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Comments
I replaced the struts and springs on my '89 323 at somewhere past 90,0000 miles. They didn't really need to be replaced, but I figured it was preventive maintenance.
When you rotate your wheels, it's easy to check on your suspension parts (disc-brake pads, springs, struts, links, boots etc.), so you can inspect your struts for leaking fluid then.
BTW, are the front axles supposed to have the little hub caps (about 2.5in in diameter) like the rear ones do? I have a '99LX. Seems like there should be something to keep water and debris out of the axle area.
My 2000 ES is my third Protege; my wife's 2002 P5 makes four I/we have owned. All four share this phenomenon.
It has to do with the rubber compound used in the struts, or so I'm told, and it's completely normal. Funny; it's not the rear that I've ever heard; it is and always has been the front struts that do it in mine.
I pull out of the driveway and onto the street each cold morning and ... "scrunch!" Thereafter all's hunky-dory.
A little character, I say. Like his Daddy, Zoomster don't wanna get up at 6:15.
Meade
meade--I thought the noise was normal also, but the dealer is the one who pointed out the leaking strut. Who knows, maybe the noise has nothing to do with the leaking strut?
Meade
If that's the case and there is NO damage to the engine if knocking, I'd rather have the engine knock than anyone opening my new engine and sticking their paws inside. Who knows how well they'll put things back together...
Did they say how long it's supposed to take IF they had the parts ready? I don't think Mazda dealers here offer loaners and they probably would not give me one to drive anyway (the age restriction sometime applies in regards to rentals - I'm 22 BTW).
Dinu
I'll drop my car Thursday to the dealer for them to take a look. They weren't aware about the TSB until my call. I double they have a part ready.
Bruno
Will keep everyone posted on this one. And yeah, when it's freezing (like -19C, -29C w/windchill today!), I sometimes hear a suspension noise at times, but I always did in other cars I've driven too in this type of weather. Hopefully the struts are ok: never took the PRO on a WRC rally, so it should be good.
Dinu
Back to the PRO now (Sorry Pat)
Dinu
At first I thought it was my snow tires rubbing, but then it did it with my stock tires on one cold spring day.
I asked the dealer and they said it doesn't hurt anything and nothing suggested by MNAO to correct. I have just accepted it and moved on.
Regards,
Pete
Me too, but the dealer offered to replace the strut for free. I didn't even ask about it.
I don't think they'll replace all four for free because they make funny noises when they're cold.
Meade
I took it as having accepted his service guy's explanation and that's that.
I don't think anyone here has complained about the noise so much to be labeled as "whiny" -- we've just been exploring the issue.
Don't be so sensitive!
Meade
NOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo...............
Ah the hazards of a written discussion...I am sorry if it sounded like I was implying that someone was whining. That was most CERTAINLY NOT my intention. I meant it as a departure from my normal overly-particular and nitpicking self that I didn't have the struts replaced under warranty because of the noise, even though I'd bet that I could convince the dealer to do so. I am a self-critical person and I really don't want to offend anyone here.
Sorry for the confusion.
BTW...Saw a Black MS3 at the dealer. Very very very cool! Wish I had 22,500 to spend right now. Or I could wait 2-3 years and spend 30k and get an RX-8. Hmmmmmmm.......
Update on the EBC Brake pads. Have almost 1000 miles on them now and they have bedded in nicely and are not SOOOOO grabby anymore. They have a really nice linearity to them and still bite better than stock pads. Tradeoff: There is a very slight, almost inaudible, squeal. Since they have no anti-squeal shim on the back like the stock pad, I suspect that's the cause. Not annoying or intrusive, just different.
A lot of questions a while back about checking brakes for how much is left....here's a tip. The stock brake pads have a metal tab that will start to rub the rotor and make a LOUD squealing sound when there is about 1-2/16ths of pad left. You won't mistake the sound. You'll likely notice a drop in the brake fluid level or see your dashboard brake warning light sometime before your pads wear out. I did. When I pulled my pads they still had 5-7k left in them. That was at 37k. Turned 38k on the car on the way home from band practice tonight. Looks like I'll hit the 75k before the 7yrs on my extended warranty.
Regards to all,
Pete
Speaking of which, these high gas prices choking anyone else? I paid 172.9 a gallon for 89 octane tonight in Baltimore, MD.
I also had my oil changed yesterday (Mobil One synthetic) and had my tires rotated. And guess what. Seems I have some kind of alignment anomaly that caused the insides of my SP Sports to wear more quickly than the outsides (but on ALL FOUR WHEELS????). The guy at Goodyear says I'll have a hard time getting Dunlop to honor that 50K warranty with the tires worn so unevenly.
My car's alignment was checked (supposedly) when I purchased the tires, and I've noticed nothing (although I know that slight camber problems can't be "felt"). I still think it's odd that even with an alignment problem, these 50,000-mile tires are worn out -- and yes, one is worn all the way down to the treadwear indicators -- in a little over 18,000 miles.
BTW, the Goodyear guy quoted me $120 for a new SP Sport A2. Tire Rack sells 'em for $78. But get this -- he offered me a price on Goodyear Eagle GTIIs (a mediocre "sport all-season" tire) for $180 a tire. Know how much Tire Rack wants? $69!!! I told him I could buy Michelin Pilot Sports from Tire Rack for less than he could sell me that Eagle, and in response he went into this tirade about Tire Rack selling "inferior" tires -- then tried to get me to sign up for a Goodyear Credit Card so I could save 5 percent with my purchase, and then started pushing me to buy right then even though I told him I wasn't ready to make a purchase. On top of that, I'm pretty good at reading upside-down. I saw how much HIS cost was on those Eagles that he was going to sell me for $180 apiece. He was gonna make a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR profit on EACH TIRE he sold me.
I know where I'm shopping ...
Meade
You should treat your delicate motor better than that. Doesn't the 1.8T require 91 or better?
Speaking of gasoline, I have been filling up at BJ's for $1.559/gallon for 87 octane.
My SP Sport 5000m were worn very evenly. They just wore too quickly.
[off my soapbox now]
Tires are one place you can get ripped off, especially if you've got a flat, and not just replacing worn tires (so you have some time to shop). Some chains are better than others. Tire Discounters and Bob Sumerel here are OK. They cost more than Tire Rack or the club stores, but offer more selection. Tire Rack also drop-ships to Bob Sumerel, where they'll install your new tires. They've been good. I brought my '89 323 in for an alignment check and they actually told me I didn't need one, even that they'd never seen one brought into their shop in such good alignment! (swerving around potholes and utility covers does pay off....keeps other drivers away too; looks like I'm too unpredictable, heh).
BTW, I was wrong about when I installed my Dunlops. I was off by 11,000 miles. So I've put over 12,000 miles on them to date. From eyeballing, I'd say I have about 5/16 left on the pair that's more worn. I'll have to get my calipers out to check later.
They respond faster than my Michelin X-Ones (excellent wear and wet traction). They don't squeal when pushed to their limits like my last set of Yokohamas (which I got over 45,000 miles on...still had tread, but got squealy and slippery...I think the tires got too old). And they stick like glue on dry roads. I figure it's the price I pay for that kind of performance (of course, in my tire size, they only cost $55 at Tire Rack).
The BFGs I'm considering are the ones Larry bought -- Touring T/A VR4s. I'm still on the fence about his non-plus-sizing though, which will leave my speedo more than one mph off at 60 mph. But he says they're wearing well, which is important to me right now! As an additional plus, my local Costco sells them. I'm having to wait until they open today to get a price.
If Costco has a good price on the BFGs, I'll probably go that route. If they don't, I'll probably go back to TireRack and get the Yokos.
Tire Rack been berry, berry good to me.
:-)
Meade
In other news: I can't wait for warmer weather so I can cruise with the windows down... And clean the interior of the PRO. Right now it's -15C (5F) with windchill -24C (-11F), but next week we're getting spoiled: +2C on Tuesday! It'll be time to ditch the tuque.
Dinu
Mazda will show 9 concepts! Yes, nine!
They started advertising the 6 a bit on one TV station (CTV) and the RX-8 got a full page colour ad in the Auto Show section. I think dealers don't have enough 6s, so it doesn't make sense to advertise yet.
There are 3 pics showing Mazda's area at the show from different angles. No other manufacturer has even one pic showing more than one of their cars.
I spotted the usual suspects (PRO, P5, MazdaSpeed3/PRO, Tribute, MPV, B-series), a few 626s and Millenias (guess they have plenty left for sale).
The RX-8 is on a rotating stand.
Noticed 2 6s, but they were both on rotating stands (one with the RX-8 and Miata, one by itself). Maybe they won't have any 6s open for the public to sit in? I hope not! That would be stupid. Missing Canada's largest auto show when so little people know about the car is not a smart move. Hopefully I'm wrong.
No Mazda3 concept to be seen.
I think I'm going to the show next Wednesday as we have Reading Week at York.
Dinu
I was pretty disgusted listening to some gas station association rep say on a radio interview this morning that they're only raising prices in anticipation of [their] cost increases. Gee, I don't recall them ever dropping prices in anticipation of cost drops. (Remember 9/11? Some stations hiked their prices up to something like $4-6/gal that day. Greedy.)
They're like lenders and banks. Rates jump up right away with or in anticipation of rate hikes. They take forever to come down with rate drops (except for the rates they pay on money you keep in accounts like savings, money market, etc.).
The good thing is the higher fuel prices will make people recognize that it's a limited precious resource (yeah, at these prices, it'll make more economic sense to develop more costly sites, but it'll run out some day) and maybe use it more wisely. Maybe it'll clear some of the piggish SUVs that folks bought when gas was $1/gal off the road so I can see what traffic ahead of me is like again so I can "anticipate" my actions.
Mebbe you got the wheel alignment that are used on P5's??? the sport alignment where the wheels are -ve camber in anticipation that the driver is going to go around corners at pretty high speeds.
I did hear when the P5's and 2002's came out that many complained of inside wear due to -ve camber.
can anyone back me up on this one?
4 tires @ 73.99 = $295.96
4 Environ Tax @ 1.00 = $4.00
4 Wheel Deal @ 9.95 = $39.80Goodrich TA
Pa State Tax 6% = $17.76
Total $357.52
less Club Coupon 4 @ 10.00 = -$40.00
Grand Total for 4 tires @ 79.38 = $317.52 out the door price at BJ Club.
My car's odometer reading was 36,308 at time of purchase. Just had one of the tires replaced because my wife gashed up the side wall of one of the Goodies, bouncing off a curb. My car's odometer reading was 50,150 at time of replacement. Guess what? Because, I had used less than 15% of the original Goodrich TA's tread the replacement was gratis at my BJ Club!
Two points:
1.) The 4 Wheel Deal @ 9.95 = $39.80 paid for valve stem, mounting, old tire disposal, life time rotation, and provided hazard insurance that paid for a new tire because my wife bitched up the side wall. Well, worth $39.80!!!!
2.) After 13,842 miles I still have over 85% of total tread left on the original Goodies. Now granted, it is impossible to drive the tire to the bitter end! Nonetheless, these tires have held up very well.
-Larry
$330.22 installed, not counting any special discounts or coupons.
Looks like Costco has BJ's beat.
Meade
Anybody knows anything about this model, what it looks like, Ect...??
Meade