Mazda Protegé

newcar31 · April 2001

I am sitting in M.I.S. class right now and I can't help but go to the edmunds board. This is much better than class. All this talk about ice and winter needs to stop. We had one of the worst winters ever here and its just starting to go away. I wish the only ice I needed to worry about was the ice for my soda. It may be soon, because I am looking for jobs in So. Cal. right now. Hope the "rolling blackouts" go away soon. I guess its better than the whiteout we get here for about 6 months of the year. I'm getting ready to wax my car for the first time, any technique/wax recommendations for a silver car would be helpful. 3 zooms.

maltb · April 2001

to see the power go out here. It appears that the ISO is careful about switching off areas of large business populations. I think it's a big PR blitz to keep more people from coming to California.

Uuu-uu-hh-hh...oo-ooo-o-h-hhh-hh-h-hh-hh...Itt f-eells ll-llik-ke a-an 8.5 earthquake....

See how it works?

newcar31 · April 2001

Everybody here tells me "have fun in California with no electricty" or "have fun in California when they have an earthquake" or "have fun in California with all the "gangsters". I'm not worried though. I did a city comparison on MSN between Minneapolis and Compton,CA for fun. Mpls. has the same violent crime index (both are much worse than the national average), and significantly higher property crime index than Compton! I couldn't believe it! I thought Compton was the nation's armpit. And the ratings show that San Diego is a much safer city than Mpls, and that is where I want to live.

vadp · April 2001

Zaino.
fastdriver "Zaino Car Care Experiences - Part 2" Apr 10, 2001 10:39am

BTW, San Diego is a very nice place to live, if you can afford it.

fritz1224 · April 2001

Yeah, that wiper relay resets itself after about 5 minutes. Nice feature.

fowler3 · April 2001

The only thing I can think of is they vent the space between the shade and the glass so heat build-up doesn't cause the shade to pop out (down).
There has to be a tremendous amount of heat in that air space at times.

Over on the BMW 3 boards, several 330i owners are advising prospective buyers not to buy the moon roof. They had them on previous cars and never used them. Ditto for me, too. I never used sun roofs on two cars. Forgot them most of the time.

Enjoyed the MAPP pics on ProtoTech. Copied two to my hard disk. Hope you don't mind? I live in NC, but use to live in VA.

By the way, I did own a GLC, one of the first, the Special Edition hatchback in silver.

fowler3

nikecar · April 2001

on it they were driving Humvees and the "drill instructors" asked some recruits what cars they drove.. one of them said "Mazda Protege ES 1999" just like that.. no one else gave anything as specific... So who loves their Protege!!!!

fowler3 · April 2001

... I had an Audi Fox, though smaller than a Protege, its trunk could hold quite a bit of stuff.
For a camping trip it held: a two-man inflateable boat; two paddles and folding tent; two duffle bags of clothing; two sleeping bags; a 12 gal. ice chest; two lanterns and portable radio (large); food containers with pots and pans;a two-burner stove; and a two gal water jug. No cargo in the passenger compartment. No folding seats.

fowler3

newcar31 · April 2001

Has anyone removed any badges on their protoge? I wanted to remove the "protoge" and "mazda" (not the flying M) badge from the trunklid and was wondering if those badges had posts that went into the sheetmetal or if they were just simply attached with adhesive. MaltB knows this.

newcar31 · April 2001

I went out and checked, and those badges do have posts into the sheetmetal. I felt them in the trunk. Dangit!

tomciviletti · April 2001

Man, I don't check in for a while and I'm 200 messages behind. So here are some comments on some of the posts i just waded through:

Vocus mentioned that his blue headlights didn't work well in the rain. Blue light is scattered more than other wavelengths, so in hazy atmosphere, its light disipates. That's why amber sunglasses cut glare better and some foglights are yellow.

It's a good sign when most of the complaints on pros are about the cd player and minor sounds.

It's nice that cars come in different colors, and the pro looks good in all of them. But jstandefer is correct, classic red is best.

Tire sizes are approximate. They vary not only by manufacturer but also by model.

The '73 civic had a 1150cc engine. It was my first new car and a little sweety. Like the pro, it seemed bigger inside than out.

Yours in Zoomitude

mdaffron · April 2001

OF COURSE I don't mind you using my pics! In fact, check out what somebody else has done with some of my pics from Prototech:

http://www.geocities.com/firstgenprotege/meadesproteges/index.htm

By the way, James, I read in your profile that you're a graphic designer working for an ad agency. I'm a Mass Communications grad (Virginia Commonwealth University) and work in Public Relations, designing newsletters and doing some small-time graphic design myself. I live in Midlothian, a suburb of Richmond about 15 miles southwest of downtown. I have a few friends in the Charlotte area, and we rent a house at the Outer Banks once a year. Where do you live? We may get a chance to run into each other sometime ...

Meade

mdaffron · April 2001

Everyone! There may be hope for the Protege once Ford gets its hands on it! Check out this morning's article from autonews.com, and note how MAZDA -- NOT FORD, THANK GOD -- will be building the four-cylinder engines for the next-generation 323 model!

http://www.autonews.com/html/main/stories/focus409.htm

Saints be praised, I'm hopin' this is true!!! Please, please, please!!!

Meade

vocus · April 2001

Meade, I checked that website with your cars' pictures on it. It said, under the LX with 83K on it, you got rid of that one to get the 2000 ES. Any avid reader of Town Hall knows that isn't true. The person forgot to mention the "piecajunk B2300" as you call it. Just thought I would say something.

I took my car in for its first service yesterday, at 2830 miles. They did an oil change, filter, and reset the alignment for me as well. Was going to add a cargo net, but they said since the one I got wasn't factory, they wouldn't add it for me. That sucks! Anyway, my driver's seat springs squeak in the lower cushion (already!) and they can't do anything about it. I am not happy about it at all, but I just turn up the radio and keep on ZOOM ZOOMing!

nikecar · April 2001

they wouldn't give you a new seat? my man.. argue til you turn blue..

vocus · April 2001

I don't know if I want them to give me a new seat though. See, it's not that easy. I have the side air bags, and they are in the seatback sides. It might affect their performace or something, if they change out the seat. I did think about calling Mazda customer service though, especially since the car has less than 3000 miles on it.

mdaffron · April 2001

First, my 1992 LX had a bum seat too -- they can replace the bottom cushion (I assume that's where it's squeaking) and leave the rest of the seat intact. They did it for me.

Concerning the site with my pics on it, I figure why spoil a good story with my piecajunk truck? Let 'em believe I've had three Pros-in-a-row!

ZOOM ZOOM SQUEAK!!!

(Sorry, couldn't help that)

Meade

vocus · April 2001

I never knew they could just replace the bottom cushion and not the whole seat. I will suggest that to my service advisor when I speak to him today.

nikecar · April 2001

and besides, wouldn't they give you a seat with the side airbags installed? Its like if you get in an accident and the airbags go off.. they have to rewire it so it goes off the next time.. I doubt Mazda would mess that up..

groharlem · April 2001

Yeah, i heard them say that too. They were saying "99 Protege ES identified", then they identified some other car. I was like "WTF"!! I was hoping they'd do something with it, but of course they didn't

It was pretty cool though hehe.....That show is actually pretty decent. I hate temptation island, and survivor, but boot camp is more like watching a gladiator show with a massive team. They do kinda make it a lil' dramatic though, which is kinda stupid, but oh well.

fowler3 · April 2001

I went to Va. Commonwealth University, too. But it had another name then.

I know where Midlothian is, and when I was at VCU I lived on Monument Ave. an easy walk to class.

I downloaded a couple pictures to see if I could increase the contrast and make them sharper. Do you use Photoshop?

Now, I work at home doing ads for a mining company in Virginia sent to trade journals in 5 countries. Plus some work for local small businesses, and I produce a newsletter for a condo community.

Yes, when I get a Pro, hopefully we can meet at a MAPP or something. Maybe more Pro owners will be joining in by that time.

fowler3

fowler3 · April 2001

I'm glad you can't remove the Mazda badges. You don't want to lower the Pro's resale value anymore than it already is. Owners can do some things to personalize their cars, and other changes can have a very bad effect on resale. It would look like you didn't take care of it or live in a neighborhood where parts are sometimes missing.

fowler3

vocus · April 2001

I saw my first 2001 Protege ES today on the road near work! It was a 2001 ES in Sandrift, coming up the other side of the road. I didn't get to beep, wave, or anything else, because it all happend too fast. Plus, it was raining and traffic was in a stop-and-go kinda mood. But I saw the car on Annapolis Road (Route 450) near Lanham/Beltsville, Md. around 12.30 or so. Anyone on this forum?

nikecar · April 2001

anyone see the sport-20 sedan they have displayed there.. its a black ES 00 with aftermarket kits... looks sweet.. they plan on putting a 2.0L turbocharged engine into it... 170HP

maltb · April 2001

Replacing the seat won't affect the SAB. They just plug the whole new seat in and all is good again. However, I don't think replacement seats are readily available yet. I would give it time anyway to see if the squeak goes away as long as the cushion still has full support.

lgb · April 2001

Hey!!!---It may get dark, but my wipers never freeze to my windshield. The City of LA, by the way, has its own municipal utility with no shortages.

newcar31 · April 2001

I don't really care that much about resale value. First of all, I am going to keep it for a while (I have the extended warranty). Second, I take EXCELLENT care of my cars. I thought it might make the car look a little better with just the flying "M" badge on the trunklid. I know a lot of people with german cars who do this. Anyway, my first car, a 86 Mazda 626 GT turbo, was stolen from our local mall, and before that it got broken into TWICE in two different locations. My brothers Honda Accord was also stolen about a year and half later. So, I guess I live in a neighborhood where the whole car ends up missing, not just the trunk badges.

bpi · April 2001

Does anyone know if there's currently a rebate or low-rate financing promotion?

maltb · April 2001

is down from $750. Also the recent college grad discount of $400.

groharlem · April 2001

Hey, I read your posts ya know >:O!!

J/K, If you didn't know I'm the webmaster of http://groharlem.tripod.com, which is a sub-site of geocities.com/firstgenprotege. I did feature Meades cars yesterday, and am sorry for screwing it up. Meade, if you want me to edit it, lemme know .

groharlem · April 2001

I'm organizing a PA meet at PSU (Penn State) in State College, PA on June 23-24th, for Protege's. If your interested in coming, email me at: groharlem@hotmail.com

For some reason the Owner of this board, Karen, won't let me post links to posts off my message board, so just email me if you want more info. There will be auto-xing and most likely a nice drive, and at least 10 people are already confirmed to coming to it (with 10 more thinking about it).

Lemme know.....peace

lindathomp2000 · April 2001

Vocus---SOrry about your cargo net experience. Did they tell you they couldn't install it they didn't want to install it? I like my net. Things really stay put.
I haven't seen a '01 Pro up here in the Adirondack region yet. Is anybody out there from the Albany, Lake George, Glens Falls region of NY?
There is one disturbing thing that happened to me that I now understand. After my car had been washed (car wash), I stepped out to put up the aerial and when I tried to get back in, the doors were locked. I had to have a key made, etc..... Took a while. I have since realized that my hand must have hit the lock as I opened the driver's side door. I had my '95 Pro since it was new and that never happened to me. Has anyone experienced this with their new Pro?

pat · April 2001

If you are going to admit to going to VCU when it had "another" name, you are really dating yourself -- of course that would only be to those of us who would be similarly dated. (Small world indeed.)

:-)

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

fowler3 · April 2001

I knew that when I posted the message.

In time, some things I say will eventually date me anyhow. What's wrong with that? I have a lot of mileage behind me,but that doesn't keep me from looking ahead to more.

Like you, I have hosted on the Web for over six years, retiring from that stint last August. Hosting five weekday live chats a week gets tiring.

fowler3

bpi · April 2001

Thanks maltb! Is the 0% financing for 48 months gone? When does the $500 rebate expire?

jsandoz · April 2001

Hi,

I was also wondering if the 0% financing was still going on. And if it is, would I be able to use the College Grad discount too?

Where can I find out info about current promotions (the mazda website only mentions the College Grad rebate, doesn't say anything about low financing).
Thanks...

mdaffron · April 2001

Wow, one night passes and I've got all this stuff to reply to! Here goes ...

James ... Yes, my mom went to VCU when it was RPI. You have dated yourself! BTW, you didn't mention where you live in NC. Maybe close enough that we can get together sometime. I'm on Monument Ave. almost every day. I grew up in the West End and commuted to VCU daily on my much missed Honda Elite 150 scooter. Oh, that thing made parking a breeze!

Wil ... Nah, I think your version of my Protege history is fine. Sounds kinda glamorous, three Pro's in a row! We'll just chalk it up to html license ...

Pat ... You went to VCU/RPI too? Do you live around here yourself? It's amazing, dropping your line into a global pond and finding out how many people with similar interests are right around the corner!

Paul ... I doubt Mazda's going to replace the entire seat. That's what I thought they were going to do in my 1988 Hyundai and my 1992 Protege, when in fact they replaced the seatback in the Hyundai (hell, they only replaced the interior frame -- slipped the old cover right over the new frame!) and the bottom cushion in the Protege. Know why? Wait till you see how much seat parts cost! Just the seatback FRAME (metal skeleton-looking thingy) in a Hyundai Excel, 12 years ago, was $220! Luckily it was under warranty. I can't imagine how much an entirely new seat -- way expensive side air bags included -- would cost for a 2001 Protege. These seats have dozens of parts. Trust me, they're only going to replace the part that needs replacing.

Meade

Meade

vocus · April 2001

Linda: I have locked my doors several times when opening the driver's door of my 2001 Protege. I just be careful not to lock myself out of the car. I have never done that in 4 years of driving, so I don't wanna start it now.

Pa. meeting: I don't know about June 23-24, because that's the weekend before my birthday. What kinda people are coming anyway? All new Proteges, or what? Just curious.

baros · April 2001

has locked automatically without hitting the lock buttons several times. thought it might be a safty feature, can't find anything in owners manuel

norcan · April 2001

Hoot mon! Have ye not et yer lunch yet? LLL

I have locked the driver's side door several times just by resting my
arm on the door. As one review said, the design should be updated.

Norcan

vocus · April 2001

I could have sworn that I locked the door maybe once or twice, but also noticed it lock automatically once or twice too. Thought I was losing it or something.

I know if you unlock the doors with the remote and don't get into the car for 30 seconds, it will lock itself back automatically. But know nothing about the doors locking themselves automatically.

newcar31 · April 2001

I believe the 0% financing expired on 4-02-01. If they still have it, you should be able to use the college grad program too. I took delivery of my 01 ES at the end of February and I got the 0%, $400 college grad rebate, and 6 months defered payment which is also part of the college program. I didn't use the S-plan though, but I paid $15,400 before tax, title, licence for a ES 5sp. Good luck shopping.

vocus · April 2001

I paid like $16,700 or so for a loaded ES with automatic and Premium Pkg. I got the rebate and used the S-plan, but didn't qualify for the 0% financing.

maltb · April 2001

I have a shirt that went to the wash last night with a post-it in the pocket that says, "LLL".

That's the long explanation for OOOOPPPPSSSS!!!

I need a Palm as my brain at 30 has a selective memory.

lindathomp2000 · April 2001

doors locking by themselves for no apparent reason............woooooooooh.
We will have to get to the bottom of this.
Meanwhile, zoom, zoom.

nikecar · April 2001

I always lock the door when i rest my arm out the window too.. I always argue with the missus that she does it (she loves to lock the door while driving)..

topazmoon · April 2001

When I purchased my 2001 Protege LX 2.0 on 4/6/01, I had a choice of $500 rebate or 4.9% financing (You can get 1.9% if you're financing for 36 months or less). While I would have loved the money, 4.9% financing was too good to past up.

Cynthia
<---still steamed by E-Loan's generous offer of 16.95% financing

maltb · April 2001

Wishing you all well in your Proteges. We still have ours bought new by my wife in May 1987 and still running. We will be trading it in on another car soon. A very dependable car 147K+ and I drive it to work almost everyday. I love the big trunk it has cavernous.
God Bless!

topazmoon · April 2001

Had my baby for nearly a week and she is such a joy to drive. She is an absolute blast to drive and so much fun even for an automatic (I'm stick-shift challenged).

As I drive around and see all the cars I had considered buying (Civic, Corolla, Jetty, El antra, etc), I'm even more glad that I bought her. I love the fact the I'm not one of a million look alike cars. I love being part of an exclusive club. And I especially love having a catchy phrase (Zoom Zoom Zoom).

Best of all... love that she is Millennium Red. I know that everyone seems to love the silver, tan or emerald green Protege, but I just couldn't imagine driving anything else, but red. I've done my bit of driving a white and a blue car.... but to me.... red is the only way to go.

Cynthia
<---who got 3 tickets driving white and blue cars and 0 with red cars... so much for the cop magnet theory

notminehers · April 2001

Just hit 1k on the odometer - the last tank of fuel we averaged 31 mpg on about a 70% highway and 30% city driving mix. I guess not bad considering not fully broken in yet. Just a couple of observations - earlier posts addressed a "surge" of power in the automatics. I too have experienced this in our 5 speed, especially when the engine is cold. Accelerating from 1st you get a slight surge, almost like a turbo boost...then all is fine when warm. Also, I notice at highway speeds a minor "wander" or side-shifting....especially in some wind. Is this normal and does the low profile tires play into this?? Nothing major but I do notice the steering wheel want to keep a perpetual motion at times. Have a good Zooming weekend all!! Larry, where are you?? We miss your posts....are you back yet??? Sincerely, Greg

Mazda Protegé

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles