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You know I have to say that it's really nice to come to this forum and not have to listen to people fighting back and fourth about car brands and countries. The small cars from Korea, US, Japan and Germany forum is just flame bait. I know we have a common interest here but it's still nice that we don't have any dorks in here.
Just my opinion.
Thanks for a civilized forum.
This is because the speakers offer more resistance to the current flow and keep the amp from allowing more juice to flow than they can handle. The amp does not overheat cause it is not being driven hard.
But what you've said is just what i meant. The amp does not overheat as easy with higher impedance speakers and thus it's "easier" on the amp, therefore it's easier to drive.
Of course this is a general concept and I totally agree with Bruno that the situation is more complex because the impedance is frequency dependent and not just a simple resisitor.
ANYWAY, i looked at many speaker specifications in Crotchfeeled (hehe) and most main speakers are 4 ohms.
Merry x'mas!
1 - If you are downshifting toward a stop, DO keep a foot lightly on the brake to light up the lights. There are those out there (my wonderful bride!) who do not have good depth perception and need to see your brakelights to know you are stopping
2 - FWIW - The 91 Civic HB I outgrew into the P5 had 155,000 miles on the original clutch and I always downshifted, but went through three sets of brakes. If you are shifting smoothly and correctly, up or down, you too can enjoy long and happy clutch life.
I had about 146,000 on that car with the original clutch when someone slammed into me. (sigh)
Since day 1, my Pro5 has reminded me of that car. :-)
3000rpm shifts are ok for relaxed driving, 4000 rpm if you are in a hurry. Redline if it's broken in and you're in a real hurry!
I'd generally try to keep the engine above 2000rpm, because below that it isn't making any torque, so you'd have no passing power available to you.
-juice
Buoyant (I think it was you): If you try to pop the grills off the speakers inside the dealership, you will be shown the door
As for the head unit, I actually like it pretty well. I love the display, large buttons, and rotary knobs for volume and tuning. I haven't had any problems with CD-Rs skipping (ranging from light blue-green dye to so called "black" CD-Rs which look like Playstation discs and actually use a very deep red dye) but I have had problems getting CD-RWs to play correctly. Not a huge complaint because CD-Rs are so cheap these days they might as well be disposable. It obviously does not put out enough power, but adding an amp seems to be difficult because of the lack of pre-outs. Ideally you would keep the head unit, add a good amp in the hatch and new speakers, and be able to enjoy much better sound and the knowledge that nobody will rip off your system because it still looks stock.
As for me, I fixed mine by installing a relatively small sub in the hatch. I find that it really fills out the sound and takes the duty of producing bass off of those small in-door Pioneers. After playing with the tone controls for quite awhile, I've managed to get decent sound out of my Pro5. It still doesn't have the power and clarity you'd expect from a high wattage aftermarket system, but it sounds genuinely a lot better than it did when I first drove it off the lot. And, like I said, it still looks stock so thieves ignore it. Who wants to jack a big old ugly low-power, double-din Mazda head unit or crappy 25 watt Pioneer speakers?
I'm a fan of bass and have been disappointed with the PR5 standard sound system. What sub did you get and how did you install it?
Note, I've had two different CDs skip, though they may have been damaged to start ... I need to do a test to see how much of a problem it is with clean CDs... they weren't CD-Rs though.
- you are in a hurry
- you are going up hill (or heavy load from wind, etc ...)
There is one exception: in normal driving condition, you can upshift quick from first to the 2th gear. There is no need to stay very long on the first gear. The first gear is mostly used for start the car from stopping and climb on a very steep road (+20%).
Usually you don't need to apply the gas before release the clutch when upshifting. Here is how it works:
Press down the clutch and release the gas pedal in the same time using opposite movements on both feet. During that (short) time, upshift at the moment when the engine starts to be uncoupled to the wheels. Do not apply force to manipulate the shifter, you just need to guide it gently up and down and a little bit diagonally for 2-3, and 4-5. When the clutch pedal is at the bottom (or not too long after), the shifter should completely shifted up. During and after this period, engine RPM is dropping (no action on the gas pedal then). The clutch must be released in such way that the engine RPM (dropping) is matching the car speed (for the upper gear) when the clutch starts to engage again. Usually it imply a "right" (fast) speed clutch release from the bottom to 1-1.5 inch off the floor, and then a smooth release afterward together with an acceleration with the right foot.
OK, so what is a "right" speed of release? Usually the right speed is slow for small gears (1-2) and faster for bigger gears (4-5). Why? Because the ratios of the gear-ratios (hem, still follow me?) are larger for 1-2th, than 2-3th, which is larger than 3-4, etc... For Protege/MP3/MP5, these ratios-of-ratios are: 1.8, 1.4, 1.35, and 1.3. The larger is this ratio, the lower RPM needs to drop at, i.e., you have to release slower.
It sounds complicated but with little practices, it will become very quick a second nature and you don't have to even think about it. If you do it right, you can shift fast and the clutch will last longer.
Downshifting with matching engine RPM and car speed is another story, and it requires much more driver skill. It's called something like toe-and-heel technique. But until then...
Hope it helps.
Bruno
I must chime in with shrique it has been a pleasure reading the civil and helpful p5/protege forums over the past year.. looking forward to more of the same in 2002.
happy holidays all
-Mark
Keep zooming!
Seriously, though, I too really like the P5. If an MPS P5 comes out, I'll be getting one.
First, IMHO down-shifting is a good habit. Some may prefer just breaking. But let's not debate the issue here.
For the beginner, it's good to practice down-shifting the gears one by one. Dropping 2 or 3 gears at once is possible in some case (hard breaking, panic stop, ...). But Let's assume we are in a normal driving condition, and want to slow down at to stop sign, before a curve, etc,... First rule: never downshift to the first gear unless the car is almost at complete stop. A good range of engine revolution for down-shifting is 2000-2500 RPM. It can be performed around at 3000 RPM if the breaking from engine is more desired (e.g. going down hill), but down-shifting at above 3000 RPM is usually not recommended. Start to slow down the car by breaking with the right foot. Wait until the RPM drop to a desired target number. Push the clutch pedal with the left foot while maintain the right foot on the break pedal. Downshift at the moment where the engine starts to be uncoupled to the wheels. As always, do not apply force to manipulate the shifter, you just need to guide it gently up and down and a little bit diagonally for 3-2, and 5-4. If force is applied more than necessary, a common mistake one could make is downshift from 5th to 2th instead of 5-4 and it will not do any good for the engine. If it ever happens, you must push down the clutch as soon as you see (or hear) the engine RPM go higher than expected and then correct your shifter. When the clutch pedal is at the bottom (or not too long after), the shifter should completely shifted down. Release *slowly* the clutch pedal. When the clutch starts to engage again, the engine RPM will go up. One can applied less pressure on the break pedal as the engine will help to slow down the car. For references, if the shifting is performed at 2000 RPM, the RPM will go up to 2800, 2700, 2550 for 2th, 3th, and 4th gears respectively. If the shifting is performed at 2500 RPM, we will get 3500, 3350, 3200 RPM.
Down-shifting to accelerate:
Press down quickly the clutch and release the gas pedal in the same time using opposite movements on both feet. During that time, downshift quickly at the moment when the engine starts to be uncoupled to the wheels. When the clutch pedal is at the bottom (or not too long after), the shifter should completely shifted down. Release clutch and press down the gas pedal in the same time using opposite movements on both feet to accelerate. The release can be performed faster than in the previous case. Before for clutch is engaged, pressing down the gas pedal will help to bring the engine RPM up and matching the car speed. Accelerate to beat the mustang next to you. :-)
Bruno
Stephen
We also have 3 cars for 2 drivers, but the bonus is you have a spare, a loaner for friends, and you always have a choice.
-juice
As you have noticed, the only time you cannot (a priori) match the engine and the car speed is when you downshift while slowing down. In consequence, it requires you to release the clutch slow and gently, otherwise your car will jerk backward. When cornering, sometime you might wish not waiting the engine RPM to drop too low, nor wish your car bucking or slowing down by engine-break, and still be able to downshift quickly to a lower gear and ready for a fast acceleration when exit the corner. In short, you are in a big hurry at the corner! Question: is there anyway to accomplish that? Answer: yes! Before the corner, start slowing down with your break and clutch as described above. If you are born with 3 legs, just before releasing the clutch, you can push the gas pedal (using the extra leg) to raise the engine RPM, matching the car speed and then release quickly the clutch pedal. Unfortunately, you don't have 3 legs! Here is the solution for 2-legs-human-being: while your right foot is still applying pressure on the break, roll the outside edge of your foot outward to touch the gas pedal temporally and raise the engine RPM. This short blipping of the gas pedal should happen just before you release the clutch. With a good coordination, usually it happens exactly when your shifter pass through the neutral position in its course, and the engine starts to be uncoupled to the wheels, i.e., when the clutch pedal is pushing at about one inch off the floor. Beside a complex coordination, another difficulty is to raise the engine RPM by a right amount to match the new gear. That means that the side of the right foot must apply the right pressure and duration on the gas pedal as well as the ball of the same foot for controlling the right pressure on the break pedal. With too little RPM raised the car is still bucking a little; too much RPM, the car will jerk forward! It took me few weeks of practice to finally do it properly, but afterward, it's a great fun. As someone have said: "happiness is not around the corner, happiness is the corner!". It should also reduce clutch wear as compared to a classical down-shifting, if there is any.
As a final note, as you have noticed, in all shifting operations, you should keep your eyes on the tachometer instead of the speedometer, and of course the road.
Happy holidays,
Bruno
The specs on my Bazooka are relatively anemic as subs go - 8 inch woofer, 100 watt integrated amplifer. But again, this kept the price and the size down. It took me a few days to figure out how to install it, having never done car audio installations before, but I'm good with my hands and electronics so I figured I'd save a few bucks and do it myself. I ended up mounting the sub on a piece of particle board which I put under the carpet in the hatch (to give the bugger a square side so it wouldn't roll around, it's cylindrical ya know!). The hardest part of the entire install was getting the doors apart to get to the speakers so I could tap the signal wires for the sub's input. I'd get you a picture of the finished product, but my Pro5 is sitting at the airport right now.
The sub really doesn't take up much space, I have it mounted from front to back with the woofer end facing the hatch (it reflects off the closed hatch and that way I can show it off a bit too when I open the hatch) and along the right side of the hatch. The plusses on this one are really cost and the fact that it doesn't take up much space. It sounds good enough and adds quite a bit to the Pro5s stock sound. You'll never confuse it with a real system though. It just doesn't move enough air or cause nearly the same pound as a pair of 12's and 600 watts. But you get to keep your trunk. For me it was a good compromise and I'd highly recommend it if you find one cheap. If you need a little more, check out the larger and more powerful Bazookas (10" 150 watt comes to mind, but they also make larger, unpowered ones where you can use your own amp). And if you do listen to a Bazooka in a store somewhere, keep in mind that most of the bass they generate is reflected inside the body of your car, not direct. When I open my hatch and stare at mine with it on, I can barely tell it's on. When I get in and close all the doors, I say "Whoa!"
Does the factory alarm only have the horn as the "siren"? Can you add a horn or siren to the factory alarm?
What are some good ways to test out the alarm?
I've gotten so used to Heel-and-Toe that it is the only way I drive now ... I almost never put the full right foot on the brake pedal, just the inside ball of the right foot leaving the right side of that foot for the gas pedal.
Corners are pure JOY in a P5 with stick and it will save on clutch wear too.
elec3 thanks for the info on the Sub!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Jeff
<><
Both cars handled very well and have a good amount of space. Both also seem to be reliable and well-liked by Consumer Reports. I guess the only complaint I had with the Mazda was the fact that the doors seemed awfully light--I wonder if
this could be a potential safety problem. I really couldn't find anything I didn't like about the Subaru, except for maybe the fact that it doesn't look as nice as the Mazda.
I do a ton of skiing, biking, and hiking, so I need a car that is versatile, but I'm not willing to buy a boring, generic station wagon. These were the only two that jumped out at me. I also tested the VW Jetta Wagon and liked it, but I question
the reliability of the Jetta.
Does anyone have any advice that can help me out? Also, are there any other sporty wagons in the $18-23K range that are reliable?
Bruno
God Bless,
Larry
http://members.home.net/311-01/Protege%20Club%20-Merry%20Christmas.gif
by mnkyboy
http://members.home.net/311-01/Protege%20Club%20-Merry%20Christmas.gif
Nice job! Thank you, for our presents!
-Larry
As for my poor Pro5, she's all alone at the airport parking lot today with nobody to take her out for a holiday drive
We have a beautiful blue sky and low temperature here in Houston, especially when riding a bike. Too bad that snow is not coming for the holiday season. I'm kind of stuck at work this year and unable to visit my family in France like others years.
Bruno
The only real Penna. Dutch food, I consumed today at both my Wifes sister's and my brother's Christmas feasts were John Copes Dried Sweet Corn and Potatoe Filling. Both are kinda an acquired tastes, nonetheless; NO Penna. Dutch style holiday meal would be complete with out either.
To stay on topic. After visiting WAY too many relatives! The trunk in my 2000 PRO-ES held all the Christmas gifts a 6 year old could possibly obtain on Christmas Day! ;-)))
-Larry
The Legacy has more passenger room and cargo room. It also has a longer roof and a standard roof rack with cross bars if you have bikes or a kayak (hint: Subaru resells Yakima accessories). The warranty is longer (5/60 powertrain), reliability is good, and the GT is pretty rare because everybody buys Outbacks. AWD is a huge plus in the snow, and the 2.5l makes good torque.
The P5 is smaller and cheaper, also reliable, fun, and more "cute" (in a good way). You could accessorize it with the savings. Could use more torque, but it's still fun as is.
Resale for both ought to be good. I own 2 Mazdas and a Subie. :-)
-juice
By the way, my co-worker leased a 2000 VW GTI (made in Germany) and has had nothing but trouble with it, including a driver's side window that fell inside the door after about 17,000 miles(!) I was shocked to hear that because, as bluong1 hinted, I figured German'built cars would be more reliable than those built south of the U.S.
Anyways, thanks again. I think I'm leaning toward the Legacy GT Wagon (mainly because of the extra space).
-Hurler
Also, the resale on the 5 isn't that good I don't think. I had a 2001 Protege ES (same as the 5, but the sedan body) and it lost alot of its value within the first 8 months I had it.
-juice
Paul, concerning resale value, I'm not sure one can extrapolate the Protege Sedan result to the Protege5. Even if the ES and P5 are very similarly designed, they target clearly different clients. It seems to me a gross over simplification when one say the P5 will not hold the value as the ES does not. Let's the time tells us the true story.
Bruno
Just returned from the family thing for Christmas. My nephew, 18 years old, drove my p5 and revved it up to the redline on country roads. I was encouraging him from the passenger seat. His dad was in the back seat... "don't go over the speed limit!" As my nephew backed down approaching a curve, I said, "Go on, the car can handle it" and he lean it into the curve. I had my techno music up and we were having fun out in the rural parts of NC. My nephew kept reaching for a shifter, (I have automatic) but he was still captivated by the drive. He owns a honda civic, btw. And he is way into car mechanics. When I drove back to Wilmington, I noticed the p5 engine loves accelerating in the 40-70mph range... smooth and torquey, to me, anyway. Even my friend's mom, who is in her 70s, wanted to drive it and loved it. Cuts across generational lines. A very "sweet" car. :-) later
My dealer just told me I can pick up my new P5 on Friday, so I'll need to buy some snow tires ASAP (I plan on buying a set of wheels, too).
I'm hoping the P5 will be a decent winter car in the North Country. I think I've seen a total of three P5's on the road here since they came out in May. I considered doing the standard Vermont thing and buying a Subaru (Imprezas, Legacys and Foresters, are exceedingly popular around here), but I've been driving 323's in the snow for the last 13 years without trouble, so I figured I'd do OK with a P5.
Todd
why can't you just pick the tire maker you like in 195/55R15 or 185/60R15?
Bruno
I love them btw... great traction in all condistions. A bit more noise though, but nothing terrible.
BTW, the other day I read in a car review (I forget where--maybe Carpoint?) that the P5 seems to handle well in the snow even without snow tires.
The frameless doors on Subies are indeed light, but they still offer good crash protection both front and sides.
The Mazda 6 is supposed to have something like 170hp from its 4 banger base engine, so can you imagine that in a P5? Sweet!
-juice