Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

kaiserhead · January 2003

Here's the twist to the story, the car is at 79,500kms and the radio has been acting up, (the same problems some people have reported with 1999-2000 radio/CD players, long track search times, crunching sounds and slow loading and ejecting.) Ajax Mazda says they can send the unit our for repair with no guarantee when its coming back, or they can swap it with a refurbished radio. When asked how long the warranty is on the refurbished unit, they said its part of the basic warranty, which runs out in a matter of weeks.

Any suggestions?

rotarykid · January 2003

Im my 16 or so years as a mazda tech, we have always ordered an audio unit to replace the one that has a problem. The "new" (sometimes refurbished, but like new) unit comes in, you drive your car in, and we replace the unit. I am talking about warranty situations here. There was never any "sending out for repairs" when it came to warranty. As far as being at the end of the warranty, your brother will just have to bite the bullet. A reputable dealer would get something done for you if the new unit, that technically goes out of warranty in 3 days, went bad in a week. No guarantees though.

dinu01 · January 2003

Mine was replaced too a week after I got the car b/c the CD would not eject. They had A LOT of PROs in 2001 around July-August with this problem. Any decent Mazda dealer will keep that in mind if the new unit stops working again.

Now I know Avante Toronto does a good job of keeping existing clients happy. I'm not sure how they'll treat somebody who's never went there for an oil change, considering you expect the dealer to honour the replacement if it breaks...

I can also recommend Scarboro Mazda (Warden/Lawrence) - that's where mine was replaced b/c Avante (North Toronto at the time) did not have any left in stock.

You might want to have your bro call a few other dealers and ask what happens if the new unit breaks soon - say within a month or so. I don't know how service is at Morningside Mazda, but sales wasn't their strong point!

Dinu

doctorann · January 2003

I have a 2000 ES 5-speed, with 42K miles, bought new. Overall, I really like the car but it's had more problems than any other Protege I know of. Differential replaced at 11K, catalytic converter replaced and other exhaust issues at 37K, two different suspension issues... All has been covered by warranty so far...

I'm pretty darn envious of those of you who just have stereo issues!

dinu01 · January 2003

That's the most problem-plagued PRO I've heard of! Did you mod it, went over curbs with it? It really seems out of the ordinary...

I only had the stereo replaced and the spoiler's LED (3 lights burned). Otherwise the car has been superb!

Dinu

fritz1224 · January 2003

What exactly were the symptoms that prompted these repairs? I have had the rotten egg odor intermittently, but not worried about it. What other exhaust issues? What about the differential, what were the sounds, operation etc. that indicated this problem. Suspension problems?

doctorann · January 2003

OK, I had to dig up the service records, and there was soemthing I forgot about. So here's the major stuff:

8/00 Replaced differential due to "internal failure"

9/01 Replaced EGR valve (car was idling roughly and almost stalling)

4/02 suspension issues and oil leak fixed by tightening bolts etc.

9/02 Replaced ignition wires, battery, catalytic converter, and did coil ignition recall work (this was after the check engine light kept coming on, and car was running roughly)

1/03 Replaced rear stabilizer links

This just seems like too much for this car. The car hasn't been modified in any way, and I am a fairly conservative driver. The check engine light problem, however, did only start after my husband foolishly parked the car sideways on a very steep, muddy hill, and the car was not the same afterwards. (don't ask; if I'd been with him at the time it wouldn't have happened!)

Here's the deal: I expect to be able to get another car by late summer. I *want* to go with another Mazda (possibly a P5) but I'm worried about the same thing happenning again.

dinu01 · January 2003

This is not what I would expect from a Protege. I mean most people's PROs have been flawless since new. Some have 50.000miles w/out problems...

Unfortunately, it sure looks you got a REALLY bad one. Same thing happened with my previous car - a 93 Civic that blew headgsakets, cylinder heads, radiators, the A/C, and the auto tranny was on its way out too. Not to say Civics are bad cars, but I just got a REALLY bad one... So I guess bad cars exist among even the most reliable brands.

I would not hesitate buying another Protege today if I had to. I also understand why you have reservations towards this car, considering the hassles you've gone through.

If you do, get one with either a 5spd or regular auto tranny - no manumatic. Just my suggestion, based on reading the PRO and 6 boards.

Good luck!

Dinu

rotarykid · January 2003

An internal failure of a component such as a transaxle differential is rare on any japan-made car, so sounds like bad luck for that issue. As far as the cat converter going bad, the recall that replaces the faulty ignition coil came a little too late for some of the proteges out there. Most pros that had the faulty coils had their check engine light come on with a misfire code. This misfire caused raw fuel to enter the converter and damage it. Typical scenario at the dealership was this: misfire code kicks in between 20-30k miles, car is fitted with a new coil and usually wire set to go along with it for good measure, comes back around 30-40k with a cat-code(p0421) prompting the replacement of the converter. Case closed. Main reason I can see for the recall is not a safety issue, but a money issue for mazda.
EGR valve going bad is another very odd failed part for a mazda. Sometimes an egr code in the pcm is brought on by a failure other than the valve itself, and could have been misdiagnosed.
Those sway bar links have been an issue with most of the newer pros. If you hear any clunking from your suspension, front or rear, you probably need at least one sway bar link. Job security for me, pain in the neck for car owners.
All in all the pro is an excellent car and is probably the most trouble free in the mazda lineup.

doctorann · January 2003

You guys have been really helpful. Does anyone else have input?

At this point, because I have extended warranty coverage and access to another car if I need it, I will probably keep the car... until the warranty runs out (I can't remember when, either 75K or 100K miles). It's a good car; I can deal with minor hassles like this as long as they don't come too often...

irishalchemist · January 2003

Hi, I posted a while ago about my 96 (1.5L, 5spd). I have had the car for 4 months now, and not major problems. Only things I had to fix/get after I bought it were brakes (cheap), tires (reasonable), and the dimmer switch light, which I was able to 'reverse-engineer' (cheap AND fun). There are still some things I would like to do at 55K miles (wires and plugs, for example), and I have to get to the blower motor to get a piece of something that's got to be in there, but I like the car and it drives nicely.

Now, I was out of town for nearly a month, and here in Philly it's been cold. They've been dumping salt and brine like never before, and I think I am noticing something on the struts. Every time I go over 'wide' speedbumps, I hear a 'gronk' (similar to what you would get if you jumped on an old, rusty, spring mattress). My guess is that the salt did a number with either the springs or the struts, and they would need replacing sooner than later. Could it be something else?

Also, I am not used to '10s and 20s' in the morning, and we've had them. Thus, I have to let the car idle for several minutes before getting out (or at least I think I have to do it). Milage is ~ 28 mgp. Is that reasonable?

TIA, G.

mazdafun · January 2003

My struts make that noise when it's below 15F too. It goes away above that. I figure it's because the rubber (or rubber-like) parts in the strut assembly have shrunk due to the low temperature and don't fill the space they're supposed to.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to flush out all that salt when it's above freezing, which I did this past weekend. Of course, we got 4 inches of snow and temps of 1F the day after, naturally.

scooterling · January 2003

I did a search on this and found one post but seemed unrelated, so I hope somebody may have a suggestion.

I have a '98 LX that that when the clutch is pushed in (in gear or not)the engine goes down to zero, the car rumbles and lights dim, then it fixes itself and idles at 500 (or so). About 1 in five times it will stall. This happens at stop lights, in parking lots, and anytime I push the clutch in.

Now get this, it's been happening intermittently for 40,000 miles. At first it was an annoyance, now at 67,000 miles it is constant. I've taken it into 2 dealers, one of them twice, only to be told they can't find anything wrong, perhaps its the gas I use. Anyway, I doubt its the gas and it has been serviced regularly as per Mazda's reccomendations.

Any ideas as to a solution would be most helpful. Thanks.

dinu01 · January 2003

This is EXACTLY what is happening to my cousin's 2000 Z24 and GM has no clue what to do about it either.

MaltB: Any ideas?

Dinu

maltb · January 2003

Sounds like the clutch switch located on the pedal. They are usually pretty easy to take out and check with a continuity tester so you don't waste $20 in case it's not bad. If you are really good you can even pop them apart and clean the contacts for a totally free repair (minus your sunday afternoon).

rotarykid · January 2003

maltb is sending you in the right direction. there should be two switches on that pedal, so you will need to check them both.

george2002 · February 2003

My gearshift and steering wheel vibrate at all engine RPM's - worse when accelerating at about 2500 rpm. Gets even worse in colder ( -20C) weather . Dealer says this is " normal" . I had a 1992 Pro for ten years and never had this type of problem. Anyone else have this situation?

mazdafun · February 2003

I get more vibration while idling (I have an AT) than when accelerating.

Yours sounds like it might be due to a missing or damaged engine mount as it gets worse as you accelerate.

irishalchemist · February 2003

Just a quick update. The temperatures have creeped up from the 10s and 20s last week here in Philly, and the struts are quiet as they were before. So, Mazdafun you were right and this has to do with rubber or rubber-like boots on the struts shrinking or loosing some of their flexibility.

Also, taking out the squirrel cage of the fan blower was very simple, and I found two (2) oak leaves in there. Amazing how much noise they made...

Cheers,

G.

boggse · February 2003

I have owned a 2001 Protege ES and a 2003 Protege5. I never experienced any sever vibrations of any sort. I would tell your dealer's service manager that you are going to call Mazda to complain about their service since they refuse to address your concern. I would also drive another Protege on the lot to compare. If yours didn't do it when brand new, then it shouldn't do it now. The simple fact of the matter is that dealer service centers should behave better than what you are experiencing. It is your responsibility to make them.

mdaffron · February 2003

Hope I'm not too late with my input.

I also own a 2000 ES 5-speed. I now have 49,900 miles on the car. I have had none of the problems you mention other than the coil replacement which was a recall -- but my CEL was not coming on, nor was the car idling rough. This Protege, my third since 1991, like the other two, has been pretty much flawless.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

My wife drives a 2002 Protege5 we bought thirteen months ago. At 16,000 miles, it too has been flawless.

Meade in Virginia

fritz1224 · February 2003

How simple? I have the shop manual for my 2k ES 5sp and it shows that in order to take out the blower all the associated components have to come out first. Namely, the cooling unit for the A/C and the heater core. And these can only be removed by removing the dash(or some of it anyway).
How do these leaves get in there anyway? It appears there is some kind of foam rubber filter under the cowling to prevent this sort of thing. But just like you I had a leaf in the blower that caused all kinds of racket.

sth · February 2003

In reply to 1440: My '98 Protege ES does the exact same thing. I've taken it in for repair but with no success. They bumped up the idle speed and claimed to have fixed it, but it still happens, just not while it was at the dealer!

george2002 · February 2003

Both my 1992 and now my 2002 prefer high test gas ( 91 octane or higher ) . This does improve the zip ( or is that the zoom? ) and gives better gas mileage so does not really seem to damage the pocketbook too much.

kaiserhead · February 2003

A little Bob and Doug Mackenzie humour. (heheheh)

A hose has come loose behind my glovebox (2000 1.6SE), its an opaque white flexible hose, one end is attached to the A/C cooling unit, the other may go into the HVAC fan, does anyone know where it attaches to?

mazdafun · February 2003

There should be a boss sticking out of the firewall underneath the dashboard on the passenger side, towards the centerline of the car. Just press it back on.

That's what it was in my '89 323 (hose was black); I had to unplug it to clear the line and drain the box under the cooling unit (water backed up into it and overflowed onto the floor...I think some spider crawled into it and clogged it with webbing). I'll check my '99LX tonight.

irishalchemist · February 2003

In my case, it was VERY simple. The manual called for the removal of the glove compartment first, which I did by pulling towards me on the right side and working the hinge on the other. However, I found that this was completely unnecessary. If you crawl under the dashboard on the passenger side, you will see the 'butt' of the blower motor. There are 5 screws (all of them Philips). Two of them hold the cover of the motor, and the other three hold the whole squirrel cage assembly (motor and all). If you take these three, the whole thing should come down with a little wiggling. In my 96 there was also a plastic tube that connected to somewhere else, but there was nothing holding it - It just popped out and back on when I was done.

Now, you have a 2000, and the body changed considerably between 96 ans 2K. In any case, I did not have to work much. Hope this helps,

G.

boggse · February 2003

For those experiencing the "Death Rattle," here is a link to the TSB:

http://web2.airmail.net/emann/protegefaq/tsb/01-004-03.html

kaiserhead · February 2003

Has anyone had their Mass Airflow Sensor fail on their 1.6L engines? I received an extended warranty notice from Mazda, and the car has started to show symptoms of the problem, but not enough to be conclusive. The car idles rough and hesitates occasionally. I'll probably tell my service advisor on the next visit, but I'd like to know more about the symptoms.

quis · February 2003

I feel good about my 99 ES 5spd. Ok, I'm on my second engine because Jiffy Lube didn't tighten the screw and my engine blew at 15,000 miles. My CD player started rejecting CD's at 60,000 miles, but I never cleaned it. It's clean now and works better. I may finally replace the factory system soon which for an 99 model "economy" car system I couldn't ask for anything more.

I replaced the front brake pads at 50k, tires at 30k and 70k because I drive hard and the tires are v and H rated. 73k and the car drives and looks like new except a couple of paint chips on the front and rear bumper. I have a dashbulb loose that sometimes goes out (until I tap the dash or hit a bump then it works fine), that started at 70k. No major problems. No problems with my previous two Protege's either (94 & 98).

mdaffron · February 2003

Nice to hear your '99 is doing relatively well at that mileage. I have a 2000 ES 5-speed that's got 50,400 miles on it and is doing well -- and is STILL on its first set of brakes! I have a feeling I'll be in the shop in a few weeks though ...

You and I must be kindred spirits. This is also my third Protege, although my first and second were both '92 LXs. (Read my profile for more info on why.) I guess you could say I've owned four, because my wife currently drives a 2002 Protege5 -- and at 15,000 miles, it's doing fine too.

Good luck!

Meade

mazdafun · February 2003

Uh-oh. Seems my precious '99LX is starting to suffer from a failing mass airflow sensor (I think anyway...intermittent loss of power accompanied by low [around 500rpm or so] and unsteady idle...sometimes feels like the e-brake is engaged when it's not...I have to say it's very quiet when the idle drops though).

Luckily, it's covered under the extended warranty Mazda gave me for the MAS. Unluckily, no zoom zoom while they have it.

Anyway, it's "zoom-gasp!-stutter" to the dealership service bay...they better treat my baby well....

eflat1 · February 2003

The passenger front power door lock on my '99 Protege has stopped working. It sounds like there is something spinning in there but it doesn't work the door. Can anyone offer suggestions as to what the problem is and if it is something I can fix myself? Thanks.

mazdafun · February 2003

Sounds like the motor still works. Must just be a linkage that came loose. I don't remember what it looked like from when I upgraded the in-door speaker. Taking off the door trim panel is easy (15 minutes). Check out pics on Protegetech or Protegeclub on upgrading the front door speakers to see how the panel is removed.

kaiserhead · February 2003

Sounds like we have the same symptoms, I've got the low, weak idle that feels like its going to stall. Hesitation when shifting from first to second, etc. If you go the dealer soon, let me know what they say, I'm not due for another dealer visit for a couple months.

rotarykid · February 2003

needs an updated air flow sensor. You shouldnt have to wait too long at the dealer if you make an appointment for a hesitation problem and you fall under the extended warranty program for the sensor. We stock plenty and it takes only seconds to change. It seems the paperwork is the only time-consuming part of the job.

rotarykid · February 2003

I have replaced a dozen or so of the defective doorlock actuators on the protege. Front, rear, passenger, drivers, happens randomly at any door. The entire door lock/latch and actuator are in one big package now so there is no replacing the actuator only.

theparallax · February 2003

Will Mazda honor the MAF recall if an aftermarket air intake is installed?

Knowing my local dealer, they most likely will not, judging from their attitude last time I brought my car in.

mazdafun · February 2003

Thanks for the info.

I was hoping to get my Pro back this afternoon (but I uncovered my 323 just in case), especially since I'm supposed to pick up my kid this afternoon from an after-school activity.

I thought it was the MAS going. I checked my plugs, wires, battery just in case though. The hesitation & unsteady idle are getting too frequent now...kind of scary thinking the engine may stall at any intersection. That happened to me too many times in my father's Olds Firenza...scary when it stalls in the middle of a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. At least I know the drill: shift into N, restart, rev a bit and shift into a forward gear to scoot out of the way. Geez.

h109 · February 2003

Got the Mass Airflow sensor replaced a few weeks ago on my 2000 Pro. The engine light came on and so I took it to the dealer. Replaced under warranty. No hassles at all at the dealer except that they took 2 hours. :-)

I got a letter from Mazda on the warranty extension about an year ago. According to the letter, in case we have had it replaced earlier at our expense, it would be "reasonably" re-imbursed.

-Hari

fritz1224 · February 2003

I got a 2k ES and I have not gotten any letter about a warranty extension on the MAF. Only one was the ignition coil recall. Should I have gotten the MAF letter as well. Let me know if I need to contact mazda about this. Thanks.

eflat1 · February 2003

Can you (or anyone else) give me some guidance on how to replace a defective doorlock actuator? And about how much does the package cost? We can take this to private email is you like...

mazdafun · February 2003

I think that only affected some 1.6L Proteges. I don't think the ES with its 1.8L engine is affected.

fritz1224 · February 2003

Thanks for the info. Got about 5 mos left on warranty so I want to keep up with any new(old) developments concerning such issues.

kaiserhead · February 2003

I received the letter regarding the MAF recall, but right now its more of an occasional nuisance than a problem.

chikoo · February 2003

after bieng completely warmed up, when I shift into first or reverse, the rpm drops to like 600, bounces up to 750 and then comes to 700 but still fluctuating little bit. I never saw this before. My idle was always very stable.

The problem is also more apprent when putting it in reverse. Also see this happening when the car comes to stop at a traffic light.

Any ideas what is going on?

kaiserhead · February 2003

What type of engine do you have, the 1.6, 1.8, or 2.0?

chikoo · February 2003

it is a 1.8L ...'99 ES

mazdafun · February 2003

Sounds like the symptoms my 1.6L was experiencing. My dealership shop confirmed it was the MAS that was failing ("reading low", even after they adjusted the idle, cleaned the throttle body etc.). I just had to pay for the diagnosis portion (about 30 minutes). The MAS and labor associated with replacing it was covered under the extended warranty.

You might want them to diagnose the issue. It only took the technician working on my car about half an hour. They charge $75/hr, so it was about $38 including some consumables and new parts. It might be you just need to have the idle adjusted or the throttle body cleaned (they did these to eliminate these as causes).

BTW, anything that causes the MAS to read low will cause your mpg to fall (I was getting something like 22-25mpg...I usually get 28mpg on mostly local driving). The fuel/air mixture is too rich. This isn't good for your catalytic converter or oxygen sensor either.

h109 · February 2003

I have had the car for litlle over 2 years now and notice one thing for sure after getting the MAF replaced a couple of weeks ago. The shifting is much smoother, especially between the first and second. The hesitation has noticably reduced. As I do not know much about car mechanisms, I always blamed the hesitation on the low power of the 1.6L. The mileage though, has always been about 31-32mpg with mixed driving all this time.

When I went in to the dealership after my CEL came on, the service manager told me that I "could've" got it replaced earlier.

Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

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