Mazda Protegé

maltb · May 2001

"There is no chip in the Protegé’s key on regular models such as LX and ES."

I took this to understand that there was some "premium" version of the Pro that was so equipped.

fowler3 · May 2001

You are correct, I just checked, the plain key is a spare. My salesman told me it was a valet key. Considering few go to fancy restaurants that have valet parking, a valet key is useless. Unless you are worried that your dealers service department may have sticky fingers.

Most personal items, sunglasses and folding umbrellas, *disappear* at car washes that have people to dry cars.

I have heard of only one instance where the thief cut the back seat to shreds getting into the trunk. If they really want to get in they can.

fowler3

fowler3 · May 2001

Has anybody with a 2001 figured out how to unlock the seats, without crawling into the trunk, once they are locked?

fowler3

fowler3 · May 2001

This site must be on servers in California. My messages were typed at 11:33AM ET. =P

fowler3

fowler3 · May 2001

protegextwo: Im curious about these new polishes and waxes, since I havent waxed cars in a while.
Why do you put the polish on first, then wax it? I thought one polished between wax applications.

fowler3

jstandefer · May 2001

Currently, the only Mazda models that offer a chip in the key are:

626 ES-V6 (ES and LX/LX-V6 with opt. anti-theft)
MPV ES (LX with Security or Touring pkg)
Tribute (all models)
B-Series (all models)
Miata (all models)

hkchan · May 2001

Thanks.

jstandefer · May 2001

Valet keys are standard equipment with the following Mazda models:

626
Millenia

In both of these vehicles, you can lock the rear seats (pass-through in Millenia) AND disable the interior trunk release mechanism (trunk-mounted switch in 626; glovebox mounted switch in Millenia), and both have electronic trunk latches, enabling trunk release via the keyless entry key fob.

cpaulyee · May 2001

Now that I understand that our Protege's don't have the "chip in the key" method, how do we guard against possible theft? Short of a alarm system, has anyone used the "lawman", the one with the bar that connects to the brake pedal? I am using the "club" but heard that all they have to do is cut the steering wheel. But then again, theres a old saying when they want it...

Keep on zooming everybody...

vocus · May 2001

Mazda offers a factory installed theft system for the Protege, and I think the part runs like $200 or so. It gets added and works with the keyless entry system standard on the ES and optional on LX models.

Fowler: These servers are on west coast time because Edmund.com's offices are in LA. Also, the only way to unlock the seatbacks is in the trunk, by leaning forward and flipping them.

And according to the Motor Trend article I was reading from the link in the P5 forum, the Protege will go to the shared Focus platform for MY 2004. It will be a sad, sad day.

maltb · May 2001

"And according to the Motor Trend article I was reading from the link in the P5 forum, the Protege will go to the shared Focus platform for MY 2004. It will be a sad, sad day.

"

I suppose that would depend on which companies were involved in the development of that platform. I thought I read that this platform will most likely be a Mazda/Volvo developed platform. A combo like that could be pretty promising.

vocus · May 2001

If Mazda gets with Volvo and does all the platform work like Mazda did with the Tribute/Escape, it might just work. But you see, both vehicles were riddled with recalls with Ford being involved in it. The Protege was all redesigned for 1999 and only one recall on it, for a radio. Not brakes going out and wheels falling off.

Anyone else notice the amount of recalls on the redesigned Ford products? It seems like there's always like 5-6 recalls on each new product from Ford. Shouldn't that tell them to more carefully develop their products or something?? DUH!

maltb · May 2001

I agree that the quality of the Tribscape on initial production was piss poor. I think this relates more so to the quality of the suppliers that were used (there's that Visteon again) and the assembly methods. Ford does have a knack for beating on suppliers for the cheapest possible price while demanding certain specs. The problem is, in order for suppliers to meet those specs, they tend to relax the specs a hair.

It will be interesting to see how the Japanese Tribs do over there. If they only made it in a left hand drive version.

And for Protege content: Let's just hope they build it in Japan where Ford has fewer suppliers.

vocus · May 2001

One of the mean little children around my neighborhood started peeling the pinstriping off my 2001 ES, so I just pulled the rest off myself. It took like 20 minutes or so, in the parking lot of my work. Thing is, it left a sticky residue on the left front fender (just had that one repainted when someone hit the car when it was almost new). Will Goo Gone remove that sticky stuff? Just wondering. Thanks.

ZOOM ZOOM

Sporin · May 2001

"Will Goo Gone remove that sticky stuff? "

Yup.

hkchan · May 2001

If they started doing that, wouldn't you expect them to do even meaner stuff in the future?

the_big_h · May 2001

see? it's not just me that thinks pinstripes are hideous, even little kids get it!

now you can enjoy your pinstripe-free protege even more! I know I am!

vocus · May 2001

My car already has scrathes all over it, and it was hit sitting right in front of my house when it was only 3 weeks old. Poor thing looks a mess. I just need to get an armed guard with a shotgun to watch it at night. And since I live in the city, there is no garage or anything to park it in. It really sucks.

unmarkedcar · May 2001

"how do we guard against possible theft? Short of a alarm system, has anyone used the "lawman", the one with the bar that connects to the brake pedal? I am using the "club" but heard that all they have to do is cut the steering wheel"

I have seen the advertising for this product.I use the club.I think that most people would rather find a easy target. I do not think that your average theif or joy rider is going to carry a 18" lock buster in his pocket. And they do not want to spend more than a few seconds. Why not find a easy target, instead of spending 5 minutes trying to remove a club or lock. You have to keep in mind that nothing is 100% safe:

Alarm: You can purchase a code reader ( that most dealers use ) and "read" the code.

Club: Cut it off.

Law Man: Tow the car. Detach break pedal and replace ..."if you think this can not be done, you are sadly mistaken."

Lo Jack: Is not supported in all states and not all police units are carrying tracking system. System can be disarmed "if located" or signal can be blocked using a Rf generator.

Laser cut keys: If you know the right person, they know how.

Chips: Can be duplicated. Or system can be shorted out or rerouted.

Infared Validation: found on MB keys: Can be downloaded using software and can be uploaded into blank unit or master key.

Remeber, anything that is built, has to have something that can reverse it.

Like you said nothing is protected.

maltb · May 2001

I understand your point, but some of those are quite difficult and I would suggest that many are not worth the effort in defeating.

With the more advanced systems, your biggest fear is that your car is picked up by tow truck and turned into parts in 24 hrs.

unmarkedcar · May 2001

Yes my point. I think the average person, just wants to break in, pop the ignition lock or hotwire and take off. They do not want to have to cut the steering wheel or any lock. Just takes too long. I would not go through all that for a protege if I was doing this. I would also look at a car like the accord or camary. The parts are a lot more. Why risk it.

maltb · May 2001

I had a friend who inherited his grandmother's 82 cutlass supreme with 30k miles on it. The car was in excellent shape so he drove it for a while even though his ethnicity was different than the local norm for that vehicle. I put a very simple kill switch under the dash which cost all of $2.50. TWO times he came out in the morning to find his car perpendicular in the middle of the street abandoned with the door open. Apparently, they punched through the column to trigger the ignition switch but couldn't get it started so they split. Needles to say, when he bought his Accord, he went for the $6.50 option; I added a flashing LED to the setup.

My point is that the average car thief has very little car knowledge, rather they look for the easy targets. So we agree.

BTW, I consider The Club to be an easy target. Rebar cutters are $20 and will make quick work of a steering wheel.

cpaulyee · May 2001

Those are good pros and cons on the different theft deterrent systems. I will continue to use the club and the Mazda installed system will be a future project, but in the long run, I guess common sense has to be the rule like park in a well lighted area, keep the doors locked, etc. At my condo, some people have told me they just leave their car unlocked so they don't jam up the locks but to me, it gives the thief the first step without a fight. Just my .02

tocan · May 2001

I hope you can bear a little more discussion of valet keys. My 1987 Toyota Camry had one. The seatbacks locked (from the trunk side) and there was a switch in the trunk that would disable the remote trunk release. (Of course there was no keyless entry, but I would assume that a switch would also be able to disable the trunk release.) The valet key only opened the doors, not the trunk. This meant that anything in the trunk was not accessible.

Anytime you have to leave a key with the car, at a parking lot or something like that, you know that the attendant can't get into the trunk. I think it is a very useful thing, and missed it on my Sentra. (Of course, on the P5, there is no point so it is irrelevant for me now.)

Nomi

z_9544 · May 2001

Hello all,

Does any one have any info or links about after market parts for the 2.0L Protege engine?? I am considering a P5 but want more HP....

TIA

JT

maltb · May 2001

Same FS engine from the 626 since '93...there should be plenty out there.

protegextwo · May 2001

James, I'm no detail expert. However, I AM enjoying an ice cold Corona, as I type this post. The "la cerveza mas fina" is a reward to myself for a awesome hand glaze and wax detail on my wife's 2000 PRO-ES! It took over 3 hours, however the finish is almost flawless. NO one step cleaner wax could get those results. To be honest, I learned most of what I know, at the Edmunds Maintaince & Repair discussions in Town Hall. Since I don't pretend to be an expert, I will refrain from posting my thoughts on auto detailing. If you would like to hear more about the 3M hand glaze and Meguiar's #26 yellow wax process E-Mail me at larryisfishin@aol.com. I would be glad to share my thoughts.

Respectfully,
Larry

protegextwo · May 2001

Our fine host says, the chat should be fixed. Funny no one told us it was broke? I thought my computer was not up to the task of opening the applet, last week? Well, "be there or be square"! ;-)

-Larry

djmax813 · May 2001

sorry i took so long to respond. The answer is it was no trouble going from a honda to the pro. IMO the pro's looks and performance were what did it for me. As far as loudness, well the car is only 1 week old and i cant say it is any louder or quieter. It comfortable enough. Also my car is an emerald mica es with auto, am/fm cass/cd but not the prem pkg. ABS isnt that important nor are side airbags. So I dont have a sunroof. Its just another. My accord has one and maybe i use it here in the northeast a couple of times a year. No biggie. Hope that helps

vocus · May 2001

I took all my pinstriping off, as well as the dealer's sticker on the trunk lid. Got some Goo Gone from Wal-Mart and wiped the [non-permissible content removed] right off. Happy now.

ZOOM ZOOM!!!

fowler3 · May 2001

and cpaulyee; I had a friend who left her Mercedes unlocked for the same reason. One morning she found her window smashed. The thief didnt notice the locks in the dark.LOL

fowler3

reebius · June 2001

Has anyone seen any information on the new 626 other than what is on Edmunds? I saw pictures of the Ford Mondeo and it looks awesome! If this is indeed the new platform, than it should be a great car.

peregrine_11 · June 2001

A while back, I'd posted a question about how to best break in my new Pro, and I appreciated the responses I got--I have a bit more specific question now, and I hope someone can help me with it, because the owner's manual is pretty vague with its advice.

My question is: Are there specific RPM guidelines for the break-in period? I'm not taking the car up to insane RPMs or anything, but I've heard some people suggest you shouldn't go above 3000. The car seems to naturally want to go to about 3300-3500 and, in some cases, 3800-4000 before shifting. Should I be holding back? I've only got about 180 miles on her so far, so if I need to change my driving behavior, I'd rather do it now.

If I remember correctly, the owners manual suggests not to keep the car at excessive RPMs for an extended period of time. I don't want to get super paranoid about this, but I'd also like to keep this car for a while and I want to do the foundation work necessary to enable that.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, all.

lindathomp2000 · June 2001

My dealer said to "just drive it". SO I did. No problems except for that darn speeding ticket!

pat · June 2001

Hi friends,

Catherine Heins is looking for people to interview who have switched from American to Japanese cars in the past few years-- especially folks who wouldn't have given a Toyota or Honda the time of day in the 1970s.

She's a business reporter at the Yomiuri Shimbun, which is the biggest daily paper in Japan with a circulation of 14 million. They are writing a feature story about Japanese automakers' continuing success in expanding production in the U.S. and snatching market share from the Big Three even on their former home turf of light trucks.

If you fit this description and are willing to be interviewed, please call her directly at 212-582-5827 or e-mail her at catheins@yahoo.com. As always, you can contact me at jfallon@edmunds.com if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Jeannine Fallon
PR Director
Edmunds.com

panamaltd2 · June 2001

Here is some information on the new 626 and other Mazda products to come. I think it is really exciting what Mazda is planning to do in the future and what they have already started to do!

http://www.motortrend.com/april01/mazda/mazda_f.html

Zoom-Zoom,

-Sam

fowler3 · June 2001

The manual says to not hold a steady speed for a long time and to not exceed 55mph for the first 500 miles. Dont make sudden starts (traffic light races) and no hard braking, slow down gradually as you approach a traffic light. It might change to green as you reach the stop.

Its a good idea not to rev it up above 3200rpm suddenly. This lets the rings seat properly with the pistons.New engines are tight and need time to loosen up. Sudden starts and hard braking from too fast speeds puts extra stress on a new engine. The rpms and speeds given are minimums, and each engine is different, so you have to listen to your engine.

Do drive moderately for the 500 miles and do drive on highways, as well as city driving, for better rpm-speed ranges as it breaks in. All city driving isnt good in the long run. Its like taking a dog out for a good run in the woods so its muscles will stay in good shape.

People who take a new car out for a test-drive and put tremendous strain on the new engine just to see what the performance is like are ruining that car for its buyer. No new car can reach its true performance until broken in.

Some Protegé owners speak of their baby, dont babies have to crawl before they can walk. The easiest thing to remember is to vary your speed as you drive. Bring it up to 60mph and then let it coast down to 45mph. That works best.

fowler3

edmund2460 · June 2001

I gave up on getting the ABS pkg and settled for just the ES/Auto/Sunrf. Do u know I had a dealer show me an ES plan price on an invoice for this car (plus mats which were $80) for 16155. Since this was close to 16267 for ES/Auto/Prem pkg I knew this wasn't right. Sure enough a dealer 100 miles away gave me a quote in 2 mts of 15599 and I'm going there to get it done. Is it possible that the first guy cooked this number up?. It was on the sheet of paper he showed me. I was especially suspicious since it took them about 15 mts to get this sheet of paper which they said was the invoice. Thanks to you guys for circulating prices in this room. It's been a great help. The 15599 quote is consistent with the 16267 with the Prem pkg. Both of these are 200 below invoice (as per carsdirect)

hkchan · June 2001

I didn't expect such difficulty in locating an ES with the Premium Package and auto. trans. Where are you again? $16,155 sounds like the S-Plan price before the moonroof discount. If so, the dealer may have pulled an old invoice. Both the invoice and MSRP should show the moonroof discounts of $560 and $700 respectively. Hopefully it was an honest mistake. What did the dealer(s) say about locating one with the Premium Package?

hkchan · June 2001

"The manual says to not hold a steady speed for a long time and to not exceed 55mph for the first 500 miles."
Are you referring to the 2001 Protege? My owner's maual says,"No special break-in is necessary, but a few precautions in the first 1,000 km (600 miles) may add to the performance , economy, and life of your Mazda.

Don't race the engine.
Don't maintain one constant speed for long.
Don't drive constantly at full-throttle or high engine rpm for extended periods of time.
Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
Avoid full-throttle starts."

hkchan · June 2001

Beside the replacing the pillar-mounted antenna and adding a Valet key, Mazda needs to add a timer to the rear window defroster.

jace1 · June 2001

I'm considering a new pro to replace a 1990 Saab 900. Looking at the 2.o LX or ES 5 speed. I like the quality and handling of the pro and have owned Mazda's before (82 GLC and 73 RX2). The main competitor is the Civic EX but I'm wondering about build quality on the Honda as there has been some criticism.

Sooo....DO you owners love your Proteges? Any problems showing up routinely? I will use this car for highway and some city driving. A firm comfortable seat is important. Handling and performance are also key factors. My other car is a 99 1.8T Passat so I don't need a large back seat or trunk on this car. Thanks in advance for replies.

mazdaboy · June 2001

i will be buying a new car soon to replace my faithful 94 protege LX. naturally, i'm taking a closer look at the 2001 protege ES as one of my potential buy..one of the things that troubles me is that mazda did not really improved much on the protege. my old protege has 125hp & 4 wheel disc brakes. not much improvement in the new one (granted, they did bump up the liters from 1.8 to the 2.0 which- wow - increased the hp to 130hp and increased the torque a bit)

i think they actually cut corners...(bumpers are made out of cheaper materials..does anyone know if they improved the bumper??..see story below

http://www.hwysafety.org/news_releases/1999/pr031099.htm

i also dislike that the buyer has no choice regarding the spoiler in the ES model..(i personally don't want a spoiler) but what i want are the 4 wheel disc brakes which is only available in the ES model.

the other cars that i'm considering is the honda civic ex and the sentra se..

any comments would be appreciated.

hkchan · June 2001

1. The improvements over the 90-94 are quite a bit. You need to drive one to find out. The increase in hp is small but the increase in torque is substantial.
2. Mazda did change the bumper(s?) after the 1999 model year. Haven't seen a test report to back up the "improvements" though.
3. If you hate the rear spoiler that much, you may want to see if you can swap the trunk lid with someone. I have no idea how difficult it is to align it with the trunk opening.
4. How important is gas mileage?
Gas mileage-Civic
Handling-Sentra SE and Protege ES
Engine-Sentra SE and Protege ES(especially with an auto. trans.)
Rear passenger room-Civic and Protege
Resale value-Civic
Price-Protege, then Sentra(sort of cancels out the lower resale value)

fowler3 · June 2001

Sooo....DO you owners love your Proteges? Any problems showing up routinely? I will use this car for highway and some city driving. A firm comfortable seat is important.

jace1: The Protegés seats have wider and longer cushions and are every bit as comfortable as in larger cars, better by far than the Honda Civics which I found to be too short and hard as a rock.

hkchan: Well, isnt that about what I was saying only shorter? We do want our Pros to have good performance , economy, and a long life. Just use common sense. Anything thats new has to be broken in, even computers are *burned in* at some companies. The only machine I know of that doesn't require breaking in is a power lawn mower. And nobody works a mower to death.

fowler3

fowler3 · June 2001

Just drive it. is because todays engines are machined to closer tolerances than those made 30 or 40 years ago. Thats why they could stop using break-in oil in them. But closer tolerances would also suggest a tighter engine that needs SOME reasonable care in its first 600 miles.

fowler3

hkchan · June 2001

No. Not to exceed 55 mph in the first 500 miles is a specific recommendation and you were quoting the owner's manual. I thought (and still do) your Protege was a 2001. Since I had the owner's manual in front of me, I was trying to see if I had missed something.

fowler3 · June 2001

Have any of you experienced a problem with the brake peddle? Yesterday, I was waiting in line at a drive-in teller window and I thought a Jeep in front of me was rolling backwards, we bumped bumpers. It was my Pro creaping forward evn though I had my foot on the brake peddle. No damage, but this has happened before, the creaping.

You have to really tromp the brakes all the time. I think the return spring, or whatever it is, is too strong.

fowler3

mazdafun · June 2001

Sorry fowler3, but I've never noticed my Pro creeping. However, I have the 1.6L engine, so my Pro has less torque.

Low brake fluid in your system is one possible reason for low power assist.

The bumpers on the 1999 and 2000 Pros used an injection-molded energy absorber. It looks to be made of polypropylene.

The 2001 and newer models use an expanded polystyrene (EPS) energy absorber, which (1) is cheaper to produce and ship and (2) is better at evenly absorbing an impact.

However, I don't think the cost savings is being passed along in the repair chain (but it might in the original cost of the car, given the improvements they've made for 2001 with little increase in cost).

5mph bumper tests still indicate it's expensive to repair either bumper, although the cost is average for its type. (There's one good reason for unpainted black bumpers that are not blended closely with the body's sheetmetal: cheaper repairs and no peeling paint).

kerensky · June 2001

I just wanted to alert everyone that PBS's automotive television show "Motorweek" will be reviewing the Protege on next weeks show.

Mazda Protegé

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