The throwout bearing in the clutch "threw out" taking the clutch with it for a tune of $800.00.
The a/c needed a charge and the mechanic told me the thermostat must be bad because the temperature gauge would barely come up past cold. I replaced the thermostat with no change in the gauge reading. However, since that time my gas mileage went from 28 mpg to 20 mpg.
The brake light will not come on unless the pedal is pushed to the limit of the stroke and there doesn't appear to be any adjustment for this problem.
I am actually looking for advice if anyone else has a Mazda pickup and knows who I can contact or how I can fix these problems (gas mileage, brake light adjustment)
Did you replace the thermostat with one that opens at the OEM temperature? Often what will happen is a thermostat is installed which opens at a lower temperature (meaning the engine runs cooler). This can be good or bad, depending on engine/use. In your case, the engine might not be getting up to a temp that is ideal for combustion. Thus, you need to use more gas to make the same amount of power.
Something to check. You can always talk to Mazda or Ford and ask them what the OEM thermostat is rated at, and then cross reference that with your replacement.
The thermostat is not the problem, it is most likely the coolant temperature sensor for the computer. If the computer thinks that the engine is colder than it actually is, indicative of a bad sensor, the program adds more fuel to the engine. This will be worth your while to check, gas is expensive these days.
Where are the sensors, I know there's 2, but I can't find the one in the manifold.
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