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SPARK PLUG WRENCH-5"
High quality cadmium plated steel tool. Fits 5/8" & 13/16" hex plugs.
Jerry, read my post in protege Sedans for the plugs.
Thank you, mbbstims
I don't mind waxing my 2001 Protege (live in Ohio) (any suggestions on prefered wax?)
Does the factory seats come with any stain protection? or should I just spray them with Scotchguard?
Thanks for any help in advance.
There is a name for this type but I forgot what it is.
mbbstims
Also, I read in another forum somewhere that 3M has stopped producing scotchguard. Sorry I don't remember the thread or post #...But there was an offical memo on the 3M webpage. Anyway, I have still been able to find cans of scotchguard around...just have to hunt around. Also, IMHO, the paint protection is just a waste. Put some good wax on and you should be fine....of course I'm no expert so this is just my opinion (can't stress that enough...)
Anyway, good luck
Regards,
Protege_fan
Pro_fan
I thought someone recently posted that their timing belt had slipped and the valves were fine. Of course, we need someone in the know to confirm this, or to dig it up.
Any other suggestions on lift points other than those mentioned in owner's manual?
This will make it easier for me to slip my catch pan underneath the plug. I always am wary of bending the sheet metal at the jack points illustrated in the owner's manual.
Rain-X helps to smooth out some surface imperfections. Give that a try.
If it IS etching, any suggestions for how to polish them out? (I'll try Rain-X as suggested by mazdafun, but I would appreciate any other ideas/alternatives)
BTW, I just last week bought a second Protege.... a 2001 ES w/5spd! I absolutely love it! I only wish the ES would have still been available in the great-looking blue from 2000. I ended up going with the sand metallic color.
http://www.bonami.com/bonhistx.html
http://www.bonami.com
Get a towel slightly wet, rub it on the cake (available at any hardware or grocery store, about $1.79), forming a wet paste on the towel, and rub on the glass. Hose off. This works great on windshields every other month to reduce wiper chatter and get the film off the glass.
As long as you don't run the bar on the window, you won't scratch the glass.
If it IS etching, any suggestions for how to polish them out? (I'll try Rain-X as suggested by mazdafun, but I would appreciate any other ideas/alternatives)
BTW, I just last week bought a second Protege.... a 2001 ES w/5spd! I absolutely love it! I only wish the ES would have still been available in the great-looking blue from 2000. I ended up going with the sand metallic color.
-Larry
If it IS etching, any suggestions for how to polish them out? (I'll try Rain-X as suggested by mazdafun, but I would appreciate any other ideas/alternatives)
BTW, I just last week bought a second Protege.... a 2001 ES w/5spd! I absolutely love it! I only wish the ES would have still been available in the great-looking blue from 2000. I ended up going with the sand metallic color.
Thanks,
Pro_fan
Set up a database document that details date, mileage at service, descriptions of service etc. I include any dealer or independent garage services and even include modifications and additions such as speakers, tires etc.
While the only independent documentation you can provide are receipts, if they agree with your records, that should buttress the credibility of the documentation of the services you do yourself. I'd keep receipts for supplies (oil, filters etc.) used in self-servicing too. At least it proves you bought them.
To tell you the truth, I have no idea how the wax holds up to snow and road salt. I live in sunny San Diego where sun damage and airborn contaminants are the major problems.
I think your best bet is to visit Meguiar's website and have them create a FREE personalized paint care prescription that is based on your location, goals, and vehicle. Here's the link:
http://www.meguiars.com/CarRx.cfm
The application of the products is in the order I listed them. However, you certainly do not have to do this very often. To keep your paint looking new, you should wash it by hand at home. Don't use a car wash wand or any other car washing gimmicks. Use a soft wash mit that's either made with 100% terry cloth, sheepskin, or chenille. Use soap specifically designed for washing vehicles, such as Meguiar's Gold Class car wash. Don't use dishwashing liquid or liquid hand soaps. Dry your vehicle with a natural chamois or 100% terry cloth towels. Don't bother with the synthetic chamois. Follow these steps:
1) Spray the car from top to bottom with a good pressure spray. Your goal is to remove as much of the dirt as possible. Dirt left on the surface will scratch the paint and leave swirlmarks or "spiderwebs" on the paint, particularly a black car such as yours.
2) Starting from the top, use your wash mit or sponge to soap the surface and remove debris not removed with the water spray. If you are washing in the sun, do only one section at a time. NEVER let soap dry onto your paint. Don't be afraid to apply pressure. If you drop your mit or sponge, wash it off with water first to ensure it didn't pick up any scratch-producing rocks or dirt. Do the area around the exhaust, wheels, wheel wells, and lower body sills last as these are the dirtiest.
3) As you are soaping the car, pay close attention to the surface. This is where you will notice scratches, chips, and stains in the paint.
4) Rinse the car with a gentle stream of water, starting from the top. Notice how the water runs off the body panels, particularly the roof, hood, and trunklid. The water should run off immediately and create beads on horizontal surfaces. The smaller the beads, the better your car's surface. Larger beads or no beads at all means its time to clean, polish, and wax your car.
5) Dry the car with the chamois or 100% terry cloth towels. The terry cloth towels will soak water quickly but become of little use once it has become totally wet. The chamois soaks water quickly as well, but wringing it out thoroughly will give you infinite drying power. Ensure you soak the chamois first before using it to dry the car. NEVER apply a dry chamois to the paint, as it will scratch it. A good chamois will dry windows streak free and never scratch the paint.
6) If the rinse water didn't bead up to small beads, or if you noticed that the surface is no longer glass smooth, it is time to clean, polish, and wax.
Cleaning, Polishing, and Waxing:
The chemical cleaning that Meguiar's Clear Coat Body Scrub Cleaner provides is outstanding and alone will usually produce a glass smooth surface. Rub your clean finger along the paint surface. You should get a squeaking sound much like you would with clean glass.
Once you have cleaned the surface, it is always best (but not required) to polish it. Contaminants will eat away at the surface, producing a less than totally flat surface. The flatter the paint surface is, the higher the gloss and reflectivity. Polish is like using 50,000 grit sandpaper. It flattens the paint surface to produce that high quality gloss. Polishing is best done with a buffer equipped with a foam or lamb's wool pad. Once polishing is complete, it's time to apply the wax. The wax will protect the surface from contaminants, oxidation, and sun damage.
I hope this helps out. It looks like Meguiar's is sold in Canada. I haven't really tried any other products, but I hear the Turtle Wax brand is pretty good. Also, don't use that Color Back wax or any other color tinted wax. This may restore color, but it ruins the luster and shine of the finish.
Any ideas?
It's probably been over a year since I've visited TownHall, so please let me know if I'm in the wrong discussion. My 2000 Protege ES is overdue for new tires (36,000 miles). I'm moving to Florida, where it rains torrentially on a regular basis, so the need is real! A few questions (if you all have already discussed this, please just let me know the post # or the general time frame you discussed it, and I'll find it):
1) Do I need "all season" tires? I can't seem to find any criteria that tell me what all season tires are for.
2) What tires have you used to replace your original Bridgestone Potenzas, and were they a satisfactory replacement?
3) Did you go through a dealer, or order the tires from some place like TireRack.com?
Thanks!
After my Potenza's, I put a set of Nitto NT450 "Extreme Performance" tires on my car. I also upped the size from 195/55R15 to 205/50R15. The Nitto's are quieter and offer better traction that the Potenza's. I always found the Potenza's to hydroplane quite often. The Nitto's stayed planted on the road in even the largest downpours (of course, our large downpours in SoCal are nothing compared to Florida).
Some people don't like to go with off brands such as Nitto. For the price, I found the Nitto's hard to beat. I got them at Discount Tire Co. (America's Tire in the mid-west, east, and south, I believe) for $73 each. TireRack sells them much cheaper. If you want more of a name brand tire, I would suggest Dunlop SP Sport 5000's. It's an "all season" tire with outstanding performance, certainly better than the Potenza's. They should also offer better tread wear and is excellent against hydroplaning. I almost bought a set at Sears, but I will probably buy them from the TireRack.com, if I don't get the Pirelli P7000's (a summer tire).
I am replacing my tires in the next few days (at 49,000 miles now) and will keep everyone posted.
Which end? the one that goes into the valve cover or the one that goes into the air hose?
Question is how do I pull out this elbow?
the interior cover for my sunroof is dirty...i imagine it's from the repaint job they did on my roof. it just looks like white powder...how can i get in that tiny space between the cover and the actual sunroof glass?? if i open my sunroof, it automatically pulls the interior cover open with it. is there any way to bypass this without breaking the interior cover? since my pro is black, the white is quite noticeable and i wanted to get rid of it asap...
thanx
'duh'