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My 2011 Mazda 6 has lately been a bit sluggish to start. Yesterday it nearly left me stranded in a parking lot. The keyfob didn't work and the car did nothing when I put the key into the ignition. The car was completely dead and none of the electronics worked. It was almost like the car had...

I need to top off the coolant in a 2018 Buick Encore. The OM just says to use “Dexcool” coolant. I have a jug of Prestone brand Dexcool that is probably from 2008-2010 or so (left over from back in the day when I drove a Saturn that took Dexcool) that I’d like to use if it is the correct stuff...

We are a growing family and want a larger vehicle to fit car seats and such. The minivan segment is ruled by just 4 nameplates - Chrysler, Honda, Kia, and Toyota. We have a family GM discount ….so we test drove a Traverse. After we drove the minivans we knew it was the way to go with kiddos...

Hi all, Merry Christmas! A couple weeks ago around 5 am I was headed to work on an unfamiliar rural divided highway. Long story short I was in a poorly marked construction zone and I hit one of those concrete traffic islands at about 45mph. I tried to avoid it but it was too late. I bottomed...

I have an issue with the Air Conditioning in my 11 Mazda6, 190K. The AC functions but lately when I start the car and then turn on the AC I hear a loud binding/grinding noise when I assume the AC kicks on. I do know I am due for a serpentine belt (has 90k on the belt). The noise goes away after...

Got a question for the older folks here. I’m 35 years old. In my late teens and 20s, I was what I’d define as a slight workaholic. I wanted to climb the ladder and I took pride in my work ethic. I’ve always worked since 15. Sometime last year, I think I burned myself out. I changed jobs to one...

Hey all, Latest UOA from my 2011 Mazda6. This is my 3rd run of this oil. I mainly ran this UOA to check on the health of the engine and to see if there were any problems. I am driving a lot for work now - some weeks I do 1,000 miles and some days I drive up to 500 miles. I will need to look...

My local Autozone sells 6 gallon boxes of STP 5w30 Conventional for $79.99, or the synthetic for $119.99. Research says Amalie makes this oil. The synthetic is Dexos rated. I use my vehicle for work and I slam miles on my car (I.e I can put 1,000 miles/week on my car). So oil changes can be a...

2011 Mazda 6, 167k miles. Drove the car 360 miles on Friday for work, and about 40 miles on Sunday with no issue. Car sat overnight last night and when I went to pull away it squeals when moving. Video below shows my 2nd attempt to pull out of the driveway (after I did a look underneath the car...

I’ve taken a new job where I will need to drive anywhere from 1-3 days a week to sites. My understanding is that my mileage would be anywhere from 1,500 to extreme of 4,000 miles/month. My work will reimburse me .585cents/mile. I will need a pickup truck as I will need to haul fire damaged...

I am considering a new full time job which would require traveling throughout the week. 2-3 days a week I would be covering territory in NC, SC, Northern GA and Eastern TN, and there is a possibility that I would be driving up to 2,000 miles (or more) per month just for work alone. I am curious...

Worker bee chiming in here... I'm seeing a lot of low morale in my workplace, and from what I gather it seems to be pretty typical across other industries as well. I'm really curious what others are experiencing. We have a lot of good people heading for the door at my work. I'm struggling...

I've dabbled in freshwater and later tropical aquariums through middle and high school. Always wanted to try a saltwater tank. The itch never went away. I started my tank up July 4 and after cycling for about 20 days I added 2 clownfish (Nemos). It's fun and a lot of work but very enjoyable...

What "issues" do you just "live with" on your older vehicle that you don't repair because you deem not worth it? Please include year, make, model and mileage. I'll start. 2011 Mazda6, 157k miles - Worn out 2nd gear syncro in the MT goes crunch if I shift from 1st to 2nd. I have to double...

Wife was showering and said water wouldn’t turn off. I tried the handle and it felt odd. Disassembled and found the handle broken (plastic piece the slips over valve had broken). I turned the valve with pliers to shut water of and went out and bought a replacement handle. After installing the...

For the past month or so I’ve been having random trouble starting my 2011 Mazda6. I will get in to start the car, turn the key and the dashboard lights come on but there is no cranking. Sometimes a couple key turns later it will start immediately, but other times I’ve had to try at least 20...

Vehicle has only been serviced by the dealer car was purchased from. Found out the dealer has been installing the wrong oil filter since the car was purchased. It's a long story, but here's the thread if you're interested...

My fiance has a '18 Buick Encore with 25k miles on it that she bought brand new. She has had it regularly serviced at the dealership she bought the vehicle from per the OLM. It has the 1.4T Ecotec. I noticed her OLM was down to 25% when I drove her car the other day, so I offered to change the...

Hello all, Need BITOGers opinion on how these tires look. They are DOT date coded 2017. Goodyear Assurance All Season 205/65R16 with ~50k miles on them. Debating running them for the summer but there is some decent weather checking in the treads, especially parallel with the tire tread in the...

Today I replaced a leaky valve cover gasket on my 150k mile 2011 Mazda6. Everything went fairly well with disassembly with exception of a couple stubborn plastic grommets to work the wiring harness to clear the valve cover. Some packing tape came in handy to tie it back once it was enough out of...