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Sedans Mazda Protege Mazda Protege5
7848 messages, Last post on Dec 05, 2009 at 4:21 AM
You are in the Mazda Protege Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: dingo1 (Jan 03, 2009 11:56 am) There used to be a service manual for the Protege available in PDF on the web; unfortunately the site is no longer working. You might want to search for it to see if it has reappeared on another site. |
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I am having trouble with my speakers in my mp5. The rear speakers don't work at all, have any of you had this issue? Is it a fuse? They're not blown. Also, has anyone upgraded their stereo? If so, what did you use? How is it? Thanks, z |
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Can anyone can recommend a mechanic in Austin? Some details appreciated. Trying to avoid dealers. |
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Replying to: dingo1 (Jan 02, 2009 10:12 am)
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Replying to: autonomous (May 22, 2008 9:04 am) reliable over the years never breaking down. Of course today at 112K the car needs a wheel bearing again and the hub and a control arm for a good $1200 bill. That would actually be ok but the car itself is rusting to pieces in the rear wheel wells, the bottom of all 4 doors and the middle of the hatch... its like we brought an old Fiat from the early 70s. Even if we repair everything the car will rust to pieces while the motor keeps going. So disappointed..Mazda almost made a good vehicle but lost us as customers forever.
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Replying to: eaguon (Feb 23, 2009 9:52 am) Then I discovered the cruise problem. Let me know if you find a solution. (Other than replacing the central relay!) dingo1 |
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Replying to: rminnj (Apr 07, 2009 11:06 am) Yes, rust is a definitely a problem although I wouldn't say it's unique to Mazda vehicles. My previous car, a Toyota Corolla, also started rusting at the door bottoms, rear quarter panel, etc. as a result of scrapes and scratches in spots difficult to see (e.g. bottom of doors) and to not being rustproofed early enough (I waited until the second year). In the Protege, I've noticed the rust starting to re-emerge in the wheel wells, two years after the problem was corrected. The problem is minor for now but it won't take long before it grows into something more serious. I am considering keeping the car for another couple of years and have not decided what to do about the situation. Here's an update on my 2002 Protege5 which will be celebrating its 7th birthday in a little over a month. Overall, I have had a great time with it. The P5 is still nimble, safe and fuel efficient (avg. 25 mpg). Annual mileage has gone down as I no longer need to drive to work. Total in May 2009 should be about 120,000 km. (75,000 miles) for an annual average of over 17,000 km (11,000) miles. The good news is that there are no additional troublespots since last year's report. So in 7 years the following major problems occurred: 1) Dunlop performance tires wore very quickly (after 25K miles); BF Goodrich Traction T/A tires have been a very good replacement 2) rust around rear wheel wells; repaired by dealer and Mazda Canada under good will agreement; 3) EGR failed; replaced by dealer (at a moderate cost) 4) Steering rack failed / damaged (at a significant cost); this was likely due to a driving error on my part. My overall assessment: feels as good as new and is still a great car!
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I have read a lot of comments by fellow owners. Tires, rust, mileage, etc. I have 170,000 plus miles. The only thing I did was put on a K&N filter, magnaflow turbo muffler, and had computer reprogammed. Total cost less than $800. For those who comlain ed about lack of power, this adjustment makes the car much quicker. I had the original Dunlaps and got 60,000 miles so I can understand those who claim they got much less. I drive back and forth from So Cal to No Cal. So lots of highway mileage. No complains though I now use all weather Kumos which are wearing well. Only thing I've had to do was a water pump at 80,000 and just recently new timing belt. Wasn't a lot of wear on it but I decided to replace for safety. Rust only shows on brakes so I have to believe those complain about rust must live in cold weather areas. Front rotars were just replaced at 170,000 miles. Original clutch which I can't believe. If I keep the car under 80, around 76-78 mph, I get 32 miles per gallon. In town 25. I don't drive the hard but I don't baby it either. I have the car as high as 110 mph and the car was very smooth. No fear. Like everyone else, I like this car because it drives like a sport car in cornering and I have great torque power with aftermarket equipment. I also own a 2007 Speed 3 but I prefer driving this car on a daily basis because it is more fun to drive. Speed 3 is a great car for its cost and equipment, but the P5 is lighter and feels more agile. 5spd transmission much smoother than the 6 spd on the Speed3. Better gas mileage, too, but Speed 3 gives very good mileage for a high performance car. I think the PR5 is a better car than the current Mazda 3. And with my slight modifications, it's a quicker car. |
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Replying to: raceman13 (Mar 10, 2008 3:31 pm) |
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Replying to: mustangleader (Apr 22, 2009 11:56 pm) THe results of your comparison amaze me. I would have thought that you would prefer the MazdaSpeed3 for the added power and transmission. It's high praise for the Protege5 to say it is more agile and smoother than the MS3.
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