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Comments
DO NOT PRESS on the brake pedal while the caliper is off or you will have one nasty surprise. after the paint dries, just slip them back on and tighten the heck out of those bolts.
Once you open the brake fluid system, you need to flush all the air back out of it, which is no job for a first timer, especially on ABS equipped cars. If you are that worried about overspray, take it to a pro.
Though it was a PhotoPoint account, so I'm not sure it's still up and running. Worth a look, though.
-juice
here is the miata discussion
http://www.miataforum.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=33&t=000030
I've noticed my P5 isn't fond of being cold either. About a month ago I noticed similar posts on this board where one indicated that it was "normal" for Proteges.
When cold, the engine hesitates a little while accelerating but not to the point of feeling like it will stall. It gets sweet as it gets warmer.
I usually try to let it warm up before going somewhere, but, I'm not concerned too much about how it acts when cold ... as long as it doesn't stall and is perfect when warm.
<><
The folks at the miata discussion say it is some oil leaking into the clutch mechanism.
I was wondering if anyone else noticed this in their pr5.
your mapp2 pics are linked to their larger versions, but it only works on my computer...(something about my website provider and frontpage 2002.)
krotine
jason_krotine@limbachinc.com
Brakes isn't something i want to mess around with so i took it to a shop to get it done pro. They did it exactly like maltb described. And even they started putting the left caliper on the right side. I really hate letting somebody else do anything or even touch my car but here i had no choice. Needless to say i was shaking while they were doing it, afraid they would screw something up but looks like they did a good job. Knock on wood ('knocking on my head').
Jason ... thanks for the offer. But now that I have started a new Yahoo! group (see below), I can probably post them there more easily.
NEW YAHOO GROUP! I have started a Yahoo group for owners of all Protege models and trim levels. (I saw several P5 and MP3 groups, but nothing for everyone -- so I started one.) It's not intended to take the place of Town Hall, rather it's there as another method of answering questions and sharing info about Proteges -- especially with people who are interested in purchasing one who aren't aware of the Town Hall. There's info on the Town Hall at the group's home page. Check it out at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mazdaprotege/
Meade
P.S. BTW, it's very easy to upload your pics in the Photos section of the group! Please do!
Also, check out this new discussion: Protege Owners: Trim Level Comparison. Hope this is helpful. Happy Motoring! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks / Station Wagons / Women's Auto Center Boards
Mazda 626: This is a 1999 model 4 cylinder auto (the dreaded). My younger brother drives this...it used to be my dad's car and got handed down. If I had to sum this car up in one word, it would be: "BORING!" The seats are soft, cushy, and flat. The body lines are old and outdated. The pedals feel a bit mushy. The engine growls quite a bit yet doesn't rev happily. Interior space is good including the trunk. Visibility is also pretty good. Shifting is a bit ambiguous when you really need to go but the car lopes around town well enough. This car seems to be sprung softly and the steering is a bit loose. It feels like Mazda was aiming for lower-end luxury car feel but missed. Ugh. This is what a 16 year old's car should be: slow, safe, and plain. This is the Protege's fat and ungainly older brother.
Tribute: No relation? Distant cousin maybe? This one's a V6 auto 4x4. It took me a while to get used to driving this (the Mom-mobile) for a few reasons. One is that it's large, another is that it's a truck, the third is that my mother is paying a lot of money for it (gulp). After a couple days, I realized this is a great vehicle. The size is just right for an SUV and it doesn't really even drive like one. Sure it's still a bit buckboard and leans a bit in the turns, but it feels very surefooted yet easy to control and the extra height gives you a very commanding view. The brakes are powerful and modulate nicely, steering is smooth and predictable, and the engine is a hoss. This truck may well be quicker than my Protege5. I surprised a few people out around town by coming away from a stoplight far faster than a vehicle like that should be able to manage. The engine is very torquey but does not like to rev...90% of my around town driving up to 50 miles an hour was accomplished at 3000rpm or less, even when I really stomped on the go-pedal. Pros on this one are size (it's roomy inside but no Ford Excursion outside), it handles better than the SUV it is, has more than enough power, and has a good sound system. Cons are that the vehicle feels heavy (it is!), gas mileage is so-so, and it's still an SUV. I'd buy one for a winter vehicle if I lived in the city or suburbs.
B2300 pickup: Ugh. This is a 4 cylinder auto. Possibly the worst 4 cylinder engine ever. I have a hate-hate relationship with this truck. It is so softly sprung that it jounces all over the road. The steering is super sensitive which is good for getting around a parking lot but can easily make the vehicle feel out of control. The ride is not as rough as I remembered it but this thing leans and trundles like no other (it feels like a boat...like the entire body is floating on water rather than welded to a frame). The engine has a fairly impressive "big truck" sound but is incredibly weak considering. I believe it puts out less horsepower AND torque than the smaller 4 banger in my Protege. The brake pedal has WAY too much play in it. This is just a bad bad bad vehicle. The truck bed is useful but it's simply not a big enough or powerful enough truck to really use it for hauling or towing. It's like buying a Subaru Forrester - sure it looks like an SUV, but it's really just a tall car. Thank god they don't make this anymore. I don't know what my dad was thinking when he bought this truck for me (he could have had a full size RAM or F150 with a V8 for about $1-2k more) but at least he drives it now so it's his to deal with.
The Pro5: When I got back in it after 3 weeks, the first things that struck me were how direct the steering feels and how tight the turning radius of this vehicle is. After getting out on the interstate, I noticed that the brake pedal is a bit tight but very responsive and that the engine, while not very torquey, loves to rev. You don't feel like you're sitting on a beast waiting to be unleashed (like you do in a Mustang or similar large displacement V8) but the car feels like if you're willing to rev it up, it's willing to GO! The suspension also stood out. In a way I wish it soaked up bumps a little better, but it keeps the car feeling glued to the road and tight in turns, so it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make. I might take the Tribute over the Pro5 in the "this car makes me feel good when I drive it" category but they serve totally different market segments. Think of the Tribute as a Pro5 for those who need to tow or go in the snow
Thanks for the comparisons. After the new 6 and RX8 (and Pro variants) come in, maybe we should all pay maltb and audia8q a visit!
does the same thing, and it was a known issue.
Erik
I'm only pointing this out because you called the CD4E in your 626 "dreaded".
We own 2 Mazdas, but I really wish Mazda would at least put the Jatco 5 speed automatic in the Tribute, or better yet, a 5 speed manual with the V6. And the S-VT engine from the new Mazda 6, with 219hp, while they're at it.
-juice
-juice
I have used mobil 1 for the first time today (10k miles) and the first thing i have noticed when starting the car after the oil change is that it ran much quiter (sp). I did not even expect it. I do oil changes every 3-4k miles at the dealership ( will continue so with synthetic oil too) for 18 bucks. Can't beat the price. Why take it to a jiffy lube place? (elec3 i know you didn't, you just said IF, right?) Anyways, the service guy also took off $7.50 from the $18 service fee because they did not use their oil. Thats even better. I get synthetic oil put it and only pay $8 or so more (because its more expensive per quart). One thing i forgot to mention to the service guys is that my car leans to the left. I swear, i can't sleep at night now, this bothers me so much. Please guys, check your cars and let me know. If you look at my "5" from front or back you can see that the left side of the car is lower. Yes i checked the tire pressure and it was even at all four corners. I even took out a ruller and was measuring everything and everywhere. Please guys, check your cars and let me know. What could it be? (BTW, i am not heavy so I don't think the car "gave in" under me)
mustang: I shouldn't admit it, but yes I did take my car to that place. Here's why: My dealership is 1500 miles away. There is a Mazda dealership here but I don't trust them any more than I trust a Jiffy Lube, having not bought my car there nor really dealt with them. This is a fairly low income, low education area and, frankly, I do not trust a lot of the independent garages in town. I currently live in a dorm and park in a campus parking lot which would make it tremendously odd for me to bust out some ramps and change my own oil. This leaves all the quick lube places. Jiffy Lube has the best reputation (sadly) of all these type places in town and, as an added bonus, I have friends that work there and will work on my car if I bring it in. That way I get people I trust working on my car AND get a bit of a discount, at least if the boss isn't looking when they ring me up. It's not a bad deal considering my situation.
Now I REALLY can't wait to pick up my wife's new Pure White Pro5 TOMORROW!!!!!!
Meade
Good luck, I'm going shopping tomorrow, the dealer I talked to had a white one equipped the way I want but I'm not sure I want the white. Haven't seen on in person yet. Can't wait to drive one again, my last test drive was in November.
Have a good time picking up that new car!!
Anyway, the white kinda grew on me over the past few days. For starters, white is a very durable color and will keep the car cooler during our hot, humid Virginia summers. Plus I feel it makes the car look bigger and more substantial (i.e. European) than it actually is. It looks good with those stock alloys as well (not the chrome ones). Now if we can just keep the bugs off of the front bumper in the summertime ...
Meade
Personally, I'd get yellow or bright red.
Black and the dark metallic blue look very nice too, but I dread bearing with those colors during the summers (my wife's current car is dark metallic blue/black and she hates getting into it during the summer).
Meade
and the top speed for the P5 (manual tranny)?
Mine is not broken in yet enough for
me to do the 0-60 trial and I have
no access to the german autobahn either. :-)
thanks,
kmh3
Meade
max speed: >=111mph (electronically limited, personal test)
Bruno
Does the P5 even make an appearance in that movie? Somehow I doubt it.
Meade
A recent issue of MotorTrend had a comparison test of new car models, which included Pro5 also, and if I remember right, Pro5 did 0-60 in 9+ secs!!! Just for comparision, the WRX did it in 5secs!!!
But so far, I haven't felt the lack of acceleration - not that I step on the gas a lot (the car is still new) - but I do find the power when I need it.
BTW, I did my first refuelling y'day and was surprised that my car (itz an auto) has given me only 20mpg. Is this expected for a new car??? Mos t of my driving so far has been on city roads.
- PPK.
I was told when I got my Pro LX that mileage would improve at about 1000km (600 mi). I haven't been too good at keeping track lately though.
And to add insult to injury, the S2000 (nice car that it is) has almost zero cargo space. Toy.
one minute my radio/cd player is working fine. then I parked the car for work, and at the end of the day come back and now radio/cd player is acting strange.
basically, when a disc is in the player but i swith to radio function, somehow the radio doesn't play and I can hear faint spiinning sounds from the disc as if it's trying to play, even tho the display shows radio station. only if i take the disc out will the radio actually play. then, at times, when the disc is out, I can hear the cd in/out mechanism turning...as if it's trying to load/unload a cd. this will go on for about a minute. strange.
anyone else have this problem?
Check it out at http://www.barrecrafters.com
I know that the kind of gas you use is a big deal.
The surprise for most people is that a car
made for regular gas will get less mileage
and less performance with super.
All this varies by car model and brand of gas,
but it is worth pointing out to this group that
the gas will make quite a difference.
The first tank from the dealer is almost always
super, so if your gas mileage goes down after
you put regular in it then the car works better
with super.
That bad part is that putting super into a
regular engine will build up extra carbon
deposits after about 10,000 miles and will
cause pinging.
Modern engines detect pinging and retard engine
timing so you won't hear the pinging, but
you will lose performance and mileage.
So, for the protege, the best thing to do is
to search around for the brand and gas station
for a regular that works best for you.
Even same brand gas can be different at the pump
depending on things like how often the tanks
are cleaned.
I will try to post my own results when I get
through a few tanks. My personal brand of
choice in the past has been chevron here in
sunny CA. :-)
kmh3
I used 2 cotton towels to dry the whole car today after washing. The body looks okay, but the windows are 'spotty' if you look out while driving.
I have heard you can try a little vinegar in your car wash bucket. Not a lot, just a 1/4 cup or so in a 5 gallon bucket, which will help it rinse clean. Disclaimer: I have not tried this myself, and the vinegar may strip some waxes.
A rather funny solution is to blow dry your car. I usually go for a drive, but someone I know actually uses a leaf blower, which I find hysterical.
-juice
That's "the super will build up extra carbon deposits after about 10,000 miles and will cause pinging." is a pure rumor, mostly due to people who read wrongly a research article. Let's me explain:
Research showed that a carbon deposit on the engine will stabilize after about 10000 miles (regardless what kind of gas one uses). Because of this build up, old engine MIGHT required higher octane gas than when it was new. If one continues to run the engine with the same gas having a low octane index, the loss the performance could occur because the antiknock sensor will detect knocking and try compensate by delay the ignition timing. This night imply loss of a little bit of performance.
There is no knocking happens when you use the higher rated gas than the minimum required. Energy by volume, optimal air/fuel ratio are almost identical between different gas, so there is no degradation in performance.
Bruno
BTW, I'm working for an oil company
once a while when I wash my car (i.e. every week) I clean the windows with the household liquid used for mirror cleaning. It works all right. I dry painted part of the body with a chamois, and take care of rinsing it as much as I can so that there is not dirt sticking into it, which can be deadly for the paint. I just waxed mine 2 weeks ago (yes the car is already 6 month old).
Bruno