I have a '09 Mazda 5 with over 96K miles on it. I was browsing through the
owners' manual the other day and discovered I should have changed the
plugs back when the car had only 75K miles on it.

Does anyone know of any little tricks that I should be aware of before I do the change?

The car runs great, by the way. There only 2 recurring problems with the car.
One is I can't keep the wheels aligned so it eats tires excessively.
The other is the plastic visor retainers over the front windshield.

The wheels have to be aligned about every 6 months.

The plastic brackets are cheap and quite easy to replace so when they
break, which is quite often, It only takes about 2 minutes with a slot type screwdriver to change them.

Thanks for the help!

 

To change plugs: get factory spec plugs or at least the same type. Stay away form over-hyped fancy plugs.
Make sure they have the proper gaps. Even if they are pre-gapped measure the gaps.
Pull the wires only on the boots if you plan on re-using the wires. I personally would replace the wires together with the plugs. Once the wires are pulled use compressed air to blow out any debris from around the plugs. The engine should be cold or almost cold. Wrench out the plugs. Add anti-seize compound to the threads of the new plugs and turn them in by hand and only hand-tight. Then, depending on the plugs, give them 1/8 to 1/4 of a turn with a wrench. There are instructions on the package of the plugs. Biggest problem for beginners is over-tightening and stripping the threads in aluminum heads.

Wheel alignment: are you a rough on your car? Do you kiss the curbs when parking? Do you always go to the same shop?

 

Thanks for the response.

The advice you gave is useful for changing spark plugs in
all non-diesel engines. I have been changing spark plugs on
gasoline automobile engines since 1965 when I worked on my
first car's engine, so I understand what you wrote.

I should have been a bit more specific in my question. I was
looking for any tricks or specialized knowledge the applies to
he Mazda 5.

For example, I look at the top of the 2.3L four cylinder and I
can not see any way to remove the plastic cover over top
of the engine. I guess I'll need to buy a repair manual.

As far as the wheel alignment question, we drive the car
very carefully. We never drive off of paved roads.

Bye for now.

 

Sorry, Dusterracer.
It's difficult to gauge a poster's expertise.
I don't have 5. So I don't have the specific knowledge you seek.

With the wheel alignment I would try another shop. You are experienced enough to know that you get the best alignment with new tires, properly inflated, no load in the car unless specified by the manufacturer and done by a guy who is at least as old as we are. ;-)

 

Well, it only took me 35 minutes to change the plugs.

I was worried about the plastic shield on top of the engine. I could not
see any way to remove it. Then I found a short movie on "youtube" which
showed a man just grabbing the shield and pulling it off. So, I tried it.
It worked! The shield just snaps on/off.

I found a tool stuck under the shield. It looks like a tool for prying up
nails. The handle is hard rubber with the word "Matco." The handle
has a large hole in the end, such as might be used to hang the tool
on a peg board.

The "working" end of the tool starts out of the handle as a square
shaft which is flattened with a v shaped notch in the end. On the
shaft is the letters/numbers: "DTO3MB."

I don't see any use for such a tool anywhere in the engine compartment
of the Mazda5. I don't have a clue when it was placed under the
shield on top of the engine. It could have been during construction
on the assembly line, or it could have been at any of the places where
I had the oil changed, although you don't have to remove the shield
to change the oil.

I would attach a picture if I knew how.

TTYL

 

Maybe it was someones anti-rattle tool :P

 

Dusterracer: is that tool one of those?

SDSO4B 4 PIECE DOOR SERVICE SET - Orange Handle

 

Ayupp!

I mean, yes.

It is the lower one in the picture and the first one in the
description. It is the door panel remover.

The one I have no longer has an orange grip due to the
black grease and dirt left on it by the previous user.

Now the question is why did someone leave a door panel
remover on the top of my engine?

Oh, well. I'll probably never know.

 

Somewhere on this planet is a auto mechanic pacing around in his shop and mumbling: "Where did I place this door panel remover? Scheissglumpsverex!!!!"