Recent content by sarsbars

I just went for my first drive as the driver after only a week of driving stick. It's so much different than my husband's car. The clutch feels sooo loong, but I think I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. We went around a parking lot a few times just so I could get a feel for the clutch, and...

Yea, whatever they use on the road is awful, and of course once the rust starts there's no stopping it. I probably could have been more preventative and gotten it washed more frequently. I am definitely getting weekly washes in the winter for the 3! The 3rd gens are super nice. We sat in one...

Thanks! I usually hate silver or grey on cars, but I have to agree that the liquid silver doesn't look too bad on these cars, it looks especially nice on the newer models. This one's a nice dark grey, so I can tolerate it, plus it's just a nice car. My P5 only had 120k on it. If it wasn't for...

My poor little Protege5 has been rusting away for the past couple of years. It was going to fail inspection, so we've been searching for the past month for a Mazda3 GT hatchback. I originally wanted a first gen, but we stumbled upon a second gen and the hubs and I fell in love. After nearly two...

Thanks. Do you know how long they had it before that happened? My dad has an '03 Protege and his 6-disc CD player crapped out while the car was still young. My '03 Protege5 6-disc player is still trucking. I feel like the electronics can be so wishy-washy.

My husband and I are in the process of buying a 2010 hatch S-GT, and we're stuck on what to do about purchasing an extended warranty. The car has 68k on it and it has most of the bells and whistles (sunroof, power driver seat, heated seats, bose etc. So a lot that could go wrong electrically.)...

Yea, we're hoping it's nothing deeper, but it looks like it can be easily cleaned up and maintained with the right love and care. Thanks for calming our rust nerves. We just don't want a repeat of my P5, but I don't have the heart to move away from Mazdas.

I called the dealership today and asked if they'd send pictures of the strut tower tops (I live over an hour and a half away). We are hoping to look at some more '07s and '08s to compare the amount of rust, but I wanted to share these just in case you have any (more) input! Which has all be...

Ahh, pressure washing makes sense (not to do, but that it could be the culprit). We'd be careful not to POR-15 the bolts, just the metal. Thankfully there wasn't any rust on the body of the car, although there were a few spots on the hood that need to be touched up before they get to that point...

Yea, I get that scratches are inevitable, but the ones on the hatch are big and gross. I was just wondering if anyone thought that they could be cleaned up a bit. As far as road tripping for a rust free car, I need it by May and we can't get the time off. :( Otherwise we'd be all over that...

Howdy, I am a current Protege5 owner looking to upgrade my rusty fenders and sad undercarriage for a (newer to me) Mazda3. I just went and looked at an '08 black hatchback GT and saw some things that may or may not be concerning. I'm not entirely sure what to look for or expect from a used 3...

Thanks for your replies. I've had problems with the EGR in the past, and this doesn't seem like that's what it is. The CEL isn't staying on and this is so sporatic. A couple of years ago we replaced the EGR with the Canadian one, and *knock on wood* I haven't had any issues with it since...

Problem number 1: So I've been having some problems with water getting into my car on the passenger side. In the past I've noticed my floor mat being damp as well as the floor underneath the passenger seat. It's been raining pretty heavily for two days now, and this morning there was a layer of...

Thanks for the response. Sometimes I can be a little rough when I get irritated with fellow drivers. I think this is the "ball" so maybe it's more of a pin: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/TCI-Auto-3-in-stroke-Powerglide-pan-bracket-and-lever-kit/_/N-25rl?itemIdentifier=433117_0_0_...

Here are my issues: - Car won't start in park (yes I know, neutral safety switch). The little box doesn't light up around the "P" anymore. - My check engine light is NOT on (I'm not sure if this indicates that it's NOT the neutral safety switch? Or does it not necessarily have to throw a code...