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Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    "I have to remove the light again, and tear up the trunk liners just to get to the bulb - VERY retarded design."

    All cars are like that. It isn't just the Protege.
  • sfratsfrat Member Posts: 208
    The light installation sounds pretty normal. Maybe you've got a lose wire causing a short. Hopefully they can figure it out.

    I'm glad to hear your new radio works good, I hope for the same. The other thing I had them look at was the front drivers door center pilar area was all scratched and chewed up on the top right hand side. They had to adjust the hinge because for some reason they door was not closing properly. I think its been like that since new, but I just happened to notice it.

    That is the first and only "waranty" work I've had done.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I have to remove the whole tail light from its socket in the rear panel of the car to replace a bulb. Most cars have a small compartment in the trunk you can take out/open to get to the rear lights. Well most cars that I'm familiar with. Anyways, after the first time I had to remove the tail light and put it back, if you look REALLY closely, you'll see the two tail lights don't have the same distance from the car's panels. It's not noticeable unless you know to look for it, but it's not factory-spec anymore. Maybe I need to fine-tune my bulb-replacement technique.

    Dinu
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    As most of you are aware I got the ECU reprogrammed 2 weeks ago.

    The good part is that at highway speeds the car is MUCH quieter and it revs better - or maybe it's just a mental thing. (No jokes from the Peanut Gallery please!)

    The not so great is that it still knocks when cold (:

    Dinu
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Actually, on most cars you have to remove the whole tail-lamp assembly to get at the bulb. Most cars don't have that convenient trap door to get at the bulb. As far as rear tail-lamp assemblies go, the Protege's is pretty simple. I did hundreds of these on hundreds of different cars at the J-lube. It might seem like a pain in the butt, but when you compare it to other cars, it's OK.

    I also had my ECU reprogrammed but I didn't notice anything except that the "death rattle" noise was almost gone when cold. Shortly after I had the ECU done though, I noticed the rotten egg smell from the exhaust more often. When I drove to Chicago, my buddy who was following me said my car smells most of the time, especially up hills. I was going to bring it into the dealer, but there is no check engine light and the gas mileage is normal. Hmmmm?
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I guess different results are to be expected from that TSB...

    No exhaust or rotten egg smell with mine.

    Now that it's warmer outside, it drives well, even when cold - but it still knocks a bit.

    Anyways, happy motoring!

    Dinu
  • edmund2460edmund2460 Member Posts: 293
    Actually we have a couple of extra cars since my wife just got a new Camry XLE V6. I am getting old, though I'm not quite up to Fowler's vintage (where has he gone BTW)and I feel now that transportation should be serene and comfortable, I don't care very much about zipping around curves. The Camry defines all that. Actually if I may digress I would have taken the Accord but it was wife's choice and I can't say I disagree because of the extra room. At this point I'm just thinking out aloud thinking I should trade for something quieter so I don't have to turn the stereo up at highway speeds but I don't have spare cash to take a loss buying and selling. The PRO has been a great car no problems so far.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I dunno how many cars these kids have owned, but my 2000 Protege is the FIRST of the seven cars I've owned that has no provision to get at the bulbs from inside the trunk.

    Hell, even my 1987 and 1988 Hyundai Excels had little doors in the trunk -- and these even had little doorknobs you turned a quarter-turn and they swung open on HINGES!!! My Saab had 'em, even my '78 Corolla had 'em (well, that's a stretch -- the '78 Corollas only had a trunk floor mat -- the inside of the rear was the stamped metal frame of the car -- no doors, just the bayonnet-flanged bulb sockets and wires staring atcha!

    It is, I agree, cheesy to have to disassemble the trunk liner to get at a part that is considered a "wear item." Not much different from, though admittedly a lot easier to deal with, my old Saab's quirk about having to have the ENGINE REMOVED FROM THE CAR to change the water pump. ($150 part, $600 labor.)

    Listen up, Mazda.

    Meade
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    ...the whole taillight assembly is the wear item. ;-)

    My 2000 Jetta had the same issue with the engine removal to get to the water pump. Thank <insert favorite deity here> that it was still under warranty when the water pump went at 8000 miles.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Well, my Integra, Mustang, Prelude, 626, and Subaru all needed the tail-lamp assembly removed to replace the bulb. Having a "provision" to get at the bulbs easily through the trunk is the exception, not the rule. You must have been lucky in the cars you've owned.
  • gee35coupegee35coupe Member Posts: 3,387
    Has both. You have to remove the corner assembly but the trunk has a door. My Civics had a door and I think Accords do too. But I'm not sure. I haven't checked my GS300.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Tell me this ... on the cars you listed, were you able to remove the lamp assembly with a screwdriver from the outside? That would negate having to remove the trunk liner to get at the bulb. My pickup was like that (der, it was a pickup -- there's no way to get behind the metal bed to get at the lights from behind, so you had to remove the assembly from outside ... but there were screws for that ...)

    Meade

    P.S. I can't help the fact that you haven't chosen your cars wisely!
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Mazda should have those little doors so I can change my bulbs easier when they go out every 3 weeks :)

    I replaced both front headlight bulbs with ones that emmit a clearer white light - they're not blue, just white. And they're obviously not HIDs - not on a $24.192 CAD car (to be precise). These new bulbs are much better than the factory ones, yet they don't blind other drivers (like HIDs). I'll check what brand they are and let you all know. They were $20 CAD each.

    Dinu
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    My 2000 ES will be three years old one month from today, has 54,000 miles on it, and hasn't lost a bulb yet -- no headlights, brake lights, even the dome light is original despite my constant comings and goings (and the fact that I don't have a sunroof to leave open in car washes).

    But all these remarks just made me think of something. Why not get a nice pair of snips and cut out a square hole in the liner behind each assembly, and then use a little ingenuity and some Velcro to re-attach the square? You'd never see that there's a cutout yet you'd be able to pop it off at a moment's notice.

    A little "user mod" to solve the problem ... I may take a look at how hard that'd be to do when (if?) I ever have to change a rear bulb.

    One other thing ... moisture can kill bulbs quickly. I'll offer the first piece of USABLE advice here and recommend that you examine the gasket between the taillight lens and the frame to ensure the assembly is sealed all 'round from moisture entering the inside of the assembly. It's logical to think moisture might be doing this since so much water streams back along the sides of the car when you're driving in the rain ...

    Meade

    P.S. Are things scary up there in SARS Land? Your town is making big news down here ... they even played a sound bite from your (very angry) Mayor this morning ...
  • manavimanavi Member Posts: 150
    I just want to thank everyone for the tire suggestions, especially whoever it was that clued me in to the Toyo Proxes TPT tires. After a little research these seem to be exactly what I was looking for. They are the right size (195-50-16), the right speed rating (V), they have a 65,000 mile warranty, and the manufacturer is highly rated through several sources.

    They are also priced about the same as the Dunlop SP 5000's that I had been leaning towards.

    Keep up the good work everyone.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    Not a bad idea Meadester!

    As for SARS, it's blown out of proportion - as far as the WHO goes. I haven't been in contact with anyone that works at or visited a hospital and I feel "safe". Mel (the mayor) had every reason to be upset - people live the same lives they lived 1mth ago before all this. Yes we got an email at work about it and yes workers in the health services are freaked out by it, but TO is not a hub of SARS as it seems if you're watching the news. Just my $0.03 CAD - $0.02 US :)

    Dinu
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    It's not about disagreement because the issue really isn't an opinion. The fact is, most cars need the tail-lamp assembly removed to get at the bulbs. With some cars, you need to mess with the trunk liner, some cars you don't. The only point I was trying to make is that it isn't a "retarded" design, it isn't unusual, and it isn't really that hard to do. If Mazda needs to "wake up" and change the design, so do most other manufacturers. I mean, how often do you replace the bulbs back there?

    "on the cars you listed, were you able to remove the lamp assembly with a screwdriver from the outside?"

    You could remove them with a screwdriver from inside the trunk but IIRC, some of them needed a special non-phillips or standard head screwdriver.
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I think we need a song to get Meade and Todd back on good terms :)

    Dinu
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Please let us know how you like them once you have had them a while. I too would like to get these for my Protege5. Now if I could just convince my wife to take those on-ramps a little faster, I could find out for myself how the TPTs handle.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I am on good terms with Meade.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Somehow I just knew you were poised to make that response. Well, guess what? When I got back from MAPP I had to get the car inspected. Here in Virginia all your lights have to work -- all bulbs in all lights, that is -- or you get a pink "rejected" sticker in your windshield that only gives you 10 days to correct the problem. I told the inspector I had a bulb out in my rear light and asked him to let me know what kind of bulb it was so I could pop one in while I was there. He came back out a half-hour later and told me I must've been imagining things because all my bulbs were fine. Since then I've had the opportunity to check them myself and they all work fine, plus the car's been inspected yet again and it's passed.

    You guys must've been imagining things or maybe, since it was a stormy morning, there was something like a wet leaf on the lens itself. I've even had the opportunity to back up toward a nice, reflective tinted window here downtown and have a lookie myself, brake lights and all. All my lights are shining brightly.

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I wuv you too.

    Meade
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I was just kidding, hoping Dale would make a song for us. It's been a long time w/out one you know?

    And to keep this on topic, I am happy to report that after 20.000kms, the AVID Touring tires are still in good condition - it doesn't look like they lost any thread!

    Dinu
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I finally had a chance to look at my front brake pads Tuesday afternoon. I was scared to look since I'm on the originals at 54,000 miles. What I saw astounded me -- I've got plenty of wear left on the doggone things!!!

    I wonder how much Mazda charges for the OEM replacements? Heck, I'll do 'em myself -- I've never owned a car that only needed maybe one replacement set of pads in its entire life!

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    What, are your tires made of yarn?

    Don't you mean they haven't lost any TREAD???

    :D

    Sorry, you just committed Edmunds Town Hall Stupid Similar Word Mistake No. 2 and I had to chastise you for it.

    (BTW, Edmunds Town Hall Stupid Similar Word Mistake No. 1 is people saying they have "disc breaks" or "break problems.")

    I'll be contacting Costco today to make sure they have a set of four BFG Touring T/A VR4s in 205/55/15. I need to have them installed by next Friday -- and get the car aligned -- so Zoomster (and his driver) feels safe and secure during next weekend's road trip to Pennsylvania!!!

    Meade
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I'm frantically looking for a dictionary as I type :)

    I can't believe you have 50K+ miles on your original BRAKES. I had to take a BREAK and get my BRAKES done at 30K miles...

    Dinu
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Did you consider looking at the Toyo Proxes TPT? They are available in your OEM size, but not your plus 0 size.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    If you guys think the tail-lamps are a pain, try changing a headlight on some Audi/VWs. You have to take the battery out to get at the headlights. Now THAT'S retarded. Also, IMO, I think the headlight design on the Protege is retarded. Why can't you just twist the old one out and twist a new one in? Why do you need to mess with those wire clips that are a pain for someone with big fat fingers?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I'm there with you on those clips (and I resemble that finger remark too). ;-)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    What are you using the dictionary for? Surely you've heard of the word "venue" before???
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    There are several factors influencing my decision on which tire to buy:

    (1) Costco has superior service, stands behind what they sell, and their prices include everything -- mounting, balancing (lifetime of course), valve stems, joke tire disposal fees, etc.

    (2) Larry bought these tires a good -- what Larry -- 15K ago? And they're doing well. By comparison, my same-cost Dunlop SP Sport A2s look like racing slicks after 21,000 miles. I bought the Dunlops from TireRack, had to pay shipping, and then had to pay an installer the usual mounting, balancing, valve stem and joke tire disposal fee (can you pick up on the sarcasm there). And since I did not PURCHASE the tires from the installer I didn't get any of the usual goodies like free lifetime rotation, road hazard insurance, etc.

    (3) My Costco sells those BFGs and the whole shebang will cost almost exactly what I paid just for the inferior Dunlops themselves before installation. TireRack doesn't sell Toyo, I can't find the brand in Richmond anymore (bought a set once from Costco back in '94 and loved 'em -- too bad), and the best online price I found was more than $30 per tire higher than the BFGs and then I'd have to pay even more to have them mounted and balanced etc. I have other priorities in life and demands on my bucks right now than buying sporty, high-priced tires!

    (4) Time is of the essence. My fault, yes -- but I've got a several-hundred-mile trip to make next weekend, and I don't know what the weather's going to be like. My Dunlop SP Slick A2s are still OK on dry pavement (though loud as hell, wouldja believe it Dale) but absolutely suck petunias in the rain. I don't wanna try unknown interstates in bad weather with 'em. And definitely not DC traffic.

    (5) I actually think I will prefer the taller sidewall on these touring tires. At the middle-aged age of 38, where most of my zoomin' is done to and from work or out to shop with the occasional long highway trip thrown in (potentially a couple thousand miles later this summer), comfort is starting to slide into prime importance over like-on-rails cornering ability. Touring tires seem to have a good amount of comfort and much lower noise while retaining a good amount of handling. And these BFGs are still V-rated, meaning they might even handle better than the SP Slicks which are only H-rated yet have been a fine (albeit fast-wearing) match for my driving style.

    There, I think that about sums it up. I'm tired.

    ;-)

    Meade
  • dinu01dinu01 Member Posts: 2,586
    I confuse them sometimes...

    Dinu
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    What, too scared to take me on here? Gotta post your little sarcastic remarks about "I knows a leaf when I sees a leaf" somewhere else, huh? Uh-uh! This thread is about the design of our Proteges and it belongs here!

    Now everyone, since Dale has taken it upon herself to challenge my statement asserting that my bulb is fine (like she'd know up there in Chicago), here's what I just said in response to her claiming I might have had a "loose contact" in my rear light assembly on the way to MAPP III A YEAR AGO, brought HERE where the thread is taking place:

    "But I think it's equally if not more mysterious that a 'loose contact' would magically heal itself and stay fine for a year after this so-called outage ... keeping in mind that according to y'all in the chase car, the light was completely out for the entire four hours and hundreds of miles that day ... and now it doesn't even flicker? Sound a little weird to you, O One Who Claims 20/20 Leaf Vision at 200 Yards Yet Who Can't See When Her Windows are Open at a Car Wash?"

    Too-shay, Ms. Branch!

    Meade
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    I raised a question, and that question was:

    "Why is Dunlop charging so little for such a great tire?"

    I think now not only you, but we all know the answer.

    An btw, I have @18,000 miles on my BFG...and they have no more and no less grip than when they were new and tread is still more than 3/4 left.

    So there.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    In case you ever change your mind, here are 2 places that sell Toyos in your neck of the proverbial woods:

               TCI
               326 EAST 6TH STREET
               RICHMOND, VA 23224

               Colonial Tire
               1833 COMMERCE RD.
               RICHMOND, VA 23224

    Hope you like your BFGs.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Not that you'd know, but now you will ...

    Those two places are in areas that are, hmmm, how shall I word this in such a way as to not receive a Pat-O-Gram ... well, let's just say I wouldn't DARE send my wife through that part of town or go for a walk there myself in the middle of the day. I could also say that while I might get new tires there, I probably would have to clean out my glovebox and center console, remove the stereo and floormats, replace the alloys with steel rims and make sure I only have only enough gas in the tank to make it to the nearest gas station when I drop it off.

    In fact, my Protege would probably be the only non-'70s Lincoln or Caddy in the shop that day.

    Too bad for Toyo. They obviously don't know Richmond either.

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    How is talking about the design of the lights on the rear of the Protege NOT on-topic? If you DO honestly feel that the turn the conversation took to my taillight during that trip took it off-topic, then please take note that it was YOU who did so by bringing it up, and you brought it up HERE! The topic of this thread of discussion is Protege taillights and how they're designed. Yes, there was a question (well, from you and my wife) about the appearance of one of my taillights last Spring. The issue was never duplicated and has not been noted during two state safety inspections since. So either the ghost of Thomas Edison was fooling around with us, you guys were smoking something illegal back there in Tam's P5, or (the most likely answer) something was either smudged on the lens or obscuring that one bulb in some other way. But I honestly think that if there was enough of a short THEN to leave a bulb completely OFF (you never said it ever flickered or came back on and off again) for hundreds of miles and hours on end, then I would've experienced it ONE MORE TIME in the 12 months since you claim to have seen it.

    'Nuff said.

    Discs vs. drums anyone?

    Meade
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    There is always a Colony Tire in Colonial Heights, and no less than 5 dealers in Ashland. Anyway, let us know how you like the BFGs.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    You guys got a BFG problem???

    Meade
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    I just tend to encourage others to try what I have found that I really like, and I really like the Toyo tires I have purchased in the past. So much so that I already know that I will be putting Toyos on my P5 and my Miata when the time comes.

    I understand you not wanting to spend the extra money. I tend to go overboard sometimes in my search for the perfect tire or whatever it is I am trying to find. I am perhaps too willing to spend an extra 45% to get a 5% improvement. I hope you like your BFGs. I'm sure you will let us know.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    the reason why I like BFG V4 is COMFORT.
    while they still retain quite good handling, they do not make a harsh ride over road cracks, not to mention they are extremely quiet when cruising at high speeds.
    And did I mention that they are M+S rated?
    Worked very well in the snow this winter. Never spun in the snow, even on inclines, unless I just stomped on the pedal like everyday.

    It is just the preferences. Certainly the cost did make the final say against the Yokohama Avid V4 which would have costed me ~$200 more.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    Sounds like a great all-around tire, but then so does the Proxes TPT. I'll let everyone know what I think when I get them on the P5 -- except for snow traction anyway. I can't give a real world review of them since I haven't tried them yet, but on paper they look pretty good.
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    but when I went to find them, the cost difference and ease of installation just made me shirk away.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    You don't install them yourself do you? ;-)
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    the nearest Tirerack installer was 12 miles from my place. The nearest Toyo dealer was 18 miles from my place, who btw did not have my tire size.

    The BFG V4 were available at BJ's warehouse that is only 3/4 mile from my place.

    Hence the ease of installation.
  • alternatoralternator Member Posts: 629
    Right here at the Edmunds web site are several reviews of the 2003 Toyota Corolla that provide more than a few reasons for buying Proteges instead of Corollas :

    http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/toyota/corolla/100074066/roadtest- article.html?articleId=96986&editorialpage=page003
  • fowler3fowler3 Member Posts: 1,919
    "At this point I'm just thinking out aloud thinking I should trade for something quieter so I don't have to turn the stereo up at highway speeds but I don't have spare cash to take a loss buying and selling."

    If I got a car that rides as smooth as I would like I would fall asleep before I got a city block. Firm suspension and seats help to keep me awake, along with some of the Triad's rough roads. Oldsters are always sleepy. When they were servicing my Pro I didn't hear my name called over the PA, I was asleep in the waiting room.

    One year left on warrenty, I'm getting anxious to trade.

    Maybe Mazda will use the same suspension on the Mazda3s they used on the 6.

    meinrad, thanks for the greeting. No, I am not working these days. Wish things would pick up.

    I guess the first thing buyers should ask when looking at a new car is how easy can one change the taillamp bulbs? Glad to hear that dinu01 isn't wearing a surgical mask when he types. ;)

    Meadball seems in top form as long as he stays away from the Churchhill area when buying tires. The church on that hill is where Patric Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death, but I will settle for a set of Toyos." LOL!

    fowler3
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Church Hill is in the throes of a renaissance. Younger folks are buying up the old houses and renovating them (some of which are antebellum) and the area's starting to rebound very nicely. No, it's the area south of "The Rivah" and east of downtown that's still the kind of place you wouldn't want to hang around at night and, if you must travel through there in daylight, you keep your windows up, your doors locked, and your eyes on the road. I'm sure every town has an area like this ... very blue-collar industrial with cracker-box houses, housing projects and "special police precincts." I prefer not to revert to survivalist tactics for a set of tires, no matter how good they are!

    Meade
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I notice they don't list the Protege as a "similar" car at the bottom of the Corolla driver's comments page.
  • boggseboggse Member Posts: 1,048
    ROTFLMAO! You've made my Friday.
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