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http://www.mazdastuff.com/
http://www.mazdadiscountparts.com/
Otherwise I would recommend using Crutchfield to figure out what will fit. Clearances are a little tight, so most 3-ways won't fit.
2) I don't know for sure, but in talking to Crutchfield, they feel that output is about 10-15 watts per channel which is slightly above average for factory systems.
3) Sorry, can't help you here.
I have heretofore always installed my own car radios and speakers (I would always order new car without radio or speakers), but the Pro looks like a challenge to replace the rear speakers. Am I wrong?
highway cruising relatively quiet and non-stressful to the engine."
It's relatively quiet at highway speeds (70mph) and just as stable as at 45mph. The steering isn't twitchy, it tracks straight. Solid and confident. You'll love it!
Sorry zoomzoom79, I find the Protegé a lot more enjoyable on the highways than the Honda Accords I have owned -- '86, '92, '97, '98.
There's something about the Protegé, you don't feel like you are going fast, yet you get there quicker. And you want to keep on going! A ten hour trip in the Pro is fun; in a Honda it's boring.
fowler3
If high RPMs don't freak you out too much, you'll have no problem with highway driving at more realistic speeds. 70mph with an automatic can usually be accomplished at around 3200 rpm and 80 at around 3600 or so. This is maybe not as low-rev (and therefore as quiet) as you might like, but you get used to it. When driving at 70, if you go to pass, you will most likely kick out of overdrive (if you don't do so manually - I do) sending your revs up into the 4500-5000 range which can be a little noisey and scary, but provides you with the power you need to pass. If anyone wonders why I'm driving 80 or more, the speed limit on interstates here is 75 and going 70-75 will get you passed in a hurry - and besides, out here there's really nothing to see between points A and B so you might as well just get there
As for the rear speakers, yes they are a pain. I had to take apart the rear doors in my Pro5 to access the rear speakers in order to get a signal for a sub I installed in the hatch. The quick and dirty version of this is as follows: remove all visible screws and fasteners, remove the door handle/armrest cover, remove the screws behind the cover, remove the door panel. I have written a more detailed account in the Protege5 board, but I can't remember the post number. It's difficult but not impossible if you are patient and have some idea what you are doing.
Finally to Meade: You should set up a beer exchange with Larry, he can send you some wonderful Yuengling's, which is not available in too many places. My dad brought a couple cases home the last time he was out in PA - what a good beer
Just got back from a local auto show. A Mazda corp rep informed me there will be MPS versions of the Protege sedan and P5. Engine output around 180hp. MSRP for the P5 about $20k. The MPS MPV (which he says drives really sportily with the upgrades) will have a 280hp engine.
My eyes popped, my jaw dropped, It was all I could do to keep from drooling all over the place.
Keep an eye out for Mazda corp reps at your car shows. I got a stack of $500 coupons that are good in addition to existing incentives ($1000+500 =$1500 for Pro sedans, $750+500=$1250 for P5s). Too bad they're only good for the local dealers and only until March 9 or I'd offer them here. As it is, I'm going to spread them around to my friends and co-workers. No mention of combining with the S-plan or not. They may have similar promotions in your area. Keep your eyes peeled!
fowler3
Pity :-( Guess I can make do with my 95 DX until then, or just 'settle' for an MPS Protege or P5 (if they're going to be out sooner)!
-ashu
boggse: I forgot to say that my 2002 Pro is an LX sedan. Thanks for the reference to Post #265 where it was confirmed for me that replacing the rear speakers is not all that easy (it's just that I already have two JBL 6x9's to put back there). I'll wait till spring in any case.
I have found the Purolator PL14620 oil filter seems to be an exact alternative for the PL14622 that is listed for the Pro 2.0L engine. The PL14620 is only about 5/8" longer, but for the same price why not have a larger filter?
I think it very curious that the Mazda Pro LX Owner's Manual shows tire rotation to be front-to-back only (not cross-switched), while the Bridgestone tire warranty brochure that came with the "Owner's Manual package" shows cross-switch rotation only! The Potenza RE92's are so-called "unidirectional" tires, so I do believe they should be rotated front-to-back only.
Honda engines are meant for the highway. The Protege may have the suspension for the highway but the engine is so bad that it negates any fun the suspension wants you to have. The Protege's engine will rev just as high as the Civic's but the difference is the higher the RPM's get in the Civic the better it sounds while the higher the RPM's get in the Protege the lower the gas hand goes.
First off: My wife is concerned about whether we overspent. We live in NYC, and ended up being quoted an Out the door Price of $14,200 (Includes Destination, Taxes (8.25%) and Title and registration fees (Dealer says around $130, I calculate at around $80)). Were we hosed?
Second. Is there anything I should need for the car, as it is our car together, (and my first car ever)?
$14,200 seems like a pretty reasonable price with taxes and everything included.
(Okay, I guess I can't call 30 'old', can I?:)
Jim: Insurance rates vary a lot b/w companies. My current company quoted me $1900 for a 93 Mazda Mx-3/yr, while big companies that are advertised everywhere quoted $3500, $4500, and even $8400!!! So it pays IMO to ignore large insurance companies, at least here in Canada.
Alternator: You should be able to reach the back shelf speakers from the trunk. I have done a similar job 2 summers ago in a Sunfire and it was a breeze.
Dinu
Those MX-3 look better every time I see one
2. My wife doesn't like or approve of loans.
3. My wife has this odd concept of Cash being king. She doesn't get the concept of the dealer making $$ on the interest.
I have to say though, it did take the dealer aback to have my wife doing the hard haggling over price.
Dinu
Also, the rear seatbacks, while they flip forward, don't fold very flat. They look like they stick up at someing over 30 degrees from horizontal; much more than any other vehicle we looked at with similar folding rear seatbacks.
At least they did increase rear legroom so it's tolerable now.
"Sure thing...no problem."
Half an hour later:
"Um, we had a problem with your oil change...you're going to be a little mad at us."
[What???!!! How could the dealership screw up an oil change???]
"Yes? What happened?"
"Well, when we changed your wiper blades, we left one of the wipers up, away from the windshield. Then when we popped the hood to do the oil change, the hood knocked the wiper into the windshield and cracked it."
[WHAT??!!!]
"Oh, my god..."
"Well, you know, the wipers have this spring action on them..."
[Actually, no, I didn't know that...IT'S YOUR JOB TO KNOW THAT...YOU'RE THE FREAKING MAZDA DEALERSHIP!!!]
"Of course, we're not charging you for the service today...and we'll take care of replacing the windshield...boy, you're being really nice about this..."
"Well, there's not really much I can say now, is there? I mean, the windshield is already busted."
Service manager is going to call me on Monday about bringing in the car to be fixed...yes, I made sure he knew I was going to need a loaner for the day.
So now here's my question: How nice should I continue to be? Is this where I negotiate a visor upgrade for myself? (Some of you may remember that when one of my visors started falling apart, I considered asking that they both be replaced with the new, sturdier visors).
Is that totally out of line?
Or should I just ask for a bunch of free oil changes?
I would also have them hand wash, wax and detail your car.
Pjd58
fowler3
fowler3
Pjd58
Dale: I would make them get down and kiss my ring if I were you. Free lifetime oil changes and a 30K maintenance sounds about right...
Anyway, here's a question for you guys:
The dealer did not have the exact model/options of the car I am buying and is "finding it" (color choices: Sandalwood or black (wife's choice)). Is it customary to do another test drive of the exact car that you are going to drive away with before you sign the papers and hand over the money?
Haven't posted on here in a while, but am hitting the first glitch in my love affair with the Pro. I've had my 01 Pro since May, and have found that the gas mileage has DECREASED rather than increased.
When I first got the Pro, I was getting around 29 mpg with a mix of 70% city and 30% highway, and now it's down to maybe 24 with the same mix(I'm maybe zooming a little more now, but not going nuts).
It also seems like my fuel gauge is kind of erratic--doesn't move smoothly from full to empty and kind of goes in fits and spurts.
Anyone have any advice or have found a similar situation? I'm generally taking the car up to between 3000-3500 rpms before shifting from gear to gear...does shifting earlier increase gas mileage? The car seems to naturally want to shift there, which is why I've been doing it.
I love my Pro in every other way, but this is getting kind of discouraging. I'm considering taking it in and having the service guys look at it to see if they can find anything wrong. I respect the opinions on this board and would appreciate any advice/knowledge anyone could give me.
Thanks,
Caroline
Peregrine: ALL cars' fuel gauges some the same way. From Full to Half-Full VERY slowly, then the bottom half of the tank will go in a matter of 150-200 kms, while the top goes 300km+! All cars are designed the same way. Plus, when the fuel light lights up, you have 10 litres left, good for 80 kms in the city, 100 highway.
Dinu
Dinu
Of course! All cars are different in small ways that may be a problem to you. Ask to drive it BEFORE you even negotiate the deal. It will have mileage on it and you don't know how it was driven to your dealer. It may not have had it's "pre-initial delivery check", which your dealer should perform: includes alinement, balancing the wheels, pressure check and other items.
I test-drove three other Pros before deciding to buy. Then picked out the one I wanted and asked to drive that one, before negotiating. Then I asked if they gave a good pre-initial delivery check? They did, it took three hours to complete, not including washing and detailed inspection by the salesman and myself, and I haven't had any problems with my '01 Pro LX 2.0.
My salesman was exceptionally maticulous, he checked every little item, and constantly asked me if it was alright.He introduced me to the service manager and the parts people before I left. He hadn't sold a car in over a month and needed his commission badly. He was so proud of new shoes he had bought from a roadside vendor for $20 and asked me what I thought about them. I tipped him $50 (he wouldn't get his commission until five days later and was eating potato chips for lunch) and gave him a GOOD recommendation on the survey Mazda sends to buyers. As I started to drive away he said, "God bless you!".
Be sure you give a good recommendation when your's comes.
fowler3
I'm not sure what car show you were at, but I went to Chicago. And I was specifically told the only MPS (turbo) treatment was for the sedan - not the Pr5, though they mazda rep acknowledged a little more power would be good.
Did you hear a timetable? I heard the protege turbo sedan would be out 'any time', possibly March.
Timetable is around summer 2002 for all three.
Hmm. $1250 off a P5 now, $2000 off a Pro sedan now or wait for the $20k MPS P5. Tough call. Too bad I don't have more money (and garage space). I'd like to get a gander at the 6 and RX8 before my next purchase too.
Pardon my saying so, but I'd be happy if I were the dealer and could buy your happiness with a couple of sun visors and a few oil changes. That was a major screw-up on their tech's part. Needs more training.
I'd also ask for some kind of warranty on the replacements parts (including labor).
When I put my order in (DX, AC and Auto, sandlewood or black), the Dealer told me that it would take a week or two to get the vehicle. (I would assume that they are determining what is around the 8 or so other dealers in the NYC area)
Is this a long time?
In other news, Sweden beat Canada in men's hockey and the US and Russia tied last nite. Would LOVE for a Euro team to beat the crash and bang North American style! Now a kick-@$$ final would be CANADA-vs- USA. Then, I'll be cheering for Canada.
Dinu
Just posted my 6,000 mile; six month report in the station wagon room... I have protege5. In case anyone might be interested.
number 42; welcome to the "club". I had no surprises on delivery... but that is the nature of the car, I think. My mazda dealership has always been very good here in Wilmington. Am on my third Mazda product. Anyway, Enjoy! I have been doing so... later
Respectfully,
Larry
aka "the love train"
I mean you were once "old head", now "love train", what's next? I have a feeling Meade will have something to say about this one
Dinu
PS: Just teasing you Larry
As many of you already know, my wife and I both drive Emerald Mica 2000 PRO-ES Mazda's. Both cars are equipped the same, and by switching the cars back and forth, I have been able to maintain the cars with similar mileage. Both vehicles get oil changes, tire rotations, tune-ups, etc. at the same intervals. O.K., about a month ago, my wife mentions to me, the check engine light came on today and after a couple miles, the light turned off, by-it-self. O.K., I go out to the car and check the gas tank filler cap for tightness. Seems pretty tight to me, so I pop the hood and check the different fluid levels, yada yada. Everything seems all right. A week later my wife (lets call her Trudy, since that's her name) tells me that the check engine light and now the O D light comes on! Sweet Jesus, NOW what. I AGAIN check the gas tank filler cap for tightness, no prob there. I pop the hood and check the different fluid levels, everything seems all right. I jump in her car and take it for a long drive. After 6 or 7 miles, NO problems, no lights. I explain to my wife about the O D light button on the auto shifter, yada yada. Trudy, we are going to switch cars for a while, O.K.?, I say to her. O.K., Larry she says to me.
To Be Continued-
http://www.astolfo.com/p5/p5.asp
It also applies to regular sedans for the front and rear doors. Additional wiring would be needed to install speakers in the sedan rear doors.
I have a '95 Protege LX with the automatic overdrive trannie.
According to the Haynes manual there should be a drain plug on the bottom of the gear case beside the filter pan but I sure can't find it.
Am I just blind or is there not one there?
I just bought the car and was trying to get some of the old fluid out and replace it with new. I'll replace filter, etc. when it warms up.
Thanks....