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Mazda Protege5

17071737576154

Comments

  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    I'm not sure what part of the country you live in, but if you're in the snow belt, you could always remove the Dunlops and put winter tires on that set of wheels. Only problem is that it may be hard to find winter tires in the Dunlop profile.
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    Thanks for the detailed info on rewiring the driving lights. I might just do that.
  • mustang87mustang87 Member Posts: 129
    if at any point during the rewire you don't understand something or get confused, do not guess and do not continue. ask your question here first. i just did mine today. and if you don't feel like cutting the wire thats going into the relay, its possible to pull the relay down (you must tug on it hard though) and then disconnect the white connector and remove the red wire with the spade connector out by lifting a small tab from the OPPOSITE side of where the wire enters the connector. btw, the light green wire that goes into the switch must connected to the relay (or the piece of red wire that would be sticking out from the relay if you cut it, NOT TO THE WIRE THAT I ORIGINALLY SAID. the small black box doesn't have a clear housing around it. you will figure out which relays it is. its the smallest one and it has 4 wires going into it. red, and i believe the other 3 are blue or blue/green. if you are carefull this can be done without cutting any wire or breaking anything. the light green wire doesn't even have to be pulled out from the switch. when yo connect a new wire to the relay where the red one is, the other end of the new wire can easily be stuck into the same hole where green wire goes into the switch. it will be snug in there and won't come out. you can always add some electrical tape and tape the new wire and green together just in case. i might do a photo shoot of the install tommorow so its clear for other people. btw, i am not responcible for anything that happens to your car, you, or your hamster.
  • sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Nope....no snow driving for me....I'm in California...silicon valley area. Thanks anyway though!
    Sharon
  • iamziamz Member Posts: 542
    Sorry mustang87, I thanked the wrong person (silver_bullet). I'll check out everything with a voltmeter first, and don't worry, if something goes terribly wrong (someone's hamster dies), I promise I won't sue. ;)
  • riopelleriopelle Member Posts: 132
    Mustang - thanks so much for the detailed response, I'll give it a look this afternoon. Were you planning on doing this anyway, I presume? How does it look?

    Sharon - my info was a mix of that from someone who works for Mazda, and everything they have released information-wise to date on the 6 and MS3.

    As I mentioned, sheer logic dictates that they are not going to put a 160hp/155ft-lbs engine in a P5 and undermine the heavily promoted release of a 170hp/145ft-lbs powered MS3. When they are ready to upgrade the P5 that signicantly, they will definitely alert the press.

    ULEV rated vehicles contribute 70% less pollution that the average new vehicle, if I recall the figure correctly.
  • mustang87mustang87 Member Posts: 129
    yes i did the fogs on saturday. i am the third in my club to do it. the other people, p5 and mp3 had it for a while and no problems. this is a simple mod if you follow directions. again, really all there is to it is to cut one wire and splice the end that comes from the relay into the light green wire that goes to the fogs switch. thats it. heck, if anybody needs technical support just call me today on my cell (954)562-2705 and i will help you. it actually looks pretty cool because now you can have fogs on with parking lights and early in the morking or at twilight in the evening it looks simply awesome. brights still work as usuall. when you turn them on, fogs turn off.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Rewiring them to come on with the parking lights will not harm the car or wiring. I had it done i my 2001 Protege ES, but did not do it myself. Cost me like $30 or something at a local stereo shop and looked pretty neat.
  • alternatoralternator Member Posts: 629
    http://www.auto-asia.com/viewcontent.asp?pk=7088&full=yes&char=386


    says that the basic 4cyl engine for all upcoming Mazda and Ford vehicles will be a Mazda 2.26 L MZR engine (just newly released in Japan in the MPV minivan).

  • riopelleriopelle Member Posts: 132
    I looked at the fog wiring job quickly yesterday, and I may want to take you up on the over-the-phone advice offer. I am thinking I can get to it next saturday or sunday late morning. Is calling your cel either of these times good for you? If not , when would be? Thanks.
  • mp5freakmp5freak Member Posts: 51
    Hmm - I'd heard that running the fogs without the regular headlights is prohibited in some regions. I don't know, as I've never thought of doing it. But I'd hate to spend all the time and risk completing the mod, only to be pulled over 2 days later and slapped with a $100 fine for my efforts. Granted, I've seen a few cars on the road with fogs and no headlights, so I'm not 100% sure that its illegal in my area. But I'd do yourself a favor and double check just in case!
  • cbmortoncbmorton Member Posts: 252
    Kind of a moot point here in Canada as our cars still have the headlights on (as DRLs) when the headlight switch is in the parking light mode. There's no way to drive around without headlights unless you bring the parking brake up one click or disable the DRLs, something I've not been able to figure out how to do.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Why would you want to disable the DRL's???
  • mustang87mustang87 Member Posts: 129
    no, i can't saturday or sunday morning. i'll be studying all day saturday for a final exam on sunday at 10:30am. i need as less distractions as possible. I'll be home around 2pm and you guys can call me after that and i can even talk through the whole night :) i do apologize for any inconviniences this might cause.

    i took pictures of the install today. hopefully i will be able to put together an html page together in the next couple of days detailing everything.

    mp5freak has a good point. i don't even know if its legal here in south florida or not. but it looks way cool when fogs and parking lights are on.
  • sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    This is a little off topic...but..just wondering if anyone here has personalized plates for their P5.
    Given that my first hundred or so choices are already taken....I'm thinking of ZMZZOOM JUSZOOM or ZOOMIN5 .. opinions anyone?
  • mudflatmudflat Member Posts: 47
    For quickest cool down of the car, put the AC on the coolest setting, highest fan speed, and on recirculate. No combination of control settings strains the system.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    a co-worker here has ZZOOMM on her Miata.

    You are allowed 8 characters, right? Letter, number or space.

    How about ZUUMZUUM? ZEWMZEWM? P5 ZOOM?

    I like the ZOOMIN 5
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    How about a simple "ZZZZOOOM"?

    Bruno
  • boopoppaboopoppa Member Posts: 48
    I would like to get personal tags that say:

    ON-Y-VA

    :-)
  • sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Maltb....you can only have 7 characters...The one you picked is my bro's favorite....seems to be split along gender lines..=)

    Bruno...tried that one already....already taken...I wasn't exaggerating when I said that about my first 100 choices were already taken! I couldn't believe how many variations of the zoom zoom theme people already have!

    Sharon
  • mustang87mustang87 Member Posts: 129
    i have "zoom p5" on my car and in florida you are only alowed 7 characters.


    check this out, it will tell show you how your choice will look like on the plate of your state:

    http://www.acme.com/licensemaker/licensemaker.cgi

  • sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Yeah...in Cali it's 7 characters also. Our DMV actually has a site where you can see what it will look like on the plate.....unless it's already taken...in which case it will let you know.
    Two more I came up with....ZOOMNP5 P5ZOOMN....hmmz..will the decisions never end???!
  • vilainefemmevilainefemme Member Posts: 49
    I've got personalized plates coming sometime soon but it doesn't relate to zoom-zoom. It's ZENTO, Japanese for "the journey ahead". I had three options, all three Japanese words, but luckily this one was my first choice.

    vf
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    what about some of the shapes they now have?
    (heart)2ZUUM would be cool.

    VF, Like that one. What made you pick it?
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Someone at the MAPP II had "ZUUM" on a Va. tag on their car.
  • vilainefemmevilainefemme Member Posts: 49
    I was just searching through an online Japanese dictionary to find things that sounded cool. http://www.savergen.com/onldict/[non-permissible content removed].html My other choices were

    hayaku = fast

    zenshin = drive


    Of course the hard part is hoping that what you pick out means what you think it is. I picked Japanese because it's a Japanese car.


    they've now got shapes available for license plates? I haven't seen anything like that here in WI. what have they got besides the heart?


    vf

  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    in CA they have a heart, star, hand and a +.

    The problem is you can only get plates based on letters or numbers so you'll never get (heart)2ZOOM if 2ZOOM is already taken.

    BTW, did you double check with a Japanese friend to make sure that was a word you wanted? Wouldn't you hate to find out it meant something else?
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Yeah don't get "baka" put on the back of your car!! That would be NO good!
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    out of curiosity, I asked a Japanese friend here at work what it meant. After a few moments of confusion and me telling her the definition, she said, "ahhh, it means Looking Forward To or The Road Ahead." So I guess you are pretty safe with that and it's kinda cool.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Ask her what "baka" means... (Not BACK-a...baa-kaa) :D
  • mnkyboymnkyboy Member Posts: 108
    Are you talking about Bukaka? DONT get that on the back of your car!!! LOL :P
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    it means 'faster!' or 'hurry up!'
  • techtalkertechtalker Member Posts: 4
    comes out? I'm interested, but i stay away from first year models as a rule...Thanks in advance!
  • silver_bulletsilver_bullet Member Posts: 1,339
    If it helps, you should know that the same car has been available in Japan and Europe for years. It is only "new" to our market. I wouldn't be too concerned about "first year" problems (even with Ford's ownership stake).
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    It's really into second year run. It had come out really early as a 2002 and has had a long 2002 model year run. There's already been updates, like optional leather and sport shift automatic. So I wouldn't worry about. There are a lot of people who have a lot of miles already, and there hasn't been any great amount of problems.

    It's like Silver Bullet said, it really wasn't a brand new car to begin with.
  • bjewettbjewett Member Posts: 62
    My understanding is the 2003 P5 will, like the sedan, be based on a focus platform. In that sense, it will very much be a new car. Given the 9 recalls on the 2000 Focus, that is reason for concern.
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    2003 is the same platform. Look for major changes in 2004.
  • SporinSporin Member Posts: 1,066
    And it wil be a NEW Focus platform, partly developed by Mazda and carrying the next generation Focus, Protege, Vlvo 40, etc.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    I took the question is they are interested in the P5 now, but since 2002 was it's first model year, that they would wait till the 2003's came out. Not that they were waiting because they wanted the all new 2003 per se.
    With the major changes coming that is one reason I think now is a fine time to buy. Even though it's the same model year, the production run has been pretty long, so therefore it's not really like a first year run which worried the person asking the question.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    don't sweat the Focus platform...it's a pretty good one. The Focus problems are with some of the components, but not the paltform itself.

    Ford builds great platforms, it's some of the other stuff that can be questionable...nobody is complaining that the new baby Jaguar rides on a Ford Contour platform. haha

    Rich
  • the_big_hthe_big_h Member Posts: 1,583
    even with the shared Ford Focus platform (which is WRC-proved, meaning it's an excellent chassis), the next generation Protege/Protege5 will still be built in Japan, right?

    I believe where the car is built still has a major influence on the quality of the finished product. If the new Pro is still MIJ then it should be fine :)
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    yes...the P5 will continue to be built in Japan. As will the Ford Laser (re-badged P5 sold in aust.)

    **** Our first Mid-cycle update P5 arrived today with the sport-shift and new alloys...*****
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    What does the SportShift thing look like? I am curious. Is it anything like VW's? And what's the new design of the wheels look like?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    please go to mazdausa webpage, *Specs & Features* of the Protege5. They have pictures of both (clicking on the small black arrows).

    Bruno
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Thanks for the tip, but I went there and checked it out right after asking. I figured it was worth a shot, and it was. :)
  • pciskowskipciskowski Member Posts: 155
    My trim panel on the passenger side under the heater vent has come loose (or always was loose). I had the dealer look at it when I took it in yesterday, but they didn't fix it. Has anyone else had this come loose and come up with a permanent solution? Right now I just have it wedged against the back of the console.

    By the way, this was the source of a rattle I have been trying to find for weeks!
  • doctoranndoctorann Member Posts: 12
    HI all --

    I own a 2000 Protege ES. Love the car, though it's had a few problems (all covered under warranty), and I don't like the way it shifts (manual transmission). Anyway, I am seriously considering trading "up" for a P5. What are your thoughts on this?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    Not an easy question! At least two members of this forum own both cars, Mike and Meade, however I don't think they have manual shift on both cars. I'm sure they will give you some inputs. What can I say. I love the shifting of the P5. At first, the side of the seat bother my elbow a little bit (notice that I'm short 5'6''). Now I'm getting use to it. I just prefer the shifter a little bit more forward. But other than that I love the shifting: fast, accurate, ... The chassis, suspension are reinforced on the P5, making the handling even better. Now it's worth or not the trading? I have no idea.

    Bruno
  • sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    I decided those "kids plates" as they call them were to cutesy for me. Thanks for trying though =) My finalists are ZMZZOOM
    5GOZOOM ZOOMNP5 JUSZOOM and ZOOMIN5...
  • sharonfsharonf Member Posts: 120
    Thanks for that info...that means mine should be arriving soon!
    I wasn't aware of new alloys though. I just looked on the website and don't see a difference. Are they fairly similar to the previous ones?
    Sharon
This discussion has been closed.