What have you done to your Mazda5 today?

DO NOT drive a screwdriver through the housing that holds the filter. You may try that with a spin-on canister filter, but not with the open filter on most Mazda5's. Check the threads. Lots of info posted about changing the filter and who sells the proper wrench.
 
Speed3 rear sway bar install.

broken link kit fixed.

broken ABS sensor fixed, broked by the damn link kit accident, who also did scratches my new wheels. :(


Now everything is fine.
 
If you are pulling out of a sidestreet and making a sharp turn onto the main street, its really easy to spin the inside front wheel. I think its from the body roll and a rear swaybar would help that a lot! I spun it really bad the other day and the wife just gave me the eyebrow lol
 
The handling is really great, i feel the back of the 5 much more and i have the feeling that i control it better, but i didn't have the chance to make a really fast turn... safety first when kids are on board with dady lol.
 
Just a light workout,to the landscape materials warehouse, and returned.

Load included:

Three adults
15 - 40lb bags of rubber mulch
1 50 yard roll of landscape cloth
1 section of 4" corrugated drain piping
A dozen potted plants

Yard guys couldn't believe they could get it all in there. But they did.
 
Returned a few days ago from the trip to the Black Hills.

2 Weeks, 3200 miles.

~26 mpg on the way there. (into the wind... sometimes 30 mph winds)
~30 mpg on the way back. (wind at the side, and sometimes at our back)

Here are a few pics.

Before we left. Nice and clean. Freshly detailed.

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The Badlands

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After some dusty mountain roads.

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After the southern MN bugs.

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As always, she was a champ. No problems, and was fun on the winding roads.
 
Just returned from a 3700 mile 5 week business trip traveling wyoming, utah, nevada, arizona, and new mexico. All the seats are out so I can carry all my samples. Averaged 28.7 mpg over the trip, city speeds in the city and 80 mph on the highways. 5 was perfect the whole time, love it.
 
I put in the cargo covers, liners, net, and all weather floor mats, and finished up the aftermarket HID install.
 
Took 3 Dachshunds to the park for a walk. Needless to say, the windows need to be cleaned now from snot as they bitched and barked at every car that drove by.
 
Swapped the crappy plastic steering wheel with a OEM Leather Mazda 3 wheel from a salvage company on EBAY. Best $35 and 15 minutes I've spent.
 
Did the inspection and finally changed the rear wiper on the 06, 10 bucks at the dealer.
 
Cool, any airbag issues?[/]

No explosion in my face and no airbag warning lights. I am claiming a fully successful transplant.

That said, I used the existing Mazda5 airbag and once I figured out that the connectors disconnect from the airbag module, rather than at the column like the steering wheel controls it was smooth sailing.
 
I figured out that the steering wheel control connectors disconnect at the column.

How do the controls work? Are they hard wired to the radio or do they transmit like an actual remote control? I know someone who used a programmable home remote to learn the codes from his steering wheel buttons so I know that some OEM's use that system. What I'm getting at is buying another set of buttons and installing in the rear console for rear audio control.(crazy)

Edit: Answered my own question, they are hardwired through the clockspring. I think you would just need to splice the wires behind the radio and the second set would work, just not sure what would happen if they were used at the same time. I dont think it would bother the radio, probably no different than hitting 2 buttons at once and I dont think it would happen often if at all anyway. Now its just a matter of how to make it look good :)
 
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Well... it isn't really what i did today, but more what i have done in the last few weeks.

I used the 5 to move a bunch of stuff into the new house. the funnest one was moving the 79'' long futon. (we didnt have a bed moved, and were already sick of the air mattress)

had to move the front passenger seat up most of the way, but it fit.

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you can see that i used the seat belt to prevent it from moving into the driver!

so, after moving, i noticed the drivers side low beam was out. go go warranty!

got the oil changed and the bulb replaced. all set now.
 
I took a shower in my 5. I opened the sunroof after rinsing off the dirty work from the birds the night before. Word to the wise: If the car is sitting with the nose uphill and you rinse it off, take a REALLY good look at how much water is on the sunroof BEFORE you open it. I didn't know it could hold that much water and never expected it all to run in either! First car with a tilt and slide roof btw :)
 
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