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I have a 1990 mazda 323(think it's called protege in the states).Had it from new. It has done 350,000 kilometers,and is just in for the 2nd replacement clutch.Exhaust has never been changed,
Can anyone guess how many miles I am going to get from this engine(b3 1.3l)
A few weeks ago, my Protege5's rear brakes stuck to the rear wheels. Unfortunately, my girlfriend didn't really notice until she saw the smoke. She drove about 5 blocks, downhill. We brought the car to the dealership in the afternoon (and the brakes had unstuck by then) and they switched out the brake pads (apparently, they were melted quite badly).
Low and behold, today, the rear brakes stuck again. This time, my girlfriend noticed that the parking brake was loose (no resistance when putting it on). It's going back to the dealership for repairs but I'm wondering if anyone had this problem before, and what it could be?
I was thinking maybe the rear calipers? Moisture in the cables or something?
By your suggestion, I'm guessing that the alternator is burried down near the clutch.
I'm sure when everything is apart, the dealer will suggest replacement no matter what.
In order to check it, does it need to be visually inspected, or can an electronic diagnostic do the trick ahead of time.
Thanks.
O15
In an honest dealership, the mechanic should suggest the replacement of a worn part if it will save the client money. The saving is in the labor that will not need to be redone. The real issue for many drivers is do we trust the mechanic giving the advice? If not, seek another opinion.
Thanks for the advise; as always I'll ask around.
O15
The second issue is that the vehicle idles very rough. My check engine light does not come on, but Autozone returned a code saying that cylinder 3 was not firing. I changed the plugs, wires, and ignition coil, but the engine is still running rough. The old wires and ignition coil had a couple ends that were black and charred. If anyone has suggestions I would be most appreciative to hear them. Thanks!!
Are you the original owner since 2000? If not, there could be a bit of missing history that may explain these events. Has the car been soaked (for example, by a flood)?
One possibility is your Protege's EGR valve. EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation and the EGR valve is part of the car's emission system. The valve could be clogged which would cause the engine to choke and then to spurt as if the car was about to stop and then suddenly jump.
The EGR problem is very common with Proteges. I had the EGR valve on my 2002P5 replaced a few years ago. Some recommend just cleaning the valve can do the trick.
The simplest way to replace the EGR would be to go to a Mazda dealership. The alternatives are to have an independent garage do it, or to have the EGR cleaned, or to replace it with one from a vehicle that has been scrapped.
p.s. I learned something! I was not aware there were EGR valves on Mazda vehicles back in 1995.
Of course, while the tires are being balanced, someone should give a quick look at the front end to make sure there's not an obvious cause, like a loose tie rod or a broken bolt somewhere.
My original driver sides half axle boot had finally torn open. It has been clicking since 70K miles, but the boot was great until recently. The first stumbling block in doing the half axle is the FROZEN stabilizer bar link nut. If you are not familiar, these sealed links don't have any good spot to grab the stud to prevent it from turning with the frozen nut. The allen on the end of the stud is worthless at the force levels associated with a really frozen rusted nut. A professional would just use a torch to cut this out, whereas I used a hacksaw with a cutting rod. This was very time consuming.
Getting the ball joint off of the knuckle wasn't too bad. I used a tie rod end puller to push it off instead of a pickle fork to pry it out because I didn't want to destroy the ball joints that were replaced at 150K miles. Tie rods ends themselves are easy with the puller.
An axle puller made popping the end off of the knuckle easy. Removing the axle from the tranny was initially difficult due to the limited space and tight fit. I finally used a front axle puller adapter tool from Auto Zone. This is designed to be used with a slide hammer, but limited space prevented this. So I just wedged this thin metal adapter in behind the axle and popped it out with one moderate blow from a long 1" pipe.
Getting the plastic/rubber oil seal out required some care so as not to destroy the metal. I used a small vise grip and slowly pried it out by grabbing the seal itself. Getting the new Timken seal in straight required a metal form of the same size and some gentle blow with a hammer. I also used the puller adapter to spread the force of the blows on just one side when it was going in slightly uneven.
Popping the axle in was fairly difficult until I realized I had to slightly adjust the angle instead of just trying to push it straight in. I used the car's jack to assist in pushing the ball joint back into the knuckle.
One difficulty I faced in replacing the stabilizer bar links was the parts. MOOG replacements will not work in this application as the grease nipple sticks too far out and will strike the strut tower with an extended suspension and the steering wheel turned to the right. So then I went looking for sealed links and found some. The best version are ones that have a nut head that can be wrenched on the ball side of the link. I ended up getting ones similar to the OEM links due to availability, but used anti-seize compound to hopefully allow later removal of the nut using an allen on the end of the stud.
One other tip, drain the tranny oil prior to pulling the axle. Interestingly, when I pulled the axle on our minivan, very little tranny fluid came out. With the Protege, a lot of oil comes out.
Next up for maintenance/repairs is a timing belt change. After that, I will tackle my first clutch job in a year of so (still on the original). Hope this info helps someone out there.
With a bad head gasket, chances are you'd overheat in town as well, and pretty quickly.
Does anyone know whether seats from a Miata, MX3, Protege 5 or any other Mazda will fit in the existing bolt holes?
Many thanks
Could this be a tranny prob? or does it more likely sound like an alternator/battery issue?
The squealing belt may be related to your timing belt. If it is the alternator and if you have not done your timing belt already, it makes sense to do both at the same time as they are located in the same area of the engine. Also, you might want to have the mechanic check out your water pump at the same time for the same reason. The parts are cheap compared to the labour to get to and replace the parts involved.
p.s. if your alternator has been acting up for a while it may have also affected your battery, so it may be wise to get that checked.
My vehicle is a 1991 Mazda Protege LX. It has the 1.8 L DOHC and 5-speed manual transmission.
This is 98 mazda protege. Manual transmission. We;re changing the clutch disc.
Is this usual on this age Protege?
Trying to decide it I should repair or get a new car. I'm at 95K miles and just replaced all the brakes 3 weeks ago. Sigh
Any advice appreciated.
ck
Hey, thought I might ask: I posted this on the forum but don't know who'll notice or know. Do you? To manage an idling problem I am replacing the idle air control valve (with a used one; the $600 for a new one is impossible). My manual (Haynes) says the resistance across the terminals should be from 1070-1230. Both the original and the replacement read 880. Any insight?
Thanks, and keep posting
Matt
Second step is to diagnose the PO421. This code could be caused by a bat cat, or could be caused by a bad O2 sensor. A well equipped shop can tell the difference by looking at the O2 sensor output with a scope.
Maybe they already did all this... but if not don't let them just start replacing parts without a diagnosis.
Are you positive the idle problem is not caused by an air leak or an EGR problem? EGR fouling is very common on these cars, and an air leak will totally screw up idle. I had both - the air leak was a crack in the accordion-like duct between the air cleaner and intake, and my EGR was carboned up.
I have an automatic protege, that when it gets hot it tends to die.
the other day I drove my car to a tire store and it broke down on the way there. after about 30 min of trying and failing it finally started again, and made it to the shop.
now it has been there for 3 days and they cant tell me whats wrong.
it only tends to do this when ive driven for a while, or when its reallly hot out.
i live in flordia so its hot alot.
it never over heats or smokes or anything, it just dies.
also it idles kind of low.
someone said something about freeze plugs maybe being the problem..
any ideas??
I am very impressed with the overall quality of parts on my '95 Protege. I still have the original alternator, power steering parts, radiator, etc, and the interior is still in good shape due to the high quality fabrics used.
That said, I am about to replace the exhaust from the cat flange back to the muffler. The resonator and pipe are still good, but the flanges always seem to fail/rust out due to not being stainless like the rest of it. I contemplated just getting it cut out at a shop and replacing with straight pipe, but I found a new Bosal resonator # 282033 for $63 online. The local big chain parts store wanted $100. I also got free shipping if I spent over $100, so I got some new plug wires and a fuel filter and some spray undercoating. I replaced the original muffler with a new Bosal about 5 years ago due to flange failure.
Seems high to me. You may want to get a second opinion.
According to the carpartswholesale site it looks like the cost of the parts alone is approaching $500 to $600. So, the rest of the cost is labor ...
Trying to decide it I should repair or get a new car. I'm at 95K miles and just replaced all the brakes 3 weeks ago.
Ah, the persistent dilemma with an older car! Do I keep on paying those repair bills or do I fork over major cash for a new vehicle? If you have more expensive replacements expected this year (example: need to replace timing belt and alternator), then you may want to bite the bullet and go for the new car. On the other hand, if you can stomach putting more money into the Pro and it lasts a couple more years, your pocketbook may be happier. Personally, I try to keep my vehicles running as long as possible, but after 10 years the repair bills keep on increasing while the advantages of a new vehicle keep on multiplying. Good luck!
Great! Making a decision is half the battle. And getting something new is exciting. By the way, when you try the Mazda3 you might want to give the Mazda2 a spin also as it's supposed to be a hoot.
Some must haves for this project are spray rust remover-penetrating fluid for the nuts, 2'-3' long 1" pipe for leverage on 1/2" ratchet, spray lubricant for removing the rubber support bushings, sockets/adapters, long standard screw driver for prying the old flange apart, safety glasses, etc. I also used a stout cardboard box to support the new pipe (at the resonator) horizontal and attached muffler flange first and resonator flange second.
One issue I faced was that the front heat shield clamp on the old pipe was pretty much rusted away. I cut it off and used one stainless steel hose clamp to secure the front of the shield to the pipe. The rear screws for this shield were reusable after removing from the old.
The bolts and nuts and springs used by Mazda on the flanges are high quality and definitely reusable. Very little rust on these.
I did not buy the flange gaskets online, thinking I would just pick that up at a local parts shop. Unfortunately, the in-store computer inventory systems at these national chains are lacking if you don't have Mazda's part number. I find that Google is better for a part cross reference search (Bosal to Walker to Felpro) than the store's systems. I finally got on the computer and ordered the right part from a local-national chain store that told me earlier on the phone they didn't carry it. I picked it up the same day.
I got the parts from FCP Groton due to the free shipping offer. All parts ordered were fine, except that the resonator itself had a few small shallow dings. This was not severe enough to warrant me sending it back and it should last 10-15 years. Because the Bosal part was made in the Philippines and then shipped to CT and then shipped to me (IN) via UPS in bubble wrap, it is hard to say where such dings happened. Unfortunately, many parts stores online do not state where the part is made, and this was the case with fcpgroton. I would prefer to have the option to buy parts made in the USA for a number of important reasons. For reference, the Bosal muffler I installed previously was made in Mexico and the Walker flange gasket was made in Mexico. No wonder jobs are scarce!
I am thinking of picking up a Walker CAT for a future repair due to the rebate going on right now. The CAT side of the flange was heavily rusted and flaking, so its time is numbered. This is definitely a weak spot with the Protege. I don't know if it is the weld material or the flange/pipe itself being incompatible with the weld. Anyway, this is where they fail.
I finally got a chance to jumpstart it (pickup truck with plenty of power), and I get power (radio, lights, etc) but it won't start, or even try, I just hear a small click and that's it. I did some internet searches and some mention a fuel switch to reset, but I can't find out where that is. Another place said to disconnect the battery for 20 minutes so something can reset, so I did that, and still it won't start. I've had no previous trouble like this, the only time it ever needed jumpstarted before was a ten degree below zero day, a few years ago - but the battery had not been run down, it just got too cold :-)
Thanks anyone for any help.
You'll have to slow-charge it, clean the battery posts and see what happens. The battery might be toast after the jump start (overheats the plates, which warp and short out).
Also, jumpstarting a dead battery can cause it to explode, which, given that this is more or less an acid filled hand grenade, could get ugly for someone standing nearby.