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Mazda Protege5

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    mikeh0ggmikeh0gg Member Posts: 3
    I've had my 5sp p5 for a few months now, but I am new to manual transmissions, so I need some help.

    If I am in 1st or 2nd gear moving <20~30mph, and I take my foot off the accelerator, the car jerks forward (as if braking). Then if I reapply the accelerator, the car jerks back. Sometimes it feels like fuel is "sputtering" in and the car bucks.

    If I use the clutch a little the ride is smooth. Is this normal? It is annoying in traffic and parking lots.
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    mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Is this kind of insurance worth getting? I am planning on buying my car, and I have never had a car stolen/totaled, so I never had to deal with the insurance company on this. Is the a place to get it besides the dealer? Any info will help tnks...
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    revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    I think that's a question that might be more appropriate for our Finance, Warranty and Insurance board, but here's my 2 cents. Your minimum insurance requirements are going to be set by the particular State you live in... as well as the financial institution that you borrow/lease from.

    In addition, there are many people (like myself) that feel more comfortable with additional coverages. Of course I happen to live in Florida which does not require much coverage to begin with. As for how much additional insurance to get, above and beyond what's required, that's really a personal decision depending on one's own comfort level.

    To help you decide, here are a couple good articles from Edmunds: How Much Auto Insurance Do You Really Need? and How to Shop For Insurance. In addition, read the second part of this Edmunds' article: Little-Known but Important Insurance Issues, for information about Gap insurance. You may also want to check out some of the discussions on FWI board for additional opinions. Hope this is helpful. ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
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    SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    There is a whole thread on that subject at the ProtegeClub.


    http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=790&highlight=lurch


    General concensus is that it is "normal" due to the 2.0's torque curve and low gearing. I find that going to a higher gear smooths things out.

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    tistevetisteve Member Posts: 142
    Gap insurance is usually sold with leases. It pays the difference if say you total the car one week after you leased. The car is now only worth say $14,000 but you still owe $18,000 on it. The gap insurance will pay the difference between the $14,000 your regular insurance would pay and the $18,000 you owe.
    I guess the same principle could apply to buying a car, but I've only seen it offered with leases.
    As with any insurance, it's a gamble. Will you use it, hopefully not, but if you do need it, you'll be glad you have it.
    I have purchased it on my last two leases, but on my wifes recent lease, we decided to skip it and cross our fingers, as we haven't needed on the other vehicles.
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    elec3elec3 Member Posts: 160
    Is one of those things they always try to push because it's an easy moneymaker. As with any insurance, it's one of those things that you pay for but will likely not use and would be happier not using.

    It's really a gamble. What are the odds that your new car will be stolen or totaled? I don't know and neither does anybody else. Probably not very high, but if it happens, you'd rather have the insurance. They tried to sell it to me when I bought my Pro5 in June and I politely refused. I figured it wasn't worth the extra money. Some people would rather just pay and have the peace of mind that they're protected from this sort of thing. In this case it really is insurance - and comes down to personal preference, how lucky do you feel?

    BTW: Anybody else think extended warranties for cars and other expensive goods are funny? The salesperson has just spent somewhere between 30 minutes and several days telling you how the thing you are buying is super-cool, just the very best, with awesome customer satisfaction, good support and service, and tons of features. Oh, and now that you've agreed to buy it, you should know that it's going to break. Often. And be expensive to fix or replace. So you'll probably need this extended warranty. Maybe it wasn't so great in the first place :)
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    "BTW: Anybody else think extended warranties for cars and other expensive goods are funny?"

    Reminds me of a refrigerator I bought at Best Buy. The SOB was very persistent about selling me a warranty I flat out refused. The guy literally told me it was going to break and I'd be sorry that I didn't buy his warranty. I think if he had asked me a 10th time to buy the warranty, I would have hit him just to stop his jaw from moving.
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    In the refrigerator case, I would have told the salesman, "Fine, if you have that little faith in your product, I'm going to go elsewhere and buy something else." Bet he would've regretted his pushy tactics then! Hey...I think I'm gonna try this next time this happens...hehehe!
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    p5hikneep5hiknee Member Posts: 10
    When I just bought my PR5 I politely listened to the fellow pitch the various extended warranties ... took one look at the price (I'd rather stick it in the bank and use it for repairs if needed 3 years from now) and passed with a smile ...

    His smile back at me looked like "yea, I know, but it's my job..."
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Warranty: The extended warranty is pretty useless unless you drive a LOT, since Mazda's standard warranty lasts for 50,000 miles or 3 years. Even then, you can get a cheaper one from the internet.

    Gap insurance: This also is good if your car is going to lose value quickly. When I got my new car, I got the gap insurance for $450, so I got it. I drive like 20K+ a year, so the car loses value quickly for me. If I would wreck the car or something, then it would be paid off totally. That gives me enough peace of mind that I decided to get the gap insurance.
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    p5hikneep5hiknee Member Posts: 10
    I got an extended warranty on my '85 Mustang GT but it wasn't from Ford...

    ...it took me over a YEAR to collect on the ONE claim I made... after multiple DOZENS of phone calls... I had actually given up on ever seeing the $.

    I am unlikely to buy a manufacturers extended warranty since they are building them so good now and you could do better just banking the cash for repairs ...

    I WOULD NEVER, EVER get another extended warranty from a non well known company that has no real incentive in making sure you are satisfied with your claim experience.
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    vriesvries Member Posts: 10
    Does anybody have any experience with changing the audio system in the 2002 Pro 5?
    I will be changing my speakers next week to 6X9's (easy install according to Crutchfield) in the front doors and 6 1/2's( Slight modificatons) in the back doors. (Polk Audio).
    Hopefully, this will give me better sound. I would have bought a new CD receiver with XM Satelite Radio already but there is no kit for the Pro5 and it requires some modification.
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    jgetzjgetz Member Posts: 4
    Cascade Mazda in Cuyahoga Falls, OH has a yellow w/no options. I just bought a black one using the S-Plan. They said the yellow wasn't eligible...they want MSRP for it. The car's starting to get hot in this area.

    Funny story the Salesman told me. He said another Mazda dealer in the area received one of the yellow MP3s (I think he said only 300 were made). They want $5000 over MSRP for it!
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    mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Please read this thread on the Protege Owners Club forum. I posted it, please tell me what is right/wrong about riding a manual tranny.

    http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=10700#post10700
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    mustang87mustang87 Member Posts: 129
    "Funny story the Salesman told me. He said another Mazda dealer in the area received one of the yellow MP3s (I think he said only 300 were made). They want $5000 over MSRP for it!"

    I think mazda made 320 of them. Something about that yellow, i guess like somebody said they can paint 4 cars in that amount of time. Does anybody know: are they stopping making yellow p5's or just putting them on hold?

    The radio wiring harness is available or should be in january. It will only be like 12 bucks. Read some of the other p5 forums on yahoo groups and clubs. There is a lot more info then you can find here.

    Abou the ride: On saturday I took my dad's 94 spirit out for a ride. Its a v6 roomy family car. The ride was very soft and the car floated over the bumps unlike the p5. I was like oh, this is really nice and smooth. When i got home i washed my 5, installed the magnetic hood bra (still needs adjusting, it does stay on tight at 80mph though) and drive to our club meet (15 mp5/mp3).
    When i got inside the car, i didn't wanna get out. All i could think is that my dad's car has nothing on the p5. The ride is tight, suspension is tight, steering is tight, seat is firm. I did not want to get out. The car litterally felt glued to the road. Sweet. Btw, if the road in michigan are bad, yes the p5 will have a harsh ride. Like i said i like a tight ride but even here in florida the ride some roads is almost too hard. However i would not trade it for that '94 spirit.
    I don't know if p5 is such a hot seller. Here in south florida i see more classic '60 mustangs than p5. Honestly. And all dealers have at least 15-20 of them. Fairbanks had yellow. Don't go to Eddi Accardi. THey put their stupid plates on the front thus making holes and making it ugly.
    Sorry if this is long everybody but i haven't posted in a while.
    Also as you might have heard, there is a plan for a national mp5/mp3 meet underway. Please email mazda and call 1-800-222-550 (i believe) and tell them you want this thing to happen. Visit www.mazdamp3.com and register your car (mp5/mp3)with them so other owners in your area can find you.
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    mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    My sister-in-law (21 years old) told me that when im coming up to a stop light or stop sign, to put the car in neutral and use the brake to come to a stop. Then when you are ready to go, you put the car into 1st gear, and take off.

    But then my uncle (about 48 years old) tells me when im coming to a stop, to put the car into 2nd gear, then pull up on the clutch, and the engine slows the car down, then push in again and use the break to come to a complete stop. Keep the clutch in at SECOND gear, and when im ready to go, REV up to 15 to 20k then gradually release the clutch to go.

    Questions:
    My sister in law has a fairly new mitshibishi eclispe, but my uncle hasnt driven stick since his daughter had a 70's Bug. Are older cars better at his method and newer cars better at her method?

    Also, my uncle said that you NEVER want to use neutral unless you are just at a complete stop for a long time talking to someone or what not. Since if you are at a stop sign/light and you put the car into neutral, someone can hit you from behind and you are going to go into whatevers in front of you (if you panic and release the brake). He also said that this will allow the gears to keep you from going forward, and not the break.

    As for the stopping at stop signs/lights, he said the reason you put the car into second gear is so that you will release the clutch a little, which would slow the car down, then use the break to stop complety. He told me that this will put less wear on my breaks. BUT, will this mess up the gears in the long run??

    One last thing, is it ok to take off in SECOND all of the time? I know that it is better to take off in first if you are at a slant, but I find it easier to take off in second at a stop sign/light.

    Im confused, very confused, BUT I love my car, even though I dont completely know how to use it yet

    So, if anyone can answer these questions above, I might have a better understanding. Of course I want my car to last the longest it can, so which method is the best?
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    tistevetisteve Member Posts: 142
    Your Uncle is referring to downshifting. Using the engine as a "brake".
    Both of the methods above are fine for driving a stick. I do little of both.
    Downshifting does save some on your brakes, but at the expense of the clutch. Generally clutches are more expensive to replace than brakes.
    Try a combination of gently downshifting and braking at the same time. I like to downshift some because it puts you in the right gear to accelerate again if you need to.
    Try not to start out in second unless you're just making a rolling stop. If you feel the engine lugging when you start off, you're in too high a gear.
    I leave mine in neutral when stopped for more than a few seconds, like at a red light. Keep your foot on the brake however in case you do get rear ended. But leaving the car in gear (with the clutch pushed down) is just tiring on your leg and if you forget you're in gear and let go of the clutch, you will jump forward and possibly hit the car stopped in front of you. When you think the light is going to turn green, put the clutch in and select first gear so you're ready to take off.
    Lastly, downshifting is not neccesary, but comes in handy when driving in corners and curves. It doesn't hurt anything, but can add to clutch wear. Just don't downshift so hard that the engine screams way up, that's too much work on the clutch and engine.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Buy your uncle a driving school certificate for the holidays! :-) Sounds like a nice guy who is trying to help, but he's doing more harm than good.

    Engine braking is OK when you go downhill for an extended period, to keep the brakes from overheating, but generally it's not necessary and will only wear your clutch more.

    If you are slowing for a turn, OK, use 2nd, but if you are coming to a complete stop, brake pads cost a lot less than a new clutch. So shift to a lower gear only if you expect to keep moving.

    From a complete stop, you should use 1st gear. 2nd is OK if you are rolling forward, but keep in mind your clutch will work much harder with 2nd gear starts.

    Here are some rules-of-thumb that helped me when I learned to drive stick:

    1st for standing starts
    2nd for rolling starts and 90 degree turns
    3rd for highway on and off ramps

    There are exceptions but generally you'll be in the right gear almost all the time. Pretty soon it'll become 2nd nature and you'll not even think about shifting.

    -juice
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    p5hikneep5hiknee Member Posts: 10
    I basically agree with Juice and would add:

    When coming to a known stop like a red light or stop sign, keep it in whatever gear you were just driving in until it gets down to about 2000 rpm then put in the clutch (saves the brakes without wearing the clutch).

    I usually put it in 1st just before it comes to a complete stop and sit with the clutch in... this helps avoid those times when it gets hard to put it in first from a standstill while the guy behind you is honking to get going (usually only when the clutch gets older).

    For cornering or other times when you need to slow down just before accelerating again, trying heel-and-toe and/or double clutching ... the PR5 pedals are nicely setup for this! Sorry, I don't have the space to describe this put you could probably find some "How to" somewhere on the web.

    Jeff
    <><

    PS: I've put over 350,000 miles on 3 previous cars with a manual with only 1 clutch replacement and that was for a popped spring on my '85 Mustang GT...
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Heel-and-toeing and double-clutching are fun and useful, but for the newbie I would recommend just getting used to blipping the throttle to match revs when you down shift. It saves on clutch wear and generally makes you drive more smoothly.

    -juice
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    p5hikneep5hiknee Member Posts: 10
    You're right, for the newbie Keep It Simple... it's still a lot of fun!
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    beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    Nice interior, nice exterior. Just felt right sitting behind the wheel. Handled well for a car off the showroom floor. Needs another 50HP to match the looks and handling however.

    Still, great little car for the price. Would certainly be on my shopping list last time around if I wasn't looking for a RWD/AWD vehicle.

    -B

    PS Vocus, traded the Mazda in already eh? What motor is in the Jetta?
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    vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The best motor in the Jetta lineup, IMO. The 1.8T. :)
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    buoyantbuoyant Member Posts: 128
    I would advise against driving a VW with the 1.8T unless you REALLY want to spend more money.

    I just made the mistake this weekend of test driving a new Jetta GLS wagon with a 5 spd and the 1.8 turbo and suddenly adding another $100 to my monthly payment started to make sense.

    Those babies are addictive, I tell ya.

    Driving the Pro 5 and any turbo VW back-to-back will make the Mazda feel like a junkbox (which it certainly is most not). The VW turbo is just that sweet: it is ultra-smooth and has more pick-up than the average Camaro. It revs so quietly, it's easy to close in on 90mph without even noticing (not a good deal for those of us with a few speeding tickets still on the books).

    I don't know how I ever started looking at Elantras and worked my way into the VW dealership...I guess I just kept saying, "but for only another $1,500, I could buy so much more car."

    My two biggest negatives on the Pro 5: the low speaker quality and poor placement (the rears are in the BOTTOM?!?! of the rear door panels) work in harmony to produce horrible, $20 boombox-type sound replication and the dash lighting is that faddish red/pumpkin color (what ever happened to the easy-on-the-eyes blues and greens of yore?). Other than those gripes, it's a nice little package for $16K. Because of the wagon utility, it's at the top of my list.

    If I do go with the Pro 5 though (crunch time for me now, I need a new car within 2 weeks for a long-distance move), I'm replacing the factory speakers the same day. The head unit with the add-on cassette would work fine for me, but coming from a Chrysler product, I just couldn't handle the sound out of those Lucky Goldstar Protege speakers.
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    mp5freakmp5freak Member Posts: 51
    I've already replaced my speakers in my Pro5 - but what I found is that the head unit is the bigger problem! The new Infinity Kappas that I put in there sound crisper than the low end stock Pioneers, but the head unit can't provide anywhere near enough power! No matter to me - I was going to replace the head unit anyway. But then I found out that the car is so new that the installation kits and wiring harnesses aren't even on the market yet! So now I'm waiting for them to arrive, hopefully in January.

    Other than that, I love this car so far....
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    douglamdouglam Member Posts: 67
    i'm glad that it's proven by mp5freak that the head unit IS the weakest link. I was so tempted to upgrade the speakers because the wire harness is not out yet.
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    onboost91onboost91 Member Posts: 86
    "The dash lighting is that faddish red/pumpkin color (what ever happened to the easy-on-the-eyes blues and greens of yore?)"

    I have heard conflicting claims but apparently Red dash lighting is the least tiring and distracting on the eyes. I actually thought I wouldn't like it, but I personally much prefer the red. BMW's and Audi's similarly have red dash lighting BTW, so it can't be that bad.
    -Finn
    P5 Silver
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Those VeeDubs are up to 180hp this year, too. Plus they are easy to chip. I'd still trust a Mazda more for reliability, and they cost less.

    -juice
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    protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Yes, dim red light is better for night vision because rhodopsin is not as sensitive to the red light as it is to white light (or other colours). White light will ruin your night vision for about 15 minutes, while red will have minimal effects. That's why astronomers and photographers use red light.

    I think a red dash would look fairly cool, but I also like the greenish-white that my LX has.

    PF
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    seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    red lights on the dash to be for bad news. Red lights to me should be reserved for warnings. Stands out well and "red for danger" has worked well in nature. Just my feeble two cents.
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    True, BMW uses red, but so does Pontiac. ;-)

    -juice
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    maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    be nice juice.

    I have a P5 for the day. Fun car but what's with the shifter? feels loose and sloppy. Has anyone seen a short shift kit for these things?
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sorry, couldn't resist. I don't like the red/orange gauges in the Altima, either. I prefer a soft green light. VW's purple is pretty wild, if gimmicky.

    -juice
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    buoyantbuoyant Member Posts: 128
    I had a 2001 Grand Prix as a co. car that used the orange/red lighting and it drove me nuts. I completely agree that the red is easier to see and night, but I find the contrast between the red and black (of night) so great to be distracting. I'm a lot more interested in seeing out of the windshield at night than I am constantly monitoring the gauges. I found myself dimming the dash lights on that car by about 50% so as to not drive myself berserk. I usually leave the lighting on at 100% of brightness when the gauges are blue or green. Not a huge deal admittedly, but a personal preference.

    Too the switchable blue/red dash lighting that Mitsubishi used to have on the Galant ten years ago didn't catch on. Then everyone would be happy.

    So the head unit stinks? This is not good news. I thought the controls seemed user friendly enough, but if it doesn't have enough juice to power upgraded aftermarket speakers, that IS a problem.

    Does anyone know how many watts that thing puts out? I hate the look of aftermarket head units (besides the fact they almost never have the user-friendly rotary volume and tuning knobs on them and are much more tempting targets to thieves than factory units).

    Perhaps going with a less expensive lower-powered aftermarket upgrade on the speakers won't require replacement of the head unit? The Kappas need a lot of juice, don't they?

    I'm thinking that if I go with low-end Pioneers I can improve the sound enough that it will be satisfactory (not the best, but better than the sound from the factory speakers) and the fact receiver should have enough power to crank them up to the point I can really hear Dean Martin croon. Am I being realistic?

    I recall replacing the front fact speakers in my 1991 Isuzu a few years back and they were nothing more than tin cans filled with polyester stuffing and topped with maraschino cherries. OK, maybe they weren't THAT bad, but they looked pretty close in terms of construction. Even throwing $49 speakers in the front made a HUGE difference in sound. I don't demand Bose-like replication, I just need better than paperclips in a blender.
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    toivotoivo Member Posts: 12
    1) Photographers use special reds (when working with B&W) because the materials aren't sensitive to them.
    2) I've read that as far as car lighting goes, the color doesn't matter. All the light on the road in front of you from your headlights alone kills your night-vision.
    3) The color is largely a matter of taste. I had a Pontiac Bonneville and really loved the macho red gauges wrapping around me. The new Acura RSX is way cool too, with deep blood-red instruments (and other design too, but that's beside the point.) All the greenish gauges I've seen I've hated. I've ridden in a VW New Bug and although the blue/red setup is pretty as anything, I had a hard time focusing on the blue. Reading the radio LCD at dark was completely impossible for me. The reds in the P5 are a little too orangeish for me, and I hate that they don't light the door switches, but otherwise I rather like it.
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    sunbyrnesunbyrne Member Posts: 210
    I dunno, I really think the speakers are the weakest link. Per dollar spent, upgrading speakers is generally the best way to upgrade almost any audio system. After all, the speakers are what actually produce the sound.

    The Kappas should really require extra power. If you go for a cheaper upgrade then the HU won't seem so awful; the Kappas, while very nice speakers, aren't a good match to the somewhat weak HU.

    Frankly, I rather like the HU in terms of appearance and ergonomics. I'll probably keep the stock HU and add a small amp when I upgrade the speakers. Now if I could just find the cash...
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    douglamdouglam Member Posts: 67
    Well, my opinion is that I can stand the low power and weak sound of the stock HU, but i can't stand the skipping. I play a lot of CDRs and all of them skip on the stock HU. I've verified the CDRs play perfectly in other CD players. So if i upgrade my speakers, I'll hear clearer skips too!!

    Or did any of you guys actually went back to the dealer and complained and got the stock HU changed? I know quite a lot of people experience skipping.

    The next thing is that the stock HU does not have preouts, so you'll have to get a converter to convert the speaker signals back to line out levels. So now the stock HU amplifies the signal and then you de-amplify it back so you can amplify it again to drive your speakers. Seems to me that's a lot of conversions going on and i'm sure the signals will be distorted somehow during conversion. kind of defeats the purpose of trying to get higher quality sound.

    That's why i'm going to change the HU first and get one that has RCA line out.

    Then again, that's just my thought :)
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    phoenixmp5phoenixmp5 Member Posts: 60
    Just out of curiosity, what color is the reading surface of the CDR's you're playing in the HU? Mine skipped with the darker surfaces. I'm using Memorex CDR's now and they haven't skipped any more than normal CD's (rarely if ever). Try recording your CD's on as light a colored CDR as you can find. I found the Memorex brand to look almost like store baught CD's. I've even run mine with stick-on labels without a hitch
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    mp5freakmp5freak Member Posts: 51
    Regarding my Kappa speakers: you are right - they do require more power than the average aftermarket speaker. They require 7RMS minimum I believe according to the specs. So the stock HU must put out at least 7RMS, but probably not much more. A decent aftermarket HU will put out 15-25RMS.

    Just a note buoyant: the stock speakers ARE low-end pioneers. So replacing them with low-end pioneers may not make much difference! Just don't buy your speakers at Walmart and you shouldn't have a problem getting at least a little better sound. But without a more powerful head unit, you wont get any more power. Personally, I would replace the HU before the speakers, as there just isn't enought power there to really push even an average set of aftermarket speakers into their prime. But as soon as you did that, you'd be begging for better speakers, so...

    If you really want to replace the speakers first, take a look at Crutchfield.com and make sure the set of speakers you are going to buy don't need a minimum of 7RMS or more - the lower the better with the stock HU.

    If you don't like the look of aftermarket HUs, then you could go with a small amp to push a nice set of speakers, but as douglam pointed out, that options isn't without its problems either.

    I haven't experience any skipping at all. I read in the forums somewhere that someone thought that only some cars were prone to this problem. Someone told me that the Canadian cars didn't suffer the same problem as some of the US cars. Doesn't sound right to me, but that's what someone told me.

    One closing note: I don't think the HU and speakers in this car are that bad. After driving the car and experiencing the car, my expectations have simply been raised to such a high new level that the speakers just don't seem to measure up. The car is first class for the money, and maybe the only thing that hasn't surpassed my expectations is the sound system. But I think the sound system is still on par with most other cars in this class...
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Pardon me for ignorance but what is RMS? Root-Mean-Square?

    IIRC, when associate speakers with a weak-amp, one have to look at the impedance and the sensitivity. The wattage rating of the speakers may be not that relevant, since it gives the maximum power that speakers can be subjected to before they break.

    Bruno
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    douglamdouglam Member Posts: 67
    Bruno is absolutely right. The impedance and sensitivity are the most important when matching speakers with amplifiers.

    A higher impedance speaker is easier to 'drive' than a low impedance one. So i would select a high impedance speaker (8ohms or more) for a weak amp like our stock HU.

    The sensitivity is pretty straight forward. A speaker that has higher sensitivity produces more sound with the same amount of power driving the speaker. So i would get some high sensitvity speakers (90 db or more).

    As for the wattage thing, it's the least significant in our case. It only applies when you are installing aftermarket amps. But still it's easier to damage a speaker by cranking the volume up on a weak amplifier than really overpowering the speaker with a strong amp.
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    mp5freakmp5freak Member Posts: 51
    Hmm - I only know what I've read, and I definately don't claim to be an expert. RMS, althogh I don't know the exact definition, is basically the real sustained wattage, rather than the inflated max wattage. I've seen many cheap computer speakers that claim that they have a 1000W subwoofer - funny thing is that they sound like crap.

    Anyway, as I understand it, what douglam said at the end about underpowering speakers is what I was talking about. The stock HU has a very weak built-in amp (low RMS output), therefore risking that you'd blow some high powered aftermarket speakers (with a high minimum RMS) if you cranked them. That's all I was really saying - your point about impedance and sensitvity are probably 100% correct - I just don't know!
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    buoyantbuoyant Member Posts: 128
    I was just going over one of the accessory brochures the salesgnome at my nearest Mazda dealer gave me after test-driving a Pro 5.

    Interestingly, included alongside sport exhaust and rear bumper skirt kits are drop-in Kenwood speaker replacements for the front and rear.

    Kenwood Front Speaker Kit:
    "Directly replace the stock speakers for an even bigger and more dramatic sound. Coaxial design."

    Kenwood Rear Speaker Kit:
    "6"X9" speakers directly replace the stock units for added volume and clarity. Triaxial design."

    It's worth mentioning that, from the photo, neither of these upgraded speaker pairs looks particularly high-end. This leads me to assume that the factory Pioneers are a pretty grim affair. It doesn't state the cost of the Kenwoods in the Mazda guide (I assume a 50-125% dealer mark-up over the same or comparable models at Crutchfield or Best Buy), but I gather from the photos that one can get a good deal better sound even with only a minor upgrade.

    Personally, I think it's a comparison issue. If the last car a person was driving was a '93 Grand Am with a factory system, he or she probably wouldn't have a problem with the sound of the factory system in the Pro 5. In fact, it probably wouldn't sound bad at all.

    But when I got back into my Chrysler to drive off the lot (say what you will about Chrysler products, but the company continues to produce the best factory sound systems bar-none), the difference was unreal. Even my half-deaf grandmother would've been able to notice it.

    As I'm having trouble deciding between 3 cars (the PT Cruiser, Pro 5 and Jetta wagon 1.8T), I'll be driving another Pro 5 tomorrow. I think I'll try to pull off the speaker grills to see what those bad boys are actually made of.
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    deejayspinzdeejayspinz Member Posts: 20
    Original quote at bottom:

    Impedance refers to amount of resistance (R). A higher impedance speaker is HARDER to drive than a low impedance one. Impedance refers to the resistance that a device offers to the flow of current Resistance = Voltage / Current (R = V/I)

    Part of a speaker's impedance rating has to do with the coil's resistance to being 'moved' by current flowing from an amp. With a low impedance coil, it can move more efficiently and does not 'resist' the current being passed to it as much. When you hear of AMPS that are capable down to 1 Ohm, that is because their driver circuits have been built to power speakers that can handle much more current (i. e. 1 or 2 Ohm Woofers etc) and do not offer as much resistance to the current flow. This is why it is also important to match an amplifier's abilities with the speaker. If you buy an amp that is only rated down to 4 Ohm and drive a sub that is rated at 1 Ohm, it will work, but that speaker will be allowing the current to flow much more freely and cause the amp to heat up fast if you crank the volume. If you drive that amp hard with a 1 Ohm load, you will fry it. If you have an amp that is capable down to 1 Ohm and power 4 Ohm speakers, no problem. It will handle it just fine. This is because the speakers offer more resistance to the current flow and keep the amp from allowing more juice to flow than they can handle. The amp does not overhead cause it is not being driven hard. This is why you hear of ratings like - "this amp is capable down to 1 Ohm" Meaning it can handle most any speaker, even ones that are rated at 1 Ohm. This is also why it is not wise to run home speakers (8 Ohm) in a car stereo system - they offer too much resistance. With a 4 Ohm amp driving them, you can fry the coil in the speaker as it would get hot fast (under high loads). This may sound like a contradiction, but it isn't. Again, this is why it is important to MATCH your amp abilities with your speakers. Most speakers are 4 Ohms, most amps are capable of 4 Ohms...

    Have a good Christmas all.

    Dave

    >>HU vs. speakers by douglam
    >>A higher impedance speaker is easier to 'drive' >>than a low impedance one. So i would select a >>high impedance speaker (8ohms or more) for a >>weak amp like our stock HU.
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    cappykcappyk Member Posts: 10
    Gentlemen,

    I changed my oil this past weekend, the first one for this new P5.

    I purchased the Mazda Oil Filter at the Dealership and it came with a little silver washer in the box. The trouble is, that when I removed the drain plug, I dropped the whole freaking operation into my oil pan. (That oil ready jumps out of there. Overshot my pan big time.) Anyhow, after finding the plug in the middle of the vat of spent oil, I noticed there was no original washer to be found.

    My question is, was there a washer on the oil drain plug before I dropped it? I think there should be one since there was a replacement included with filter, but I couldn't find any evidence of one on the car or in the used oil. Help!

    BTW, picked up an oil filter wrench at Pep-Boys that I fitted to the filter I purchased at the Dealer. (I felt very smart for thinking of buying the filter BEFORE heading to Pep-Boys.) Item # 0-53001-25600. Worked perfectly and was definitely needed. Works with your 3/8" ratchet.

    Thanks,

    Keeley
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    ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That washer really gets crushed if they over tighten, which is common. It may be really hard to find if it's still on the drain plug or even on the drain hole.

    -juice
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    mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Yes, put the washer on the drain plug.

    Wow, they include replacement washers now? That's nice. Too bad I ordered a dozen filters a while back; still working my way through them on my '99 Pro.
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    phoenixmp5phoenixmp5 Member Posts: 60
    Taking of the grills are more work than they look. Just shine a flashlight through the grill and the cheep dual cone paper speaker will reveal itself nicely. Hmmm I remember something about the speakers being lighter than the screw driver I used to take them out!!! That's cheap! You can also move the housing, if you lay the speaker down on its face and jiggle the magnet.

    Cheap, cheap, cheap!
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    bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Well, the issue is even more complex. The impedance of an electric system (in our case it's speakers and amp) may depend also on the frequency. For audio signal, the best human ears can hear frequencies from 20Hz-20kHz, that's pretty large range. Usually, one unique impedance number is not enough to characterize the whole spectrum. Driving a high impedance speaker, one can get more linear response at low power, but unable to delivery high power signal; and vice-versa. There is a little bit of true in both of your explanation. Depending on your priorities (listen to a clear delicated low-level music, or listen to a saturated hard rock at full volume) you have to adapt the speaker impedance not only to the amp but also to your music tast. Don't read only one book, and trust your own ears. :-)

    Bruno
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    mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    As said in my previous post, I am new at driving stick. Ive been getting much better, but I still have some questions.

    When shifting through gears, what is the best way to determine when to shift? 2,000 rpms? 3,000 rpms?

    Next, some people tell me that a general rule of thumb is that when you are going 43 mph , you should be in 4th gear. Is this true? I find that when im going 55mph and I have to slow down, I go into neutral, then when the car comes down to 44 mph, I put it in 4th gear, and the car jumps. Is this correct?

    Please bear with me, im a begginer stick driver.

    One last thing for the time being, is it better when taking off to give the car a little gas, say up to 1500 rpms, then release the clutch, or release the clutch slowly and when the car starts to accelerate, then give it the gas? Ive been playing around with both of these methods, and I feel that giving the car a little gas before releasing the clutch is easier, but if its NOT the right way to drive, please tell me.

    Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me...
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