2004 Mazda6 s

This is the second year for the Mazda6, which replaces the venerable 626 in the Mazda lineup. Though intended as a family sedan, as with almost everything else Mazda has ever built, this is a driver's car. Mechanically it's fairly conventional, with

Jan. 1, 2020

2 min read

This is the second year for the Mazda6, which replaces the venerable 626 in the Mazda lineup. Though intended as a family sedan, as with almost everything else Mazda has ever built, this is a driver's car. Mechanically it's fairly conventional, with some notable exceptions.

Each side of the front suspension has two lower control arms, each connected to the steering knuckle with a ball joint. That means the bottom of the knuckle swings through an arc instead of just rotating about the steering axis; wheel alignment requires close attention to detail.

With the ignition off and the key removed, keep-alive-memory (KAM) should draw no more than 20 milliamps. The returnless fuel system includes the pressure regulator and fuel filter as part of the pump assembly inside the fuel tank. Fortunately, there's an access plate under the rear seat.

Most of the service bulletins call for powertrain control module (PCM) reprogramming, including malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) illumination with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0401 (EGR), P0325 (knock sensor) and P2404 (leak detection pump). Rough idle/stalling after cold-start or no-start when cold with P0335 (crank sensor) are both cured with reprogramming. MIL illumination with DTC P2135 may be caused by a faulty throttle body, and P2110 may be caused by a faulty throttle actuator.