Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

Mr_Shiftright

Could we please return to talking about the Protege and not each other's alleged character defects? I'd like to see this topic continue without further bickering.

Some suggestions:

1. Rather than post entire articles, either post a link, and if you don't have that, break up a long post into 2-3 posts for easier reading. If you are quoting someone else's words, make sure you have permission to do that.

2. If anyone is getting under your skin around here, e-mail the Host and we'll work it out behind the scenes. Arguments drive other visitors away, and then all you'll have is each other, which apparently has been the worst case scenario.

thank you

MrShiftright
Host
Maintenance & Repair Message Board

8iron

I tried posting this message the other day, but I guess it didn't work.
Just looking for some advice.
1. Picked up the ES with 2 miles on the ODO in Virginia and drove it to Florida. On arrival, found the passengers floor in front of the seat very wet. Local dealer says it could be the A/C drain???? Anyone have a similar occurance??
2. Virginia requires a front license plate. They put on a license plate holder and put the screws right through the front bumper cover. I found this out when I went to take it off (Fl does not req. the front plate. Now I have 2 holes that nobody wants to take responsibility for. Anyone have any suggestions for pluging up the holes??
Thanks boys!!

mazdafun

The drain hose from the AC chiller could be plugged, which then causes condensation to back into the passenger footwell. Easy enough to clear this. Usually compressed air will blow the debris out. I think one or two other folks had this happen to them and had it cleared up quickly.

Regarding the holes, plug fill them with body filler (might want to tape off the back side of the bumper), prime them and paint them. Get a good body shop to do this for you. You can also try it yourself. I'd go with several light coats of spray paint versus trying to cover this large an area with brushed-on touch-up paint.

Or you could leave the license plate holder and put in a decorative plaque instead of a license plate. I do think the front ends of cars look much better w/o the license plate holder, but the law's the law.

8iron

You're right about the A/C line being clogged....dealer removed carpet, dried it, blew out the line and replaced the carpet. Not exactly what I was expecting from a one week old car but I will overlook this one.
As far as the holes in the bumper cover...I was hoping to find some type of small plugs that I could paint with touch up paint, since it looks like I've got to pay for it. The two holes are only about 1/4" so hopefully it won't show too much.

maltb

What can happen is that the grommet that seals the drain spout comes off or is misaligned so the condensation drips back inside the car. Usually they can just pop it back in place, but it's something that Proteges have had for 7 years now.

protege_fan

I've seen a yellow P5 that the guy has plugged the holes up. Where he bought the car, the Province required front plates. But the Province he brought it back to doesn't so he got something to plug the holes and it looks decent. I'm not sure what it is, but I'll can ask and see.

kaiserhead

I found the same problem when I removed my Ontario plates and slaped on the single Florida "tag" on the rear. Who ever screwed on the front license plate holder managed to chip the paint around the holes making it much more difficult than just a "patch and paint" task. For a while I left the single Ontario plate on, then switched it with a nice Canada flag!!!

mdaffron

You had to chip in $100 and a VIOLA???

How does it sound?

(I think you meant "voila.")

;-)

Meade

mazdafun

Go to your local auto parts store and look for a button-head or flat-head one-way plastic push-in fasteners (like those used to hold interior trim parts) and paint them.

If you get bigger ones, it'll look like you installed those sonar/radar sensors (for those parking-assist systems) like the more "upscale" luxury vehicles have.

protegextwo

Or you can smack a deer head-on at 65 mph and get a new nose for your Protégé. My insurance company asked me to chip in a $100 (they paid the other $2,200) and no more holes, left from the Mazda Dealer's promo plate!

-Love train

Meade, thax for the suggestions, :-)

mdaffron

You coming to MAPP IV?

Meade

cpo

I'd read in another thread here that Proteges are pure Mazda, unlike the 626, which is more Ford (yikes!) and the Pro is assembled in Japan, the 626 in U.S. Anyone know if there is truth to this?

protege_fan

True.

Made in Hiroshima Japan. 96-98% Japanese content.

dinu01

jeffy729

I've read that the next generation Protege (2004)will share the new Ford Focus platform. :-( Hopefully it'll still be made in Japan with a Mazda engine. Yet another reason to get an 02 or 03 while you can!

cpo

Thanks for the info, Jeffy & Protoge_fan... Guess I'd better hurry if I want to buy. Would sooner buy rollerskates than a Ford Focus!

mazdafun

It will share chassis and engines with the Focus.

I think the Mazda version will be built in Japan, same plant as the current Protege, but I think it will be called Mazda3 (I prefer Protege).

I think the chassis design will be from Ford. The engine choices include Mazda's new 2.3L engine (the base engine in the NA Mazda6).

We'll see. The spy shot I saw of the new platform looked kind of chunky with styling more in line with the Focus than the Protege.

Still, the current Protege is a proven package, and not a bad one at that (except the Focus is better suited for pothole-ridden roads, unless one of its wheel bearings fails, sending you out of control while your steering wheel breaks off due to a faulty nut and then the air bag catches fire...just before the engine does).

okmom

We are looking the used car for our teenager.
It has 27K miles w/ AC and auto.
It has the color that we cannot describe.(we call it "senior color")
They are asking $10,500.
Do you think it's a good price?
Any known problem w/ this model?

Our next choice is '99 Mazda 626 LX V6.
It has 56k miles.(but comes w/ one year warranty from Enterprise rental.)
Price is $8500.

Thanks.

the_big_h

check the TMV here on Edmunds.com. I highly doubt an automatic 2000 LX should worth more than 10,000, 9k something should be a more reasonalbe range.

I have yet heard any major problems related to the 2000 LX models.

good luck with your search

mazdafun

The depreciation hit!

I have a 99LX with 28k miles, AC and AT.

Oh well, I intend to drive it until it falls apart, which won't be for a long while if my 89 323LX with 138k miles is any indication. I'm going to have to sell that one before I get my mid-life-crisis car (RX8, if I fit...if not, then a Mazdaspeed 6 hatch, if they bring that over). Or I'll get a motorcycle. Shouldn't be an issue with headroom with one of those.

wonkie

Hi,

I have a 2001 Protege ES. Recently I've noticed a strange problem: Whenever I switch the vents to blow on the front windshield, the a/c turns on!

The green a/c light doesn't come on but it's obvious that it is actually on (cold air blowing out in the middle of summer :P)

Any ideas what could cause this? Is this something that I might be able to fix myself or am I gonna have to take it in to have it looked at?
Thanks,

-W

dinu01

It's NORMAL. No need to visit your dealer.

The A/C turns on whenever you select:

Windshield
Front vents/Feet
Feet Only

I know, I hate it too, but most new cars have this "feature". If your windshield fogs in the winter, turn the heat on and the A/C and heat will work together to eliminate it. In the summer, set the heat to point right or right/up towards 9AM-11AM if it was a watch and it should dissapear.

Visit us on the main PRO sedans board.

Dinu

the_big_h

"it's not a problem, it's a feature!!!" :-D

mazdafun

For use by idiots.

I prefer to decide for myself whether to use the AC when running the air through the windshield vent. Sometimes I just want fresh air to come through these vents instead of the ones in the dash.

Too bad this Fordism is creeping into Mazdas.

altair4

Oh, no! I HATE it when you can't control the A/C independently of the air flow selection. If this comment is true:

The A/C turns on whenever you select:

Windshield
Front vents/Feet
Feet Only

it's stupid. I can almost (I said, "almost") see it for the windshield vents, but not for the others. Another corruption by Ford of the Mazda way of doing things, I fear.

the_big_h

for those wet and cold days when you need to dry off your feet quickly. I don't think it's THAT big of a deal...

and I think we've covered it before, the A/C doesn't kick in until the air temperature is above 45F or something, so in the cold winter the A/C WON'T turn on automatically when you set the vents in any mode.

gandalf17

I cannot believe how incredibly stupid you are. I mean rock-hard stupid. Dehydrated-rock-hard stupid. World-class, A-1, top of the heap, triple whopper with cheese, supersized stupid. So stupid that it goes way beyond the stupid we know, into a whole different dimension of stupid. One-of-a-kind, global, universal, intergalactic stupid. You are trans-stupid, stupid. Meta-stupid. Stupid collapsed on itself so far that even the neutrons have collapsed. Stupid so dense that no intellect can escape the stupidity. Singularly, extraordinarily, incredibly, bewilderingly stupid.
Blazing hot mid-day sun on Mercury stupid. You emit more stupid in one second than our entire galaxy emits in a year. Quasar stupid. Your life is a monument to stupidity. I am breathless that anyone or anything in our universe can really be this stupid. You are a primordial fragment from the original big bang of stupid. Some pure essence of a stupid so uncontaminated by anything else as to be beyond the laws of stupidity that
we know. A behemoth, a leviathan, a simple colossus of stupidity…..Shall I go on?

gregmc3

having a problem with my '99 Pro. When I first start the car and put it in "D", there is about a 3 second delay before the transmission engages. It only does this during the first start of the day or after the car has been parked for a few hours and cooled off. It goes into "R" fine with no delay. It isn't low on fluid. I also notice that the rpms are a little high during the cold start up, around 2500. The trans has had the fluid and filter change regularly and it shifts perfectly but it has been about 20K miles since the last change. Car has 108,000 miles. Any suggestions where to look to correct the problem. Thanks.

Also, I'm having problems finding parts other at the dealer. I need to replace the struts and would like to replace the plug wires and rear brake pads but Auto Zone, NAPA, don't seem to have what i need. All I get is, "not available". Suggestions, please.

dinu01

It does idle at about 2000-2500 RPMs on a cold start or me too if the outside temp is below 15C (mid 40s F???), so that's "normal". It is also "normal" to hear a pinging/knocking sound after the engine is started cold and the outside temp is below 15C.

As far as parts go, only Mazda has them. It is a new model, and as we know, PROs don't sell as well as Civics, so no point for most chains to stock them.

Dinu

boggse

You could try getting what you need from these places:

http://www.mazdastuff.com/

http://www.mazdaformance.com/

http://www.mazdadiscountparts.com/

altair4

>>for those wet and cold days when you need to dry off your feet quickly. I don't think it's THAT big of a deal...

and I think we've covered it before, the A/C doesn't kick in until the air temperature is above 45F or something, so in the cold winter the A/C WON'T turn on automatically when you set the vents in any mode. <<

No, it's not that big a deal, other than not having complete control over the performance of the system. It underscores the American system that people are too stupid to actually turn the A/C on for themselves. It's that whole "we know better than the consumer" thing. I rent a lot of different cars due to my work and every time I get in a vehicle with this set up, I cringe.

What next? Radios that won't go too loud? You might hurt your ears. Windows that won't open when the car is moving? You might get a bug in the car.

Anything that does away with my personal freedom and control of my immediate environment gets a big "thumbs down" from me. YMM, of course, V.

jolouzooms

I am heartbroken about my baby. I bought gas on sale from the same place I've always purchased gas. Apparently...when fuel is on sale, it is NOT because the store is being generous...it's because the tanks are almost empty... I only put about 5 bucks in her cause the pump kept shutting off like it does when there's air in it..didn't think much of it. Immediately after, she started hesitating and bucking. She was sick. I was so mad. Someone told me to finish filling the tank with good fuel cause that would dilute the bad gas. So I did. Then my husband put in some Heet water evaporator stuff. He also put in some of the Fuel Cleaner stuff. She seems worse now. Now, when I am at a stoplight, idling..she shudders and pings. She wants the bad gas out of her. Is she gonna do this until all the bad gas is gone? How long does it take for the water to evaporate? Doesn't it just evaporate with the rest of the fuel? I know NOW that I shouldn't have put more fuel in her...that was a bad move. Is driving her in this condition going to cause any damage to her? Should I just get on the highway and drive about 100 miles and use up the gas in one fell swoop?

Please help!

Thanks!

dsm6

How much is left? I'd be tempted to siphon the rest off. If it's alot, then you'd run into the problem of where to put it all. If you let it sit long enough for the water to settle to the bottom (like in the gas station's tank), maybe you can get alot of it by trying to siphon off just the bottom layer. It might be hard to tell, though, how much of the water you're getting out, and whether or not you're siphoning from the bottom. Maybe if you did this repeatedly?

You'd also have to find some way of disposing of the water/gas mix you siphoned off. Donate it to your neighbor for use in his/her lawn mower!

Best of luck finding a solution. Let us know if you find something that works.

jolouzooms

Thanks for sympathizing dsm6. Has this ever happened to you? It's awful! Anyway...There is 3/4 of a tank left cause I filled the tank with good gas upon recommendation. I thought about letting my husband siphon it...but isn't that an awful lot to siphon? (How to dispose of it wouldn't be a problem...I WOULD JUST PUT IT IN MILK JUGS AND DROP IT OFF AT THE CHEAPO GAS STATION THAT I GOT THE WATERED DOWN GAS FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!) My main concern is damage to the car. She really shudders and I swear she has started groaning. Should I just not panic or should I take her in and have her drained and have the fuel filter replaced, etc?

dsm6

Fortunately, I've never had this happen - at least not as bad as your case. 3/4 tank is around 11 gallons. That's an awful lot to siphon. Letting it settle and siphoning the water layer might work. I don't know, having never done it.

That's a tough one to call. I can see how, if the gas really has alot of water in it, it might damage the engine from rough running, pinging, running lean, etc. I'm no mechanic, though.

I know, call the Car Talk guys this weekend and ask them. (Or, in lieu of the Car Talk guys, a trusted mechanic who will give some honest, free advice.)

jolouzooms

Ok...husband has decided to replace the fuel filter. I think he is going to siphon some of the fuel out first and then drive it til it's almost empty. Question: DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE FUEL FILTER IS LOCATED FOR A 1997 PROTEGE'? WE don't own a chilton's manual or anything and the regular owners manual doesn't say where it is. We found a reference online for a 1991 model that says it's located behind the engine on dashboard wall, beside master cylinder. Could this be true for the 1997 as well? Does anyone know? Thanks!!!

fritz1224

On my 2k pro it's attached to the fuel pump which is in the gas tank. Don't know about the 97, but if it's in the tank make sure hubby disconnects the battery before proceeding.

windowphobe6

If the descendants of Mr Chilton are to be believed, it's below and slightly in front of the brake master cylinder, and access to it is usually blocked by something.

Fuel systems in cars with injection are always under pressure, so you'll have to relieve the pressure before you pull the filter. On the Protegé, this means removing the rear seat cushion (!), starting the engine, and disconnecting the electrical connector for the fuel pump. This, of course, will cause the engine to stall, which is what you want. And then, yes, pull the negative battery cable.

mazdafun

Sorry about your car.

It's a good thing you're draining it. Water being denser than gasoline, it will collect at the bottom of the tank, which is where your fuel pump and filter are. Better to toss the fuel (or use it in something less sensitive, like a lawn mower) than ruin your engine. Those water binders only work if you have a little bit of water.

I think there may be a second paper fuel filter in the engine bay for your model year (check with the service manual). I've been told this paper filter was eliminated in '99 and later models.

fritz1224

I'd pull the positive one just to be on the safe side.

alcan

......unless you want to risk getting a faceful of sulphuric acid and bits of battery.

NEVER remove the positive battery cable with the negative still connected on any negative ground vehicle. The negative is always first to be disconnected, last to be reconnected. Basic workshop safety. A wrench on the positive terminal can contact bare metal objects nearby, causing a dead short across the battery.

irishalchemist

Hi,

I usually post on the 626 board, but just bought a 96 Protege DX 5spd the other day as a second car (I know I'm a Mazda masochist). Beleive it or not, the 1.5 L, 2,600 lb Protege has better pickup and acceleration than the 2.0 L, 3,600 lb 626...
In any case, the car has only 53K miles, I paid only 3,800 for it, and it's in pretty decent shape. It only has some maintenance that will need to be done, like breakes and tires.

One thing I noticed the other night was that the instrument panel lights are dead. I looked for fuses, but the other lights that share fuses with the instrument panel lights, to the best of my knowledge, are working fine. I could not find good electrical diagrams for the car, and I know that taking the instrument panel is a royal pain. Anyone had experience with this?

Thanks in advance,

Guillermo

mazdafun

Usually, you can get at the IP without taking apart the entire dash.

For an idea of what it might be like (I have a '99 ProLX and an '89 323LX, both of which are assembled similarly in the IP area...your 96 might be the same), go here:

http://www.protegenetwork.org/

Click on the "Technical" button. It's on getting to the IP so you can paint the panel that sits on top of your displays, but you get to see how to get to the display module. Might just be a loose connection if ALL the IP lights are out.

irishalchemist

Mazdafun, thanks for the fast reply and the link to your site. I'll take a look around my DX and see if it looks similar.

Also, my previous post was misleading. I meant the light that goes on when you turn your parking or head lights on, i.e., the ones that allow you to see what speed you are doing at night... All other IP lights (Air-Bag light, check engine, Brake, seat belt, etc., etc.) work fine...

Guillermo

ashutoshsm

Although, have you tried adjusting the dimmer rheostat in the middle of your dash (center console) - it controls the brightness of the light/s you speak of.

Its almost definitely the bulb, though, because in my 95 DX, even at the dimmest setting, I can still see the light on. If you have a Chilton's manual (for your car), that will not only tell you how to get to the bulb in the easist way possible, but also what bulb replacement you need. Not sure if the Mazda owner's manual will have the bulb specs - never read mine in that much detail!

maltb

The IP has multiple bulbs ruling out the burnt bulb theory and if it were a blown fuse there would be other things that didn't work. I think Ashu has it right that it's a prob with the dimmer; either not adjusted properly or the rheostat is an open circuit.

altair4

Haven't had this problem, but I seem to recall that some cars have a printed circuit that can go bad on the back of the instrument panel. The other things work, but the lights don't.

I dunno, you got a lot things to look at here. I'd start with a volt meter and look to see what's gettin' juice and what ain't.

campbell580

I have a 93 Protege. The alternator belt broke and I replaced it. The next day I heard a chirping sound and it broke again. I removed the alternator and had the pulley checked and it was okay. The guy at the auto parts store told me I might need a new water pump. The car has 140,000 miles on it so I figured it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and replace it, so I did. The car did okay for about a week then it started making that chirping noise again and yeah the belt broke again. There is a third pulley on that belt and I need to know exactly what that pulley is( a tension pulley? ) ( pulley idler? ) and /or where do I get another
one? Can I fix the one thats on the car?

maltb

I'm thinking the crankshaft which drives the belt would be the obvious choice. I'd say that the alternator has seen better days. Are you sure the belt is properly tensioned though?

fritz1224

I know you know what you're talking about so I take your advice to heart. I have accidentally touched the metal of the car with the tool I was using to disconnect the pos. terminal and it did spark like crazy. I don't recall if the neg was still connected though. Wouldn't there still be a short circuit even if the neg. was disconnected and the tool touched both the pos terminal and metal of the car(fender well, brace, etc.)?