Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

maltb

I see about 20 P5s a day.

That's it? ;-)

icvci

Well, Mazda is our largest account but not our only account. Protege's are by far the most common Mazda vehicle at work. There are at least one of everything except the RX-8. I'm sure that will change soon. I was told they began arriving at dealers last week.

In hindsight, if I had looked at the MPV a little closer, we may not have bought a CR-V. Its very much the anti-minivan sort of like the CR-V is the anti-SUV.

blappo

On the weekend I was backing out of my friends driveway. Since it is on a hill, I just put the clutch in and let gravity do its thing. However, I didn't have enough momentum, so I tried to put the car into reverse. This caused a grinding noise as if I didn't have my clutch in, although the clutch petal was floored. Is this normal behaviour? I thought I did this in my previous car (a Pontiac Sunfire) all of the time without any problem.

dinu01

You MUST stop the car COMPLETELY before engaging reverse.

Dinu

iamz

dinu01 is correct. Reverse is not like your other gears. Never try to engage it while rolling.

blappo

I noticed the manual said to come to a complete stop before shifting into reverse. That is a habit that I will need to break quickly.

Also, I've noticed that sometimes it is difficult shifting into reverse. The car was at a complete stop, and I was shifting from 1st to reverse (was parking the car). The shifter would go partialy into reverse, but not completely. Moving it back into neutral and trying it again solved the problem. Is this normal, or will it fix itself once the transmission breaks in?

icvci

Personally, my P5 doesn't have that problem. However, my old Civic did. I found the best way to combat it was to push the clutch in twice, all the way to the floor and release then all the way and shift. It seemed to work everytime.

I'm not familiar with the inner-workings of the manual tranny so, I can't give any fixes.

boggse

I sometimes have to do this on my Miata. For some reason releasing the clutch and them then depressing it again seems to allow me to shift into reverse.

dwryter

Don't worry too much about the number of P5's around. Mazda made them for only two years, so there are fewer of them around than other cars, and they'll become rarer as time goes on. Prior to my P5 I owned a 1987 Honda Civic Si that I bought new, a model also made for only two years. After 16 years, I sold it for just under $3000 -- about 1/3 the original cost and far above blue book -- because it was rare and desirable to those familiar with the year and model. If the P5 holds up nearly as well, I'll be happy. And if I hold up as well over the next 16 years as I have over the last, I'll be even happier.

icvci

I changed the oil and rotated the tires on my P5 this past weekend. I heard the stories of too tight oil filters.

WHAT THE HECK!!!

I had to drive a screwdriver through the top to get it off. What a pain in the butt. Not only is it hard to get to. And it's difficult to get any leverage. Then it was on way too tight. Me thinks it's time to invest in a filter wrench. Too bad all filter manufacturers don't put standard 1/2" nuts on the top for easy on/off.

And how about those lugs??? I ended up using a 5 foot pipe for leverage.

YIKES! I'm glad that's done.

mazdafun

It was that way with my '99 Protege as well. For some reason, they tighten them down pretty hard at the plant. Luckily, the 1.6L engine is smaller (hey, I gotta take what I can get), so I could bear down on the filter from the top to loosen it.

I gave up on my wife's '03 P5 after trying for 30 minutes. The lower strut brace really obstructs access to the oil filter, so you can't get any leverage on the filter. I just refilled the oil and advised her to take it in for an oil change so the dealership service department could remove the factory filter. After that, I'd take care of the oil and oil filter changes, as they typically don't torque it down nearly as hard.

iamz

I think you guys need to quit complaining and start going to the gym.

kizeh

Silly question: I had my new Ecsta Supra 712s in the original 195/50-16 size (as mentioned in a previous post) installed by a shop I trust. They decided that 40 psi was a proper pressure for this combination. That's quite a bit higher than the pressure the stock tires were supposed to be inflated at. Do you inflate new tires differently for their break-in period? Do you inflate summer tires differently from all-seasons? What pressure should I pick for even tread wear?

lngtonge18

You should always inflate your tires at the manufacturer's recommended level or a few psi higher for better fuel economy. 40 psi is way too high for your car.

iamz

And by "manufacturer" I'm sure lngtonge18 is referring to the car manufacturer and not the tire manufacturer. Mazda recommends 32 psi and I would recomend staying within 30-36 psi. Any higher will give you squirrely handling and a harsh ride.

spencer19

Hi all! I just got my new silver P5 a week ago - I really like it. Reading these boards (and asking questions myself) helped me decide on which car to go with.

Anyway, when driving my P5, once I hit about 30 mph, I'm hearing a noise. Kinda sounds like the faraway drone of an airplane (not a jet, a small plane). The pitch (tone?) changes as I speed up or slow down. Doesn't seem to differ when I'm on different road surfaces. I can't quite tell where it's coming from. Is this normal tire noise, or could it be the infamous 'roof rack' noise I've read about on the boards? Would I need to take off both crossrails, or just the front one (if that's the cause?). Thanks!

Terri

dinu01

I had that for a few wks after I got my PRO in 2001. It sounded like an airplane taking off at a certain highway speed - pretty cool noise with the radio off!

Now it could be that the tires are new and forming their thread like a pair of shoes' will contour to the way you walk, your tires may also need some adjustment to the allignment of your car. Speaking of which, check that your steering wheel is perfectly alligned - many new cars have them off. You can often hear a pronounced tire noise on a new bike (bicycle that is), but as the tires wear off and those little rubber (looks like "I" sticking out all over the tire) bits come off, you hear it less and less - could it be that?

For the P5 it could also be the roof rack as you mentionned. maybe some P5 owners can pitch in their thoughts.

Dinu

pciskowski

Make sure one of the crossbars isn't on backwards. Other than that, taking it off will fix it! Plus you will probably get 1-2 better mpg.

philippa76

My new P5 AT kind-of hesitates, and then jerks back when I put it in reverse - it's a weird sensation. Has anyone experienced something similar? Is that normal for the car, or should I be concerned?

Thanks,

Philippa

dinu01

Stop the car COMPLETELY before engaging P,R,D !!! I cannot stress that enough. Do not let your car roll forward or backward when switching gears - yes you've seen everybody do it, but an AT is expensive to repair, even if that is years down the road.

Most cars will not jerk if you go R-N-D while rolling backwards but will certainly jerk or stop you dead if you try to go D-N-R.

Take an extra second to stop your car completely and save yourself $$$ (AT trannies cost a lot to fix!!!) down the road.

Dinu

philippa76

Thanks for the response. However, this tends to happen when I am parking the car, and have come to a full stop (car in drive, foot on brake). I will then shift into reverse, and it feels fine at this point. However, when I hit the gas to get it to go backward, i _then_ notice the jerking - it only does it once, upon the initial instance that I give it gas, and then it's fine. however, i'm experiencing it every time I reverse. Maybe it's just what these cars do?

-Philippa

spencer19

I took the crossrails off today (not too hard, but instructions in the manual would have been nice), and drove it, and I still hear the noise. I still have some small nubs of the 'whiskers' on the tires, so maybe when they wear off, that will help.

I do like the sleeker look without the crossrails. I had considered taking them off eventually anyway, for the better mpg. Like another earlier poster, I was surprised to see rust on one of the clips when I took them off - on a car less than 2 weeks old.

Terri

mazdafun

No, that's not normal. Get it checked ASAP.

pciskowski

If it wasn't the roof rack, it could be the windshield. If you press on the windshield near the top, does it change pitch? Mine is doing this-in fact, there is a TSB to fix it that my dealer won't perform. Other than that, do you have a sunroof?

spencer19

Thanks, I'll try that next drive. No moonroof or sunroof. Didn't need anything fancy besides auto transmission. The one on the lot had a couple minor things besides the roof rack (wheel locks, and a cargo net I'll probably sell), but that was all. Oh - and a 'subwoofer' that I have no idea what it does, and probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference with or without it :-)

Don't dealers have to fix something if there's a TSB?

Terri

pciskowski

No, in my experience, the dealer doesn't have to fix it unless they can duplicate the problem. Otherwise it is in our imaginations.

blappo

Are you putting the parking brake on before you put the car into park? Doing this will prevent the transmission from taking all of the force to stop the car from rolling.

philippa76

I'm not sure I understand - put the parking brake on _before_ I reverse into a spot?

Anyway, this slight "jerking" sensation definitely happens when I come to a complete stop, and then put it in reverse and hit the gas. However, I've been playing with it, and if I put it in reverse and wait a second or two before hitting the gas, it actually doesn't happen (or it's barely noticeable).
 I think I have been feeling the sensation of it shifting as I tend to throw it in reverse and hit the gas all within a millisecond of one another. I am hopeful that it is not actually a problem, but instead it's due to the fact that the shifting with the Sport AT is noticeable in general (not super-smooth).

However, I am not one to doubt all of your expertise, so if you still think I may have a problem, I will get it checked out.

Sincerely,

Philippa

blappo

Sorry. I misread your post. I thought it was when you were backing out of a stop after you had parked. My bad.

Sporin

About a month ago, I changed my rear brake pads and rotors thank to the mazda-known-but-won't-fix-problem of sticky calipers.

I had no problems with the install, it's fiddly, but not difficult. However, on 1 pad on 1 side, I forgot the little metal backing piece that sits between the piston and the pad back. It's just a thin piece of metal that (I think) keeps things from squealing. Well guess what? They squealed.

So last night I took that wheel apart, wiggled that pad forward, slid in the metal piece where it belongs, and put it all back together.

Everything the same as before.. right? Wrong. This morning I was getting excessive heat and smell from that brake. Almost like it's clamped too hard and dragging too much.

It was tough to get the caliper back on the rotor, requiring a few taps of the hammer, but nothing worse then the first time. I never had this problem after the initial install.

My question is this.. will it adjust itself? I read once that braking in reverse is when they adjust so I did that a few times and it seemed better, but still hot and smelly.

I don't want my car to burst into flames (exaggeration?) but I also don't want to pay a mechanic to check it out either.

Any ideas?

philippa76

...I drove it quite a bit over the past few days, and I have noticed that this problem (see previous posts) is decreasing each time I put it into reverse. So, either
a)I'm getting used to it,
b)I'm getting a better feel for the car and am responding to it more appropriately or,
c) the car is "breaking in" the transmission and it's becoming smoother.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.

-Philippa

jadams6

Hi. I'm still deciding between a Civic sedan and a P5, but I noticed a couple of things when test driving the P5 that I thought I'd ask here.

Firstly, does anyone notice a change in "positioning" with the side view mirrors? What I mean is that you set the (power) mirrors, drive along (yes, on some bumpy roads), look again in the mirror and it seems to not be in the position you set it in? I thought maybe I was imagining it, but thought I noticed this when I drove both the sedan and P5.

Second, the rear view mirror on the P5 - do people, for the most part get a full view outside the back window? I drive a '99 Protege sedan now and notice that I have a clear, full view out the back window, but in the P5, I could not see out the back window fully and had to keep adjusting the mirror (and kept seeing in my sightline much of the back of the car including those high head restraints in the back seat).

Your views would be appreciated...haven't made up my mind yet, but must admit that the P5 ride was sweet!!!!

Thanks.

Sporin

Regarding my brake issue... If anyone ever finds themselves in this situation, remember to adjust the ebrake. With the P5, it's a 10mm nut next to the ebrake lever. Backing it off cured the problem.
 

bluong1

A question though. Is there a risk of unbalanced braking by blind adjusting each individual lever?

boggse

1st: I have not noticed this in either my 2001 ES or my 2003 P5.

2nd: The P5 has a smaller back window than the sedan, and it is further back in the vehicle. I suspect that is the difference you are seeing. This is a result of its wagon-ness.

revka

To jadams6 - Welcome to Town Hall! So we don't take this discussion off topic, I started up a new discussion where you can post your questions on the Mazda Protege5 vs. the Honda Civic.

Feel free to copy/paste any of your recent messages/questions, on this subject, into that discussion. Good luck with your decision. ;-)

And now, back to the subject of the Mazda Protege5 Problems & Solutions!

Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards

Sporin

The ebrake is just on the drivers side. Other then that, the brakes are completely self adjusting.

I don't think there is an issue.

spencer19

Sorry to take a few days... I tried pressing on the windshield like you suggested, but no difference. I'm pretty sure now it's noise from the road/tires. I'll do what Dinu suggested, and wait a few weeks, to see if it goes away. If it's a normal sound for those tires, I could probably live with it (turning the radio on helps).

On a happy note, I just got my first tank of gas today, and figured my mileage so far to be 29.5 mpg!!! I was also happy that I got up early this morning, to fill up before work. By lunchtime, the price at the station had gone up 20 cents a gallon!

Terri

meyerlevin

I'm still trying to get answers to my concern about what kind of tire replacements would be perfectly acceptable on my 2002 PRO5.My present tires are OEM,Dunlop 195/50x16 spSport5000.In talking to MazdaUSA,this is the only tire(brand and size)that they are willing to recommend and support as a replacement.That's no help to me,as this tire and size is hard to come by.Mind you,I have had no problems with this tire and I happen to like it very much.Of course,in the snow it really stinks,but undestandingly a tire of this nature is not made for snow handling.I know how to handle the car in that situation and I compensate for that.Does anyone have enough knowledge to really suggest perhaps a different brand and size tire that they know is tried and true on a car like this? I need to be "STEERED" in the right direction. Thanks much,Martin

dinu01

Go through posts on the P5 discussion and the sedan discussion.

Asking for what others recommend as replacement tires on the problems board is uncalled for. if you had a problem with the P5 post it here. If you have a question about how something works, prices, accessories, etc, post it in the main forums as there is A LOT more traffic there.

Thanks!
Dinu

icvci

Often, when I have the A/C on and I accelerate the engine hesitates. Anyone experience this or have suggestions? (Other than don't use the air.)

thom77

When I start my car after it's been sitting all night it is very loud when turning over. The rest of the day, that car starts up much more quietly. Has anyone else experienced this?

bluong1

There is an TSB concerning the rattle released last year. It affects some P5, but not all of them. The rattle apparently causes no harm for the machine. I get mine fixed for free. Ask your dealer.

iamz

I did a couple of test start-offs from stops with and without AC this morning on my way to work. There is a slight lull or flat spot around 2K on the tach both with and without AC on. It might be a little more pronounced with the AC on. It was hard to tell. I drive an auto though and the manual might feel different.

icvci

It's not consistent. It feels like it misses all of the sudden. It lasts maybe a second or two and it's gone. It's not a really big deal as it doesn't happen all of the time. Still, something isn't right and I'd like to figure it out. It only happens to me under acceleration.

I'm really surprised at how much the engine has smoothed out over the last 5,000 miles. It starts up much more quickly too.

ashutoshsm

If your car is just LOUD at cold/morning startup an not exhibiting the minor (irks some) valve rattle described previously on this board then read on ...

The engine computer runs the car at a higher speed (watch your revs) at first startup, and then gradually brings this down to a more sane/normal idle speed after about 30-60 seconds. All cars (and definitely all Mazdas) with the 4 cylinder engine (at least) do this. My 6 starts up at around 1400-1700 rpm and then revs down to 650-700. My older (95) Pro also starts up high and then slows down, but its a DX and lacks the tachometer - so i don't know the exact range. Normal behaviour

bluong1

Now I know why automatic cars still need a tach! ;-)

philippa76

So I took my car out yesterday evening, which was warm (probably about high 70's/low 80's), but there was a cool breeze. When I'm driving in the city, I prefer to have the windows open and the vents on blowing in outside air. I like to save my A/C for the highway, and/or days that are really hot.

After a minute or two, though, it was so warm in the car that I couldn't even stand it anymore. I held my hand up to the vent (switched all the way on the cold setting, and on 2) and then outside, and the air coming through the vents was *significantly* warmer than the outside air. This bums me out so much! Why does it do this? Is it abnormal? I don't want to have to run the A/C whenever it is warm out! Please let me know if I'm going to have to learn to live with this, or if it's a problem I should have looked at.

Thanks,

Philippa

smasher

I think that's normal, especially if the engine is warm and yop're in stop-and-go traffic on a warm night. It's probably pulling in heat generated by the engine. If you want cold air, put on the A/C.

I generally drive either with all the windows up and the A/C on (usually on low) (this is the first A/C car I've had), or with all the windows down and the fan off. Maybe I run the fan at 1 or 2, almost never more than that. The cool side of the hot/cold dial doesn't really do much if the A/C is off.

toneetouch

I understand your frustration. With the vents open and the AC off, my old '98 Pathfinder would allow cooler outside air to circulate through the car. I took that feature for granted until I realized the P5 only allowed warm air to flow through. I think Smasher is right in that the air is warmed in the engine area before it enters the passenger area. A small inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless.