Recent content by Singletrack

Good to know you could do the repair. I just gave mine to my son and reminded him its only a Front Wheel drive truck now ;) I had the water pump replaced 2 yrs ago so the engine is good. Luckily a mechanic friend did it for 1/2 the cost of a shop. The only thing left to fail is the...

Question about a 2013 Mazda3 GX my daughter is looking to buy. Owner said battery was dead after sitting a month. After boost and driving, a few warning lights are lit on dash (ABS and Traction Control) This seems like something that should go out on its own after driving. Anyone else see that...

OK, I thought it was too good to be true. How does the solenoid connect to the inner ring?

I just came across this product. https://www.carid.com/acdelco/professional-4wd-actuator-connector-mpn-ls255.html?singleid=2316164342&url=12567775 This seems like the exact solution for my problem. If its the correct part. Anybody heard of this?

I don't know the 'factory' procedure for the Toyota, but it likely doesn't require removing the engine. A friend of mine is a Toyota tech and they have found all the tricks to bring the price down to about $800. I had my Mazda water pump done, but also replaced all the timing chains and guides...

This is a good thread. I'm a 2010 CX-9 owner, trying to get one more winter out of it. (former Mazda 6 wagon owner too) I'm also a conflicted Tacoma owner ;) I know the Tacoma will last forever, but do I want to drive such an uncomfortable, noisy, rough riding truck forever ? :) Anyway, we're...

Sorry to hear about your second transfer case failure. Mine all happened within the 7yr warranty window. I'd be surprised if they do anything to help for an 8 yr. old car. But, if you've had your service work primarily done there they might have incentive to help. The only good news is that the...

I will try to take a look at it over the holidays if I can get access to a friends heated garage with a lift. My dealer actually worked with me to get the transmission problem solved, surprisingly enough. Although it took a long time. At first they didn't believe my diagnosis of the sheared...

My light is on solid. The rear wheels don't drive when the front wheels spin in mud/snow. I've had all the problems. Broken transfer case (replaced 3x under Mazda extended warranty), the last time the transmission output shaft splines were sheared off. It makes sense that only the...

See Puma's photos above: How is the solenoid affixed to the ring in the coupling? Is the whole assembly removable?

Great job! As usual, the first time is the hardest, but now armed with your video, everyone else can save a lot of time. The wires on mine have broken again, causing an intermittent 4WD light coming on. Based on Puma's information, I had a shop fix the wires a few years ago, but now they've...

You're right about the last point. That's why I spent the money on the repairs, which might only be 4 months of new car payments. If I get 6 months more use from the car, I'm ahead.

Not sure of all the other FoMoCo parts in your list, but the brakes and wheel bearings are Ford. I wouldn't be surprised if the control arms and ball joints are too. Regarding failure rates of the engines, that's a good question. I would have to say the failure rate of the water pump will be...

Thanks for all the responses to this post. I learned about the likely source of my problems here. I just got my 2010 CX-9 back from my mechanic and it's fixed! Here's my story. With about 210K KM (130K miles) on it now. The CEL went on about 6 months ago at 200K. I checked it with a...

Update: The good news is the transfer case is ok. The noise was coming from a heat shield that broke and was dragging on the top of the driveshaft to rear diff. I would only hear it at low speeds. At higher speed, wind under the car must have lifted it off, to prevent the drag. Simple bolt...