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Sedans Mazda Protege Mazda Protege Maintenance and Repair
3600 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 3:21 PM
You are in the Mazda Protege Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Hello all, I searched the forum for other instances of people having carburetors going bad on Protege's, but I must be the exception. My wife's '02 Protege5 began having pretty severe issues while driving over 50 mpg with the engine running at 50% and the engine light blinking - but the issues were occasional and we delayed getting them looked at for a couple of weeks. Big mistake! Turns out the engine coils had gone bad (2 of the 4). So I got them replaced, seemed to be fine in running when I drove away from the shop. The next day the engine light was back on with a code that the carburetor had gone bad. Long story short - in delaying the fix of the engine issues the gas/air mix was thrown off, ruining the carburetor. I had quotes for around $1100 to fix it but found a shop here in Columbus to it for $300 - which was very good in my mind. So this all went down six months ago but I was shocked when I searched and found seemingly no one else having engine coil pack and/or carburetor problems. We're now at 105k miles and no issues for the past few months but that was a frustrating setback. Overall I like the car still just thought I should share my experience.
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Replying to: bobcat79 (Aug 02, 2009 8:11 pm) Coils do go bad, but for two to go bad on a 7 year old car seems odd. In the future, if the check engine light (CEL) blinks, stop driving immediately. If it's on but not blinking, you can drive without expecting any damage to occur. But a blinking CEL means to stop driving immediately or serious engine damage can occur.
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Replying to: downtube (Aug 04, 2009 7:38 pm) I meant to type Catalytic Converter - not carburetor, probably makes more sense now. Yes - we know now that blinking light is bad. My wife didn't accurately describe how bad the issue was, plus we were having 10F weather and I thought it could be related to the cold. |
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Replying to: downtube (Aug 02, 2009 5:31 pm) I'll check lines, If nothing, then off to the dealer. Thanks downtube. O15 |
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Hopefully someone can help me out. As my screen name implies, I'm new to car repair but anxious to learn. The problem I am currently having is that the battery light in my 2000 Protege 1.8L has come on. Initially it was only intermittently after sitting at a light for a minute or more but has gotten progressively worse over the last 3-4 days. I have already replaced the battery but the problem continues. I have taken the car out several times for long highway drives with only the running lights on to ensure that the battery I installed did not simply need to be charged itself. Though the car starts without issue, it is now to the point that any time the rpm's drop below 2400 the battery light comes on. I am now figuring that the alternator needs replacing and am considering attempting to do this myself but don't want to go to all the trouble and expense if it turns out this isn't the problem. The only other thing I can think of is a short somewhere though it seems that since the problem is getting worse this is not likely the case. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.  Edit: I also checked the belt which seems to be in good condition (it was replaced several months ago). If it appears to be the alternator, any advice re: OEM/new/rebuilt? Dealership wants 384, can get a rebuilt one for 145 or aftermarket for 200
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Replying to: newbiemech (Aug 12, 2009 6:11 am) You may be right, as your car is almost 10 years old. How many miles on the vehicle? Assuming you had the timing belt changed, did you not have the belt for the alternator changed at the same time? My understanding is that the parts (i.e. the alternator and belt) are only half the battle, getting to them is where the real expense is; that's the major reason why changing a timing belt is so costly. I recommend a diagnostic is done before doing any repair work to avoid replacing parts that are not a problem. |
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Replying to: newbiemech (Aug 12, 2009 6:11 am) I'd say the #1 thing to check is the alternator belt tension. Technique should be in the manual. New belts do stretch and settle in after installation, so that could be it. Buy a battery terminal cleaner (wire brush thing), and clean both the terminals and the posts. A poor connection to the battery could be the cause. Check for corrosion on the battery cables near the battery, and replace if badly corroded. Of course make sure the terminals are on tight. Since you've changed the battery, next would be the alternator. Most auto parts stores these days will test the alternator for free, but you have to remove it first. I wouldn't go cheap on the alternator, unless you find replacing it enjoyable. |
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| I would like to know if someone here could tell me how to change a speed sensor on a mazda 2001. pictures would be great thanks STEVE | |
| Ok I'm really new to this but hope it works. My husband has a 1993 Mazda Protege and he ran it severly hot to the point where it shut down. The heads are not cracked but the engine now just turns over. We can not afford a new car so I am hoping someone here may be able to tell us what is wrong with it. | |
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Replying to: helpme101 (Aug 25, 2009 11:03 am) Do you mean the motor is running but the car does not move? If it does move, I suggest you head to your local mechanic. On the other hand, it's almost 17 years old so it may be time ...
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