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Comments
I am new to this board. Please cut me some slacks!
I got a 03 ES-GT in September. The salesperson told me it was probably the last available silver ES-GT. Should I take his words for it?
Back to my question: Is that possible to install an aux-in to the stock system so I can plug in my MP3 player? I know I can shred out CDN$300 for a casette player but I consider it a big time rip-off. Is there any cheap, convenient way to do it? Thanks in advance.
My car now has 4000km on it. Everything is well (especially compared to the Jetta). Just that the ride is really on the firm side and I wish I could have 20 more puppies. I wanted to get a 5 spd, but my family opposed and the 4 spd sport shift is smooth but not very good at squeezing juice out from the 2.0 DOHC.
Again, thank you very much for your valuable comments.
Chrison
03 ES-GT 4 spd
02 Jetta 1.8T Tiptronic
No answer on your audio question though...
Dinu
-Larry
-Larry
Longer answer:
I've been on many boards and seen many things and no one has accomplished it yet.
A few people have told me it was done, but I have yet to see it, and given the amount of people on several boards who have yet to find it, I'm guessing it hasn't been done.
You could get an fm modulator, most people say they aren't great, but it's an option. But it could be worth a try if an input is that important to you.
Otherwise it's time to go aftermarket as many, many, people have done.
Yeah I remember back 2 years ago there were TONS of posts here. Now ppl have migrated to the 6 and 3.
Dinu
Glad to know that all of you are still out there doing well!
Yes, I traded in my 5-year-old machine for a new Dell. Dude, it's rad! And yes, Michael from Canada still likes to kid me all the time.
Glad to know that all of you are still out there doing well!
I got an aftermarket with a front AUX-in jack for my iPod. It really rocks! FYI, mine's a JVC SX-780. I think it's been discontinued, but the SX-990 is still available, and it offers the ability to play MP3 CD-Rs, which the 780 lacks (I really wanted the 890 (??), but it was discontinued and they didn't yet offer the 980 or 990, so I "downgraded" to the 780). Radio sensitivity is not as good as the factory stereo's, but it can pump out more volume (I have aftermarket speakers too).
But of course, my stock head unit stopped playing CDs, so I had other reasons to swap it out.
Since the head unit allows you to plug in a tape player or CD-changer, you can tap into the pins for a stereo mini-jack. I'll have to look for the site, but I do recall seeing someone do this. He had to wire in a switch to close the circuit that tells the head unit to switch to the auxiliary input (he just ran two wires to a really ugly-looking toggle switch). Anyway, he's got plenty of pictures and instructions. Does it look easy? Well, no. But it doesn't look harder than splicing in a new wiring harness for an aftermarket head unit either, which took me 3 hours (figuring out what wires led to what, splicing wires, putting unit in, taking unit back out because I messed up a connection that eliminated my IP dimmer function, putting unit back).
I got my back right-lights smashed and my back right-bumper scratched. The driver was very apologetic OH and are you ready for this? He had just come back from the Volvo dealership . The SUV was brand NEW!!! (oyy!!)
I got an estimate of $430.33, which the Volvo SUV driver will pay under the table. Or rather, without the insurance company’s awareness. I guess the important thing is that no one was physically hurt.
Life goes on but I feel bad for my poor baby... (my Pro ES that is)
Glad noone was physically hurt. I feel for your Pro though.
I agree w/ your view. I think his foot was not used to the break pad and he did not calculate how long would it take for his Volvo SUV to stop...
Dinu
Thank you very much for all of your inputs. Drumm01: I am really glad that you are physically unhurt. You know I am sure all of the boardmates here care about each other. Besides, weather has been pretty blizzard these days in the Northeast. We should all drive carefully.
I did browsed through a website in which the guy demonstrates how to hook an aux in up to the headunit of the last generation P. The headunit of the last gen does look quite different from ours. Actually all we need is a plug fitting the port inside... I just wish Mazda would provide us one as an acessory.
I tried to do a right turn at about 55 kph few days ago when the road was clean and clear. My P with Dunlop 5000 actually fishtailed....
Chrison
My 2001 Pro is still going. No where near your mileage, only 16,640 after 31 months. Runs like new 'cause it's still close to new. At the mileage I drive it will take 7 more years to get to 65,000 miles.
About rotten eggs smell: I use to buy BP gasoline, but when BP merged with Mobil and started selling Mobil gas there was a distinctive bad odor. I changed to Citgo and haven't had the problem since. Only problem the BP station is nearby, one city block, and Citgo is 5 miles away. I have to check the gauge more often.
fowler3
In summary, I wound up filing a claim with his insurance company -- but even then he threatened he would call his insurance company and tell them to hold on it! (Heh heh, I spoke with his agent -- out of state -- and his agent told me that his customer didn't know what the heck he was talking about and to proceed with the claim. I had my check -- yep, made out to me -- within two weeks.)
Yes, my friends, it was nice to be the "hittee" for once. Paid handsomely. Plus the little jerk got a moving violation conviction for his cute little record. Funny, I had nothing against him at first.
Go through the insurance company.
Meade
Saw you posting on the 3 thread
Dinu
I haven't abandoned the board, or the group for that matter. I've been working like a madman (my company has a lot to do to comply with a HUGE settlement made with some government authorities last year) and I don't get much 'puter time.
Trigger (2000 ES Pro) now has nearly 48k miles and still runs very well! It's rattle free and still has the same great handling and power I bought it with.
It is in need of new wiper blades and a good wax before winter gets it's icy hands on Chicago.
I haven't made any other mods to the car since I last posted, just keep changing the oil every 3k and driving the heck out of it!
Hope you are all well and enjoying your cars, whatever you drive!
Regards,
Pete
My Protege and I are doing great at 46,700 miles.
When the service stations were BP they had the nicest convenience stores, served good sandwiches and cinnamon buns. Now, some other company is running (ruining) them. Very bad.
fowler3
fowler3
Meade
Dinu
What I drove the first time was a 1975 BMW 2002 (not last year's model, 2002 was the model number). No A/C and it was 120-degrees in the Southwest deserts through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Bimmer's seats were dark blue leatherette.
The worst part of the trip was crossing the Mississippi River, at Memphis. I have a phobia about crossing bridges, I went into Arkansas at 120mph, WOT!! Driving 10 to 12 hours a day you can't stand up when you first get out of the car. It was a great trip though.
fowler3
I had to get the automatic for two reasons, first, my wife refuses to learn stick, and second, with the aggressive rebates, I couldn't find a stick anywhere in Los Angeles county.
Actually, the automatic really doesn't hurt the car that much. It still has the firm ride and amazing handling, it still accellerates harder than a budget ride has any right to, and it still just feels terrific. At $11,200 with AC, Automatic and the 6 disc CD changer, I feel like I got a real sports sedan for the price of a Hyundai Accent. Not to slight the Accent (decent car last time I rented one), but this is on a whole different level.
Compared to the Galant (2002 ES 4 cyl), the Protege is faster, handles better, has better seats and driving position despite the lack of height adjustment, and much higher-grade interior materials. The Galant, on the other hand, was much smoother and quieter on the highway, totally smothered any and all road imperfections, and generally felt like a Cadillac most of the time. Totally different character.
One thing that was a bit tough was getting used to crank windows and manual locks again, its been a while since I did that myself. Still, putting almost 3,000 miles per month on a car, I just couldn't justify spending the money on something that will get massacred in resale value due to excessive mileage.
Not sure what to expect in fuel economy. The Galant was listed at 23 City and 28 highway, and I never saw better than 20/25. The Protege is listed at 25/30, and I'm hoping its at least a little better than the Galant was. Admittedly, Galants are famous for poor fuel economy. How does everyone else's 2.0 liter Protege's do? Anyone got experience with an automatic?
Well, I'll post more after I've had the car for a while.
My wife's P5 with the same engine gets about 28-30mpg. Her's is also equipped with an AT. Since your DX is a little lighter and is more aerodynamic, it should do better. Her commute is mostly stop-n-go highway & local.
Just out of curiosity, what were the problems with your 2002 Galant? It's not often these days hearing of a brand-new car (with the possible exception of a German make we won't mention here, lol) being citrusy enough to unload after only a year of manufacture.
Welcome to the family; crank-up windows or not! You've got a lot of friends here, and I hope you'll stay along for the ride!
Meade
2000 ES 5-speed
Formerly 2 1992 LXs; 5-speed and auto
(Wife: 2002 Protege5)
Meade
Autocross: 23
Back roads trip: 32
Interstate trip: 30
Around town: 26 (not stop and go like CA Freeways, but lots of acceleration opportunities)
My car is sand mica with a very stylish tan and brown interior (my last four cars have had gray interiors, time for a change).
My Galant had an adjustable seat pan, and it was nice in that car, but the driving position on this one is actually much better than anything I could dial in with the Galant. In a way I'm glad its not adjustable as it really is "just right" and I'd hate to have some carwash attended lose my perfect settings forever.
Here is a rundown of my Galant troubles.
Horrible fuel economy, 17 City/20 highway, with an absolute best tank at 25 (65 MPH, cruise, no AC, windows closed). The car is rated at 23/28, so this was very dissappointing.
Rattles, lots of them. Sometimes it was smooth and silent, but there was a persistent rattle in the dash that nobody could find, and another very strange intermitten sound that sounded likec rumpling plastic trash bags, again from inside the dash. Of course, these always magically went away when I brought the car to the dealer (not the dealer's fault, as I rode in the car with the tech).
And the killer .... the brakes. This car ate front, right pads every 7,000 miles. Mitsubishi replaced the right caliper and both rotors, but the problem persisted. I finally got so fed up that I replaced both rotors (again), the pads and the lines with aftermarket (read high-performance) components and had the calipers and master cylinder rebuilt. Like magic, pad wear and rotor warpage stopped and my fuel economy improved by 3 mpg. Yes, I'm taking Mitsubishi to small claims court on this one.
An axle halfshaft bent causing the car to steer poorly and the steering wheel to pulsate when turned slightly or when the brakes are applied. This was from a decent-sized pothole, but seems awefully delicate for 2-year-old car, and awefully expensve to repair at $400.
Finally, at 23-months and 38,700 miles old, the car just felt loose. I could understand this had I used it as an autocross car, but fully half of those miles were freeway droning and the rest were just errand running.
Anyway, thats why I sold a 2002 Japanese nameplate, loaded, midsize sedan to buy a 2003 stripped Japanese name and made car despite all the depreciation. The aggressive rebates are what made it possible.
1. Their styling. They appear to be amateurish attempts at recreating last-model Hondas and Toyotas.
2. My 1988 Hyundai Excel (hey, I was a poor college student who needed a pizza-delivery car) had a 1.5-liter Mitsubishi engine and 5-speed tranny in it. At 38,000 miles (2K out of warranty) the entire transmission seized while I was driving, causing the car to come to an abrupt stop with its front wheels locked. Thank God I was driving 25 mph down a residential street (with my seatbelt on); I don't know what the outcome would've been had I been tooling down the highway at 65 in the rain!!! (Seems Mitsubishi "accidentally" shipped a whole year's worth of manual trannies out of the factory sealed with about a third of the transmission fluid they needed. Ooops.)
Anyway, let me help you feel even better about your new car. My 2000 ES will turn 4 in May. I have 66,890 miles on it -- yes everyone, I just happened to look at the odometer this morning! It has never been in the shop for any repair, save two things I broke all by my stupid self -- a plastic doohickey in the trunk and a jammed CD in the CD player because I put one with a poorly stuck-on label into the player and it got stuck. The car has never had one real problem. My wife's 2002 Protege5 will be 2 in January, and it too has never had a problem in 28,000 miles. My former Protege, a 1992 LX 5-speed, went 83,000 miles in only 27 months doing pizza delivery (that's 750 miles a week y'all) and never went to the shop for anything other than routine maintenance.
And people ask my why I like Proteges. Ha.
Meade
It hit the roof an inch or 2 above the windshield, left 2 slight dings a some scratches al they way to the primer. The touch up paint is too dark and doesn't match well at all. I wish it would have hit the windshield, it definitely would have cracked it. In FL, insurance pays 100% for windshield replacement.
Otherwise, the 02 LX is still perfect after 19 months and 22K + miles.
Mazda 323 hatchback that wqas absolutely terrific, and so far, this one feels even better built.
My wife the artist, who is totally disinterested in cars, made more than one comment about superior design elements. She loved the textured door handles, the instruments (even on the plain DX) and the overall interior design.
This car even made me update my profile. I used to say how I've never owned anything except boring cars. That is clearly no longer the case.
Dinu
Dinu
While the handling does seem a little limited compared to the Dumflops, I pretty much only remember them when they were bald racing slicks that stuck like glue. There is no doubt that the Falken's do great in the rain, as we have had record amounts of it lately, with a lot of it ending up in my basement.
Snow traction I'm sure I'll be finding out in the next few months. While I don't expect them to be great, I'm planning on getting through this winter with basically brand new tires and getting snow tires next year.
The 205/50-16 size does look a little large when you first see it, but now it looks good to me. Just took a little time to get used to them.
I also liked the price. $80 each with free shipping from tires.com. Mounted for $11 each at Costco.
Oh, and if anyone buys them and doesn't like them, blame Ashu, he started all of this.
meinrad (Raymond Wild, post #6719)
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I have opted for the Michelin Pilot Exalto 205/45R16. It's a directional tire unlike the OEM, not cheap ($128 from tirerack). Despite a lower profile, it's actually much quieter and smother than the OEM tires. The steering response might be a tad less direct. I think the handling on dry pavement is at least comparable to the Dunlop and the traction is even better on the wet surface. According to Michelin, this tire is *not* design for snow condition. I'll plan to get a set of snow tires since I'm going to make few ski trips this winter.
bluong1 (Bruno Luong, post #6717)
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I had Falkens (ZIEX ZE-512) on upgraded ('tuner') wheels on my 95 Pro for nearly 10K miles, and was thoroughly impressed by their nearly perfect blend of the four important features : dry traction, wet traction, (some) snow traction (unexpected bonus!) and longevity (barely any visible wear in 10K, and warrantied upto 30K - longer if you get 60 or hgher profile versions!)
I'd recommend those tires without hesitation.
This discussion has to include the Falken ZIEX ZE-512! I had those on my car for around 10K miles, and was thrilled with their dry traction and amazing wet traction. They performed satisfactorily (or better, considering I had 50 profile high performance versions of them) through the single winter (with the Blizzard of 2003!) as well. When I sold them (and the wheels), based on just the pictures, they would have lasted through their 30K mile warranty.
Ray has them on his P5, and Meade's wife's P5 has them as well. They noticed some extra edge wear, but have been happy witht he traction in the few thousand miles they've each had them.
They're a good bet (as are Toyos, Kumhos etc) because they're as good as, if not better than, the overpriced junk from Michelin and Dunlop, and have a decent warranty - while being MUCH cheaper!
Ashutosh (post #6629, Sedan post #22524)
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Avid Touring
Had them for one year and 18K miles - show very little wear, perform very well on dry pavement (good sidewall design allows sharp cornering even if I went from 195/55/15 to 195/60/15), decent in rain (no ABS, so I'd rather not really TEST them to their limits) and good in snow.
Dinu (Sedan post #22525)
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Meade seems to like BF Goodrich Control T/As.
Michelin X-Ones are good tires. So are Yokohama Avid T4 and H4 (though they have a rep for squealing with moderate lateral loads); the T4 is a better all-season than the H4.
I was checking out the Michelin Harmony tires for my wife's P5 (she wants better fuel economy and is willing to give up some handling). I haven't checked them for a size compatible with the ES.
I like the Dunlop SP Sport A2, though I seem to have had a much better experience with mine than Meade did with his. Perhaps the different tire sizes has something to do with it (I have a '99LX with 185/65R14 tires...I left them at the stock size instead of upsizing as I have little enough torque as it is).
Mazdafun (Chow-chi, Sedan post #22521)
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Stock rims are 16x6. I loved my Proxes T1-S in 195/50R16 (V rated like OEM Dunlops). I got them on my 2001 ES which took same size as all P5s. Toyo.com does not list them as being available (I have asked them to correct this several times, to no avail), but they are. However, they are not cheap. I paid $135 each plus mounting/balancing. They were definitely quieter than the SP 5000m toward the end of life, but it is a different noise. A sort of low hum which is barely there.
Plus 0 size would be 205/45R16 which is the same as my 03 Miata. There are tons of tires in that size. I would expect increased tire squirm by going to 205s with a 6" wide rim. They might stick better overall, but I would expect them to track less accurately.
I decided not to get the Kumho ECSTA 512 due to speed/load ratings. I disliked what I read about the Dunlop FM901. The Dunlop SP 9000 looked nice, but was more expensive than the Toyos.
If you don't want to spend the big bucks for the T1-S, Toyo just recently came out with the TPT touring tire. Should cost about $97 per tire.
Boogse (Ted, post #6181)
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Proxes T1-S Tire Review (Summer only tire)
Link to tire info:
http://www.toyo.com/tires/tire_lines/high_perf/t1s.html
I had this tire on my Protege ES for about 1500 miles before I sold it. Compared to the Dumflops that came on it, the T1-S was a superb tire. Turn in may have been marginally slower, but the T1-S stuck like glue compared the the SP Sport 5000m. Wet traction was excellent, and hydroplaning was not evident as it was with the Dunlops.
These are highly regarded tires, but they are a little pricey. I paid $135 per tire from a locally owned shop.
I noticed no significant wear in the short time that I had them. At the time, I expected to get about 15,000 miles based on a treadwear rating of 280. My mother has had these on her 1995 Mustang GT convertible for about 20,000 miles, and they are currently showing about 6/32" of tread left.
Since these are a summer tire, I plan to try the Toyo Proxes TPT on my 2003 P5 when it needs new tires since it is now our all-season car. I will seriously consider getting the T1-S for my Miata when the time comes. I would recommend the T1-S to any one looking for a maximum dry/wet performance summer tire. If you don't care about wet traction, then there are other tires to consider which may be better suited
Ted
Dinu