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Comments
Stay cool,
Mike.
Hey BTW ... what was the outcome? Did they just put a new belt on? I guess these cars have non-interference engines; otherwise we would've heard a horror story about broken valves and a new engine!
Meade
Jace1
The first thing to go on a timing belt is usually the teeth...kinda like old folks. If an oil seal leaked, it can cause the rubber to deteriorate the teeth and then they just start stripping off. This usually occurs around the crank pulley as that is where the most strain is put on the belt. Did they say why it happened and how many miles do you have?
Jace:
Your assumptions are correct. Struts, shocks and swaybars are different and the rear disc only comes on the ES. There is alot of talk on the S-plan if you go back about 1000 posts. Try a search and see what you get.
Yooper, my plan is to get a set of cheap 15 inch steel wheels with snow tires, they can be had for little money.
Mike, I'll try to stay cool, but I won't be able to. I look forward to yet another 95+ degree day, and ANOTHER one tommorow. Paul Douglas called our heat "beastly, and ghastly heat, that you would expect in Sri Lanka, not Minnesota" Argggg....I don't want to go to work. It seems like this whole year has been horrible, an extreme winter, a very rainy spring, and a extremely hot summer. Geez, 95% of this whole year, you had to be inside to feel comfortable. San Diego is starting to sound REALLY nice to me. I'll gladly pay the utility bills and put up with a couple earthquakes, wild fires, and mudslides, I just can't stand this extreme weather anymore.
you should have taken the $245 price when they offered. Even the new vehicle option is an additional $500. $540 is the right price for the in dash modular audio add-in. Your only aftermarket options are a separate unit and control which can be had for about $150.
Newcar,
I completely forgot about the tensioner on that engine. There was a problem on a similar engine a few years back where the spring fatigued and let go. I though they added a small bushing to the tensioner, but it's possible he has a bad one. It's a shame they don't lock those things down with a bolt as some other OEMs do.
Speaking of which... do you know any good place to have a window tinting in Minneapolis area?
newcar31 - I normally like the extreme weather in MN, but I'd have to admit that this year has been a bit much!! At least we SHOULD have a break soon from this heat (of course, that's what I thought last week!). I used to live in Houston a few years back, and I remember the temp in the 90s and HUMID all summer long! I quess I just learned to get used to it down there. It was nice, though, wearing shorts and a t-shirt in February. I kind of miss that.
You know you are in California if:
1. You make over $250,000 a year and still can't afford a house.
2. It's sprinkling outside, so you leave for work an hour early to avoid all
the weather-related accidents.
3. Your child's third grade teacher has purple hair, a nose ring, and is
named Breeze.
4. You can't remember... is pot legal?
5. You've been to a baby shower for an infant who has two mothers and a sperm
donor.
6. You have a very strong opinion about where your coffee beans are grown,
and can taste the difference between Sumatran and Ethiopian.
7. You can't remember... is pot legal?
8. A really great parking space can move you to tears.
9. The guy in line at Starbucks, wearing the baseball cap, sunglasses, and
looks like George Clooney, IS George Clooney.
10. Your car insurance costs as much as your house payment.
11. Your hairdresser is straight, your plumber is gay, and your Mary Kay rep
is a guy in drag.
12. It's sprinkling out, and there's a report on every news channel about
"THE STORM!"
13. Hey... is pot legal?
14. Over 85% of the cities, towns, and streets start with San, Los, El, La,
Santa, De La, or De Los.
15. Two overcast days in a row drive you mad.
16. A family of four owns six vehicles.
17. Everyone who lives here knows that hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and
snowstorms are way worse than earthquakes, which are, after all, over almost
as soon as you realize what's happening.
18. Even if the store is across the street, you drive there.
19. Yeah, you're sure...? pot is legal.
20. And finally, a question:
Q. How many Californians does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A. None. Californians cannot afford to turn on the lights.
Unfortunately, it is quite sad that most of what was listed above is quite true!!! Except the pot thing, although I guess it is an issue up in LA and San Francisco...
Also, we must be behind the times. 2 drivers and three cars. I need to pick up three more. I guess I need to look for that $250k job and I guess being a hairdresser isn't out of the question anymore.
So when are you moving up to OC?
First, the GLC didn't have the big engine the Protegé has. It was a hatchback, too. The load on the hitch may be light on the car standing still, but as the car and the trailer bob up and down underway the hitch load increases. The real test comes when launching the boat and reloading it on a ramp...NO TRACTION. Boat ramps are usually wet, steep and not paved as good as the roads. It's all small cars can do to pull themselves up a steep ramp from a standing start. No load on the front wheels is a big problem in these situation.
I had to get a guy with a Jeep to pull the GLC and trailor up the ramp.
fowler3
newcar31, try doing what I like to do in this weather....go running 5 miles during the peak heat of day (5 pm). Yes, I am an idiot, but somehow, pushing my body to the limit makes the heat seem more tolerable when I'm not working out.
Although, you do have my sympathy since your job has you working out in the heat every day. This has been the worst year in my memory as far as extreme weather is concerned here in MN.
Stay cool!!!;-)
Iamz, I do think you are crazy.
Jstandefer, Give me all of that instead of this horrid weather. Seriously, I can handle a couple earthquakes (when was the last time San Diego had a bad one). Bad traffic? No problem, we have bad traffic here too (MSP and SD have almost identical populations), at least you guys have some form of mass transit to ease the congestion. A little rain? No biggie, I'll take that over snow packed congested freeways that take 2 hours sometimes to travel 8 miles. Hmmm...High cost of living and absolutely beautiful weather OR High taxes, EXTREME weather conditions, bad traffic, salty corrosive roads, potholes that will make quick work of my nice 16 inch rims, 50 series tires, and tight suspension, and oh yeah... blood sucking mosquitos, lots of them. I have always toyed around with the idea of moving to SD; I have relatives there. This year's weather conditions were the icing on the cake though. I'm movin as soon as I can.
-Larry
I was considering buying a PRO. I want to know how will the wheels/tires affect driving in snow. 15 in vs 16 in. Which is better Alloy or nornal wheels?
In #3566 of 3574 LX vs. ES and extreme weather, laurakat wrote...
". Also, with driving in snow, would the 15" alloy/tire combo on the LX make a noticable difference in traction vs. the 16s on the ES? I'm sure it's a safe bet that the ES tires really suck in winter driving. "
I want to know more on this as I am a new buyer and live in Canada....
Thanks!
Meade
-Terry
Thanks for the info on window tinting. I immediately checked out this place you mentioned in the directory and I found out it also goes by the name "Sunbusters" (maybe it's a branch name or something).
Anyway, I'll give 'em a call sometimes and
I'll keep you guys posted with my development on this.
Thanks again!
I am going to get my windows tinted sometime in the near future. I am in Baltimore, Md. and there is this place called D&L Window Tinting, in Baltimore on Route 40. They said it would cost me $210 including tax for a full tint, including the sunroof. They also said it's guaranteed for the life of the car too. I still wanna check around for a cheaper price elsewhere before committing.
well everything seems to be OK now but I'm still curious on what really happened.
Thanks for the input guys.
I'm going to post this same message in the Sentra board to get a competing opinion. Any insite you guys have to help me make this decision would be great!
Thanks.
Installation for the tint was pretty good, but they scratched the black metal on the driver's side door near the window. I got all pissed about it, they told me it was my fault that I should let stop letting my seatbelt hit the door so hard. They're full of it - I never do that.
I'm not going back there again, and if anyone wants to know the name of the place here it is:
Auto Safe and Sound
511 Airport Rd.
Panama City, FL 32405
Here's a pic of the tint (22% front, 18% rear):
I use this trick for those same greasy spots on the black portion of my dash, where everyone's greasy hands that ride in my car touch on things. [Note to self - stop letting people eat Burger King in my car!!!] Works pretty well.
Unemployment? Do you like working for temporary agencies? Unless you have a degree and connections, that's how you start here. And then you just pray that some low paying position will open up at the company you are temping for. San Diego is ranked in the top ten most expensive cities to live in the United States. However, the median income here is nothing to write home about. It is still a tourist town and most of the employers are hotels and other service industries. It is a rapidly growing city with no infrastructure. The San Diego Housing Commission gave a report to the City Council that the economy here will collapse in the next three to five years. The problem is that the cost of living has become so high, that most companies have a majority of their employees that can't afford to live here. So, they are pulling out. We have already seen it start with GMAC (National City's largest employer) shutting it's doors and moving to Texas. Gateway moved it's corporate branch from La Jolla to north county (about 50 miles north), and there are several other large companies that have started to move sections out of California (Qualcomm and SAIC, San Diego's largest employers). I'm currently looking at positions elsewhere and am considering a move to Virginia.
Our road conditions have no excuse. We don't get the weather that causes pot holes, but we certainly have them!! It takes the city some three months to repair one. I think the reason is that when they repave the streets, they don't do any prep work. They just come in and lay down an extremely thin layer of asphalt over the old stuff, and then repaint the lines. They do this once or twice a year. These thin layers just flake off and the old pot holes (which they loosely fill with dry asphalt) just reappear. Another problem is the build-up from this repaving. Our rain gutters don't get built-up like the streets do, creating huge dips. The front lip of my Protege is torn up. It's impossible to avoid. The dips are just too deep for cars, which is why everyone drives SUVs and trucks here. They are the only way to drive down our potholed, uneven streets. But, of course, we're still paying $1.87 for regular fuel, so gas stations are making a killing!
I have to say though, of all the places I've been, Orange County seems to be tops(coming from a native of course). However, I think your best bet is to come out and do a bunch of driving...really the only way you'll find what you're looking for.
Meade
Meadeball
MAPP II -- The Sequel
The second-annual Mid-Atlantic Protege Picnic (MAPP II) will take place Saturday, October 6, 2001, at a park in Northern Virginia. For those of you who attended last year, it's the same place as last year. For security purposes, we're only going to share the location with confirmed attendees via direct e-mail.
I would like to greet our new friends on the Protege5 topic and hope that some of you might come over to the Mazda Protege topic and introduce yourselves as I'm doing here. I own an Emerald Green Metallic 2000 Mazda Protege ES 5-speed. It's the third Protege I've owned; Protege No. 1 was a 1992 LX that was totaled in a hydroplaning accident in August 1992. (I walked away from it!) Protege No. 2 was another 1992 LX that took me for more than 80,000 trouble-free, zoom-zoomin' miles. My 2000 now has just shy of 24,000 miles on the odometer and is zooming happily.
Back to the picnic ... Last year's was attended by nine people in five Proteges. We came from as far south as Richmond, Virginia, and as far north as Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If you'd like to see some pics of last year's premiere event, check out this link:
http://www.geocities.com/negatize/mapp.htm
(Due to some of Edmunds' quirks when it comes to geocities links, you may have to copy the link and paste it into your browser's address window for it to work.)
This year we already have the possibility of a better showing. So far we have 8 possible Proteges and 15 people from as far south as Atlanta, Georgia (believe it or not!) and as far north as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
It'll basically be an afternoon's get-together in a beautiful setting (accompanied, I might add, by a beautiful drive in the mountains that you and your Protege will LOVE). Food is a major part of our event, as you undoubtedly noticed when you saw US in the above link! Therefore everyone will be expected to bring something. The park we'll be visiting includes a shelter that will seat several dozen people out of the rain (god forbid), and a pedestal grill. Restrooms are close by.
I organized this picnic last year so some of us on the Mazda Protege topic could get a chance to meet in person and spend an afternoon sharing our common trait ... love for our Proteges. If you're interested in attending or finding out more, please post a message on the Mazda Protege topic or e-mail me directly at the following address:
mdaffron@the-rma.org
Let's make "MAPP II: The Sequel" something for the history books!
ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM
Meade
I called and made the appointment to get my windows done at Tint Man in Glen Burnie, Md. They said it would take about an hour or so, and the total cost would be around $200. I am going to take it this Saturday. I just wish that reflective tint wasn't illegal, because I think it looks so good! And it would definitely work with the Protege's looks.