reliable sedan under 10k

[Silver Sinsei]

And my wife just text me and told me the check engine light popped on. FML

[zerialz]

Here's hoping it's just a gas cap.. My wife never puts the gas cap on right

[Silver Sinsei]

P0128

[zerialz]

It's under heating.. Not getting up to temp in a specified period of timing during the warm up cycle. Might be either no thermostat or colder thermostat than stock.. either way that's not too serious.. just hurts the gas mileage a bit.

[jason_raaf]

dont feel bad. my ms6 needed a new thermostat like, 3 months after purchase. it's not fun seeing an engine light when you're hundreds of miles away from home.

[Silver Sinsei]

I'm still at work, but I had the wife pick up a thermostat and a coolant temp sensor. Do I have to drain all the coolant to change the thermostat on these?

[zerialz]

You're not going to like this.
1. Disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Drain coolant
3. Remove drive belt
4. Remove P/S pump while leaving the hoses connected
5. Remove the smaller Radiator hose.
6. Remove the lower radiator hose
7. Remove thermostat and replace use new gasket... Installation is reverse.

[Silver Sinsei]

You're not going to like this.
1. Disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Drain coolant
3. Remove drive belt
4. Remove P/S pump while leaving the hoses connected
5. Remove the smaller Radiator hose.
6. Remove the lower radiator hose
7. Remove thermostat and replace use new gasket... Installation is reverse.

Ugh......

[jason_raaf]

i paid a dude to do mine. kinda sucks having to work all the damn time.

if your car is anything like mine the windows wont auto-down when you disconnect that battery. i know the fix though.

[MonoxideChild]

Did this car really not come with keyless entry?

My 05 2.3 Mazda6 has keyless entry.. I think its pretty much standard on these cars.

And a thermostat is actually a really easy job. I did mine a few years back just as preventive maintenance. Can be done in about an hour in your garage.

[zerialz]

Yeah Keyless is standard you probably just need a fob and the programming steps are all over the internet..

[branscoset]

If you don't want to do the thermostat I can ;-)

[FPGT24]

Car has been purchased. Its in my driveway now.
2005 2.3l 4cyl Mazda 6 has been purchased. 97k miles $4500

Its will need quite a few parts replaced in its future.
Tires will need replaced (could probably make it though winter)
Brakes (the seem fine, but dealership says they have like 20% left)
PS rack (eventually needs replaced)
small tranny pan leak (I couldn't find it but deal ship says its there)
Tiny crack in windshield that I'm sure will spread
Needs floor mats
Battery on its last legs


Another thing I'm not sure of. It only has one key and no keyless entry. Did this car really not come with keyless entry? Can I buy key blanks on eBay and have the dealership cut and program them? What's this buisnness I hear about having 2 keys to program a third?

Congrats on your new car :p Glad to hear you stayed with Mazda. If you want a free Autocheck report on it send me a message, i have a subscription for my dealership. And yeah, that car should definitely have keyless. Either someone broke the original one or the car was repo'd - every repo'd car I've bought from the auctions have metal keys with no chips in them or keyless.

[Silver Sinsei]

If you don't want to do the thermostat I can ;-)

You need to move to the west side