1. Verify that the joint shaft is not twisted or cracked.
2. Turn the joint shaft by hand and verify that the bearing rotates smoothly and freely.

Drive shaft
Joint shaft removal/installationMazda 6 Service Manual: Vinyl Upholstery Maintenance
Remove dust and dirt from the vinyl upholstery using a brush or vacuum. Remove
soiling from vinyl upholstery using a leather and vinyl upholstery cleaner.
Upholstery Maintenance
1. Clean the soiled area by lightly dabbing it with a soft cloth soaked in a
mild detergent (approx. 5%) diluted wit ...
Mazda 6 Service Manual: Manually Shifting Down
You can shift gears down by operating the selector lever or the steering shift
switches (some models).
M6 → M5 → M4 → M3 → M2→ M1
Using selector lever
To shift down to a lower gear, tap the selector lever forward (-) once.
Using steering shift switch (Some model ...