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Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • catera5catera5 Member Posts: 5
    Hello to all: Great to see a forum for my car. I have a 2002 Mazda Protege 5. When I start it up from cold in the morning or after sitting for a few hours it revs very high. Around 2 thousand and stays there for a minute or so before dropping down slowly. It will go to under 1 thousand RPS in a couple minutes. Is this normal? My car does have an air intake system on it also. Thanks. Hoping to get some opinions.
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    Yes that is normal. If you are in a cold climate I would put the original intake tract back on the car though. Without it, your car will take longer to warm up and your gasoline mileage will suffer.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    I have a 2002 Mazda Protege 5. When I start it up from cold in the morning or after sitting for a few hours it revs very high. Around 2 thousand and stays there for a minute or so before dropping down slowly. It will go to under 1 thousand RPS in a couple minutes.

    Sounds high to me. My 2002 P5 takes under a minute to get to start idling around 700 revs. Do you have it serviced regularly?
  • acura_fan21acura_fan21 Member Posts: 1
    your car is not happy .. i had this identical problem on my p5 , and found it to be the EGR valve. They have since updated the valve to cure the carbon build up problem. For those who dont know how a EGR system works i will explain briefly . A Exaust gas recuirculation vavle allows exaust gasses back into the intake via a port in the head on the exaust side that runs back to the EGR valve wich depending on rpm and throtle possiton the computer caculates the flow of exaust gasses to be let back into the intake. usually lower rpms 700-1800 it functions at higher it cuts out completely. But what happens when it malfunctions it is usually caused by carbon build up it gums up the valve causing in most cases to remain fully or mostly open . wich at low rpm will cause rough idle or missfire . most people wonder why its even there .. and yes it is completly unecesary ,but it is for your polution controll and fuel consumpion it is in place. also at high rpms the syptoms are very noticeable , loss of power hesitaion are afew . the EGR valve is supose to be fully closed for freeway speeds or rpms . Its possible that this problem can be intermitent or constant depending on sevarity of carbon build up. the best thing to do is replace it or have it replaced. and like i said earlier if the valve hasnt been updated its a very good idea to update it. The old EGR vavle is located almost dirrectly under the the intake plenum on the throttle side. The old style valve has no external lines , were the new style has three rubber hose lines to conect to other units.. make sure you have the required parts for the update if doing it yourself oh and line running diagram.. that ir required.
    I speak from experence and alot of farting around on this problem my dealer was unable to figure out the problem because it was intermitent. This is harmfull to your engine .
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    my dealer was unable to figure out the problem because it was intermitent

    The Protege's EGR problem is pretty well known by now, so most dealerships should be able to figure this out. My dealer rep diagnosed it in 10 seconds when I described the condition. His words "oh, another EGR valve ..."
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    Hey all.
    Well, after my post of December 2, things got worse. When slowing down, the car would surge between 36 & 39 MPH as well as around 15 to 20 MPH. , I made the dealership give me a free loaner car.(the service guy wanted me to pay $30.00 a day for the loaner.) Enough of this sitting around wasting my Saturday as if I have nothing else to do! I brought the car in on December 11th, got it back on December 15th. What was it? It turned out to be the EGR valve after all. (or so they thought - see below) At first they eliminated it, then looked at it and realized how full of junk it was. So, it was replaced to the tune of about $500.

    Well, I have been driving the car ever since. Do you think it is ok? NO! Christmas Eve day I am driving home. I feel the car hesitate then the "orange light of death" comes on (The check engine light). I dropped off the car on Wednesday after work.

    Current Status: They know it is misfiring again - they just are not sure why. On the way to the dealership, I felt the car shudder, not hesitate, like I lost 2 cylinders.
    Anyone have any clues on this? I need this car to be worth something for trade in!
    Thanks.
    Happy Holidays!!
    Dave
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    Auto - thanks for your response. Sorry it is late.
    At the time, the light issue as well as the hesitation was intermittent.
    Please check posting 1179 from me with an update as to what is going on.

    Thanks.
    Dave
  • cstone28cstone28 Member Posts: 2
    I'd love to hear any updates on this as my 2003 P5 seems to be going through the same thing. A few days back the Check Engine light came on, re starting cleared the issue but it came back. I was out shopping so there were repeated starts and sometimes the check engine light would come on others it wouldn't. One of the times it began surging as described above and it would also slow suddenly if I let off the gas. I took it in for investigation and they said it threw codes for the throttle position, engine coolant something or other, and an air flow sensor (not the mass air flow). They didn't have time to fully diagnose (New Years eve) so I took the car, things got progressively worse, to the point that it was revving to 7000 or stalling out when I actually managed to get it to start. I dropped it back off because they thought it might be a common grounding issue so they spent some time de bugging it and now they think it's a bad computer. They are bringing in a used one which is considerably cheaper but I'd be interested to know others opinion about the possibility of this fixing it.
  • cstone28cstone28 Member Posts: 2
    The codes mine threw up were

    P0113 - Intake Air Temp Sensor 1 Circuit High Input
    P0118 - Engine Coolant Temp Circuit High Input
    P0123 - Throttle / Pedal Position Sensor A Circuit High Input
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    I can see why they are betting on the main computer as a failure. The likelyhood of 3 sensors failing simultaneously would seem odd. If the used computer doesn't help, I would check the battery connections and the main grounds.
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    Current Status: They know it is misfiring again - they just are not sure why. On the way to the dealership, I felt the car shudder, not hesitate, like I lost 2 cylinders.

    OMG - I am having the SAME exact problem! AND I wasn't the only one - they had looked at two other proteges with the same problems yesterday. They have been able to tell me one thing though - my cat converter is toast! Because this seems to be such a huge issue, you would think that Mazda would/should be doing something about this! I had my code read 6 weeks ago - I can't help but wonder if the techs had been given the information they needed to remedy this issue if the failure of my converter could have been prevented - I'm looking at a HUGE repair bill. I wish you the best of luck in getting your dreaded orange light issue resolved....
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    For those of you with failed EGR's, what octane fuel have you been running?
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    what octane fuel have you been running

    Regular (i.e. 87)
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    Debbi - here is the latest. What they ended up doing was replacing the coils from one Protege and putting it into my wife's car. So far, so good. We only have had the car back a few days, so we are not sure if this is going to work or not. The dealership was not 100% sure either seeing how they can only put so many miles on a car.

    I will keep everyone posted.
    Thanks.
    Dave
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    We run regular gas in our car. Do not see the point of putting premium into a car that is not a performance car.
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    I had been wondering if people were using higher than 87 octane because running to high of an octane in a car that was designed for low octane fuel can definetely lead to excess carbon build up in the cylinder heads, valves and exhaust components (EGR). But both you and Dave aren't running premium so I guess that rules out that theory.

    Another reason for carbon build up is lots of short trips where the engine doesn't fully heat up and burn off the carbon deposits.

    I commute roughly 90 miles round trip every day to work during the winter. In the summer I'm mostly on motorcycles so the car sits until the weekends when I need to get groceries which is not a long trip. I do get her out every other weekend for a longer drive though, so that probably helps.

    Maybe I've just been lucky so far with 116,000 miles (186,000 km). I better start crossing my fingers. ;)
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    Dave ~
    Thanks SO much for the update! Were they finally able to get a specific code that prompted them to replace the coils? Or are they just trying this because they've run out of other options? I guess I'm still a bit confused as to how the whole "code" thing works - doesn't it make sense that the computer should have told them that to begin with? Funny thing is, when I first started having this problem I had my son's friend, who is a mechanic at a toyota dealership, take a look at it and he was pretty sure it was one of the coils but because he couldn't get it to repeat the behavior he couldn't be sure & didn't want to have me have to spend the money to replace both if that wasn't the problem! Because my car broke down at work & I work two hours away from home I had to take it to a dealership that I've never dealt with in the past & so far I don't have a lot of faith in them. As of yesterday afternoon they still couldn't tell me anything except that they are continuing to run tests, etc. Long story short, I'm picking the car up today & taking it to my own dealer who I know & trust AND who will be willing to listen to what I've learned from you! I appreciate your keeping us updated & will keep you posted. Thanks Again - Debbi
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    I dn't know if I have a failed EGR or not, but I've only ever put "regular" gas in my car...

    Debbi
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    wondering if people were using higher than 87 octane ... can definetely lead to excess carbon build up in the cylinder heads, valves and exhaust components (EGR). But both you and Dave aren't running premium so I guess that rules out that theory.

    Alternate theories:
    1) Cold climates affect the proper exhausting of gases via the EGR.
    2) Running excessive speeds overwhelms the EGR. Typically, I average 70 mpg, speed up to 75 for passing and occasionally reach 80 mph. I don't think this qualifies as excessive speed.
    3) Some people are lucky, others not.
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    I'm located in a suburb of Minneapolis so that probably counts as a cold climate. ;) I didn't know that high speed could overload an EGR. Interesting. I generally keep my speed under 65 mph 99% of the time. I guess I average around 60 on my work day commute.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    I didn't know that high speed could overload an EGR.
    Just a theory as far as I know.
  • nipzip1nipzip1 Member Posts: 9
    I have had all these same problem. 1st it was my cat which was totally stopped up. When that didn't totally fix my problem because of a misfire from the engine i pinpointed it to be the coils which worked. Now my problem is the idle. It fluctuates and stays pretty low around 500 rpm. Im guessing that this is because of my EGR valve being stopped up.
    Does anyone know how hard it is to replace it myself. I can see it under the throttle body but not sure if i would have to take that off after the air intake system which i know i have to off.
    Any help or advice on replacing it would be great.Thanks
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    Dave ~ Finally got my car into my own dealer & even tho they were only getting the "random misfire" code too, they were able to tell by looking @ my plugs & wires that there had definately been some arching going on in #2. Their recommendation is to replace one of the coils & all of the plugs & wires at a cost of $421.00 (incl. the diag), which I will have them do as soon as they can get the parts. As far as my cat goes, they say it's not plugged to the point that I've lost any power so it's not earth shattering that I replace it immediately and at a cost of $1100.00, I think we'll be waiting awhile and looking for someone other than the dealer to do it. How's thinks going with your wife's car since they put the other coils in? Will keep you posted with how this repair works.... thanks again for your posts, I took them with me when I dropped the car off & I like to think the information helped them out. Debbi
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Im guessing that this is because of my EGR valve being stopped up.
    Does anyone know how hard it is to replace it myself. I can see it under the throttle body but not sure if i would have to take that off after the air intake system which i know i have to off. Any help or advice on replacing it would be great


    Why not call your local Mazda dealer and ask them for a quote? That should tell you how much the part costs and how much time is involved. I had mine replaced by the dealership and it was quite pricey. I have read though that it is not difficult. On the other hand, you may decide that it's worth paying someone else to get their hands dirty.
  • nipzip1nipzip1 Member Posts: 9
    Wow you over pay.

    I got a new cat with install for 400.00 and i replaced the coils, plugs and wires myself for $75.00 took 5 minutes.
  • nipzip1nipzip1 Member Posts: 9
    Well i know how much the part costs and I would never get a quote from the mazda dealership because it would always be twice the price as anywhere else. What Im looking for is someone that has replaced the EGR valve on their own.And advice as to what needs to be taken off in order to do so.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    i know how much the part costs
    How much is the part?
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    Debbi - the car is running great! Not a problem. Not one hesitation, flashing light, loss of power, etc. It sounds like you are on the right path in terms of getting the car fixed.
    Are they giving you a tune up and a new coil? ...replacing plugs and wires kind of sounds like it. But if one of your plugs is arching, you better. Not sure how that can hose up your cat. converter. I know when the light was flashing one time, I was in Stop & Go traffic on the freeway going about 5 or 10 MPH. While the car was still rolling, I turned off the car and restarted it just to try and get the light to stop flashing just because I couldn't get over to a shoulder to turn off the car. Another time I pulled over to the side and jammed on the brakes and created a cloud of dust just so I could stop quickly and turn off the car!

    In terms of who should do the work, I would try and stay with the dealer only because an independent garage i have found in the past might adjust things a bit differently. Plus, it may also show loyalty to them which may come in handy if you need a loaner car. The last trip, I needed a loaner for 2 or 3 days.
    .
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    Nipzip - if you are real handy or good with cars, I have heard it is not hard to replace. If not, or not 100% sure, let the dealership replace it. We had our replaced for $500 in about an hour. We didn't want to spend the money, but we also knew from a previous "Check Engine light" experience, that it may come back and bite us.

    But we also had the dealership do it so that if the darn light kept coming back on, we had some type of recourse. I was able to get a loaner car (which they usually charge $30 / day) for free. The replacing of the coils from one Mazda into my wife's was done for free. Between the two trips, the car was in for about 6 days total. At first, the advisor was going to charge me, but I talked to the service manager that my car has been back quite a few times for the same issue and to make me pay for a loaner under these circumstances was not fair.

    My call - let the dealership do it. If something goes bad, at least you have recourse. At least you avoid getting in over your head!
  • nipzip1nipzip1 Member Posts: 9
    The cost of a new EGR valve is $154.00
    Coils were $15.00 a piece off of Autozone.com/ And supper easy to replace.2 screws
    I replaced both. mainly because i didnt want the same problem again.
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    Dave ~
    I'm on day two with my car now and so far, so good (with the exeption of course the steady CEL due to the dead cat) - taking it to my own dealer was definately the right decision! Their final diagnosis was "Number 4 coil has signs of arcing to valve cover; Number 2 plug has signs of arcing down the side of the plug. This will cause the P0300 (random misfire) code that was stored on the 4th. This will cause the cat to fail". How the dealer I originally had the car towed to missed what appears to be obvious signs of arcing is beyond me - in fact they state in their notes that "spark plugs are worn, but good". Anyhow, the repair consisted of replacing the plugs, wires and coils - my cat still needs to be replaced as well but since it's not completely plugged and I haven't lost any power they say it can wait. Thanks again for all your posts - this is a great place to get information! Oh and by the way, at a cost of $101.13 each for the coils, you're fortunate that your dealer switched them out for you at no charge! Wishing you continued good luck with your CEL issue - Debbi
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    The cost of a new EGR valve is $154.00
    Thanks. Have you replaced the EGR already? If so, how much time did it take?
  • downtubedowntube Member Posts: 43
    on my 2000 protege - not the same car I know... - EGR removal/replacement was probably an hour. I removed the air intake boot for working room, but probably wasn't necessary. hardest part was there's little room to work between the engine and the firewall. I could only move the ratchet 2 clicks each time. if you can get a wrench on each bolt and break them free, it's just a matter of patience to get it off.

    be sure to check the vacuum port going to the EGR, they tend to get clogged with carbon. And be certain all vacuum lines are hooked up when you're done - it's easy to pull one off when working on the back of the engine.
  • mclovinmclovin Member Posts: 2
    How do i replace the headlight on my mazda protege5 2003?
  • nipzip1nipzip1 Member Posts: 9
    After removing the rubber booty from the back of the lamp there is a metal tab like wire. You push it in on one side to pull it off the hook. This should be in the manual but not sure.Its pretty simple once you take the time to figure out what your looking at.passenger side is a little harder because of lack of room for your hand.
  • mclovinmclovin Member Posts: 2
    Thanks so much!
  • catera5catera5 Member Posts: 5
    Hello: Does anyone know the best spark plugs to use for my 2002 Mazda Protege 5? I am looking for something that will increase performance. Thanks.
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    I highly recommend the factory plugs. I put in plugs from another manufacturer and because the threads were not cut exactly the same, one completely ejected from the head and two others were working their way out. Cost me over $1600 dollars to fix that mistake. Spark plugs will not give you better performance anyway. Buy a Porsche instead.
  • nipzip1nipzip1 Member Posts: 9
    I disagree.A better spark plug can make a difference.Threads shouldnt be different.You must not have put them in right or didnt tighten them to the correct torque.$1,600? Did they rebuild the entire engine?I use NGK and they work just great!
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    Show me the dyno chart of a P5 with factory plugs vs after market. Then, we can talk. Ford had a bad batch of spark plugs that were cut just outside of tolerance. Hundreds of F-150's had there plugs eject because of this. The heads on those trucks were replaced as was mine (F-150's and P5's use the same plug). There was nothing left to try and helicoil. Besides, helicoil fittings are best used in cast iron heads, tractors and lawn mowers. I opted for a new head. As far as the spark plugs being installed wrong, no they were not. The plugs were properly torqued. If it makes you feel better thinking they were installed wrong, you're free to believe that.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    I use NGK and they work just great!

    The "Mazda" plugs sold to me for my Protege5 by my dealer were also NGK. And yes, they do work well.
  • davidingilbertdavidingilbert Member Posts: 53
    Deb - once again I apologize for the late response. I was out of town for 10 days on vacation.

    Glad to see that the coil issue may be resolved for you as well.
    Small update - nothing since I took the car in and got it back. And by the way, my wife is enjoying my Honda Accord EX-L! :)

    Dave
  • winston3xwinston3x Member Posts: 16
    hi everyone,
    I purchased a '02 P5 57k automatic last friday from a Honda dealership.
    It had a CEL when I test drove it which I was assured would be remedied before I picked it up. They thought it was spark plugs,so they replaced.

    so three days later I get the CEL again along with a power loss on the interstate. I brought it back to the dealership, and to their credit, they gave me a free loaner and sent my car to a mazda dealership. All costs of this repair will be coverd by the honda dealership.

    so now here's my question, mazda is saying it's a fuel pump issue so the dealership is going to replace, but of course Mazda can't say 100% that it's causing the CEL. After looking through all of the threads here, I was certain my problem was the EGR valve. My symptoms - CEL, sometimes low-idle/died once at a stoplight, and in the two days i got to drive it, seemingly poor mpg. Mazda checked EGR, said it was fine.

    so, with new plugs and fuel pump, if i get the CEL again what should my next move be? Have the EGR replaced anyway? I'll have to pay for anything after this. Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks
  • catera5catera5 Member Posts: 5
    Thank you for your response. I will try the NGK plugs..
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    And since the NGK's are the factory plug as autonomous mentioned, you won't have to worry about them self extricating. ;)
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    I've just been through the same thing with my '03 P5 (131,000) except my catalytic converter was fried before my problem was diagnosed correctly. You didn't post the codes you're getting but from the sounds of it, I'd be willing to bet you're getting the same ones I did (P0300 - Random Misfire) - anyhow, you need to have them replace your coils, plugs & wires! It's alot less expensive to do it yourself (my cost at the dealer was just over $500.00) but since you're covered have the dealer do it so you're warrantied. For more on this problem from other P5 owners - see the posts made by "davidingilbert". Good luck to you - Debbi
  • debbi1229debbi1229 Member Posts: 17
    Dave ~
    Welcome "home" - hope you had a great vacation! I'm on day 15 now & so far, so good ;) I've even seen an improvement in my mpg, which I'm hoping will get even better once the cats been replaced! I still have the dreaded "orange orb" glowing (due to the cat) however, no more blinking! Hoping to get the cat work done within the next week or so and looking forward to getting another great 130,000 miles out of her :D ! Will post an update after cat work - have a great day! Debbi
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    what should my next move be? ... I'll have to pay for anything after this.
    Who is telling you this?
    The Honda dealership from which you purchased the P5 or the Mazda dealership that is doing the repair?
    Did the car come with any warranty? Considering you bought the car last week and it died this week, if it continues to do so, I would return to the seller and say you want your money back.
  • winston3xwinston3x Member Posts: 16
    thanks for the replies guys.

    I never got the codes, problem was diagnosed @ the Mazda dealership and the car was brought back to the Honda dlr all by their people. Honda dlr will be installing the fuel pump ordered from Mazda factory.

    The plugs (and i belive the wires) are brand new, replaced by the honda dlr before i picked the car up originally, so if CEL were to continue I think I would go for coils first, then replace EGR.

    and lastly,
    car was sold "As Is" and i did not opt for the 3yr $1200 warranty they wanted to sell me,so I feel pretty fortunate that the dealership is footing the bill for all of this. (of course not a good way to start off in a new-to-me car)

    so far on the dealers dime:
    new set of Goodyear Eagle rs-a 205/55/r16
    new plugs (and wires i think)
    new complete fuel pump assembly and installation costs
    loaner car for 3 days now

    the guy in the service dept. was trying to impress upon me that after they installed the fuel pump (which was mazda's diagnosis) they would not be obligated to foot the bill for any repairs related to the CEL after this. I'll talk to the guy who sold me the car before I leave as he was the one who orignally promised as part of the deal the CEL would be taken care of, to see what happens if i get the CEL halfway down the block.

    A full return at this point is unlikely with a trade-in and 3rd party financing involved, but never say never.

    here's to hoping for the best. The pump is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I'll let you guys know how it all works out. Thanks again for your advice, keep it coming. I do love these cars and really hope this gets sorted out.
  • gomach5gomach5 Member Posts: 1
    I need to replace an oxygen sensor on my 03 Protege5. I'm not even sure where the sensor is located. Can someone suggest a good Web site to help me determine where the sensor is located? I don't want to buy a manual if I can help it.

    Thanks,
    SCOTT
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