Mazda Protege5

dreante

I'm pretty new with stick-shifts, although I've only stalled once with my Pro5 (4,000 miles on it). I've downshifted many times straight into 3rd gear from 5th gear on the highway to get a real boost. My cuz (who doesn't know how to drive stick, but is a car expert because he subscribes to 4 different car magazines [insert sarcasm]) tells me that you can't jump gears when downshifting, and that I would have to go from 5th to 4th to 3rd. Who's right?

phoenixmp5

I haven't found the car under powered at all... But I guess that depends on your frame of reference. The best example I have is driving from Phoenix to San Diego with a passenger, two big dogs and a trunk full of luggage.

I made the trip averaging 75mph with the cruse on and the car never struggled going over the mountain passes. I only remember one instance when the car downshifted to maintain its speed, while maintaining 31mpg.

The P5 tends to breath quite well at the higher speeds, so I don't think keeping up with the maniacs shouldn't be much of a problem.

On the other hand, if racing around is your bag...

phoenixmp5

As long as you keep your RPMs under red-line, you shouldn't cause any damage. I wouldn't recommend this as standard practice as it will be much easier to loose track of your existing RPMs and push the engine over the limit.

As a guideline, if the engine seems somewhat responsive in 5th (in its power range), downshifting to 4th should be more than enough. If on the other hand, you get no response from 5th, because your RPMs too low, downshifting to 3rd will put the engine back into its proper power range.

Automatics will even shift from 4th to 2nd, if the RPMs are too low when the accelerator is stomped on!

elec3

dreante: Go get your oil changed. It's 20 dollars and 20 minutes at Jiffy Lube. That's a lot less time and money than you will spend if you DON'T change your oil and your engine burns itself up.

unclebud: You'll have an interesting choice and the info I can offer is both good and bad. First, the Pro5 has pretty much the same engine as that 4 cylinder automatic 626. Having said that, I've spent quite a bit of time driving both a 4 cylinder automatic 626 (not really as bad as you make it out, just not at all sporty) and an automatic Pro5. The P5 is a whole lot faster with that same engine simply because it's a much smaller and lighter car. I've had the opportunity to drive the P5 through heavy rush hour traffic (in Chicago as well as through El Paso, Oklahoma City) and it performs pretty well depending on the speed of traffic. If traffic is moving about 50-65 you'll have tons of power to spare and the car is great for zipping and zooming between cars. If traffic is going 75-80 (and you still need to pass people for whatever reason) you'll have the power to do it but you may have to downshift (or turn off overdrive). The revs are pretty high in top gear and I found mine to stay around 3500-4000RPMs at 80mph. That leaves you with not a whole lot of headroom to speed up though someone on this board claimed to top out his ES 2.0 sedan at 119 so I guess you CAN go faster. I had no trouble maintaining speed up hills through New Mexico, especially with cruise on but it DOES feel like the car is straining because it'll downshift and you're going 80 at 5000+rpms. Still the cruise is ruthless and will maintain speed no matter what, even with the a/c on. Keep in mind this was also with two full sized adults and about 1000 pounds of stuff in the hatch, back seat, and in a soft carrier on the roof. Generally power is good but not overwhelming. I'd recommend a stick if you're really concerned about high speed driving in traffic though you should be able to get by with an automatic. Getting to 80 is not real hard, accelerating to pass from 80 is a bit tougher.

Also just for kicks today I made a left turn from a stoplight behind a pretty nice Camaro and we both punched it. I wasn't even close Low range acceleration in the P5 is not very good but once I got the revs up I caught up a bit. Then I hit 5 over the speed limit and had to lay off. This car is so NOT a V8

Sporin

Anyone else see the review? The only negative was a slow 0-60 of 9.5 sec. Other then that, they gave it high praise. They went on and on about how well it handled and how much fun it was to drive at or near it's limit... unlike a C5 Vette which never sees 1/2 of it's potential.

They say that the car "feels quicker then its 17.2-second, 81-mph quarter-mile suggests."

More quotes...

"... the Protegé5 pilot was enjoying the full potential of his mount and grinning ear to ear."

"The helm points the 5's standard 16-inch wheels and V-rated Dunlop SP Sport rubber with Germanic accuracy."

"To the scintillating driving dynamics, add supportive seats ..."

Not bad.

1200 miles on mine and it's really humming. The engine is starting to sound sweeter as it breaks in and my mileage is pretty close to the EPA estimates. I easily fit all my camping gear in teh back this weekend, dog too.

I haven't had one single time where I have felt a real lack of power, and it handles like a dream. Since I don't street race, I guess the lackluster 0-60 and 1/4 mile times won't bother me too much. :-)

zoom zoom!

(All quotes from Frank Markus, Car & Driver Magazine, 10/01 issue, page 145)[/i]

Sporin

#1287 of 1304 Bumper by protege_fan Sep 07, 2001 (06:50 pm)
"I personally load/unload my trunk. I am super careful doing so and don't trust anybody else to! Maybe it's just anal, but it's my car. "

Me too, me too, but accidents happen, even to the most anal of people. I'd rather take a small precaution now, then be kicking myself later when my hand slips or something.

protegextwo

Drew Lee, my 2000 PRO-ES owners manual says, 5,000 miles. Consumer Reports, did a long term test with city used taxi cabs and they say every 5,000 miles is fine for oil change intervals.

Nevertheless, I change the oil in both my 2000 PRO-ES's EVERY 3,5000 miles! I use four quarts of Castrol engine oil, replace the oil filter with a Mazda OME replacement filter. Drew, by investing a little time and a modest amount of money, you can help your PRO-5 outlive the Mazda Factory Warranty.

I believe clean oil, every 3,500 miles prevents sediment and old contaminated oil from turning into engine sludge build-up. I guess engine oil works fine lubricating automobile engines up to 7,500 miles or so. However, I don't want that old black contaminated engine oil in either of my Pro-ES's.

Respectfully,
Larry

alana3

Hi,
Well I went for a second test drive and well,
I think I am going to buy that car. :):)
When accelerating from a stop, I have found
that if I am not so heavy on the gas, the motor
doesn't make such a loud "Vrooom" noise when
upshifting.

The car I would like is Auto, with ABS,
moonroof and side airbags. The sticker
price is $19115. The Edmunds price is $18621.
I am going to bring in all my info from the
internet and I am hoping they will be fair
and sell it to me for $18621.

My allergies are really bad, so I do not
for see opening the moonroof very much. Is the
Moonroof Deflector really worth getting?
Does it reduce the fuel economy any?

Someone else asked about the auto dimming
mirror. It is mentioned in the P5 brouche,
None of the sales people know anything about
it. I would love to get one in
my car. Is it hard for some car mechanic
to install it after market?

Thanks,
Alana

alana3

Hi again,

Did anyone get an extended warranty with
their P5? Is it worth it?

Thanks,
Alana

mustang87

I would never get my car's oil changed at Jiffy Lube. And if you do, I find it pretty sad.
That's a lot MORE money in the future if you get an oil change there. Just my .02 cents.

Also what is the average MPG (city and highway) that you guy and girls get out of your Protege5.
I knew the PR5 is not a V8 but after reading that it only goes 0-60mph in 9.5 i was, very and really disappointed. Doesn't the sedan go much faster? What about the MP3?

zx3in

My boyfriend got a P5 on August 25, and I ordered his bra for him that day. When it hadn't come in the mail a week later, I called the dealership, and they told me that it was on national backorder. Seems like nothing concerning the P5 is easy to come by.....getting the car was challenge enough...the rest is impossible.

Sporin

Jiffy Lube is the absolute bottom of the barrel in my experiencen. I would NEVER take my car there.

If you insist on being a sheep for OPEC, and changing your oil every 3000 miles, then at least do it yourself or have a good independent garage do it.

You're not doing your Pro any favors by bringing it to Jiffy Lube.

The manual for my Pro5 lists oil changes at 7500 miles. I'll go with 5000 just to be safe because I drive my car pretty hard.

3000 mile oil change intervals is a waste of money and resources... this has been proven time and time again with scientific research. It is pure OPEC-bunk in modern cars.

onboost91

I've ran the AC constantly on several 3-4 hour trips with no problem (some in traffic, some not). It never shut off once and worked perfectly the entire time. I'd take it in to the dealer and have it checked out.
-Finn
Silver Protege5, 4500 mi

newcar31

Let's here some horror stories! There must be a reason why you think Jiffy Lube is evil.

mmdorf

I purchase the extended warranty the day of the sale for around $1,1000. That brought me up to 100K or 6 six bumper-to-bumber warranty w/road-side-assistance as well.

Peace of mind, and $1,100 seamed reasonable.

raduga750

Why is bringing a car in to Jiffy Lube for an oil change bad for the car? There isn't much to an oil/filter change. Is the same true for all the other generic oil change places? There's a pretty significant difference in cost between going to one of those, and going to a mechanic!

bluong1

Just my $.02 on the topic the oilchange. The distance between 2 oil-changes should not only depends on how hard the car is driven, but also on the percentage of driving around the town, which requires more accelerations and stopping. In my everyday driving, I shift between 3500-4000 rpm. But when hard acceleration is required, I bring the engine up to 5000+ rpm. On the highway, I usually down shift from fifth to fourth for acceleration/passing, and I never feel the need to downshift to 3th. It happens that I shiftdown 2 gears (4-2 or 5-3) when breaking before corners, but usually I try not to skip intermediate gears. I drive about 70% Hwy and 20% city, and I average about 28.2 mpg. I think the mpg is very good indication how often one has to change oil, as it reflects both driving habit and Hwy/city balance. I plan to change the oil of my P5 every 5000 miles, though I plan to do my first oilchange a little earlier (4000 miles, and it right now).

Bruno

ctboyer

Jiffy lube is the last place you should have any work done on your car. Think about it...do you want high-school drop-out's performing vital maintenance on your brand-new car? Here's some things they do: overtighten oil pan plug (can't remove it), undertighten oil pan plug (oil leaks out), use substandard or even recycled engine oil, can't figure out how to get the air filter cover open on my car... Learn to do it yourself, you'll feel a whole lot better and you can control exactly what goes into your car. I totally do not trust those jokers.

ctboyer

I can't wait until someone takes a normal P5 and turns it into a super performance vehicle. I am not talking about adding stupid window stickers or a loud muffler. I mean adding a high pressure turbo, performance intake and exhaust, Z rated rubber, a new computer chip, etc... I want to see what the car is really capable of. Hopefully someone will do this, and Motor Trend or Road and Track will test it. That would be a really cool car.

jstandefer

I had my RX-7's oil changed at Jiffy Lube all the time and never had an ounce of trouble (and rotary engines are extremely sensitive to oil). Look at your dealerships and large independed garages. When a new, young, inexperienced mechanic first starts out, what do you think they assign them to? You guessed it. The lube rack.

I have always had my '99 ES sedan's oil changed at the dealership. It's a bit more expensive ($25), but they have it done in less than 30 minutes (or the next one is free) plus they wash the car. This also gaurantees that Mazda oil filters are being used, and everything is being installed by a mechanic that has been certified and trained by the factory for that specific car.

I generally change my oil every 3,000-3,500 miles. I don't consider myself a sheep for OPEC. I drive my car hard. I generally shift between 5,000rpm and redline for acceleration, and about 4,000rpm around town. I do about 85% city driving and 15% highway driving. I feel much better changing it sooner than 5,000 miles. If you don't drive it hard, 5,000 miles is certainly ok. Just look at it this way... a $20 oil change is the cheapest and most worthwhile maintenance you can do to keep your car running trouble-free.

BTW, in terms of highway power, the Protege has lots of it. I am the one who has taken my '99 ES sedan to the 119mph speed limiter. I find acceleration on the highway is quickest in 5th gear between 70mph and 90mph. This may not be true for the 2.0L engine, which I find isn't nearly as rev-happy as the 1.8L.

Sporin

Jiffy Lube. I have personally had...

+ Left oil cap off resulting in HUGE mess (luckily it was on a beater)
+ Reinstall belly pan improperly with only 2 of the 8 screws so pan drags and catches after a big bump. (dangerous)

I had a friend who's car was rolled out without oil! Can you imagine? Yikes!

Also, they never seemed to have the correct oil filter, and would want to either substitute "an equivilent size" or say... "We'll just leave the old one on there." Um... no thank you.

I do it myself in the warm months or go to my trusted independent mechanic in the cold months. If you've had good luck then that's great, but I sure haven't.

vocus

I have had 5 different people who had trouble at Jiffy Lube. One's valve stem caps were lost, one didn't have any oil in the car, the other no transmission fluid, the other no oil cap, and the last a stained steering wheel (grease) and interior. I will NEVER take my car to Jiffy Lube. I always go to Goodyear and have mine done, and never have had a problem in the 4 years I have been driving from there.

meinrad

I suppose whatever experience you have will give you an opinion of a place, but I've never had one bit of trouble with my local Jiffy Lube. Now local mechanics and a local dealership have both given me trouble, and I have not returned to them.
"Think about it...do you want high-school drop-out's performing vital maintenance on your brand-new car?", in some cases yes I do. Some of those high school dropouts did so because they worked on their car too much, and they know and care about cars.
On the idea of how often, I'm not convinced that it needs to be done any more than every 5000 miles. I had a crx that I changed every 7500 miles. I drove it hard for 125,000 miles then sold it to a contractor who drove it 125,000 more. Not one bit of trouble. Yeah, it's not that expensive, but over the life of the car the time and money does add up, and I'm not willing to pay it.

bluong1

FYI, Car & Driver test results are very close to the performance measuring by Robert Browden in his P5 review. Here are the numbers of the later: 0-60mph in 9.3s, and 1/4 miles in 17.1s @ 81.7mph. The top speed is 119mph "potential", what ever it means. In some particular cars, the top speed is reached with the 4th gears instead of the 5th, though I double this is the case of the P5, as its gear ratios are not that large. When cruising at 80mph, a manual P5 engine rev about 3700rpm. I think it's a good number, since the maximum torque at 4000rmp is not far away, that would give the P5 a potential passing capability without compromising much the mileage. I think the performance of the car is not that spectacular, but it's perfectly OK if not decend when one is on the righ gear. Yesterday when I was accelerating the car up to 60mph just after a 90 degree corner on the right lane, there is a BMW 323 on the left lane want to cut in front of me. I think the conductor of this car has to push hard on the gas pedal to do so. On the other hand, I did not applied any extra pressure on right foot (nor I have intention to do so), just a regular smooth acceleration.

Zoom, zoom,

Bruno

BTW Jerry, sorry to hear about your unfortunate ticket. Two years ago, on the way back to Houston from Big Bend SP, I get caught at 97mph with the Civic EX. So far, my P5 still has a clean file.

jstandefer

The top speed of 119mph "potential" means that the engine computer cuts off power at 119mph (verified personally). Judging by my experience at these speeds, I think the car could touch 130mph if it wasn't electronically limited. At 119mph, there's still about 1,000rpm left on the tach and it was pulling strongly until the computer cut in.

0-60mph times... From what I have read since the 3rd Gen Protege ('99+) has been introduced, here are the acceleration numbers:

'01 MP3 sedan: 8.2 seconds (2.0L 5-spd)
'99 ES sedan: 8.4 seconds (1.8L 5-spd)
'02 P5 5-door: 9.3 seconds (2.0L 5-spd)

I imagine the 2.0L sedans will hit 60mph in the high 8's (8.8, 8.9 seconds).

vocus

I have a 2001 ES automatic. I can feel the car pull strongly as soon as the tach hits 3000 rpm. It seems like from 3-5000 rpm is where the life in the power band is. It doesn't do too badly, especially for an "economy" car. I wanna time my car to 60 mph, but have to get a stopwatch to do so yet. I will post the results when I do it.

vocus

Granted, I would not take my car to Jiffy Lube due to the experiences of my friends (listed above). However, I don't think it's right to call them "high school drop-outs". That is very stereotypical and also very uncalled for.

bluong1

IMHO, extended warranty is not worth. In average, Mazda earn some extra money by offer such coverage, that means the client loss the money. It's only worth if the future car owner plans to use the car more extensively and/or keep the car longer than the average (someone know what is the median of car age in the US?). To make a parallel illustration, in average people loss their money in playing lotteries. But one might also win big sometime. Do you play lotteries?

For the wind deflector, I don't know exactly what is the effect on the mileage (I have mine installed with the car), but my guess is it will not hurt, since when the noise go down, that means there is less wind turbulence, i.e., more efficient penetration in the air.

Bruno

deliveryguy

I just knew that the post on "taking my car to Iffy lube" would stir some good fun discussion. LOL. Personally, I do my own oil changes, every 5000 miles or so, seems to be 3000 miles to soon, 7500 miles to long, so 5000 miles is a good compromise. But if you are not going to do anything, Iffy lube is better then nothing. I think of more importance is to always check the oil level and NEVER let it get low! ie, below the add mark. Yes, all engines burn, use, oil to some extent, some more than others as they age. I usually use Castrol GTX, Fram filters, and have never had any problems. 87 Mazda 323 wagon - 225,000 miles, 89 Honda civic Lx - 215,000 miles. Just my experiences...........

mustang87

I believe i read somewhere that an average car on a U.S. road is 8 years old. That is not brand new by any means.
I am surprised, I guess, that an mp3 is a full second faster than the pr5.
I was looking to buy a mustang gt, gotta love that v8, but since i put about 500-600 miles a week on car, mostly highway on i-95, i didn't think the ford would hold up for the next 5-6 years. And it was a good 6 grand more. I am very happy with my yellow auto pr5 and i am glad i didn't get something like a civic.
The car turns heads everywhere, including local hotspots in ft.lauderdale and miami and even from drivers in boca raton, fl where all you see really is benzes, bmw, caddillac, lincolns, and acuras. More power however would never get in the way, i.e. is useful.. Maybe I should go pock around an mp3 and see what its made out of. My zoom car can sure use some of those tweaks. BTW, the best mpg in my auto is about 26 so far. This is mostly at highway speeds although i do spend at least 20 minutes idling in traffic everyday. I keep 90% of my shifts under 3500, and very rarely go over 4500-5000 range. Is this good? Should it be better, or will it improve? And sorry if this rant is too long.

ZOOM ZOOM

newcar31

Ha ha ha, lol. Guess what? I am a May college grad and I STILL work at Jiffy Lube as an assistant manager because I can't find a REAL job. I worked my way through school there. Actually, I have been offered a couple jobs (including a production supervisor job for GM which would have paid me a handsome salary), but I am going to wait it out until I find a job that I really want. Speaking of Jiffy Lubes, I don't think the horror stories apply to all of them. Just like any place else, you need to find someone that you trust. I for one, DON'T trust my local Mazda dealer. They don't even know how much oil goes in my car. I was told by two different MECHANICS (not lube techs) the WRONG oil capacity for my car. I already knew how much it took, I just asked them to test their limited knowledge. This is a common Mazda engine that has been around for years and they don't even know the oil capacity OF ALL THINGS. I have worked for Jiffy Lube for 4 years and if I have learned anything, this is it: You can only trust YOURSELF. You want everything perfect 100% of the time? Do it YOURSELF, or find someone that you know and trust. If someone tells you that a certain service center has been good for them, try the place out. Word of mouth is crucial to places like this, good or bad. I would trust the Jiffy Lube that I work at more than the dealer, but at the same time, I know that there are Jiffy Lubes out there that aren't that great. We have many customers that have been coming to our specific store for years and they tell all their friends that we are good, because in fact we really ARE good. We have a competent staff, unlike some dealerships. We won't change your oil, fill it up with 4.25 quarts of oil (overfill), forget to check the oil after the service (which would have indicated a half quart overfill), and let your car drive out with too much oil in it like a certain very un-professional Mazda dealer will.

csuftitans

I've taken my 2000 Millenia twice to Jiffy Lube. To me any express oil change place is the same, so Jiffy lube is perfectly fine for that purpose. One thing that really bothers me is that both times I went there for oil change, they took out my air filter and show it to me; telling me how dirty it is and that it need to be replace. They said they have an even better air filer for my car; higer quality they said; whatever. Off-course I won't fall for that stupid offer; my car only had 6000 miles and 9000 miles at that time. One of the time I went there, I saw them offering the same thing to two other people that's waiting there for their car. Oh, one other thing, one of them even bad-mouthing dealership service center; said that they don't use good oil and air filter, etc, etc. Anyway, like jstandefer, I now serviced my car a Mazda dealership for $25, 30 mintues or less and free car wash; much better deal than jiffy lube's $20 and pushy sales/oil-changer.

Black P5, Auto, 5400 fantastic miles.
zoom-zoom

twistinmelon

I posted this question previously, but the nice folks at TownHall deleted the message because it contained a term which is, in modern popular usage, the equivalent of the 50's era term "Hot Dog" but, since it was construed to relate to an ethnic group rather than a type of behavior as I intended and as it has always been used in my experience, and that ethnic group is non-European and therefore a protected class in this country, it was deemed unacceptable. Geez. I like everybody, my circle of friends is a regular rainbow coalition, but stupid hypersensitivity like that makes me want to rent "Falling Down."

Anyway...

I don't know all what goes into making a car faster or slower than another. I'm not a serious "car guy" or "gearhead" (oops, are those sexist/gearist slurs?).

Will somebody try to look beyond my obvious lack of grasp of acceptable speech and tell me how it is possible that a Honda Civic LX Sedan is nearly a full second quicker zero to 60 than a Pro5?

Civic LX Sedan
2465 lbs
115 hp @ 6100 rpm
110 lb/ft @ 4500

Pro5
2716 lbs
130 hp @ 6000 rpm
135 lb/ft @ 4000

I really don't think a couple hundred pounds difference can explain a 0.9 difference in zero to 60. And the gearing seems to favor the Pro5 as well. What am I missing? Is it the roof rack? ;-)

twist (unless that screen name offends somebody)

Sporin

Not sure, but I suspect it's gearing and weight combined.

The Pro5 is about a second slower to 60 then my Passat was... frankly, I don't feel the difference.

phoenixmp5

I was looking at the Civic EX sedan prior to the release of the Pro5 and was blown away by how cheap it had become since my 91 CRX and my sister-in-laws 96 sedan. The engine sounded like a lawn mower and it went nowhere fast. The ride... even worse!

In my opinion, the ratings are highly inflated. There are several postings on the Honda news groups with people questioning the horsepower ratings of the different Honda vehicles... among other things.

As much as I loved my CRX and enjoyed driving the 96 Civic LX from time-to-time, the 2001 seamed like a real piece of work.

Sporin

I had a 106hp '96 Civic DX hatch, 5-speed for 3 years. Good solid car, but you could NOT loaf around at 2k rpm's like you can in the Proteges. You really needed to rev it up for power.

In a lot of ways, my Pro5 reminds me of my old, beloved '93 Civic Hatchback. Just at 12/10th scale. It's got that same light, zippy feeling.

twistinmelon

Let me get this straight...you think C & D is involved in some sort of conspiracy to pump up Honda numbers and minimize Mazda numbers?

I fully appreciate your perception of the Civic...I think you have a lot of company in your view. Of course, Honda also makes lawnmower engines. Maybe one got switched accidentally? ;-)

But C & D cooking the books? idonthinkso

And a Mazda fan should be particularly careful about casting that type of stone. See, e.g., Miata hp error http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/roadtests/spin/45557/article.html (which Mazda did an admirable job of fessing up to and making amends for - I hope they teach Ford how to handle that kind of thing).

twist

phoenixmp5

If it's my posting your referring to, I don't remember saying anything about a conspiracy! I said "in my opinion" and made a reference to the Honda news groups. I wasn't trying to call out a lie. I drove the car... was disappointed... read the news groups and found others had the same concerns regarding the power ratings of Hondas as mine. That's all

I wouldn't put it passed any one selling any product to inflate their claims (including Mazda).

Sporin

There are lot's of factors to account for; weight, gearing, *driver*, temperature, mileage on car, clutch condition, humidity, wind even.

As far as I'm concerned, there is no C&D controversy.

Remember that C&D felt that the modest 255lb. weight gain of the Pro5 over the ES 1.8 previously tested was accountable for the .9 sec. increase in 0-60. So just a few hundred pounds can make a big difference.

bluong1

On a quick note: there is another factor which is matter for the acceleration performance: size/weight of the wheels. Rotation momentum and friction play important roles IMHO.
The wind-drag coefficient of the P5 is 0.32, similar to that of the sedan I think. I'm also a little bit disappointed by the measured numbers. I don't feel the car is that slow. To put in persperctive, I drove the 97 Civic ES for 4 years, and test drove the 2001 Civic not long time ago.

I have 2 graphic plots of speed/distance vs time of an P5 in full acceleration, jpeg format. I don't know if there is any way to post it here.

Bruno

protege_fan

You are correct, Sir. The Sedan is listed as having a drag-coefficient of 0.32.
But of course I have no idea what magazine I saw that in.

Pro_fan

deejayspinz

Hi all. Been a lurker for a few months now... Got my Silver MP5 on Aug 28 and had my entire sound system burning a hole in the floor of my home office just waiting to be installed. After a lot of searching and browsing of NG's on the web, I found info and specs hard to come by. So I decided to document my MP5 stereo install. The site contains pictures and info notes of how-tos and things to look out for based on my experiences. I hope you find it useful.

note - if you attempt to contact me via email - I will not be providing responses until the beginning of Oct.

The site:

www.astolfo.com/p5

Cheers,

Dave

phoenixmp5

A gold mine indeed! Thanks for the great info.

mustang87

Does anybody know if a diecast or a plastic kit models of pr5 have been released?
Will anybody make them? That would be a great colectors item as well as centerpiece

csuftitans

Thanks much deejayspinz. This is definitely very helpful for all of us who's planning to upgrade our P5's sound system. With this, I will definitely upgrade my P5's speakers on my own.

zoom-zoom and boom-boom

mdaffron

OK everyone, if you've been around here a while, you've seen this mentioned before. Now it's official!

The second-annual Mid-Atlantic Protege Picnic (MAPP II) will be held on Saturday, October 6, 2001, at a park about 25 miles south of Washington, D.C. We have reserved a large picnic shelter for the entire day. We're going to bring our Proteges, pictures, car-care stuff to show off, and generally have a great day meeting our fellow Town Hall members and talking about our No. 1 love -- our cars!

For the sake of security, we're not publicizing the exact location of MAPP II here. If you're truly interested in coming, drop me an e-mail (mdaffron@the-rma.org) and I'll e-mail you all the details. Attendees will be expected to bring something (food, beverage, etc.) and contribute toward the shelter rental (no more than $10 per person -- of course, much less than that if we get a good crowd).

Last year's MAPP was limited to Protege sedans because the P5s weren't out yet. We'd LOVE to see some P5s at this year's event! It's also really fun seeing others at the park gawk at all the Proteges lined up side-by-side; makes a good pic too! Check out last year's pics at:

http://www.geocities.com/negatize/mapp.htm

(Edmunds can be finicky about geocities links. If you can't link to the page by clicking on the text above, just cut and paste the link into your browser's address window.)

MAPP II = 23 DAYS! We hope to see you there!

Meade

bluong1

I drop my car for the first oil and oil-filter change at 3800th mile this morning. They use castrol 10-30w oil. It costs me $11. Jeff-Haas dealer has 11 P5s in the parking: 4 blacks, 3 silvers, 3 whites, and 1 blue. Six are manuals and 5 are automatics. In the show room is a 12th P5, a yellow one with auto transmission, sun-roof, leather and after-market rims. I don't know if ABS is included or not. The sticker are 22k+. I wonder why the dealer doesn't have any red.

Meade, thanks for the invitation, but Washington DC is too far for me. I live in Houston. Have fun.

Bruno

mdaffron

Thanks for the response. But hey -- we've got one guy coming from MICHIGAN!

Meade

Sporin

Anyone have info on aiming the headlights? My driver's side is a bit high and I have received the occasional flash from opposing cars.

btw-- these hedlights are really great. Bright, with a great pattern adn cutoff. Better even then my Passat which I thought was outstanding.

protege_fan

I think I recall reading in the manual that the bulbs are seperate from the actual assembly. Can you just move the bulb to the approrpriate height/direction? Maybe I'm way off here.

PF