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Comments
My 02 Protege LX has reached 45,000 miles. Other than getting a new transmission at 33,000 miles, she have been doing good so far. However, the front tires went flat at the same time. I just ordered 195/55/15 Kumho ECSTA Asx tires at $70 each. The wheel cover cracked when I was getting the spare tire on, so I guess I'll ask my dealer for a new one
I plan to get radiator flush done in a couple week. So far, the only maintenance I've done is regular oil change, new tranny, spark plugs at 30,000, and air filter. Is there anything else I need to do before 60,000 miles? The guys at Valvoline recommended me to do a Power steering fluid & break fluid flush; the owner's manual says nothing.
Power steering fluid I would not mess with prior to 3 years or 50-60 thousand miles. At that time I would change it to synthetic and leave it for the next 60 thousand miles.
So I just don't get this current trend of expensive fluid changing, usually far in advance of manufacturer's recommendations.
Do your friends a favor, change the transmission and brake fluids!
brake fluid change why? article
Also brake fluid change
"If you decide to flush a brake system, it is absolutely critical to use the factory-specified brake bleeding procedure. The job often requires a scan tool and special software to run the ABS pump and activate the valves. Also, proper training should be considered an essential tool for the job. Doing the job incompletely can easily cause more problems than it will prevent, and doing the job improperly can cause personal injury to the tech, as well as to the next person to drive the vehicle.
Servicing a hydraulic brake system has always been one of the most safety-critical jobs anyone can do on a vehicle, and surprisingly one of the easiest to do correctly. On vehicles with ABS, it's not so easy anymore, but the price of doing it incorrectly may be higher than the price of not doing it at all".
Nothing I read in that convinces me that I should let anyone open up my sealed-in brake system before the car manufacturer's recommended time.
Your other reference (Car Care Council) sites no authority or study for their comment at all. And on their own web site they do not specify any brake fluid replacement in their "service interval" recommendations.
In any case, I just believe you and I can only agree to disagree on this matter.
I use synthetic oil in my Protege even though the manufacturer does not require it. I do not change the oil until 7500 miles.
The Protege is very well built and can likely take more abuse than many other vehicles.
fowler3
Ditto what Calvin said.
On Hank's advice, I got a Sears DieHard Gold a couple years ago...I think it was about $80 installed.
Even given our temp extremes here in the Windy City, it's been doing fine.
Good luck!
--Dale
Funny thing about the change in the weather: the car coughs and won't start, I seem to be getting a chest cold and my dog has a cough and can't bark. Is spring far away?
One other thing, do you lose the onboard computer settings when they change the battery, speedo reading?
Fowler3
aka Jim
I'm sure a Protege owner knows the answer to your last question.
Good luck with it.
No to that Jim
Funny, the last time I had this problem it was the "alternator", 1977 Audi Fox, three bad alternators in one week. Never buy Factory Refurbs. As soon as they got it running again I traded for a Mazda GLC (1981). And what didn't work on that car? The heater. Sound familiar?
fowler3
BATTERY REMOVAL/INSTALLATION
Remove in the order indicated
Install in the reverse order of removal
1 Negative battery cable
2 Positive battery cable
3 Battery clamp
4 Battery box (cover)
5 Battery
Better than getting stuck somewhere, I don't have a cell phone, no roadside assistance plan, and if the police call wrecker service it costs three-times more than if I call. In NC that's $120. Ouch!
fowler3
Glad you got it resolved.
Even if I don't have a problem, I change them out every 5 years. Ditto for the tires.
I can't believe my Pro is almost 7 years old. Other than needing a bath (and that annoying EGR valve), she's in pretty good shape.
Meade
Do you know the size/model that fits the P5?
Did you have it installed at Walmart?
Anything to watch out for?
I installed it myself. It's pretty easy. Lugging the batteries back and forth is the hardest part. You get your deposit (if you need to leave one) back once you turn in your old battery.
Don't overtighten the restraining strap, as doing so may crack the battery's case. I clean out the battery pan while I have the battery out. I also clean out the battery terminal clamps with a wire brush and inspect the cables for cracked insulation or conductors. Once the terminal clamps are installed, I spray them with some wax (I think it's called battery terminal protector or something like that) to prevent corrosion. I'd wear dry leather gloves and safety glasses, just in case.
You'll probably have to reset your radio presets, clock etc. as you'll have the battery disconnected for at least a few minutes.
Do you use anything (like baking soda) to clean the battery pan?
Fortunately, mine can wait until the spring/summer when there isn't any snow; snow can present some problems in an uncovered work area. :surprise:
If the previous battery leaked, I'd wipe it out with towels. If I suspect some ran out of the tray, or if the tray was also cracked, I'd rinse out the area with a generous amount of water, gently flowing out of a hose.
Yeah, I definitely prefer doing work on my car when I don't have to defrost my fingers every five minutes (I hate mid-winter oil changes...I prefer to do these just before winter, even if they are a bit early). I only had to do that once to avoid doing that again (I have to leave my garage door open when I have my car up on ramps, so I can get underneath).
fowler3
Just a hint, I had the Protege fully detailed inside and out before I parked back into the garage for the winter, definitely worth the $100. It felt like a new car when I picked it up. Recommend it at least twice a year (spring and fall.)
Here in midtown Toronto, there a quite a few mint mid-80s 323s cruising around, probably grocery getters that were bought as second cars by yuppies who take the subway to work. I'm hoping that my 2000 Protege holds on for another 10 years!!!
The way that you're caring for your Protege another 10 years is definitely possible. My 1991 Corolla will be heading for its 15th year of continuous service; I had given it to a friend several years back who does the minimum of service and it still keeps on ticking. My current 2002 Protege5 is as good as the first day I drove it.
Please drive safely...almost involved in a head-on this evening, driving home from Christmas dinner. Goof in an SUV comes spinning across several lanes on the highway; ends up in my lane, facing me. Eek! Fortunately, I was able to get on the shoulder and go around him without incident. Still, got the old ticker a-racin'.
Happy 2006!
--Dale
Chow
Car turned 50K over the weekend; last payment next month.
Woo hoo!
The oil filter is located between the engine block and the firewall. You can just reach it from above with my 1.6L engine (easier to get at from underneath though). With my wife's 2.0L engine, I have to get underneath.
Cheap or poorly-maintained ramps can fail, with catastrophic results. Good quality ramps don't cost that much (like $30-40, so why risk your life with $15 ramps?). I have a set of "Rhino Ramps". They're plastic, so rust isn't an issue. They make a set for trucks that cost only several bucks more, so go for those if you want an extra margin of error. Also, the first set of ramps I got were too steep (my Pro's bumper was going to hit before the front tires even got to the ramps), so you've got to be aware of that.
Unfortunately, the pro oil filter is a [non-permissible content removed] to get at. Most oil filters can be changed from a standing position.
The creaks in cold weather may be shrunken bushings rather than worn shocks, though. I've heard of wear in the pro anti-sway bar bushings.
I really love this car (a replacement for a '95 ES) but the insurance company may total this.
Has anyone had similar damage? I am not concerned about the body being redone well but subtle damage to the mechanical components that will show up later and cost me money since it will be hard to pin it on the accident.
On the other hand, the new 3 is awfully tempting if I need to replace this one. That would be Mazda number five over the last thirty years.
I just bought a 97 Protege and the driver's side window (power) just stopped lowering. I can hear the motor start to run when I push the button, and the window flexes a bit, but doesn't come down, seems like it's getting stuck.
Any advice? Do I need to put in a new window regulator?
Thanks,
L
I totaled my '89 323LX, but I opted to have it repaired because there wasn't anything on the market at the time that I wanted, and I really liked it. "Totaling" means the cost to repair the vehicle is close to or more than replacing it with a like vehicle, no matter the driveability of the vehicle (well, that's my layman's understanding of how the term is used...the lawyers can chime in on the legal definition). You can do what you want with your money and car. I drove that until I sold it years later, after I'd bought my '99 Protege, but only because I wasn't driving it enough.
Thanks!
Here is a good track test report: link title
2002 LX, silver,auto, 46k miles, sunroof, alloys,good condition, clean title. Original asking price $10,300, offered at $9,950. This seems at least $1000 too high to me. Any thoughts?