calls reliably, and even pausing and restarting a paused audio...

Need to remove and either fix or replace a taillight assembly on my '12 Mazda5. It's the passenger side (right) assembly, the "outer" one that mounts into the quarter panel. The only idea I've come up with is that maybe the mounting screws are accessible from inside the little storage bin on...

Not sure how else to describe it; it reminds me of the noise that our Cavalier developed immediately after installing budget-friendly Monroe QuickStruts. Guessing on that car the shocky units of the originals were better, but it was awfully convenient not having to source strut-mount nonsense...

Whenever doing actual work on vehicles I've owned, I've often depended on being able to place a floor jack centrally under the front or rear of the car and lift the entire front or rear at once so as to be able to place jackstands conveniently and not have the car's frame sitting at weird...

I've noticed an '07 Mazda5 on a small used lot near here, and if my eyes aren't tricking me they're asking something under $5000. I think this is the first Five I've seen priced much under $10,000 - part of why we sprung for a brand-new '12 model a year ago. Don't know the mileage or specifics...

I learned recently that driving a Mazda5 on cross-grooved dirt trails (affectionately called "roads" in some parts of my area) will turn you into this: (gah) Better still, your friends in the '99 Chevy Suburban will think you're weird for looking like that. Go figure.

Mine did recently, and now there's a funny grinding noise when it opens and closes. Seems to be coming from the upper rolly-slider assembly, right as it hits the curved part of the track. Haven't yet been able to look at it seriously whilst running errands in 100-degree heat. Come to think...

Hi all, I have no idea what's actually involved in it, but one concept I've loved about an awful lot of aftermarket stereos these days is the handy USB port for just plugging in your USB thumb drive loaded with .mp3 files. So, while I'm playing catch-up to figure out how to use all the gadgets...

I was looking through the wheels at the brakes of our new "Touring" model, and it *looks* like there ought to be clearance for 16" wheels like would be on the "Sport". 55-series 16s aren't very tall, but aside from the propsect of some cost savings when it's time to replace tires ($30/ea for...