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Mazda Protege Basic Maintenance Questions
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Ok, I pulled a stupid move and need some help.
Yesterday I was attempting to replace a headlight in my 2002 P5 but when I finally got it all out, I realized that I had the wrong replacement bulb (highbeam). (Why doesn't the owner's manual indicate headlight numbers or wiper blade lengths?) I tried to put the original back in, but it's such a pain in the butt that I just tossed it and figured I'd just put in the replacement after work when I got the new bulb. Well, I accidently tossed the headlight socket too. And the dumpster was emptied overnight. So now I need a new socket.
I figure that I should go to a junkyard and find a Protege/P5 with a matching socket. Does anybody know how many years the Proteges have been the same? And I've never gone to a junkyard, is there any advice or tips? How much will this cost me?
Jess
Only Protege5s, MP3s and Mazdaspeed Proteges would have what you are looking for. Other Proteges have a different headlamp assembly design and may not work in your vehicle. I have never purchased anything from a junkyard. I would expect that part can't cost that much, and I would call your local dealer's parts department before digging through snake infested wrecks. But that is just me. Good luck.
I've also been to a few -- er -- "auto parts yards" in my life. They're usually NOT snake-infested; heck, at many of them, they'll go out and pull what you need and have it waiting for you when you get there. Go get your Yellow Pages and look under auto parts and call a few. Some are even networked and can find hard-to-find parts more easily.
Ted may be surprised to learn how much some seemingly cheap pieces of plastic can run brand-new, when the "junkyard" part is as good as new and a tenth of the price. I once paid a local yard $35 for a rear taillight assembly for my old Toyota Corolla when the dealership wanted more than $300 for a new one. Also replaced an entire rear bumper myself for about $60. (And the "junkyard" one was in better shape than my own bumper had been -- prior to the damage that required the replacement, of course ...)
Of course, I prefer the yards where you take your toolbox and go "window shopping" yourself. That's the only way I once wound up with a nice, shiny, OEM "turbo" plate to stick beside the "900" on the trunk of my old, non-turbocharged Saab, and got a brand-new, never-used cigarette lighter for my Toyota for a quarter.
It's also nice to be able to "experiment" on a car identical to yours without worrying about breaking or scratching anything. That's how I learned to REMOVE the bumper on a Toyota -- nice to have the practice of having removed the one in the junkyard before attempting it on my own car, getting halfway through, and then realizing I didn't have some special tool or another part I needed.
Go to a junkyard. You may find yourself visiting a lot more frequently thereafter!
But good luck with the headlamp part -- I betcha there ain't a whole lotta late-model P5s and MSPs there yet. (At least I hope not!)
Meade
Because then you'd go to the local parts store or Wal-Mart instead of your Authorized Mazda Dealer. I'm not saying this is right or wrong, but I'm sure that's why.
Just foolin' with ya Ted!!!
Meadeball
Meade
Meadie
Too bad. I have a whole bunch of 9004 bulbs I got for my 323 when I found them on sale at $4 each. I don't drive my 323 nearly enough to wear out bulbs anymore...
After spending $70,000 on their cars in the last 12 years, doesn't Mazda have enough of my money?
Meade
I mean, why go to Home Depot for that $2.98 flapper valve when you can order one direct from Kohler for twice as much, and it'll proudly sport that Kohler name and product number for all to see -- that is, all who frequently take the lid off your toilet and stare down into the bottom of the tank?
I just KNOW I want that shiny, brand-new piece of spit-polished Mazda plastic gracing the back of my headlamp bulb, right where my battery and coil packs can admire it! (And my battery is a Die Hard; I'm sure maltb buys all his replacement batteries straight from the dealership.)
Of course, we all know who butters maltb's bread ... by the way, how much is your employee discount anyway, malt? Probably makes sense to buy your parts straight from your employer/manufacturer ...
Meade
Lest I forget to say it: Meade, I solely owe my existence to you.
Fact is, I truly enjoy our little head-butts. (And I'm not equating you to my cat.)
After all, these little spats are what brings people out of the woodwork and gets this discussions lively again! (Ever notice how I can come back after a dead weekend of one or two posts a day and have us back at No. 1 by Tuesday morning??? Don't think for a moment that there's no method to my madness!!!)
Truce, my friend!
Meade
1. A forum for owners to discuss the care and maintenance for their Protege.
2. A place for the care and maintenance of Protege friends.
:-)
Jess
I was unhappy with this "feature" but, that's the way it is.
However, I did find it amusing that there is a heading called "Outside Mirrors" on page 6-9, right in the middle of information about window defrosting!
TIA,
DM
(Just don't apply wax or that other stuff to unpainted plastic or bare rubber, OK?)
Meade
I noticed recently my Protege 2000 (around 30k miles) has a lot of scratches. I can understand why there are scratches on the side doors since they normally happen when parking spaces are tight and people open doors and hit my doors, or cars hit my doors.
But I was surprised when I saw there are so many scratches on the hood, it is not only one, but almost the whole hood has circular scratches, and then there are maybe 3 or 4 major scratches. These scratches have been there since a while (maybe building up over time).
What is the reason of these scratches? I owned other cars before and I didn't see so many scratches. I did take the car several times on long trips (3 hours one way) so I don't know if the scratches are caused because of the wind and dust on the highway... Do you know the reason? Also, what can I use to fix it?
Also, I had several tiny dents on the body of the car recently, so I went to a dent-magic shop and fixed them. Why does my Protege get so easily dented?
Thanks!
Also, the Sunrise Red doesn't have a clearcoat layer (trust me, I've got one, and lots of red gets onto my polish/wax cloth).
Big scratches are likely from rocks thrown up on the road (usually highway). I'd use touch-up paint on the worst areas. Use a small craft brush or a toothpick to minimize overpainting. Polish will take out a number of the small abrasions.
Most cars dent easily these days.
I've read about too-tight lug nuts possibly warping the rotors. Should I check all the lug nuts and retighten them to 83 ft-lbs? Would any damage from too-tight lugs already be done?
The car came with Dunlop SP Sport 5000 tires. They seem to be pretty good on dry pavement and rain so far. Do these tires do OK in snow? I hate to switch tires just for the winter if I don't have to. I'm in NE Ohio, but below the 'snow belt' (area that gets *mucho* snow because of Lake Erie).
A local auto parts store has Meguiar's stuff on sale (not the Gold Class paste wax I've read raves about, darn it!). One wax they have on sale is Meguiars 'cleaner wax'. Clerk told me it both cleans and waxes. Wouldn't you get better results if you clean, *then* wax? Is the shortcut of getting both done at once worth it in the long run?
I'm thinking about getting some Meguiars Quik Detailer, and Meguiars Deep Crystal Car wash (it's on sale, is it close to as good as their Gold Class car wash?). I think my car's too new yet to worry about chemical washes and polishes, but I'm thinking about wax (especially the hood, where the dealership buffed out a small scratch that was there when I got the car). There's the Gold Class wax I mentioned above, but on sale is some Meguiars Deep Crystal Carnuba Wax. Anyone used it, or have comments?
I've also read posts about using the larger oil filter (for the 2.5L 626) (thinking ahead). I asked at the Mazda parts counter about this, and was told they weren't making the larger filter for the 626 anymore, and were using the smaller one for both. Anyone hear about this? I hope to try and pick up a few of the larger ones at auto parts place, anyone have brands to look for (or stay away from)?.
I've already learned a lot from reading through all the posts here, I've made notes for myself about a lot of stuff, thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge!
Terri
My understanding is the SP Sport 5000m is just OK in snow. As long as your tires are relatively new, you are probably OK, but I would avoid driving them in snow once you get below 6/32".
I wasn't aware that they were no longer providing the larger filter for the 626, but since is has been discontinued, I am not surprised. I was planning to switch to either the Purolator Pure One or the Mobil 1 filter next time I get the oil changed (next week). I recommend you check out this site which has a lot of information on oil and oil filters, and make your own call:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/
BTW: I use Mobil 1 10W30 year round.
Sorry I can't help with the wax questions. I just take mine to the detailer 2 times a year and wash with Armor All Bug Wash every other week to keep the bugs from ruining the finish. I have no idea what the detailer uses, but he warranties his work, so I don't worry too much.
Check out meguiars.com, their August special has a great car care kit that includes Gold Class, some carnauba, a bottle of Deep Crystal Wash, a bucket, towels, applicators and a couple more things. No store sale prices will beat that. If you prefer to customize what you get - the Cleaner Wax is nice, and what I actually used on my Protege. But I switched to Gold Class when I got the Mazda 6, and I am amazed at how good it is. Bear in mind the differences ...
- Protege, older, white (doesn't shine super glossy like darker colors), questionable previous maintenance (bought used) but not neglected!
- 6 - Lapis Blue (a dark, glossy color), new, shines and reflects beautifully after one Gold Class application and two washes since!
I've never used the Cleaner Wax on the 6, nor the Gold Class on the Pro! I'd say just get the Gold Class directly - lots of people swear by it! It'll be wroth the double (or more, if only Cleaner is on sale) price. Or get the Meguiars website August special kit with free shipping
DM
The scratches on my car don't seem to go away with the products that I have used namely:
1- Turtle Wax Rubbing Compound (Heavy duty cleaner). The product package says that it removes scratches and stains.
2- NuFinish car polish
Are there other alternatives I can try?
Thanks.
Let my inlaws borrow my P5 this weekend. Wound up scratching the alloy tires while trying to parallel park.
1/4 inch scratch where the rubber and tire meet. Damage not too bad, but looks ugly. Any ideas? And if I let it go will it rust or something?
I think I'd better not experiment much further with these products before I damage the paint...(which I already did by removing stains with the rough edge of the sponge as stupid as I am! I introduced 3 new white scratches :-(
I'm going to show it to a body shop and see what they think, although it might be an expensive alternative.
They won't rust since they're aluminum, but they will dull. Any acidic or caustic material will eat away at the dull aluminum oxide that forms over bare aluminum to keep it from further oxidizing (rusting).
And I'd suggest the in-laws rent the next time.