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Vega - Just wanted to drop in and thank you for posting your "How to." Car started stumbling last night at idle, and got a little worse on the way home. I just searched "idling" and came upon your post. It was a b**** getting the electrical connector off. Figured out you need to push hard...

Maxek - I agree completely. I started playing the game last summer when prices started to climb significantly. I too have found that 2500 rpm is the sweetspot between fuel economy and power. Here's my methods: 1) Only depress the throttle maybe 1/2 an inch. Very very light on the gas. With the...

The Mazda brackets are what I used to attach my Yakima Cobra to my factory rack. They are made from aluminum whereas the Mighty Mounts are plastic. I've used the Mazda brackets for 5 years with no issues. I'm not sure if they're made specifically for the P5 - I would assume so as I haven't...

It was/is definitely the sway bar. I couldn't get the whole bar off -- end link bolts are rusted on. I got the rear end up in the air, removed the bushings, greased and reinstalled them. Now the driver's side end link groans. I need to loosen it a little, which is all I can do, and hose it down...

Yeah, that's why we're still looking while we save. I personally won't buy another new car as long as I live where we are. I'll pick up an older Audi/VW, etc that has a quality paint job. That, I think, is the biggest glaring flaw with the P5 - crappy paint.

Don't bank on the color theory. My black mica `03 is showing signs of car cancer in all the typical spots - rear wheel wells. I would like to see them call it stone chips, as mine has bubbled through the paint, but there's no signs on rust on the inside -- figure that one out. Absolutely love...

Thanks for asking this question. My neighbor changes his every year, and I was thinking that wouldn't be a bad idea. There's one less thing on my "To Do" list.

Number 02458 manufactured in July of 2002 as a 2003 model. Four years old with 50k on the clock. Hope to keep her running until she hits 200k... (blackp5)

Personally, I like the color to offset the car. Yellow car, yellow caliper can look goofy - like you were trying to make them match, but the shades are off a bit. Just looks cheap, IMO. If it were my car, I'd look at black. I have red G2 paint on the calipers of my black mica P5 and it looks...

Swapped to my summer tires, and the groan still exists -- needed to do it anyway. The underside of the car was caked with road salt, so my little Mazda gets a bath tomorrow. Maybe that's the cause? After the was the groaning is worse. Thought the back brakes might be rubbing, but something...

There should be a warning sticker on the driver's door jamb warning you that the airbags are in the seats themselves. So it would be foolish to recover the seats. The factory covers are made to rip at the seam when the airbag deploys. If you put a cover over that, you've effectively disabled...

Just a quick update: spoke with my mechanic this morning and he said with the road salt we have in Western New York and the sh!t rubber and bushings that manufacturers use on suspension, it's a typical noise. So tonight I'll be pulling the rear wheels, making sure nothing is broken, and soaking...

Within the last week I've noticed groaning from my rear suspension any time it moves. Initially I thought my rear wheel nuts weren't snugged up, but they were fine. Then I check the muffler, and it's solid. When I open the hatch and push down I get probably 3-4 inches of movement and the same...

Should have been...I've had my `03 since it had 66 miles on the odometer, and never received a recall notice. Car has been to the dealer twice. First time was to let them get the $^&$ oil filter off, the second was a leak I had in the sunroof. Just cracked 50k miles this week - I know, I'm...

Check out the sticky at the top of the P5 section. You can download the service manuals for free. That will give you step-by-step instructions on how to do it.

A better idea would be to disassemble the taillight units and paint the silver part body color.

OK...the 2001 Focus nozzles won't work. They require a much larger hole than we have in the hood. I'm going to hose mine down with silicon spray and see if I can get them aligned better.

Yeah, that's all you need to do...but it's difficult at best. When I do get them to move, they usually move waaaay too far.