Mazda Protegé

chikoo

he could have had it Surface ground. Grinding wheels don't break with slotted rotors.

maltb

I have never seen a brake rotor surface grinder for use off of a car. I think they may have them for on the car use, but they aren't common. Then again, I didn't know slots created an issue. May I suggest he go with cross drilled next time? They turn just fine on a standard brake lathe.

fowler3

That other place where we post photos makes colors about 40% lighter than they should be. I am posting new pics which have been darkened considerably to compensate.

"Jim: I saw those pics of the "Sepang Green" 6 you e-mailed me. I have a question: What does "Sepang" mean? Lemme guess: "So close to gray you can't tell the difference"? What a lame color! No kiddin' folks, it's about the color of used dishwater! You wanna see GREEN? I got an Emerald Mica Protege to show you!!! Tell you what ... since I can't link them here, I'll post a pic of that "Sepang" 6 on
the other group's home page for a while."

Yep, it did come up grey as dishwater. Yuck! Sepang is NOTHING like that. It's a beautiful medium green with lots of silver flake in it, more metallic flake than any color Mazda has. Very difficult to photograph exactly. Seems the camera has trouble interpreting the color. It looks different depending on whether you take the picture in sunlight or shadow.

Once you see the real color in the flesh, especially with the beige leather trim (almost ivory), it's stunning! VERY classy car! Looks like $35K easy.

Silvercrown sent this explanation:
"I tried to look up Sepang and it appears to be a city in Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur, where several annual races are held such as Formula One, Japan GT and Motor Sport GP, Le Mans and Asian Festival of Speed. Looks like my guess that Sepang is a place might be correct after all. It makes sense that Mazda would name one of the colors for the 6 after a place known for Asian Auto Racing."

I have no idea what the correct pronunciation is.

fowler3

boggse

The problem is that the edge of the slots will catch on the lathe (or grinding wheel) and damage the rotor.

boggse

So, what does everyone use for oil filter's on their Proteges? I am interested since I have heard that some people who have used not Mazda filters have had problems. I used to use the larger filter from the 2.5L V6 on my 2001 ES. It is time to change the oil for the first time on my 2003 P5, and I was wondering if anyone thought it would be better to switch to the Mobil 1 equivalent. I have used the Mobil 1 filters for a while on my Jeep Cherokee. I will be putting in Mobil 1 10W-30 oil. I found these sites which essentially say that the Mobil 1 filters are among the best:

http://www.ntpog.org/reviews/filters/filters.shtml
http://www.minimopar.net/oilfilterstudy.html

tisbe3

I've test driven an '03 P5 and ES in the past few weeks. One thing I didn't like about the car is the buzzing of the shifter. It felt like I was holding an electric razor. I like the idea of feeling the road but I don't care to feel the engine! Any opinions on this?

The only other thing I would like to see in the car is a driver's armrest extension. The one they've got now, I have to reach way back and downward just to touch the thing. Not that I would need to use it much driving around town, but it would be nice for trips. Ford Focus has a really nice armrest that has just the right position and folds up/down. Not that I like the Focus better but they have the Protege beat on that feature.

fowler3

at the other place, jimboncpro album.

tisbe3, I can't answer your questions, my Pro is AT and I use the door armrest.

fowler3

maltb

The problem is that the edge of the slots will catch on the lathe (or grinding wheel) and damage the rotor.

As chickoo noted, a surface grinder would not damage the rotor and I really don't see a lathe doing that either. If anything, the shop was worried about the cutter on the lathe.

boggse

Interesting. They definitely indicated otherwise. My friend checked with 2 other shops which confirmed that the slotted rotors could not be resurfaced. Any response to my oil filter question?

chikoo

The slotted rotor would cause the turning tool to chip and break. You need extreme expertise to carry out turning a slotted disc. Expertise would include knowing the right rpm and right cutting speed of the tool(+feed rate). Surface grinders or variations thereof do not have this danger since the diameter of the grinding wheel is larger than the slots itself to begin with. In fact you would be better off using a grinding attachment on the Lathe itself. You mount the attachment in place of the standard toolpost. This would be the best way for our end objective.

an example:
http://cincinnatimachines.com/CutterToolGrinder/LathePlanerAttach- .jpg

kaiserhead

The Protege took a hit in the front end tonight. I was in the exact change lane for the Florida Turnpike and the guy in a pick-up in front of me realized he was in the wrong lane and decided to reverse to get into the change/receipts lane. He rammed the front of my Protege, buckling the hood (it no longer latches, except for the safety latch) and gouged and scraped the bumper and chrome grill. Oddly, the headlights were untouched. I suspect that the hood, bumper and grill will be replaced, there appears to be no structural damage (I hope.) He was charged with improper reversing and the officer said he suspects that the driver had been drinking. Tomorrow I'll be in touch with my insurance agent, hopefully she'll be back on the road in no time.

chicagopro

Sorry to hear that, but glad you're okay.

Hope the car gets better soon!

mazdafun

Hope everything works out OK.

At least he didn't set off your airbags. What a dope.

vocus

Sorry to hear it, glad you're ok. Good luck with the insurance as well.

protege_fan

"#20611 of 20619 Buzzy shifter by tisbe3 Mar 29, 2003 (2:44 pm)
I've test driven an '03 P5 and ES in the past few weeks. One thing I didn't like about the car is the buzzing of the shifter. It felt like I was holding an electric razor. I like the idea of feeling the road but I don't care to feel the engine! Any opinions on this?

The only other thing I would like to see in the car is a driver's armrest extension. The one they've got now, I have to reach way back and downward just to touch the thing. Not that I would need to use it much driving around town, but it would be nice for trips. Ford Focus has a really nice armrest that has just the right position and folds up/down. Not that I like the Focus better but they have the Protege beat on that feature. "

The shifter is buzzy because it's a direct linkage setup as opposed to a cable actuated shifter setup. I totally prefer the direct linkage because the cable actuated setups feel vague to me.

I've seen an aftermarket armrest extension installed in a Protege5. It looked kinda hideous though...like it was out of place. I like the current arm rest because it doesn't get in the way when I'm shifting. I'm certain a larger armrest would get in the way.

maltb

great pic, but a brake lathe looks quite different than a standard shop lathe.

http://www.alltiresupply.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/7500B.jp- g

maltb

As far as I can tell, the real advantage to mobil1 filters is their heavy casing for those who run higher pressure oil pumps. If you aren't ballooning stock filters, why change?

chikoo

I realize that a brake lathe is a specialized piece of machinery (SPM), but if u know someone in the local Industrial estate, then the grinding can be done easily.

maltb

no doubt it can be done, but you start getting to a point where the labor exceeds the cost of the rotor.

chikoo

be done pretty cheap (or even free). At least that is what i did when I was in India.

If not, you need the guy who has the brake lathe to turn it very slowly. Very time consuming, but it can be turned on the brake lathe.

maltb

...turn it very slowly. Very time consuming...

With auto feed and a 6-pack, this isn't important. LOL

chikoo

and have fun

boggse

Better filter=longer oil-change interval

Actually, I am just being obsessive-compulsive. Best oil (within reason) & best oil filter (again, within reason) mean the engine should last much longer. If there is no reason anyone can come up with not to use the Mobil 1 filter, I will probably go ahead and start using them.

tomcat630

What do Protege fans think of the name change coming from Pro to "Mazda 3"

mazdafun

Besides, the Protege name has earned some respect.

I guess they're trying to make their naming scheme more uniform, but I never did like the use of numbers or acronyms on cars (even when used by the likes of BMW or Acura...I mean "Acura TL" or "BMW 325i"?...how dull).

Then again, you won't have a bad or silly-sounding name, like "Cimarron"...what is a "cimarron"? I'm not even sure I'm spelling it correctly. And the Protege was known (and still known in some parts) as a 323. So I guess they're going in circles as far as their naming strategy.

Still, "Protege" is a decent name and has a good reputation. I'll miss it.

chikoo

>>>people who have used not Mazda filters have had problems<<<

What kind of english is this????

Anyway, the advantage of using Mobil-1 filters, apart from strong casing, is better filtration.

The Mobil 1 High Efficiency Oil Filter has a single-pass efficiency of 98 percent for 10- to 20-micron contaminants vs. an average of 85 percent for conventional filters.

The Mobil 1 High Efficiency Oil Filter has a multiple-pass efficiency of 96 percent vs. an average of 82 percent for conventional oil filters.

http://www.mobil1.com/products/faq.jsp?catId=6#faq1

boggse

How could you tell? UNIX sys admin by profession. I must have been writing too many shell scripts lately.

tomcat630

"What is a Cimarron?" A Mountain range in the western US.

The Mazda '3' goes back to its roots, '323'
BMW has never used names, IIRC.

Protege has its fans in the car enthusiast world. But to an average car buyer, they never heard of it, compared to Civic and Corolla.

the_big_h

problem = people.use(!mazda_filter);

yeah i'm a computer geek...

pat

alternator

to discard the Protege name, a name that has become synonymous with excellent reliability and top-notch build quality. The new Mazda3 had better be very, very good if it is to overcome this blunder IMO.

chikoo

just analyze what u have written:
>>>people who have used not Mazda filters have had problems<<<

it is in the form

NOT "Mazda filters have had problems"
i.e. negating the condition

boggse

Then again, it could have just been a typo. i.e. non-Mazda filters.

mdaffron

10 PRINT "YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS"
20 GOTO 10
RUN
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS
YOU ARE A BUNCH OF GEEKS

mdaffron

I needed new wipers after our winter (which revisited us over the weekend), so I picked up a set of new Trico wiper blades with silicone inserts from Advance Auto.

I paid $13.95 for the 21-inch one and $10.95 for the 19-inch one. Yeah, I went ahead and bought the whole blade since my Ancos were starting to fall apart. Hey, since they were only a couple bucks more than the Bosch premiums, I figured I'd give them a try and see what all the hype's about. I haven't installed them yet.

Also picked up a Purolator air filter insert for $12.95. I try to replace my air filter at least once a year; I've found it to be one of the easiest, most cost-effective yet most overlooked maintenance jobs people can do to help their car's performance and longevity.

A little prodding around on the Protege coming up tomorrow, when it's supposed to hit 80 here ...

Meade

vocus

Can't wait for the nicer weather to return. It was 70-ish here in MD on Saturday, although it rained. I need to wash my car too, but haven't had time lately.

Also, the air filter is very easy to change on the Proteges, doesn't even require tools (wish I could say the same)...

kaiserhead

I picked up my rental car today, a nice 2003 Protege DX with 8 miles on it. I've been comparing it to my 2000 SE all morning and have come to the conclusion that buying a Mazda is like buying a computer, if you jump in too soon you'll miss out on major advancements. The DX is eons ahead of mine in terms of fit and finish, features, and noise. The 2.0L is not as good as I thought, mabey it's because it's an automatic. I guess now's the best time to get a Protege as it's the last year of production of the current model.

mazdafun

If they don't decontent the car, like they did with the later 626 models.

The '01-03 Proteges are much better than the '99-00 Proteges (engine choices may be an issue though). My wife's '03 P5 is much more solid feeling throughout than my '99 LX. Hey, they did improve quite a lot of structure (thicker sheetmetal in some chassis sections, more sound insulation, better machining of steering components to reduce friction etc.). We actually like the 2.0L, but neither of us gets it anywhere close to redline. Maybe I'll take it to 4500rpm, but that's about it. I don't like punishing any vehicle, especially one that belongs to my wife.

I think the only thing my wife thinks can improve on her P5 are better fuel economy and better speakers (she prefers the 99-00 stereo to hers, but I like the newer control layout much more...big dials and buttons are always good). Easy fix on the speakers, but she hasn't given me the green light to make that modification yet.

mazdafun

Mazda isn't making my task very easy. 6 hatch/wagon, 3 sedan/wagon and RX-8 all in one year? Tough choice. I think I'll wait for the 3 wagon to come out before I make a call, though it is several years too early for my usual purchase interval (about 10 years...my Pro is only about 4 years old, and working like a charm).

vocus

I saw an 02 Protege DX, silver, the other day at a Mazda dealer's used lot. 10,258 miles, and it was $8995. Best to get one used and not take the first year depreciation.

alternator

"I've found it to be one of the easiest, most cost-effective yet most overlooked maintenance jobs people can do to help their car's performance and longevity".

Sounds reasonable, but where's the proof? That said, it does seem like most maintenance schedules call for the air filter replacement at an interval far beyond when the filter appears to be very dirty (black that is). And the cost is minimal.

mdaffron

(1) Gas mileage. Mine seems to increase (albeit a very slight increase, maybe 1 mpg) after I change filters.

(2) Engine smoothness. Call me crazy (most have), but I swear I can HEAR and FEEL a difference in the way my engine runs after I change my filter. This would make sense since clogging the filter hampers the air flow into the engine.

(3) Peace of mind! Can't beat it for about a buck a month!

Where's the proof? Many folks don't know how important a clean air filter is in their HVAC system (many don't even know they HAVE a filter) until the system breaks down and they're faced with a thousand-dollar repair bill for the sake of a $2 filter. And their HVAC system doesn't have to roll around town, breathing smoke, rain, sand and dust either. There's your proof.

Meade

mazdafun

For the environment in which I drive, I have to replace air filters more frequently than listed in the owner's manual. And I'm even cheap enough to rotate it 180 degrees so the less dirty side is over the intake to exten their use. I find I replace them about every other oil change, sometimes more frequently, depending on how much dust and pollen is kicked up (there's a lot of construction, yet still plenty of vegetation around here).

I can't say much about the increase in mpg, as I usually change the air filter at the same time as I change my oil and oil filter (so I can't say how much it contributes, but I do notice a 1-2mpg increase after this service, and then a slow decline afterwards), but I too notice the engine revs a little more easily with a fresh air filter.

Air filters are relatively cheap. About $12 or so for the disposable ones.

kaiserhead

While we're on the topic, has anyone replaced the standard $12 filter with those washable K&N performance filters? Did you notice any improvement in the car?"

protege_fan

I had a K&N panel filter for about a year. I can't say that it made a big difference. I just recently installed a short-ram air intake...now that's a noticeable difference!

I think Hank (Big_H) has a spreadsheet showing his mileage after installing the K&N panel filter.

mdaffron

... because I like resting easy that my warranty will be honored if I have any problems.

I used to own a Mazda pickup (aka Ford Ranger) and I used to hang out on a Ford Ranger discussion -- and I heard many folks who tried K&N filters in their Rangers/Mazdas complaining about the oil in those filters gumming up their throttle bodies, throttle position sensors, MAFs, etc. So I'm a little biased AGAINST K&N just from reading their claimed experiences.

Besides, how much is a K&N? $50 or so? Three years' worth of normal air filters? What's the point? Didn't normal air filters work fine for the hundred years or so before K&N showed up?

Meade

vocus

Yeah, I had a K&N filter in my 99 DX when I had it. I drove the car for 2 weeks with the filter in there, then took it out and sent it back to the manufacturer. It made the engine sound a little better, but it basically just made the car use more gas and didn't change anything else. A waste of $.

mdaffron

Meade

protege_fan

It's about $45 CDN...not USD. An online place I just checked has it for about $30 USD.

Hank's graphs indicated that his mileage was better AFTER installing the K&N filter.

BTW, lots of things worked fine for hundreds of years, but were then improved. It's called advancement. :P

mdaffron

Then if all that improvement can be had for $30, how come the auto manufacturers haven't adopted this "advancement" into their technology? Surely it makes more sense to incorporate this vast improvement for mere peanuts, than, say, spending all that money to improve the sound of the muffler?

Only $30 ... I stand corrected. So it's only the cost of two and a half years' worth of standard air filters. So sorry.

KISS Meade