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Comments
I had the keyless entry as a $100 option on my 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
Protege got 4 stars. Mazda6 and Miata each got 5.
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.
Meade
Meade
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?
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".
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.
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The advantages of an SUV.
fowler3
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.
Greg
If anyone is still having problems, please go to the "Our Software" discussion on the News & Views board to report them.
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...
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....
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
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
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
Meade
I definitely post in those discussions more than here.
The PRO is doing great BTW
Dinu
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
Dinu
Meade
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.
Meade
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