Mazda 626 & MX-6, and Ford Probe (1993-2001) Automotive Repair Manual (Haynes Repair Manual) [Paperback]

Jay Storer (Author), John H. Haynes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Inside this manual you will find routine maintenance, tune-up procedures, engine repair, cooling and heating, air conditioning, fuel and exhaust, emissions control, ignition, brakes, suspension and steering, electrical systems, and wiring diagrams.

Product Details

• Paperback: 351 pages
• Publisher: Haynes Publishing Group; 2nd edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563924404
• ISBN-13: 978-1563924408
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Flawed, but useful, September 1, 2004

By 

Steve Thompson (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mazda 626 & MX-6, and Ford Probe (1993-2001) Automotive Repair Manual (Haynes Repair Manual) (Paperback)

This manual suffers the same problems most consumer car repair manuals suffer from.

It is not well illustrated: the illustrations are scanty, and sometimes confusing. For example: trying to locate the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) valve and related solenoids was an exercise in frustration. The illustration shows the EGR valve for a 4-cylinder car, but not one for the V-6 (which I have), except for a view from the bottom of the car. So locating it involved getting under the car, and looking with a light for about 15 minutes -- peering through the gaps in the exhaust system, frame braces, etc. Then, after I identified it, I had to somehow find it again from the top, because it can't be reached from the bottom except by dismantling a frame brace and assorted other stuff. I was finally able to locate it by touch.

Locating and identifying the little solenoid that sends vacuum to the EGR valve proved almost as frustrating. The manual doesn't show where it is located, or what it looks like. There is an illustration purporting to show it, but it doesn't match. I could go on.

To make this book really useful for the user, it should have well-drawn line drawings supplemented with numerous CLEAR photos showing the part in question in its many versions and forms, from different angles, etc. I'm sure this would make a larger, more expensive book, but it would also make it worth the money.

The second problem is the lack of sufficient instructions on how to get to or remove parts. The manual will say something like "remove the whatchamacallit cover." It doesn't tell you that to do it you have to remove 7 bolts, three of which are hidden, so that after removing the 4 visible ones you have to grunt and swear and curse until you finally figure out that there are more bolts to take off, AND that you have to slide the cover a certain way to make it come off. It also doesn't say that the whole job would be a lot easier if you take off something else first. I still haven't figured out how to take off the EGR valve without first removing the frame brace, air cleaner, throttle body, and perhaps even the entire intake manifold first -- about NONE of which the manual offers any hint.

The third problem is that some of the information is just wrong, at least for my car. The manual shows an electrical connector on the EGR valve lift sensor that has 6 terminals. It gives very precise instructions on how to test the sensor by checking resistance between terminals. The only problem is that the sensor on my car has only three terminals. How do I check the resistance on the sensor? I have no clue.

The previous reviewer's complaints about switching back and forth between different sections to get a job finished are on the mark also.

All in all, this is a frustrating book to depend on for information on repairs and trouble shooting. However, it is pretty much all that is out there, and it is useful for help in a number of small procedures, most of them not having to do with the engine. You can use it to troubleshoot engine problems, but it takes a lot of patience and a willingness to figure a lot of stuff out on your own, with only broad hints and inadequate illustrations for help.

3.0 out of 5 stars good but short of great, December 17, 2011

By 

J. A. Robertson (Kingwood, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mazda 626 & MX-6, and Ford Probe (1993-2001) Automotive Repair Manual (Haynes Repair Manual) (Paperback)

Haynes manuals are good and very useful, but a lot of important details are omitted. And, a lot of important details are grouped together in statements like; "remove all lines, electrical connectors, and hoses" which is the largest part of the job! Or, "take this part to a professional mechanic for repair", if I wanted to do that I would not have bought your manual!
The Haynes manual is good, but far short of great.

1.0 out of 5 stars Next to useless for a Mazda 626 - not written for this car!, September 5, 2011

By 

R. C. Roper (Topanga Canyon, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mazda 626 & MX-6, and Ford Probe (1993-2001) Automotive Repair Manual (Haynes Repair Manual) (Paperback)

I wasted a good deal of time following the instructions to remove and replace the starter motor on my 2000 Mazda 626 4-cylinder. What the authors chose not to mention was that the starter in the Mazda 626 is not in the same place as in the example car (Ford Probe), so the Mazda starter cannot be removed and replaced by following the instructions. I removed the entire air intake housing, as instructed, before I figured out that there's no way in hell you can get to the starter from that direction. Ingenious!

Maybe this manual is useful for the Ford Probe or MX-6, but it is useless if you want to fix your Mazda 626. I really want to find the publishing executive responsible for this nonsense and throw my old starter through his windshield. Until then, I'll just try to find a manual that is specifically written for my Mazda.