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    Mazda Coolant $25/gallon! What's an excellent aftermarket substitute?

    Agree...getting the right, although expensive, engine coolant is cheap insurance compared to a water pump failure. At $75 total, it will be your first and probably last time changing the engine coolant on the CX-9. How many miles do you have on your CX-9, Pootie Tang?
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    2007~2015 How to get to the CX-9 spark plugs?

    My wife and I will be in the market for an SUV replacement to the CX-9 in a couple of years and have been looking at the Audi SQ5 simply for its smaller size and more powerful engine. That is good to know about the Ecoboost Explorer and another data point to explore (no pun intended!).
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    Brakes... How many miles?

    The OEM pads on my wife's CX-9 lasted 38K miles before we replaced them. They were starting to squeal a little. Most of her driving is city with about 2 to 3 long-distance, out-of-town drives. We now have 84K miles and just recently replaced with the 3rd set of brakes.
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    Rattling Instrument Panel

    A Possible Solution I initially posted about a rattling sound coming from the dash that was driving me nuts. I think I found the solution and actually discovered where the problem was when I replaced the spark plugs on my wife's CX-9. The vacuum valve that is bolted to the firewall was the...
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    vacuum valve.jpg

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    2007~2015 How to get to the CX-9 spark plugs?

    Changed Out my Spark Plugs I really appreciate the information you guys provided on this thread. I changed the spark plugs on my wife's CX-9 this past weekend and took a little longer than expected. Just FYI, I purchased my replacement spark plugs from O'Reilly's (Motorcraft SP478) and here...
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    spark plug.jpg

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    2007~2015 How to get to the CX-9 spark plugs?

    I've been reading this thread with great interest since my wife's CX-9 hit 85K miles. My question to you guys is, did you notice a drop in throttle performance or gas mileage before you changed out the spark plugs? My wife's CX-9 just doesn't seem as peppy as it was when we bought it brand...
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    Rear Wiper

    The rear wiper blade is replaced much the same way as the front ones. I opted to replace the entire wiper blade since the one originally on the CX-9 was made of cheap plastic. Just press the plastic tab where the blade meets up with the arm and the blade should come off easily.
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    Problem with Blindspot Monitors

    My BSMs have been acting up over the summer and noticed that the BSM light would flash and the monitors stopped working when the car sat in the hot sun for several hours. Otherwise, the BSM worked in the early morning or when the car was parked in a shaded area. So it appears that the BSM...
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    Detaching sunshade from sunroof

    I searched in the how-to section but could not find it. My wife likes to leave the sunroof tilted open in the summer to vent the heat build-up inside the CX-9. Problem is that over the past seven years, dirt, small leaves and pine needles have deposited on the sunshade. I can see them when I...
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    Nitto 421Q -VS- Yokohama Parada Spec-X

    Discount Tire found a set of Nitto NT421Q, gave me $96 credit for both front Parada Specs whose inner tread was shredding. We only have about 300 miles on them but overall first impression of the Nitto's is smoother, quieter, and sidewalls feel softer compared to the Yoko's. Immediately after...
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    Nitto 421Q -VS- Yokohama Parada Spec-X

    Curious to know what you think of the Nitto's. I got 39k out of the OEM Bridgestones before I replaced them with the Parada Spec-X. So far, I put 26k on the Yoko's and still have about 4/32nds of tread left but the inner edge of the tread is starting to shred....looks like shredded cheese...
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    Rattling Instrument Panel

    I have this annoying rattle coming from the instrument panel on my '08 CX-9 GT. It only happens when the car is warmed up and sitting in the sun for a few hours. It is very quiet when it's cold. I traced the rattle to the lenses covering the tach and speedometer. Has anyone removed the...
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    Goodyear Eagle RS-A Tires. Anyone have them?

    My front set of Yokohama Parada Spec Xs are starting to disintegrate, meaning that small chunks of rubber are peeling or have already broken off of the tread from the inner edge of the tire. These have been really good tires but surprised that I only put 26k miles on them and the front are...
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    Off Mazda Topic: Thoughts on concealed carry firearm of choice?

    I hear you. It's a toss-up on the reliability front. On one of the forums, some people just hated them (poor workmanship, bad customer service, etc.) and then there were people that just raved about Taurus. I too looked at the Walther PPS in .40S&W but the cost was over $600 vs. $370 for the...
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    Off Mazda Topic: Thoughts on concealed carry firearm of choice?

    I CC a Ruger LCP with the Crimson Trace and I have the pinkie-rest on my magazines so it makes holding it easier. This is by far the easiest to pocket carry. Don't like the long trigger pull but my point-of-use is close quarters and so accuracy is not as important IMO. Take a look at the...
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    Long time owners--would you buy again?

    We bought our GT brand new in April of 2008. 38k miles later, there have been no issues with it. Great car and very reliable (just as reliable as a Toyota, IMO). The only maintenance I performed to date other than regular oil changes have been the brakes, wipers and AC relays. The next items...
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    Creaking front doors?

    We bought our '08 GT brand new and within 2 weeks, a wind gust caught the driver's door as it was opened and forcefully opened it past its stopping point. The door then started to creak every time we opened/closed it. Took it to the dealership and it was fixed free under the factory warranty...
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    20" Tire Options...

    I am also looking to get replacement tires for my CX-9. I still have the OE tires with 36k miles on them and with about 5/32" of tread left. I stopped by Discount Tire yesterday to inquire about the Parada Spec but they recommended the YK580. It is a relatively new tire and wanted to see if...
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