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Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • civiletticiviletti Member Posts: 86
    I think it depends on what the problem is. If there is carbon or varnish restricting the injector orifices, techron is reported to be quite useful. If there are chunks of rock, metal, etc. in the way, then it will take high pressure to dislodge them.
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    I did some more research and I don't think the vehicle speed sensor is the issue. As civilleti suggested, it is likely related to carbon or varnish buildup in fuel injectors or valves.

    Is Techron the best fuel system cleaner? There are MANY of them, all claiming to be the best.

    Thanks again!
  • compensatecompensate Member Posts: 212
    Anyone heard of K100 Fuel treatments? I found the site while browsing the internet.

    It seems to be good stuff, based upon testimonials and other information on the website.

    I don't think I can post the product link without violating policy on this board, but you should be able to find it by searching for K100 Fule Treament.

    Any advice?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    30K is actually the norm for plugs. The cars that have come out in recent years advertising "no tuneups until 100K" are really pushing the envelope, from what my mechanic friend tells me. Heat and carbon buildup are going to destroy plugs just as fast as they always have. Besides, changing plugs costs about 10 bucks and you can do it yourself. By the way, change your plug wires while you're at it.

    Meade
  • dianebdianeb Member Posts: 1
    I have read some previous postings on the subject and I am not experiencing the usual symptoms. My only problem (after not driving my '92 for a few months), is when I push the clutch in, sometimes it goes straight to the floor and I have to "pump" it to get it into gear. Am hoping there is an easy fix?!
  • reitrofreitrof Member Posts: 122
    I am assuming it is a hydraulic clutch. sounds like you have air in the line or the master cylinder for the clutch is gone.

    If it is the master cylinder, find a used one at a junk yard.
  • aj2000aj2000 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 1996 Protege with 68,000 miles. I recently took it to a local gas station for a smog test. It failed the System Malfunction Light test. The statement reads "This vehicle failed the MIL/check engine light due to failure to successfully complete all OBD self tests." He said drive the car around for about 60 - 100 miles and bring it back. I drove it around 68 miles, took it back and it failed the same test. He said bring it back after a couple of days after I drove it around for another 100 or so miles. It passed every other test but this test. I only drive the car about 25 - 30 miles a say. Low mileage. He said there wasn't anything that could be replaced or repaired. Any suggestions?
    Thanks.
  • jjayantjjayant Member Posts: 3
    My '98 Pro trunk release has broken, (seems the cable broke inside). The problem is the car didnt had the trunk lock in working condition when i bought it, so i can not open the trunk now.. showed it to a local mechanic, they told me its a half day job. and may cost $200 or more..Is this cable replacement so dificult and expensive?? Please share if you had similar experience. What would be the most effective way of resolving this..Thanks
  • curious38curious38 Member Posts: 18
    I have a '99 Protege that has been having a few issues lately. It has often had problems accelerating when coming from a dead-stop, and will take longer then many cars to get up to highway speeds.

    I took it on a trip this weekend and experienced pretty poor highway driving with it. I would get it up to 65 or 70 MPH, and eventually once I was going up a slight incline or even sometimes when I wasn't, the RPM's would rev up from 3000-3200 where I had it, up to 4000 or more.

    Also, when I had the cruise on and wanted to go faster, the car would often not allow me to do this. The RPM's would increases, but no the MPH. I have had 2 experiences since then where I am driving on the highway and the car doesn't want to accelerate and instead wants to quit on me.

    This is very frustrating obviously. Has anyone had similar issues with their car, whether it be a Mazda or other 4 cylinder engine?

    Also, after I the first 1/2 of my drive this weekend, I had parked the car for a day. I wasn't experiencing the issues I was on my way home with accleration on the way to my destination. After the car was parked for a day, it didn't want to start the next morning. After 3 tries it did and I have not had any more problems with that aspect of it since.

    Any advice/help/ideas would be appreciated.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    How many miles are on the car? My 2000 ES just turned 80,000 miles yesterday and still has brilliant acceleration. But then again, I changed my plug wires back in the 40Ks. How old are your plug wires? They can make a BIG difference. Also, when's the last time you had your plugs changed? Air filter changed?

    Give us a little info and maybe we can help!

    Meade
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    deteriorating acceleration is a known sympton for that.
  • curious38curious38 Member Posts: 18
    Hi there...

    My car has 56,000 miles on it only, which is why I'm a bit concerned about the condition its in. I bought it almost 2 years ago with 35,000 on it, and to my knowledge the plug wires have not been changed.

    The air filter was changed on my last oil change, which was about 2700 miles ago. Its almost time for another one.

    What will the plug wires cost to have changed? Sounds minimal, I'm just hoping that would be a possible solution as it sounds like such an easy fix.
  • curious38curious38 Member Posts: 18
    I haven't had the ignition coil recall done. When was the recall? I purchased the car used 2 years ago with 35,000 miles on it. I now have 56,000 on it.

    Any other ideas if that doesn't seem to be the problem?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I made a nice, lengthy reply to Curious yesterday, and even checked to make sure it was there, and it was. Now it's gone. C'mon, Edmunds, get your act together!!!

    Here we go again.

    The wires are about $60 from Mazda. They take about two minutes to install and require no tools other than your hands. Don't waste another $50 or $60 paying your dealer's labor charges for this plug-n-play job.

    The coil recall was about two years ago. My 2000 ES had about 40,000 miles on it when the recall was done, and I was experiencing NO driveability or other symptoms when it was done. To this day I still don't know what the difference in the two coils is.

    Take your car into your dealer and let the service writer punch up the VIN to see if the recall has been done. If it was done, there should be a decal on the firewall under the hood to that effect.

    I'm putting my money on the plug wires. The Proteges in our driveway are the third and fourth Proteges I've owned since 1992. The design of the head, with the wires continuing about six inches down inside to the plug caps, allows the wires to get hot and they break down over time. In my experience, I've learned to change them about every 40K miles or my engine starts missing and stuttering.

    Now let's see if this post remains.

    Meade
  • curious38curious38 Member Posts: 18
    Thanks for the lengthy reply...

    I wrote a couple messages/questions yesterday that seem to have dissappeared also.

    My question was that I'm having trouble just locating the plugs and wires on this engine. I even had a co-worker come out to the car to find them with me.

    Can you help me figure out where to look? Its such a dumb question, but the engine is not like what I'm used to seeing.

    Thanks!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    As you stand in front of the opened hood, look down in the center of the engine bay. You'll see the valve cover of the engine running cross-wise in the center. The four wires disappearing into the center of it, in a straight line left to right, are the plug wires. They run from there over toward the front right, where they plug into the coil. They're not very long -- the shortest is about a foot long and the longest is maybe two feet long. If you pull one out of the head (they just pop off with a pull), you'll find that it continues about six inches down into the head where it plugs into the top of the plug.

    I did a quick search and found this photo that might help you. See the big silver valve cover, with the four wires coming out toward you? They join together and go over toward the right, behind the radiator and forward of the oil filler cap, where they plug into the coil.

    http://superstreetonline.com/roadtests/p25738_image_large.jpg

    Meade
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    the air filter?
  • curious38curious38 Member Posts: 18
    Thanks for the photo and explanation...however, my engine looks a bit different then that.

    I'll go down to the car at lunch and see if I can figure it out.

    Thanks!
  • fortunefortune Member Posts: 3
    Bought a 99' Protege about 3.5 yrs ago with about 56k highway miles on it from a dealer. It's got about 80k now.

    I drove it home from work one day and everything seemed fine. I started it up, it stalled cause I didn't let off the clutch quite right.

    I tried to start it again, and the engine had seized up. Took it to a mechanic and a dealer and both said there is nothing they can do.

    It had plenty of fluids, regular oil changes and really wasn't driven that much (25k miles in about 3.5 years).

    Is there anything to be done other than junk it? 3-5k for a junk yard or "Mazda rebuilt engine" doesn't seem worth it.

    Doesn't seem like there is any way that should have happened :(

    Was thinking about a Mazda3 to replace it but from those forums it looks like they aren't doing to well either......
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Did they say what was wrong with it?

    Meade
  • fortunefortune Member Posts: 3
    They just said the engine seized up. An independent shop and a dealer both said the same thing. It would take a rebuilt or junkyard engine to get it back in working condition.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Is it possible your drain plug or filter were loose?

    My '00 ES is running great at 80,300 miles.

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Did you figure it out?

    Meade
  • fortunefortune Member Posts: 3
    Nope, no idea. I now absolutely nothing about cars and that's all both places had to say. 80,300 is about exactly what this one had.
  • oskwioskwi Member Posts: 88
    Hello all...

    My first question deals with my 2001 ES. Every now and then (...and mostly then) there is a slight hesitation when I hit the accelerator...it does not feel like a spark plug issue...it seems to be more of a throttle body issue. I may be mistaken about the Pro, but I owned a Corsica that had the same type of driving feel and it was the throttle body. This doesn't seem to be adversely affecting the car's driveability...it just seems more noticeable than my previous Galant. Any thoughts? I want some info, since I'll be taking the car in for its NYS inspection next week. (NYS now has the 2nd highest inspection prices because of new emissions legislation that went into effect June 04...can't wait for that bill!)

    My second question deals with my mother's 2003 ES. VERY infrequently, she'll experience a jolt of sorts at exactly 40 MPH. It happened to me once when driving her car during the winter, but I assumed it was tire slippage from an ice-covered manhole cover/roadway and didn't give it much thought. In 25,000 miles, this has probably happened three times so it'll be very hard for the dealership to duplicate. I've looked at TSB's online and see nothing that would apply. Any thoughts? I want to start addressing this as early as possible during the warranty period.

    Meade...I came out of my local Cracker Barrel and parked right next to my 2001 ES was a brand new M3 wagon in pumpkin! I thought of you immediately! In WNY, if you see a pumpkin colored car, its either a Cadillac CTS or a Nissan Murano...the pumpkin color is not very popular at all!

    Thanks for any input.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Thanks for thinking of me! I must say I'm at a crossroads between Screaming Pumpkin and Blooberry (Winning Blue) right now.

    Your questions, my responses ...

    (1) My 2000 ES frequently does a (very) slight "urp" when taking off from a stop. I have accepted it as a quirk of the car. It's always been there, and has never gotten any worse even after plug & wire changes. (Keep in mind I have a manual transmission and this happens when first rolling in first, a microsecond after engaging the clutch -- and it still does it after a new clutch, flywheel and throwout bearing, so it ain't the tranny.)

    (2) Speaking of plug and wire changes ... I had read other owners talking about that sudden "kick in the rear" but had never experienced it myself UNTIL ... one day on the Interstate when I was going about 65, and the car had about 40,000 miles on it. It felt like another car had tapped me on the rear and scared the be-you-know-what out of me. I had been meaning to change my plug wires, since it was high time to do so, and surmised that a sudden short from one of the wires to the wall of the tunnel inside the valve-cover head would do it. Besides, it was a wet, snowy winter day and it hadn't been too long since I left home. It's foreseeable that a little moisture remained in down in the plug-top tunnels, and caused a short.

    Well, to make a long story short I replaced the wires. And by the way, several of them looked pretty well scorched down where the wire entered the boot that attaches to the top of the plug.

    Forty thousand miles later, I have never experienced the "kick in the rear" again.

    It's amazing how many things go away on Proteges when you change the plug wires.

    Meade
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Hey--

    I have an 00 ES automatic, and I, too, have been kicked in the pants at highway speeds. Like your mom, maybe 4 times in as many years of ownership, so I've never mentioned it at the dealership. (They already have enough reasons to laugh at me.)

    At 38K miles, the wires haven't been changed yet...it will be interesting to see if this problem goes away when I take care of that.

    I've talked with other Protege owners who have experienced the same issue, but it doesn't seem to have affected long-term driveability.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Where ya been?

    Meade

    P.S. 38K on an '00? Oh, if I were so lucky ...
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    I'm right here. :)

    I posted a response to your query a week or so ago, but it got lost in the Great Server Upgrade. ;)
  • oskwioskwi Member Posts: 88
    Gee, I don't know Meade...you may want to quit your day job and find employment at Mazda in the "Car Color Naming Department"! At least the average consumer would be able to know about what "Screaming Pumpkin" would look like...as opposed to colors such as "Moondust" and the sorts. Having never been to the moon, "moondust" could be grey, white, beige, etc. That always drives me nuts!

    Anyway, I'll be changing both the spark plugs and wires this coming week so I expect to see improved performance. As far as the "urp", it comes and it goes and seems directly related to heat and humidity. When I purchased the car last September, winter fast approached and I don't remember the car behaving with the slight hesitation. Oh well! My previous Galant would experience a hard thunk from the rear end when under hard acceleration from a dead stop. Nothing was ever found and nothing ever occurred as a result of this in 185,000 miles. Every car has its quirks.

    The "rear end tap", as I'll refer to it as, does not seem threatening by what you both have mentioned here. I'll mention it in passing at the dealership but I expect them to just look at me like I've grown a third arm! :) Darn quirks...I demand perfection! I guess I'll have a long wait...

    I would assume, and you know what they say about assumptions, that you live near Chicago, "chicagopro". I lived out in Wisconsin for about a year and loved traveling to Chicago...however the seven hour traffic jams when trying to cross that skyway bridge (don't remember the exact name) are not something to miss!

    Thanks again,
    Garth
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Yep, I live in the city, a few blocks away from Wrigley Field.

    The only skyway bridge I know of in the area is the one that leads to Indiana...is that what you're referring to?

    Let us know what happens when you swap out the plugs and wires!

    --Dale
  • oskwioskwi Member Posts: 88
    Dale...

    Yup, that's the bridge I'm referring to! I travelled from Buffalo to Oshkosh about seven times in as many months...I'm originally from Buffalo and went to Oshkosh for only one semester of graduate school before moving back to Western New York.

    Plug and wire change is this coming Wednesday. I'm looking forward to improved performance! :)

    Garth
  • curious38curious38 Member Posts: 18
    Yep,

    Was gonna post this and just now am getting to it. I took it to a Mazda dealer here in Minneapolis after having my dad's mechanic thinking it was a transmission issue. Mazda checked it out and said they'd call with what they found out.

    Get a call the next day and they tell me "your car is done", and it ended up being a Mass Airflow Sensor that had gone out. Apparently it regulates the amount of air that gets into the engine in order for it to fire.

    Luckily, even though I do not have the factory warranty on the car as I bought it used, Mazda stepped up and covered the replacement and labor at no charge because the part is under warranty for 70,000 miles. I did have them flush and replace my transmission fluid as that was probably original from when the car came off the line which is a bit scarry, but no harm done now.

    I can't wait to take the car in to get my oil changed this week and see if Jiffy Lube tries to tell me my tranny-fluid is dirty. They IMHO are slime-balls and are barely worth their $20 early bird oil changes.

    Oh well, back in business and the car is running great!

    Thanks for all the ideas. Have a great day.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    There was a recall on the MAF sensor on DX and LX models in 1999. That's why Mazda "stepped up" and fixed it for no charge.

    Glad to see you're zooming happily along now!

    Meade
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Hi. I got my old 1994 Mazda Protege DX 5spd back from my aunt and it has 71K miles. The engine is still in mint condition. The manual states I should change the timing belt on the SOHC engine at 60K miles but unfortunately, my aunt didn't do it.

    Any Protege owners that changed it past the 60K mark? If so, what was the mileage? Also, if in the event it does snap on you while driving, is it minimal damage to the engine? Thanks.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    That's like asking the proverbial question, "Mr. Owl, how many licks DOES it take to get to the bottom of a Tootsie Pop?"

    The world may never know.

    However, as the former owner of two '92s and now an '00 and an '02, and a veteran Edmunds member, I can offer the following enlightenment from a post made on this same discussion four years ago (which you could have found yourself, FYI, by using the "Search This Discussion" window on this page):

    "According to the canonical list compiled by the Gates Rubber Company, the '94 Protegé does have a belt, and Mazda recommends that you change it out every 60,000 miles. And if Gates is correct, this engine is free-running (as opposed to an interference fit), which means that if the belt breaks, the engine will stop, but actual damage is unlikely. The procedure, as I understand it, doesn't require any special tools, but it is a bit on the complicated side."

    That said, I changed the belt on my 1992 LX -- same engine as in your 1994 -- but it took an entire day and resulted in an expanded vocabulary and several ounces of blood-letting.

    It's gonna cost you a pretty penny -- several thousand of them in fact. Probably in the neighborhood of $300. (The belt itself is less than $50.) But if your car hasn't had a major service (like the 60,000-mile one that your aunt probably didn't do either), it's time to stop expecting everything and maintaining nothing! Get the car in for a major service and have the timing belt changed.

    $300 is pitiful little insurance for another 60K miles for a "mint condition" engine, as you call it. (You can recoup some of the labor in this labor-intensive job by having them replace the other belts while they've got the engine torn down -- use this as an opportunity to put a little pre-emptive maintenance back into this car that has served your family so well for a decade.)

    Unless you're planning on selling it in the next couple of months -- then you can unload it on some poor unsuspecting sucker. But the fact that it has a new timing belt just might cinch the deal then, too ...

    Meade
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Thanks for the quick response. I really didn't want to spend any maintenance money on the car since my aunt pretty much just gave it away and I have 2 other cars to maintain (TSX and Maxima). The car is definitely serving our family well. It is still very peppy and the a/c is still very very cold a few seconds after startup. I had so much fun driving it the first time again. I just called the dealer this morning and they wanted $599 for the timing belt which is why I'm hesitating. Yikes!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Well, you're not under warranty anymore ... why not price it at Joe's Engine Repair over on Elm Street?

    :)

    (As timing belts go, it's pretty straightforward -- any mechanic should be able to do it.)

    Let's put it this way. Your profile says you live in New York. So your Protege has been through 10 winters and 10 summers. Timing belts are made of rubber (and a few other things, but mostly rubber). Rubber stiffens, cracks and wears out over time and temperature changes.

    If you plan to keep this car for any more than a few more months, you're going to have to wind up putting a timing belt on it anyway ... either when you choose to, or when the car decides enough is enough and leaves you stranded out on a dark highway in the middle of the night. (Then you can add towing charges to the cost of that belt.)

    You've already cheated fate by 11,000 miles and managed to stretch -- probably literally -- 118 percent of the life out of the original belt. Congratulations.

    Now change the belt.

    Meade
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Okay... you've convinced me. =) Gotta find a reputable mechanic now. Thanks!
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Hi. Anyone replaced the fuel filter on a 94 Mazda Protege DX? I'm having difficulty removing the fuel filter. I'm unable to loosen the bracket screw and can't seem to find a tool that will work. The area is tight and really hard to get any play doing it from under the hood. I've used a plier, an open and socket wrench. Any pointers? Thanks in advance.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Nevermind. I went to my dad's mechanic and it took them half an hour to remove it. They used a snake socket to remove the bracket screw, a crowbar to hold in place the bracket when removing and reinstalling the fuel filter, and the car lift to remove and replace the bottom hose.
  • jimmcknightjimmcknight Member Posts: 28
    - Thanks for the info - doesn't sound like anything I want to try on my own!
  • gibbergibber Member Posts: 41
    My 1999 Protege ES has been screeching on startup for several months now. I took it to a tuneup place and replaced the belts, however they said the problem was that the a/c compressor bearings were bad, so it wouldn't turn initially, thus the belt screeching. They quoted about $800 for the repair, including the a/c recharge. Does this make sense?
  • kaiserheadkaiserhead Member Posts: 166
    70,000 miles, no recent problems with my 2000 Protege. I'm not really driving it much any more, it'll probably get parked in the garage for the winter months.
  • kaiserheadkaiserhead Member Posts: 166
    ...that the Mazda3 "problems" forums has half as many messages already as the equivalent Protege forum? You may want to keep those Proteges just a little while longer......... :P
  • vamlauttvamlautt Member Posts: 2
    This is my daughters car. 2000 LX w/1.6 and automatic. First trans. went out at 30k & was replaced by dealer under warranty. Two weeks ago, at abt 72k the car fails to shift out of 2nd gear. Dealer diagnoses problem to be failed transmission & $2700 to repair. Contacted selling dealer, who contacted Mazda & was informed that Mazda had already replaced one transmission & since the car was out of warranty, Mazda would not help. I personally called Mazda & was informed that once the Mazda area rep makes a decision, that the case is closed as far as any help from Mazda is concerned. So, the 2nd tranny failed w/i 42k miles. Personally, I find this as totally unacceptable. I purchased this car due to it proported reliability and low maintenance. Two transmissions going out in less than 72,000 miles is not my idea of reliability. So, buyers beware!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Not that this helps, but it may help reassure others ... my MANUAL (5-speed) 2000 ES is at 82,300 miles and its transmission is doing just fine. I did replace the clutch, flywheel and throwout bearing under a TSB, but it was more of a "want" than a "need" thing since the dealership gave me a good deal. They said my old clutch looked fine when they replaced it. I plan to make my next car, a 2005 Mazda3 wagon, a 5-speed as well, in keeping with my KISS and KIFD (Keep It Fun to Drive) philosophy ...

    Meade
  • mazda_mommazda_mom Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Protege ES 5 speed with about 33,000 miles. I bought the car as a demo with less than 3,000 miles on it just about 4 years ago and have been thrilled. It is been extremely reliable, the only maintenance needed has been regular oil changes. A couple of months ago, the Check Engine light started coming on occasionally. It seems to happen when I am in a hurry and start the car up and take off immediately. The car runs fine, aside from the light being on. We have found a temporary fix, disconnect the battery cable and reconnect and the problem goes away - for a while. Reading the messages, I see the MAF sensor mentioned - with a free fix? Does anyone have more details on that? My car has not been back to the dealer since the warranty expired and I am afraid they will see the current mileage and slap me with a major bill just to get all the scheduled maintenance done.
  • civiletticiviletti Member Posts: 86
    Have the dealer do no work you do not authorize, or find a good independent repair shop. I have never taken an out-of-warranty car to a dealer.
  • vamlauttvamlautt Member Posts: 2
    I have since had the transmission repaired. I have a written statement from the transmission shop that states: "Upon inspection, it was found that the Protege's transmission had too much endplay, resulting from a MISPLACED roller thrust (bearing). The 2-4 band was broken due to excessive endplay, resulting in the transmission failure." And on to say, "the transmission was doomed from the beginning because of the incorrect placing of the roller thrust (bearing) inside of the transmission."
     
     So, I'm taking this information back to the selling dealer (who replaced the first failed transmission at 29.8K with another defective unit that failed at 41K) and will see what response I get from Mazda. I bought this car in good faith based upon favorable reviews pertaining to safety and reliability. Two failed transmissions in 71K does not meet either criteria.
     
     I realize that in any mass production product, failures will occur. And if I was unlucky enough to get a defective replacement transmission also, I can get over that event if Mazda will accept their responsibility. More to come.........
     
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