Hey guys -

Did this over the weekend, easy fix.

Both front doors have a door checker. The door is hinged and the checker is in the middle and has detents to keep the door open at a few positions.

I've noticed my car (~140,000 miles) has the door never wanting to stay open and coming back at me all the time. Decided to give it a try and get a new door checker from Mazda to see if a new one makes a difference. Spoiler: it does, big time. Door stays where it should now, feels much better and isn't trying to attack me.

Parts you will need:
New door checker from Mazda, part number F152-58-270B. The "B" means it was revised, so it may be better than the original. About $45 from Ray Crowe.
Some blue Loctite

Tools you will need:
10mm socket, small extension, and ratchet
Phillips head screwdriver
Small flat head screwdriver
Plastic pry tool

How to do it:
First step is to remove the door panel. There's tons of how-to's on this, not going to go off the deep end here. Here's a decent Youtube video -

Once that's removed, remove the speaker. 4 screws and it comes out. Unplug the connector and set it aside.

Now time for the door checker. If you are on a hill or it's windy or something, get something to prop the door open. Once the checker is removed, the door can freely swing. Something sturdy.

Remove the 1 10mm bolt holding the checker to the car. Then, remove the 2 10mm nuts that hold the checker to the door - these are accessed where the checker arm comes out the door. Be careful removing them, if you drop it they can go inside the door and could be tricky to find.

Once unbolted, the checker comes out from the inside and you bring it out of the speaker hole.

Installing the new one is the same deal in reverse order. Use blue Loctite on all the fasteners.

When re-installing the speaker, the foam "hood" on the back of the speaker needs to be up, like an umbrella. If not water can get into the speaker - learned that one the hard way.

Re-install door panel and try it out!

Also the door checkers are the same driver and passenger side, you just flip them upside-down for the other side.

Dale

 

Whelp, I know what I'm doing this month. Very nice find.
Inclined driveway makes the door clock me in the back more often than preferred. My gf hates this about the car as well. It did this since new, so the -B version might itself be a major improvement.

 

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After some time has passed, I will say the door checker is BETTER but still isn't GREAT. I think Mazda just didn't design it well.

I still should do the passenger side one of these days.

It's worth doing but I wouldn't kill yourself to do it, if you are already pulling the door panel for something it's worth thinking about.

Dale

 

While you’re in there secure some plastic at the back of the speaker mount cut-out. Draping plastic from the top side to below the bottom solved an 18 month water leak mystery that flooded both front footwells in my car.

 

Thanks for this tutorial