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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 139 of 142

#1379 of 1418 Gabriel has a horn [autonomous] by autonomous

Nov 23, 2009 (11:38 am)

Replying to: autonomous (Nov 11, 2009 7:18 pm)
The horn on my 2002 P5 is ready to die. ... I plan to replace it ...
 
Update: I bought a new horn for C$60; installation will be happening in December.

#1380 of 1418 Re: CD player problems [sak0990] by autonomous

Nov 23, 2009 (11:41 am)

Replying to: sak0990 (Nov 19, 2009 2:51 pm)
6 disc changer. The cd player will load the cds, and they will start to spin, but when they start spinning they make a werid sound, like the disc is uneven and spinning. The player tells me to check disc. Ive tried different cds in it.
Have you tried loading and playing one standard CD alone? Are the CDs that you are trying home-made or standard store bought ones?

#1381 of 1418 Re: Gabriel has a horn [autonomous] by autonomous

Jan 04, 2010 (1:55 pm)

Replying to: autonomous (Nov 23, 2009 11:38 am)
The horn on my 2002 P5 is ready to die. ... I plan to replace it ...
  
Update: I bought a new horn for C$60; installation will be happening in December.
 
It took one hour to have my garage replace the horn ... and now it's back tooting good as new!

#1382 of 1418 Catalytic converter problems by skallsac

Jan 06, 2010 (12:58 pm)

Hi. New to this site.
 
Just bought an '03 P5 w/ 108k from a Honda dealer in the Bay Area. I regret it now just because I found other models w/ less miles. Anyways, 50 miles after driving the car off the lot the CEL came on. I returned it immediately to the dealer and after running the computer they told me the rear cat needed to be replaced. I was able to get them to give me a 12 yr/ 12k warranty on the car on top of replacing the cat for free. I mentioned that I heard the EGR valve was an issue w/ this model and they basically shrugged it off. After they replaced the rear cat w/ an aftermarket part, the CEL came on within 20 miles. I returned the car again to the surprise of the service man. He apologized and said he would have to check w/ Mazda to see what to do. He called back to tell me the front cat needs replacing as well, this time w/ a factory part. I am returning the car in a few days for the repair. I am very concerned that other problems will arise and cause the CEL to come on again, or worse. I may be able to return the car w/o penalization. I do love it and would rather keep it w/ the confidence that nothing else will happen for now. They are replacing it for free, but how do I get them to believe that the EGR, O2 sensor, etc. could cause these problems and have them check it?
 
Thanks for any help.
 
Right low beam already went out too. Not a great 1st impression.

#1383 of 1418 Re: Catalytic converter problems [skallsac] by autonomous

Jan 06, 2010 (4:18 pm)

Replying to: skallsac (Jan 06, 2010 12:58 pm)
I was able to get them to give me a 12 yr/ 12k warranty
Did you mean 12 month/12k warranty?
 
I may be able to return the car w/o penalization. I do love it and would rather keep it w/ the confidence that nothing else will happen for now. They are replacing it for free, but how do I get them to believe that the EGR, O2 sensor, etc. could cause these problems and have them check it?
Was the car certified by the seller? Has the seller written down in the contract that all necessary repairs would be covered during the warranty period? Contact the seller to express your concerns and see what is said if you were to return the car and whether there are any "special" charges (penalties).
 
You may want to consider getting an independent assessment done by a garage/mechanic that you trust. You can mention specific concerns (e.g. EGR). The mechanic may be able to evaluate the overall condition of the car and alert you to potential problems in the near future.
 
With a seven year old car you should expect to have some repairs required. Based on the mechanic's evaluation you could decide which are reasonable (e.g. worn tires need to be replaced eventually), which are trivial (e.g. burnt bulb) and which are serious repairs that you don't want to have to face (e.g. faulty transmission).
 
My 2002P5 has had its issues but on the whole I am very satisfied with the vehicle and its repair history.
 
Keep us posted and good luck!

#1384 of 1418 mileage performance by hypermiler01

Jan 08, 2010 (12:29 pm)

Hola... new to website... great insights.....
I would appreciate everyones input regarding modification to get more MPG
Any sugjestions?
Tires: (stock Dunlops are great but ware quickly) Replaced with non-stock..miss the performance.. small milage drop...reasonable compromise? need better shoes!
Gas: (87Octane) any benefits 89?
Oil: (5W-30 Dino w/ 3k changes) Synthetic? 10W-40? Is it too late to convert?
Air: (K&N, intake unmodified) Any more sugjestions?
Mileage Computer: fun or practical?
Reprogramming: expensive... is it worth it?
Oddities: small leakage at valve cover...should I worry?
 
After adpoting a hypermiler driving habits I average 24.5mpg.
Most driving is California city 90%, 10% freeway.
 
P5 2003 w/miles: 75K, generally stock, lovingly maintained
 
Thanks for your imput!

#1385 of 1418 Re: mileage performance [hypermiler01] by pete79

Jan 08, 2010 (12:57 pm)

Replying to: hypermiler01 (Jan 08, 2010 12:29 pm)
I'm guessing you know all this because its obvious stuff, but here it is anyway:
Is your car manual or automatic? From my experience, it's how you drive that makes the difference. Not the gizmos you add to your car.
If manual, shift 2000rpm. No hard accelerations: makes a big difference too. Put on neutral when coming to a stop/going off highway (avoid downshifts). If you see a red light ahead, go easy on the speed... just let the car roll to the light rather than accelerate and brake.
Keep trunk empty. Turn AC off when not needed. Respect speed limits.
 
And best tip ever: walk or bike for the short trips!
 
2001 protege. Just above 60K

#1386 of 1418 Re: mileage performance [pete79] by autonomous

Jan 08, 2010 (2:54 pm)

Replying to: pete79 (Jan 08, 2010 12:57 pm)
I'm guessing you know all this because its obvious stuff, but here it is anyway:
Another obvious one: keep your baby well tuned. Or as the Beatles would say
"In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen.
He likes to keep his fire engine clean,
It's a clean machine."
 

#1387 of 1418 4-wheel alignment ever needed? by dwryter

Jan 17, 2010 (7:27 pm)

#1388 of 1418 Re: 4-wheel alignment ever needed? [dwryter] by iamz

Jan 18, 2010 (10:34 am)

Replying to: dwryter (Jan 17, 2010 7:27 pm)
Unless your P5 is not tracking straight or pulling when you let go of the steering wheel, I wouldn't.

Messages Page 139 of 142

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