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Mazda Protege5
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Comments
anyway, the hardest part is to get her in and out of the car. She can't jump that high by herself, so I have to pick up her 85 lb fat up to the car; man I'm tired just thinking about it. But it's all worth it for us and for her I'm sure. Good Luck.
-juice
This is nice:
Bruno
-juice
Oh, never mind! ;-)
-juice
-juice
The filter was a bear to get off and my filter wrench was too big. The oil drain bolt is the obvious one on the bottom, back of the black oil pan. The manual says it's on the front.
I used the Bosch filter and 5W-30 Valvoline Synthetic Blend oil. It took about 3.5 quarts. I'm at 4400 miles and intend to change around every 5k as recommended in the manual. I'd love to find a bigger filter.
At this mileage, I have no problems to report. The engine has really loosened up and revs smoothly and sweetly to redline without much prodding. The interior is quiet except for one small rattle/buzz coming from the glove-box. I need to empty it and see if my wife can track it down on our commute. I'm not really worried about it.
Does anyone have tourqe specs for the lug nuts? I need to switch over to mywinter wheels/tires soon and want to get it right.
-Finn
Silver P5
I bought my own oil and filter for around $14, plus the $15 charge at the garage. I'm OK with that every 5k miles.
In warm weather, I'll do it myself... now that the original factory filter is off.
-Finn
Silver P5
Pro_Fan
I think I will try to pick up a case of Purolator filters though. They are supposed to be the best.
I guess I'm nto a big fan of "lifetime-anything" because you never know how long you will have the car, how long you'll live in that area, or whatever.
You don't have to buy OE. I'm discovering that Mazda OE parts are WAY overpriced, after paying $212 for an O2 sensor for our 626 and $28 for a silly little gas cap on my Miata. Oil filters usually cost $2-5 aftermarket.
Don't forget the new crush washer for the drain plug.
-juice
Second, would a Hi-Flo air filter screw up the combustion ratio of air to gasoline? as a result wouldn't decrease gas mileage....
inquiry mind wants to know!
Personally, I'm too cheap to go the synth route.
Not sure about air filters. I looked at K&N filters, but the HP gains that are supposedly made are inconsequential for low HP engines. Also, sure there's a million mile warranty, but who can drive their cars 1 million miles? Just my thoughts.
PF
-juice
Some people put in synth so that they can change oil less frequent (because synth oil doesn't break down as easy). But i don't think that's a good idea. And if you change synthetic oil as frequent as regular ones, you might be throwing money down the oil drain.
Personally, i think the filter is more important. No point having the best synthetic oil if your filter does not trap dirt or other particles and allows it to flow round and around the engine.
So in short, get a good oil filter, change every 3000 miles and you should be in good shape!
As for the K&N filter, I have added a K&N drop in for my P5 and it is fine. The computer will re-adjust the fuel-air ratio, so you don't really have to worry. Don't know about increase in HP though, but don't expect major increase with just this little upgrade (at least I didn't feel any, partly because I haven't driven it hard yet). But it definitely helps in air-flow to the engine (just by taking a look at the stock filter vs K&N)
Bruno
I think I will purchase this tool; however $7 and 15 minutes may be worth the trouble, especially in winter.
I haven't noticed much of a difference with the synth oil, but the tech said it was probably a good idea for the cold starts in winter up here...
R
I used Mobil 1 Synthetic in my turbo Passat because it is GREAT for turbo engines. Withstands high heat, doesn't coke the oil lines as easily, better flow in the cold, etc.
I don't think it's necessary for our low compression, normally-aspirated 2.0 DOHC engines though. But I wanted better cold flow and some margin of error on change intervals... so I bought Valvoline's Synthetic BLEND. Split the difference. :-)
This is noticeable in my '99 Pro, but is REALLY noticeable in my '89 323. I switched mid-way through one winter and it was remarkable how much difference it made. Start-up was faster (less load on the starter motor) and the engine was running more smoothly.
I don't notice any difference in the warmer months.
Use some old sand paper to grip it if it's oily. You can usually get it off without tools.
-juice
The assistant service manager at my dealership told me that Mazda did not recommend putting synth in the car.
Why would these service people be so against synth? IMHO, it comes down to them wanting more frequent oil changes from the customer which to them=more cash. I can't honestly believe that Mazda would not recommend using synth. Nowhere in the manual does it state this. Nowhere on the website does it say this either.
PF
Bruno
Yes, with heat cycles it will be harder to remove than it was to install, but I've never had trouble getting them off my cars, including several Mazda engines.
-juice
-juice
-juice
I will be test driving one this weekend so I can find out, but I was just curious.
Thanks for your help.
2) The second way is like you said: the back cushions come forward and vertically, and then fold the back seats. Yes, the head rests need to be removed. The cargo surface will be almost flat (there is a step about an inch).
3) The third way is: the seat cushion can be removed completely away, then fold down the back seat. The head rests can stay if the front seats are not moved too much backward. The cargo surface will be almost flat like in the second case.
Bruno
Bruno
Your price sounds good. Mine was a little over 18k sticker including auto, a dealer installed sunroof (so no ABS or side airbags), and floor mats. At the time and for a car that flew off the lot, this was a good deal for me. If yours is a good deal for you, go for it!
Your doing fine.
Rich