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Good Afternoon,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us with regards to your recent
SilverStar failure. Unfortunately, as with most high performance
products, there is a trade-off between the higher performance of the
SilverStar and its life hours. The shorter life span is directly related
to the high performance nature of the lamps. The blue absorption coating
on the glass contributes to the crisp, white light emitted but also
contributes to its decreased life. The SilverStar product works harder
(not burns hotter, however) to give the whiter, brighter light and this
impacts its life hours. The life expectancy of a SilverStar halogen
light source is largely dependent on the driver's use of the lights,
which will vary by season, time of day and number of miles driven. We
estimate the SilverStar halogen lights to have a life span of up to one
year under average driving conditions. The life of the SilverStar is
further decreased if being used in a day-time running light application.
Unfortunately with the current technology, the tradeoff for increased
performance is a shorter life span.
With that said, it does sound like your SilverStars may have failed a
bit prematurely. Please feel free to return the product with a copy of
this e-mail to the address below. Please indicate with your return
whether or not the part was being used in a daytime running light
application. Upon receiving your return, replacement product will be
sent.
OSRAM SYLVANIA
ATTN: Customer Service
275 West Main Street
Hillsboro, NH 03244
If you would prefer to receive a refund rather than product replacement,
please complete the form that is attached to this email and send it with
the requested materials to the address given on the form. Please be
advised that refunds can take up to 8 weeks to process. Please do not
hesitate to contact me if you require further assistance.
Thank you,
Tracey
Customer Service
http://protege5.ugly.net/09-18.PDF
Good Morning,
That's great to hear that the store is replacing for you although it can
be quite an inconvenience. You could be right about the compatibility
with some vehicles being a possibility. Some vehicles may run at 14
volts or slightly higher which could be a potential reason they may be
burning out prematurely on your vehicle. This is something that you
could test to see what your vehicle is operating at. These bulbs
unfortunately can't run at 14 volts or higher for a long period of time.
Thank you,
Tracey L. Guild
Osram Sylvania
Customer Service Representative
Automotive Lighting Division
If the vehicle pulls to the right while driving (but not accelerating), that is not torque steer.
Your best option is different tires. Talk to a reputable tire shop about your options.
But not entirely trusting tire places' ability to aliagn all that well, I then brought it to what once was a great alignment place in San Diego. Though the place carries the name of the former owner, the new owners (they've had it now for several years) are not as honorable. They tried to charge me lots of money to ruin my P5.
As I waited for them to finish the test drive of my P5, a mechanic came in to talk with the driver of another P5 that happened to be there. He told her that her toe-in was so far off he could not properly align the car, and had to fashion a steel plate to make the front tires perfectly straight. He estimated the charge at $150. She said 'OK'. Not long after, my assigned mechanic returned -- and told me the same story. Knowing better, I asked if that wouldn't ruin the way the car handles. He said it might have some minor effect, but was necessary. I thanked him and fled.
Later, I confirmed with the dealer that P5 front alignments are designed for a balance of performance and tire-preservation and, sure enough, letting the alignment place do that fix would have ruined the way the car drove.
So, remember this story if anyone ever tells you your alignment needs to be adjusted outside factory specs, especially by altering components. (And no, my car has never been in an accident, let alone one that might affect the alignment.)
Different tires really do make a car handle differently. My Kumho's feel a lot different than the stock Dunlop's did. Alignment should be set to factory specs at a reputable tire shop.
80K for a new tranny seems premature to me. Are you the original owner?
Proteges seem to be known for having tranny problems. I had an older protege before this one, and the tranny went at 65k. When I got the P5, a friend of a friend at an extended warranty place said that proteges have a history of tranny problems. He might have been trying to sell me on the extended warranty (it worked), but still, he mentioned the tranny without any prompting on my part. I know this doesn't help you solve your problem, but you're not alone in this: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/mazda_trans.html
-b
http://web2.airmail.net/theman/protegefaq/tsb/
Recently i noticed that my Front Tires(Inner Side) along the wall are completely worn out..
What could be the reason apart from blaming on the Wheel Alignment that i should have for it doen 7/8K Miles Before?
Or it is just becasue of the Alignment??
Alignment was delayed by 7/8K Miles (Considering we should get the Alignment done every 12k Miles).
Interesting. I would get it checked into in case it starts affecting the other tires as you do your rotation. Underinflation can cause premature wear on the outer edges of a tire.
Anyways, Last time i changed from 195/50R16 to 205/50R16(BF Goodrich AT) thinking that i would get these for a longer time.
However, wanted to know if you guys have a good feedback on ur experiences with tires..
Do u recommend a particular tire / to stick with the original size??
My Prorities are --
(1)Safety
(2)Mileage
(3)Tread Life.
Thanks!
(1). How many miles do u have on these tires and how long do u anticipate these come??
(2). How many miles do u get per gallon? -- Trying to see if mileage is affected by upsizing the tires..
Thanks!
Mohan
b) 25 mpg in mixed driving (this is an average over 4 years); this is also what Consumer Reports predicted this model would get; I don't believe 205/50 qualifies as an upsize of 195/50 because the rims are the same 16 inchers; there is no significant effect on the speedometer either
About 8000 km ago I switched from my original Dunlops to Kumho ECSTA ASX (195/50-16). The tires have been great. They are quieter than the Dunlops and they siphon away water as if their lives depended on it (which it kind of does!) - I feel much safer on wet roads than with the Dunlops. Overall I'm very satisfied.
Actually, 205/50/16 work fine for a number of us out there. The difference between them and the standard 195/50/16 is infinitesimal (approximately 2/10ths of an inch in sidewall height).
- the ABS was completely shot once ($2200),
- a bunch of the electrical system failed and has been replaced twice. I think this is where the indicators were failing. It took 3 attempts to get them fixed.
- Something with the steering column has been replaced twice.
- The dealer did a poor job installing the trailer hitch electrical, which caused some of the electrical problems.
Wow, that is quite a sum of dollars!
What were you towing?
Mines paid off so.....
This happens at least daily, often multiple times a day, each time the check engine light flashes and then remains constant.
I took it to the dealership to have it tested and was told that code P0421 was returned (catalyst bank 1 bellow efficiency).
Two days ago I replaced the manifold catalytic converter at the dealerships recommendation. All was fine for one day and then today the check engine light flashed back on and the same rough idle near stall was encountered.
I have read about the O2 sensors, but would they cause the idle and power loss problems I have experienced?
Does anyone have any insight they can shed on this for me? I don't want to throw more money at the problem not knowing if it will fix the cause.
Any help is appreciated.
imcndn
When I described the situation to the service rep (check engine light appears; rough while idling at a stop) he said: "It's probably your EGR valve, we replace lots of them as they get fouled my dirty gasoline." The technician ran a diagnostic and reported a P300 code (random cylinder misfire detected); a new EGR was installed (curiously the EGR malfunction codes are in the P400 range). Since then the P5 has been working properly. I have also heard that it is wise to get a throttle body cleaning every couple of years to clean out the gunk.
I would report back to the dealer that the problem persists and you're not a happy camper. I'd try to get the dealer to do another diagnostic without charge and get an estimate of what is required to fix the problem. If you're not convinced that they know how to solve the problem, you may want to call another dealership and ask them what they recommend. Or, seek out the expertise of an independent shop that is recommended by friends/colleagues.
Best of luck and keep us updated.
Thank you!
Best of luck.
p.s. since the new EGR valve got replaced nearly three weeks ago, it's been smooth sailing.
Best of luck and please report back.
I will post what happens.
imcndn
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So now that coil packs and plugs have been replaced. So far so good. I drove the car home last night and to work this morning and didn't experience the problem.
I will keep posting any new developments.
imcndn
Rear brake slides gumming up leading to rapid brake wear. I now check them twice a year, cleaning and re-lubricating the slides.
ABS started failing early last winter and sometime this spring failed completely. I have heard that low battery voltage can sometimes cause the sensors to not signal properly and since I still have the original battery in the car,...well, that might have something to do with it. I'll replace the battery this fall and see.
Rust is showing up along the rear wheel wells and bottom lip of tailgate. Also paint is bubbling up around "Protege5" logo on gate.
My 2002 P5 (purchased June 2002) is only a babe at 72K km (roughly 43K miles) and has had a few issues.
- Brakes have experienced normal wear and tear; they will likely need to be replaced next year; lubricated brakes twice (once every 18 months) to avoid premature wear
- Original Dunlop tires replaced with BF Goodrich Traction T/A 205/50/16 V-rated last fall; the Dunlops were great handling but wore quickly
- only one bulb (headlight) had to be replaced
- EGR valve was replaced this month
- Rust developed this spring along passenger rear wheel well and is likely to happen in the other wheel well; this is disappointing considering that the car has been rustproofed annually and is immaculate otherwise; dealing with the dealership and Krown rustproofing to see what remedies are available; a tip to prevent further rusting is to coat the area with vaseline to inhibit moisture
- interior and exterior in great shape; AC, battery and all other components functioning well
Summary: Continue to love driving the P5!
I took it to a shop to check the codes while doing 60K mi maintenance at the same time. The codes were P0300 and P0421 for multiple misfire. I searched for info on the web and came across this forum. The shop also searched on their database of recent fixes of Pro5 around the country and everything points to the EGR valve. They recommended testing it with plugs (since they're now replaced with 60K service) first, then wires, then coils and last EGR valve because of the cost involved.
First start with the new plugs was really choking. I left it alone for a couple of days and restart the car again. It had a hard start but was only slightly rough at low speed and idle. I took it back to the shop and have them reset the engine light. It didn't came back on when we restart the car. We turned the engine on and off 3 times and the light didn't came back on. I decided to test drive the car some more and see. I restarted the car again after about 15 minutes, and the start was rough again. I went across the street to a mall. The check engine light didn't come on. When I left the mall again and started the engine, this time, the light came on, so I took it back to the shop.
I called the dealership to checked on the price of replacing the EGR valve as the shop suggested, and the service manager immediately jumped to tell me it's "PROBABLY" not an EGR valve problem but the "vacuum going into the intake passage is blocked by carbon buildup and is leaking". I was surprised and asked him howcome he knows what problems I had when I only ask for quote of replacing EGR valve. He said I told the service dept I need a check for engine light on last week and asked about scheduling a repair, and that a blocked passage will result in the engine light on situation reporting a failing EGR valve. Although he will not guarantee it to be the cause of the problem, I think this guy must have seen a lot of these with Pro5 that he can link everything together so quickly. I also checked with my friend about the functioning of the EGR valve, which is a part that should open when the car is warm to recycle exhaust gas back to the fuel+air intake for further combustion and close when the car just starts and the engine is cold. The vacuum passage is something that controls the opening and closing of the valve, so if it's blocked, then the valve probably would not perform correctly. And there are different types of valves, some remains open and the vacuum closes it, others remains close and the vacuum opens it. Since the car runs fine on highways and at normal speed (so it's unlikely problems with the wires and coils cos they're firing normal at higher speeds), if the EGR valve in Pro5 are normally open, and the vacuum is used to close it at start (cold temperature), then the vacuum passage blocked and leaking will cause it to not close correctly, and making it hard to start (recycling normal air instead of exhaust gas which has unburned fuel in it?) and cause choking because of lack of power. If someone has taken an EGR valve out and clean it, is it possible to tell whether the valve is normally "open" or "close"? I'd like to check and see whether the phenomenon about the vacuum passage leaking is logical based on the above info.
I haven't repaired the car yet, but if I got a definite known fix to my problem, will post to update.