Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

bearcat1998 · November 2002

Hi,

I have a '00 Pro ES with ~68K miles.
I've recently noticed that my Pro will shake/vibrate like it's not getting any gas. The engine light will start flashing and then remain on. If I drive it for a while, the vibrating stops and I can drive it fine, but the engine light stays on. I took it to a service station where they convinced me to have a "Induction Service"--deposit/fuel injector cleaning done on it. They also fished the computer code out and found that it was misfiring, but they couldn't reproduce the failure. They also wanted me to replace the spark plugs and wires which I did not have done since the plugs were just replaced. The work that they did did not fix the problem.
The next thing I plan to do is replace the wires myself, but if that doesn't fix it, does anyone have any ideas what else I can do to try to fix it? I remember this same thing happening when I used to have a 323 and I think the wires were bad. Anyway, if new wires does fix it, how can I get the engine light to shut off?

Another thing I'm noticing is that sometimes the brakes make a groaning/creaking noise (like an old floorboard) when coming to a stop. I just had the brakes replaced at Midas (discount brake shop) and they said the rotors would need replaced in a year. Could it be the rotors need replaced now? Or maybe it's brake dust? Any ideas on that problem would be appreciated as well.

thanks,

bearcat1998 · November 2002

bearcat1998 · November 2002

I am an idiot.
I remember getting the recall note in the mail, but I never did anything about it.
At least I didn't spend all the money they were trying to get out of me.

Any ideas about the braking?

chikoo · November 2002

why?

crazyindian · November 2002

My 94 Mazda(77K) seems to have developed a low squeel/scratching noise from the front right tyre. The brakes and rotors are new. My mechanic says that the interior seal in the axle has gone bad and thats causing the noise. The noise is audible and the squeal is longer at low speeds.

Is the mechanic correct.?

nsbio1 · November 2002

I have a 96 LX, and the engine pings nicely unless you pour premium into the thing. A friend of mine has a 98DX. Does the same thing (the car, not the friend

). It looks like that proteges up from the 2nd generation are prone to pinging. I believe many people do not complain about it because they do not pay attention to the sounds their cars make. Seems to be a common problem (both w/ proteges and people

).

mdaffron · November 2002

... instead of just pouring premium into it?

Lessee here:

First Protege: '92 LX. Totaled at 28,000 miles. Never pinged.
Second Protege: Another '92 LX. Traded at 83,000 miles. Never pinged.
Third Protege: 2000 ES. Currently at 45,500 miles. Never pinged.
Wife's Protege: 2002 Protege5. Currently at 11,000 miles. No pinging.

I've heard of pinging problems with the '99 and '00 1.6-liter engine (DX and LX). By my history with 1.8s above, it appears the 1.8s haven't suffered this problem. Still, however, pinging is caused by pre-detonation and it IS fixable. Have you had your timing checked? Engine checked for carbon build-up? When's the last time your engine was tuned? In what condition are your spark plugs? Another big thing to check on your Protege is your plug wires. If you've never replaced them, go ahead and do so. Protege plug wires seem to go no farther than about 40,000 miles before they start to develop shorting problems (due to the way the head is designed). For about $60 you'll be amazed how much better your car performs.

Good luck!

Meade

P.S. The owner's manual for my '92 RECOMMENDED premium fuel. I'm assuming you're smart and you checked your manual a long time ago. If the manual for your car does recommend premium and you've been using regular, then shame on you! ;-)

dsm6 · November 2002

When cold, my tranny grinds in second and third. It goes away when warm. I recall someone else complaining of this, and being told it isn't gears grinding, but is instead bushings - possibly worn. Well, mine really is gears grinding.

I took it in to have it checked. The service rep said that the fluid in the tranny must have been of the wrong type - wrong color and viscosity. He thought that simply changing the fluid would solve the problem. Nope. I took it back to service rep. who is trying to get a hold of Mazda for a solution. Mazda hasn't responded after about a week, so he is going to go ahead and order new sychros for 2nd and 3rd.

I'm wondering why the tranny would have the wrong fluid in it. Oh well. Hopefully nothing more than the sychros have been messed up. Credit goes to the service rep. for acting without waiting for Mazda to finally respond. I hope that doesn't cause trouble for him, but I'm sick of grinding my gears away. On really cold mornings, I have to skip shift 1st to 3rd, which requires revving the cold little 4 banger up a bit. C'est la vie.

wenzw · November 2002

I was told the mass air flow sensor on my 97Pro
is out of oder, I wonder if it's easy to be changed.

TIA.

kaiserhead · November 2002

TIA,

Try to find a service department that isn't on the ball and tell them you have a '99 Protege with a recalled MAFS. I'm sure they'll buy it (yeah right!!!)

jrdwyer · November 2002

I have a '95 LX 1.5 that pings on ocassion during strong acceleration. I have done every typical maintenance one might do for this problem (excluding higher octane-I'm cheap), but have not solved it yet. Am I worried? No. I bought the car new and it now has 152,000 miles. It dosen't burn a drop of oil and the power is still good for this modest engine.

Two things I am still going to try are setting the plug gaps to the widest factory spec and in conjunction clearing any stored failure codes in the computer by disconnecting the negative battery terminal then depressing the brake pedal for five or more seconds.

If anyone has actually solved this problem on their Protege, I would like to hear from you.

dinu01 · November 2002

I think it's "normal" for this to happen. Some people have experienced pinging/quick knock when accelerating in cold weather (myself included last yr on my 2001), that goes away in less than 5 mins once the car is warmed up.

Try looking for "pinging" or "knock" in the search menu, or read up on this thread. Personally, I haven't had it this yr yet and we've had cold weather and snow to date, so I just take it easy - not reving above 2500RPMs and accelerating quickly until the car warms up. Once that's done, it's business as usual - plenty of zoom.

Dinu

neesie · November 2002

I have had nothing but problems with my 99 Mazda Protégé. I will admitted so far they have not been major (acceleration noise which is still present) but my car is only three years old and of course now off warranty. The new problem is the door locks. Four month ago the locks with the remote switch refuse to work. Even when unlocking the doors the old fashion way key in the lock there is a loud motor noise. At that time it was covered under the warranty. After four month, again they have gone bad and are now off warranty. It has only been four months, is that the life expectancy of Mazda Protégé locks. Does any one know if there is a known problem the Protégé door lock?

jeffy729 · November 2002

I'm not sure about the power door locks being a common problem for Proteges (I've had two and neither one has had that problem crop up). If you have a repair done under warranty the repair itself is covered for 12 months or 12K miles even if your car has now gone out of it's standard 3 year 50K mile warranty. Take it back to your dealer, they're responsible to fix it.

tomciviletti · November 2002

My es has been trouble free. Sometimes the audio deck on-off switch takes a vacation, but that's about it.

cahollan · November 2002

My 00 ES had the door lock problem described earlier...when I would lock or unlock the doors, I would hear a chainsaw noise. Eventually one of the locks would not work...took it in for fixing and it was a door lock actuator. It took the dealer about an hour to fix and everything is honky-dory now!

--Chris

beachnut · November 2002

Has anyone ever done this? I found a replacement thru junkyarddog.com for $60. I did this once way back in the day on a '77 Lemans and I needed a wheel-puller tool, which I don't have anymore of course. Will I need this tool? What about the cruise control?

kenx · November 2002

I just got my new LX yesterday. Got a killer deal because it's an '02. When I test drove it, it had a mild vibration I could feel through the steering wheel and shifter, but it didn't seem serious enough to make me not buy the car. It had only 15 miles on it at the time.

Well, after a day of highway driving and stop & go driving in and out of Boston, I've decided to have the car looked at. The vibration is just unpleasant enough that my right hand is numb and achy from my 2-hour commute. It is really unpleasant at higher rpms.

The problem must be related to the engine/transmission mounts. I've arranged to have the dealership look at it in a couple hours, but the service manager has already started down the "tires/alignment" route which I know will lead nowhere.

I've read only a couple other posts here that mention this problem, but I was not at all pleased to hear one service tech say the vibration may be "normal". If that turns out to be the case I won't be driving this otherwise wonderful car for long.

I'll let you know how things go at the shop today.

dinu01 · November 2002

I has a missalignment too when I picked up my car, and many had this issue too, so who knows, maybe the tech is right.

Dinu

dsm6 · November 2002

Can you describe why you feel it's drivetrain related and not suspension/wheel related?

I can tell you that I feel quite a bit of vibration through my shifter (manual), but very little through the wheel once the car is warmed up.

kenx · November 2002

I just got back. Drove 45 minutes to the service center only to have the Service Rep say, "Sorry, we're too busy with broken down Volkswagens to look at your car today, and we're all out of loaners on account of the Volkswagens. Come by Monday."

I asked if they'd have a loaner for me then and he shrugged.

On a positive note, the salesman who sold me the car heard about my problem and called to say he would see what he could do for me.

The problem is engine/trans mount related because the symptoms are present at idle, when the car isn't moving. You can actually see the shifter vibrating. When I rev the engine, the vibrations increase with rpm, and can then be felt through the steering wheel as well.

Of course, anyone with a brain would have considered these things after the test drive, but I was blinded by the terrific performance, and brainwashed by all the positive things I'd read about the car on Consumer Reports and Edmunds.

The Pro has 125 miles on the odometer now.

protege_fan · November 2002

It's normal to see the shifter vibrate some as it is a direct linkage setup..not cable actuated.

However, I'm not sure how much you're seeing it move, so can't comment on what you're actually experiencing.

mazdafun · November 2002

99LX, AT, stock CD player with optional cassette player.

I didn't think I was as attached to my Pro's CD player as I obviously am.

This just started a few days ago. The CD player would have difficulty moving to the next track on a CD-R. Ejecting the CD-R and then re-inserting it seemed to fix it. Last night, it just spat out CD-R after CD-R, sometimes not even spinning up the disc. I looked at the CD-R I'd kept in the player for a while (a compilation of favorite driving tunes) and noticed it had some filmy coating on it. This coating seems to have come from the multi-CD case I had it in (PP, polypropylene...seems the mfr didn't clean off the mold release or preservative, which meant this oily stuff vaporized and some deposited onto the surface of the CDR...lesson learned: don't buy cheap CD cases).

I've tried using CD lense cleaners. It still is balky at playing my CDRs, although I'll sometimes get it to play a few tracks. More often than not, it just makes a bunch of little motor noises and spits the CD back out.

I suspect I need to clean off the lens inside the head unit. I can get ISO-DIN tools to remove the head unit, but haven't figured out how to remove the bezel on the center stack to get the ISO-DIN tools into to remove the head unit.

Anyway, any recommendations as to what to do?

Oh, one nice detail: when the CD sticks out for a while, the head unit sucks it back in to hold onto it. This is useful when you can't get the CD right away, like when you're actually driving. Sigh, I miss my CDs. Good thing I got the tape player as I can't stand most broadcast radio content these days.

dinu01 · November 2002

First of all, if a CD-R gets stuck in the player you might be on thw fork for the replacement. Mazda clearly sayd only CDs are to be inserted, no CD-R, CD-RW, MP3s, Eggos, pancakes, tarts, apple pies, etc.

Go burn that CD again, and make sure you use the setting FINALIZE DISC AT ONCE - not to allow the computer to add further data to the disc. Same thing happened here as I didn't know how to properly burn discs. Also choose the slowest speed on your CD-R for better quality.

Or might your PRO be offended by the fact you;re not considering the 6 as a next car?

Dinu

kaiserhead · November 2002

Some of these CD players have had problems. Mine has worked flawlessly (except for the occasional skip) but others are finicky. If the CD glides in smoothly you probably have a good one. If it makes a crunching sound than pressure your dealer to take it back.

mazdafun · November 2002

The CD gets inserted smoothly.

I took it out and removed the dust cover on top.

For those interested, pry off the side trim pieces by prying under them in the middle. And Wallyworld carries the ISO-DIN tools. $3.86 US. Cheaper than Crutchfield's ($5 plus delivery), but not as nicely finished (easily fixed with a little filing and application of some sandpaper).

I cleaned off the lens with alcohol. No improvement. I tried disconnecting power to the unit. No improvement. Looks like I'm going to be hitting eBay for a replacement stock HU or an after-market one.

I'd prefer a stock HU since I like the controls on it (plus it works with my factory tape player). Oh well, good thing I got the tape player 'cause I can still plug in my iPod. Maybe I'll just forgo the CDs altogether.

FYI, the rear support bracket is welded in place (at least it is in my 99LX), so cutting is the only option for an aftermarket unit that is too deep.

altair4 · November 2002

I'm at the crossroads of either repairing my 92 LX automatic Protege or purchasing something new...anyone here care to guestimate the following repairs:

1) Timing Belt.
2) Right side CV joint (startin' to click, but boot is okay).
3) Brakes all the way around, including rotor replacment.
4) Cooling fan (fan on passenger side of radiator) is frozen, needs to be replaced.

Any Mazda repair mavens out there? What do you think we're talking, price-wise, for parts and labor at the dealer (I don't have a independent shop that I trust that much)?

I need a pair of tires, but I got that price covered. I'm at 161,000 miles, body's in good shape other than blister starting at bottom of rear left passenger door.

Let me hear some thoughts. Thanks.

mazdafun · November 2002

1) Timing belt...about $250. You might consider replacing the water pump and the other belts at the same time as you have access to the pump and have to remove the accessory & alternator belts. Probably run you up to $350.

2) Hmmm. Never had to do it. Don't know. Sorry.

3) Expect $60-90 per axle for just replacing the pads and some resurfacing on the rotors. A set of disc pads and clips cost, what, about $25 for the OEM ones? Rotors cost about $40-120 each (plus labor), depending on whether you get the plain ones or cross-drilled ones.

4) I'm clueless here.

Your dealer might mail you some coupons. My local ones do from time to time (for instance, brake job for $49 instead of $69 etc.)

ashutoshsm · November 2002

I had both mine replaced in 2001 (I own a 95, so your mileage may vary) with remanufactured aftermarket ones for around 275 for the pair, including labour.

I imagine the dealer will run up a bill of around/over $200 for just one joint. The part was 39.95 IIRC (aftermarket, remanufactured) and the rest was labour/materials!

Chow-Chi (mazdafun) is about right on with the rest of the estimates, and perhaps maltb/audia8q will answer the cooling fan question. Although you could really just call one-two Mazda dealership repair shops and get a quote on the phone - they always provide that!

maltb · November 2002

1) Timing Belt ~$45

2) Reman axle from the dealer should be $117/exchange. Mitchel labor time is 1.2 hours.

3) Dealer pads are ~$50/ front ~$62/rear
Rotors: Front ~$68 Rear ~$58

4) Condenser fan motor ~$41

Most of my books don't go back this far I don't have the labor times on 1, 3 and 4. You could do the work yourself. :-)

alcan · November 2002

Here's the labour times for the repairs from the 2000 Mitchell manual

- timing belt: SOHC = 2.0
DOHC = 2.8

- halfshaft: SOHC = .9
DOHC = 1.3

- brake pads/shoes: front = 1.0
rear = 1.6

- cooling fan: .8

altair4 · November 2002

Thanks to all for their comments. I've gotta add all of this up and see what the cost is, plus the body shop and tires.

I could do some of this work except:
1) we have an 18 month old and wife works late two nights plus Saturday.
2) I have no garage and I live in Western PA (too much rain, wind and cold at this point).

I thought we were buying something new this fall, so I let some things slide. Now, wife is uncertain about taking on 4 year car loan, so it's going to cost more than if I did it myself.

mdaffron · November 2002

Be sure to replace your main belt when/if you do your timing belt. It'd be senseless not to while you have everything off the engine -- and even smarter to do it then if you have to pay the labor for the timing belt anyway.

I wouldn't recommend trying the timing belt yourself -- I used to own a '92 LX, and I was personal friends with one of the mechanics at my Mazda dealership. He told me to bring the car to his house one Saturday and we'd do it together. Well, even though he'd been a Mazda mechanic for years, it still took the two of us about six hours of bloody fingers and cursing to get it right. Unless you're well-equipped, just bite the bullet and take it to a professional.

(My advice.)

Meade

altair4 · November 2002

Yeah, no kidding about that timing belt. Without lift access to the bottom of the car, it looks pretty tough. It looks tough with it, too!

No, I could do the brakes and the fan, but it's just too bloody cold and wet out, it gets dark too early, and I just don't have the time to devote to it.

I faxed my laundry list to the dealer - I'm waiting for their reply (which ought to be a shocker!).

I'll post the results, if and when.

Kirstie_H · November 2002

A reporter is looking to interview someone who's used a portable battery booster (a.k.a. jump boxes) to bail themselves or someone else out of a no-start situation. Why/how are these devices useful? When did you get it? Please send your responses and daytime contact information asap no later than Friday, November 22 to jfallon@edmunds.com.
Thanks!
Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

newcar31 · November 2002

You should never have to replace the entire axle. Keep an eye on the CV boots next time and you'll save some money.

kenx · November 2002

Took the Pro to the dealer on Tuesday, 7:15am to deal with my vibration issues. I was supposed to get a loaner as per my extended warranty agreement. I figured I would still get to work on time.

No luck. No loaners without a major credit card. I had to sit there for over 2 hours. Very disappointing. They have my car, they have my entire credit history. Did they really need a credit card, really?

I got the car back. They had balanced the wheels and turned the rotors. The vibrations are reduced, but I still get it through the shifter, increasing with rpm.

Is this just the way the car is? Is there anyone out there with a manual trans Pro with a non-vibrating shifter?

I just can't believe that if this is normal, not one reviewer ever mentioned it in all the press I read about the car. All I found was glowing reviews regarding the performance, handling, and quality of the car. No one ever said, "Damn this buzzy shifter is making my hand numb."

I'm out of the habit of resting my hand on the shifter now.

dinu01 · November 2002

I forgot what yr yours is, but I drove a 2000 LX last week and the shifter did vibrate - annoying!

Maybe that's how they are? I have an auto and that doesn't...

Dinu

protege_fan · November 2002

As I said before, the shifter is rod actuated, not cable. Some vibration is normal, but like I also said before, I don't know how much vibration you guys are experiencing, so can't really say if it's "normal".

Anyway, it's not good to rest your hand on the shifter.

boggse · November 2002

All manuals I have ever driven have transmitted at least some vibrations through the shifter. My Protege's shifter vibrates more than some vehicles, but much less than most. I would think you would actually have to be resting your hand on the shifter for an extended period of time to have your hand go numb. This is a bad habit anyway. Both hands should be on the wheel when you aren't shifting.

maltb · November 2002

What do I do with my Krispy Kreme donut, my Starbucks Latte, my Taco Bell Burrito Supreme and my Nokia phone?

protege_fan · November 2002

That's what passengers are for.

maltb · November 2002

but my passenger is having their own convo on their Nokia while I am talking on mine.

protege_fan · November 2002

So get them to put all the stuff in their lap and hold the phone up to your ear. I don't think it's an unreasonable request.

dinu01 · November 2002

I haven't driven many 5spd cars in my life, but that 00 LX Touring was the only one I can say where the shifter vibrated.

My experince is limited to:

87 Integra
94 SL 1 (we used to own it so I drove it quite a lot)
95 Sunfire
99 Accord
00 Z24

None of these cars' shifter vibrated, but the 87 Integra was loose like a (nevermind)

Dinu

protege_fan · November 2002

How much vibrating are we talking about here in the LX?

dinu01 · November 2002

You could see it shake (how a cell phone shakes when in vibrate mode and you get a call) and obviously feel it once you put your hand on it to change gears.

Dinu

dsm6 · November 2002

Were those other cars cable or rod actuated?

dinu01 · November 2002

No clue if they are cable or rod. I was a car freak then too, but since I got the Protege last year, it's been pretty bad since then

But how "normal" is it that a shifter vibrates and you can SEE it vibrate? I haven't encountered that before, that's why it seemed strange to me and also b/c I will buy a 00 LX in 5spd next yr as a 2nd car to my 01 auto. The car drove well. I NEED to know how "normal" this is or if it's a sign of future tranny troubles.

Thanx!
Dinu

protege_fan · November 2002

Seeing the shifter vibrate is normal...It's not like it's moving very far, but the vibration is perceptible.
Fly out West and I'll take you for a spin in my Pro and show you.

Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

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