Are you a current Michigan-based car shopper? A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/2 for details.
I'm afraid Speedy Pete and Meade have moved on to other things. Meade last posted, when his son was born and after Speedy Pete moved to Chi-Town, he posted almost every day for a couple of weeks and then zilch. I miss them both! :-(
I went to Morries Mazda yesterday and they had TONS of ES 2.0Ls, 5sp and auto. They all had body colored mirrors too. Does anyone know how much those cost?
I posted my findings on changing the rear 6x9 speakers in a 99 Pro a while back. Not sure how the ISOFIX loops affect removing the trim panel.
I replaced them with Pioneer TS-A6999s. Highs are much crisper and the volume can get much higher without distortion. Mid (voice) frequencies are also much clearer.
Postings 263 and 265 in the modifications board. Front doors and rear deck, respectively for pre-ISOFIX Pros. Hope it's still relevant. Let us know how to work around the ISOFIX hooks.
Edmunds.com's First Drive of the 2001 Protege MP3 was linked in an earlier post, but to make it easier for everyone to find the link now appears in the Additional Resources box on the left side of the page. Check it out.
A car named after its stereo system? As Christian Wardlaw's article implies, "boom boom" instead of "zoom zoom" I guess... :-)
The way I read Christian Wardlaw's review was that the MP3 came from the stereo, though - what do the rest of you know about the name? Maybe it was just a convenient play on the term.
I think it is a variation of the engine that was found in the Tempo/Topaz twins. Just Kidding!! All that I know is that it will be developed by Mazda and shared with Ford and maybe Volvo. Ford has made Mazda responsible for future small engine development. With Nissan's new 2.5L I-4 making at least 170 hp, and 180hp in some trims, I would bet that Mazda's new 4 should be powerful.
Hello all, I am new to this board. I was surfing around the internet looking for info on the 2001 Protege, and I stumbled across this board.
I guess I would have to consider myself a loyal Protege owner. My very first car was a 90 Protege SE, then in 96, I got a Protege LX.
I am now looking to get rid of my 96 Protege LX for a 2001. This time, I am getting the ES, I think.
However, I am having the most difficult time finding a ES, 5speed. There doesnt seem to be one in the entire states of Louisiana. Both my other protege's were 5 speed manual and that what I want this one to be.
Any suggestions on where and how to find a 2001 Protege ES in 5 speed??
If you don't mind catching a flight to Minneapolis, Morries Mazda has a bunch of Protoge ES 2.0L 5 speeds. I was there on Saturday and they must have about 15 ES 2.0Ls to choose from, both 5 speeds and autos, all with painted mirrors. The only question is, which color do you want?
My apology Maltb, because I know you were asked this question before. I'll try to phrase it differently for poops and giggles! I was cleaning out my glove box this morning and decided to take my Protege 2000 Owner's Manual with me, to breakfast. While eating my 2 eggs overlight, scrapple(fried crisp), home fries(not re-constituted hash browns), and whole wheat toast; I started reading section 8-Maintenance. My eyes gravitated to 8-3 Scheduled Maintenance. Being careful not to spill my steaming mug of fresh brewed coffee onto my manual, I needed to stop and re-read the section on Maintenance Intervals. Cleaning up the last of the egg yolk from my plate, with my last bite of toast, I decided to ask you the following questions, when I returned home. Maltb, I would be very grateful if you took some time to help me. :-}
1.)What is the BEST time to REPLACE the Engine timing belt? 60,000 miles, 90,000 miles or 105,000 miles?
2.)Are there any warranty issues related to this replacement?
3.)What is the "scoop" on clause *2, "if your vehicle was initially registered in one of these listed states, the scheduled maintenance services set forth in this section apply to it: .......(14 states are listed including my state, Pennsylvania)"? "INSPECT for 60,000 miles, 90,000 miles, REPLACE every 105,000 miles.
4.) Finally, Maltb if your dealership did not offer you a demo car and you NEEDED to maintain the long term intervals on your PRO-DX, when would YOU replace the Engine timing belt?
BTW, if you ever visit PA and try our awesome local dutch scrapple, however never use pancake syrup on it, the server will know you are a tourist. ;-)
but spending breakfast with you owner's manual? I am guilty of reading the cereal box from time to time, so I guess reading Mazda's propaganda vs Kellog's is a wash. However, the cereal box has far fewer warnings.
It probably comes down to some weird regulations. The 2001 manual says inspect at 60k and replace at 105k (or as the typo has it: 10,5000).
However, I have been branded by personal experience on an '87 Jetta that I inherited(by marriage) and loved. My, then, girl friend bought the "well maintained" car from her brother with 70k on the odo. At 100k I got a call from a stranded fiance after saying g'night 20 min earlier. Sure enough, the TB stripped a couple of teeth at 70 mph, but fortunately, no engine damage occurred. With a new timing belt AND TENSIONER(another personal recommendation), the car was back on the road. At 160k and married, the car got a new TB, no questions asked. At 190k(and 2 kids) the car got a new home and was still running great.
I can't tell you if the belts they use these days are any better, but if they are willing to put that interval into print, you have something to fall back on. Personally, I'll error on the side of caution and do the 60k as it only costs me a Saturday morning and $25 for a belt.
I can't see why there would be any issues with the 36/50k warranty.
Ok, where do I find 'em dutch scrapple in California?
its funny that you suggest flying to MSP to get a new car. I am a flight attendant so flying to MSP to get a car isn't a problem. I am based in the midwest anyway (Chicago) so I am in these parts often. However, I live in Louisiana and would have to register my car there, not in Minn. Does anyone know how it works for buying a car in one state and registering it in another. Would have have to pay double taxes and reg. fees, etc. I would not want to pay those fees in MN, and then get back to Louisiana and pay them again to reregister my car????
Soooo,... if it was your nickel. You would change the timing belt and pretensioner at 60,000 miles? But, you do believe the owners manual is recommending inspection at 90,000 and replacement at 105,000 miles? Well, I have always been careful and conservative when it comes to maintainace intervals. I guess, I will go with a change of both the belt and pretensioner at about 70,000 miles. I'll have the 60,000 mile service completed and wait a couple of oil changes and kick in for the TB&PT replacement. Thank you my friend for the clarification and advice!
Malty, you can only truly appreciate a good piece of breakfast scrapple in South Eastern "Pe-Ay"!!! Dempsey's Diner makes a great Penna Dutch Scrapple breakfast in Lancaster for $2.69!! Nothing like fried pig parts in the morning!
I finally got a close-up look at the MP3 yesterday. My favorite dealership sold their's in two hours. There were three people fighting over it, as all of the salespeople called their customers who were waiting for the MP3. One person finally just wrote a check for the car, so he ended up with it. Anyways, I had to drive out about 30 minutes to another Mazda dealership where they had one (there are only two left out of the five delivered in the county).
The MP3 was nice. The paint was excellent (laser blue). The ground effects package was a nice touch, but not shocking (we've already seen it on the Protege5). The rear spoiler actually looks a lot better in person than it does in the pictures. The interior was nicely done with a lot of "silver" accents. The lack of cruise control was extremely apparent. Also, the huge subwoofer in the trunk is poorly placed. It effectively cuts the trunks space by about 30% and blocks the opening for the 60% side of the fold-down seats. What you have left is an L-shaped trunk.
What made it even worse was the $5,000 markup on it! I'm sorry, but $23,500 is way too much for the car. Every dealership in the county is marking the MP3 up, except for my favorite who is selling it for sticker. Also, my favorite dealership's (I don't want to name the dealership anymore, since I got slapped in the face by one of the moderators for "soliciting") Mazda sales manager said they were getting three more in sometime in the next 30-45 days. Are they increasing the production numbers on the MP3?
Well, there were only 3000 10th Anniversary Edition Miata's imported to the U.S., and this dealership (thanks Larry) ended up with 35 of them. The sales manager said Mazda called him and told him he was getting three more! Hopefully it is true... since I used to work there maybe they'll let me test drive one!!! Oh well... I'm just waiting for next year's "whistling" MP3. Hopefully it goes "hmmmm" more than "boing" along with the whistle, if you know what I mean. But, what are the chances of that happening? :-)
I bought my car in WI and I live in MN permanently. I lived in WI during school and registered it there because the tax was cheaper. You can register it anywhere you want to. If you buy it here in MN, call the LA department of transportation and have it registered. I don't think you will be double taxed. For instance, the MN sales tax is 6.5%, if the LA sales tax was 7.0%, you would have to pay the extra .5% tax in order to register it in LA, if the LA sales tax is less however, I don't think they will refund the difference, but I don't think they can tax you twice. Host---I was just trying to help someone out, they couldn't find what they needed so they posted on this board to get results. Morries isn't the only dealer in Minneapolis that has ES 2.0L 5speeds, I believe there are 5 Mazda dealers in the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
I'm not soliciting or promoting any dealership for personal gain. I do not work for/or own any automobile dealership. My posts are topic-oriented discussions and my opinions. Pat_Host, Jerry and the other good folks at this Protege discussion have grown this topic to a very prolific active topic, yes? Why do you feel the need to curtail individual opinion and experience? I do NOT work for John Hine Mazda in San Diego, CA. However thru informative posts and individual opinion; I have come to the opinion, that this dealership is worth checking out if you are shopping for a new Protege in Southern CA. John Hine Mazda is one price shopping and a Mazda Presidents Guild 2000 winner. We at the Mazda Owner's Club like to welcome lots of pertinent information to this discussion. I have read hundreds of posts where automobile owners have posted both good and bad specific info on new and used car dealerships at Town Hall. Please, lighten up, my post was NOT in violation of the members agreement.
I have helped 5 different Town Hall members throughout the various Mazda boards purchase vehicles at John Hine Mazda in San Diego. On average, they saved $1,100 on the purchase price alone, let alone what they saved on "back end" purchases such as extended warranties. Most of these Town Hall members drove at least an hour to get these savings and would have not known about them unless they were posted in Town Hall. Helping others is what Town Hall is about, right? If not, then Edmunds.com should abolish Town Hall.
Well yesterday, my wife had her "night out with girls". They go to a movie and stop for dinner and drinks afterwards. I think the sole purpose of this "night out" is to plan home improvement projects for the men! I always get a huge "honey do" list within 24 hours of a "NOWG", lol!
Sooo, I decide that I'll take my son and I out for a nice drive in the country and grab a little ice cream somewhere along the way. What an awesome evening to cruise. I opened the windows and moonroof and we hit the road. I can hardly describe how much fun that is in a Protege. I thought about what a great car my 2000 PRO-ES has turned out to be. I'm still a tick under 24,000 miles and the darn car handles the twisties with confidence and the engine is buttery smooth. What great fun for $15,250.
Well after about 20 mins. of pure joy, my 5 year old son asks me if we can see a movie like Mommy? Well, $30 bucks(2 tickets, popcorn, sour patch kids, airheads and some sodas) later, we watched Dr. Doolittle Part 2!!! O'well the drive was a lot of fun!
Larry, don't despair! I'm just busy these days. I just got through catching up through the 86 posts since I last read this topic FOUR DAYS AGO. Wow!
Sean Christopher is now a month old and has happily zoom zoomed with Dad several times.(Notice the lower-case "zoom zoom" -- Mommy's been in the car with us.)
My 2000 ES 5-speed now has about 23,000 miles on it and is running well, although I've been bad and haven't performed my 15,000-mile service. Anybody know what it entails and how much change I'll part with? Or should I just change my oil and filters and wait until 30K?
My Poortenzas are just about bald. I'm surprised they passed inspection last month. I've had to rotate them every 5,000 miles; if you don't, they sing to high heaven.
Larry, I've also been nonexistent here because of another time-consuming event of late ... a June 4 lightning strike in my back yard that came into our house on our electrical service ground. The house and the family are fine; I wish I could say the same for my brand-new home theatre system and ham radio station!!! Just when you thought grounding protected you ...
Oh well. I'm here, just not as often as before. But I am still loving my third Protege and drooling over the Protege5. But now I have no money! How are things going for MAPP2?
I very glad to hear the baby is well! How are you and the Misses doing? Does Sean sleep thru the night, yet? It sounds like the challenge of fatherhood is only one of your concerns, a lightening strike can be pretty scary! I hope your Home Owners Insurance covered most of the damage.
Meade, baby Sean is probably too young for MAPP#2 (the 2nd Mid Atlantic Protege Picnic), however; I would love to have another Protege get together, next spring (2002). My vote is for late May 2002, at the same spot as the first MAPP. I'm sure we can get a few of the newer owners and Vocus & friends, your family and the Kline posse together for an even bigger picnic than the 1st get together
Hey fellow chatters, I will not be available for this weeks chat. I'm going to miss you folks! :-( Nonetheless, the chats have been fun and until recently, pretty active. Just a reminder to everyone, Every Thursday 9:00 EST, "be there or be square"! LOL, that sounds dumb, but it really is fun and we NEED your support.
The maintenance schedule in the owner's manual calls for inspection of the refrigerant and a/c compressor every 12 mos or 12k miles. This seems like a possible cause for denial of a warranty claim by Mazda if no documentation can be produced showing it has been inspected. What kind of inspection are they expecting? If it feels cold and no oil around compressor isn't that inspection enough? Anybody had any experiences in this area yet?
I was reading the chat transcript from last week, and noticed my name was brought up. I just had to post about it. I have been doing some reorganizing here at home, and the computer was down for a week or so. I was posting from work, but went on a weekend trip this one past and have not been to work since Thursday. Just finished going through about 50 posts too. Boy, what a busy room! Anyway, I will try to make the chats on Thursday now, since the house is getting in order little by little.
I took my 2001 ES in for service over the weekend, because I noticed some pulsation when stopping and thought warped rotors to be the culprit. The shop (Darcars Mazda in College Park, Md.) said no, but they are full of it. (BTW, their service sucks. Avoid them at all costs!). They also centered my steering wheel, per a TSB as they said. Everything is fine, but I will have to take the car back before 12K for the rotors again. I now have ~8700 miles and still liking the car alot.
MDaffron: Glad to hear that fatherhood is treating you well. Sorry to hear about the house, and glad everything is fine now though. Good luck on being a daddy!
MAPP2: I will probably be able to make it to the second annual MAPP. Kinda looking forward to it, since I am about the only original member who has a 2001 Protege now. Since everyone poked fun at my lowly DX last year, I am going to make them jealous now.
There is a 12 month/12K adjustment period on alignments, brakes, etc. Everything on the car is basically covered for that period, including any adjustments and such. I have had my alignment reset two times already.
Watch out how fast you wash your car after coming home, and DON'T use those drive-in car washes! Here's why:
The rotors on my 1992 LX had to be resurfaced TWICE by 30,000 miles because I was coming home from my 26-mile commute full of zoom zooming (well, it wasn't zoom zooming back then -- it was simply enjoying kansai engineering ) and immediately washing my car -- and when I wash my car, I pay special attention to my wheels, removing brake dust, etc.
Turns out the deluge of cold water on my hot-enough-to-fry-an-egg rotors was warping them from the sudden and prolonged change in temperature! Ever since I learned that, I always go inside, have a beer, take a shower, read the mail, whatever -- I give the car about a half-hour or so to cool down -- and THEN and ONLY THEN do I do my wheels.
Seven years and a few cars later, I haven't had to resurface one rotor.
I only say this because I know how uppity we all are about keeping our Maz-Mazzes clean and spiffy! (Don't read anything personal into this, Larry, unless you're feeling GUILTY!!!)
All automakers release their sales figures via press releases. Mazda puts theirs out on PR newswire which you can pick up on Yahoo and other places. Here are May's sales figures:
I never thought about that! I take my car to the local car wash and wash it all the time. The wheels on the 2001 ES are so open, you can see and touch the brake rotors too. That's probably how they got warped then, from washing them when still hot. I was trying to think, because I don't hit puddles in the rain because of that as well. Cooling down a rotor too quickly will cause it to warp. Just like hitting the brakes when a new set of pads are on will cause them to glaze over. Well, you learn something new every day.
I remember the Kansei engineering thing too, Meade. I can remmeber sitting and reading the 1992 model brochures and laughing about that one.
Update. Just found a 2001 Protege ES 5 speed. (actually, a dealer in chicago has 3 5speed ES's on the lot.
I test drove it.... Purely awesome. I am in love. I was about to write a check for $18,000 and drive away, but I have to play hard so I can get a good deal. Anyway, the one I want is Black with ES premium package, alarm, cassette, and sunroof deflector.
The car is awesome in black. They also had red and green in 5 speed.
Anyway, I think I will be purchasing a car in chicago and driving back to Louisiana. Its a shame I cant find a 5 speed ES in the entire state of LA.
Those of you who change oil, can I assume that the ES oil filter is unreachable without putting the car on a ramp? I've always changed oil on all my cars (it's the only thing I can do) but it looks like this one needs to go in to a shop. Have 900 miles on my ES2001. I am beginning to notice on my daily commute that sections of the road are not quite smooth. Small undulations don't get damped quickly on this suspension. My car has Dunlops.Also, when you guys get your tires rotated, is it important to have the shop hand torque the lug nuts??? I remember years ago reading somewhere that wheels with disc brakes need to be hand torques.
You are going to LOVE that black ES in Louisiana’s sweltering summer heat. Talk to vocus before you take the plunge, he has a black ES and lives in Maryland.
Silver might be a better choice if you can find one, but any metal flake-painted car will absorb some heat, but not like black. Even the Sand Mica gets warm. You will probably have to use your AC year-round.
Check AutoTrader.com --> New Cars --> Mazda Dealers and see what they have on their lots in most of the states. And check on Rebates. Read back about 1600 posts and read about the S-plan for a good price.
Fowler is right, black on black might be (will be) really, really, hot in LA, but they do look cool. Since you can basically fly to wherever you want, get a quote from one dealer, then call another and let them know what you have been quoted. When you drive back, try to vary your speed and don't use the cruise control (ouch, that's a long way without cruise). Edmund2460, yes, you need ramps to reach the oil filter, I'd just go buy them if I were you. You also need to torque the lugs on those rims, I am not sure what the torque spec is though.
Have the technician at least start them by hand instead of immediately using the air driver. They will if you ask (especially if you watch them do it).
I've had to replace two broken studs on the hubs of my '89 323 because of careless reassembly of the nuts...that's why I rotate my own wheels now too. When the tech uses any power tool to run a nut onto a stud, they can't feel if the nut cross-threads the stud. Yeah, yeah, technically the nut is supposed to be softer than the stud so it breaks instead, but it takes only one broken stud (and a $40-$50 fee) to sour you on someone else rotating your wheels.
The torque specification should be in the service manual. I don't recall seeing it in the owner's manual, but I'll take a look during lunch.
I used to have a silver 1999 DX, and the car did not get that hot in the summer time. With the black 2001 ES I have, the car is sweltering inside on a hot day. For instance, it was 95 degrees yesterday here in Maryland. I have to run the AC on recirculate to keep the car cool inside, all the time. I regret gettng black sometimes, until I go and wash and polish the car.
Another thing, tell them you want them to use a torque wrench, not "torque-stix" with an impact wrench. I am guessing that they are 80 lbs. Mazdafun, you can also get the filter from the top on a 2.0L 626, but not on the protoge. Vocus, we have had 4 straight days of 90 degree plus weather here in MN with swamp like dewpoints. I seriously need to get out of here.
I just came back from a 10 mile trip to the bank, and my car is to hot inside it isn't funny. Another thing I noticed too is that when I hit the gas (even a little bit) the AC blows hot air. And it's colder in recirculate than in fresh mode. I keep it in recirc., but did ask the dealer to check it this past weekend. Everything was fine, so they say. Anyway, I know the AC compressor cuts out when hitting the gas hard, but to me it feels like it cuts out even at light throttle. What gives?
I was thinking of going as far as to have the car painted another lighter color, but I know it will be too hard to do (doorjambs, etc. when doing a color change from so dark to light) and probably be expensive and reduce trade-in value to boot. Guess I will just have to stick with leaving the windows and sunroof cracked while at work.
Comments
-Larry
:-(
Respectfully,
Larry
I replaced them with Pioneer TS-A6999s. Highs are much crisper and the volume can get much higher without distortion. Mid (voice) frequencies are also much clearer.
A car named after its stereo system? As Christian Wardlaw's article implies, "boom boom" instead of "zoom zoom" I guess... :-)
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
I thought the MP stood for Mazda Protege and the 3 for the third engine/style available :-)
Got to go take a look at one at my dealership, was there a few weeks ago ogling the Protege5 (MP4 - fourth body style?)
-ashu
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
fowler3
I am new to this board. I was surfing around the internet looking for info on the 2001 Protege, and I stumbled across this board.
I guess I would have to consider myself a loyal Protege owner. My very first car was a 90 Protege SE, then in 96, I got a Protege LX.
I am now looking to get rid of my 96 Protege LX for a 2001. This time, I am getting the ES, I think.
However, I am having the most difficult time finding a ES, 5speed. There doesnt seem to be one in the entire states of Louisiana. Both my other protege's were 5 speed manual and that what I want this one to be.
Any suggestions on where and how to find a 2001 Protege ES in 5 speed??
fowler3
1.)What is the BEST time to REPLACE the Engine timing belt? 60,000 miles, 90,000 miles or 105,000 miles?
2.)Are there any warranty issues related to this replacement?
3.)What is the "scoop" on clause *2, "if your vehicle was initially registered in one of these listed states, the scheduled maintenance services set forth in this section apply to it: .......(14 states are listed including my state, Pennsylvania)"? "INSPECT for 60,000 miles, 90,000 miles, REPLACE every 105,000 miles.
4.) Finally, Maltb if your dealership did not offer you a demo car and you NEEDED to maintain the long term intervals on your PRO-DX, when would YOU replace the Engine timing belt?
BTW, if you ever visit PA and try our awesome local dutch scrapple, however never use pancake syrup on it, the server will know you are a tourist. ;-)
Respectfully,
Larry
It probably comes down to some weird regulations. The 2001 manual says inspect at 60k and replace at 105k (or as the typo has it: 10,5000).
However, I have been branded by personal experience on an '87 Jetta that I inherited(by marriage) and loved. My, then, girl friend bought the "well maintained" car from her brother with 70k on the odo. At 100k I got a call from a stranded fiance after saying g'night 20 min earlier. Sure enough, the TB stripped a couple of teeth at 70 mph, but fortunately, no engine damage occurred. With a new timing belt AND TENSIONER(another personal recommendation), the car was back on the road. At 160k and married, the car got a new TB, no questions asked. At 190k(and 2 kids) the car got a new home and was still running great.
I can't tell you if the belts they use these days are any better, but if they are willing to put that interval into print, you have something to fall back on. Personally, I'll error on the side of caution and do the 60k as it only costs me a Saturday morning and $25 for a belt.
I can't see why there would be any issues with the 36/50k warranty.
Ok, where do I find 'em dutch scrapple in California?
its funny that you suggest flying to MSP to get a new car. I am a flight attendant so flying to MSP to get a car isn't a problem. I am based in the midwest anyway (Chicago) so I am in these parts often. However, I live in Louisiana and would have to register my car there, not in Minn. Does anyone know how it works for buying a car in one state and registering it in another. Would have have to pay double taxes and reg. fees, etc. I would not want to pay those fees in MN, and then get back to Louisiana and pay them again to reregister my car????
any thoughts?
Malty, you can only truly appreciate a good piece of breakfast scrapple in South Eastern "Pe-Ay"!!! Dempsey's Diner makes a great Penna Dutch Scrapple breakfast in Lancaster for $2.69!! Nothing like fried pig parts in the morning!
Respectfully,
Larry
The MP3 was nice. The paint was excellent (laser blue). The ground effects package was a nice touch, but not shocking (we've already seen it on the Protege5). The rear spoiler actually looks a lot better in person than it does in the pictures. The interior was nicely done with a lot of "silver" accents. The lack of cruise control was extremely apparent. Also, the huge subwoofer in the trunk is poorly placed. It effectively cuts the trunks space by about 30% and blocks the opening for the 60% side of the fold-down seats. What you have left is an L-shaped trunk.
What made it even worse was the $5,000 markup on it! I'm sorry, but $23,500 is way too much for the car. Every dealership in the county is marking the MP3 up, except for my favorite who is selling it for sticker. Also, my favorite dealership's (I don't want to name the dealership anymore, since I got slapped in the face by one of the moderators for "soliciting") Mazda sales manager said they were getting three more in sometime in the next 30-45 days. Are they increasing the production numbers on the MP3?
Well, there were only 3000 10th Anniversary Edition Miata's imported to the U.S., and this dealership (thanks Larry) ended up with 35 of them. The sales manager said Mazda called him and told him he was getting three more! Hopefully it is true... since I used to work there maybe they'll let me test drive one!!! Oh well... I'm just waiting for next year's "whistling" MP3. Hopefully it goes "hmmmm" more than "boing" along with the whistle, if you know what I mean. But, what are the chances of that happening? :-)
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
Respectfully,
Larry Kline
Sooo, I decide that I'll take my son and I out for a nice drive in the country and grab a little ice cream somewhere along the way. What an awesome evening to cruise. I opened the windows and moonroof and we hit the road. I can hardly describe how much fun that is in a Protege. I thought about what a great car my 2000 PRO-ES has turned out to be. I'm still a tick under 24,000 miles and the darn car handles the twisties with confidence and the engine is buttery smooth. What great fun for $15,250.
Well after about 20 mins. of pure joy, my 5 year old son asks me if we can see a movie like Mommy? Well, $30 bucks(2 tickets, popcorn, sour patch kids, airheads and some sodas) later, we watched Dr. Doolittle Part 2!!! O'well the drive was a lot of fun!
-Larry
Sean Christopher is now a month old and has happily zoom zoomed with Dad several times.(Notice the lower-case "zoom zoom" -- Mommy's been in the car with us.)
My 2000 ES 5-speed now has about 23,000 miles on it and is running well, although I've been bad and haven't performed my 15,000-mile service. Anybody know what it entails and how much change I'll part with? Or should I just change my oil and filters and wait until 30K?
My Poortenzas are just about bald. I'm surprised they passed inspection last month. I've had to rotate them every 5,000 miles; if you don't, they sing to high heaven.
Larry, I've also been nonexistent here because of another time-consuming event of late ... a June 4 lightning strike in my back yard that came into our house on our electrical service ground. The house and the family are fine; I wish I could say the same for my brand-new home theatre system and ham radio station!!! Just when you thought grounding protected you ...
Oh well. I'm here, just not as often as before. But I am still loving my third Protege and drooling over the Protege5. But now I have no money! How are things going for MAPP2?
Meade
Meade, baby Sean is probably too young for MAPP#2 (the 2nd Mid Atlantic Protege Picnic), however; I would love to have another Protege get together, next spring (2002). My vote is for late May 2002, at the same spot as the first MAPP. I'm sure we can get a few of the newer owners and Vocus & friends, your family and the Kline posse together for an even bigger picnic than the 1st get together
-Larry
Nonetheless, the chats have been fun and until recently, pretty active. Just a reminder to everyone, Every Thursday 9:00 EST, "be there or be square"! LOL, that sounds dumb, but it really is fun and we NEED your support.
Respectfully,
Larry
I took my 2001 ES in for service over the weekend, because I noticed some pulsation when stopping and thought warped rotors to be the culprit. The shop (Darcars Mazda in College Park, Md.) said no, but they are full of it. (BTW, their service sucks. Avoid them at all costs!). They also centered my steering wheel, per a TSB as they said. Everything is fine, but I will have to take the car back before 12K for the rotors again. I now have ~8700 miles and still liking the car alot.
MDaffron: Glad to hear that fatherhood is treating you well. Sorry to hear about the house, and glad everything is fine now though. Good luck on being a daddy!
MAPP2: I will probably be able to make it to the second annual MAPP. Kinda looking forward to it, since I am about the only original member who has a 2001 Protege now. Since everyone poked fun at my lowly DX last year, I am going to make them jealous now.
-Larry
The rotors on my 1992 LX had to be resurfaced TWICE by 30,000 miles because I was coming home from my 26-mile commute full of zoom zooming (well, it wasn't zoom zooming back then -- it was simply enjoying kansai engineering
Turns out the deluge of cold water on my hot-enough-to-fry-an-egg rotors was warping them from the sudden and prolonged change in temperature! Ever since I learned that, I always go inside, have a beer, take a shower, read the mail, whatever -- I give the car about a half-hour or so to cool down -- and THEN and ONLY THEN do I do my wheels.
Seven years and a few cars later, I haven't had to resurface one rotor.
I only say this because I know how uppity we all are about keeping our Maz-Mazzes clean and spiffy! (Don't read anything personal into this, Larry, unless you're feeling GUILTY!!!)
Meade
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/010601/laf082a.html
Next Wednesday, you should see a new set.
I remember the Kansei engineering thing too, Meade. I can remmeber sitting and reading the 1992 model brochures and laughing about that one.
I test drove it.... Purely awesome. I am in love. I was about to write a check for $18,000 and drive away, but I have to play hard so I can get a good deal. Anyway, the one I want is Black with ES premium package, alarm, cassette, and sunroof deflector.
The car is awesome in black. They also had red and green in 5 speed.
Anyway, I think I will be purchasing a car in chicago and driving back to Louisiana. Its a shame I cant find a 5 speed ES in the entire state of LA.
Silver might be a better choice if you can find one, but any metal flake-painted car will absorb some heat, but not like black. Even the Sand Mica gets warm. You will probably have to use your AC year-round.
Check AutoTrader.com --> New Cars --> Mazda Dealers and see what they have on their lots in most of the states. And check on Rebates. Read back about 1600 posts and read about the S-plan for a good price.
fowler3
I've had to replace two broken studs on the hubs of my '89 323 because of careless reassembly of the nuts...that's why I rotate my own wheels now too. When the tech uses any power tool to run a nut onto a stud, they can't feel if the nut cross-threads the stud. Yeah, yeah, technically the nut is supposed to be softer than the stud so it breaks instead, but it takes only one broken stud (and a $40-$50 fee) to sour you on someone else rotating your wheels.
The torque specification should be in the service manual. I don't recall seeing it in the owner's manual, but I'll take a look during lunch.
Still, a bit more power would be nice. My wife seems to think I have enough, especially when I forget she's riding with me and zoom zoom.
I was thinking of going as far as to have the car painted another lighter color, but I know it will be too hard to do (doorjambs, etc. when doing a color change from so dark to light) and probably be expensive and reduce trade-in value to boot. Guess I will just have to stick with leaving the windows and sunroof cracked while at work.