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Mazda Protege Accessories and Modifications

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Comments

  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    LoL, you've been sucked in too. Remember, if you don't like them it's all Ashu's fault.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Cool, Chow-chi...that makes five of us now with the Falkens.

    Yeah, their midwest DC is in Ohio, as a matter of fact. :D

    Will you put them on the car for your trip out here?
  • lawman1967lawman1967 Member Posts: 314
    I bought a set of ZE-512s two weeks ago, in a plus one 205/50/15 size for my 2003 DX automatic.

    So far, they are quieter than the stock tires, and despite having a lower H rating, they hold better in corners.

    Andrew
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Me
    Dale
    Meade's Wife
    lawman

    Ashu and Hank had them, but I don't think they do now. Who else?
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Dale
    Raymond
    Hank (on his Protege?)
    Lawdude
    Chow-chi

    You're right, I guess Ashu doesn't have them on his 6.

    But I wasn't aware that Tammy had them...are you sure about that?
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    I have a set on my wife's Hyundai Wagon. Very happy with them.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I'll probably install them next weekend, though I've got enough tread on the Dunlops to last another 5,000 miles. Then I'll go in for an alignment, just in case. I think I'll start at 32psi and see how it goes. I think part of the reason I get more wear on the inside tread of the Dunlops is I run them at 34psi, given the way the wheels are set-up on the Protege (the tops tip inwards, which helps cornering), this increased pressure puts even more load on the inside tread.
  • lawman1967lawman1967 Member Posts: 314
    Well, just did my monthly 800 mile round-trip from Los Angeles to San Jose and they were very qiet on some surfaces, but considerably noisier than the stock Potenzas on others. Overall, I'd callit a wash in the decible department.

    On more important matters, the ar handled beautifully in the Pacheco pass and over the Grapevine, the former in light rain.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    I've been running my 512's at 34. They just didn't seem right at 32. Which reminds me, I need to check them again with all the temperature changes........
  • lonestarlonestar Member Posts: 15
    Assuming I purchase the 2003 DX I've been dealing on electronically for over a week, do I have any options in terms of installing cruise control? Per Mazda, cruise isn't an available OEM option/accessory on DX models. Thanks!
  • waydewayde Member Posts: 198
    Sorry for the late reply, I haven't perused the site for some time.
    I have the standard/black one on a P5.
    I don't have any pics yet... I need to get the dig cam out and "just do it" :)
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    Wayde,

    No worries. I bought one and was very impressed over the one I had bought from Mazda. Better materials and fit. Very happy.

    Thanks

    Bruce
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    This item from PIE has been confirmed to work by at least one person on another board. He did it on a 2003 P5 so any Pro with a similar head unit should work.

    It's a bit expensive, but for people like me that don't want to change the stock look of the headunit it's worth it. Looks like it's goodbye FM modulation for me!
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Joined the ranks of those with hooked-in iPods, eh?

    Did they remove the link from your message? I didn't see one. I'd put one into my wife's P5 as a present.

    Those new gen-4 iPods look great! But, I'm going to wait a few months for any bugs to shake out before even thinking of upgrading. :)
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    maybe I forgot to post it.

    http://www.logjamelectronics.com/piemazpcalp.html

    There, I know I posted it this time, so if they remove it, I'll know.

    I'm waiting for Target to get the G4 iPods so I can use my discount. I had fought it for a long time, but with the 20 gig at $299 the price finally got close to the competition.

    Basically the adaptor is in two pieces. It is the cd changer adaptor that plugs into the back of the headunit and the aux in adaptor that plugs into that. It's a bit pricey at about $120 with shipping. I'm waiting to order till I buy the iPod which hopefully won't be too long. My XM radio will like it too :)
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Ordered the line in today. Definitely expensive, but will be worth it if it works good. Since I pretty much only listen to MP3 or XM, the aux in will get tons of use. That at least makes the cost easier to swallow. They ship same day, so hopefully I'll have this in time to install over the weekend.

    Now I'm off to find tips on removing my radio.......
  • alternatoralternator Member Posts: 629
    I own a 2002 Mazda Protege 2.0L with automatic transmission, only 5,000 miles on it so far. I am easy on the gas, drive a mixture of city and country, but more often city. Under exactly the same driving conditions, I always averaged about 25 mpg in my previous four Chevrolet Cavaliers (each 4 cyl with AT). My Protege is averaging only 20 mpg (and the fuel mileage seems to be going down a little at that). Acceleration and idle seem normal. Exhaust color normal. I wonder why so many other Protege owners with the same engine and AT report getting 28-30 mpg? Any ideas?
  • solomr2solomr2 Member Posts: 1
    Greetings,

    I just bought a 2003 P5. Anything that I should watchout for?

    Has anyone yet figured out how to rewire the fog lights so they can be operated independantly of the main headlights?

    I imagine there is some kind of relay that is only powered when the headlights are on.

    Thanks.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Took about 30 minutes this weekend. Hardest part was getting the headunit out. Works great and I'm glad to be rid of the FM modulation.
  • lawman1967lawman1967 Member Posts: 314
    How did you do it? I am very interested in doing this myself, can you give a blow-by-blow and the parts/tools/etc needed?
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    I'm not an expert so I'll do my best.

    Buy adapters as noted in post 1094.

    If you know how to remove the headunit, skip this part:
    I bought two sets of Ford radio removal tools from the auto parts store. You can make your own, but for $10 I just bought them.
    Take off the side covers of the radio. You can use a bent paper clip and pull. They pop right off. You'll see 3 holes on either side of the radio. The top and bottom holes are where the clips are. Put all 4 tools into the radio. Top hole/middle hole and middle hole/bottom hole on each side of the radio. Pull apart slightly and remove the radio. Two sets of hands would make it easier but I did it myself. I used a very small flat head screwdriver to take out the plate between the volume and tuning knobs. It gave me somewhere to pull. Slide out the radio.

    Aux In Installation:
    The aux in plugs into the back of the radio. It only fits one spot so that's easy enough. I bought a 3' mini to rca cable from radio shack and ran it from my cupholder up behind the radio and plugged it into the rca in's in the aux input. Then it's time to put in back together. There is plenty of space under the radio for the aux input box so I took a piece of velcro and stuck it under the radio. Slid the radio back in till the clips snapped. Put the cover pieces back on and I was done.

    Only tools I needed were the radio removal tools, a paper clip and a small flat head screwdriver.
  • lawman1967lawman1967 Member Posts: 314
    My Protege has the 6-disc in-dash, does the "one connector only" mean I'll have to remove the changer?
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    I don't think the 6 disc in dash changer uses that port. I think it's just another module attached to the headunit. Now whether it's still usable or not, I don't know. For my single cd radio, when I push the cd button I get the aux in. To listen to cd I have to insert a cd and it will autoplay.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I find that it improves my fuel economy 1-2mpg at least, and it lasts perhaps for 1000 miles. It burns out some carbon or varnish deposits by making the combustion chambers hotter for longer.

    After that, if you don't already (and I don't think this matters anymore as pretty much all fuels from all refineries come with detergents), buy fuel from a "big brand" name for a few tankfuls.

    After that, check your plugs and plug wires. If you see lots of black deposits, you're running it too cold (lots of short trips) or the fuel mixture is too rich. Try the "Italian" tune-up (long, fast drive) first, and see if this clears it up. Then check your plug wires (they're cheap enough, you might just replace them) and replace your plugs.

    Check your fuel filler cap. It may leak a little. Of course, this would probably have already set off your "Check Engine" light.

    If you still have problems, get a tune-up done. Mention that you think you're getting MPG significantly lower than you expect. The valves may need to be cleaned. The injectors may need to be cleaned. The Engine Control Module may need to be updated. Your Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve may need to be cleaned or replaced (this recirculates some exhaust fumes as some unburned fuel is always in it).

    Some LX models (like mine) were affected by a failing Mass AirFlow sensor, which causes poor MPG, rough idle and even stalling. My poor LX exhibited the symptoms and got about 16mpg when that happened to it. This device is abbreviated as MAF or MAS.

    Your oxygen sensor may be fouled (excess fuel), which only makes a bad situation (rich mixture) worse. No point in replacing it until the root cause is addressed.
  • alternatoralternator Member Posts: 629
    I appreciate all the thought you have put into my problem. Based on my own observations, I have pretty well ruled out plugs, plug wiring, plug fouling or PCV valve as causes for my low MPG. And the smooth idle and brisk acceleration make me think that something subtle must be the root cause. I will be scheduling a visit soon to the dealer to see if their diagnostics tools can come up with an answer. Thanks for your input. I'll report back later on this.
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Had an incident this morning with my hood getting whacked by a lawnmower's grass catcher at 80+ mph.

    Anyway, the body shop claims the new hood matched to my Ugly Green Pro ES will run me $1200!

    Someone on the Pro board suggested a CF hood. Any thoughts on a good place to get that CF Evo Hood from Vis? I may not like the bling bling of it but maybe getting the cf hood will push me to finally lose the lame 16s on the car and get decent, light, better roadholding 17s.
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    IIRC, are you talking about those hoods with louvres on top of it, that in theory improves heat dissipation from the engine bay?

    I like just good ol' OE replacement CF hood. looks clean and not as outrageous as the Evo style.

    which green do you have? Sepang or Emerald?
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    Emerald.

    I haven't found a straight replacement CF hood. If you know one you like, lemme hear about it. My searches keep turning up evo style hoods.
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    look at the link i posted in the main Protege thread...
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    also look at the DG Motorsports one I posted on the main Protege thread. I have seen their products in person, very good quality.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I'm glad your BF Goodrich Traction T/As are working well for you. You sound well too, I hope that is the case.

     

    I figured I shouldn't respond in the P&S board....don't need to augment that message count needlessly. :)

     

    We haven't had much snow yet (lucky), but some ice. I've been OK so far on the Falkens. My driveway has only a slight slope to it so it's not challenging to drive up it when it's slippery (one thing we looked for when house-shopping).

     

    Keep us posted on the tires. My wife's being pretty easy on her stock Dunlops, but I want to keep an eye out for replacements in a couple of years when the rubber gets too old (she let her Dunlop D60A2s on her Saturn get too old and the sidewall on one blew...those things were probably 7 yrs old then...she puts those kinds of things off for too long (I kept bugging her to get new tires)...guess who ended up changing out her blown tire in the blowing snowstorm)? She was lucky. It blew on a local road just before she was to get onto the freeway, so she was able to limp into a gas station safely.

     

    Anyway, I'm changing out the tires on her P5 in 2-3 years no matter how much tread is left so that doesn't happen again. She's gotten pretty good wear out of her Dunlops, unlike some. She's over 30k and has about 50-60% of the original tread left.

     

    And I just put a new battery in my iPod. 20 hours of run-time! Now that's cool. That's enough for even international flights (though I hope I won't have to go on any for work any time soon). It was time; its original battery was lasting only 3-4 hours. It was pretty easy too, especially with the plastic tools that came with the battery.

     

    Anyway, happy holidays and take care!
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Your wife must be the most gentle driver in the world! I can't believe she gets so much time on her tires.

     

    Cool about the iPod battery. My new iPod is under the tree just waiting for Christmas day!
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    I bet your anticipation for the iPod is killer. :)

     

    The Falken ZE-512s are not as good on snow as the Dunlop SP Sport A2s I last had on my LX. But apparently they're better than the Dunlop SP5000 on my wife's P5. Yeah, she's pretty easy in corners (they inspected her tires this morning at the dealership and they have over 50% tread left with 31k miles). She's just a leadfoot on the freeway. :)

     

    Anyway, the tires are OK accelerating and cornering. They're worse at stopping, but it's all manageable. It's not bad enough I'll get snow tires as it doesn't snow that much here. However, I'll probably check out the BG Goodrich Traction T/As the next time around and the 4th (and probably last) set of tires I buy for my LX will be what I consider did the best. :)
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    A reporter would like to talk with anyone fitting the following profile...."I'd love to find some folks who've modified their own rides. I'm particularly interested in people who've done this for the first time and were driven to do it, at least in part, from watching a tv show like Pimp My Ride, Overhaulin' or something similar. I'm looking for average drivers who are just discovering that they can personalize their rides. I'm not as interested in the traditional tuner crowd who've been doing this for years."

     

    If you have a story to share, please send your name, daytime contact info and a line or two about your vehicle to jfallon@edmunds.com by Wednesday, December 29, 2004.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    "It's not bad enough I'll get snow tires as it doesn't snow that much here."

     

    Did you enjoy all the snow! :)
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Aside from the fact our street never got a decent plowing, it wasn't bad. I had enough vacation days that I was able to stay home during the really nasty stuff. It made for a beautiful white Christmas (though I'm sure that didn't make it up enough for those stuck while traveling).

     

    The day after the snow (my last day of the year in the office), I heard on the radio that my employer had closed for the day. :)

     

    I ventured out on Saturday to take my daughter sledding. The Falkens did OK in most respects except in braking. They slide real easily, perhaps due to its unidirectional design?

     

    Anyway, forward traction is OK for an all-season tire. I just had to start slowing down waaaaay far in advance so I could brake gently. I note the BF Goodrich Traction T/A is available for order from Sam's Club and in my Protege's (and my wife's P5's) size. It's still a unidirectional tire, but the tread design looks better-suited for mud and snow use. I think that'll be the next set I put on my Pro.
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Although we didn't have as much snow as you guys, I had some difficulty getting the Falkens to stop on some icy streets we had the week before the holidays. The salt trucks hadn't been out yet, and I felt like Peggy Fleming. :P
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Ottawa, Canada's capital, recently had some of its severest winter weather: icy rain followed by snow followed by a one day melt followed by icy rain. It's interesting that in these conditions the driving appeared to improve; could it be that facing such an extreme test that many drivers realize they have been bested by mother nature and need to adapt? Keeping a judicious distance, driving at a more moderate rate, signalling lane changes : all these were more in evidence this last week. Then again, there were reports of hundreds of fender benders so maybe I'm kidding myself.

     

    Riding on the Goodrich Winter Slaloms reduced the stress and added to my sense of security. Love those winter tires!
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Hope you can join us tonight for the first chat of the new year. Everything automotive is fair game, and the planning continues for our "meet up" to the Philadelphia Auto Show in Feb! Hope to see you there!

     

    PF Flyer

    Host

    Pickups & News & Views Message Boards


     

    The MAZDA MANIA chat is on TONIGHT. Join us for the '05 season of chat! Check out the schedule
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    They'll soon be standard on all GM factory stereos. Unfortunately for them, the only vehicles that even remotely appeal to me are the Cobalt, Vibe and Aura.

    Now if Mazda would get off their rear and do something like that, there'd be one less reason for me NOT to consider a Mazda as my next vehicle. Of course, I'd prefer if they'd get away from the trend of heavily customized center stacks that make it difficult, if not impossible, to put in aftermarket gear. I'm seriously thinking Hyundai or Honda because of this.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    That's cool, since my next car might very well be a G6 convertible. Although with the amount of companies that provide aux input converters now, my demand for factory has diminished somewhat.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    With many auto mfrs putting in custom center stacks to accommodate NAV systems and the like.

    Some aftermarket companies provide replacement faceplates (like for the current Accord) that make putting in aftermarket head units easier, but you usually lose some of the functions the factory unit had.

    I despise that trend, since I usually prefer the power and sound of aftermarket components (I do prefer the user interface of factory head units as they usually offer larger buttons and dials than aftermarket units do).
  • civiletticiviletti Member Posts: 86
    Has anyone replaced the cd/receiver in a '99 or newer Pro? How difficult was it? What adapters wre needed other than those supplied with the replacement deck?
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    It was fairly easy, even though I wasn't supplied an adapter by the retailer. It took me 3 hours with me figuring out what wire went to what pin in my JVC unit. If I had an adapter, it would've taken less than 30 minutes. Get a Ford-compatible head unit removal tool set to remove the factory head unit (the ends of the tools go into the 4 holes, two on each side of the head unit).

    Use a small precision flat-head screwdriver to pry off the two plastic panels that cover the 4 holes (one cover at each end of the head unit face). Insert the removal tools until you hear clicks. Then pull out the head unit and detach the wiring harness connector, antenna and ground cable. Reattach cables and wire harnesses (and adapters) in reverse order.

    If you don't have an adapter, then you'll want to have a multimeter handy to identify the wires in the harness to match them to your new head unit's pins. I can provide a graphic showing the wires in my '99 Pro LX, if you want (I have to draw one more legible than the one scribbled in my notepad). If I could have, I would've purchased one. Crutchfield sometimes provides them. The place I bought mine from didn't.
  • driv3rdriv3r Member Posts: 2
    I see that the protege radio is larger then a "normal sized" car radio... does this mean that you have to replace it with a radio of the same size... If so or if not... Please explain how this is managed.
  • driv3rdriv3r Member Posts: 2
    I figured it out through crutchfield's website. :shades: Ignore my blabbering.
  • rcolonrcolon Member Posts: 1
    My name is Robert I saw your reply on this message and I have a few questions of my own I am fixing my 92 protege up for car show and I need help finding part for example I am looking for a body kit, clear tail lights and see if I could change the headlights for right now that is what I'm looking for.

    thanks
    Robert

    P.S. I would appreciate all the help I can get.
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