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Comments
Most people kept the switch set to the soft horn, but some of the louder pressure and musical horns did sound pretty incredible, I must admit!
-larry
I have mine changed every 2 years, regardless of mileage. I don't give the anti-corrosive agents any chance to lose their effectiveness. I'd rather pay for a few more coolant changes than to go through the process of replacing a radiator again.
Meade
Well, I broke down and ordered new tires for my 2001 ES. I ended up talking myself into getting the Toyo Proxes T1-S. I found a local wheel shop that could get them for me at $135 each. I probably could have beaten that at some of the places I found online, but I like to give the local guy my business when I can. He charges $50 for mounting and balancing. He has a machine that balances the wheel before he puts the tire on. He also uses a mounting apparatus that is supposed to avoid scratching up the wheel. I'll let everyone know how it goes.
For the record, my Dunlop SP Sport 5000m tires have 17,800 miles on them with 3/32 of tread remaining.
One of them has recently started to go out of round which prompted me to order early. It is barely noticeable except when coasting at about 30-50 mph, but the guy I ordered my tires from confirmed my suspicions, although he did say I was being overly sensitive, and that it was barely out of round. I'll post some pictures on that other site when the work is complete.
Anyway - Edward, I considered these tires as well, but they are purely summer-only tires, correct? Which is why I went with the (quieter, slightly highe tread-rated and all-season) Falken ZIEX Z-512's. Those cost me $55 each for 195/50-15 (I assume you need 195/50-16) at tires.com, and $36 for mounting and balancing at Costco.
The Toyos do have excellent ratings as well as dry traction and quietness reports though - keep us posted, and post pictures!
Meade
Meade
And as of 9:30 this morning, I'm the proud renter of a 2001 Focus (approx 20000 mi). Pro is in the shop for the ignition coil recall, the side mirror that some charming person broke on Saturday night while I was parked, the broken seat belt thingy, and a couple of other minor (I hope) things. Still waiting to hear back from the service guy with an estimate.
Focus thoughts--
Pros:
Seems peppy enough, similar to my car; steering seems comparable as well.
Like sitting up a little higher.
Pretty good legroom, especially for my left leg.
Slightly softer ride, although not soft enough to be considered wallowy, I don't think.
Cons:
Kind of noisy engine.
Turn-signal indicator stalk VERY cheesy. Like Barbie's Dream Focus.
Driving at 60 on smooth pavement, suddenly got a lot of vibration in the steering wheel. What's up with that??
Whiplash brakes.
Still, one of the better rentals I've had in the last couple of years.
The power sucked, I thought, but of course I am used to 180hp and a turbo.
Don't know about the vibration, mine didn't have that.
Vibration = Out of balance wheels caused by renters probably abusing the car since it's a rental.
Reminds me of the time I had a 1998 Kia Sephia as a loaner. I made the HORRIBLE MISTAKE of taking a SPEED BUMP too fast in my apartment complex (honestly everyone, I was going no more than 15 mph) and BENT one of its optional factory ALLOY WHEELS. Didn't realize it until I got on the interstate the next morning and the steering wheel started acting like my wife's food processor.
Kinda permanently did something for my opinion of legendary Kia quality.
Meade
But right now, U let me know what I am looking for.
Please?
dale, what's whiplash brakes? is that grippy non-modulatable brakes?
"I just gotta know ... and it's REAL important! But I can't tell you until you tell me!!!"
C'mon, stop playing games. Out with it!
Meadeball
P.S. "Whiplash brakes" are typical Ford brakes that don't have any pedal feel. You press on the pedal ever so slowly, and the car refuses to slow down, so you press a little more -- still no response, so you press just a weensey bit more and SCREEEEEEECHHHH!!!
He almost did throw himself and I through the windshield of the VW when he drove it the first time, it was too funny. You hardly even touch the brakes, and BAM, you're stopped.
The Ford Focus has a better warranty to compete with cars that are designed and built with a modest semblance of reliability, Ford has extended its power train warranty on the 2003 Focus compacts to five years/100,000 miles.
CONS:
The Ford Focus has been recalled 11 times, and is now being studied in six separate safety investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for problems with air bags and suspension parts.
Sweet bejibbers, I can not wait until Ford gets it's hands on the new Gen Mazda Protege/3! Because,...I need a good cry!!!
:^{
-larry
Or are you talking about whistles, leaky fluid or low trade-in value?
Meade
Actually, maybe they own US.
Meade
P.S. to Larry: relax, I'm not thinking about getting a Focus.
And which car would be dog like, then (for a replacement)? The squat bulldog-stance-blessed BMW 3-series, perhaps?
As for the new tires, they are on, but I cannot say much about them yet other that they are much quieter than the Dunlops they took off, although some of that may have been due to the screw they found in the front passenger side tire. I was told not to "hot rod" for a day or so since the lubricant they use to put the tires on the rims doesn't dry for about a day. If I were to floor it or do an emergency stop, I could screw up the balance. The Pro will actually spend the weekend at the airport awaiting my return, so it should have plenty of time to dry. When it does dry, the lubricant acts as a cement between the wheel and the tire. Needless to say, I look forward to trying them out in earnest Sunday night on the way home. I'll post some pics when I get home from the Gym.
Oh, and change would be 9.90, assuming you (are implying that you) get it out of 10.00, after stopping on a 0.10. :-p
They look awesome! Wait to scrub them in a bit and tell us how they ride/feel/handle!
When you are coming to a dead stop on your protege, does the speedometer kind-of hover between 10-0mph, and come down slowly or does it come down fast, as fast as you are braking?
Meade, since I am looking for info in the first place, I guess I have no choice but to let u know why I am looking for the information. here goes:
After I had my transmission replaced, I can still hear the clunk(albeit lesser than my original tranny) of the first gear when coming to a dead stop. And I don't want it to start clunking as it gets old the same way.
The reason I believe is that the speedometer comes down fast(linearly), as fast as I am braking. This results in a rapid gear change down to 1st gear during braking. If I brake softly, allowing the speedometer to come down slowly, there is no clunk.
Why I noted this was While coming to a stop on the loaner 626lx, I observed that the speedometer does not fall as fast as my protege, especially in the 10-0 mph range.It kind of comes down slowly, thus allowing for a smoother gear change into 1st.
I've got a 5 spd if that makes any difference to your theory.
I am looking for Automatic transmission Protege responses.
And if the Automatic transmission speedo hovers and comes down slowly from 10->0 mph, then I know I have a 5-speed speed sensor sitting in my car
Steve
However, since I was watching, I noticed that it doesn't go up from 0 as rapidly as I accelerate. It doesn't matter how slowly I do it. It will stay at 0 for about a half second or so before it rises rapidly to whatever speed I'm going. It's almost as if the sensor is attached to some kind of flywheel and the flywheel takes a little time to get moving at first. Odd.
I know some older civics and Lexuses come into first gear at as high as 12-15mph(courtesy of web discussion boards)
Mazdafun, that is exactly how my speedo behaves, but if you have no radio blasting in the cabin, you can hear the solenoid for the first gear coming into action to engage the first gear. Problem is that it is quite low in my new tranny(so was with my original tranny when new) but later on(@23000), it really started making a fairly audible clunk.
I don't want my new tranny to go the same way.
So people please keep on contributing your observations.
Thank you all.
Also, on my car, the speedometer markings are non-linear in the low range - ie 0-10 does not trace out the same arc (in angles/radians) as the linear part from around 15mph onwards. IIRC (from my Physics basics) this has something to do with the inability of a magnet/solenoid based system to be accurate until it has been
a. Activated for a while
b. In motion at a reasonably high rate
So magnet-based (device) readings are inherently inaccurate in the low range before the appropriate coils/magnets are fully/adequately (depending on acceleration/deceleration) magnetized. Similar to old-style volt- and ohm-meters with needles, just like speedos.
He He, perhaps its time to buy a piece-a-junk from Lincoln or the Suzuki Aerio with a digital speedo/tacho?
I will be awaiting ur response.
the speedometer drops gradually as the car slows down to a full stop at which time it then goes to 0, without any hovering.
i have a 2002 automatic lx.
hope this helps
Needle drops in a smooth motion as speed decreases. Looked at it today from 40km/h all the way to 0km/h (25mph-0mph). No going up/down/sudden movements.
Hope it answers the question guys.
Dinu