Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

dsm6 · November 2002

I don't know if that makes it normal, though.

kenx · November 2002

lol, I knew someone would give me a hard time for that.

protege_fan · November 2002

It's normal.

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/tech/0106scc_shift/

dsm6 · November 2002

Well worth some vibration IMO, but as I said, I don't rest my hand on the shifter. Im too busy using my hand for making obscene gestures. ;-)

jeffy729 · November 2002

Hi everyone. I have an irritating buzz that recently developed around the glovebox door and the trip piece (the dimpled surfaced one) right above it. Has anyone had any experience tracing and fixing such things? Should I take it to the dealer (it's three months old)? I know it's a minor thing, but it's new and it bugs me! Thanks.

gandalf17 · November 2002

Jeffy,

I think I might know what is causing your buzzing. Next time you encounter the buzzing, reach over, or better yet, have a passenger reach over and hold the right dash vents firmly in place. I will almost guarantee you that the buzzing is from the vents and that they are just a little loose. Does this typically happen only in colder weather? Typically that is the cause, becasue the plastic contracts slightly from it's usual settings and hence you get more vibration and movement.

Hope that works. Your dealer can tighten the vents for you if the car is in warranty.

jeffy729 · November 2002

Thanks for the reply. Actually, mine is the opposite! It's quiet early in the morning, but after ithe car sits in the sun a bit and warms up it starts buzzing. I think the expanded (from warmth) plastic is rubbing together.

2002protegelx · November 2002

Kenx,

What was the built date of your Protege? Was it around September 2001?

Your Protege's engine mounts might be on too tight. It will take around 5000 miles of driving before they loosen up and reduce the vibrations you're feeling through the steering wheel.

In the mean time, using Mobil1 10W-30 motor oil will help smooth out some of the engine vibrations.

fritz1224 · November 2002

I noticed a slight ticking sound coming from the heater vents when fan speed was set on 2. Also more noticeable when recirc mode used. Figured it had to be a leaf or small twig in the squirrel cage but baffled on how it got there. There seems to be a thin layer of foam rubber under the cowling where fresh air would come in to prevent this type of thing. The noise was really starting to bug me since the noise would be similar to a bearing going out in the blower motor and I only have 18k on my Pro. Got to studying the shop manual I have and got a good idea of the layout of the system. Pulled the glove box, took my leaf blower to the squirrel cage and VOILA, here comes a small piece of leaf no bigger than a quarter. Now, no ticking! Just like new again. My love affair with this little jewel continues.

mdaffron · December 2002

What is this new "special tool" you're using? My shop manual says nothing about a Mazda "leaf blower" ...

HEE HEE HEE!!! Now THAT'S getting the job done on YOUR terms!!!

Meade

chikoo · December 2002

in this cold winter of 35F, during it's first run in the morning after sleeping all night in the outside cold, it makes creaking sounds when going over bumps, especially the rear suspension.

Any solutions to relieve this problem?

fritz1224 · December 2002

Yeah, this SST is quite expensive at the dealer. And of course Mazda says only qualified Mazda techs should use it. LOL

mdaffron · December 2002

Part No. ZZE-1421-PRO-FOMT

Mazda Special Tool: Foreign Object Removal Tool for Interior Ventilation Venturi

;-)

Meade

kenx · December 2002

The car has just over 600 miles on it now, and the vibrations are significantly less than they were. I think it'll be perfectly fine by the time the car hits 1000 miles.

For the record, I do know to keep my hands on the wheel when I'm driving, but I spend from 60 to 90 minutes each morning in stop and go, bumper to bumper, first to second to neutral to first traffic. But I wanted the stick because it's so much fun!

Thanks to everyone who walked me through this problem. Zoom Zoom Zoom!

Ken

rotarykid · December 2002

let me know when those motor mounts loosen up for you. if the dealer told you about that break in period for the mounts, were they using fritz's leaf blower when they blew the smoke up...... anyway.....thats complete hogwash to put it mildly

fritz1224 · December 2002

Probably so. But for that application they use a special nozzle attachment.

chikoo · December 2002

happened to the townhall appearance??????

kaiserhead · December 2002

Sounds like the exact same problem that I have, did you remove the glove box or just open it? Exactly, where did you blow into the HVAC system?

fritz1224 · December 2002

I removed the glove box. Really easy. No tools needed. I have a 2k pro so what I describe may or may not apply to your model. Open the glove box and just push the sides inward so that the rubber bushings on each side of the box clear the outer linings. Then lower the box down until you see where it's hinged at the bottom. Carefully pry the left side of the box to release the molded clip built into the box from the hinge pin built into the dash.It should just pop off the hinge pin. Then slide the whole thing to the left to slide out the molded pin built into the box from its holder built into the dash. Once the box is out of the way the squirrel cage is right there and the top portion of it is wide open. Work the recirc control so you can see the flapper move. You want to be in recirc mode so that the flapper is not blocking the airflow when you blow it out. You'll see what I mean. Just direct the airflow toward the openings in the blower casing. Good luck. Let me know how it turns out.

mazdafun · December 2002

I'm now having problems with the refurbed unit I put in. The same CDRs play fine in my $40 boombox, and their surfaces are clean (I checked).

Just wondering if I should just give up on the OEM system and get an aftermarket unit (small buttons and all).

dinu01 · December 2002

As I said, make sure when you burn the CD you chose "finalize CD" in the ADVANCED menu so the OEM player can well... play it.

Mine work flawlessly in the OEM and my 10-disc changer too!

Dinu

mazdafun · December 2002

These same CDRs had been playing fine for the last 3+ years in my original OEM stereo. Then it decided to flake out and won't play any CDs.

I replaced it with a refurbished unit, and now it's acting up.

When I make an audio CD, it's always as a single session and I always close out the disc. I realize some players don't like multi-session or discs that haven't been "closed" so I don't make mine that way.

the_big_h · December 2002

sometimes it's simply a crap shoot, and hoping that the spindle of CD-Rs you just bought will work with the stock CD player.

I had this happen to me couple times already. Bought some new CD-Rs and end up using them as data CD-Rs only.

mazdali · December 2002

Hi,
I have a Mazda Protege 2001 and the front windshields fog up regularly irrespective of whether the temperatures are cold or hot and humidity is low or high. It happens during the hottest days of summer and coldest days of winter. Also, whether the engine has been running or not has no bearing on it. Has anyone faced a similar probles or does anyone know how to fix this problem?

Tx,
Kevin

mazdafun · December 2002

I think you can get to it under the passenger side of the dashboard. It should be a black rubber hose that goes through the firewall. You can just pull it out and clean it with Q-tips or pipe cleaner. I used my can vac with the small computer keyboard attachment on the one in my 323 (it had clogged and caused the condensed water to back up into the unit and then drain into the passenger footwell). This might cause the excess humidity you seem to be experiencing.

dinu01 · December 2002

ALWAYS run your ventilation w/air from the outside to prevent this!

I run re-circulation mode until the car is warmed-up, then switch to fresh air: you create the same humidity level that's outside the car inside and you get more air in b/c the speed you drive at forces more air into the vents - I run with the HVAC off, but set to hot in winter once the car is warm if on highways, if it's on city streets at Level 1.

Dinu

kaiserhead · January 2003

I got to the HVAC fan, it was easy to remove the glove box. No success with the leaf blower, it was too big to really do any good. I'm going to try again with something smaller, mabey a hair dryer and a good mirror.

fritz1224 · January 2003

Good luck. A shop vac or vacuum cleaner that can blow might do the trick as well. Flexible hose would give you a lot of mobility.

bezadr · January 2003

I know my 5spd Protege5 doen't have a turbo (it would be nice though!), but when I hit 3.5K rpm, there is a distinct whine that sounds like, like a spooling turbo, but much fainter. The vehicle it 8 months old, and has 20K miles on it (I have a 100 mile/day commute). Has anybody else noticed this, or knows what this might be? Also, on a side note, does anyone know of a good Mazda mechanic in Orange County, CA

vadp · January 2003

It could be Protege5 specific...
I don't own one.
Some manual trannys can be quite whiny at speed.
If your car does it in any gear when you hit that rpm range, then it's not tranny related.

disgruntled4 · January 2003

I recently bought a 2003 Protege ES. Beautiful car, but... I took it in after 3 weeks (1300 miles) for a rattling inside the engine. I do a little car repair, and thought it was the heat shield, because it seemed to stop after the engine heated up. They kept it for 2 weeks. I decided to send them a certified letter (lemon law first step). Boy did that get a response! They called me in and said my car was ready. When I got there, they said they couldn't fix it, and Mazda Corp. said it was the sound made when some valve stays closed when the engine is cold to help the vortexing of fuel/air mixture and increase performance. So they developed a calibration for the computer to solve the problem. Thing is, they told the dealer that it probably wouldn't help. And it didn't. And the car performs poorly while making this sound. But be that as it may, they said I must accept the car as is, they will not authorize any more work on it, they are taking away my rental, and I can never bring the car in for a rattling inside the engine again. If in the future they develop a fix for it, I will be called in. When I originally took the car in, they said if they couldn't fix it, they would replace the engine. Well, they lied. Now they expect me to just deal with it. So what about when I try to sell it? Explain to the buyer that the noise is OK? I've heard that Mazda is a good car, with few problems. Well, this is what happens to you if you do have a problem. Any one else with this noise? The other cars on the lot don't make this noise. The service manager checked it out. And he said he would be mad if it were him, but in court he will have to say what Mazda told him to say. They tried to give me this explanation that maybe only that week they made the engine a little different. I'm so frustrated. Please someone respond.

dinu01 · January 2003

If it's when the car is cold (-10C), a lot of PROs are harder to drive/accelerate/shift gears. So what I do is start the car, let it sit for 30 secs and drive. In 3-5 mins after driving easily (RPMs below 3.000 at all times), the car warms up and becomes a pavement beast.

Dinu

disgruntled4 · January 2003

I wish I could relax, but it only gets to about 40 F on the coldest of days here. When I say the engine is cold, I mean it is about 75 F.

dinu01 · January 2003

in that case, there's definitely something weird. Might wanna ask this question in the main Protege Sedan board. Usually Mondays are slow, but everything picks up by Tue/Wed. There are some knowledgeable people that may have the answer for you.

Dinu

disgruntled4 · January 2003

i posted it there. anyway, maybe i'm so upset because I figured protege to kinda be a performance vehicle. i wouldn't have expected a rattle above 3000rpm. jeez, it doesn't even redline for another 3000 or so.

protege_fan · January 2003

The Engine rattle of death (or death rattle, etc). Last I've heard, it's an ECM fix.

disgruntled4 · January 2003

well, they told me there was a calibration-they would flash the computer, they said. anyway, it didn't work. can you tell me where the "death rattle" is documented? or any other ideas about protege performance as a function of its computer?

protege_fan · January 2003

To do w/ the VTCS of the 2.0L engine. It is well documented at www.protegeclub.com

krotine · January 2003

http://web2.airmail.net/emann/protegefaq/tsb/mt000003562.html

-- jason

disgruntled4 · January 2003

thanks to all who provided info for me. it was greatly appreciated. a friend suggested that since there were more people with the same problem, maybe together we could force Mazda to fix the problem. jeez, i had no idea this phenomenon was so common. i'd never heard about it before, and I did a lot of research before my purchase. but apparently, from what you guys are saying, it has been around for years. this makes me wonder why it hasn't been addressed by Mazda. and i mean fixed, not acknowledged!

protege_fan · January 2003

If it ain't broke....

kaiserhead · January 2003

I was having problems with my blower motor making a clicking sound, like a leaf or debris was caught in the fan. I took the car in to Gunther Mazda in Ft. Lauderdale for the routine oil and filter and mentioned the problem. They replaced the blower motor at no charge, no questions or hassels, no more clicking. Hats off to Gunther Mazda!!!

chikoo · January 2003

go to another dealer....if you can convince him...
my tranny used to make clunking noise when punching on gas pedal or coming to a fast stop....Mazda dealer and then the MAzda Rep said it is "NORMAL"...[non-permissible content removed].

Went to another "Elite" dealer....changed the tranny immediately after checking out other proteges on the lot for the same sound.

kaiserhead · January 2003

Drive it down to Gunther in Ft. Lauderdale, mabey they'll toss in a new HVAC fan too!!! (hahaha!!)

esto · January 2003

I'm looking at buying a used 94 Protege DX with automatic tranny and AC. So far, everything seems OK; all that I can see/hear/feel is cosmetic dings and scratches on the outside. Are there any known issues with this vintage of Protege? My old GLC and '87 323 served me well, and I'm hoping this one will also. Thanks.

Erik

dinu01 · January 2003

Visit

General Info
http://www.samarins.com

Recalls/TSBs
NHTSA.com/cars
AllData.com/recalls/index/html

Good luck!

Dinu

kaiserhead · January 2003

My brother is having the following problem with the radio/CD player in his 2000 Protege.

If you have a part replaced at the end of your basic warranty (in this case, the radio/CD player) does that piece of equipment carry its own warranty or is it covered under the basic 3 year warranty? What if it is replaced on the last day/mile of your basic warranty, does that mean that the new part has no warranty if it fails one week later after the basic warranty has expired?

dinu01 · January 2003

I would think any new Mazda part in a car has a 12mths/20.000kms warranty. I'm sure your dealer will fix it free of charge.

Dinu

manavi · January 2003

I know exactly what you're talking about.

I have a 2001 Protege ES. When I reach 3500 RPMS, I can feel a little more oomph in the car and it surges forward strongly.

I think I read somewhere that something in the muffler opens up at 3500 RPMS.

Anyone else hear about this?

protege_fan · January 2003

Peak torque is reached at 4000 RPM...you're probably experiencing the car nearing the peak.

Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

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