Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

fritz1224

I would think if the fuel pressure test showed good readings, this would likely eliminate the fuel pump, wouldn't it? Have you tried a mazda dealer or are you going to independents?
Isn't there a way to test the computer without replacing it first? I know, more questions than answers, sorry.

ny10

Thanks, fritz1224. In the past, I did take my 323 to Mazda dealers for an opinion, but they never had an answer, and the independents have always had more time/interest in figuring out this puzzle. But maybe it is time to try a dealer again, perhaps especially for a check of a Mazada-specific computer. Take care. --ny10

atuzai

I bought a 93 protege LX two years ago. It is a wonderful car, no any big problem till now. When I bought it, it had 110K mi on it. Now it is about 140K mileage on it. I do not know much about car, I just change oil every 3k mi and tire rotation every 7K mi. nothing else for maintenance. Since 30k already put on it from when I got it. I am wondering what kind of maintenance I should do for it. anyone could give me some suggestion? like every ??K to what what. Thanks!

speedypt

Your owners manual is your best guide for all that, but some things I would watch...

60k(120k, 180k, etc)...pay the $180 and have the timing belt changed.

Plugs...platinum tipped plugs are my personal favorites.

Plug wires on the older Protege's seemed to go bad on me about every 45k or so, can act like a power loss or rough running condition.

Use a bottle of fuel injector cleaner every 10k or so (I like Chevron Fuel System cleaner with Techron...about $7)

Change your tranny fluid and coolant every other year

Hope that helps!

Regards,

Pete

nikecar

replace fuel and air filter.

speedypt

Buy a K&N Air Filter and just clean it every 30k-50k and save money in the long run!

:-)

Pete

nikecar

I hope that's a typo.. 30-50K between filter cleanings? The oil will get massivley clogged waiting that long.

windowphobe6

I have a pair of those, for dancing.

Actually, I think he means the air filter, not the oil filter.

atuzai

It is really helps. The problem is my old car did not have owners manual. That is the reason why I asked what I should do. Could someone input some main point for that?

BTW, I will need drive about 60 miles everyday from now on. It is lots of miles will put on it. Thinking about buy a new one but as a student, $ is the big problem. So anyone could give me some idea how long Protege will live for this condition? 170K? 180K? or 200K?

Thanks!

speedypt

It's not a typo. You can go 30-50k miles between cleanings if you don't live in too dusty an area. I personally have cleaned mine every 15k-20k. The destructions for the filter (and on their website) say you can go up to 50k between cleanings. Fully saturated with dirt and oil, they still pass nearly as much airflow as a new paper filter.

39.95 once for the K&N vs. 11.95 every 10k for paper. I'll take the K&N and do my cleanings every 15-20k. Recharge kit only costs 6.95 at the local motorcycle shop and lasts 4-5 cleanings. K&N state a 2-4% increase in power using their replacement filter, but I didn't notice all that much difference.

Regards,

Pete

nikecar

hmmmm I still wouldn't feel comfortable waiting that long. maybe 2 twice a yr at the longest, and once per year after that, by extending the intervals if after 7500 it looks cool.

gweedo

Question:
How hard is it to install a Spolier or the Windvisor on a Protege? I didn't get the options when I bought the car, but after seeing so many cars with these options, I drool. I want to make sure it is not going to be a pain in the butt before I shell out 400+.

p.s. speedypt, thanks for the maint. breakdown and parts suggestions.

jlflemmons

Umm, I am a GM man myself, but does someone know if the Protoge engine uses a crankshaft position sensor? The 3.8L GM engine used to have a real problem with intermittent stalling with no real pattern to it. The big hint was that if you tried to restart the engine WITHOUT first turning the key off (resets the ignition subroutine in the computer) that sucker would crank till the cows came home and never fire a lick. Turn the key off, and it will fire off on the first try. I had one of these engines do this to me for nearly two years before a bulletin was issued stating that this "could be" the problem. Replaced the defective sensor and never had the problem again. Even if the Protoge doesn't use that particular sensor, the trick of turning the ignition fully off and getting an immediate correction pretty well tells you there is an intermittent code fault within the system.

Jim

smellyalater

Hey guys. This is my first post, and you all seem to have the answers, so here are my questions:

I have a '94 323 that has been a really good car for me, runs great and I have had no problems. But I would like to improve the performance and looks a little bit. First, I always found the headlamps kind of dim, and a few years of winter driving has kind of sandblasted the surface of the lights. How do I get my hands on those bulbs I see in Beemers and Audis? I see some on ebay, but they advertise them as having like, 100 watts of output. That's not street legal. So, where can I get reasonably-priced super-high output bulbs that 1.) are street legal, 2.) actually produce a 'high output' glare and 3.) won't melt my headlamps/wiring? I'm in Ottawa, Canada, too, in case that matters.

My second question is tires. I have 14" steel rims on there now. What are the absolute biggest and widest tires I can put on these rims? I don't care if my speedometer gets frigged up. I want fat, wide tires. But I also want the proper clearance for them. Any ideas? I have no interest in alloy rims and stuff - I just mean standard type tires. I see the fat ones on VW Golfs and like the look.

Thanks in advance, men. I know you won't let me down.

nikecar

go to discounttiredirect.com and see the different sizes you can put. also Tirerack.com is a good sourch of consumer ratings.

lsvor

I want to respond to the poster with the '93 Protege LX and questions about longevity, but this board is not exactly intuitive in these matters. However, I have two Proteges--a '91 LX with 245,000 miles and a '98 with 100,000, and feel I have some insight into these issues. Comments: (1) I see no need for a K&N air filter. I replace the air filter whenever I think about it, but have never seen one that really needed it. Just inspect it--if no obvious oil indications and you can see light when holding it up to the sun, let it go. Or replace it--it's not that much money. (2) No fancy plugs needed. Just buy NGK or Nippondenso. Replace maybe every 60,000 miles. (3) I agree with the comment on the plug wires. I haven't replaced the '98's yet but the '91's went out at about 70,000 miles and it was perplexing since it mimics a lot of other things that could go wrong. (4) The half shafts last about 100,000 miles. Hunt around. I buy the rebuilt shafts from a local parts store (Autozone) for around $70.00 each and have a mechanic that puts them in for $120.00 for the pair. (5) The brakes last forever. I replaced the pads at 150,000 miles, but they still had miles left. Do it yourself. It's easy. (6) A weakness, in my opinion, is the front suspension. I have replaced the struts twice because of pothole incidents. I have the equipment (primarily a spring compressor) so it didn't cost that much, but they go out of whack easily. The '98, on the other hand is bulletproof. At 65 mph I hit a landscape timber (4x4) that had been dropped on the highway--both wheels. Nothing. That was at about 60,000 miles. I have 100,000 miles now on the original tires (yes, you read that right--original Birdgestones) with no rotation, no alignment, no nothing. Amazing. (7) Watch the fans. I replaced the blower fan with a salvage yard motor for about $50.00 (Mazda wanted $150+). It's a 15 minute job. I waited too long on the cooling fan (the one inside the radiator) and it locked up. Despite the nominal presence of the a circuit breaker and a fuse, it fried everything. That one I couldn't find in aftermarket or salvage and paid $170.00 to a dealer. (8) You should be able to get a shop manual from a dealer for aroung $90.00. Well worth it if you do even a little of your own work.

lgb

I'll add my comments on longevity of these cars- I donated mine to charity at 120,000 mi, still running fine. Be sure to keep up with oil changes, it will help stop the valve lifters from ticking, and oil leakage onto the plug wires. The brakes, a/c and manual transmission all held up extremely well. My only repairs were to replace two wheel bearings & uv joint boot covers.

Stalling: on an older Nissan (Datsun) that I owned, similar symptoms & it was the fuel pump.

fritz1224

I was wondering how accurate the 5 year cost for maintenance and unexpected repairs as listed in an article by Kiplinger. They had the Protege at something like $3000+. Sounds like a lot from date of orginal purchase of brand new car. Can you confirm these figures are about what the first 5 years of ownership cost? Thanks.

lsvor

Assuming an average of 12,000 miles/year, or 60,000 miles in five years, my maintenance and unexpected reapirs have been about as follows:
'91 Protege LX: Tires at about 45,000. Bought original Yokahama's from Discount Tire Direct at $50.00 (delivered to my home); local Discount Tire Store installed with a lifetime balance for $10.00 each--once for $240.00. Thermostat at 48,000 miles--warranty covered. Oil changes using cheapest 10-30 at Target and Autozone filters every 3-4,000 miles(I do it myself): 20 at $8.00=$160.00. I tuneup (myself) at maybe $$30.00. That's it. I doubt I've spent that much in 245,000 miles: in addition to tires at about 45,000 miles, and oil changes--one complete strut change at about $45.00 per axle, one additional front end only, brakes at about $15.00 per axle, complete clutch (throwout, clutch, pressure plate, and master cylinder at 210,000--$850.00; cooling fan--$170.00; blower fan $50.00; repairs related to the electrical damage caused by cooling fan lockup $225.00, and two half-shaft replacements. That's it. The '98, of course, is practically new at 100,000 miles. Other than oil changes (I do now use Fram filters @$5.00 each, and a good 20-50 oil @ about $1.20/qt.) I have spent $0. No tires, brakes, struts. Oh, I take that back; I did change the plugs, rotor, and cap for, say $20.00. It should be kept in mind that most of my diving on both cars has been between Austin and San Antonio (essentially open road, although you will find many who disagree); very little in-town driving. Even so, however, I think these cars are the best.

fritz1224

Thanks for confirming my suspicions. I didn't think that 3k+ sounded right. Looks like you do a lot of the work yourself and that saves a significant amount, but I would say you sure have gotten your money's worth out of that 91. Do you refer to the manufacturer's service manual for some of those repairs or are you a mechanic by trade?

trudy12

I just bought a 2.0 LX the day before yesterday. I guess I didn't hear it or didn't pay attention when I was test driving but I now realize that at speeds below about 30mph, the engine is very loud. (Sounds like a lawnmower) I can't hear it at higher speeds. Any ideas or comments?

fritz1224

Put some headphones on and wonder why I bought such a noisey car. LOL

windowphobe6

Having owned two of these motors, I can safely say that "FS", the engine designation, does not stand for "Fiercely Silent". There's a definite growl to it. Above 5500 rpm (redline is 6500), it goes into full-Waring-blendor mode, at which point the power starts to trail off.

My general response is to crank up the stereo a notch.

lsvor

but I hate to spend money that easily can be avoided. I did forget to put in the timing belts on both cars, which I religiously replace every 60,000 miles. On the '91, I just follow the clear step-by-step instructions in the shop manual and can do a $250.00 job in about 2 hours for $35.00 (the cost of the belt). Respectable pay on a Saturday. Replace the drive belts at the same time (no extra work since they come off anyway) for $20.00 or so and help ensure glitch-free driving. On the '98, the redesign tightened up the engine clearances with the body so much that I had it done on a dealer special for $200.00. But I may try the next one myself, again following the shop manual. The shop manual can also be invaluable even if you don't do your own work. The Mazda manuals have very good trouble-shooting guidance, and most of the steps are fairly simple. You may find that in the trouble-shooting process you find the problem and can either fix it or tell a mechanic what you have done, perhaps saving diagnostic time. Mostly though, I do maintenance myself; real problems I take to a shop, but I have had few real problems, and finding a reliable shop is tougher than doing it yourself, if possible.

fritz1224

I was already considering a manual and after your comments, I'm sure I will. The mazda manual is the one I'll get and I think it's somewhere around $90, but I'll probably save that much with its first use.
I agree with it being hard to find a reliable shop. I think sometimes cars unnecessarily see an early demise because of imcompetence or intentional sabotage to create costly repairs.
With the OBDII systems on the newer cars I would think it would make it easier to accurately diagnose problems, but I still read about hit and miss tactics being used costing hundreds of dollars in unneeded parts.

borgf15

We just bought a 2001 ES 2.0. It is a really quiet car; much quieter than the competition (corolla, civic, etc...we test drove them all). We can't hear the engine at idle at all!! The only time we can really hear it is during acceleration, and even then it's not a bad (growling) sound and it is fairly quiet still. We also have a honda accord and the ES is definately quieter than it. Maybe the LX doesn't have as much noise deadening material??

Also, in response to the "clunking" discussion:
We have about 400 miles on ours (2wks old) and I haven't noticed that at all. We've been shifting at less than 3000-4000 RPM all the time (break in period).

capie41

I just bought a used 93 Protege LX (5 speed), and it drives like a dream (the one owner took care of it), but oh that clunking! It's nice to know that it seems to be an offbeat characteristic of Protege transmissions, either old or new.

I'll check out the differential issue with my mechanic...or else maybe just get used to it. And you're right, it sure likes when I rev those revs...laugh..

VC

P.S. I will be looking for a new car in about a year. Would you recommend staying with a Protege? I'm thinking of the Chevrolet Prism....(do I blaspheme?)......

Mr_Shiftright

The Chevrolet Prism is a Toyota Corolla built by GM, so it's really not blasphemy...maybe even a step up.

lgb

I'm a little late, but I agree that $3000 sounds high. The most expensive maintenance job will be the timing belt, since its a DOHC engine it will run about $400. But its only done every 60K. Tuneups should not be very expensive, basically every 24,000 plugs & air filter. The batteries seem to last a long time. Tires are a little expensive because of the odd size, but Costco had Michelins for about $75 each, and they also lasted about 40,000. If not doing your own repairs, I advise you to use the dealer or know your local mechanic well and supply your own parts. The local shops often don't stock the right parts for this car- not even plugs or filters (again odd sizes) and I learned my lesson early on. And yes, the engine roars (not so for my 2000 ES-I agree, it whispers at idle).

capie41

regretably, i just sold my used 93 LX Mazda protege...couldn't get used to the clunking noise whenever i shifted from 1,2,3.

...and sometimes, just stopping and starting would make it clunk. my mechanic said that i was stuck with this "back lash" unless i wanted to do some trans work on it, which ain't cheap.

anyway, the noise drove me nuts. does it drive anyone else crazy?

i bought a 93 Geo Prism 5 spd, (only 60K) miles. it isn't as lux as the LX, but it has a sportier feel that's enjoyable while being hard to explain.......AND NO CLUNKING!! That Toto engine purrs and the shifting is seamless.

sorry, guys! if only it hadn't clunked!!

lgb

Does anyone else with a 2000 Protege ES hear a rubber-sounding squeal when traveling at high speeds and heavy crosswinds? We suspect it is the passenger side windshield wiper/assembly lifting just slightly- when I squirted a dash of fluid it stopped temporarily, maybe completing a seal. Any other ideas?

nikecar

never heard it.. and we had nasty wind this weekend.. nor did i hear it the time I took it on the highway at highspeeds...

my wife has said she hears a noise from the front dash area on the driver side..but I've never heard it..

hayrigon

I have '00 ES with exactly the same problem. I can even hear the squeak even if I am driving .. obviously it is worse when I sit on the passenger side. I brought the car to the dealer a year ago and told them about this ... they told me that the door needed some adjustment ... but nothing has changed since then. It comes from the up-right corner. Sometimes (with cross winds) it becomes very annoying!! Let me know if you come up with a practical solution to this problem.

fritz1224

I would think a wind related noise would be more like a squeel. A constant sound while moving. squeak would be an intermittent sound. Does the sound come and go or does it always stay there? My door panels sometimes squeak when making long hard turns(like going on or off freeway ramps) and sometimes when going over rough pavement. The chassis may not be as stiff as it should be and the door panels rub against the doors or something else. But both of our descriptions may just be a matter of semantics. I don't think I have heard anything out of the ordinary when it comes to wind noise though.

lgb

The best I can describe it is like the sound created when you let the air gradually out of a balloon, except slightly lower-pitched. It is squeal-like in that it will continue for as long as I go above a given speed but seems to vary in intensity as if with gusts. It can happen at freeway legal speeds if there are heavy cross winds, but otherwise I need to go above 85 so I know the dealer will not drive fast enough to reproduce it. I usually slow down because it is so annoying! (Okay, okay, I know, but the general flow of traffic is at least 80 in spots!) My passenger thought that the tension on the windshield wiper assembly might be adjustable to hold it down tighter to the windshield- anyone know how to do this or if it is possible? I am due for a servicing so I am collecting ideas to propose to the dealer. I had thought of door adjustment, another idea is windflow around the sidemirror but then I think it would be more common. Hayrigon, try the water test next time you are speeding!

fritz1224

Over the past couple of weeks I have noticed a small spot on the garage floor. Each time I would wipe it up the floor would stay spot free for about a week and then there would be a spot. Changed the oil today and noticed a wet area on what appears to be a bearing in the middle of the right drive axel. Could be transaxle fluid(not transmission). Wiped the area totally dry and will check it in a few days. Could be related to the clunking I sometimes hear. We'll see if the leak continues. First problem(maybe) with my es with 5k miles.

compensate

I have owned two Proteges, both bought as new cars. One was a 1992 LX (top of the line that year) with a 5-speed, alloys, and moonroof. I drove the car for 3 years and it had 65,000 miles on it when I traded it (shouldn't have traded in hindsight). Besides regular oil changes, two air filters, and other menial maintenance, all I ever put into it was one set of front brake pads (they were 4-wheel discs at that time) at 55,000 miles and a set of tires around 45,000 miles. Never had any type of squeak, rattle, or anything related to integrity of the car. And the upholstery was fantastic on the 1992 LX.

The second Protege is a 1999 ES 5-speed with moonroof and alloys (standard equipment now on ES). We still have this one. We bought it new in mid-1999. It now has 39,000 miles on it. The only real issue with this Protege was their choice of tire size and treadwear life on the stock Bridgestone Potenzas. We had to replace the tires at 33,000 miles, due to the tread life of the soft Bridgestones (although road grip was amazing on dry pavement with them). Then, trying to find a tire sized at 195-55/15 was a real experience. One tire dealer kept asking if I was sure of this size because he had never sold a tire of this size. He said 195-60s were common. We finally found a dealer with a huge inventory, and he only carried 3 brands in that size. The Bridgestones were too expensive and I hadn't heard of the two other brands. However, we opted for a set of Nokian tires that seemed nice, plus they cost only $108 per tire (Bridgestones were about 50% higher). So far, these tires have been fantastic on wet or dry pavement. They are also directional tires, so can't be swapped side to side in a rotation.

Overall, the Proteges have been great cars for us!

panamaltd2

Host, I certainly hope you wern't saying that a corolla is a step up from a Protege all i can say to that is LOL!

fritz1224

So to replace with potenza again would be around $150 per tire. Geez. Lots of money for such a short lived tire. I've only got 5k on mine now, but I'll be shopping early for the replacements.
Have you ever noticed a "clunking" sound when you let the clutch out starting from a standstill? This can be manipulated to not happen if slightly slipping the clutch, but if I just let it out at a fairly brisk pace, there is a definite clunk. What about yours?
Does the clutch seem to hold up with just normal driving. Longevity wise that is. Since it a hydraulic clutch with no progressive feel the only way to detect clutch wear is by observing an increase in the amount of rpms required to achieve a similar speed as when new. I guess.

lgb

What color did you have? Mine was Tungsten gray, and I also loved the upholstery. At 120,000 miles my old beast had the original clutch and was due for only its second set of rear brakes. Also the A/C was going strong and had never been recharged. It is missed, but my '00 ES is a worthy replacement and much quieter (except for the tires).

michael95

I've had two M.A.P. sensors replaced and I still
keep getting the engine check light. I was told it
could be a wiring problem. When I stop at a light, the engine rpm drops and feels like its going to stall. The engine check light comes and gos. Has anyone had this problem? Mike

alcan

There are 5 OBD-II DTC's for MAP sensor, P0105 thru P0109. All relate to MAP "CIRCUIT" problems and do not necessarily indicate a defective sensor. A loose, bent, or pushed pin in a wiring harness connector can cause the same DTC's to be set. So can a cracked or pinched vacuum hose to the MAP sensor, or an engine internal problem causing low vacuum. Do you have the specific DTC number(s)? Also, was the sensor replaced with OEM or aftermarket units?

michael95

The code was: P1195 EGR BS/MAP sensor open or short circuit. All work was done at two different Mazda dealers.

compensate

lgb,

My 1992 Protege was called "beige" but it was more of a champagne look. I loved that color as it hid dust and dirt pretty well. But that upholstery on the 92 LX was the stuff!!! Never seen anything else like it since.

fritz1224,

I really have never noticed the clunking sound you speak of when letting out the clutch briskly. However, I really never let off the clutch briskly these days so I may never encounter this clunking.

As far as the tires go, good luck! Those darned Potenzas don't last long and are too darned expensive. So far, the Nokian tires I spoke of earlier have about 8,000 miles on them and look good. They handle well in rain, too.

canuck9999

For anyone who owns a auto, 1.6, 1999 - 2001 Protege and lives where the weather gets fairly cold/cool.

When it's cool out(around freezing - not necassarily really cold), at what idle rpm does the engine start out at? My protege can go as high as 2000rpm, dropping off 400 - 500 rpm after 45 seconds to a minute(roughly). But even after that, it's still running at 1500 or so.

I've been told by Mazda that my idle would not be too high. The main reason I care, is that I don't want to idle the car for a few minutes before driving it, and I don't want to shift the transmission into gear when the idle is 1500 rpm's or more. I have driven new Toyota's, Hyundai's in the cold, and their high idle is more in the range of 1200 rpm or so. Toyota for example, would prefer that the car was driven without an extensive idle period. Instead, driving the car at a reasonble RPM's until it warms up.

The Mazda sounds like a Cesna about to take off, and you really don't feel that you should even attempt to put it into gear. The service manager says that it's not unusual to warm up a car for 5 minutes. I told him that know one does that, unless they have a remote starter, or they start their car and go back inside their house. Any car expert will tell that extensive idling is bad for modern engines. Plus, it wastes gas and pollutes. With my Protege, I at least wait for the rpm's to make their initial drop before shifting into gear.

I really like my Protege, and this is basically my only really pet-peeve. So, does anyone else have an idle this high in cool/cold temperatures?

canuck9999

This is my small pet-peeve with my Protege. And I'm guilty of not having it looked at by the dealership. But I will, this Saturday.

Ever since I bought the car(7 months), the interior door panels on the front doors, make a lot of noise if you happen to lean on them(or hit bumps in the road). The rear door panels do not do this, so I'm wondering if something wasn't quite done right when it was assembled.

All you have to do is slightly push up against the panels with your arm or hand(above the armrest), and they make annoying squeeking noises. It's sounds like a 10 year old car instead of a new one. Like I said, the rear panels do not make this noise. The front doors obviously get used a lot more than the back doors, but this noise has been there from the start.

I should of got the dealership to look at it right away, as they will probably attribute it to wear and tear.

Thanks

canuck9999

I finally got someone at my dealership to say that the high idle can be as high as 1900 to 2200 rpm at start up when it's cold. And that it's okay to drive it after it does it's initial drop-off of 300-500 rpm. The service manager had kept insisting that the car needed to be idled for a few minutes before it was safe to shift into gear.

nikecar

someone mentioned this but on the rear.. I think there was a service bulletin on this.. they slip a foam rubber strip in the space where the panel and the door touch..

mdaffron

It was I who mentioned those door panel problems about three months ago. I had the exact same problem with my 2000 ES that I purchased last May.

I went into my dealership and presented the problem to my service writer. An hour later, they had installed foam tape between the door's metal frame and the panel. The strip runs vertically from the top of the door to the bottom, inside the panel at the rear of the front door.

I pointed this out to them after walking out on the lot and trying pressing on the door panels of some newer 2000s, and finding that they didn't make the sound -- and noticing that they had this strip of foam tape sandwiched between the door panel and the frame. When mine came out of the shop, it had the same thing done to it.

I can only assume that Mazda overlooked the foam tape in a certain batch of Proteges that, unfortunately, you and I wound up with.

The happy ending? Nice, quiet doors that feel much more solid than they used to. The price? Covered under warranty.

Go in there and show 'em what to do.

Meade

panamaltd2

Do those sounds sound like buzzing or rattling? That what is sounds like in my 2000. I guess I should go take it in and have that foam strip looked at. Tell me, hoe can you tell if your car has this foam strip like you said? Thanks a million! -am