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Comments
Also noticed the 2.0 is an interference engine with just 105k replacement required. Found a post from posse group saying this was incorrect. Back in June and supposedly gates was going to correct this. Haven't got to it yet it looks like.
The car would just stall?
Reason why I'm asking is b/c there's a big difference b/w 100kms and 160kms in a car's lifespan and I will keep this PRO for a long time and need it to be running 100% of that time with no problems.
Do you have a link that explains this?
Dinu
Bruno
[ I just emailed Mazda USA. This is there response (straight from the source, not second hand from a different company):
"With regard to your inquiry, the 2.0L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine equipped in your 2002 Mazda Protegé is a non-interfering engine." ]
Meade
I still prefer a non-interference design as the consequences of a failed or incorrectly adjusted timing mechanism are less costly. I'll give up a mpg or two for that myself.
78,688 in 2001
Huh? I know three people who have had timing belts go on them and there was no warning at all. What kind of warning do you expect? There is no timing belt "light" on your dashboard. What if the timing belt tensioner suddenly craps out and the belt starts slipping teeth? No warning for that. What if the belt just snaps along a stress/age crack? No warning for that. The only kind of warning I can think of is if the timing belt starts fraying. It will make noise, but by the time it starts making noise, it could go at any time. How many people know what that sounds like?
It's very unlikely the belt will break before the scheduled replacement though. My friend has a 98 Civic with 110,000+ on it with the original belt, my mother-in-law has a 93 Accord with 140,000 on the original belt, and our other friend had a 91 Accord with 125,000 on it without changing the belt. Now me personally, I'm changing that belt at 90,000 miles and every 60,000 thereafter.
I did defrag my hard disk and it speeded the PM7300 up greatly: now I can load Edmunds pages in 1-minute instead of 4-minutes.
Mac mice are one button. Control key rarely used.
Glad you guys got the tire pressure worked out. For a minute there I thought I would have to drive to Nags Head (sea level) to add air. LOL!
Welcome Zoomlady!
Big_h_kool, this old Mac runs fine, it's a real workhorse. It's been online every day, for at least 6 hours a day, and done other work, for five years! How many PC's hold up that long?
fowler3
fowler3
So what constitutes a "hard start," and when should I begin worrying about the battery?
The last couple of mornings, the Protege has been a little reluctant to start. I don't think it's too dramatic...instead of "rrr, rrr, vroom" it's "rrr, rrr, rrr, rrr, rrr, vroom."
If that makes any sense.
I think when I tried to start the car this afternoon coming home, it turned at least 7-8 times before firing up.
BTW, it's -17C now.
Dinu
I just turn the key now and the engine picks right up. Not even three cranks sometimes. It was 14 degrees this morning when I got into the car. Thank God for heated seats!
The PRO, like most FWD cars does well in snow - as long as it doesn't float on snow, everything's under control. It actually has a little too much torque for snow-covered roads, but I guess it's my lead foot, not the car's fault.
Dinu
I've been pretty satisfied with the Dunlop 5000's that came on my 2001 ES, but the lower price of the Kumho's is really tempting.
Has anyone switched from the Dunlops to the Kumhos? Can you tell any difference?
I have 35000 miles and I will probably have to replace the tires in the next few months. Down to 4/32.
Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact model # but I don't remember having a choice in that size.
The only problem with them is they really suck a lot when it's slippery, but that's the case with all V-Rated tires. Just have to replace them with Winter tires in the fall.
But overall we have lots of equipment. I too see people rear-ending each other way too often - how hard is it to brake earlier and keep your distance? I'm mainly afraid b/c I know my PRO can stop in time, but other drivers that don't pay attn. or keep a safe distance are a hazard. Saw a taxi with some $5000+ damage this morning rear-ended by a tahoe. Another reason I HATE trucks! They do so much more damage than a regualar car would. Of course the Tahoe was 100% ok, no scratches, nothing at all. Also saw a Sunfire in a snowbank, but that's another story.
Dinu
Anyways, so far so good. The PRO has not exhibited any more pinging/knocking noises like it did in the first 20.000kms. Now at 50.000kms+, it starts well every morning (even in this horrible cold we had this week) and it does not ping/knock/rattle. I'm pretty relieved b/c at this time last year I was a little freaked out about those noises. Maybe the engine needed its 20.000kms break-in period?
Dinu
They said it's record cold and it hasn't been this cold in MD for the past 7 years. FL residents are also concerned, because the cold there is killing the orange crops.
without knowing this information we can not determin if your getting a good deal or not.
Even after plugging in the block heater of my Pro all night, it still started farily rough this morning (it was only about -21 C or -5.8 F). I had to crank it for a few seconds before he finally fired up. I hope this isn't indicative of a deeper problem...maybe I'm just being paranoid though. Ah well...zooms along real nicely when I got going though...and the Nokian NRW's handle great in this weather as well.
Proteges notoriously start very slowly in cold weather ... but they always do, unless you've been through four winters (by my experience) and the original battery putters out. Yesterday morning was 7 here in Richmond, and this morning was 9. Both my 2000 ES and Tammy's 2002 Protege5 started V-E-R-Y slowly, taking about four revs of the starter to finally kick in. Mine was slightly slower than Tam's, and since this is my car's third winter and it's been a long, cold one so far, I have doubts as to whether the stock battery will make it through the next one.
Of course, the moment the car starts, all is wonderful and zoomy. Except for the 5-speed gearbox, which takes a good few romps through the gears to loosen up and stop feeling like the gearbox is lubricated with molasses!
Meade
P.S. There was an interesting story on the local news last night saying how when it gets below the mid-teens, most car batteries lose about half their cranking power ... while simultaneously, the cars need about twice as much power than normal to start! I also remember seeing a Discovery Channel show on the building of the Alaska Pipeline, and they showed a huge shed full of dump trucks and tractors that were sitting there idling at midnight ... it was too risky to shut them off, they explained, because they might never start again!
Thanks for your advice, "Protege geezer."