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Comments
Great! They're a real bargain compared to the Dunlops.
How do they compare to the Dunlops in terms of cornering and traction in the wet?
How do they sound compared to the Dunlops?
Meade
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iamz: No complaints. ... hard cornering isn't quite as immediate ... much less jittery ride ... exceptionally quiet ... no problems with wet traction
Thanks for your experience. Its folks like you that make checking these forums worth it! Bon voyage, Meade, on your upcoming vacation!
Thank you in advance for your input.
I think you should go to a tire/alignment place and have them re-balance your tires. It could also be that your car requires an alignment.
Whatever you do don't let the dealership rip you off for four new WHEELS that you likely don't need!
good luck.
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Also, I notice that buying all-weather or snow tires for this car would be ridiculously expensive! i found a friend who has a 626 and he will trade me his 15-inch wheels and tires for my 16's. This way I can buy some all-weathers and not go sliding off the road lkike I nearly did last winter. I've never driven on performance tires before in the snow, and it's very disconcerting!
Is there any reason I shouldn't switch to these other tires/wheels?
Thanks--
kilbey :surprise: :surprise:
The spark plugs are in the same place as in most cars -- inside the cylinder head. Follow the wires and you'll find them.
Meade
It's a good idea to have separate winter tires if you drive in the snow. You're right to downsize from the 16" to the 15" but you'll need new rims as well new tires. Snow tires (check for a mountain and snowflake icon on the side) are best; all seasons may do the trick if you don't have much snow. Driving snow tires in warm weather will wear them out prematurely. Make sure to check the tire specs in the appendix of your manual. My performance tires (Dunlop 5000 195/50/16) lasted 4 summers (25K miles) in part because I installed some excellent snow tires (BF Goodrich Winter Slalom).
Thanks!
• We've got over 85k on ours in just 4 years.
• Not as single problem....just brakes, tires, tune ups and fluids.
• Never got worse then 26MPG, and never better then 33MPG.
• Interior and exterior have held up very well. (mine's silver) The ONLY piece that has gone out is the front seat height adjustor, but since I'm a big fat guy, I'm not blaming Mazda.
• The only time I ever thought it was genuinely SLOW is when I had 4 adults and all their luggage on board trying to climb a mountain in Northern VT. In day to day driving, it's MORE then quick enough.
• It handles like a dream.
• I'm putting on my 3rd set of summer tires today actually. (stock Dunlops, then Kumho ECSTA 711's, now Kumho ECSTA ASX's.) It's a funny size, TireRack has lots but local places don't offer much.
• I could probably get more mileage out of tires but I drive hard and don't rotate enough (I admit it)
• I've run the same set of snows for the last 4 winters but they are done. They are a 15" Arctic Alpin on 15' steelies, a TireRack winter tire package which cost a very reasonable $514 shipped to my door and paid for themselves 100 times over. I'm going with Hakka 2's this fall.
• My Kumho 711's wore badly presumably due to alignment issues. The inside edges of the fronts went down to the chords. When they put on the ASX's they are doing an alignment as well. My other tires have all worn normally and evenly.
• I chose the ASX's becasue I was happy with tehe previous Kumhos, and thier price but wanted something a bit more "all weather" with a bight treadware rating and, hopefully, longer life. With a 2 year old in the back, I don't drive nearly as hard as I used to so the 712's would have been a waste.
• I've been perfectly happy with the car other then our family just flat out outgrowing it. The kid, the dog, our stuff...it's time for something bigger but I'm giving it a year or two to see if we actually get any decent diesel offerings once the LS Diesel gets phased in.
85k ... in just 4 years ... stock Dunlops, then Kumho ECSTA 711's, now Kumho ECSTA ASX's ... same set of snows for the last 4 winters but they (15" Arctic Alpin on 15' steelies) are done.
Very timely! My Dunlops, approaching 26K miles, are expiring soon (handling is definitely not as grippy). How many miles did you get out of each set of tires (Dunlop, Kumho, Alpin)?
It sounds like you did not have an alignment done when you bought your first Kumhos but will do it now with your second set. I've heard that alignments are wise when you get new tires and was planning on getting mine done.
I agree that winter tires are worth every penny.
What's the LS Diesel?
I know this is bad, but I honestly have no idea how many miles on each set of tires.
If I had to guess, The Dunlops were probably 25k± and would have gone a bit longer but my wife slashed one's sidewall on a sharp curb so we just replaced them all.
The Kumho 711's when for almost 2 summers so I'd guess 20k±.
The snows made up the other 30k± or so. I run my snows from Thanksgiving to mid-April.
"Low sulfur" Diesel is being phased-in for 06-07. It's the same diesel they use in Europe so, in theory, automakers will be able to offer a lot more diesel cars in the US with very few changes from Europe.
I'd love to get my hands on Honda's latest Diesel CRV... I'm not holding my breath though.
hmm, was that a Freudian slip?
Mazda has diesels in Europe, too; what it would take for them and Honda to bring them over to North America. VW sells a fair amount of them in Quebec due to the high price of gas. Following hybrids, diesels make a lot of sense.
Good to see you back -- stick around a while!
Meade
Had the Kumho ECSTA ASX's mounted and put them on the car last night. They ride very smoothly and quietly. It's being aligned this afternoon. After that I'll see how far off the grip is from the 711's.
The AXS's have a much rounder shoulder then the 711's did. I'd say it's on-par with the OE Dunlops for size and shape though the ASX's have more sipes.
TireRack.com refers to them both as "Ultra High Performance All-Season." The ASX has a 420 treadwear rating, the Dunlops have a 360. The ASX is a WR, the Dunlop is a VR. The ASX has a better rating in every catergory save for "Handling" where the Dunlop scores 8.10 and the ASX scores 8.0. Wet and snow traction should be better.
Long story short, I to get the rest of this summer, plus (hopefully) 2 more summers out of them with proper 4 wheel rotations. I have air tools now so it's quick and easy.
The alignment guy said my struts were starting to leak and were ok for now, but would need to be replaced soonish. Anyone have any recommendations on this? I assume OEM would be best for me. I certainly don't want the car any lower... It's almost too low already for Vermont winters.
I absolutely will still run dedicated snows in the winter. After 4 winters with the Michelin Arctic Alpins, I'll be running a set of Hakkapeliitta 2's (non-studded) this year.
http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/tires_popup.cfm?id=1&w=1
Adjustable struts would cost more.
Non-adjustable struts will most likely change the ride. You can't tell whether or not you'd like them until you've bought and installed them. When I changed them on my '89 323LX, the aftermarket gas-charged struts felt softer, resulting in more roll through turns. The Monroe Sensatracs I got afterwards were too stiff. Oh well, live and learn.
Having spent the better part of an afternoon reading over this forum, I discovered that my car didn't originally come with a roof rack (but the subwoofer was standard), so I don't feel like I'm missing something I should have. And I found out that my tires should definitely not be inflated to 40psi, but more like 34/32, front and back respectively, to smooth out my ride. Very helpful information indeed, and I look forward to learning a lot more as I dig deeper into these forums.
This is my and my wife's first "new" car, so we've picked up a book on maintenance, and as I said, I'm reading up on what I should do specifically with this car to keep it in good shape. I'd like to customize it a bit, but I'm not in the market for a carbon-fiber hood just yet. I'll probably replace the factory head unit and speakers, then maybe try re-wiring the fog lamps to function as daytime running lights if I'm feeling adventurous. I wouldn't mind getting slight (5mm, max) wheel spacers, wheel locks, a rear bumper guard, and a cargo mat/tray (jeez, I just realized how utterly reasonable I'm coming off). OK, once it's out of warranty and I've got more money to burn, I promise I'll start modding the engine and spring for the carbon-fiber if you promise not to laugh.
Is there anything else more seasoned owners recommend with a stock P5 (if you don't count the previous owner's window tinting) to bring it up to speed/style? Are there any pitfalls I should be on the lookout for with this model year/trim package? Where are the best places to get parts/accessories?
Thanks very much, and I look forward to catching up on the discussion.
The shop manual for the P5 is online at http://protege5.ugly.net/
You may want to check your tires, to see how much life they have left. Many posters have reported 25K-30K as normal if a bit disappointing. Finding exact replacements is a bit of slog; you can upsize to 205/50/16 or if you are flush with cash you may want to go whole hog and get 17" rims and tires (but be careful and make sure they fit). Depending on what you choose that could set you back from $500 to several thousand. Once you get your new tires the wheel locks make a lot of sense to insure they don't walk off on their own.
p.s. being in California, you likely don't need winter tires, lucky you.
Anyway, some P5 had sticking parking brake cables, though I think this was more on the earlier years. But it's something you'd want to keep an eye out for (if you notice a drop in fuel economy or an increase in brake dust on the rear wheels). My wife is one of the few owners who seem to get good wear out of the stock tires. She's passed 45k miles and still has enough tread to easily pass 50k miles. Finding tires of the right size is difficult. Since she's had good luck with the stock tires, we may just get another set of those.
As the PZeros have great stats and a loyal following, I believe it is the slightly taller sidewall that gives a smoother ride while taking away razorlike response. It'll be a tough decision later whether to return to noisy, bumpy, jarring, and totally fun 195/50 16s.
I like your ending. I tend to keep my Dunlops close to 35 psi and not the recommended 32; consequently, they are wearing from the centre outward (centre wearbars nearly gone); I'm hoping to reach 27K miles before replacing them. I prefer a harder rather than a cushier ride; some of my passengers disagree.
AEM cold air intake: This pulls in cooler, more oxygen rich air into the fuel injector. Its a cheap mod, and I believe it boosts the horsepower noticably (comparing our P5 with others we testdrove). Recommended, but get a "bypass valve" with it to protect your engine from the intake pulling in water.
Performance Exhaust: Also AEM, I think. Just the sound of the exhaust makes driving more fun, and it may even provide a modest increase in hp. Make sure it is installed well, because I had a dummy install one on my last car (2000 Civic hatch) and it had an exhaust leak and was too loud and rattled.
Short throw shifter: I wouldn't recommend this. Oh, forget it...that's only for manuals. This wouldn't be among the first ten things I'd modify on my car.
Anyway, I think both you and I just purchased an exceptional car when all things - size (we're gonna have a baby soon so the old Civic Hatch had to go), gas mileage, appearance (blows away the Mazda3 and Toyota Matrixes), and most of all driving joy are considered!! Perfect for people who love to drive, need roomy back seats, and drive and park in the narrow hilly streets of Pittsburgh (or any urban area for that matter - hilly or not). Enjoy your "new" car - I know we are digging ours.
Your ignition system is designed to run in a certain impedance range. Stray too far either way, and you risk early or delayed sparking. But I think you probably won't notice a difference. Fresh plugs and wires have very low impedance. When I replaced my wires at the 60k mile marker, they measured at 6kohms. The fresh ones measured 2kohms. YMMV. I tend not to thrash my equipment other than taking some turns a little fast.
1 the car also had new brakes, and I swear the day after we drove it off the lot the front brakes started squealing like crazy.... took 3 tries to figure it out, but it turned out to be the break wear indicators on the outside pad was pushing the little brake slider clips into the disks... the wear indicator on the inside pads are completely different, making me think this was the wrong piece or pad, and there was no way to make it work with out a little help from a grinder. Are there some mixed up pads out there?
2. What kind of fuel economy is everyone getting... I didn't realize that these tires were bigger, and I do realize that my wife is a bit of a lead foot, but we are getting around 22-27, not as exciting as we had hoped.
3. The previous owner put an aftermarket cat back exhaust on the car, and my wife can't stand it, Don't know who makes it, but it is all stainless and looks like 2 1/4 tubing, and has a good low tone. If anyone is interested in trading straight up for a stock system drop me a line, I have some pictures of it. I live in sacramento CA, and would like to avoid shipping charges if possible.
Nothing to worry about. Usually the wear indicator is only on the outside pad since (a) the inner and outer pads tend to wear evenly, and (b) you can't see the inner pad anyway.
New pad time!
BTW, how many miles are on the car?
Meade
P.S. Get rid of that cat-back exhaust. You're just asking for trouble down the road!
We just bought a 2002 Protege 5 wagon. We showed it to two mechanics and they all liked the car, except we needed to change the tires and get a balance, which we did last week.
Unfortunately we noticed that at 60 mph on the highway it starts shaking really bad. Also when we back up sometimes there are some metalic sounds. I was wondering what might be the problem. Bent Rims? How can it be fixed? How much would it cost?
Thanks so much...ekf :confuse:
What's size new tires did you get installed? BTW the OEM are Dunlops 5000M 195/50/16
Did you tell the installer of the shaking?
Are the wheel nuts properly tightened?
Any visible signs of damage to your rims?
You may want to ask your installer about an alignment.
> started squealing like crazy.... took 3 tries to figure it out, but it turned out to be the break wear
> indicators on the outside pad was pushing the little brake slider clips into the disks...
If this is in California, bring the car back and make the dealer pay for the repairs. State law here (and probably elsewhere) requires that brakes are in good working order on all cars sold by a dealer. If they refuse to fix them, inform them you'd prefer not to have to submit the issue to the Attorney General's Office of Consumer Fraud, Department of Motor Vehicles, government entity that licenses car dealers, etc, but will if they force you to.
As for mileage, there's a wide range people here have reported. I drive pretty hard and average 25 to 27 in a 50/50 mix of street and freeway with my 2002 P5 5-speed. Lowest MPG was 24.5 when I drove with particularly heavy foot, highest was 38 on a 200-mile trip keeping speed around 60 because I had on the dinky spare. More so than my '87 Honda Civic Si and '78 Ford Fiesta, the P5's MPG does vary a lot depending on how it's driven.
Oh, and the original tires were 195/50 16 Dunlop SP5000s. I think the -M appears on replacements.
Most likely it's because of VICS, or the Variable Intake Control System Mazda uses on its engines. VICS uses a damper in the engine's intake to force more air into the engine above a certain engine rpm -- on my 2000 Protege ES it was 3,500 rpm. The added air gives the engine a boost in horsepower, and you can feel it kick in if you're a spirited driver like I am. The only downside is, when VICS kicks in, your gas mileage goes south!
So if you're into getting the highest gas mileage you can right now (and who isn't) ... keep those rpms down!
Meade
bought a 2002 Protege 5 wagon ...needed to change the tires and get a balance, which we did last week ... at 60 mph on the highway it starts shaking really bad
What's size new tires did you get installed? BTW the OEM are Dunlops 5000M 195/50/16
Did you tell the installer of the shaking?
Are the wheel nuts properly tightened?
Any visible signs of damage to your rims?
You may want to ask your installer about an alignment.
Thanks for the input:
Tires has 195/50/16 on them... I don't know much about tires ;(
We told the installer about the shaking before changing the tires...
Wheel nuts seem to be tight...
There ARE visible signs of damage on the rims, and the installer said they are bent but no need to change right away... But I am hoping that is the cause of the shaking and not anything else... I will take it to a Mazda dealer and get a second opinion I guess.... How much would it cost? what is the best one?
While installing they did alingment and everything, put different weights on the rims...
New to the message board. I own a 02 Protege5 and was wondering when I should tune it up? It has 49,000 miles on it. I have a pretty good idea it needs it now,being the fact the manual states to change the plugs at 30,000 miles, which I didn't. Oops. During a recent road trip, the car only got 23 mpg, I would like to know what else needs to be changed? Fuel Filter, and where is it? Wires? Ignition coil? Thanks for the Help.
Also, I was curious if anyone gets a poping noise, sort of like a boing, shortly after starting the car,when the car sits a while. It feels like it is coming from the front somewhere,maybe in a suspension component? Or maybe a piece of plastic changed shape with the sudden change in heat. Just curious if anyone knows the possible fix.
Thanks
Mark
The VICS control is actually accoustically tuning your intake, kind of like a speaker port. the longer curved runners tune at low rpms for torque, and the short ones are phased in for higher rpm torque/ hp. at the two specific tuned points of the tuned intake, you will get a slight forced induction effect. which is why these proto's have such great low end torque, that is very flat up to the 4k rpm peak.
I was riding around with the wife last night, and she keeps rpms right around that 4k rpm mark where all the power is, and where it consumes the most fuel while driving. That may have alot to do with it.
But she also informed me that she exagerated the numbers she gave me, and said she is more between the range of 24-27 mpg, and that seems more reasonable.