Mazda Protege Basic Maintenance Questions

vocus

Those numbers actually sound pretty normal to me, considering what kind of driving is being done. City driving and stop-and-go traffic use alot more gas than highway driving does.

maltb

see my response to your post on the other board:

maltb "MAZDA PROTEGE PROBLEMS" May 17, 2001 7:53am

the_big_h

can you add the "Mazda Protege Problems" message board link to Mazda Protege Owners group as well? That should make this owners clubs more informative to everyone.

thanks

wjm1

Vocus: well 22mpg in city, but not even heavy city trafic, doesn't sound right to me at all. My V6 626 is getting the same. The Pro would be the only 4 cyl car I (my wife) have been using that gets that poor on the mileage (previous experience with 93 Civic, 95 Contour, 93 Escort - all of them much better with the Civic as favorite of course). I certainly hope it's not considered normal, otherwise it'll be bye-bye pro (it will just add up to the transmission hesitation /my opinion/, noise and the hard bumpy ride enough to let her go)...too bad I really used to like it

maltb

I forgot one....what about tire pressure and allignment?

the_big_h

I've noticed that the clear coat along the top edge of my protege's driver side door is peeling off, is this something that could be repaired under warranty? Just FYI I have a 00 ES with less than 7000 miles, so it's still under the bumper-to-bumper warranty.

if it's not covered, how would I take care of it myself? The peeling is only along the edges, and not very apparent, but I'm afraid if i don't take care of it soon it might affect the rest of the paint finish on the door.

thanks

vocus

All adjustment are covered for one year or 12,000 miles. Even tires and brakes are covered for that long. Basically, there is nothing on your entire car that's not covered right now. Call your dealer and take it back to them.

conheady

I thought there was a clause in the warranty for rusting and chipping the Pro's body. Maybe your peeling will fall under that.

If you B*tch enough it probably will.

protegextwo

I see you posted your concern at Paint and Body in the Maintenance and Repair discussion. I hope you get some useful feedback there. Good Luck my friend. :-)

-Larry

the_big_h

most likely what i'm going to do is to wait til my 7500 mi service (probably in a month or so) and get it all done at once then (service + paint... and hopefully nothing else).

in the mean time.... zoom zoom

brownai

Has anybody installed a front nose mask on their Protege? Is it worth the money? What abt the looks?
-neil

vocus

One person in the room with a 2001 ES (LindaThomp) has a nose mask on hers. She said it took about an hour to put it on at the dealer and from what she has posted on here, she likes it.

conheady

I bought a Le Bra for my 99 ES and it compliments the clear corners well. It's one of the best looking masks I have seen. Intimidating ad a mask gets. Easy to clean, but a [non-permissible content removed] to pu on. You have to remove it everytime you wash your car.

Karen_S

the_big_h May 17, 2001 8:03am

The Mazda Protege Problem discussion on the M&R board is now linked to the Protege club folder.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

the_big_h

mazdafun

I also reset the tripmeter at every fill-up method. Kind of nice that a fill-up doesn't cost me $30 or so at the pump. However, I don't feel for the SUV owners. They knew what they signed up for when they bought them.

You will see some fluctuation from fill-up to fill-up. But the aggregate average should be accurate.

One side benefit about recording economy at each fill-up is that I found out that one station's pumps consistently over-report what it put into my tank. My MPG would dip down to 25-26 every single time (typical is 29 or better). My wife corroborated that dip with her Saturn SL2. We now avoid refueling at that particular station. I don't know how they manage to avoid getting cited by the local auditor.

vocus

Contact your local authorities and that station will be tested for its unhonest ways.

tocan

It might not be fraud. It might just be that that particular gas station's gas is not as good. There are differences in gas. I think earlier in this duscussion (or maybe it was on the regular Protege discussion) people were commenting that certain brands gave them worse mileage than others.

Nomi

mazdafun

I doubt that's it. The station belongs to a large national chain. I haven't noticed any problems with other stations of the same chain. The trend held no matter the weather or season. However, I don't think they're obligated to purchase their fuel from the chain, so they may be buying "off-spec" gas. Still, I think I'll refuel there again and see if the pumps are still "shorting" me. If so, then I'll ask the county auditor's office to check them out. It's a fairly busy station at a busy intersection.

Chow

hkchan

I think you need to separate three different situations here.
1. Fill up your tank at the "suspect" station after your car's been running on fuel from a "normal" station.
2. Fill up your tank at the "suspect" station after your car's been running on fuel from the "suspect" station.
3. Fill up your tank at a "normal" station after your car's been running on fuel from the "suspect" station.
Results from each situation could mean different things.
The "simplest" way, of course, is to actually measure the volume against the meter.

nikecar

or you can buy a container and fill it up to X gallons and see if the pump tells you you filled up with X gallons.

hkchan

with using a container of one gallon for example, is that a station that was eventually caught (shown on some news magazine show) somehow rigged the meter so that it showed more volume than actually pumped into your car's gas tank only starting at say 3 gallons. That was to prevent getting caught by whichever government agency that routinely checked for accuracy. The agency used a relatively-small volume as well.

mazdafun

Until they got caught. Amazing what one can do with a computer when motivated.

So far as checking that particular station's pumps, I consistently get 28-31mpg regularly at most stations during temperate weather. This drops to about 26-27 during the cold months.

Whatever the weather, I always got 2-3mpg less when I filled up at that station. That's about 7-10% lower fuel economy.

Being AR about it, I've been tracking the mileage of all 3 of our vehicles for the last several years. However, I didn't start tracking station location until after I noticed a pattern with this particular station, so I have data on stations only for the last 2 years. After I confirmed the pattern over a period of about 6-7 months, I stopped refueling there.

I'll have to collect more recent data before approaching the county auditor. Irks me to hand over money to someone I suspect is cheating me, but I guess I'll have to generate some kind of proof.

BTW, khcan, could you point me in the general direction of that news report?

hkchan

That's hkchan. The report was like 2-3 years ago on Primetime Live or Dateline. Don't know if their web sites have it. I doubt it goes that far back.

mazdafun

Thanks hkchan!

djmax813

I just bought the car last friday and i said to the salesman "I just spent 16k for this car, could you grab me some touch up paint?" He said Mazda will mail you some with some other stuff but if they didnt he would give it to me when i go back in a month for the plates. He wants me to give him a 10 when i get the survey from Mazda. No one deserves a 10 but he came close. His name is Sammy and the dealership is Open Road Mazda in Edison NJ.lol

mazdafun

I noticed a chip in the black paint on the top back corner of the metal on my driver door.

Naturally, I picked at it to see how bad the damage was. What started as a spot about 0.03in in diameter is now about 0.125in in diameter. Talk about poor paint adhesion!

Anyway, I was wondering what type of paint I can safely use without buggering up the paint or the material under it (it feels almost like a plastic and not metal).

I have some oil-based enamels from when I used to have time to assemble and paint plastic model kits. Would that be OK to use?

peregrine_11

Has anyone done any stainproofing/Scotchguarding on their Pro's seats/floormats/etc? Anyone know if it's necessary/worth it?

If you've done it, what have you used and have you been happy with it?

mazdafun

Something about the chemicals not breaking down and accumulating in the water supply and in your body.

They didn't find any conclusive evidence of biological harm, but they decided to play it conservatively and discontinue the Scotchguard (TM) product.

Having said that, there might be some stain-resistance products still available, but I haven't checked recently. I know such products are still applied on carpets at the mill, but I'm talking about consumer-applied products.

My experience with spray-on after-market products is that they have to be reapplied after so much wear to maintain the stain-resistance. This is specifically for the water-proofing sprays. They don't last for a whole day of skiing. I guess they get rubbed off or diluted with use.

the_big_h

went to Brown's Mazda in Fairfax to get my 7500 mi service done and told them about the peeling clearcoat on the door. The good news first, the service was done in a timely manner, took only about an hour, and also confirmed with the service advisor there that any FACTORY paint defects are under warranty. Now the bad news, the service advisor told me they can't repair the peeling clearcoat under warranty because it had been REPAINTED, therefore it was not a FACTORY defect. What does that mean? Rosenthal Mazda sold me a DEFECTIVE product (aka damaged good) without telling me up front. I'm going there tomorrow to see what they have to say....

totally p!$$ed...

vocus

If they sold you a car that has been in an accident or damaged, you might be able to get another car out of them for it. Check with your attorney if you don't get results from the dealer you want. Also, how many miles were on your car when you got it new?

the_big_h

the odo read 22 when i bought it, so that basically rules out accidents on the road. Most likely they scratched up the door when unloading the car from the truck and did a bad job repainting it....

the thing that really bothers me is they could've told me about it up front and give additional discounts to the price. I would've bought the car anyway cuz it drives beautifully. Trying to pass it as brand new is just unacceptible.

maltb

It's a lot more common than you think. Damage only needs to be disclosed if it is over a certain amount(can't remember how much). Otherwise the dealer is free to repair and sell what belongs to them.

Sorry to hear about your struggle. Make sure Rosenthal pays that one.

jstandefer

Believe it or not, I would say it's a fair estimate that at least one out of every ten "new" cars sold has been damaged either in transport or on the lot. They get everything from scratches to chips to dings and are repaired/repainted by the dealership. Unless the damage exceeds $500 dealer cost (I believe), it is not required to be disclosed. The cars are packed in so tightly and there's so many people at a dealership, damage is just inevitable. Plus, vehicles shipped by train have a high percentage of damage. Vitually all vehicles are trucked to the dealerships, and they gather a lot of damamge from that as well. You just never know...

You know which cars are the worst to buy? Showroom cars!! I can only recall a handful of cars from the showroom that didn't require some type of cosmetic work. You have people in and out of them and sometimes crawling all over them. Watches, bracelets, rings, purses, keys, pocketed items, etc. all scratch and chip the paint. Also, showroom vehicles are the most likely to have missing items (radio knobs, wheel-lock keys, remote controls, etc.). People just love to take things. Another problem with a showroom car? That battery is constantly dead and there is an outstanding chance you will have problems with it and it will leave you stranded.

chikoo

what is the filter number - if I buy from wal-mart or AMSOIL or Mobil-1?

anwarma

I need help in choosing replacement tires for my 99 Protege with 35,600 miles (thanks to Chicago roads), the Bridgestone RE92's (195/55 R15)are almost Bald.

I need advice if going for $110 per tire for RE92 is worth it OR should I look at other Brand names.

I am looking at Dunlop $70/tire V-rated, Yokohama $65/tire T-Rated and Michelin $125/tire V-Rated.

if any one can tell me about good ALL-SEASON good snow tires, than that would great.
I would appreciate if anyone can help out.

mazdafun

Check out Tire Rack and Discount Tire web sites.

Tire Rack runs their own tests and also summarize user ratings and comments on various tires.

nikecar

are you keeping the same size or going up in size? you can go to http://www.discounttire.com and see what other sizes fit. They say you can go to 205/50/15 or 205/55/15's. I'd skip the RE92's.

when our RE92's wear out I want to go to a 205/something.. slightly wider tire.

you can go here http://pw1.netcom.com/~sgalaba/tiresize.htm#ustires and here http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html to get both speedometer change and graphical overlays of the different sized tires.

I am liking the 205/50's so I can get Potenza RE730

vocus

I would not get the RE92s again. They have a low treadwear rating, from what I have heard from others on this board. Go to http://www.tirerack.com and plug in the car's name and tire size. Go from there.

anwarma

THANK YOU ALL for Responding to the tire help request.

This is helpful - I will let you know what tires I get this coming Saturday. TAKE CARE!

peregrine_11

I know I've read a little something about this debate SOMEWHERE in the Edmund's townhall before, but I'm not sure where to find it.

My question is when do you wax versus polish? Do you do them both at the same time? Is one for use between times you do the other?

Any personal experiences and suggestions would be appreciated.

Also, for tire protectants, is a towel the best way to put those on, or do you use applicator pads, like for polish?

I've got to go wash the baby tonight--we've had a bunch of rain here and it's left all kinds of dusty spots on her. Alas, since I live in an apartment, I have to use a self-serve wash and it's EXPENSIVE, not to mention difficult, to time everything correctly and do a good job. Oh well, I guess I'll get used to it...or make a friend who has a hose and driveway I can use.

nikecar

I bought a 2 pack of tire applicator.. its curved like the tire.. works really well. you can spray the foam or the tire..

as for wax/polish.. you will get differing opinions, but wax when the water doesn't bead off the car and just stays on the hood etc.. each wax will wear out differently. As for polish, when you think your car isn't glossy anymore... you should be able to get by polish 2x a yr and wax 3-4 times a yr..

I am going to wax the wife's new Pro because in spots its not beading. I think I have another month though.. My car I need to do it sometime this month.

the_big_h

very happy to report that Rosenthal Mazda was able to repaint my clearcoat-peeling door free of charge, and give my car a good ol' wash & vac on top of that. Very happy. And they were able to provide me with a free rental while it was in shop (got a '01 Corolla, of which I only have one word to describe: BOOOORING. No wonder Corollas get such great gas mileage, it bores you to the point that you don't want to drive it fast).

now I have to figure out a way to get out of work early so I can go zoom zoom.....

jstandefer

There are generally three different terms that are confused. There's cleaning, polishing, and waxing. Cleaning is more than just giving the car a bath. A good cleaning will also remove light oxidation and other contaminants from the paint. There are several cleaners out there. The safest and easiest are the chemical cleaners, which is great for clearcoated paints (all Protege colors are clearcoated except for Classic Red). For removing even more build-up, there's the clay bar removal system. And then there's the abrasive cleaners, which is like using a fine sandpaper. The clay bar and chemical cleaners are great for do-it-yourselfers, but leave the abrasive cleaners for the professionals.

Once the paint has been "cleaned", a polish is applied. Polish is like a super-fine grit sandpaper. It slowly eats away at the surface of the paint to create a flat surface. The flatter the surface is, the shinier it is. Polishing is generally done with a buffer. Polish must be applied BEFORE wax.

Waxing is the final step. The wax acts as an extra layer of defense for the paint. Anything that lands on the car must eat through the wax first before it can touch the paint. Wax also gives paint a glossier appearance because it helps to "flatten" out the surface, filling in pores and orange peel.

Depending on your climate, I would recommending waxing the vehicle about once a month or once every two months. If you have Classic Red, like mine, then you must wax more often. I would "clean" the paint before every wax so that you are not waxing in any contaminants. You should polish your paint once or twice a year, depending on the need. If it's just not as glossy as it was, a good polish will make it look like new again.

I hope this helps!!

mazdafun

I didn't realize the red isn't clearcoated, although I suspected it when I applied a polish/wax product and my rags took on some paint.

peregrine_11

Thanks for the detailed post about cleaning/polishing/waxing. That's really great information and helps me get a better handle on the difference!

You mentioned chemical cleaners--are there any you (or anyone else) recommend? I don't know if color makes any difference in the selection of cleaning products, but I have a silver Pro-ES (2001).

chikoo

any theories, ideas?

maltb

it's a solid color. Most clear coats are applied over metallic/mica finishes. I'm not a paint guy, so someone in that field has better info, I'm sure.

hkchan

Hey maltb! The on/off switch no longer works. When I press on it, it doesn't stay in the "on" position but there's a solenoid clicking noise coming from the dash (one click per press). Any idea?

maltb

The switch, like most other switches, has a single contact and a mechanism to lock it on until you press it again. The mechanism that holds the switch in the on position isn't locking but the switch still makes contact when you push it in. The dealer should be able to fix it with ease. If you don't like your dealer, there is always duct tape. Strange though, not a very common part.