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Any comments on replacing it with a new one from the dealer or a used one from the scap yard? Any suggestions/tips on the process?
Update: I bought a new horn for C$60; installation will be happening in December.
Have you tried loading and playing one standard CD alone? Are the CDs that you are trying home-made or standard store bought ones?
Update: I bought a new horn for C$60; installation will be happening in December.
It took one hour to have my garage replace the horn ... and now it's back tooting good as new!
Just bought an '03 P5 w/ 108k from a Honda dealer in the Bay Area. I regret it now just because I found other models w/ less miles. Anyways, 50 miles after driving the car off the lot the CEL came on. I returned it immediately to the dealer and after running the computer they told me the rear cat needed to be replaced. I was able to get them to give me a 12 yr/ 12k warranty on the car on top of replacing the cat for free. I mentioned that I heard the EGR valve was an issue w/ this model and they basically shrugged it off. After they replaced the rear cat w/ an aftermarket part, the CEL came on within 20 miles. I returned the car again to the surprise of the service man. He apologized and said he would have to check w/ Mazda to see what to do. He called back to tell me the front cat needs replacing as well, this time w/ a factory part. I am returning the car in a few days for the repair. I am very concerned that other problems will arise and cause the CEL to come on again, or worse. I may be able to return the car w/o penalization. I do love it and would rather keep it w/ the confidence that nothing else will happen for now. They are replacing it for free, but how do I get them to believe that the EGR, O2 sensor, etc. could cause these problems and have them check it?
Thanks for any help.
Right low beam already went out too. Not a great 1st impression.
Did you mean 12 month/12k warranty?
I may be able to return the car w/o penalization. I do love it and would rather keep it w/ the confidence that nothing else will happen for now. They are replacing it for free, but how do I get them to believe that the EGR, O2 sensor, etc. could cause these problems and have them check it?
Was the car certified by the seller? Has the seller written down in the contract that all necessary repairs would be covered during the warranty period? Contact the seller to express your concerns and see what is said if you were to return the car and whether there are any "special" charges (penalties).
You may want to consider getting an independent assessment done by a garage/mechanic that you trust. You can mention specific concerns (e.g. EGR). The mechanic may be able to evaluate the overall condition of the car and alert you to potential problems in the near future.
With a seven year old car you should expect to have some repairs required. Based on the mechanic's evaluation you could decide which are reasonable (e.g. worn tires need to be replaced eventually), which are trivial (e.g. burnt bulb) and which are serious repairs that you don't want to have to face (e.g. faulty transmission).
My 2002P5 has had its issues but on the whole I am very satisfied with the vehicle and its repair history.
Keep us posted and good luck!
I would appreciate everyones input regarding modification to get more MPG
Any sugjestions?
Tires: (stock Dunlops are great but ware quickly) Replaced with non-stock..miss the performance.. small milage drop...reasonable compromise? need better shoes!
Gas: (87Octane) any benefits 89?
Oil: (5W-30 Dino w/ 3k changes) Synthetic? 10W-40? Is it too late to convert?
Air: (K&N, intake unmodified) Any more sugjestions?
Mileage Computer: fun or practical?
Reprogramming: expensive... is it worth it?
Oddities: small leakage at valve cover...should I worry?
After adpoting a hypermiler driving habits I average 24.5mpg.
Most driving is California city 90%, 10% freeway.
P5 2003 w/miles: 75K, generally stock, lovingly maintained
Thanks for your imput!
Is your car manual or automatic? From my experience, it's how you drive that makes the difference. Not the gizmos you add to your car.
If manual, shift @ 2000rpm. No hard accelerations: makes a big difference too. Put on neutral when coming to a stop/going off highway (avoid downshifts). If you see a red light ahead, go easy on the speed... just let the car roll to the light rather than accelerate and brake.
Keep trunk empty. Turn AC off when not needed. Respect speed limits.
And best tip ever: walk or bike for the short trips!
2001 protege. Just above 60K
Another obvious one: keep your baby well tuned. Or as the Beatles would say
"In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It's a clean machine."
catalytic converters generally don't go out on their own. Usually a result of misfires. If possible you should ask for the CEL codes the dealership pulled. P0300 is a misfire. (auto parts stores can usually do this, even after the fact).
if the car misfires, you'll know it and you'll get another flashing CEL
If that happens, my advice to you would be to invest about $200 in new ignition coils, spark plug wires, and spark plugs. If the coils have never been changed, they are probably overdue @108k. Check rockauto.com for the parts. OEM from mazda are insanely expensive.
igntion coils - * Airtex (5C1208) or Standard Motor Products (UF-407)
wires (short & long in a set) - NGK Part # 5659
plugs - NGK copper
labor - no more than 1 hour
Agreed. In fact that's what a Mazda service rep recommended to me when I asked the same question.
Could be. It's an eight year old car, so it's likely it will need parts replaced. Personally, I'd have my garage check it out to make sure the right ones are being replaced.
This did not fix the problem. it still blows the main 30 amp injector fuse everytime i turn on the key and try to start the car. my car has been broken for 3 weeks. i reallt need to get it fixed. i can't afford to have it towed and repaired by mazda or a repair shop. someone has to know what tis problem is and how to fix it HELP! please
Has anyone else had similar AC experiences?
Ditto. A few weeks back while heading to Montreal ours conked out. Like Paul, I was suddenly converted to the worth of AC.
p.s. do you have your new Fiesta? They are all over the showrooms here but I haven't had a chance myself to take a look yet.
Interesting. Seems they must be shipping them all to Canada then because last I heard from my dealer (this past Saturday) was that only 2 were in the twin cities (Mpls./St.Paul, MN)
I'm thinking, if I'm lucky, maybe by September. Ford really messed up the launch of these cars.
Do I have to bleed the brakes just to get it to depress?
On my previous vehicle, I used a C clamp to depress this cylinder. ON this caliper there is not single flat spot on which I could get a C clamp to attach. I tried another tool that fit inside where the outer brake pad fits and presses against the inner brake pad to depress the cylinder. Perhaps it was a cheap tool but the threads stripped trying to twist it down on the brake pad. I had to use a hack saw to cut it to get it out.
The current brake pads are worn and I want to get this accomplished soon. I have searched everywhere on the internet for an answer.
All the garages around here insist on turning the rotors and charging an arm and a leg for it. If I replace the pads now--turning them is not necessary. HELP?!
I have the same problem with my 2003 P5 with 130K miles on it. Do you still have the problem? What was the fix? As someone else stated, I am "mechanically challenged". Thanks!
I continued to drive the car - and the problem steadly got worse. It was suggested that we replace the O2 Senors. Before I could get it in the shop, my husband blew the motor while driving down the interestate. So we found a replacement motor - with close the same miles - however we did have do a conversion - the replacement motor was from a car with an automatic transmission and mine in manual.
Since putting the replacement motor in the car has been in and out of the shop... for the same radom misfire that happened on the old motor - except now it is much worse. All plugs, coils packs, o2 Sensore and the EGR valve have all been replaced at this point and everyone is ready to give up.
Does anyone out there have any suggestion or thought on what to do???? I hate to have to buy a new car at this point expecially after putting this much into fixing this one but... I have to have a reliable car.... HELP....
I'm guessing you replace the plug wires as well?
Another possible cause is the strainer over the fuel pump. It can get clogged over time and cause misfires. It can be cleaned or just replaced.
here's some good info on the topic. http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?107361-Misfire-problem-diagnosed!&- highlight=fuel+strainer
Occasional problems on this vehicle are failure of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve and the Intake Manifold. Failure of the EGR valve will cause the Check Engine Light to illuminate and may also cause the engine to misfire or run rough at idle. Failure of the Intake Manifold may cause a rattling noise or engine misfires. The cost to replace the EGR valve is estimated at $146.00 for the parts and $30.00 for the labor. Replacement of the intake manifold is covered under a safety recall.
The problem is that i don't know which of these fuse i need to change ! Its the P/WIND ? H/CLN? A7C? S/WRM?????? Help me pleaseee !
I'm not sure it would be the fuse. A similar thing happened to my old Corolla when it got bumped by another car; the light switch got affected.
In any case the list of fuses are in the manual on page 8-41, such as:
Position 14 = HAZARD 15 Amps Hazard warning flashers
Position 20 = HEAD-R 15 Amps Headlight-right
Position 21 = HEAD-L 15 Amps Headlight-left
i just got a used Mazda protege 5, and I can't get the rear license plate to come off. I believe the screws are stripped. Do I need to remove the rear hatch cover? If so, how would I go about doing that?
thanks much
one side of the car was easy to do.. this one is torture.
please any info
Have a 2000 ES, standard transmission with 140,000. have been fixing various emissions problems over the last year-18 months. Currently have code 401 reoccur- have replace EGR valve, boost sensor, and cleaned off deposits. Check engine light still comes on.
is this a common problem?
sorry if posted in wrong place.