Mazda Protegé

protegextwo

The US Army turned them all into Targets....

protegextwo

Besides, which local economy would you rather support, Arkansas or Minnesota?

Arkansas is for winners and Protege Owners!

maltb

It was just something to get Dale wound up. And I got an IM out of it. :-D

maltb

Larry back and keeping things light in here.

meinrad

Have you seen the man!

protegextwo

Meow Meoow Meooowwww, HELLO KITTY!!! Whats up Dale,...errh pussycat?
How is my Tigress of floor mats been getting along? I decided against Walmart. We Protege Owners here in Lacaster have boycotted them. They stopped carry the ZOOM ZOOM Sun Screens last X-Mas.

-Lovetrain

meinrad

did you ever check your treadwear indicators?

protegextwo

My good friend Malt was referring to the chit and chat of this thread; with-in the Mazda Protege Sedan Owners Topic. If you my dear friend Rain Man wish to cast dispersions about my girth, well the poorer you are for being a snapper head! :-)))

-Lovetrain

meinrad

Definitely not dispersions, definitely not.

Wouldn't be Love Train without something to love!

newcar31

"Arkansas is for winners and Protege Owners!"

Hmmm....I always thought Arkansas was for people who don't like to wear shoes and like to drive Camazers. Wasn't Arkansas the place where the mullet was created?

mdaffron

EXSQUEEZE ME, MR. EMRAYCIATED! I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!!!

And this IS on-topic ... Hey Larry (er, Dale too), aren't you like me in the fact that comfort for us "big 'n tall"/"plus-size" folks was a key factor that eliminated the likes of Sentra, Corolla, Civic and even Jetta (yes, my non-latitudinally challenged friends, ALL of the competition) from our lists?

Meade of La Nacho
XXL or bust (my shirt)

mdaffron

... is for "yessir, I saw that tornader ... sounded just lahk a frate trayn."

manavi

Wow, this board reminds of a Seinfeld episode. A bunch of talk about nothing.

boggse

It is so unlike you to belittle a whole state like that -- especially considering you live in the one-time capital of the Confederacy.

I don't doubt Pat will be along any minute to delete posts.

meinrad

why it so popluar!

mdaffron

Hey, the Protege's such a great car, what else can be said that hasn't been said already?

Let's just archive this useless old discussion and go for a drive.

Meade

protegextwo

My Mazda-Toyota service advisor recommends a MotorVac CarbonClean Service at 45,000 and 75,000 miles. I'm located in Lancaster, PA. and drive a mix of highway and city driving to the tune of 15,000 miles per year. I have both our families 2000 Mazda Protegé ES's serviced every 5,000 miles at this dealership. Their suggested service schedule is more aggressive/costly then my manufacture's recommended service schedule. However, I'm not against profit for the service department and have loyally adhered to their schedule. In return, they have handled several warranty issues quickly and with excellent workmanship. I also believe they were able to get couple of minor issues covered under warranty when perhaps they were pretty boderline. They have also repaired some minor things for no charge and treat me as a valued customer. I would rate this service department a 9 out of 10. Nonetheless, they claim; "the MotorVac system connects to your car's engine and circulates a mixture of MotorVac solution and fuel through all fuel system components. This cleaning solution removes carbon, gum and varnish from your engine-from intake to exhaust. A MotorVac CarbonClean Fuel System service:
*Restores "new car" performance
*Restores fuel economy and helps the environment by lowering your car's emission."

I don't know if it's worth the $75.00??? Sounds too much like a late night infomercial to me. What do the regulars at the Mazda Protege Sedan Owners topics think? If it has some value to a good regular preventative maintenance program I'll consider it. What say ye....

Respectfully,
Larry

mdaffron

At least Virginia has had something to contribute to society, and stood up for its beliefs back then ... unlike your tar-drippin, terbacky chewin' Noa'th Caralanuh ...



Let's hear from ya, Jim!!!

Meade

boggse

I am from upstate New York. I just live in NC because there happened to be jobs here. I am not alone in this. There is a town nearby named Cary. The local joke is that it stands for "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees."

mdaffron

Have you seen a decrease in the one thing that reflects engine performance -- gas mileage?

I'm getting better gas mileage now than I did when the car was new. My two cents -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you were experiencing engine problems, it might be a good thing to try. (They did this when my B2300 pickup was pinging like crazy -- it never made a difference though.)

I've actually heard that these "cleanings" can be detrimental to your engine, which is designed to run with a bit of "build-up" in the system. Think about it -- as your engine wears, your rings, seals and other things get worn. The very "varnish" and other stuff that's in there helps to seal the minuscule gaps created by this wear, and on top of that, the engine has worn "around" whatever's in there. Clean every speck and particle out of there and you may be opening a can of worms.

One local transmission firm advertises heavily NOT to do the same type of thing to transmissions since that's what it does, causing leaks, blowby's, etc.

Think of it this way. Some people die of blood clots after heart catheterization because the process of cleaning out a clogged artery loosened a part of the clog, sending it downstream where it caused another. Now of course, those people needed the procedure because they'd had a heart attack. But tell me -- would you go in and have open-heart surgery as "preventive maintenance"? Why perform open-heart surgery on your car when it hasn't had heart problems in the first place?

(Sorry for the analogy, but I think it applies here)

Meade

mdaffron

No, I don't mind North Carolina. Ya got great mountains and a stellar oceanfront.

Plus UVA loves stomping all over ya.

Meade

chikoo

bull?

protegextwo

"Have you seen a decrease in the one thing that reflects engine performance -- gas mileage?"
Mdaffron

 Does anyone know if the new (2001-2003) owners manual say anything about fuel injector or fuel system service maintenance? I was thinking that the trend among car manufactures is to limit the cost of scheduled maintenance to present their vehicles as low cost to maintain. For instance 7,500 oil change intervals, etc.

 BTW, my service manager at Lancaster Toyota-Mazda asked me to initial a refusal endorsement on my last service report. Because I turned down their MotorVac CarbonClean service and their Enviro Engine LifeGuard Sludge-Out System service after my 45,000 mile service. Jeeze,....

-Larry

protegextwo

Nick, what do you been bull? You think their trying to take my money?

-Larry

newcar31

"Does anyone know if the new (2001-2003) owners manual say anything about fuel injector or fuel system service maintenance?"

IIRC, the manual specifically says NOT to use any fuel additives. I'll have to go look at it again.

boggse

Worked at UVa for 2 years. My wife is an alumnus. I'm an NC State fan, so I'm less used to getting stomped than UNC (depening on sport, YMMV). Of course with Miami joining the ACC, we'll all have to get used to annual stompings for a while.

Not sure if I mentioned this before, but I would not recommend UVShield on the windshield. I tried it on the P5, and did not like it. The good part is it comes off easily enough.

edmund2460

My dealer has an advertised fuel injection cleaning service too. I've seen flyers in the shop recommending it every 15K for about that same price. But they've never recommended it to me. If you are running good quality gas there shouldn't be any need to use this. Also I would run Techron by Chevron every 5000 miles or so. I think it works. Our Sable once went through a period of very low mpg. A shot of 93 octane and Techron did the job.

edmund2460

WE have a 98 Escort. Doesn't Mazda make it's drivetrain and or engine? I think Mazda was credited for the improvement in this car with the redesign in 97 or 98.

About the fuel-injection cleaning, I've noticed dealers and repair shops trying to sneak this in on my other cars. If a manufacturer does not have it listed in the owners manual it does not need to be done.

newcar31

I don't know about the chassis, but I know it doesn't have a Mazda engine. Those Escorts had the Ford Zetec 2.0L or the regular Ford 2.0L based on the old Ford 1.9L. I know the Escorts before 97' had a Mazda chassis and the GTs had the Mazda 1.8L.

boggse

The 2nd generation Escorts had some Mazda input. How much is not clear to me, but I recall reading that it was a joint engineering effort. They certainly were better than the 1st gen. My wife had a 93 LX with the Ford engine. The handling was very similar to the Proteges we have owned which would support that it was a Mazda chassis. We never had a single problem with that car. I think 3rd gen. Escorts were a Ford only redesign. The ZX2 has the Zetec engine, not the Mazda 1.8 unlike the earlier GTs.

alternator

Re "my service manager at Lancaster Toyota-Mazda asked me to initial a refusal endorsement on my last service report. Because I turned down their MotorVac CarbonClean service and their Enviro Engine LifeGuard Sludge-Out System service after my 45,000 mile service"

IMO, get as far away as possible from these crooks.

chikoo

Most new cars do not develop the kind of carbon deposits that these equipment promise to remove.

I say, remove your spark plugs and check them for carbon deposits. If positive, then your engine might have carbon deposits and u might actually benefit from the "liquid plummer" service.

mdaffron

Just keep in mind that ALL grades of Chevron gasoline carry the same additives, no matter what the glitz on the pump advertisement says.

A short primer on the myths and facts about octane and fuel additives:

http://theserviceadvisor.com/octane.htm

Meade

P.S. Nice to see us at No. 1 (where we should be) again.

mazdafun

If you take good regular care of your car, you won't need these, unless you buy garbage gas, which they're not allowed to make or sell anymore. Using synthetic oil will also lessen the accumulation of varnish and sludge in your lubrication system.

The Escort starting in '90 has been based on a previous or contemporary 323/Protege chassis, though not slapped together nearly as well IMO. Only the GT has used a 323/Protege engine, to my knowledge. The current one has been "evolved" more by Ford, thus its relative lack of interior space compared to its contemporary Protege (apparently, Mazda's "Optispace" design philosophy [y'know, the one that acknowledges people have to fit in the darned things] hasn't crossed over). Anyway, BIG improvement to the Escort.

mdaffron

and I popped the hood and took a look. While I'm no mechanic, I noticed immediately that the valve cover was exactly the same (except for the Ford logo) as the one on the then-current Protege. Looks like the valve cover, at least, came from the same mold with a different logo mold inserted. (You could even see the "hangnails" in the aluminum around the Ford logo where the drop-in logo mold had released.)

I noticed a lot of other stuff that looked very familiar too, both under the hood (cable placement, coil, etc.) and inside the car (door lock knobs especially) that made it pretty blatant that the same supplier had been used.

Overall I was pretty darned impressed with how the car drove and sat (front seats, that is) -- but the suspension definitely had been marshmallowized for American fannies.

I've always wondered why the American definition of "suspension" means "vague."

Meade

newcar31

"I noticed immediately that the valve cover was exactly the same (except for the Ford logo) as the one on the then-current Protege."

Are ya sure it was a 98' and are you sure it was an Escort and not a Tracer? The reason why I ask is because the 98's had Ford engines and the valve cover doesn't look like any Mazda valve cover. Also, only the Escort GTs (3 door) and some Mercury Tracers had the Mazda 1.8L, but like I said, that was before 98'. If it was a pre-97' model with the Mazda 1.8L, the valve cover does look the same except for the Ford logo.

boggse

I can assure you that the 2.0L engine in the Escort was not directly related to the 1.5L or 1.8L engines available in the Protege at the time. In fact, it is the same engine that Ford has been using in the Focus (except '03 Foci in NY, MA, and CA which gets the excellent Mazda 2.3L from the 6). We all know that the 2.0L Zetec is a different beast than the 1.8L FP-DE and 2.0L FS-DE.

mgh_1

Hello everyone.

I've got a friend of mine looking for a used car and the Protege is one of the ones on the list. (Others are Altima, Civic, and Corolla as an FYI).

Any items to watch out for or other recommendations regarding Proteges from 2000 - 2002?

Thanks for your help.

maltb

Watch out for an extremely addictive test drive.

vocus

The best protection was the magnetic bra that those who saw my 01 ES saw on there. The 3M stuff is a witch when you try to wax and you can see it within a couple feet, esp. on a dark colored car (I know some who have it).

bluong1

"Just keep in mind that ALL grades of Chevron gasoline carry the same additives, no matter what the glitz on the pump advertisement says."

With all due respect, unless if you have a better proof to back up, the above statement is simply wrong. From http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/techron/techback.shtml
it reads:

"Chevron's Supreme grade receives an even higher dose of Techron, which can clean up dirty carburetors, fuel injectors and intake valves even faster than the Regular or Plus grades."

Bruno

mgh_1

So I've heard. I'm looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

the_big_h

you can get a bottle of that stuff at your local auto store for about $7, use it whenever you feel like your fuel injectors need cleaning (which isn't too often, especially on a 3-year-old car)

a 10+ year old car may benefit from it, I doubt a newer car would...

mazdafun

You can check alldata.com or nhtsa.gov sites for TSB titles and recall information for an idea of any watch-outs.

Give it a thorough check like you would any used car: look under, around and in the car, check the smells, look for fluid leaks, shift through all the gears, listen to the engine, exhaust and transmission etc. Ask for service records and so on.

I've only had two problems with my '99: MAS failed (covered under warranty, but this only applied to some 1.6L engines), and the head unit stopped playing CDs (replaced with aftermarket unit). I don't think there are any widespread problems with any Proteges (gen 1, 2 or 3). Some have complained of a stuttering clutch when cold.

protegextwo

Top 3 of the 10 Hot Discussions yesterday, were Mazda related. Also, saw a great bit on ESPN2 about the Mazda RX 8 featured in The MATRIX RELOADED!!! How cool!

-Larry

Top 10 Hot Discussions:

* Mazda Protegé (57 new)
• Mazda: Does it have a good future in US? (51 new)
• Mazda6 (50 new)
• Any Questions for a Car Dealer? (35 new)
• Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Oldsmobile Bravada (29 new)
• Acura TSX (28 new)
• Inconsiderate Buyers (27 new)
• Words From the Wise: Veteran's advice to greenpeas. . . (23 new)
• Honda Odyssey vs Toyota Sienna (21 new)
• Aztek - RIP (21 new)

Thank you folks for responding to my question on Fuel & Sludge-out Service questions.

the_big_h

RX-8 is featured in X-Men 2, not Matrix Reloaded.

mdaffron

... So you're gonna believe the words of Chevron's marketing department over an industry expert? If you'll re-read the link I provided you, "Techron" is just a cool marketing name for the additive that is added to the gasoline in varying amounts to provide different octane levels. I quote ...

"Government regulations require that all gasoline contain basically the same amount of additives to clean the injectors and valves. The only differences are the type to help create the different octane ratings. All gasoline burns at the same rate, it is the additives that create the different octane ratings for the different types of engines."

Read Chevron's well-written statement again too. According to them, their highest-grade and most-expensive gasoline "can clean up dirty carburetors, fuel injectors and intake valves even faster than the Regular or Plus grades." We'll assume that you, the caring Protege enthusiast, have been using high-quality gasolines like Chevron from the beginning, so chances are your fuel injectors and intake valves (no carburetor, sorry) aren't dirty to begin with. And if you've been using Chevron's (or a high-quality competitor's) "regular or plus grades" regularly, then note that Chevron itself admits that these grades of their gasoline ALSO "clean up dirty carburetors, fuel injectors and intake valves" -- just not as fast as the high-grade version. But if all you've been using is Chevron or some other high-quality gasoline, this constant cleaning should mean your engine has been clean since day one even using the lowest octane gas. See? You have no dirt to clean. Now, if you've been filling your Protege at Joe's Discount Gas and Bait Shop for 50,000 miles, I might agree with you that it's time for a few fillups with Chevron Ultimate. But under your circumstances, you shouldn't need it.

You, my friend, have been taken in by crafty marketing department writers who have convinced you, the Chevron Regular user, that somehow, spending 20 cents more per gallon for the premium gas is gonna "clean up" your already-clean engine!

Poor guy ... but since I work in the marketing field, I'll take it as a compliment to my profession!

Now, let me ask you a serious question. Do you also believe that Dow Bathroom Cleaner has "scrubbing bubbles"?

Meade

mdaffron

I currently am on the third Protege I've owned. This one is a 2000 ES 5-speed that's got 55,900 trouble-free miles on it; it'll be 3 years old on May 24 and is an absolute blast to drive.

Ya gotta know we're obsessed with these cars if we remember their birthdays and assign humanlike characteristics to them.

And have you noticed that while other car discussions on Edmunds are going on and on about faulty ignition coils, recalls and identity crises, we Protege owners are busy quibbling over tire brands and gas additives?

Does that say something to you?

Meade

newcar31

Yeah, it says that Mazda knows how to make cars where pieces don't fall off, that run well for a long time, and are reasonably cheap to maintain. They're fun cars that seem to be driven by fun people.

I'm glad we're not talking about coils, window clips, lemon laws, driving cars through dealership windows, etc.

I'd much rather discuss synthetic oil, tires, hello kitty, strut tower bars, southerners, spark plugs, crab dip, 1.8L vs. 2.0L, Meade vs. Paul, Target vs. Wal-Mart, disc vs. drum, auto vs. manual, wiper blades, auto-X, what Dale ate for dinner, how to run over a Rally Monkey, etc.

mdaffron

"Dome lights and how their switches work"

and

"Fun things to leave open in car washes"



Have a good weekend; time to zoom home!

Meade