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: Cylinder head gasket
CYLINDER HEAD GASKET REPLACEMENT
Warning
Fuel vapor is hazardous. It can very easily ignite, causing
serious injury and damage. Always keep sparks and flames away from fuel.
Fuel line spills and leakage are dangerous. Fuel can ignite and
cause serious injuries or death and damage. Fuel ...
Mazda 6 Service Manual: No.1 while vehicle is in reverse, vehicle locator mark goes forward
When performing an asterisked (*) troubleshooting inspection, shake the
wiring harness and connectors while doing the inspection to discover whether
poor contact points are the cause of any intermittent malfunction. If there
is a problem, check to make sure connectors, terminals and wiri ...