Mazda Protegé

boggse

I have a 2001 Protege brochure at home. I'll take a look tonight to see if the LX 1.6L was supposed to have keyless entry.

theparallax

My 1999 LX 1.6 has keyless entry standard.

boggse

It is my recollection that the 2001 LX should have keyless entry, but I wanted to make sure that it wasn't one of the features they used to differentiate the 1.6L from the 2.0L in 2001.

theparallax

I correct myself....

I had the keyless entry as a $100 option on my LX.

boggse

It shows as optional on the 2001 LX in my brochure. It may have been packaged with the Sunroof/ABS/Side air-bags.

fowler3

had the keyless entry standard, it's on my '01 LX.
The "footwell area" the mechanic looked at, he may have been looking for the lamp. It's a red flashing LED mounted on the bottom of the dash to the left of the steering wheel. Not seeing the lamp he knew it didn't have it.

Paul: I didn't know your Jetta was in a wreck!! If I had I wouldn't have made that comment, I'm sorry.

fowler3

vocus

It was burned, it wasn't in a wreck. Happend May 23rd, and they just settled a week ago Monday. I bought the PT Wednesday because I work for DCX and got a great deal, mostly. The car is growing on me mile by mile though. It's nice to have space inside for rear passengers and cargo again...

boggse

You just reminded me of another reason I liked the Protege after owning a Jetta, the back seat was roomier and more comfortable in general.

boggse

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/announce/press/pressdisplay.cfm?ye- ar=2003&filename=pr31-03.html

Protege got 4 stars. Mazda6 and Miata each got 5.

tomciviletti

Realize that these ratings are projections from modeling, not from actual world testing. Besides wheelbase, track width, and center of gravity, suspension and steering behavior make a difference in rollover behavior. I doubt that modeling can capture the latter two very accurately.

boggse

For those of you with 2001-2003 Protege ES, there is a new tire available in the 195/50-16 size. It is the Kumho ECSTA 711:

http://www.kumhousa.com/Products/PtnDetails.asp?mainCatID=1&P- tnID=711&refAction=PtnDetail

Currently this is selling for $49 each at Tire Rack. Warning, this is a summer tire -- not all-season like the OEM Dunlops.

mdaffron

I keep getting a "Stack Overflow at Line 64" error message every time I come here this morning. You might want to pass along this info to your webmaster -- sorry, didn't know where else to send it where it would get a quick response! Feel free to delete it (not that you need my permission or anything)!

Meade

theparallax

Hit the big 60 last night...now for a new timing belt.

mazdafun

Let us know how the 60k service went.

mdaffron

The one in my 2000 is recommended for replacement at 105K.

Meade

mazdafun

MD, NY, CA and a couple others.

In most of the US, the interval is 60000 miles.

Not that I think it's more durable in those states, but I think it's related to regulations having gotten more stringent in some states.

Personally, I'd be concerned about a rubber timing belt lasting 105000 miles. Then again, the job typically costs $250-350, and you may as well get the accessory belts and water pump replaced then too, which will only add to the bill (mostly materials, much of the labor is already done for those parts just to access the timing belt).

Does the valve cover gasket get replaced during this operation?

mazdafun

And I have to say that the seats are really, really bad. I wanted to say something else (especially since my back still ached this morning), but my post would get deleted.

At least there's more room inside than in the previous one. Visibility from within one of these is reall poor too. No wonder they keep merging into other vehicles.

I was so happy to get back in my Protege. I'd taken it on the same trip several times before and my back and bottom never got tired in it. We just had to rent something larger this time as one of the passengers is 6'7".

marnwine

Had my oil changed today and was told my injectors needed cleaning. I didn't want to have them do it without checking into how easy it is or isn't to do it myself. Anybody have any good products they care to recommend?

My '99 ES should be hitting the big 50K this weekend during our annual mountain bike trip to Tsali, NC. So far, so good. Nothing but the usual maintenance stuff.

Kirstie_H

Don't forget tonight's member-to-member open chat!


http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html

6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Pop in for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!

kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

vocus

It's nice to be able to take passengers in the car with me and not have to move up the front seats and be uncomfortable. One thing I actually like the best is the fold-flat passenger seat, which makes a great 'rolling office' on the road.

boggse

"It's nice to be able to take passengers in the car with me and not have to move up the front seats and be uncomfortable. One thing I actually like the best is the fold-flat passenger seat, which makes a great 'rolling office' on the road."

The advantages of an SUV.

fowler3

I keep getting a "Socket not plugged in" error message! What is that anyhow? My socket, whatever that is, or Edmunds?

fowler3

mazdafun

Unless you notice fuel economy dropping or your engine getting rough, you can skip it, especially since practically all gasoline sold in the U.S. has some detergent in it to keep the fuel system clean (including the injectors).

Extra money for the service department.

You can buy more fuel injector cleaner and dump it in your fuel tank at any auto supply place yourself for just a few bucks, if you want.

notminehers

The Port of Tacoma on the way to work this morning......my Pro got very nervous at the sight of about 15 new RX-8's sitting there....wow, what a beautiful car!! By the way, my Proxes TPT's have been on for 2 months now and I love them....great handling and superb in the rain...kind of expensive but time will tell if they are worth it.
Greg

pat

were supposedly fixed around 5 or 6 EDT last night.

If anyone is still having problems, please go to the "Our Software" discussion on the News & Views board to report them.

eflat1

Took my '99 LX in 'cause it's been overdue for its timing belt change and it's been knocking so I wanted to try to get away with a minor tune-up... oh, yeah, and there's the check engine light that's been on for a few weeks as well...

The verdict is that I've 2 dead oxygen sensors (apparently there's one before and after the cat). Worse is that there are no aftermarket sources for these and one of them is like $400 (without labor)!! I can't remember what he said the other cost 'cause I went into shock at that point.

Anyone else run into this yet? I've done a bit of searching and I've only found things on the MAF sensor -- is that a different thing? I never got a letter from Mazda, maybe 'cause I bought this used, and I'm at 146k miles.

I'm still in shock...

boggse

That is not too bad to be honest. If it was a German car, it would cost $4000. I am a little surprised that there is no aftermarket source.

newcar31

"If it was a German car, it would cost $4000"

I heard if you want to know what something would cost on a European car compared to something else, just add another zero to the end of the price. Is that what you did? Lol....

vocus

Prices are alot higher for maintenance and repairs on a German car, and I found that most common shops (Sears, Pep Boys, etc.) won't work on them either, because they either don't have the proper training or the proper tools to do so.

boggse

That is exactly what I did. ;-)

demmicon

looking for a general idea of how protege drivers feel about them. i am looking at a '92 with 77k miles, seems to be in good shape and reasonably priced, but i would like to know this cars' reputation for reliability, average life span, problem areas etc... so if anyone has owned an older protege and can let me know what to expect, whether or not it's worth buying i would appreciate it... thanx

cwp2

Just bought a 96 LX for my daughter who turns 16 in a couple of weeks. This will be our 4th Mazda. This seems to be a good car, but I don't know much about the Protege. It has remote locks, security system, spoiler, CD, and gold emblems. Do the gold emblems mean it is a particular package? Also, the side body moulding is not black, it matches the gold paint. Does anyone know about this type of package. All the other Pro's I've seen didn't have all this stuff.

vocus

Sounds like you have an LX model. They come with power everything, CD, and body color moldings. The security system was probably added later, and the gold emblems are an aftermarket/dealer installed package.

One of my co-workers has a black 97 Protege with the gold emblems on it. She likes it alot, she's had it for about 3 months now and it's given no problems.

fowler3

They are a form of real gold. When you wax the car do NOT get wax on the gold! Wax turns the gold black and there is no way to clean it. This is probably why we see fewer cars and SUVs with the option.

fowler3

vocus

That, and the fact that they look hideous...

cwp2

Thanks for the info. We will be picking it up on Monday after it gets detailed, then its off for tinting. It should look pretty good by Tuesday.

protege_fan

That took me awhile, but I finally read all the posts to catch up. Sorry for my absence, but I've been busy as of late and can't post during the days anymore

Anyway, my Pro just hit 48000 km (30000 miles) and is doing great. I changed the spark plugs (btw, thanks for the help again Hank!) and the engine feels much better. I couldn't believe how corroded the old plugs looked.

Great to see so many "regulars" still kicking around, even though so have moved onto 6's (which I'm thinking about... ).

Anyway, just wanted to say "hi" to everybody, including some newcomers!

fowler3

Mixed metals don't look good on a car, it's even questionable as jewelry on people, though many do wear the combination.

fowler3

the_big_h

you're still alive and kicking Mike!

mdaffron

Me and ol' Zoomster drove 589 miles between Friday and Sunday! Friday alone was 391 miles! Zoomster (er, an '00 ES for those new to this forum) really enjoyed the MAJOR twisties -- some were hairpin switchbacks with "Maximum Safe Speed 10 MPH" signs! I did notice a little pinging on hard -- and I mean hard -- acceleration as I climbed some steep grades and passed less zoomworthy vehicles. At one point I had to come to a full stop right in the middle of an uphill switchback to get around a Ford F-250 and trailer combo whose radiator had succumbed to the stress.

Spent the weekend at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, where we (my dad, my two brothers and I) rode the restored logging railroad line to the summit of 4,800-foot Bald Knob, the second-highest peak in West Virginia. Our "little engine that could" was a pair of gear-driven Shay locomotives, the first of which was built in 1901. Really, really cool. (And it was cool up on Bald Knob, in the sixties at 2 p.m. on a summer afternoon when it was 92 back in Richmond!)

Sunday we drove the five miles from Cass to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, WV for a tour. It was cool to tour this place again since I was 12 (er, 26 years ago) the last time I did it.

Sunday afternoon, Zoomster and I turned east on U.S. 250 and sang, "Take me home, country roads!" (Apologies to the late Mr. Denver.)

All in all a great weekend!

Now, about that slight pinging -- I'm not going to worry about it until after I have my 60,000-mile service done (I'm at 59,940 miles now). If it's still there after new plugs and wires and all the other stuff, then I'll pursue it if it gets worse. After what I've just read, I'm awfully glad I've got that 100,000-mile warranty with a $50 deductible!

Meade

mdaffron

Where is everybody today? Too nice a day for zooming to be cooped up at the 'puter?

Meade

dinu01

a lot of traffic to the M6 and M3 boards...

I definitely post in those discussions more than here.

The PRO is doing great BTW

Dinu

mdaffron

But most of us still OWN Proteges! I'm gonna be true to the car I own!

Yes, my next car's gonna be a 3 hatch/wagon, and I lurk over there (there's a great post by a Canadian about features in the last few days over there), but I'm still zooming happily in my Protege, which by the way turned the big 60K this morning, and I plan to zoom with ear-to-ear grins -- and post here with the biggest grins that Pat will allow -- for at least a couple more years!

That's not a threat Pat!

Meade

dinu01

Did you see the big 60.000 this morning?

Dinu

mdaffron

Had it on Trip A! Suddenly remembered to look, and only got to see 60,002!!! ARGGHHHH!!!

Meade

sfrat

Why in the world has mazda got their site down for scheduled maintenance in the middle of the day!?

BTW, anyone know a wire I can tap into that gets continuous batter power behind the dash. I'm putting in a hands free kit and it requires an always on battery source. Otherwise I think I'm going to have to run something to one of the wires coming directly off the battery. Mazda would not fax me a wiring diagram and said instead I had to buy one for $50. For that, I could have paid someone to do this.

mdaffron

I ran a lead straight to the battery (fused, of course) and found a grommet to run it through on the firewall just above the passenger's left foot, about two inches above where the carpet ends. I will say it was a real chore getting through there; Mazda didn't leave us aftermarket afficianados much room to get our arms in there on either side! If you go this route, be prepared for some skinned knuckles!

Meade

nitrolady

I am currently in the throes of car-buying decision-making. One of the cars I am considering is the 03 Protege LX (gave my brother my 93 Protege DX a few years ago which is still running great!). I want ABS on my LX, and I asked the sales mgr. at the dealership if it comes with 4-wheel disc brakes when ABS is added (rather than the standard front disc/rear drum setup). He checked somewhere (put me on hold), came back and said w/ABS, there are still rear drum brakes and not discs.

I know the ES has 4-wheel discs as standard equipment, but I do prefer the LX.

Having drum brakes in the back sounds strange to me since other cars I have looked into go to 4-wheel disc brakes when you get ABS. Anybody have any info on this? If you have an LX w/ABS and discs in front/drums in back, does the car handle well when ABS kicks in (in snow, wet, etc)?

Thanks,
Nitrolady

newcar31

Can either of you guys help nitrolady out? Disks? Drums?

protege_fan

I have an '01 LX 2.0L w/ ABS that has front disks and rear drums. I'm up in Canada and my ABS has gone off lots in the winter. Brakes work great and still handles well. If you like the LX, I don't think it should be an issue...at least in my opinion.