Mazda Protegé

protegextwo

Clint, I'll find out and post asap.

I never asked; "how much?", at the time the Life-Guard:(sludge out) and MotorVac:(carbon clean fuel system) services were offered. Didn't see the need to spend the green.

My service team at Lacaster Toyota Mazda is off on Fridays. I'll check with them on Monday.

-Larry

protegextwo

"I don't think the Mazda3 will negatively effect resale value, but it isn't too good to begin with, so that isn't saying much."
-by boggse

Not true Boggse. The Mazda Protege scores in the top half of all compact cars in deprecation as measured by lease residual values. That IS a fact.

No doubt the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla have top box resale values, nonetheless the Mazda Protege is not chopped liver.

-Larry

audia8q

Also dont forget that the Protege has a lower ownership cost than the Corolla or Civic....When you consider the ownership costs (0% for 60mo) this eliminates any resale advantage that the competators have....

don't forget that the resale value benefits of the new 4 year/50K warranty. This will improve mazda Resale across the board as time goes on

chikoo

My engg common sense tells me that higher octane will help in detonating the fuel mixture only when the spark plug fires, and prevent detonation due to increase in combustion pressure and heat(cause of predetonation).

So using higher octane is actually not detrimental for any car and actually good if your car suffers from predetonation.

And if it causes detonation to occur only when the spark plug fires, why should it cause carbon buildup?

got it?

chikoo

pursuing the theory that oxygenated fuel contains "oxygen" for better combustion, it would also make it succeptible for pre-detonation due to the richness of the mixture.

So i went for higher octane(93) + oxygenated fuel in my pro es since the last one month and it makes a lot of difference.....sweet high RPM revving....great combustion due to the oxygenation and perfect timing due to higher octane.

SWEEEEET...

dinu01

Went to Mazda this morning.

Front pads had 5-10% left in them!

So they're doing:

Replace front pads
Machine rotors
Adjust rear drums
Adjust hand brake
Brake fluid flush
Clean all front and rear brake parts (dust off, etc)
Rotating the tires
Setting 32PSI all around

W/15% taxes included, total is $365 CDN. Not bad considering I asked for a better price and they're doing the brake flush for free. Original price was $400.20 taxes incl.

Lesson to learn: ALWAYS ask for a better deal.

With the brakes done and the AT, coolant, oil, and spark plugs all changed in Dec, my PRO's ready to zoom like a bat out of hell.

Watch out! Zoom-Zoom-Zoom!

Dinu

protege_fan

Were your brake pad indicators making any noise? Just curious....I'm wondering at what point one would hear them.

dinu01

They showed me the pads and said they could show me a new pad and compare it. I saw the wear indicator and I wasn't far off. I could just feel for a few weeks now it's taking longer to stop and since I drive it hard sometimes, I NEED solid brakes.

BTW, I was talking to the svc. mgr. and she said there are people that come in every 20.000kms for brakes - PROs that do deliveries...

Dinu

dinu01

That most cars last about 30.000kms, but the PROs last 40.000-50.000kms depending on how hard u are on them.

Dinu

boggse

I suppose I should have been clearer. When compared to the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the Protege has the poorest resale value of the three. If you want to compare it to Daewoos, Chevys, and Kias, it is a different story. It is on top in that comparison. My point is this, if you are buying an economy sedan to drive it for a good while, get a Protege. If you are buying an economy sedan to minimize depreciation over the next 2-3 years, don't buy a Protege. It isn't the worst for depreciation, but it isn't the best either.

I will cite my specific example. I purchased a 2001 Protege ES 5-Speed for ~$16,100 in April of 2001. When we went to trade it at the same dealer we purchased it from for a new 2003 Protege5 Automatic in December 2002, we were offered $8000. (we later sold it to CarMax for about what we owed) That is 50% depreciation of trade-in value in ~20 months. While that is not the worst rate out there, it is pretty steep. Rest assured a Civic or Corolla would have fetched a significantly larger percentage of their original value in the same time frame. Also, be advised that the used car market is currently flooded with trade-ins and off-lease vehicles. Supply & Demand tells us that this means they will be worth less. Only those vehicles deemed to inherently have higher resale value will survive this sort of weakening of market values, however artificial those inherent values are.

PS: Anyone know if the super duper warranty Hyundai & Kia offer has helped their resale value? It is a nice theory, I was just wondering if it held true.

protege_fan

I'm at about 35000 km and my brakes are still good. I'll have my Uncle check em out at 40000 kms.

edmund2460

Anyone out there who has used these tires on their Mazdas or any other car for that matter, have any comments on these Bridgestone tires?

edmund2460

My PRO-ES 2001 manual says 91 Octane is recommended. If you don't it says that there will be a loss of performance. I've been using 93 for 15600 miles. I don't think 87 did as well (but it could have been auto suggestion). So to get this finalized in my mind, does it depend on the year/model because all of the rest of you maintain that Mazda requires only 87.

tomciviletti

The mazdastuff site lists the mp3 strut brace for '01-'03 pro. does anyone know if it will fit the '99pro?

dinu01

As per my manual, p. 4-2 Canadian Edition:

"Your Mazda will perform best with regular unleaded fuel having a research octane number (antiknock index) of at least 91 [(R+M)/2 method, 87}."

"Fuel with a lower rating could cause the emission control system to lose effectiveness. It could also cause engine knocking and serious engine damage".

So are they saying to use Regular Unleaded 87 or Premium 91?

Dinu

dinu01

that there is a sticker on top of some text and the info I just typed is from the sticker. I tried removing it from the French section, but it ripped. I wonder if Mazda realized something about a problem w/engine knocking and decided to aply this sticker. Funny thing is that in their brochures it says "Regular". Regular fuel here is 87. Premium is 91, 92, 93, 94.

So what fuel should we use?

Dinu

bluong1

if I read correctly, they say both 87 and 91 are equally fine. So does US manual.

dinu01

Yeah, but why are they pushing the 91 octane, while mentioning Regular - Regular is 87, not 91!

And what is that equation they state? Any idea?

Dinu

bluong1

is the *Research* index (RON) ? and the equivalent (R+M)/2 (average of Research and Motor, i.e. RON and MON) is 87?

(R+M)/2 index rarely goes above 91, 92.

What's the standard in Canada? In British and France, they use RON.
 
Bruno

mdaffron

But if you'll look on the octane labels on the gas pumps in the U.S., you'll see the U.S. uses the formula (R+M)/2 ... so for the U.S. versions it's 87.

Meade

dinu01

in Canada.

All major gas stations have 91 (Esso, Shell, Petro Canada) or 94 (Sunoco).

Did I answe your question?

Dinu

bluong1

I just read this canadian website
 http://www.shell.ca/code/motoring/encyclopedia/gasolines/octane.h- - tml

I speculate that there is NO regulation in Canada about which standard gas pump has to use. It seems that most gas companies use (R+M)/2 method, however some of them "cheat" and use RON. Sunoco is probably one of them.

Bruno

chikoo

certainly makes the engine revvvvvvv sweeter than ever with the oxygenated fuel

boggse

According to the MazdaUSA website, the Protege's Recommended Fuel is "Unleaded regular"

wongpres

Canada uses (R+M)/2, so octane 87 is fine for the Protege.

And one question for you Dinu, I think you previously said that you go to Avante Toronto for service. Do you know if they have the Mazda6 in yet? I want to try one and they're the closest to me.

the_big_h

will fit ALL 3rd gen Proteges (99-03)

jayskay

I've been looking for a late model, low miles Protege for about three weeks. I went to look at a 2001 Protege LX today. The first thing I noticed was there was no trim emblem on the front panels. This shot a warning sign to me that maybe the front end was wrecked and rebuilt but I did not see any evidence of it.

The engine compartment looks new, the odometer only has 6000 miles on it and it seemed to drive just fine .

I could not get to much out of the people showing it to me as they said they were selling it for a friend. I never talked to the owner as everytime I call I get a recorder and then her friend calls me back. The most I got out of her was that her friend bought it from an auction after it was reposessed.

The only way I new it was an LX is because it had cruise control and matching side moldings, it also had moonroof and alloys. It was missing manuals and keyless entry (don't know if that was standard in 2001).

I put the VIN in at Autocheck and Carfax and they both came up with two reports which would probably be when it was registered and then when it was issued a Title to the original owner. I will run by a Mazda dealer and see what they have to say about the warranty.

Please advise if anyone has seen a Pro without the trim emblems on the side.

Thanks in advance,

jayskay

the_big_h

it could be that the front fenders were repainted due to (as you noted) previous accidents. How does it drive? If it drives straight and well it should be fine. But do use this as a bargaining chip to push the price down a bit :-)

Carfax will only show 'official' title transfers or salvage titles, any repairs that were done to it will not show up on the report.

If repaired properly (e.g. using OEM Mazda parts), the car should be fine, and you would still be able to use the warranty on it for future repairs (crossing fingers)

dinu01

Talked to a salesperson today about the 6: "At the end of the month". Got a 6 brochure - saw the options, saw the prices, got my PRO's brakes fixed and now I'm all happy.

So drop by in early Feb. or call 905-889-2001 to find out when they're getting them. The options are so much better set for us in Canada!

Dinu

wongpres

Yes the options are better in Canada, but the wait is ridiculous - I first saw this car in Oct '01, and it's coming to dealers in Feb '03!

Thanks for the info though.

theparallax

Thanks a lot!

maltb

Steve,
Send me an e-mail, please.

mazdafun

Every new car seems to generate 2 comments on its title. One is the odometer reading at time of transfer to the buyer. The second was the passing grade it got on a state-mandated emissions test.

I checked the VINs of our cars and discovered to my surprise that my '99 had 2 entries! I subscribed for a 30-day period and found out they were items like that.

I'd still invest in a title search on any used vehicles you're interested in as you'll find ones that were salvaged. Keep in mind that non-salvage repairs won't be reported. You'll have to check for signs of bodywork (like non-matching paint, welding etc.).

chicagopro

The emblems certainly could be missing due to repairs.

But I know of some folks who removed them simply because they didn't like the way they looked on the car.

kaiserhead

I was at Downtown Mazda in early January and they said that they were expecting a couple 6s to arrive by the end of the month. I sat in one yesterday while my protege was getting serviced, its nice, the gauges are big (almost too big) and the manual shifter is positioned a little higher than the Protege, I'll have to drive it on the next visit.

fowler3

You won't believe the computer I use to get on here. It's a 1997 Macintosh 200Mhz with only 64MB. The OS is seven upgrades behind current Macs. And my browser is Netscape 4.5 (1996), way behind. Read ANTIQUE!

Everything worked fine until Edmunds redecorated.

Now, I get grey screens for 3 to 5 minutes before a page downloads. Downloaded pages are not in pieces as before, they are all at once. Text looks 8 point even though I have it set at 24 points. While waiting for a page to download my screen freezes completely.

This isn't my best computer, which is up-to-date. I just don't go on the Net with it. At least not yet.

Pat, where's that feedback page?

fowler3

pat

Go here to post your reactions to the redesign: Town Hall New Look.

the_big_h

no wonder your browser barely works (or the computer for that matter).

get your new computer hooked online ASAP!

dinu01

Hold CTRL and use the scroll wheel on your mouse.

See magic happen before your eyes...

Dinu

boggse

What is supposed to happen? I don't see any unusual behavior. I am on a Mac running OS X with Microsoft Intellimouse Optical.

The Fuel section of my 2003 Protege5 is much clearer about what Octane to use: 87 R+M/2 method or 91 RON.

For security reasons alone you should upgrade to Netscape 4.8. Here is the link:

ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/communicator/english/4.8/mac/complete_- install/

dinu01

The font and web page size changes - kinda like the zoom function in Acrobat Reader.

Dinu

maltb

it only works on IE.

edmund2460

Dinu quoted:
As per my manual, p. 4-2 Canadian Edition:

"Your Mazda will perform best with regular unleaded fuel having a research octane number (antiknock index) of at least 91 [(R+M)/2 method, 87}."

"Fuel with a lower rating could cause the emission control system to lose effectiveness. It could also cause engine knocking and serious engine damage".

My US manual starts with the same first para but the second para states

"You may use a regular unleaded gasoline with a rating from 87 to 90, this will slightly reduce performance"

That sounds a lot less dire than the Canadian version. This is for the 2.0 (ES). My car is a 2001 ES.

Inconsistent. Interesting...

dinu01

Same car as yours - 01 ES.

It just looked weird b/c it seems to contradict itself at a first glance. And yes, my PRO's only seen regular 87.

Dinu

dinu01

From The Toronto Star Wheels Section - thestar.com

Vehicle - Units Sold - % Compared to 2001

CARS

Civic Sedan/Coupe - 68.960 - +4.1%
Cavalier - 53.614 - +9.2
Protege - 48.872 - +5.5
Sunfire - 46.036 - +11.2
Corolla - 44.790 - +14.4
Focus - 40.228 - -3.7
Accord - 30.060 - +5.9
Camry - 28.967 - +34.7
Accent - 26.538 - +4.8
Jetta - 23.984 - +2.9

TRUCKS

Caravan - 83.588 - -0.6
C/K/Silverqdo/Sierra - 81.695 - +2.6
F-Series - 67.809 - 3.4
Venture/Montana/Silhouette - 63.533 - +7.0
Windstar - 37.428 - -6.7
Ram P/U - 32.950 - +26.2
Explorer - 24.218 - +16.6
CR-V - 21.245 - +61.7
Dakota - 17.152 - +9.5
Escape - 15.945 - +4.7

Dinu

mdaffron

He's getting a few odds & ends looked at prior to the expiration of his warranty. 49,425 miles today.

BTW, there was a dark blue Mazdaspeed Protege on the lot. It was hard to see much detail because the sun wasn't up yet, but I did notice the nice wheels, two-tone steering wheel, short-throw shifter, ground effects a'la Protege5, and Mazdaspeed badge on the rear of the car.

I also noticed a sticker of $20,500, and a "market value adjustment" bringing the car to -- you ready? $21,995!!! Heck, there was a nice 6i with Tiptronic next to it for more than a thousand bucks less!

Meade

newcar31

"You may use a regular unleaded gasoline with a rating from 87 to 90, this will slightly reduce performance"

OK, I've been using 87. Which is it? 87 or premium?

theparallax

you sure it was blue? They only make em in Spicy Orange and Black for the first production run.

The "market adjustment" crap pisses me off. If Mazda didn't make the production run limited, it would sell a lot more of them.

the_big_h

the reflection off of the blue sky (not a cloud here in NoVA yesterday) must've given it a blue hue.

With only 1500 in production, of course these cars will fetch for more, not to mention it'll complete outrun a 6i in a heartbeat ;-)

boggse

First some definitions:

RON - Research Octane Number
MON - Motor Octane Number
CLC Method - RON+MON/2

It must be referring to a RON value of 87 to 90, as opposed to a RON value of 91 which is recommended. A CLC Method value of 87 is approximately equivalent to a RON value of 91.

Look at the pump: if it says R+M/2 is 87, then you are safe. As far as I know, all of North America uses the CLC Method to rate gasoline.

Other parts of the world probably do not. Especially in places that tax the heck out of petroleum imports, so people will go with a lower grade fuel to save $$. Later model years (e.g. my 2003 P5) more clearly state that 87 octane using the CLC method is what is required.

If you really want to learn about octane ratings, do a Google search, but feel safe in knowing that all your Protege needs is 87 (CLC Method).