Well I'm happy to report that my 2002 protege5 [126-127K miles right now]has no body rust outside of the dents on the front of the hood from road debris on the freeway which has caused some really small rust spots and some on the battery latch for some reason. The car had been sitting all winter...
I didn't change mine until around 125K, took it to the shop and he said it was about ready to fall off. I live in Utah, so I have the extra stress of cold/hot cold/hot temperature stress on the belts.
Really timing belts aren't something to neglect, its MUCH cheaper to replace a timing belt...
115,000 miles on a 02 protege5..bought it at 72K about a year and a half ago..has been driven a lot...so far:
- two new tires
- thermostat
- 4 new brake pads and resurfaced rotors
No major problems yet (knock on wood).
I was just curious to see how high some of you have managed to get your protege5 on the mileage scale and if you've had any problems. Mine:
Purchased: 72,000 Miles
Current: 108,000 Miles
Replaced Since Owned: Thermostat, Front Tires
So at what point did you think the P5 would be a excellent sports car or a track beast? Was it the big whoopin 130HP? or the 135ft-lbs of torque? FWD?
These cars are ment to be a daily driver...I don't see a point in spending $1,000s on a car to get you into the 170-180HP range. The only thing...
Yesterday I went up to Wyoming from Utah to get some high point beer, well on the way up there I was going along on the freeway, there was still snow from the previous night but that that bad.
I ended up taking a curve (not very sharp) and hit some ice at 65MPH...I lost traction, the car...
I call bulls***, acetone has been around FOREVER..any gains some of you people are claiming are probably a placebo effect.
If it really worked, why aren't automotive companies promoting it as a gas saver? Unless its not good for your car, or it really doesn't work.
for these cars, I recommend heavier shifter knobs..seems to smooth out the shifts a little bit. I personally got a Greddy (Trust) Shifter Knob specifically fit for the Protege5.
I've had this odd issue when going over speed bumps in below freezing weather...it seems when its cold outside I go over speed bumps and I hear this CRUNCH noise on the front, it almost sounds like the bumper hit the pavement.
Is this cause for concern? Possibly a strut?
humm almost everytime I've pulled the shifter out of gear w/o the clutch it seems to slide out like butter. The only one I have problems with is 5th gear, in which case I use the clutch.