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.
Hi, I have an '01 Pro ES 2.0 L premium pkg and agree w/you re: the "spoiler." As factory "spoilers" go this one looks fairly sharp. And of least concern to me is the fact that the "spoiler" doesn't.My big gripe is in the day it obstructs rear vision enough to make me wish it wasn't there. At nite it both obstructs rear vision and introduces an annoying reflection into the rear view mirror. The only way to get rid of reflection is to 1) remove the "spoiler", or paint the top suface flat black as an anti-glare panel. Maybe the light sandalwood color exacerbates the reflection. Anyway don't let the "spoiler" stop you from getting an ES. It has 4 wheel disc brakes with 10.3 inch rotors and the fronts are Ventilated! This is a full inch greater diameter than the rotors found on the LX or DX. I took mine down from 95 to the speed limit of 55 as hard as I could. (I have ABS)The amount of control was great, feel also very good. You could make a safety argument in favor of the brake upgrades alone. Also includes heavier front and rear stabilizer bars and suspension. Being my first import I hope I have a good 8-10 yr experience w/it. Only time'll tell! My 2 cents.
I'm planning on keeping mine 5-7years. Kept my last car until it nearly died. It was a Ford Taurus 1989, 3.0L, auto, 156k miles on the original transmission.
Mine will be GONE as soon as I can catch up with depreciation (will I ever?). Then, I can go get a real car that can stand up to the supposed "Zoom Zoom"!
All new cars have some problems. I would say that if you had a new car with absolutely NO problems at all that you got lucky. When my parents Camry was new, it needed a new fuel injector and water was leaking into the interior. My parent's Camry was built in Japan. Statisically, the Camry is about as reliable a car as you could buy. The initial problems were eventually fixed and the car has been trouble free ever since. That is why I am not worried at all. Vocus, if you think you have it bad, go check out the Jetta problems forum. Mazda will get you taken care of one way or the other. Either they will fix your car or you will have to use the lemon law which I doubt will happen. NO car is perfect, anything that involves humans is prone to imperfections. Until God itself decides to design and build a perfect car (I think he/she works for Lexus now), I will just be happy with my Protoge.
I'm getting ready to do my first oil change on my 2001 Protege ES, and was wondering if anyone has some suggestions about a good oil filter and oil to use. Any ones that I should specifically look for or avoid? Thanks in advance for any help!
There has to be something draining your battery or something wrong with the alternator not charging as it is suppose to.
Another thing you should check is if the battery is grounded correctly. If the ground cable is connected to the fender, or some other place, it could be draining your battery. I had that problem with a Toyota pickup, the battery ground was not connected correctly. Surprised the battery didn't explode.
One Audi Fox I had went through 5 alternators in one week. None worked.
After you drove 70 miles back to the dealer the battery was charged and that's why it re-started.
You also said that you were driving at 80mph with the moonroof and windows open and the radio turned up full power. Those rear speakers have magnets -- they draw a lot of power run wide-open. And if the air was on with the fan set at 4 that's more power drain. Could be the alternator couldn't keep the battery charged.
Batteries do not have to be down very much to not have enough power to start your car. The battery has to run the fuel pump, the electronic ignition, the fuel injection system, turn the starter, AND fire the plugs. That's a tall order for a low battery.
Also wonder if going to GoodYear for service, instead of Mazda dealer, could have something to do with it?
Have the dealer's mechanics check the belts (including accessory, A/C, fan) and the bearings on the pulleys that they operate (this is in addition to the other things listed as needing to be run by the battery when you crank the engine). An obstruction (stuck belt, damaged bearings or pulley) would prevent the engine from turning over when you try to start it, if I understand this correctly.
And when this happened in a friend's car - jump starting wouldn't work either!
However I don't think this explains how your car starts fine now! None of these problems (that I mentioned) could resolve themselves!
Sometimes you can get the dealer to swap your trunk lid for another of the same color from a LX or DX without the spoiler. Then he/she gets to sell someone else an LX or a DX with a spoiler. Not sure what the labor charge would be or whether some quirk in the fine print would invalidate some warranty but you could try.
I am slowly regaining faith in my car, but it's mostly because it's new and I cannot afford to trade it in right away. I haven't had any problems with it since this past weekend though. Yesterday, I didn't turn the radio up (had the AC on, because it was raining here), so of course it didn't cut off on me.
Don't get me wrong, I like my ES alot and am not sorry I bought it at all. These niggling problems just make me mad though. There is no reason there should be these kind of electrical problems in an almost-new car. And even if I had an explanation for these problems, it wouldn't be too bad. But since they couldn't find anything wrong with my car, what's to say it won't die again? And will I be 50 miles from home again when it does? It just makes no sense at all.
Sure, the 99 ES has a smaller, slightly less powerful engine, but it does get better gas mileage than the 2000-01 Protege ES and I haven't had any of the problems that seem prevalent on the newer Proteges.
Our 1999 ES has been flawless to date. Still have the original front brake pads at 45,000 miles, too!
Get a Ford motorcraft or a Mazda filter. I read an oil filter study and Purolator Pure 1 was rated the best. Unfortunately, they don't make the Pure 1 in your application. Good news though, the Motorcraft filters ARE essentially Pure 1s and they do make them in your application. In your owner's manual, it states two different fill capacities 3.5 or 3.75, both with filter replacement. Use 3.5 quarts and it will still read overfull on your dipstick, thats OK. I use Motorcraft filters on my car, I get a good deal on them.
Most "intermittent" electrical problems are due to bad ground connections. I'd ask the tech to make sure all the ground wires are properly attached and the wires themselves aren't broken (can happen with constant flexing or if they're placed in a bad place).
Lack of a good ground connection causes the voltage reference level for components to "float", which can cause some of the erratic behavior you've described.
does anyone know if the 0.0% financing is available for the ES w/moonroof? Here at Edmunds, it STILL only lists the 1.9-4.9% financing and that financing clearly states "not for ES with Moonroof".
It varies with dealers. Do you have a VIN# for the car yet? If so, then it should be there within a month. Also, I had a 1993 Bonneville that the dealer only wanted to give me $3600 for. I sold it privately for $4300 and put the cash down on my 2001 ES.
Mazdafun: The only thing is, the dealer has to see the radio having trouble and all before they will do anything about it. I called Mazda customer service yesterday, and they are setting up an appointment to get the car looked at and all that stuff. Once they do, hopefully they will find a problem. Dumb as I am about wiring and all, I thought maybe the radio overheated or something, so it cut off. (A friend of mine actually laughed in my face when I said that to him. I didn't know though, I just know the music stopped on me.) I also told the Mazda rep that I was scared that the wiring might start a fire (he said highly unlikely), but we will see. I am waiting for them to call me back and schedule the service appt. with the dealer near my work for the radio problem. All these problems are just maddening in a 4.5 month old car though, especially the no-start condition for which there was no problem found either.
The 0.0% financing is available on ALL 2001 Protege sedans (not Protege5 or MP3). Don't rely on Edmunds.com or any other website. There is a great percentage of error on these car websites, including invoice pricing. What I do is check several different websites to see if their information matches. Here are the websites I use frequently for information:
This is a great place to keep on top of the day-to-day current information on the auto industry. Also, I have found their reviews to be extremely fair and non-biased.
Mazda's United States website. This is a great place to find pricing information and to get the "nitty-gritty" on a Mazda's specifications and available options.
This is my favorite Mazda dealership's website. Here, you can actually price out a vehicle and it is one of the only dealerships I know that shows you invoice prices!!
Well K&N finally got back to me. The OEM replacement Air Filter for the 2.0L won't be available for at least 2 more months. They hinted that a performance kit for the 2.0L may be in the works as well. I guess I'll have to put it on my wish list for Xmas.
Hey guys, I'm thinking of upgrading my 2000 Pro ES's performance. I'm currently shopping for Air Breathers, strut bars, replacement air filters(K&N), and mufflers. For the air breathers, I've seen a couple in carparts.com but they have size specifications. 1 3/8" & 1 1/2" tubes. With thte strut bars, I'm interested in the Ractive bars or e-spec struts from corksport. Any suggestions?
If I were upgrading my Protege ES, I would go with the Mazdaspeed sport springs and adjustable struts from CorkSport. I just like the fact that these were specifically designed and tuned by Mazda's factory tuning shop and should work quite well. They are a bit pricey, but I don't think anything out there is better except for the Racing Beat modifications for the MP3.
As for the engine... I'm not too sure. I would take a look at the Protege Street 2000, which was Mazda's suped-up concept Protege. It has 175hp and 225 lb-ft of torque!! There's a list of all of it's parts on ProtegeTech.
Enter the page by clicking on the logo and then click on "Gallery" on the left menu. Then click on "The 3rd Gen 99+" and the first car you will see is the Protege Street 2000 concept.
Was driving this morning with the radio up and the windows down, on thw way to work. Had the CD player going, and all of a sudden get this noise like I was losing radio reception or something. The sound seemed to go more and more, until I turned down the music (it was about 7/8 all the way up at the time). This is truly driving me crazy though. I hope the dealership can solve this problem soon.
Did you have a CD in it the first time? I could be a defective laser in the player or the entire unit could be defective.
If the laser cuts off and on then you would lose the sound. If the disc drive is not turning at a constant speed same thing. Flickering laser and/or fluctuating disc speed.
Clean the CD! Wipe it off with a soft cloth. I have found that finger prints can prevent a disc from playing. Even though it looks clean.
Interesting that the filters won't be available for 2 mo. About 3 weeks ago I e-mailed K&N asking if they even made a filter for the 2.0L. Got an e-mail back with a p/n for my application, no mention of any wait.Who knows.. I've seen photos of Pro's with K&N conical filters. Watching some auto performance show on TNN. The Resident Expert says that the only place one would Notice a difference,re:conical filter, would be near top end. If he's right it seems like a lot of $$ for little gain.JMO.
This from Dan MazdaSouth parts dept. I'll quote. "The MP3 engine is the same as the ES, except for the exhaust system and intake. And those you can bolt-on to your ES as soon as they are available!" Depending on $$ induction and exhaust improvements sound good to me. I'm going to check further with them.
vocus. I hope they get your problems squared away. To me the most frustrating owner's experience is the intermittent "problem". "Hey, we test drove it and it works fine." I had a car that would periodically strand me cause it wouldn,t start and you never knew when it was going to bite you.Are you documenting date and mileage of each incident?
Do you have the p/n for the K&N filter? The person I spoke with on the phone said that the regular Protege and 626 2.0L filters wouldn't work and that they would have something out in a couple months, maybe even something more than just the OEM replacement filter. Please let me know if you can help.
Vocus, my radio cut out today too. The display was still on, but nothing was coming out of the speakers. I turned the car off, turned it on again and it worked. Oh well. Yooper, the MP3 has a different fuel map and different timing as well as the exhaust and intake.
The only odd thing I have noticed about the radio:
I pulled into my garage one afternoon and turned the engine off, the radio display stayed ON with the ignition key in the full Off position. The clock was displayed.
Realizing this wasn't normal I started the car again and tried to duplicate the defect. It turned off when the engine shutdown.
I normally shutdown all accessories before turning the engine off. Old flying habit, yooper53 will understand this. It assures that all power-draining hardware is off before starting the engine the next time. Good habit.
Yesterday, I went to a local trim shop to see about getting lumbar padding added to the seatback. It's operated by a woman who does real good work on all makes and models: Convertable top replacement; leather seat trim; seat repairs etc.
She said the lumbar padding can't be added to the Protegé's seatback (LX model) because of the vertical seam down the middle, it's stitched to the foam to make the fabric the same as the seatback contour.
But, she is going to cut a piece of medium-density foam in a lumbar-pad-shape for me to try for a couple days. To see if it needs adjustment. If it works OK she will put a cover on it. The fabric we picked out isn't the same pattern as the Pro's seats, but the color matches almost exactly. The cushion will not be attached to the seat, it will be like a tall, narrow pillow tapering down to the seat-cushion. With the bulge at the top for the support.
I'll let you know how it works out.
I had a bad kidney infection in January and still bothered with back pains. The seatback makes them more apparent.
I didn't get a chance to drive the Pro down the same on-ramp the other day, but I did notice today there is a shift-point at 41mph from 3rd to 4th gear. My normal driving habits probably have the shift points a little above or below what your driving normally is. Or are the shift points the same regardless of who is driving?
In a post not that far back it was stated that all Pro front rotors were ventilated. One more feather in its cap. Contrast this w/Domestic's thinking, FoMoCo in particular. The only way to get 4 wheel disc brakes on the 2001 Taurus is to get the wagon. Not offered on their top of the line sedan. Go figure.
Been a while since I posted here, but today my cd player decided not to eject or play the disk inside of it (2000 ES). I recall you having a similar problem with your 99 LS. Did it ever get it resolved? Or was you solution the 2001?
I think that for the dollar, you get much more with the VW. I have the GTI 1.8t. It is a real sports car with great power and refinement. Why anyone would spend so much for an economy car (protege) is beyond me. Just my 2 cents. (I only paid about 2,000 dollars more for the GTI than for a Protege ES, which dosen't have side curtain air bags)
I just went searching all over the city today to find a K&N filter for my 2001 2.0 LX Pro. But every shop I went to told me that they couldn't find the right filter that would fit my Pro. They said that it was still too "new". Does anybody have the correct part number or am I just looking for a red herring?? Has anybody installed the K&N filter and if so, did you notice any significant differences? Thanks for the input
The protoge is available with side curtain airbags. Why anyone would spend so much money for a car with a horrible reliability record is beyond me. (ie: VW) I looked at VWs and researched them and I ended up with the Protoge. You come in here to try to make us jealous of a car with a worse track record than a Chrysler? I am not jealous of you, I feel sorry for ya buddy. Your interior may be beautiful, that way you'll have something to look at when you're waiting for a tow truck. I paid $15,300 for my Protoge ES. For the same price I couldn't even get a dumpy Golf with the 2.0L VW lump and plastic hubcaps. Where can you get a GTI 1.8T for $17,300? Last time I looked, the base GTI stickered at $19,425, only $4000 more than I paid for my car. And since when is a GTI a "real sports car"? I thought "real sports cars" had names like RX7, Miata, Corvette, Supra etc. The GTI is a FRONT WHEEL DRIVE sporty hatchback, not a sports car, big difference. Last reviews that I read about the GTI said that it lost its touch compared to the older GTIs. Flabby suspension, major body roll, too heavy, and it comes equipped with cruddy michelin tires. The only thing that I think is better about the GTI compared to the Protoge is the engine. Just my 2 cents.
I don't know where you get your information from NEWCAR, but the GTI has a great reliability record and is in a different class from the protege. Look at the VW Forum for GTI and show me as many complaints as there are for your supposedly great protege, LOL> enough said.
Yes, VWs do have a bad reliability record. I have been to the Jetta problem board. It's not pretty. If the GTI is in another class than the Protoge, then why did you come to this board to compare your new car with ours? Why don't you go to the Chevy Silverado board and brag about your GTI while your at it, since the GTI is in another class from the Silverado. Why does the Jetta problem board have 1200 posts and the Protoge problem board have 450 posts despite the fact that Mazda sells more Protoges than VW sells Jettas in the US? Although that is not a scientific way to look at things, it seems kinda strange to me. You never hear about legendary VW reliability, but you do hear about legendary VW electrical problems. Again, I don't understand why you are here on this board in the first place. What kind of reaction do you expect when you come in here and tell people how much better your car is than their's? What do you want me/us to say? Oh, I love your GTI, it is a much better car than my piece of crap, I wish I would have bought one, I am so stupid for getting a lowly economy car Protoge?
I have owned cars that were 100% reliable, no problems whatsoever. The 1986 Accord was reliable, no problems for six years. Totaled in a rear end crash in 1992. The 1998 Honda Odyssey ran fine the three years I owned it. Sold it last April, miss it very much, but had to do that. There are certain years manufacturers make some models that never have problems. Other years those same models are lemons.
The first year for a new model is usually not a good time to buy. The '86 Accord, that year it was new, it was different from the rule.
Other cars from reputable companies, I should have bought a tow truck when I bought the cars. They spent so much time on the road behind tow trucks only the rear tires showed wear: Toyota, BMW, Audi, and Porsche.
I understand that. I know some people will swear by whatever kind of car they own. The fact is, statistically, VWs are not that great. Statistically, the Protoge ranks very high as far as reliability. That is a major reason why I bought one and didn't get a Jetta or GTI, and that is why I am far from jealous of GTI2001's GTI.
I find some of their seats and steering wheels to be nice. Otherwise, I find most of them cramped (Jetta, Golf, Bug, Audi A4, TT) and I've not been impressed with any VW not fresh off the lot. Seems there's always something that requires attention from the shop (lights, transmission, rust, ABS...). Then it's a task getting the attention too. I've not heard ANYTHING good about any VW dealers or shops in my area. There is ONE good Audi dealership though (they also sell Porsche).
Even though they seem plagued by problems, my friends sometimes still reminisce about old VWs they USED to own. However, they now own BMWs, Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Mazdas etc. Note, no VWs! They probably would if VW's reliability improved to match what they choose to buy today.
I don't mind other owners posting here every now and then, and you're entitled to your opinion. But keep in mind that it's full of mostly satisfied Protege owners, some of whom abandoned VW.
I used to own an '85 Jetta Carat. It was a great car to drive...when it worked. It's probably faster than my 2000 1.8L Protege...or pretty close but the bottom line is that I put tons of money into it to keep it running. Granted it was an old car but we have a 1990 323 with 260000 kms on the odometer and it has far less problems. Engine runs as smooth as my 2000 Protege.
I actually shopped around for a VW GTI 1.8T before I got my protege, but it was way too much more money for not that much more car with poor questionable reliability. Sure it's got more power, but it has to lug around about 300lbs more weight. Hopefully Mazda will hold their promise of adding a Turbo or supercharger to the MP3 (or MPS by then) and we will never hear that a Protege is underpowered.
Here’s a quiz for you. What is the best selling Mazda in the USA? Protege. What’s the equivalent in Japan? Familia. And Europe? 323, but it is a hatchback instead of sedan. So what’s the hatchback version of Familia? Familia S-wagon. Its equivalent in Asia Pacific? 323 Astina. What about USA? nil. The American never like hatchbacks.
Memorizing all these nameplates is quite a challenge, but not to the extent that memorizing all the engines available. Basically, Japanese versions have the most powerful and efficient engines, including 1498 c.c. twin-cam variable-valve timing unit good for 130 hp, 1840 c.c. dohc with 135 hp and range-topping Sport 20’s 2.0-litre 170 hp. North American versions have 1.6-litre dohc 105 hp and 1.8-litre dohc 122 hp. European versions are the least powerful, including 1.5-litre 88 hp and 1.8-litre dohc 114 hp.
No matter which version, the 323 (let’s use this name representing all versions) is just an ordinary car aims at ordinary people. It won’t surprise you, but it doesn’t have unforgivable flaws like some European hatchbacks either (say, an Alfa 145). You know a reliable car like this is what most road users really need, but you can’t help thinking about a bit more than that, say, a dynamic behaviour matching Ford Focus or Opel Astra, or a classy feel in the league of Volkswagen Golf or Seat Leon. Make it clear, desirability is what the Mazda 323 lack of.
Some people like its styling, especially is the S-wagon (hatchback) which is loaded with all the optional body-color-matching aerodynamic kits and beautiful alloy wheels. However, the fundamental styling theme is rather conservative and bias towards the ease of production rather than sophistication. If you have an eagle-sharp sight, you’ll notice the front bumper is not tightly assembled into the body, because of large design tolerance rather than fit and finish problem. The nose looks dull. Thick and black plastic side window frames look more like the products of the 80s.
The same goes for the cabin - There is nothing wrong but also nothing impressive. All the plastics are in light grey. The generic center console is quite pretty, but the rest of the dashboard is boring. The grade of plastic material is not as poor as some rivals, such as Nissan and Opel, but the lack of design isn’t easy to overcome. Space in front is quite good, at the back is just average.
The 323's floorpan is essentially identical to the domestic and European 626, with the same wheelbase and also rides on struts up front and TTL at the rear. TTL (twin-trapezoidal links) is basically a MacPherson strut with two long lateral lower control arms. It’s fully independent, but it doesn’t have the passive rear-wheel steer ability as the popular torsion beam axle. In fact, the 323 handles and rides just so-so. Admittedly, most of the problems come from the steering (too light and rubbery) and gearchange (obstructive). Engines, except the European 1.3 and 1.5-litre, are up to class average but no more.
Obviously, the 323 and its derivatives are not designed with enthusiastic driver in mind.
--------------------------
I don't know about you, but I disagree with the person's opinion on the Protege being a boring/bad handling car, what is he SMOKING?!?!?
Does the space between the ends of the dash and the front doors seem too wide to you? Seems to me Mazda could have closed this up more, it's almost 2cm wide (3/4"). If anything says "cheap" it's gaps.
re: Assy shutdown, Me too, with all my cars. re: shift points. I,m sure I read somewhere (probably in Edmund's) that at least some cars the pcm "learns" its owners driving style and operates within that context. Don't know if this is so.
CD problems..Had the same problem w/my '01 ES. Only happened once. So far. It apparently cured itself. Hope its not intermittent.
Its going on day two and still won't eject. Wich is bad and good... at least i don't have to worry about it working right when i go to the dealer to complain.
Am I correct in assuming the cd player is still under warranty? Think i'm in month 13 of ownership.
the CD player. Have you referred to protegextwo post of 07/15/01? If so have you tried it? Let us know. As to the player I don't have a clue. Info should be in warranty booklet that came with car.
The Mazda PRO ES is a good economy car, but falls short of the civic or corolla. It is owned by Ford, and is in financial disary. VW Jetta sales are much more than the Protege, even though some may disagree, look at the numbers before you say something. The GTI has better reliability than the Jetta, which is why I bought it. It is also fast and fun to drive, which I found the protege not to be. Thats my opinion. sorry if I ruffled some protege feathers, LOL.
GTI 1.8T is a 19 grand car. It better be a little faster if you pay 3-4 grand more than the protege ES. This is like saying my wrx is faster and more fun to drive than your GTI. Give me a break.
Why don't you look at the numbers? Last time I looked, Mazda sold more Protoges than VW sold Jettas, as of last quarter this year. It is not about disagreement, its about fact. The GTI and Jetta are mechanically identical cars, how could one be significantly more reliable? Thats like saying that a Ford Taurus is more reliable than a Mercury Sable, or a Toyota Corolla is more reliable than a Geo Prizm. How does the Protoge fall short of the Civic and Corolla? Most publications see the Protoge as a class leader. Your GTI is not fast, my old mustang would have trounced it and been just as reliable. If all I cared about was speed, I could have gotten a Z28 Camaro and ran up and down all over your GTI all day and all night for roughly the same price, however, I realize that comparing a Z28 to a souped up Golf is ridiculous. I don't understand why you didn't spend only $6000 more for a WRX since it is faster, more reliable, and handles better.----LOL
I think that maybe your not thinking correctly. Jetta far outsells the Protege, look on the street, tell me how many jettas you see verse proteges??? Also, MY GTI is fast, much faster than the protege and handles better with standard sport suspension. GTI 0-60 equals 7.3 sec (car and driver) Protege: 9.1. Humm. Plus very fun to drive. Top speed: 131 mph, protege: 108. I could go on but its obvious your not happy with your protege and trying to defend your purchase.
I never claimed my Protoge was faster than your GTI, nor do I care. Do you think that I bought the Protoge because it is fast? Do you think that I was financially unable to buy a GTI? I could have gotten a GTI but chose not to because of their reliability record. Look on the street? How scientific is that? I looked at the quarterly reports, and Mazda sold more Protoges than VW sold Jettas. So there. Me trying to defend my purchase? Sounds like the other way around. Um....who is the one going into other boards telling everybody that they should have gotten a GTI?---LOL @ you...... I hope this post makes you go away.
Comments
I'm planning on keeping mine 5-7years. Kept my last car until it nearly died. It was a Ford Taurus 1989, 3.0L, auto, 156k miles on the original transmission.
I'm getting ready to do my first oil change on my 2001 Protege ES, and was wondering if anyone has some suggestions about a good oil filter and oil to use. Any ones that I should specifically look for or avoid? Thanks in advance for any help!
-James
Another thing you should check is if the battery is grounded correctly. If the ground cable is connected to the fender, or some other place, it could be draining your battery. I had that problem with a Toyota pickup, the battery ground was not connected correctly. Surprised the battery didn't explode.
One Audi Fox I had went through 5 alternators in one week. None worked.
After you drove 70 miles back to the dealer the battery was charged and that's why it re-started.
You also said that you were driving at 80mph with the moonroof and windows open and the radio turned up full power. Those rear speakers
have magnets -- they draw a lot of power run wide-open. And if the air was on with the fan set at 4 that's more power drain. Could be the alternator couldn't keep the battery charged.
Batteries do not have to be down very much to not have enough power to start your car. The battery has to run the fuel pump, the electronic ignition, the fuel injection system, turn the starter, AND fire the plugs. That's a tall order for a low battery.
Also wonder if going to GoodYear for service, instead of Mazda dealer, could have something to do with it?
Find the leak! Or the weakest link!
fowler3
And when this happened in a friend's car - jump starting wouldn't work either!
However I don't think this explains how your car starts fine now! None of these problems (that I mentioned) could resolve themselves!
Don't get me wrong, I like my ES alot and am not sorry I bought it at all. These niggling problems just make me mad though. There is no reason there should be these kind of electrical problems in an almost-new car. And even if I had an explanation for these problems, it wouldn't be too bad. But since they couldn't find anything wrong with my car, what's to say it won't die again? And will I be 50 miles from home again when it does? It just makes no sense at all.
Our 1999 ES has been flawless to date. Still have the original front brake pads at 45,000 miles, too!
Maybe there are a few lemons out there...
Most "intermittent" electrical problems are due to bad ground connections. I'd ask the tech to make sure all the ground wires are properly attached and the wires themselves aren't broken (can happen with constant flexing or if they're placed in a bad place).
Lack of a good ground connection causes the voltage reference level for components to "float", which can cause some of the erratic behavior you've described.
Julia
Does anyone know if the mirrors will be black or painted the color of the body??
I just sold my car and I am driving my old work truck. By the way I sold my 95 626 for $5700, dealer only willing to give my $4000.
Mazdafun: The only thing is, the dealer has to see the radio having trouble and all before they will do anything about it. I called Mazda customer service yesterday, and they are setting up an appointment to get the car looked at and all that stuff. Once they do, hopefully they will find a problem. Dumb as I am about wiring and all, I thought maybe the radio overheated or something, so it cut off.
http://www.carpoint.msn.com
MSN's car information website. To me, this website is generally the most informative and expansive of all of the car websites out there.
http://www.edmunds.com
I generally use the Edmunds website for the TownHall message boards. Here is a great place to find real-world information about the cars.
http://www.thecarconnection.com
This is a great place to keep on top of the day-to-day current information on the auto industry. Also, I have found their reviews to be extremely fair and non-biased.
http://www.mazdausa.com
Mazda's United States website. This is a great place to find pricing information and to get the "nitty-gritty" on a Mazda's specifications and available options.
http://www.johnhine.com
This is my favorite Mazda dealership's website. Here, you can actually price out a vehicle and it is one of the only dealerships I know that shows you invoice prices!!
As for the engine... I'm not too sure. I would take a look at the Protege Street 2000, which was Mazda's suped-up concept Protege. It has 175hp and 225 lb-ft of torque!! There's a list of all of it's parts on ProtegeTech.
Enter the page by clicking on the logo and then click on "Gallery" on the left menu. Then click on "The 3rd Gen 99+" and the first car you will see is the Protege Street 2000 concept.
If the laser cuts off and on then you would lose the sound. If the disc drive is not turning at a constant speed same thing. Flickering laser and/or fluctuating disc speed.
Clean the CD! Wipe it off with a soft cloth. I have found that finger prints can prevent a disc from playing. Even though it looks clean.
fowler3
This from Dan MazdaSouth parts dept. I'll quote. "The MP3 engine is the same as the ES, except for the exhaust system and intake. And those you can bolt-on to your ES as soon as they are available!" Depending on $$ induction and exhaust improvements sound good to me. I'm going to check further with them.
vocus. I hope they get your problems squared away.
To me the most frustrating owner's experience is the intermittent "problem". "Hey, we test drove it and it works fine." I had a car that would periodically strand me cause it wouldn,t start and you never knew when it was going to bite you.Are you documenting date and mileage of each incident?
Yooper: I never thought to document the mileage and all. I will have to start doing that now.
I pulled into my garage one afternoon and turned the engine off, the radio display stayed ON with the ignition key in the full Off position. The clock was displayed.
Realizing this wasn't normal I started the car again and tried to duplicate the defect. It turned off when the engine shutdown.
I normally shutdown all accessories before turning the engine off. Old flying habit, yooper53 will understand this. It assures that all power-draining hardware is off before starting the engine the next time. Good habit.
Yesterday, I went to a local trim shop to see about getting lumbar padding added to the seatback. It's operated by a woman who does real good work on all makes and models: Convertable top replacement; leather seat trim; seat repairs etc.
She said the lumbar padding can't be added to the Protegé's seatback (LX model) because of the vertical seam down the middle, it's stitched to the foam to make the fabric the same as the seatback contour.
But, she is going to cut a piece of medium-density foam in a lumbar-pad-shape for me to try for a couple days. To see if it needs adjustment. If it works OK she will put a cover on it. The fabric we picked out isn't the same pattern as the Pro's seats, but the color matches almost exactly. The cushion will not be attached to the seat, it will be like a tall, narrow pillow tapering down to the seat-cushion. With the bulge at the top for the support.
I'll let you know how it works out.
I had a bad kidney infection in January and still bothered with back pains. The seatback makes them more apparent.
Fowler3
fowler3
Has anybody installed the K&N filter and if so, did you notice any significant differences? Thanks for the input
Protege_fan
I have owned cars that were 100% reliable, no problems whatsoever. The 1986 Accord was reliable, no problems for six years. Totaled in a rear end crash in 1992. The 1998 Honda Odyssey ran fine the three years I owned it. Sold it last April, miss it very much, but had to do that. There are certain years manufacturers make some models that never have problems. Other years those same models are lemons.
The first year for a new model is usually not a good time to buy. The '86 Accord, that year it was new, it was different from the rule.
Other cars from reputable companies, I should have bought a tow truck when I bought the cars. They spent so much time on the road behind tow trucks only the rear tires showed wear: Toyota, BMW, Audi, and Porsche.
fowler3
Even though they seem plagued by problems, my friends sometimes still reminisce about old VWs they USED to own. However, they now own BMWs, Hondas, Toyotas, Nissans, Mazdas etc. Note, no VWs! They probably would if VW's reliability improved to match what they choose to buy today.
I don't mind other owners posting here every now and then, and you're entitled to your opinion. But keep in mind that it's full of mostly satisfied Protege owners, some of whom abandoned VW.
I actually shopped around for a VW GTI 1.8T before I got my protege, but it was way too much more money for not that much more car with poor questionable reliability. Sure it's got more power, but it has to lug around about 300lbs more weight. Hopefully Mazda will hold their promise of adding a Turbo or supercharger to the MP3 (or MPS by then) and we will never hear that a Protege is underpowered.
Here’s a quiz for you. What is the best selling Mazda in the USA? Protege. What’s the equivalent in Japan? Familia. And Europe? 323, but it is a hatchback instead of sedan. So what’s the hatchback version of Familia? Familia S-wagon. Its equivalent in Asia Pacific? 323 Astina. What about USA? nil. The American never like hatchbacks.
Memorizing all these nameplates is quite a challenge, but not to the extent that memorizing all the engines available. Basically, Japanese versions have the most powerful and efficient engines, including 1498 c.c. twin-cam variable-valve timing unit good for 130 hp, 1840 c.c. dohc with 135 hp and range-topping Sport 20’s 2.0-litre 170 hp. North American versions have 1.6-litre dohc 105 hp and 1.8-litre dohc 122 hp. European versions are the least powerful, including 1.5-litre 88 hp and 1.8-litre dohc 114 hp.
No matter which version, the 323 (let’s use this name representing all versions) is just an ordinary car aims at ordinary people. It won’t surprise you, but it doesn’t have unforgivable flaws like some European hatchbacks either (say, an Alfa 145). You know a reliable car like this is what most road users really need, but you can’t help thinking about a bit more than that, say, a dynamic behaviour matching Ford Focus or Opel Astra, or a classy feel in the league of Volkswagen Golf or Seat Leon. Make it clear, desirability is what the Mazda 323 lack of.
Some people like its styling, especially is the S-wagon (hatchback) which is loaded with all the optional body-color-matching aerodynamic kits and beautiful alloy wheels. However, the fundamental styling theme is rather conservative and bias towards the ease of production rather than sophistication. If you have an eagle-sharp sight, you’ll notice the front bumper is not tightly assembled into the body, because of large design tolerance rather than fit and finish problem. The nose looks dull. Thick and black plastic side window frames look more like the products of the 80s.
The same goes for the cabin - There is nothing wrong but also nothing impressive. All the plastics are in light grey. The generic center console is quite pretty, but the rest of the dashboard is boring. The grade of plastic material is not as poor as some rivals, such as Nissan and Opel, but the lack of design isn’t easy to overcome. Space in front is quite good, at the back is just average.
The 323's floorpan is essentially identical to the domestic and European 626, with the same wheelbase and also rides on struts up front and TTL at the rear. TTL (twin-trapezoidal links) is basically a MacPherson strut with two long lateral lower control arms. It’s fully independent, but it doesn’t have the passive rear-wheel steer ability as the popular torsion beam axle. In fact, the 323 handles and rides just so-so. Admittedly, most of the problems come from the steering (too light and rubbery) and gearchange (obstructive). Engines, except the European 1.3 and 1.5-litre, are up to class average but no more.
Obviously, the 323 and its derivatives are not designed with enthusiastic driver in mind.
--------------------------
I don't know about you, but I disagree with the person's opinion on the Protege being a boring/bad handling car, what is he SMOKING?!?!?
fowler3
re: shift points. I,m sure I read somewhere (probably in Edmund's) that at least some cars the pcm "learns" its owners driving style and operates within that context. Don't know if this is so.
CD problems..Had the same problem w/my '01 ES. Only happened once. So far. It apparently cured itself. Hope its not intermittent.
Am I correct in assuming the cd player is still under warranty? Think i'm in month 13 of ownership.