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Everyone please take notice ... I, Der Meadeball, have erred.
Meade
All things being equal, a more powerful spark will create higher cylinder pressure which will create more power. The power of a spark is determined by its voltage (more voltage = more powerful spark).
Aside from variables such as cylinder pressure and A/F ratio, the amount of voltage required to jump across the gap of a given type of spark plug is determined by the plug gap. A smaller plug gap requires less voltage to jump across the gap and a larger plug gap requires more voltage to jump across the gap.
There is a way to reduce the amount of voltage required to jump across the gap of a plug. By increasing the number of sharp edges that the spark can jump from and to (as in SplitFire and Torquemaster plugs) or by using an electrode material that is a more efficient conductor than the standard steel material (like platinum) you can decrease the amount of voltage required to "jump the gap". The only problem is that these "specialty" plugs will produce a less powerful spark than a standard plug will at the same gap. This means that, as long as your ignition system can provide enough voltage to jump the gap on the spark plug all of the time, with these "specialty" plugs installed in your car your engine will produce less power than it will with standard spark plugs. The only way you can regain the power lost with these "specialty" plugs is to open their gap out farther (a wider gap requires more voltage to jump the gap).
I've seen a number of cases where people have installed SplitFire, Torquemaster or platinum plugs in their car in the place of standard spark plugs and have complained of reduced power. In all of these cases the specialty plugs were installed using the plug gap specified for the car's original standard plugs (with the exception of the Torquemaster, whose gap is not adjustable). The reduced spark power due to the reduced voltage requirement of these plugs was the culprit.
I haven't driven the new ES or even the P5, but I will tell ya about the 00 ES and current Alty.
Overall power I'll give it to the Alty because it does have more and if I gun it it will haul butt. But of course its a bigger car and heavier too. The Protege is more nimble because its lighter, but still feels nice. The newer Altys have revamped suspension and in mine I get more roll than in the Protege, but adding a Strut bar I know will help considerably. Do the 01's feel like my 99? I have no clue.. probably abit better.
As for interior space I think the front I have more space in the Alty. The back area though is pretty close, but I think the Alty seats in the back are softer than the Protege's. I made reference to that way back in my Summer Daewoo 2000 test drives. legroom is good in both cars though.
Trunk..., both are pretty big, but I like the Alty's folddown seat opening. i think its slightly larger.
AS for reliable, our Protege has a little rattle and that's about it, The Alty has had some things bug me like a few rattles popping up recently, but that's mainly it. My windows would rattle but there's a Service Bulletin out on that. I've had 1 pulley replaced in the engine, a burnt-out light harness, and my CD player wouldn't register the time at times.. all fixed under warranty, and as far as I know from lots of Alty owners, those last 3 haven't happened to anyone else I'm aware of.
I love both of them and am pleased with them... If you want a 2001 Alty i'd wait til the 2002 Altys are out.. I bought my 99 in January of that year and it was under $16000 with all the same options as the current Limited Edition package includes, so you should be able to hold off and get a better deal.
hope that helped as it wasn't exactly what you were lokking for (P5 vs Alty).....
Victor
Question for everyone: How hard is it to replace the stock Protege taillamps with those Altezza lamps you see on EBay and stuff? I am thinking about it, but do you have to change any wiring or anything like that in order to do it? Thanks!
But don't make your car look like a Civic or even a wannabeCivic Neon...
The Protege has more class than that...
I wanna get the Altezza lights because it would make my ES look different from any other on the road. Also, I EBayed some HID super whites, am getting the windows tinted tomorrow, and having the fog lights changed to illuminate with the parking lamps next Saturday.
sorry, couldn't resist
The downside is that they don't have tire/rim combinations like the snow tires at Tirerack.
He hunted forever, got his Pro, and then split...
seriously.... your bulbs should still work. While I'm not 100% certain, it will more than likely be direct fit replacements..
fowler3
If you think silver is too great a contrast, use a medium grey metalic.
To see the effect check out the top-line Camry and the Lexus ES300.
fowler3
After I finish my work that is.
fowler3
This will be my third Protege, I currently have a 96 DX and previously owned a 91 DX. Both cars were flawless, although the 91 was much quicker.
My Wife purchased a O1 LX MPV last April. This my first post on the Protege board, usually you'll find me with the MPV owners.
Changes increase depreciation, some times dramatically.
Wait a while and maybe something will come up, an opportunity, and he can trade for something he likes better.
I saw one of the 2002 MB C-Class Coupes this evening, that car isn't much larger than the Protegé, in fact, it looks smaller. It was the AMG version with spoiler in Silver metallic. I wondered if the owner went for the $2800 leather trim in black and red. Even the steering wheel is black and red.
By the way, there are three models of the C-Coupe, base model comes with 90hp at $29,950. Paul, this may be your next car! Buy a big shoehorne to get into it.
fowler3
Pro_fan
Fowler, changing the appearance of the car has nothing to do with not liking it. I like the car alot, but just wanted it to stand out among a crowd. I still wanna keep it and plan to for awhile. I do wanna change the fog lights though, because the custom fogs on my 1999 DX were hooked to light with the parking lamps, and I liked the way they looked. Very sporty.
Nike, also cute about the stickers. I have one ZOOM-ZOOM sticker (the white one), but have yet to add it to my car. I don't wanna mess up the clean appearance with the sticker, and can't decide where to put it anyway.
I had a decal on the back of my 1999 DX that I had custom made from someone on EBay. It said "Protege" in bubble letters, with blue and silver coloring. I really liked it alot, and wish I could get another one like it. I was also thinking about one of those windshield stickers, but they look too boy-racer for me.
As vocus says just keep the originals for trade in.
Apparently the strut tower brace on the '02 MP3 may bolt on the "01 ES 2.0L. Thing is I've never driven a car and then made the upgrade so have no idea as to "real" improvement to be expected. Any thoughts on that fowler3? Or anyone else with an opinion.
Then lose the spoiler and ES decals for that sleeper look. My vision of the ideal ES. Wasn;t sure about the light sandalwood but have grown to like it a lot. Get compliments on color. Definitely didn't like the white guages but now I wouldn't go back.
Later all.
Vocus, you were scaring me with some of the mods you were thinking about. The window tinting will look very sharp, I'm goign to do it myself in a month, before the MAPP II meet. I also think you will notice a difference in the interior temps of the car with the windows tinting. Somehow, I think its the fact that the seats, dash, carpets are black that is makign the car hot, not the exterior color. My roomate has his car, which is black exterior, tan seats, black dash, black carpets, and his car is not too hot at all. Ive forgotten what my point is, as its early, and I just got up.
Steve
My fiance swears by Bosch Plat+4..he puts them in every car he buys. I put them in my 99 Accord at it's 30k service and it seemed to run a little smoother..and when I put them in the 93 Accord it made a world of difference. Engine was smoother and it seemed to have just a bit more power (but maybe the power thing is psychological).
Here in GA it's been around 90-95 the past few days and even though it's hot when you first get in the car the AC cools it down pretty effectively. Tinted windows would help tremendously but I don't know if I will ever have time to go down to Fl...I hate work...takes up too much of my time..
J-SPEC
2.0 FS-ZE* intake manifold
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$530
J-SPEC
2.0 FS-ZE* intake camshaft
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$168
J-SPEC
2.0 FS-ZE* Piston set
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$180
MAZDASPEED
Exhaust camshaft
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$142
MAZDASPEED
Chromoly flywheel
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$172
MAZDASPEED
Stainless steel header
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$739
MAZDASPEED
High compression piston set
Fits 1.8, 2.0
$120
*The FS-ZE engine is the 170hp 2.0L used in the Japanese "Sport 20" -- their suped-up Protege5 with all-wheel drive and auto-manual transmission.
Personally, I prefer the Mazdaspeed parts since they are Mazda's in-house tuning division (like Mercedes Benz's AMG). Unfortunately, evil emissions laws here in California may not allow me to use these parts, but I will certainly look into it!!
Went to a local dealer and they tried to push an 01 ES on me. I really want a 2.0 LX and I'm willing to wait. They are receiving their last allocation of 01 Pros in a couple of weeks. The Salesman said they expect to receive a Sand Mica 2.O LX 5 speed. I may consider the Sand Mica, although M Red is my first choice. My Wife has a Sand Mica 01 LX MPV.
I might go on carsdirect to have them find my Pro. I heard some good things about carsdirect, they even will deliver your new car to your front door.
BTW, dealer only offered me $3000 for my 96 DX Pro 5 speed with 55,000. I'm going to try to sell it myself.
Also, I've noticed that the dealership where I bought my Pro from is offering 0% financing (not sure of the length of term) on the SE and LX models (ES and Pro 5 not included), so you might want to check on that before you buy! Apparently there's not a huge demand here for LX models...dunno why...I LOVE my LX!! Only thing I'm pissed about is that I bought my Pro a month ago, not at 0% financing!!!
Good luck with your quest!
Regards,
Pro_fan
I'm aware of the 0% for 48 months and also free alloys and moonroof.
Glad to hear you like your LX 2.0, it's a nice car. I love the 2.0 LX, I just prefer the interior over the ES. Although, the ES and LX 2.0 are in the same price range, I'm going to pull the trigger on a LX 2.0. I have to find a 5 speed, no slush box for me.
I saw a white 01 Pro yesterday, it looked nice. I'm usually don't like white cars but the Protege looked awesome in white. White must be a rare color. It's the first 99-01 white Pro I've ever seen.
Pete
I have changed the oil and filter every 5000 miles with synthetic oil (Mobil 1). I replaced the wiper blades about 6 months ago. I replaced the spark plugs and tires at about 25,000 miles. I replace air filters and PCV valves every 20,000 miles (done it twice so far for each). I drained the manual trans around 30,000 miles and replaced it with synthetic gear oil (75W-90, I think).
I still have everything else original, including all brake pads. The car now has 46,800 miles on it. We're getting to the end of the bumper-to-bumper warranty, so I hope if something important is going to malfunction that it does so within the next 3,000 miles.
The ONLY repair that has been needed was a new water pump at only 5,000 miles. The car started making a weird clattering sound around then, but ran perfectly (just noisy as heck). When the dealer looked at it, they found that one of the internal fins had broken off the water pump and was being grinded against by the other fins as they spun around. The dealer said it was the first time they had ever seen that happen to a water pump on a low mileage Mazda. This is the only problem we have had with the car outside of regular maintenance, and the dealer gave us a rental car and had the repair finished in less than 2 days.
Our Protege doesn't burn a drop of oil between changes and feels as spunky as the day we bought it. No rattles, buzzes, or anything else. Of course, my Protege was built in Japan, while I think the newer ones are built in the US, so I don't know if that will be a factor with the new cars or not.
Regards,
Pro_fan
People who hit and run are POND SCUM!
Pete
Check out the bodyshops, they vary greatly in quality work. Don't go where your insurance adjuster suggests, they like the cheap shops.
Metallic paint has to be sprayed on at the same angle as the factory painted the car or it will look different from the other paint, if the metal flakes go on at a different angle the sunlight reflects differently.
Years ago when I had an office in a small mall, a lady came in and asked if I would check her car. It was an old model Cadillac, she had just had it painted at a cheap shop -- the surface felt just like sandpaper there was so much metal flake in it.
Also reminds me of when I special ordered paint on a new Buick Riviera. I sellected a Cadillac paint the Buick factory had never used before. They had to paint that car three times! First time, Cadillac didn't send enough paint. Second time, it was the wrong shade of light blue. Third time, they got enough paint, the right color, and screwed up on spraying it. The front end was a different shade than the rest of the car because two different people painted the two sections. Metallic paint. At that time, Buick would paint a car any color a buyer wanted for $85.00. After their experience with the Cadillac paint, the price went up to $285.
To give you an idea how long ago that was, that loaded Riv cost $6,450. In 1981, the Mazda GLC Special Edition hatchback cost about the same amount. Ah, the good old days.
fowler3
im5
I feel your pain in regards to parking lot incidents. When I had my brand new '99 626, I was so paranoid about getting my first parking lot ding, I would drive my wife nuts by parking waaaay out at the end of every parking lot to avoid other cars. If I buy the Pro, I'll become paranoid once again.
By the way, I test drove another LX 2.0 5-spd at Walser's in Burnsville. It was a beautiful black one. I got to take it out without the salesman, since I had my wife and two daughters with me. I quess he didn't want to sqeeze in back with a couple of little kids!!
Good luck with repairing your car.
Mike.
Meade
Dave
Respectfully,
Larry
BTW, Newcar, I took my Protege to a Mazda dealership and got it repaired. The car looked just like new when I got it back a week later.
why is the filter on the ES the size of a tuna can?
it looks so small. Can it really last 7500 miles of filtration as the owners manual claims?