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Mazda Protege5 Maintenance and Repair

1418 messages,  Last post on Oct 22, 2012 at 5:40 PM

You are in the Mazda Protege Forum.

What is this discussion about? Mazda Protege5, Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 134 of 143

#1324 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [mdaffron] by pete79

Nov 25, 2008 (12:08 pm)

Replying to: mdaffron (Oct 10, 2005 8:35 am)
I keep reading the same answer over and over again... "the air conditioner compressor is going to run to remove moisture from the car's interior that otherwise would cause your windshield to fog up". Compressors DO NOT remove moisture. They condense gas!!! What condenses moisture is the cold coils running in the "evaporator" near the cabin's fan. But lets forget about this technical detail...
 
All these answers COULD be true if the air was recirculating (gizmo turned to take air from inside, not outside). But the fact is, at least with my Protege 2001 LX, that when you switch to "feet/windshield defrost" or "windshield defrost", the system AUTOMATICALLY takes air from outside. You CAN'T control that (only "feet" mode, although turning on the AC, allows you to turn back to "take air from inside" mode). The ONLY things this does are 1: Removes moisture from the OUTSIDE air before pushing it into the car (dry air is mixed with humid air in the cabin); 2: it eats more gas; 3: makes it very hard to set a comfortable temperature in the car during mild temperatures, which I get a lot in Quebec.
 
Now my questions:
1.Why did Mazda take away our FREEDOM of using AC as we wish????
2. Is there a way to turn off the compressor and avoid gas consumption/cold air production???? (removing the AC fuse from the car's fuse panel turns off all the controls for heating/fan... )
 
ANYBODY?????
 
Thanks!

#1325 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [pete79] by iamz

Nov 25, 2008 (2:29 pm)

Replying to: pete79 (Nov 25, 2008 12:08 pm)
You could start here;
 
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.eea5f4d/957!keywords=allin%3Amsgte- xt%20limit%3A.eea5f4d%20AC%20defroster#957

#1326 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [iamz] by mavswimmer

Nov 25, 2008 (8:24 pm)

Replying to: iamz (Nov 25, 2008 2:29 pm)
it does help remove moisture, because the air is completely 0% humidity when the A/C is on...as to the carbon built up on the spark plug, its cylinder4 that is always black...2is tan(optimal fuel/air burn) and 3, and 4 are white...seen it multiple times from pulling the plugs, no exceptions...my thinking is, each injector is putting in different amounts of fuel/air mixture...any thoughts on why? is this a problem? worht getting looked at? might be worthwhile for everyone to check their plugs who's reading this, to make sure the two of us didn't buy pig-in-the-poke mazda's.....

#1327 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [mavswimmer] by iamz

Nov 26, 2008 (6:00 am)

Replying to: mavswimmer (Nov 25, 2008 8:24 pm)
Countryham is not saying that carbon is closing the gap of his spark plug in cylinder #4, he is saying the gap is physically closed as in a bent metal electrode.
 
From his post;
 
" The mechanic feels the only way this happens is for something internal to be hitting the plug at high revs. What could it be? A piston or rod? I'm going to baby it for a while and sell it unless someone has a reasonable fix... "

#1328 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [iamz] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Nov 26, 2008 (10:29 am)

Replying to: iamz (Nov 26, 2008 6:00 am)
You could pull a plug and fish around in there for something, or scope it and see if there's some debris. You could have "chunked" part of a piston top or someone could have dropped something in there or installed the wrong plugs.

#1329 of 1418 Re: Engine Problems =S [Countryham] by oldman15

Nov 27, 2008 (9:53 am)

Replying to: Countryham (Nov 23, 2008 8:15 am)
As to LOUD ENGINE KNOCK & DAMAGED SPARK PLUG:
 
There was a recall on 2/3 P5. Original intake manifold had brass screws in it that would come loose. Replacement elimenated screws.
 
2 yrs ago had a terrible knock; thought I had broken a rod, etc. Dealer was aware of the recall. During replacement found there was a missing screw. Actual screw was never found; mechanic thought it may have bounced around, maybe melted, or just blew out of exhaust port.
 
A screw flying around might cause some plug damage, or partially melt onto valve( don't know how realistic that could be?), causing fouling of one cylinder.
 
At least something to investigate. Good luck.
 
Oldman15

#1330 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [pete79] by winston3x

Nov 27, 2008 (11:00 am)

Replying to: pete79 (Nov 25, 2008 12:08 pm)
the compressor will not turn on in the vent/feet position.
 
there is a mod to over-ride the idiot proof design but it is not for the faint of heart. it involves cutting part of the circuit board, here's the link
 
a/c always on mod
 
I just keep mine in the vent/feet position and close the vents when I need to.

#1331 of 1418 Re: A/C is always on [winston3x] by pete79

Nov 27, 2008 (11:30 am)

Replying to: winston3x (Nov 27, 2008 11:00 am)
Thanks a lot for that link!!! This is exactly what I was looking for (although they say it's nothing hard to do, I thought it would be simpler...)!!!

#1332 of 1418 Re: Engine Problems =S [Countryham] by Countryham

Nov 28, 2008 (4:11 pm)

Replying to: Countryham (Nov 23, 2008 8:15 am)
I'm replying to my own post - I took my P5 to the Mazda dealer in Raleigh, NC (Southern States Mazda) on Wednesday, armed with all the posts about the Intake Manifold Shutter Valve Emission Recall off www.mazdas247.com/forum, www.mazda3club.com/forum, and the issues I have had with the car. Even though I'm the second owner, the car's out of warranty and was sold new by another dealer, Southern States found the problem, had a new intake overnighted in, and I picked up the car today - NO CHARGE!! Happy Friggin' Thanksgiving to me!! The bolts from the intake were all missing, and in the compression chambers, and anytime the revs exceeded 5400, they started moving around and one got between the piston and the plug -twice. I'm totally lucky that the motor didn't bomb out. If you have the same problems, it's not compression or any of the other things I surmised - just a manufacturers defect that the dealers know exists. Make them do what they did for me and quit trying to figure it out, bizarre as it is...

#1333 of 1418 by Countryham

Dec 01, 2008 (4:49 am)

I'm replying to my own post - I took my P5 to the Mazda dealer in Raleigh, NC (Southern States Mazda) on Wednesday, armed with all the posts about the Intake Manifold Shutter Valve Emission Recall off www.mazdas247.com/forum, www.mazda3club.com/forum, and the issues I have had with the car. Even though I'm the second owner, the car's out of warranty and was sold new by another dealer, Southern States found the problem, had a new intake overnighted in, and I picked up the car today - NO CHARGE!! Happy Friggin' Thanksgiving to me!! The bolts from the intake were all missing, and in the compression chambers, and anytime the revs exceeded 5400, they started moving around and one got between the piston and the plug -twice. I'm totally lucky that the motor didn't bomb out. If you have the same problems, it's not compression or any of the other things I surmised - just a manufacturers defect that the dealers know exists. Make them do what they did for me and quit trying to figure it out, bizarre as it is...

Messages Page 134 of 143

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