Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

carzcarz · January 2007

I have recently replaced the front brake pads on my 2003 MP5, and ensured that the brake fluid was full. I pumped the breaks to get pressure but once I start the car I loose all pressure. If I continually pump the brakes I can get full pressure but it doesnt last for long. What might be the cause of the breaks not holding pressure?

ddubbleya · January 2007

brakes not holding pressure

Check to see if your bleeder valves are tightened properly. They may seem tight, but when you start the car and the high pressure hits the bleeder valve it might be leaking. That's what I would check...on all four corners. Good Luck!!

ddubbleya · January 2007

Just in case anyone else is having this problem. I had a mechanic friend look at the car and told him the problem I am having and he said that it might be the Ignition Computer Module. Gonna get a new one and post the outcome, so do it your selfers can find tips on such a pain in the side problem.

chris703 · January 2007

Our 2003 Protege5 had that same problem, the dealer diagnosed it as a bad "crankshaft angle sensor". Could that be your problem? Our car has started very easily since we changed the part. Hope this helps!

ddubbleya · January 2007

Thank you for the response, will defiantly look into that. Our dealership said it might be the coil packs, but my gut says no. Big thanks for the idea.

chriscolea · February 2007

Hi,
My light went on at 25,000 miles and stayed on. I went for my 25K miles service and was told that I need to change the pads, and they can do pads only (instead of both rotors AND pads). It seems like the light is directly connected to the break condition - at least in my case.
You said you had your breaks fixed - can I ask much much you paid? I was quoted $400 at a regular shop for something that everyone says it's "wear & tear". Could you tell me your experience?
Many thanks.

autonomous · February 2007

went for my 25K miles service and was told that I need to change the pads, and they can do pads only ... I was quoted $400 at a regular shop for something that everyone says it's "wear & tear".

Pads do wear out. Assuming that you have a 2002 or 2003 P5, requiring a brake job at 25K miles indicates to me that you don't drive this car much. What may be happening is that your brakes have seized (i.e. locked up) and then they wore down your pads. This usually happens on the rear brakes. $400 to replace pads is quite pricey, especially if this is for the rear pads only. Your rotors may also have been affected. It's unusual in my experience that a shop that does brake work cannot do rotors. You may want a second opinion. Also, consider having your brakes lubricated annually to prevent them from seizing.

mummpo · February 2007

Funny isn't it? Mt Pro 5 is JUST out of warranty and the lowbeam headlights have each gone out within a month. Determined to do it myself I got the manual out and set to change the first one. I soon discovered that you need to have the hands of a munchkin to get in the space as described. Now the dealer says 1/2 hour labor to change the second one. Any ideas as to whether I just missed something, or if there is any way to avoid this cost?

autonomous · February 2007

lowbeam headlights have each gone out within a month. Determined to do it myself I got the manual out and set to change the first one. ... you need to have the hands of a munchkin to get in the space ... the dealer says 1/2 hour labor to change the second one. ... any way to avoid this cost?

Yes, the headlight bulbs are a pain to change; they are tightly arranged in a dark spot in which it is difficult to work. A half hour may be excessive but the dealer may be charging you a minimum. Try getting the shop to do related activities done (e.g. oil change / battery test) at the same time. That makes it more profitable for the dealership to handle the job, while reducing the overall cost to you of the individual activities. If it's any consolation, I have replaced two bulbs so far and have found it was easier the second time round. Two tips: don't touch the glass portion; work in a well lit area with a flashlight handy.

erics6 · February 2007

My lowbeams went out recently too just before I sold the car. Within a month of each other.

Went to my independent mechanic who after ordering the correct bulb (not in stock) took a couple of minutes and put them in for the cost of the bulb ($12/each).

autonomous · March 2007

Excellent! That's one good reason to stick with the same mechanic. Once you've found a good mechanic, hang on to him/her.

ddubbleya · March 2007

So after trouble shooting for, it seemed like eternity, I finally called my extended warranty for the long shot. I was still covered

, so I took my car to the dealership to let them do their worst. They did their diagnostic and found the miss fire codes, and a failed catalytic converter warm up code. Their recommendations: coil packs, spark plug wires, spark plugs, and catalytic converter. All were under warranty except the wires and plugs (note: parts fell under different warranties; emissions, and so on.). About the cat, I guess the miss fire had let enough unburned fuel to pass by and ruin the cat. Well, had the car back for around two weeks and NO problems so far. I guess the coils were the problem, the only thing I don't understand is why they affected the starting, turn the key and all you heard was the starter. Coils must have been the problem.

The reason for me posting this is just in case anyone else runs in to these same problems. Also, a reminder if your car is out of factory warranty because of "time", remember some of your parts are covered to a certain mileage. Like I found out your emissions are covered for MILEAGE NOT TIME, something to do with federal regulations. So if your catalytic converter went bad like mine, fix your miss fire and let the warranty eat the cost of the catalytic convertor, not you. I think you EGR valve should be covered by this too, highly recommend checking it out, can save you some big money. Hope this helps others, sorry for the long read.

autonomous · March 2007

Lots of good points, ddubbleya!

allred1 · March 2007

I have a 2003, quite low miles, no problems, but the antenna snapped off. I need to replace the entire thing, including the base...has anyone tried this themselves?

autonomous · March 2007

antenna snapped off. I need to replace the entire thing, including the base
Ouch! In case you want to look at the manual here it is: http://protege5.ugly.net

jfort · April 2007

I'm having to replace my low beam headlights on my 2002 P'5 and am running into some issues. The catalogs give a bulb that won't fit my socket. The light called for is a H7 (numbers the same with GE, Sylvania, etc) style (small two prongs) but my socket is a larger 3 prong style. The #9003 will fit this but the light output is terrible; can only see about 5-10 in front of my car. The 9003 is for earlier Protege's. Anybody run into this before? :confuse:

iamz · April 2007

The H7 is correct. The socket might have 3 slots, but it only uses 2 of them. My P5 goes through low beams at an amazing rate (about every 15K). No less than 6 bulbs per side since I bought the car new in 2001. 110,000 miles so far.

autonomous · April 2007

My P5 goes through low beams at an amazing rate (about every 15K). No less than 6 bulbs per side since ... 2001. 110,000 miles so far.
That is amazing; I've replaced mine once per side since 2002 and we have day running lights (i.e. lights on all the time).

iamz · April 2007

For safety reasons, I had always left my lights on during the day also. But now, in an effort to decrease the amount of money I'm spending on bulbs, I'm only running parking lights during the day. My car is the bright yellow so even without the headlights, I would hope people can see me.

They seem to burn out when I first turn them on. I'm thinking it must be some kind of voltage surge. Who knows.

autonomous · April 2007

My car is the bright yellow
Same as mine!

Are you installing the lights yourself? It's a bit tricky; including the part about not touching the bulbs with your fingers (to avoid them exploding!) and then fumbling with the paper clip like attachment. I wonder if it's something other than the bulbs that is causing this repeated problem. Consider having the dealer replace the next one and then warranty the work for 90 days or so.

iamz · April 2007

Ooops. I wasn't very clear when I wrote;

"They seem to burn out when I first turn them on. I'm thinking it must be some kind of voltage surge. Who knows."

I did not mean they tend to burn out right after I install them and attempt to turn them on. They work fine for thousands of miles after I install them, and then on any given morning, I get into my car, start the engine, flip on the lights, and just like that I'll see a flash (like a camera) on the garage and I'll know that one of them just burnt out. It's normally dark when I leave for work so I generally catch it when it happens.

They have burned out at other times and I won't know until I'm driving at night and notice the light output seem diminished. It just seems strange that the bulk of them go first thing in the morning.

Maybe my car is a night owl and just doesn't like getting up early in the morning.

jfort · April 2007

That's what I've been thinking too but I was looking at the socket and it looked too big for the H7, like the prong receptacle is too wide where plug meets bulb. I'll check it again. Thanks

jfort · April 2007

How do you adjust the headlights on the P5? The high beams are okay; low beams are way too low.

iamz · April 2007

I just thought of something you might have missed; The H7 does not plug directly into the wiring harness. It plugs into an intermediary housing that is made of black plastic. You must first remove the old H7 from this piece. Plug the new H7 into the intermediary, snap this assembly onto the headlight housing under the spring-clip, replace the rubber gasket, and only then attach the wiring harness receptical. Both the H7 and the intermediary have a key cut into them. The two must align. I believe the key points up in the lamp housing. If the light isn't aimed properly when you're done, then you either put it in upside down, or the key isn't nestled into position.

If you have to, you can carefully remove the other lowbeam and note how it is assembled.

jfort · April 2007

You're right. I went to Mazda and they told the same thing and sold me two of the intermediate plugs. I bought the car used so someone had replaced the H7 and inter plug with the 9003 on both sides. I could there was something just not right about the fit of the 9003 - it wasn't supposed to fit. I'll see how much better it is at night now; should be alots better. Thanks for the help.

bluepro5 · April 2007

I wonder which brand of headlights is bright as well as long lasting. The original ones that came with the car lasted from 2002 December thru around 2005 winter, a good 3 years. I've replaced new ones with sylvania "silver star" and each side lasted 10 months to a year only. These bulbs are not cheap (over $35 a pair) and the worst part is dealing with the paper-clip like spring every time I have to replace a bulb. Maybe less bright will give more lifetime for the bulb? I don't think i have used the high beam for more than 2 hours combined throughout the lifetime of the bulb!

iamz · April 2007

I've tried quite a few different types of bulbs. Those bluish ones burn out in about 3 months (about 6000 miles) so skip those (any brand). Sylvania has a bulb between the standard replacement and the Silverstar bulbs which also did not last as long as the standard. Right now I'm trying some really cheap bulbs from O'Reilly's that are only about $8 dollars. They are made in China. The first one I tried lasted only 28 days (about 2000 miles). I thought maybe it was just a bad one, so I'm trying a couple more.

waynemel · April 2007

I too have had rust problems on my silver 2002 P5. It started about 3 years into the life of the car in the rear wheel wells just where the outside panel folds over and is tack welded to the inside wheel well. I have also noticed some rust on the passenger door and rear driver side door. The paint is bubbling in these areas, which tells me there was a manufacturing defect (seams not sealed properly, poor welds). This has all happened despite being rust proofed at the dealer (against my better judgement). It all began after the 3 year warranty, and would not be covered because it is not a "perforation". This is a real dissapointment, since the car has been very reliable and fun to drive. I would be happier if it was a mechanical problem that can be fixed once and forgotten, rather than the "cancer" that rust is. The paint on the alloy wheels started to peel after about 1 year, which was covered under warranty. I have noticed the paint on the wheels is beginning to peel again.
Could this be a problem with Mazda silver paint?

autonomous · April 2007

I had similar experience with my 2002 Protege5...
- the original bulbs lasted a good while,
- replacements are costly ($C22+tax each); found slightly cheaper (C$17= tax) GE version but have not used it yet;
- replacing bulbs is a pain; be patient or have it done at your garage when you bring the car in for service;
- original high beams still working; hardly used in 5 years.

autonomous · April 2007

rust ... started about 3 years into the life of the car in the rear wheel wells ... also noticed some rust on the passenger door and rear driver side door ... happened despite being rust proofed at the dealer ... a real dissapointment, since the car has been very reliable and fun to drive.

I feel your pain! Rust proofing is a misnomer, we are actually retarding or slowing down the rust.

Did your dealer have the rust treatment repeated annually? Some rust treatments appear better to me than others; the ones that tend not to work seem to me to be those that trap moisture which actually increases the rusting. The best treatments ones wick the moisture out rather than trap it. Also, they tend to be liquidy rather than tar-like in order to secrete into joints and crevices.

Where on your doors did the rust start? Was it at the bottom? Typically, this is where car doors get scratched as they touch sidwalks or where moisture builds up because the drainage holes are blocked by debris. Run your hand against the bottom of the doors to check for rough surfaces and scratches; paint them before they start rusting. Check your drainage holes and clean them occasionally with a toothbrush. I also dab some oil/vaseline on rusty bolts or other parts to retard the rust.

waynemel · April 2007

The rust proofing was one of the heavy, one time applications. It is supposed to be warrantied for 10 years, IF you have the vehicle inspected every other year, AND this inspection is recorded on the warranty card by the dealer AND any rust is immediatly reported when first noticed. Of course, the dealer did not inform me of any of the finer points of this agreement, or make any attempt to record the inspections when I had them done. So I'm SOL.
The rust on the doors is in the middle of the bottom edge, not near a drain hole (which are clear) and there is no visible sign of any scratches. The paint is simply bubbling up from the rust forming underneath. This tells me it is a quality/manufacturing defect.
I have heard as well that the lighter, annual rust proofing products are much more effective (especially Krown Rust Control) which is recommended by most automotive experts. I plan on getting is treatment done after the rust is repaired.

autonomous · April 2007

I have been using Krown for nearly a decade. it's also sold in an aerosol can, you can use it for some localized spraying. Originally I had the car Ziebarted but I found it less effective and as you noted with some questionable conditions.

An essential tool in rust "proofing" is that little jar of touch up paint. I use it on all stone chips and many scratches.

indigo26 · May 2007

I have a 2003 Silver Protege 5 with aluminum wheels. I bought new tires around 20k (had a flat, they were still ok, but I'm in the snow belt and they weren't great traction-wise). I'm now up to 40k, and I have to replace at least one of my front wheel bearings, but likely going to have both done to alleviate the humming permanently (so annoying!). I'm also in the middle of having my brakes replaced. I first had the brakes priced at a dealership, and I think $800+ is a bit much for brakes. So I went to a more reasonable mechanic, who would do front and back for $500.

So for brakes, I had to have rotors and pads done, they install ceramic break pads to avoid dust on the wheels. I was surprised to have to replace rotors, but understood after a good mechanic showed me what was going on. The humming started just before this and I thought my tires were wearing funny at first. But then the noise changed and the mechanic told me it was the bearings. Are these normal things to replace at 40k miles?

I haven't had anything else that I can recall that needed repaired, kept up on oil changes and the like. It seems 40k was early for a wheel bearing though. What do you guys think?

( I got mine without a roof rack and I love it. )

autonomous · May 2007

in the middle of having my brakes replaced ...priced at a dealership ... $800+ is a bit much ... had to have rotors and pads done, they install ceramic break pads to avoid dust ... was surprised to have to replace rotors, but understood after a good mechanic showed me what was going on. The humming started just before this ... But then the noise changed and the mechanic told me it was the bearings. Are these normal things to replace at 40k miles?

I have heard that 40K miles for brakes is normal. You could get them to last longer depending on your driving patterns. Personally, I'm at 85K kilometres (56K miles) but I tend not to drive as many miles in the city as most. Also, disc brake parts need to be cleaned and lubricated periodically. Living in Canada where the roads are salted makes this cleaning and lubrication pretty important.

One of the determining factors for the cost of brake work is whether OEM or aftermarket parts are used. You mention $800+, is that U$ and did it include additional services like wheel alignment?

jwbr71 · May 2007

Hi. i have the same problem with the h7. Could you send me some information about the intermediate plugs? I need to buy them. Do you have the part number?. Thanks

trluvsmovies · May 2007

The green light that usually goes on when I press the A/C button on my 2002 Pr5 has been flickering off lately. When the light goes off, the A/C also goes off, without my having to press the button to turn the A/C off. Is my A/C going out?

autonomous · May 2007

When the light goes off, the A/C also goes off, without my having to press the button to turn the A/C off. Is my A/C going out?

Next time the light goes off, test the system by putting it to the maximum coolness and fan speed.

cobramania · June 2007

The previous owner installed the battery backwards. Ask me how I know!!

This is a long shot but if you're still listening, what was the solution to the problem.

I installed the battery backwards for just a moment... the main 100 Amp fuse blew. I replaced that but now I'm seeing exactly your symptoms ... the radio, interior lights, remote entry ... all the items that have power running to them when the ignition is off are now not functioning.

I too have checked all the fuses etc... But cannot find the fault.

Any thoughts?

Thanks very much.

drsarahc · June 2007

Mine does the same thing. If I turn the fan speed up, the light on the A/C button comes back on, and so does the A/C. What's going on?

drsarahc · June 2007

Just bought a used Pro5 with 70k miles on it. Has newish tires on it but they are 205/55/R16. Could this cause any problems?

Also, the spare, which is labelled T115/70/D15, is smooth as a baby's butt and the jack is missing. Is this the spare that goes with the car? Where can I buy a replacement tire? Do I need a special jack to work with the car?

Thanks for any advice!

iamz · June 2007

Loose wire, bad switch. I know the fan speed switch is a common failure in ALL cars. I'd pull open the center console and check all wire connections first.

iamz · June 2007

I'm running 205/60-16's so you'll have no problems other than your speedometer will read a little slower than the actual rate of travel. You can probably find a replacement jack at a salvage yard. if the bolt pattern is correct on the spare that is in your trunk and it holds air, that should be fine also.

autonomous · June 2007

If I turn the fan speed up, the light on the A/C button comes back on, and so does the A/C. What's going on?

If I have the fan speed set to zero, the A/C does not turn on. I have heard that it's a good idea to always keep some air circulating in order to avoid growing mold, so I never set the fan speed to zero. If you feel there is more to it than that, try asking your mechanic or the dealer to see what they say.

autonomous · June 2007

I agree for the most part with iamz except I would be concerned about a tire that is "smooth as a baby's butt" even if it's the spare. I would check around to see what would a replacement cost; cheap insurance.

abordoli · June 2007

I was trading my Protege5 in and switched dealers and the first dealer blew my 100 Amp fuse. Anyone know how to fix this cheaply since I want to trade it in to another dealership and it needs to be somewhat operational?

uwjohn2001 · June 2007

I was in a hurry and stupidely made the mistake of installing the battery backwards in my 03 Protege5. Took a little troubleshooting but its all good now. Same result. No radio, interior lights, or keyless remote. The main 100 amp fuse blew. That was replaced. A little tricky to remove. Fuse is the most lefthand fuse (blue in color) in engine compartment fuse box near battery. It does not just pull out. Unscrew the screws holding the fuse box in place and lift out the box. Below the 100 amp fuse are two bolts. You'll need an extension handle to remove both bolts. Once bolts out, fuse pulls right out. I ended up getting a replacement fuse ($2.89) from a Ford dealer. Mazda didnt have it. Next discovered blown fuse in the panel underneath the dashboard on driver side. Check all those fuses. Once blown fuse replaced all functions resumed. Thankfully!!! All in all it ended up being about a $3.00 mistake, but was a pain in the [non-permissible content removed].

abordoli · June 2007

I did manage to pick up a couple of fuses for around $6 each at the dealer (bought two in case one blew accidentally). Using a ratchet style hex-driver instead of a handle style one, I was able to get those two nuts off in order to replace the fuse (I actually had the entire fuse tray out of the vehicle, though). Everything worked as normal except the radio and the check engine light that was on no before the outage. I've never been completely without power before, so I am clueless as to whether a 'code' (hitting the preset numbers in a partiular sequence) is needed to get the radio back up and running. Any info on this would be appreciated.

maareksteele · June 2007

I have an '02 P5 with just over 50,000 miles. After the car gets good and warmed up, I hear an obnoxiously loud squeal that is emitted whenever the engine is revved between 2000 and 3000 rpms. It is most noticeable when engine braking downhill since the engine keeps its speed more constant during that time but it can be heard any time the engine is revved through that range.

Time for a new timing belt?

iamz · July 2007

Does sound like it could be belt noise, but probably not the timing belt.

herotakesafall · July 2007

Okay I'm not very familiar with this board, but I thought I'd ask a question for my friend. He has a 2002 Protege5 with Auto and about 130,000 miles. A few months ago, he noticed a weird problem with the car. Every so often he gets on the expressway and after a few minutes the car redlines suddenly (I'm assuming the transmission is slipping into a much lower gear?) and he has to pull over and turn the car off and then it's fine after that. He also said this *only* happens right when he has a full tank of gas, which really confuses me. Anyone know what it might be?

Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

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