Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

mudflat · April 2002

Mineral spirits should do the job. It's also good for tar removal.

bezadr · April 2002

Hi everyone, I'm a new owner of a P5 (picked it up 2 days ago), and new to this forum. I love my new car, but I notice a high-pitch wail coming from the moon roof, as if it is either not closed all the way (it is), or it is not airtight. Has anyone else noticed this? I don't know if this is just a normal moon roof thing, or if maybe there is something wrong with mine. Any help you may have is appreciated!!

protege_fan · April 2002

Are you sure it's the moon roof making the noise and not the roof rails?

bezadr · April 2002

Pretty sure, as it sounds like a wind leak, not just wind disturbance. It's a distinct whistle, as if the moon roof was not quite shut all the way, though it cannot be shut any further.

I thought about it being the roof rails, but I am not so sure. The whistle happens usually no slower than 60mph, but always happens once I reach 75-80.

Thanks

mazdafun · April 2002

I get a high-pitched whistling noise in my sedan starting about 60mph. This usually goes away by about 70. It's been attributed (by Mazda) to resonance of the air flowing over the weatherstripping around the windshield.

You could check with local shops to see if they have a weatherstripping leak detector. I think some use an ultrasonic emitter inside your vehicle and you move a microphone around the door and other openings to detect leaks.

meinrad · April 2002

My guess is it's the rack. I had the same problem, I only heard the whistle between 70-75 Mph. Now that the rack is removed I never hear it.
I think it's just the resonance threshold. Other factors may come into play but I think it's the biggest one.

bezadr · April 2002

Thank you all for your replies. I love my P5, and I was desperately hoping that there was nothing wrong with it. I will assume it is the roof rack for now, but when I take it in for the first service, I'll have them check anyway, just to be sure.

Thanks again!

chicagopro · April 2002

Thank you!!!!!

I was going to go screaming back to my dealer about the windshield install. I've been listening very closely since the new windshield was put in a couple of months ago, and was quite dismayed at the noise I heard starting at exactly 58 mph.

Don't get up that high very often (LOTS of speed traps on my commute), so it's possible I just never noticed it before. Also rarely get to go above 70, so not sure if it goes away...I'll try this weekend when I head out to the burbs.

P.S. to everyone else...I have a sedan, sorry to interrupt...as you were.

p5owner · April 2002

Hello,
I'm new to this forum and really enjoyed all the discussion. I had my P5 for nearly 10 months now and am very happy with it except for the fuel economy. I do mixed driving and get an avg of 22-23 mpg. The sticker shows 25 city and 30 highway so I expected the mpg to be around 27. (does anybody get this?) One theory I have is that the manufacturer initially puts in a higher viscosity oil for the breaking in period. Perhaps going to 5w-30 or 10w-30 afterward would mark some improvement? Others have suggested increasing the tire pressure which I'll certainly try. Would the roof rack cause a significant drag to affect fuel economy? I like to consider some self fixes before bringing my car to the dealer.

maltb · April 2002

If you are in California, it could be the gas. I seem to never get EPA ratings on anything I drive.

mazdafun · April 2002

Air drag increases roughly with the square of the increase in your air speed. The roof rack will likely account for a few mpg at highway speeds, probably a fraction of a mpg at speeds below 35mph (through air).

Try taking off the rack and see what you get.

Or you could always try for a tail wind.

Some "summer" blends do have less energy content, which decreases your economy as well. For example, ethanol and other oxygenating additives just don't pack as much punch as gasoline.

Other easy things to check/change: oil, oil filter, tire inflation pressures, wheel alignment, air filter, spark plugs. I notice an improvement in economy of 1-2mpg after I change my oil & oil filter. I get a small trend increase after I change the air filter, but it's small. I guess I never let my air filter get too dirty.

bluong1 · April 2002

I get an extra 1-2mpg after changing the air filter (15k miles). It runs about 30mpg for my last gas tank. Oil change never improves much the mileage of my car.

Bruno, 70% Hwy (80mph), 30% City, Manual P5.

mazdafun · April 2002

So you can negate any efficiency on the freeway over local driving if you're aggressive with your accelerator and brake pedals.

My mix is about 70/30 local/freeway and I can get 29mpg to 24mpg, depending on how friskily I drive.

p5owner · April 2002

Thank you all for your insights. I am in CA and I believe the gas might be a culprit. With my previous car, I noticed a drop in economy after MTBE was added into the gas. Can't really do much about this. :-(

protege_fan · April 2002

Wow...you guys are using MTBE?? That stuff is nasty!

maltb · April 2002

the joke is that they know the stuff is bad, but because they invested so much in the equipment to use MTBE, they want to keep it for a while longer to bay back the investment. Is that stupid or what?

Some times I am ashamed to be a Californian; other times I watch the weather reports around the world.

coznefx · April 2002

My MPG is rather pathetic too, but being an Angeleno I figure it must have something to do with the fact that I'm rarely able to break 15 mph...such is the price we pay for the weather.

bluong1 · April 2002

I can go twice faster on my bike!

Bruno

mazdafun · April 2002

redpr5 · April 2002

On my last tank I got 15MPG. This was entirely in town mileage. I am going to take it in to the shop tomorrow. I know that driving habits will make a difference and that driving fast will decrease your MPG, but I was careful to drive steady with very few fast starts or stops. When the car was new, it got 24MPG for the first three or four tanks. Then the MPG dropped to 17 for a few, went back to 22, then would fluctuate between 17 and 21 until the last few tanks which have been all 17 and now the last at 15.

Every time I have taken it in to the dealer, I get the same response that the computer say everything is normal and they can't find anything wrong. This is very annoying as my mileage is dropping more and more. I do have something new to tell them. On almost every hill, the automatic will drop out of overdrive to make it up the hill. This is on some hills that are not steep, but fairly long. I've also noticed on the last few tanks, that I am having to mash the pedal more to take off. It took a while for me to notice this, as it was so gradual. Also, sometimes when I hit a bump or go over a rise, you can feel the power come back for a short time, but it eventually goes back.

Now, other than the gas mileage problem, this is a great car. I've had the most fun driving and owning this car. It's classic red and I just waxed it and it looks great. It handles as well as a more expensive sports car and when running right has enough power to move you around and the price is extremely reasonable for what you get.

p5owner · April 2002

I certainly agree with you that this is a great car except for the mpg problem. I live in San Francisco so I do have lots of hills to drive through. I also avoid gunning it and that helped save 1 mpg. I haven't experienced your dramatic problem though. Hope to hear your update from the dealer as I am also contemplating bringing it to the shop also.

Another thing I noticed that affected mpg was turning the windshield defroster on. This also turned on the A/C which helped to quickly defrost the inside. My older car never did this so I was surprised.

mazdafun · April 2002

I think someone had a similar issue and the mass air flow sensor was defective.

coznefx · April 2002

I know what you're talking about. I just pulled in a miserable 17 mpg (driving conservatively). I had my car in the shop a couple of weeks ago, and since they were unable to pull any codes the dealer (and later Mazda North America) told me there was nothing they could do.

It's frustrating, especially when you read so many posts from people getting 30+ mpg.

BTW mazdafun, if the mass air flow sensor is defective wouldn't the check engine light come on?

bluong1 · April 2002

: BTW mazdafun, if the mass air flow sensor is defective wouldn't the check engine light come on?

I remember also the old post about air sensor, and IIRC, there was no engine light warning come on. The computer is just feed with wrong informations.

Bruno

coznefx · April 2002

Hmm, interesting...I kind of remember that post too. But then how are you supposed to determine if the air flow sensor is the problem?

bluong1 · April 2002

: But then how are you supposed to determine if the air flow sensor is the problem?

Hem, ... ask the dealer to check? ;-)

Bruno

mazdafun · May 2002

Which means they've got to understand what can cause poor fuel economy and what the are likeliest sources, so they can check those first.

dwryter · May 2002

My P5 idles just a little roughly, maybe 100 RPM over and under, and bucks a bit during acceleration from a near stop in rush-hour traffic. The car's high torque lets me ease out the clutch without touching the accelerator for crawling forward, and that's great. The problem is when traffic then starts to move a little and I gently give it gas at low RPM. I must feather the clutch in such cases or the P5 starts bouncing.

Is this due to the slightly rough idle? Is it common for Mazdas (I'm a former Civic Si owner)? Might the dealer be able to fix it? It's got only about 700 miles, so is still under warranty.

Thanks.

bluong1 · May 2002

Idle should be stable when the engine is warm. If it's still cold, a little variation is normal.

No, my P5 does not buck during acceleration in traffic. 700 miles is still very little. There is probably more friction for the new engine. My opinion is wait until the engine breaks more, probably until 3000 miles. If the bucking problem will be still prominent, then you should worry.

Bruno (former Civic ES owner)

dwryter · May 2002

My P5 idles just a little roughly, maybe 100 RPM over and under, and bucks a bit during acceleration from a near stop in rush-hour traffic. The car's high torque lets me ease out the clutch without touching the accelerator for crawling forward, and that's great. The problem is when traffic then starts to move a little and I gently give it gas at low RPM. I must feather the clutch in such cases or the P5 starts bouncing.

Is this due to the slightly rough idle? Is it common for Mazdas (I'm a former Civic Si owner)? Might the dealer be able to fix it? It's got only about 700 miles, so is still under warranty.

Thanks.

mazdafun · May 2002

Maybe they need to adjust the idle up a little higher or reprogram the ECM to make sure sufficient fuel is being fed to the engine at idle. It's likely set lean for lower emissions.

I don't think the 2.0 engine has any balance shafts or other devices to counter the momentum of the pistons. Most small engines don't (I think Mitsubishi owns a patent on a mechanism for small engines). You're not likely to notice except at higher rpms or when idling with too lean a fuel/air mixture (on the verge of stalling).

Sporin · May 2002

Cross Post...

proteges rock..yes/no/maybe

Your idle should be smooth, but takeoffs in 1st can be touchy. It seems to be a result of the very lean burn at idle (for emissions) and an aggressive throttle tip in.

I've been driving standard for 15 years and I still have trouble making a smooth getaway in 1st. My P5 has over 15k on it.

mootarjim · May 2002

LOVE my new MP5, but as it's my first ever NEW new car, and my first ever car with a sportier suspension, I'm not famliar with certain sounds. The one that has me a little concerned is the squeak I hear out of the front shocks (I think, but defnitely the front tire area, both sides) every time I hit a noticeable bump. The ride seems fine, better than fine even. Dealer service tightened a couple bolts, but said it looked real good. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

protege_fan · May 2002

Are you sure the sound is coming from the shocks? I know that in my '01 LX I kept on hearing a squeak in the front of my car. I too thought it must have been the shocks, but it turned out to be one of the seatbelts that was causing the squeak. Try moving the part that the seatbelt "plugs" into and see if that is what is causing the squeak.

mootarjim · May 2002

No, it's definitely outside. The only time I hear it is when the window is down (which is all the time, now that I own a car with a sunroof...WAHOOOOOO!)

protege_fan · May 2002

Then I'm at a loss! Do you notice it at all speeds, or just in a certain range?

mootarjim · May 2002

Pretty much all speed, though it's obviously more noticeable at slow speeds when other noises aren't there to mask it. The closest thing I can liken it to is a squeaky stair in an old house.

mazdafun · May 2002

I think there are a couple of rubber or rubber-like pads at either end of your springs. Make sure they're properly seated (and present, of course). If they're not, they can allow the springs to make squeaking noises.

shrique · May 2002

On my P5 I've noticed that they make a "squirty squishy" sound when you go over a bump but I've never heard a squeak. Then again I didn't have the windows open when the car was new (got it Nov) so it could have been making that noise and I just didn't hear it .

mootarjim · May 2002

You've got my sound down, I think, minus the windows being down. So, is it still doing it, or has the noise gone away in the months since you purchased it?

shrique · May 2002

Personally I'm not too worried about the sound. I think it's just the struts (I think their struts) contracting. They are filled with a liquid and when the contract you can hear the fluid moving through the baffles. Remember we have a pretty tight suspension on this car. The more aggresive suspension has more baffles for the liquid to go through thus the noise.

That's what went through my head when I heard the sound for the first time. Am I off base anyone?

newcar31 · May 2002

is normal. My friends Civic Si does it, my parent's Camry does it, and they've both done it since brand new. Also, my old Prelude and Integra did it too. The squirty-squishy sound. Lol.

shrique · May 2002

Well that's a good description of the sound isn't it. (GRIN)

That's what I figured. I've heard the sound before in other cars. Usually though just on hard bumps like speed bumps and such.

dwryter · May 2002

I asked this on the Edmunds P5 group and no one replied with info. Maybe I'll have better luck here?

If you installed a K&N filter on your P5, I and perhaps others would appreciate knowing how it affected 1) Low-end power, 2) High-RPM power, 3) MPG, 4) Noise Level, 5) Warranty, 6) Anything else you'd care to share.

Also, if you've added a cold air intake tube, what were its affects? What did it cost, how thick is it, and where'd you get it?

Thanks!

the_big_h · May 2002

this is using the K&N drop-in filter, NOT the CAI.

1. about the same

2. about the same, but engine revs up a little faster now

3. I'm getting 1-2mpg better than before

4. definitely louder than stock filter, but it sounds good!

5. replacement filter will NOT void your warranty

6. go for either the drop-in, or the 2 most popular intakes (AEM short ram or Injen CAI). You won't regret it!

if you want more info, go to http://www.protegeclub.com/forum , there are tons of information about these intakes, and a lot of Pro owners that have firsthand experiences with these.

good luck!

sunbyrne · May 2002

Hey, I did reply to your questions on the P5 board...

reitrof · May 2002

Put mine in after 1000 miles in my P5 and my views are the same as the_big_h.

lngtonge18 · May 2002

I'm thinking of looking into the P5 to replace my Accent. But I have some concerns with it that I have heard mentioned here and elsewhere. Is this car really that loud on the highway wind noise, road noise, and engine noise wise? I would probably take off the roof rack as I have no need for it. Without that on it, would you say the wind noise is comparable to other compacts? Do those lovely big wheels make a lot of racket? Does the engine sound coarse and isn't as willing to rev as past Mazda engines (the 1.6 in my Miata is truly amazing in its response, smoothness, and sound effects)? What are the rpms at 75 and 80 mph with a 5 speed? I also am concerned with rattles; how common do they seem to be with this car? Those are my main concerns with this car. Otherwise, I love the looks and think its a very cool car. The other cars I'm considering are the Suzuki Aerio, Hyundai Tiburon, and Mitsu Lancer OZ (already own one of these and love it; its very refined and quiet). I was able to mark the Matrix off my list, but I need to narrow down my choices further. Any help is appreciated!

the_big_h · May 2002

one word: test drive (ok 2 words)

once you drive it you'll see why Protege/Protege5's have such a loyal following

sharonf · May 2002

Well, I've only had my P5 a little over a week so maybe I'm not the best to comment, but I haven't heard any of the rattles that some others have experienced. Neither have I noticed extreme noise from the tires. The only noise I've heard is wind noise from the open sunroof, and even when it's shut I sometimes here a slight wind sound. Of course, with the radio on, it drowns these things out.
I love the looks of the car and driving it. Even had a lady in a BMW stop by me at the gas station yesterday to tell me "that's a VERY nice looking car"

made my day.
The only problems I've really had are with my dealer. I'll be going back tomorrow to have a scratch in my leather repaired, and to make them do the "pre-inspection" that I fear was never done!!
In any case, I feel the pluses far outweight the minuses.
Sharon

Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

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