Mazda Protegé

vocus

I had the windshield in my 1999 Pro DX changed because rocks hit it and cracked it. The car was fine to drive an hour after the job was done, the guy who put it in said. I had them come to my office and do it though, so that was not a problem.

Larry: You might try getting the truck's information next time and calling them. I did that with my DX, and the trucking co. paid $306 for my new windshield.

rbrooks3

I called mazda to check and see if the windshield is "structural" or not on the 02 pro and 00 MPV. They are checking and will call me back.

On the climbing RPMs with manual cars with cruise, Mazda gave me an odd answer. I won't review the problem and save you all more boring reading (if you are interested, just check back on my prior posts). Mazda said my inquiry was closed. When I asked why, they said because the dealer said he duplicated the "problem" on another 02 so it was "normal". I reminded the Mazda rep that that is why i called them. the dealer said it was "normal" and I wanted to make sure the manufacturer intended this to be "normal" since one dealership rep and one Mazda Cust. Serv. rep said it was not "normal". They re-opened my inquiry and said I'd have an answer today on it and the cruise control question.

protegextwo

"Larry: You might try getting the truck's information next time and calling them. I did that with my DX, and the trucking co. paid $306 for my new windshield."

I hear ya Paul, except I heard a muffled crack sound and realized a stone was thrown, however I saw no visible crack. The next morning 18 or more inches of glass replacement "hell" from the bottom right extending upwards to the middle of my windshield. I parked my car outside my garage, perhaps the changing temps from night to day assisted my glass replacement purgatory?

-love train

mazdafun

I have to agree with her on those.

Even though diesel engines have improved of late, they're still dirtier than gas (especially since the refiners in the US for some reason cannot make it as clean as the diesel in Europe), so those are out for us.

And we both think the Echo is ugly and the interior is too cheap even for us.

Probably the only real gas options are the Corolla and Civic HX (they still make this model?). We both think Civics are overpriced, and the local Honda dealers are still too sleazy (one tried to hold onto my drivers license during a test drive...does that make any sense?), so that pretty much leaves the Corolla. It'd be OK with me, but she's still a-waiting improved hybrids or other AFVs (alternative fuel vehicles). Given the instability in the oil-rich regions and other nasty aspects of the petrol industry, I can sympathize with her.

Motorweek had a program on this about two weeks ago. I had no idea Honda had a Civic GX (uses CNG, compressed natural gas) for sale in the US to individuals. Usually these models are for fleet sales only.

Oh well, come on Mazda, get that fuel cell technology moving so I can get a sporty, practical and clean (emission-wise) car! I think they're playing with their Premacy fuel cell vehicle in Japan.

Speaking of fuel cell-driven cars, that Honda Dualnote shows that fun can be had with environmentally-friendly technology. It's just REALLY EXPENSIVE right now.

vocus

The same thing happend with both my Proteges. The crack in the DX didn't appear until the next morning. Who said to get behind the truck who did it? I had gotten behind another truck who hit me with a rock, and they paid for it through insurance or something like that. They did crack my windshield as well, but they added to the crack that was already there.

I came out one morning and found the windshield of my 2001 ES cracked as well. It looked like someone had did it though, because there was no "starburst" * or anything like that in the glass. It was just cracked pretty badly. I traded the car before replacing the glass though.

vocus

The diesel might be dirtier than gas, but it's cheaper some of the time and gets great economy. Also, I know they're very reliable as well.

The Echo isn't a bad car, but it does feel cheap. That's it's mission though, to be cheap transportation for younger people. I keep hearing the car isn't making it sales goal, but it seems I see alot of them on the road, so I don't know.

protege_fan

Not sure how it works for you guys, but my insurance company does not cover my front windshield.

Is it just me or is the windshield in the Pro really weak? I have a ton of chips in my windshield, while the windshield in the '91 Jetta we have looks to be in better condition. Also, as I've said before, there are many scratches in my windshield.

Is this a trend in newer windshields?

protege_fan

I spent a few hours washing my Pro and helping my buddy wash his Impreza wagon. I used to use armor all car wash, but bought some Mother's car wash to try out. The Mother's product says it
resists water spots and produces a great shine". It worked great! No water spots, and a really really good shine.

We also waxed his car using Mother's pure carnuba liquid wax. There was basically zero white-residue and it went on and off really easily. Shine was great as well...now it's just a matter of seeing how long it lasts.

But here's the kicker...on a day where the probability of percipitation was less than 10%, it rained for about 5 minutes that night all over my just-washed Pro

mazdafun

Just enough to coat it with little spots of dirt, eh?

The weather's not broken enough for me to justify washing my Pro yet. Seems to rain 4 out of 7 days here. I don't think we've had a week without some form of precipitation for a while. At least it rains really hard sometimes...enough to knock off most of the dust and pollen.

protege_fan

You know it....still looks really shiny from far away, but when you get close...

Oh well, supposed to rain Tues and Wed anyway.

seminole_kev

Someone over in the Focus sedan topic asked about the passive rear steering feature of the suspension. I understand a little of the concept, but haven't seen a good diagram or breakdown of how it works. I know the Protege also has this feature. Anyone here understand it well, as I do not? If so, and you're not too busy, could you post a quick outline of how it works over on the Focus-sedan topic. I think there's a few suspension guru's lurking about here. Thanks guys.

mdaffron

OK everyone, FIVE DAYS TO GO!

I have tallied the lists, and here's the "official" rundown to date ...

37 people (wowzers)
23 Proteges
1 river-bound Jetta

In case you're interested in what kinds of Proteges are coming, here's the breakdown:

1991: 2 LX
1992: 1 LX
1993: 1 DX, 1 LX
1994: 1 DX
1995: 2 DX
1997: 1 DX
1999: 1 LX
2000: 3 DX, 1 LX, 2 ES
2001: 3 MP3 (yeah, THREE of 'em!!!)
2002: 4 P5 and the aforementioned river-bound Jetta

Looking forward to a record MAPP! See you Saturday!

Meade

vocus

And, FYI, that river-bound Jetta is a GLS 1.8T (since Meade left me out of the "list" above).

mdaffron

This is a Protege picnic. Be glad I mentioned your non-conforming vehicle at all.

;-)

What list did I leave you out of, Paul?

Meade

vocus

The list where you named all the different models coming to the MAPP.

Non-comforming? Yeah, ok. Whatevah.

mdaffron

If you're referring to the fact that I didn't include "GLS 1.8T," that's because, as I said, this is a PROTEGE picnic. The trim level of your Jetta probably doesn't interest anyone coming, so I decided to just say Jetta. (Be nice to me; I could've just said "VW," "non-Protege" or not even mentioned your car at all.) Besides, if you wanna get technical, my Protege is an ES 1,849cc DOHC 16-valve 5-speed.

Hee. Hee.

Meade

chicagopro

I'm looking forward to meeting you.

--Dale

krotine

You're looking forward to meeting everybody.

; )

Just kidding, ha ha.

vocus

You are definitely one of the major reasons I am coming. Considering everyone saying they are going to throw my Jetta in the river, I am going to brave it and come anyway.

chicagopro

Okay, dude, you win the prize for being the first one to make me laugh out loud today.

And somebody say something about Proteges, quick.

mazdafun

It's a modified Machpherson strut set-up. Lower lateral (sideways) links are added to the bottom that passively turn the wheels according to lateral load. This counteracts the understeer inherent to FWD vehicles by toeing the fronts fo the rear wheels inwards or outwards. I haven't found a good demo of how one works either, although there are plenty of static (still) images.

seminole_kev

thanks. Hey, I'd settle for stills as I haven't seen anything nice like a layout of the suspension and a couple of arrows pointing side to side ;-)

mdaffron

I'm not thinking "throw" as much as "push."

;-)

Paul, you're too sensitive. I hope you do know I'm playing around with you, you whimpering little puppy dog. For the record, fellow Townhallers, Paul and I met at the First MAPP two years ago and saw each other again last October. Paul's one of my oldest, best friends on the Town Hall.

And you only hurt the ones you love.

Meade

mdaffron

I'm looking forward to meeting you.

-- Meade

vocus

I know you are only kidding dude, don't worry about it.

This is unbelievable, but my car is still NOT ready! The shop foreman working on my car had a death in his family, so he will be out for a couple days. I told them to take their time, because I had a death back in 2001 and can totally sympathize. It might be another week or two before I see my car again. It better NOT have one freaking rattle when I get it back, or it's going through the dealership's front window!

dinu01

Seems to me (and everyone here) that your Jetta has been in the shop more than the elves in Santa's Shop

You know you want a MazdaSpeed3!

Dinu

fowler3

You asked..."I did suggest she take my '99, but she says she can't see herself driving a bright red car. Otherwise, she'd actually be tempted to. What's wrong with bright red anyway?"

This may go way back to an earlier time when "ladies" wouldn't be caught dead in a red car. That was in the days when fast women (not fast female drivers) drove red cars. Especially those who have had more one-night-stands than Ringling Bros.Circus.

I think your wife should get a white Pro5. White cars, other than being cooler inside, also present a neutral image...neither fast nor slow.

fowler3

mazdafun

Like silver, or light sand metallic. She doesn't like them, she just doesn't object to them and they hide dirt. She's not much into keeping her car too clean (although she does complain about it...I sometimes wash it when the weather gets nice).

She would like white, but afraid it'll show dirt easily. Of course, she drives a black/blue (almost black) Saturn right now. That shows everything but the road tar. Gets awful hot too. But I have to admit it looks sharp when it's clean.

number42

i think the sandalwood looks much nicer than the sand. Darker and richer color. it also hides dirt well enough.

vocus

Nope, no MS3 for me. I will stick with my car for now. I am glad VWoA is taking the time and effort to work on the problem for me. Something Mazda totally did NOT do. I don't like giving companies like that my business anymore, really.

meinrad

Paul, didn't you say the dealer only really started treating you great once you got a lawyer involved? How can that be great service? What would they have done if you didn't get the lawyer involved? If the dealer would have gone above and beyond without the added incentive then fine, but don't bash Mazda because you pressured VW into treating you better.

mdaffron

Meade

meinrad

you are having a BIG MAPP this coming weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vocus

I got a lawyer involved because a lawyer is a good friend and he said he would call them. They seemed pretty nice the other times I took the car in though. They treated me great before, but it seems it got alot better now.

And I am bashing Mazda because they treated me like crap and I don't go for it.

Meade, this relates to Proteges because Dinu said he knew I wanted an MS3. I was telling him why I would not buy one, even if I did want one.

mdaffron

I'll jump in.

So how many days has the Jed-duh been in the shop now, Paul? (You did bring it up, dude.)

Meade

mdaffron

... bashing Mazda when it was your DEALER that treated you like crap. If that dealer treated you so poorly, why in the freakin' world did you go back to THAT DEALER to (a) trade in your car, and (b) buy another car? Don't give me this crap about hearing their VW service was somehow better than Mazda's service. You're still sticking your money in the pockets of people who treated you like crap and gypped you. What gives?

Meade

vocus

Looks like you are the confused one, not me. I did not buy the car from the dealer from whom I didn't like their service. I work 35 or so miles from home, and used to take my Mazda for service closer to work, since they would not gimme a loaner or ride to work (it was 2 miles too far for them, they said). I used to get a co-worker to pick me up. Anyway, that is where the bad service came from on one occasion. The other dealer I didn't like was S&S (pretty big in Maryland), and they don't have VW so I didn't get the Jetta from them either.

Like I said, once I get bad customer service, I don't go back. And I called Mazda about my radio problem, and they said I could take the car in for a checkup about the problem, but they could not clear a rental/loaner for me. So even Mazda NA didn't help me any.

protegenic

Very few dealers would secure a loaner for a radio replacement. Typically that can be completed in a short period of time if you set up the appointment in advance. As for what dealer/make you like, let's see, which way is the wind blowing today? Sorry Paul, but you are basically the Cybil of this forum when it comes to reversing previously stated positions! But that is what makes you so much fun!

seminole_kev

again wanted to thank you for the suspension talk yesterday. I appreciate the helpful post. Let me know if you come across any good pictures of the passive rear steering and how that works.

Kev

mdaffron

The way the story keeps changing, I'm now completely lost. Paul, you've told us all many times that the service you receive from the Jetta side of your dealership is far superior to the service you received from the Mazda side of the same dealership. So now you tell us that your bad service was on ONE occasion? And I'm extrapolating from what you just posted that this "bad service" was in relation to them not giving you a loaner car or a ride to work for a radio replacement? And come on, Paul -- do you really think Mazda North America is going to force a dealer to provide a free loaner car for a radio replacement?

Now please clue us in. Am I living on another planet, or did you not tell all of us that you bought your VW from the same dealer that serviced your Protege? And therefore you ARE patronizing a business that screwed you (according to you, anyway)?

Reeling in confusion,

Meade

mdaffron

Was this "rattle" in your Jetta that bad that they couldn't schedule to have you drop your car off whenever this "rubber treatment" order comes in? Seems kinda like BAD SERVICE to keep your car tied up at the dealership for WEEKS ON END while they wait for a part. If it was a blown engine or something, I could understand it. But keeping you out of your car for three weeks for a RATTLE? Give me a freakin' break! My truck was in the shop for an entire engine rebuild (even had the block out to be remachined) -- and this was on THEIR DIME at 80,000 miles with no extended warranty, thanks to MoNA, while we're talking about service -- and it was only in the shop for 10 days! Sorry, but your wonderful service department seems a little inept! Tell us -- how many times and for how long has this car of yours been in the shop since you bought it, and how long have you owned it?

Meade

vocus

I thought they would give the car back to me as well, but they did not. I guess they didn't want to have to inconvenience me with bringing the car back in again. It had been to the shop like 3 times for the same thing, because it was not fixed right. The car just turned 6 months old and has like 14K miles on it (I haven't driven it in so long, I don't rememeber!). They are treating me really well for just a little rattle though.

And as far as the radio replacement, I took the Jetta in for a blown radio fuse (I didn't know what it was of course when I took it in, or I would have tried to fix it myself. The same dealer that would not gimme a ride the 2 extra miles to work gave me a loaner right there on the spot when I took the VW in.

I bought the Protege ES from Schafer & Strominger Mazda in Towson, Md. It was taken there, and to Darcars of College Park for service. I bought the Jetta at Antwerpen VW of Pasadena, Md. It was taken there for service, as well as to Darcars (for the radio only), and to Russel VW of Baltimore.

mdaffron

Musical service departments, lol ... Ever thought of taking your car to only ONE dealership for service, so you can build a reputation with that service department? You might get better results in the long run if you become a full-time, long-term customer. I firmly believe that's the reason my problematic truck was taken care of at my dealership's expense right up until I traded it for the Protege at five years and 114,000 miles -- the truck was my third Mazda from that dealership, and I had all my service done there too.

I do think it's interesting to note that with all the bad-mouthing you give Mazda and your former 2001 Protege, that you've come to know the service departments at THREE DIFFERENT VW DEALERS and you've only had the car for 14,000 miles and less than a year.

FWIW, my Protege has been in the shop for TWO unscheduled problems, both of which I caused -- a jammed CD that had a homemade label on it, and a broken plastic clip in the trunk that I shoved too large a box into -- in 36,000 miles. My car will be two years old on May 24.

Better hurry up and decide whether you're gonna go Lemon Law on the Jetta -- Maryland's Lemon Law covers you for 15,000 miles.

Meade

vocus

I have taken, and always will take, the VW to Russel. I never thought about building a relationship though.

mdaffron

"I bought the Jetta at Antwerpen VW of Pasadena, Md. It was taken there for service, as well as to Darcars (for the radio only), and to Russel VW of Baltimore."

Meade

pat

Please either take this conversation to the Jetta discussion or off-line.

Thank you.

Pat
Sedans Host

vocus

Would the Protege Posse room be acceptable? Shouldn't we have been referred to that room in the past? And also, this does concern the Protege as well.

vocus

I found a dept. (Russel) that I like and will stick with from here on out. It's also close to home, and they treat me very well.

pat

It comes across as being focused on the Jetta. I don't know whether KarenS would mind it occurring in the Posse discussion, so I can't answer that.

I'm not sure what you mean when you ask me why you weren't told of that discussion. There are a whole bunch of Protege topics in the Owners Club. When it was formed, it was announced here and ever since then there has been a link to it at the top of this page. I see that several of the regulars were posting in that discussion when it was first created.

And come to think of it, KarenS did drop by here a month or two ago and suggest that the off-topic discussions relocate to the Owners Club.

I'm sorry you weren't aware of it.

Pat
Sedans Host

mdaffron

OK. Sorry we got off-topic. I'll take it to e-mail.

Meade