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Mazda Protege5
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Look, I've had bad experiences at independents too. There are good techs and service advisors at dealerships, and bad too. Unfortunately, most of my experiences at dealerships have been frustrating. I'm pretty knowledgeable about cars. I don't pretend to be a mechanic, but I am pretty good about maintaining them. Look, I know what needs doing and I get ticked when the service folks push unnessary items. I've also had problems getting things fixed right at the dealer... simple stuff. Now, I've had independents do the same thing... push unnessary service and screw up. The key is finding someone you trust.
If you have a good dealer you trust... GREAT. If you have a good independent you trust... GREAT too. I think the reality though... You're going to find more independents who charge a reasonable price, don't push unnessary service and don't screw up. My advise, ask around with friends who have the same make car. Maybe there is a good dealer, or maybe the best choice is an independent.
I did it myself and make a pint to lube the pivot points up when I change the wheels twice a year.
That is the one and only time my car has been to a dealer. I have a trusted local mechanic for work I can't do myself.
I've had questionable or bad service done by some independents, and some OK work too. They may have to learn a bit, depending on whether they've worked on Proteges before (one ordered the wrong coil springs for my '89 323LX when I had the struts and springs changed - couple years later, one of the techs got himself a '00 Protege, so he probably knew how to work on them, but I never went back). One independent that a good friend recommended did a hack job on my brakes. They totally beat-up the rear drum covers.
I do stuff like change oil, air filter, battery, light bulbs, wheel rotations, spark plugs & wires etc. For stuff that takes more time, or I can't responsibly dispose of fluids (like timing belt, brakes, coolant), I have the dealership service department do. Just a personal preference.
There are crooks in all kinds of industries, and our job as consumers is to take due diligence to avoid being ripped off. As has already been mentioned, this would include asking friends, family, and neighbours, checking Internet forums, questioning mechanics and inspecting work that has been done. Now, what must be said though is that those of us that partcipate in these discussions are probably less likely to be ripped off. We are mostly careful about shopping around, and we come in here to share our experiences. The average car owner on the other hand doesn't take the time to chack dozens of Internet sites and do lots of research before having a repair job done in order to check for a reputable shop to go to or find out whether an item should be covered under warranty. They will often rely on the shop where they bought the car, and thus set themselves up to be the victim of ruthless business practices. I'm not saying this happens all the time, as I'm sure there are lots of good dealers out there. But without prior knowledge it is easy to get sucked in by a dealer's warnings that taking your car elsewhere might not get your car repaired properly and might void your warranty.
In my experience a dealer will always be more expensive when performing service and doing repairs. At the same time, I have never really seen anything that justifies the higher price. The quality of work is a gamble as it is no matter where you take the car, and all the extras they claim to perform (20-point inspections etc.) you can easily do yourself for free.
Based on my own reasoning and experience I have come to the conclusion that dealerships will never be allowed to service my cars. However, I completely understand that other people might feel differently, and I'm sure there are lots of excellent dealerships out there. It's a matter of personal preference and comfort level, but just make sure you do your homework before deciding who gets to tinker with your baby!
To be fair to dealers, the franchise 20-minute oil change places can be even worse when it comes to pushing unneeded parts and service. At least the service tech at the dealer has changed the oil on that make of car, and usually knows what they are doing.
- 'lifetime' F/R pads
- resurfacing of F/R rotors
- brake system flush
$500 is a pretty atrocious bill for a complete brake job, but the fact that the dealer offered a lifetime warranty (for the life of the vehicle) on the pads kind of sealed the deal for me...since from other experience with other vehicles (BMW, Mitsubishi, and Nissan), OEM pads don't last this long (original pads on the P5 lasted for almost 65K miles).
most specifically, my wife's 2000 Nissan Maxima has had brake problems since day one and the dealers that we've taken the car to never seem to solve the problem and only offer a limited warranty for their parts and labor.
Heritage Mazda in Tustin, CA may have cost me $500 for a complete brake job, but the peace of mind in knowing that the local MOCC (Mazda Owners' Club of California) recommended the dealer for service AND the lifetime warranty on the pads made the $500 worth it.
I've performed all routine maintenance on the Protege5 myself but took it to two different independent service shops for the 30K and 60K service. I didn't have a bad experience with either of the independents, and surprisingly, I didn't have a bad experience with Heritage Mazda. They even gave me a rental car for free since they were out of loaner cars.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Ask around and get opinions from local patrons before you dismiss the Mazda dealer for service.
...now if I could only say the same for Nissan dealers for service...
I came across these postings while looking for information on suspension issues. I have a suspension question, if you'd be willing to share your thoughts.
I'm hearing a slight clunking sound coming from what seems like the front left suspension in my Pro5. It occurs when I'm going over uneven pavement. Just a slight clunk clunk corresponding to the bumps in the road. With my limited car knowledge, I suspect it is a strut. Does that sound right to you? If so, are struts for a Pro5 expensive?
Wow! I would not think they would fit on the P5. They also sound very pricey. If you switch, you'll need both new tires and new wheels. The OEM specifications are 195/50 Dunlop tires on 16 inch alloy rims.
Here's an idea. Pretend you have OEM equipment, call a local tire specialist or auto customizer, and ask what it would cost to upgrade to the ones your car has. Once you know the price of the new tires+rims, I would then consider how much of a discount to offer; personally, I would not pay more than 50% of the original cost for used tires and rims.
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I know I've said in the past that I'm not a big fan of taking my car back to the dealership for any kind of servicing (except warranty repairs of course), but if I ever had a check engine light come on, I would go back there, since I believe they are best qualified (and have the best equipment) for diagnosing.
Still, others might have experienced similar problems as you (although this is the first I've heard of it in these forums), so hopefully they can provide some advice.
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The chirping noise is coming from a pair of springs that keep the exhaust system together. If you follow the exhaust from the engine, just after it levels off there will be a junction. This junction is held together by a pair of springs & bolts. Odds are this spring and bolt combo is pretty rusted.v When you engage the clutch, the engine rocks in its mounts. This rocking motion causes the springs to squeak or chirp.
I solved the problem by driving one set of tires onto a curb. Then I crawled under the car with a can of silicone lubricant and sprayed the crap out of them. Remember to do this when the car's cold. The squeaking hasn't returned in 8 months.
Good Luck
Brian
"mazda has a service notice on the clutch to be replaced with a larger one. I have an 02 P5 as well and the dealer said that the smaller clutch was from the smaller engine and causes issues as it was never intended for the 2liter. It was never an official recall but mazda will replace free if there's an issue and yours is still the smaller size."
Hi, Brian. I just called my Mazda dealer and the service advisor said he'd never heard of this, and has no TSB on it. Can you please tell me the TSB number, or provide some more information I can use to get my clutch problem taken care of, too? My '87 Honda Civic Si had 130k miles on the original clutch when I sold it (and it was still fine), but my P5 clutch intermittently grabs during release at only 39k miles, and has since about 30k miles. Thanks!
I own a 2002 P5, and unfortunately have come across the problem of a bent rim. Can anyone give me some more information on sizing. I know that I require a 16"x6.0" rim, 5 stud pattern but does anyone have any other information ?? I'm finding it very hard to come across anything. Does anyone have any connections where I might be able to find a set of used rims? Tried EBay seems to be useless Seeking HELP! lol Spanks! :P
The only thing I can think of is that you check the brakes. This is the only known issue (that I know of at least) with the P5. The brakes have a tendency to get stuck with buildup of mud and salt. This can be prevented by having the sliding pin lubricated on a regular basis. I've heard people on this board getting their brakes replaced under warranty when this happens.
Have you heard of the Mazdaspeed3, a turbo charged version of the Mazda3? You may want to start saving your money for the real rocket.
any help out there,,,???,,,,thanx,,,
If it's worth it to you though, go for it.
I removed everything from the inside of the car, and it wasn't anything shaking...then, I looked underneath and I noticed that there's a plastic 'shroud' around the trailing link that seems to be open...and it wasn't open on the driver-side rear.
I looked at the service manual and this 'shroud' is nowhere to be found.
I jacked the car up, then put the 'shroud' back together, but it didn't fix anything...the clunk still remains.
I searched the other bulletin boards and this rear-end 'clunk' is only common among Mazdaspeed Proteges and MP3's, mainly due to the bushings used in the rear sway bar.
I looked at the bushings in my rear sway bar and they looked fine (no noticeable lateral movement).
any ideas before I take the car to the $tealer (dealer)?
thanks.
flipmack
When you say "service manual" is that the online one? I found that you sometimes have to look through several chapters to get the necessary information.
...I traded it in for a new 2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L.
yeah. push came to shove and the dealer wanted $800 for new rear struts/towers. my wife wanted a new car...therefore, perfect opportunity.
got the Odyssey EX-L for $1600 below invoice. it helps that we got a referral and that we bought on May 31st...end of the month and following a major holiday.
I'm driving my wife's 2000 Maxima now...and I miss the Protege5.
The smoother rim was from the 02. Easy way to tell is if you have side marker lights or not. The 2002 has no side markers and the 2002.5/2003 do.
I happen to have 2 cherry rims that have been sitting in my garage since I banged up the other twos and was unable to find replacements. Dang potholes. Of course I do have 4 nice new looking aftermarkets though. (GRIN)
EDIT: did I mention mine are the 2002? hehe
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43956&item=807- 1077241
it looks like this one
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Chintan Talati
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