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Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Leave it on. It will have no effect at lower speeds. All the switch does is engage the ability for the transmission to go into fourth (its highest) gear. Leaving it on will greatly reduce wear on your engine and increase gas mileage, especially if you do a lot of highway driving, since the engine will be revving much slower at high speed. The only place you really want to leave it off is if you're going down a long hill in the mountains -- in this case you can leave it off to keep the engine in third gear and assist with braking, to avoid burning up your brakes.

    Meade
  • h_ollyh_olly Member Posts: 2
    it's an automatic
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    It also affects the shift points (when the AT controller decides to upshift) when you're driving normally. With O/D on, your transmission will shift at lower RPMs, which is more fuel-efficient.

    With the AT, which uses a torque converter, once you're in the O/D gear, there's also a point beyond which the torque converter is locked (not allowed to slip, like it usually does), which improves fuel economy further. This is engaged above a certain speed (around 45mph, I think) and below a threshold torque (to prevent damage to drivetrain components). You can feel the change, if you pay attention. It's like a very soft shift into what feels like a fifth gear, even though the transmission has only four. If you turn the O/D off, then you prevent the transmission from also engaging the torque converter lockup.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Hmmm, can't help you there. All I've had are manuals. Keep it simple!

    Good luck --

    Meade
  • mtvernon1mtvernon1 Member Posts: 1
    Front exhaust pipe?I also have a 99 protege (1.6). Thought I needed a new muffler, but the problem appears to be with a short pipe - about 20 inches long - that connects the catalytic converters. It is anchored by a couple of spring-bolts. The dealer wants $280 for this part. I just want to know what to ask for when I call around to different used parts stores. Anyone know the name of this pipe?
    If any of you have leads on this part (and the bolts), I'm all ears.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Below is how your exhaust system should be in order from engine to muffler. It sounds like you need a header pipe replaced. Is it noisy up front? A "new" header pipe is $67 if you search the net. You shouldn't have to pay more then $125 for parts/labor at a reputable repair shop.

    1. Header Pipe
    2. Catalytic converter
    3. Muffler pipe
    4. Muffler
  • kandrkandr Member Posts: 3
    I am at a loss, and so is my mechanic. He gave the car back to me after a week of diagnostic testing.

    The car idles great. It has no power, and at 4000 rpm, the power fluctuates and rocks the car forward and reverse. When cold, hitting the gas will bring up RPM to about 2k and then it quickly drops to a stall.

    There are no trouble codes in the computer which makes this even more difficult to figure out. My mechanic said that he hooked my car up to a machine that bypassed my fuel delivery system to make sure it wasn't the fuel, fuel pump or filter, and it still exhibited the same problem. He checked the intake, plugs, exhaust, cylinder compression. Everything was fine. Anyone have any suggestions?
    I forgot to ask if he checked for vacuum leaks. I am going to check this tonight with a can of starter fluid and a fire extinguisher... ;)
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Did this problem start gradually or right away? What kind of work was done to the car recently?

    A few things come to mind. Could it be the fuel injection/distributor timing position? If it was worked on in the past and not set back correctly, it might give you the symptoms you mentioned.

    Also, when was the timing belt last changed? Did your mechanic verify the tensioner and idler?
  • garanthgaranth Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1995 AT Mazda Protege, and I've had two problems with it.

    Being a poor college student, I can't run out to the mechanic and spend a ton of money on getting fixes. The check engine light will turn on, and just as I'm about to say, "All right, it's been on long enough, time for a mechanic" it will turn off. So that's not my main concern.

    The first of the two problems, I'm 90% positive, has to do with and exhaust leak. The car recently become ten-times louder when I'm driving it, unless I'm not giving it gas, in which case it's as quiet as it normally is. Is this normal of exhaust leaks or is it a different problem?

    The second is that, whenever I come to a stop, the RPMs nearly bottom out and stall. I got the car used, and it's done it for a while. I plan on changing out the fuel pump/filters to see if that helps at all, but I was wondering if anyone else could recommend what the problem might be. It also idles very low once the engine has warmed up to normal temps. Any advice would be greatly greatly appreciated.
  • kandrkandr Member Posts: 3
    I changed the timing belt at 60K. The car is about to hit 70k now. That was the last major thing that was done to it.
    Oil change every 4k - 5k with synthetic. It was happening slightly when cold for about a month before it got really noticable. It got really bad the morning that my battery died when I tried to start my car after getting gas. When I replaced my battery, the car never drove the same again. I thought at first that I got some bad gas. The problem however never went away after many tanks of gas.

    I'll get my hands on a timing gun and check it out. In fact, I'll give my mechanic a call and ask him. Thanks.
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    Two words: muffler and diagnostic
  • kandrkandr Member Posts: 3
    I just got off the phone with my mechanic. He isn't the one who changed my timing belt. I was in a rush, so I had taken it to Pep boys for that job. But he said that since it was thousands of miles after the belt change that I noticed a problem, then it most likely is not the cause. He also said he checked the timing advance on the car and that was set right. I checked my car for vacuum leaks with the starter fluid and the fire extinguisher last night, and the motor didn't change idle. I'm just happy that I didn't blow my car up.
  • nazabenazabe Member Posts: 2
    Is your engine 1.6L
  • oshadoshad Member Posts: 1
    Yesterday we made the last payment on our 2001 Protege! :D The same day, a CD got stuck in the player and won't come out by pressing the eject button. :cry: In fact, pressing the CD button won't even switch to the CD player from the radio. And the little CD light that shows the presence of a loaded CD, isn't on. I confess, it was a CD-R I burned with a wave file and it's possible I forgot to finalize the CD. If that's the case, how do I get the little sucker out of there?

    Osha
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Also check your battery cables, voltage regulator, distributor, ignition coils and plugs wires.

    Some other things that can cause low or irregular idle: failing mass airflow sensor, clogged exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve, clogged PCV (crankcase ventilation) valve. Also check the plugs, plug wires, ignition coils, distributor. Check for any loose hoses as well. A vacuum hose off the top of my throttle body came lose and caused my '99LX to idle roughly. I put a cable tie around it to fasten it more securely to its attachment point.
  • 77hchbck77hchbck Member Posts: 24
    Hello folks, I'm a refuge from the Accord and Altima forums, but I just bought my daughter an Emerald Green 99 Protege LX w/47K miles for her college grad celebration. I'd never ridden in a Protege before, so before I purchased the car, I asked the original owner if we could take an extended test drive on the interstate. I put 45 miles on the car and bought it. Man, this is a sweet ride, the ride and handling and interior amenities remind me a lot of my 01 4cyl Accord. (Heresy, yeah I know).

    Anyway, before I bought it I had researched the known TSBs for this model year and sure enough this car did indeed have a few of these issues. The door key locks were missing the flaps, which doesn't bother me, but the driver door lock has to be pushed and pulled manually to work. The remote and interior switch will lock and unlock the other 3 doors and you can see it trying on the drivers door, but unsuccessfully. Any ideas as to where to locate the TSB printout for this issue?

    I think she'll freakout when she sees this car, because I had been shopping higher mileage Prisms, older Corolas and Altimas before stumbling across this original owned LX (with all the maintenance records) . And the tilting/sliding moonroof is a feature I wouldn't necessarily look for, but this LX had it, so I'm not complaining. I just hope it doesn't leak later in its life.

    Anyway, I'm a diehard Honda fan giving the Protege it's due.
  • blueearthblueearth Member Posts: 3
    Hello,

    I have a 2002 Protege ES with just over 31,400 miles on it. A few days ago I noticed a high pitched squeak, but it is not constant. Here is what I have observed.

    1) The squeak won't appear until after about 15-20 minutes of driving.

    2) The squeak is periodic and increases how frequently it occurs with speed.

    3) The squeak goes away anytime I apply brakes.

    4) The squeak seems to be worse after going over bumps.

    Can anyone help me diagnose what this problem is, or is it best to just take it to someone to look at it? Thanks for any and all help!
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Probably the audible wear sensors for the front brake pads. Have the brakes inspected.
  • newtoboardnewtoboard Member Posts: 12
    If you have a Mavis Discount Tire dealer around you, go to them. They should be able to tell you what the problem is pretty fast. They are VERY reliable...I go to them all the time with my 99 ES. If there is a problem and it has to be fixed, they'll give you a good price without ripping you off.

    Good luck and let us know what happens.
  • blueearthblueearth Member Posts: 3
    Can you explain more how those sensors work? Should the squeal be noticeable when I apply brakes if that's what the problem is? Anytime the brakes are applied the noise goes away completely. I'll have someone take a look at it.

    (by the way, at my 30000 checkup they did say it looked like the pads were worn and asked me if i wanted to replace them)
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Audible wear sensors are thin strips of spring steel attached to the back of the brake pad. When the lining wears enough, the sensor starts contacting the rotor and emits a high pitch squealing sound. Usually goes away when the brakes are applied until the pads get really thin, then will squeal whether the brakes are applied or not. You've already been told that the pads are worn, have them inspected and replaced as required.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    There's probably not a TSB on it, though you can check alldata's or nhtsa's sites.

    Taking off the driver's door panel is fairly easy. There are sites that show how this is done (for replacing the stock speakers in the front doors). I posted a text-only message on the Protege Accessories and Modifications board a long while back (msg #272) on how to remove the front door panels (based on my '99 ProLX). It took me about 45 minutes the first time. I could probably do it in about 15 minutes now that I know what I'm doing. :)

    Once this is removed, you can probably see whether or not the mechanical linkage from the power lock mechanism is OK or broken. If it's OK, I'd suspect the power mechanism needs to be replaced. If not, try to fix it (something probably came loose) and see if it works.
  • zoom zoom kingzoom zoom king Member Posts: 26
    i had a prob with my door locks , it would would grind when i pushed the lock/unlock button i had it checked by the people who put in my alarm they said the power door lock actuator he said 70 dollars installed i was like ill buy the parts myself and install it ... but as luck would have it the part doesn't come separately they cost 250.00 just for the part i was so pissed . so i went to the alarm place after being tired of the sound its a common prob im pros its cause by water rusting the inside of the lock motor
  • autonomousautonomous Member Posts: 1,769
    You've already been told that the pads are worn, have them inspected and replaced as required
    Alcan is right. Otherwise, if you wait long enough you will also have to have your brake rotors machined (machine=grind smooth) or replaced. At this stage, possibly your rotors are getting etched / scratched each time you apply the brakes.

    In the TV autoshow Autotalk the host, Kirk Robinson, mentioned that for many cars the decision to either machine (grind) current rotors versus buying new rotors is now easier since the cost for either is so similar; in most cases, he recommends new rotors.

    Also, are you the sole driver of this car? You may want to consider your driving/braking style to see if you can extend the life of your brakes.
  • acd5281acd5281 Member Posts: 2
    Hey I have the EXACT same problem as you do and my car has actually staled on me upon starting. Mine has unfortunatly been doing this for a year now. I have a 97 mazda protoge and I am too a poor college student. Just before I had this problem my "chaneck engine" light would do the same thing.........I have yet to remedy the problem because of lack of funds.
    Alia
  • acd5281acd5281 Member Posts: 2
    Also, I forgot to tell you......I did go once to get it checked out and they replaced a cracked hose and that corrected it for about a month and now it is back. But before it was more of a up and down idleing now it just idles really really low......I would check all your hoses to make sure there are no leaks or crack, especially between the ridges where they can be hiding.......hope this helps and PLEASE let me know if you learn anythign else cause I am still having problems with mine. THX!
  • cory99procory99pro Member Posts: 2
    I have a 99 Protege, 1.6. I just bought it used with 50k on it. I changed the plugs and wires, trans flush, stabilizer link system, and an inspection. But occassionally, and especially on inclines and highways where I need hard acceleration, I hit the accelerator and it eventually feels like it wants to quit. RPMs will go up, but not MPH. I tried a fuel system cleaner and filled the tank, and it stopped. But it happens periodically. Sounds similar. Help! :confuse:
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Well, the only case I can think of where RPMs increase without an increase in speed is a slipping clutch (manual) or a transmission problem (automatic). Is that really what you mean? The engine revs higher but the speed remains the same?

    That or you've got the car out of gear!

    :)

    Meade
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    My horn on my 1994 Mazda Protege DX just went last night. It now just has this clicking sound coming from the steering wheel but no sound. Anyone experience this before and what fix? Thanks.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Meade
  • carriegcarrieg Member Posts: 3
    I have a mazda protege and the a/c/heating fan only works on high. I had the same problem with my chevy prizm and found from a message board there that it was the blower motor resistor, cheap and easy fix. Not sure if the protege has the same part or something similar as I don't know anything about cars. Appreciate anyone who can give me some insight or has had the same problem!!
    Thanks
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    I was rushing to work this morning when I looked at the fuse boxes under the steering wheel and under the hood but I didn't see anything for a horn. Would you know specifically where it is? Thanks.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I thought the horn used the same fuse as a couple other things -- and that fuse is in the fuse panel on the driver's side of the car.

    C'mon -- don't you have an OWNER'S MANUAL??? (It's that little book in the glovebox.)

    Meade
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Haha... manual? Its an 11 year old car. But thanks, I'll look for it later.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Ben:

    Your car may be 11 years old, but it's got the steering wheel, seats and keys, right? Tire jack and lug nut wrench too? OK then. Where's the manual? Isn't it in the glovebox where it's supposed to be?

    If you really can't find the manual, go to your Advance Auto Parts, Autozone, Pep Boys or whatever and buy the Haynes manual (Chiltons makes them too; Haynes are better) for your car. It'll have all that stuff in it too, as well as a lot of info on how to fix your car. At 11 years old, that Haynes manual is probably a very good investment.

    Meade
  • lringlring Member Posts: 1
    I have the same car and the same problem. There is a recall on something to do with the Mass Air Flow Sensor for VINS lower than JM1BJ222----300996. First independent machanic cleaned the MAF sensor. And checked pressure in the fuel pump. Was better, but still lost power when I was driving, like no gas getting to engine. Mazda dealer service did the recall and also said needed new fuel pump, as the pressure was okay, but the volume wasn't so gas wasn't getting pumped to the engine. Locate a dealer, and get the recall work done. That may be your only problem.
  • alcanalcan Member Posts: 2,550
    Horn fuse: underhood left side fuse block, #3, 10A
    Horn relay: same block, next to #18 30A fan fuse
    Box cover should be labelled.
  • zoom zoom kingzoom zoom king Member Posts: 26
    i have a 99 lx pro and sometimes i push the gas down ( the top of a gear) and it doesnt rev any higher unless i shift the gear or turn overdrive off (perfect revvin in 1st).and i was wondering why also my cruise control takes a while to acc with the acc/set coast button
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    Thank you. I checked both fuses and they are okay. I got the horn working again by removing the steering wheel cover and resurfacing the contact points.
  • miket1miket1 Member Posts: 6
    I have a 99 Mazda Protege LX automatic with 80k that ran perfectly until I got a major tune-up including timing belt/water pump change about 6 months ago. Now the belt that drives the alternator squeals so bad that it smells and eventually breaks. This has happened 4 times and the mechanic is baffled. He has replaced the belt four times with different brands, replaced the alternator once, and adjusted the tension many times. It does it all the time, but lately it seems to get worse when I turn on the A/C and/or slow down and turn the steering wheel. Help please!
  • rloveysrloveys Member Posts: 2
    I recently had my 99 protege 1.8L to a Mazda dealership because of a check engine light on and rough idle (after warming up and when idling at a light for example rpms drops below 700 almost stalling then returns to 700 and idles roughly). The dealership said I needed to replace the Mass Air Flow Meter @$900 CAN. Luckily I got one from a salvage dealer for $150. Replaced it, cleared light, light doesn't come on anymore, but car still Idling the same. Any Ideas what to try next. I replaced plugs, wires and air filter also. Help!!!!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Did you have the recall performed a few years ago? If you bought the car used, you should check with your dealer to see if your VIN number falls under that recall.

    Meade
  • rloveysrloveys Member Posts: 2
    That recall was only for the 1.6L mine unfortunately is a 1.8L
  • sammazdasammazda Member Posts: 5
    I have a Mazda Protege '97. It has some deep scratches on the dashboard (near the CD/AC console and on the storage compartment door).
    How can I remove them or is taking the vehicle to the detailing guys the only resort?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Okaayyyyy ....

    So did you have the coil pack recall done? That did apply to '99s and '00s with the 1.8L.

    Meade
  • mkr8847mkr8847 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1996 Protege and i have the same problem. I can't figure it out. At idel it runs fine then it drops RPM and shakes real bad so i put in neutral and it goes away..
  • zoom zoom kingzoom zoom king Member Posts: 26
    i have heard people say that they have had there CEL come on with no problems have them reset and they come back thousands of miles later. my prob is that at 75025 miles my CEL came on and it was check it was the Egr valve excessive flow. i also read it was a fault code that comes on under certain road conditions and i was wondering has anyone else had this prob cause it just came back at exactly 2000 miles it seems odd :confuse:
  • theandantetheandante Member Posts: 1
    I am having this IDENTICAL problem on a 95 1.5. I break the inner belt(alternator/water pump belt) once a month. We're now facing the worst case scenario which is a water pump bearing failure in only a matter of 6 months. Mine also gets worse when I turn on the a/c which I don't understand because the belt with the drama is not on the a/c compressor. Have you reached any solutions?

    Paul
  • bpgraybpgray Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if anyone could give me a hint as to where I might go to sell my daughters 1997 Protege. She was involved in a collision last week and we are n ot going to fix it. I just put a motor in in 2 months ago, mechanic said it was in excellent shape (papers said it had 62K but mechanic seemmed to think it was less?) and was running great when she banged it up. also put a compressor in it. a radiator (although that is probably shot from wreck. :cry: Interior is great except for air bags went off) If you could steer me I would be grateful. We live in central FL if that helps.
  • rounder1rounder1 Member Posts: 1
    Sometimes my Protege won't start. The battery is very weak and is not strong enough to turn the engine. I have it towed to the dealership. They say the battery and alternator are in perfect working order. This has happened twice now and they are unable to find the problem. Charge: $95.00 per visit. This has occured twice the past 3 weeks. Can anyone help? Thanks.
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