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Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • rbrooks3rbrooks3 Member Posts: 174
    I see from Mazda's site that "street" parts are OK with the warranty, but I was not sure how they would handle "retro-fitted" turbo kits in Pros. I now have to wonder what the "book" hours will be for the installation of the conversions. I don't know about you, but my local dealer here in NY charges $89 an hour. I also cannot imagine them doing this for less than 8+ hours time charge. If they're going to stress the engine more and install these in dealerships which takes time from warranty work and other "gravey" jobs like cv joints and brake jobs, there won't be a bargain on installation. If I have to pay something along the order of $3,000 or more for the kit and another $1,000 for installation ($770.74 with tax in NY assuming 8 hrs) with, the kit loses it's interest.

    But, if the warranty is not to be affected, I guess there's no way they won't require you to allow the dealers to install the components.

    I'm sure they did their homework and maybe installation will be easier than I predict or perhaps the kit will be cheaper. I'll just have a hard time rationalizing 25% of my purchase price for the kit. But, at least Mazda gives its buyers the choice. That's more than I can say for the other manufacturers and confirms their commitment to offering performance, which is why we bought these cars in the first place.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    I bet they put the wrong exhaust on that Protege you saw. The system for the P5 is shorter, so I don't doubt that the dealer used the wrong one.


    You can see the correct one in this brochure:

    http://www.mazdausa.com/downloads/protege_performance.pdf


    The turbo kit is very much up in the air at this point. Many points you brought up are waiting to be answered.

  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Even if Mazda does make the turbo kit generally available, i would not recommend slapping it your stock Protege without a number of other potential upgrades to the clutch and flywheel assembly. Bear in mind that the MS3 Protege was given a limited slip differential, heavier duty clutch and flywheel in order to deal with the increased torque. The brakes were also beefed-up to help with the stopping distances from all that extra speed... :)

    Slapping the turbo into a stock Protege may very well wear out a number of other components if the car isn't retrofitted to deal with the extra power.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I agree with some posters here that further comparisons of the Civic to the Protegé need to move to the Comparisons board. Anyone interested in that conversation may either join the existing Mazda Protegé vs. Nissan Sentra vs. Honda Civic discussion or start a new comparison between only the Protegé and the Civic.

    Thanks.

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans Message Board
  • zoomzoom79zoomzoom79 Member Posts: 272
    by Protege standards.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    No longer #1 tomorow for sure. But then again, it gives us all a nice break from checking the net every 15 mins not to have to read 5-6 pages of posts at once.

    Say ZZ, how's your ride doin'?

    Mine is fine. Engine has 27.000kms on it and is broken in well. No racing stories though, although I want to smoke an EX this summer (just to brag here of course), but don't wanna damage my engine and tranny either... Tough call.

    Dinu
  • rae52rae52 Member Posts: 102
    I'd like to respond to the tire dialog if I may.

    I live in the East-New Jersey, and we get our allotment of inclement weather. The original (OEM) tires on my car (1999 Civic DX) were Firestone FR680's. ABSOLUTELY SUCK in the wet!-but they were quiet at highway speeds. I replaced them with Pirelli P400's. These tires stick like glue!, I really mean it! The only drawback to my P400's is that they hum slightly at highway speeds.

    Safe driving everybody and best regards!
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    I have these tires on my 99 Protege LX. I'm about to replace them soon. They are not the best tires in the world, and in the rain there's not much traction at all. I find myself tiptoeing through corners to keep from sliding sometimes.


    On a second note, I installed my indiglo gauges today. I got them off eBay for only $35. No instructions included but it was fairly simple and I had a friend help me install them. Here is a picture:


    image


    They change to 6 various shades of blue and green, and the contrast is easily changed too. Love them so far!

  • mkassar1mkassar1 Member Posts: 4
    Having done about 32000KM on my 2000 protege 1.6L SE (Standard) I noticed an odd noise and feel from the pedal when the brake is depressed and when I am coming to a stop from a slow reversing of the car.
    The noise is not normal sounding, kind of a grinding noise Maybe bad contact is occuring with some brake component while in reverse?
    I had the pads estimated at 30% left at around 28000KM and have noticed normal brake harshness wear and tear during stops, but have not yet heard any indicator that the pads are wearing out.

    Is it possible that I need to have new pads and service the rotors this soon?

    Many Thanks

    Mike
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    now if only you didn't have to cut 'em to fit over the pins :(
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Sounds like brake pad indicators to me. At the very least get them inspected again. But it sounds like replacements are needed, IMO.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Glad to see the speedometer at 0 in that pic!

    ;)

    --Dale
  • yooper53yooper53 Member Posts: 286
    re: indigo..Lookin' good! Really good. If it wasn't such a pain (For me ) I'd consider it.
    How are the color and esp. the contrast changed???
  • speedyptspeedypt Member Posts: 200
    ...BUT....how does it sound???? How much and how much for install?

    Regards,

    Pete
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Good Morning.

    Sounds to me like brake wear as well. However, your brakes should not be almost worn after 32,000km unless you tend to do an enormous amount of city (stop and go) driving. I would have them look at the braking system as well to make sure it is calibrated properly. I have heard of the dealer covering a portion of replacement brakes for what is deemed as "abnormally premature" wear.

    Hope that helps and good luck.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    It's Meguiar's Gold Class. I'm still on the fence about whether I want to keep using it -- it gives a great shine, but it's not the easiest stuff to buff off the car. Plus it doesn't smell like normal polishes -- it has a pungent sweet smell that darn near makes me gag when I use it. And not a bad price -- I've found it as low as $7.99 at Wal-Mart.

    BTW, did you see my wife's car too? She has a white Protege5. There also are some pics in a separate folder of the car with the Mazda accessory rear bumper guard I put on the car about a month ago. Haven't waxed hers yet; she's only had it since the end of January. But I probably will just prior to MAPP III.

    Meade

    P.S. Sorry about the chat restriction, but hey -- we only do that on Tuesdays for about an hour or so. Please feel free to keep posting and joining in on our hoopla!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    ... under Ford's control? I mean, the Focus has been recalled how many times? And now they're putting HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS in a production-model, fuel-cell FOCUS?


    http://www.auto.com

    (Scroll down the page a little for the pic and the story. BTW, note the interesting typo under the pic -- were they trying to spell "FRIED?")


    NOW what'll happen when that rear bearing fails and the air bags don't deploy?


    The FOCUS HINDENBERG edition!!! :-o


    Meade

  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Is your Wife's car the yellow P5? If so, I did indeed see it. Very nice! I love the way the P5's look and so does my wife.

    Meguir's does indeed give a nice shine. I use NuFinish myself which gives a better shine on fiberglass than sheet metal, but it lasts so much longer than any other wax i know of... I need the extra protection on the vehicles because of all the salt through the winter.

    Yes, I wish Ford would say bye, bye to Mazda right away. Loved your Hindenburg analogy. Reminds me of a Dilbert cartoon that I know of.
  • rbrooks3rbrooks3 Member Posts: 174
    What I thought, and the dealership's service dep't thought was going to be a quick fix of my cruise control has turned out not to be.

    Since no one called me to say whether the Pro was ready (they said it was a simple removal of the factory defective control unit on the steerig wheel and replacement with a new tested unit), I called them. The quote? "Well, Mr. Brooks, they've run into a lot of trouble, things are really very, very confused right now." I asked what that meant as I assumed they removed the original control unit, installed the new one and that did not solve the problem. He said, yes they did that and yes, it still didn't work.

    So, I asked again, what he meant by "very, very confused" and he said call back tomorrow around lunch and if they've gotten it figured out, he would try to explain it. He said he couldn't explain the problem until they fix it because right now all they know is that the system simply does not work. They have no idea what the problem itself is. He said I might have to keep the loaner into next week.

    Thank God for the guaranteed loaner car deal Mazda has or I'd be losing about $30.00 a day for the rental. I just wish the service manager would be a bit more confidence inspiring. He is being honest, so I can't fault him, I just wish I felt more comfortable about this. I doub't I'll actually use the cruise control more than 2 or 3 times a year. I wanted it fixed because 1) it should work and 2) I feared it could be a part of a larger electrical problem or the beginning of one. I hope my fears have not become reality.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    that would be quite frustrating. Hope they don't find out that it's just the fuse that is defective... :)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    No, my wife's Protege5 is Pure White. There's a pretty cool pic of it in the "P5 Bumper Guard" or whatever folder. The yellow one is only available in a 5-speed and she refuses to learn to drive a 5-speed.

    I used NuFinish exclusively for more than a decade, but tried the Meguiar's on the advice of a friend. It seems to last nearly as long, but the shine is much deeper than the NuFinish shine.

    I last waxed my Protege in September and rain still beads on the paint. It doesn't feel as smooth anymore, but the water still beads up real nice. I'm waiting for a nice warm day (maybe this weekend?) to reapply.

    Meade
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    NuFinish on a fiberglass boat and there's nothing else like it for that application. I just might give Meguir's a try again (used it years ago) and compare the difference. Like you, I'm waiting for the first warm day to get another coat of wax on. Probably this weekend as it's supposed to hit 22 Celsius here. Sweeeeeet. :)
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    Yeah, I'm kind of disappointed that I had to cut them over the pins. It's hardly noticeable though, so it's not such a big deal.
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    It actually wasn't too hard at all. Five screws and the entire gauge cluster is in your hands once you pop off the 3 harnesses. The wiring was the hard part. I had a friend help me with that. I think we connected the switch the wrong wire, because it still glows even though the car is off. I had thought that you can turn it off via the contrast button, but the lowest setting on it was a really really really dim shade. Today we're going to put an on/off switch for it.

    It comes with a glowing switch that you can mount anywhere, it has some adhesive on the back. Two buttons - one change between the colors and the other changes contrast.

    Not too hard of a job once you figure it all out.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    BOO!!!!
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Hey Tim...there was a tire discussion going on....aren't Bridgestone RE92's also the OEM tires on your WRX?
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Yes they are. They are Potenza's anyway.

    I actually really like the Potenza's, as they are great dry weather tires, but they are ....horrible in wet weather. Mind you, with the AWD they are satisfactory in the wet. I change to steel rims and goodyear All season's (can't remember the type off hand) in both the PRO and REX for the winter.

    I have the Potenza's on the Protege as well and with only FWD, the Poortenza's are scary. The stiff suspension on the Pro doesn't help matters either....

    P.S.- The hubcaps were packaged and dropped off in shipping today. They should go this afternoon and you should have them by Friday. I will update you with the waybill hopefully this afternoon. I cleaned them and shined them for ya. Same goes for Dinu who should see his tomorrow i would imagine. :)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    You're too kind! Thanks once again....do you know how much it'll cost to receive them?
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    after all, you and Dinu are, ahem, "customers", which is actually true. My dime. There is a nice shiny present in there for both of you too. :)

    P.S.- sorry about the delay. The combination of being hectically busy and my procrastination are just a bad thing altogether...
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Hahahahahah! You're too much! Thank you a zillion times! If you ever head to Calgary let me know...I owe you! OR, if you ever want to goto Banff, let me know! I was born and raised there...my parents still have a house there, so free rent if you want in one of Canada's most beautiful National Parks! :D
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    LOL!!! The wife and I took two weeks in the summer of 96'. We went to the Stampede and all through Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff etc. Beautiful area. LOved it. Thanks for your offer. Much appreciated. Oddly, I was almost in Calgary for the last 2 weeks. We had a big install going on and I was going to fly out and meet a few of the customer folks. Couldn't get approval.....
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    REX or Protege to Calgary and slice through those mountain passes....Now, THAT, would be heaven.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Too bad you couldn't make it out! C'est la vie, n'est pas?
    How'd you like the Stampede? Yee haw! LOL! Driving in Calgary is nuts during that time because of all the dam...errr...nice tourists :D
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Are not always fun!! When I drove in my Pro to Kelowna a couple of weeks ago, some of the roads in BC didn't have lines on them!! Very scary, especially at 10:00 at night! Pitch black, windy roads...yikes! G/f got mad b/c I didn't slow down enough for her....oops.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    and her Dad is a former professional rally driver. Try driving with him... The guy is almost 60 and he scares the bejeeeezes out of me. Not easy to do. I have such ultimate respect for real rally car drivers. Nobody can drive like those guys and gals..

    Yes, I can imagine night time driving is not a fun thing there. I know winter driving certainly is not. AVALANCHE!!!!!!!

    Still, I would love to wind the Pro around those corners. Don't really have anything comparable here in Ontario...
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    is what it's all about! That's when I'm really happy I got the manual, and the Pro. The REX would be a hoot. If you keep that turbo spooled, there should be no loss of power with altitude (up to about 14,000 ft?) !

    My wife nags me all the time about slowing down on curvy mountain roads. I've learned to tune her out. ;-)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Hehehehe...friend from Haliburton told me about some of the "ski hills" out in Ontario...hehehehe!!
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    LOL...

    I love the Protege and come in here mainly because i think it is such an outstanding car for the money. I honestly don't like what they did to the tuning of the 2.0L (I have the 2000 1.8L, like Meade) engine, as it's not my preference. This is why i tend to see where Zoomzoom and Fxashun are coming from, but think they cross the line now and again..

    However, I still think the PRO is head and tails above it's direct competition.

    It is simply a really, really fun car to drive and the handling is phenomenal for this price range... even when i put 14" tires on for the winter. I would love the opportunity for mountain driving. Obviously the Pro doesn't handle like the WRX, but you know, it's not that far off and that's simply astonishing considering it's only a FWD.

    Also, the WRX board is boring and annoying as all hell. I've been an Edmunds member since 99' and have lurked here for years. Finally decided to be a regular member. Many would probably think that is a bad thing..........oh well. :)
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Maybe some time I can drive someone's 1.8, while he or she drives my 2.0, and get a taste of the difference. My curiosity is peaked now.
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Meade...laughing hard.

    DSM,

    I hate to use this comparison, but the 1.8L is more "Hondo" like... That is, it has what i would deem "adequate" low end power and torque, but it needs to be wound a little higher in the rpm band to get full effect. The 1.8L excels from between about 3,550rpm to about 6,000rpm. The 2.0L performs admirably in the 2,500rpm to 5,000rpm band. Beyond that, it is pretty breathless.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Where does the redline start on the 1.8 L engines? Is it still 6500 rpm, like in the 2.0L?
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I wonder how much you could free up the 2.0 at high rpm with a freer flowing intake, exhaust. Conventional wisdom says you'd lose some low-end, though.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I totally have no idea, so why would you lose low end torque when you have air intake and exhaust?
  • gandalf17gandalf17 Member Posts: 348
    Yes, the redline is still 6,500rpm. I very, very rarely take it beyond 6,000rpm, but the 1.8L still sounds okay at that point.

    DSM,

    Yah, it may work, but the power band is still the power band.....
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    The intake and exhaust will allow more air into the engine, which will make it a little faster and will also make the exhaust louder. It will not, however, change the power band of the engine. There is really no way of doing that, besides adding the turbo package to it.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Anyone ever think about adding those fender marker lights to their car? I had a friend use my car as his "project" one weekend, and he added them to my 2001 Protege ES. They looked pretty neat too, although they did not blink with the turn signals until I modded them a little bit.

    That's a safety feature too, to have signals on the fenders blink. My new car has those. You don't know how many times it saved cars from going into the same lane on the highway I was heading for. It's also good to keep pedestrians from walking in front of you in the city as well.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I'm a little hesitant about drilling thru the sheetmetal!
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Yeah, this guy had to drill holes into the sheetmetal. He said that was the hardest part of the whole job.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Yes, the power band inherent to the engine lies where it lies, but by freeing up the breathing, that will help most at high rpm - will free up some hp in the little 2.0 that is currently being lost to more restrictive breathing.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    But it won't change the torque for the worse will it? Reason I ask is because I want to put a short-ram air intake in.
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