Check engine light, bad battery and engine mounts!

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03 Mazda Protege5
Hey guys, first off I'm so thankful I've found this forum, been a great help so far. I picked up an 03 mazda p5 with 210k km, in really good condition both inside and out. Only one small rust bubble I intend on fixing!

After getting it inspected before purchasing I was told the battery was on its way out/leaking, ac and alternator belt need replacing, and the right engine mount is blown. Did the belts myself, and now I'm going to get a new battery. But shortly before I did the belts the check engine light came on. Could this be caused by the battery?

After checking with my multimeter, standing voltage is 12.6, idle is 13.9 and after ac and lights turn on it dips to 12.8, then back up to a steady 13.9. Doesn't really seem to be bad, but does seem to be taking a little longer to start up since I purchased the car last week. Could my check engine light be caused by my battery?

Also, in regards to my engine mount. I've searched on here and google for the last few days but can't seem to find a concrete answer on the best approach. It's a daily driver and will not see the track, but I am on a pretty tight student budget. My right mount is shot, the rubber is totally cracked and broken. Can the window weld mod only be done to intact mounts to stiffen them, or can I buy some more time with this mod? Or just save up for the OEM? I'm assuming if the right is gone the left will be shortly behind? Can I just buy some awr inserts and throw them into my stock mount effectively replacing the rubber?

Any help would be great! Thanks!
 
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Filling the mount is best done with it removed from the car, since it takes a day to cure.

For the check engine light, have the codes read at a parts store or get a Bluetooth ELM327 and read them with the torque app.
 
Welcome to the forum :) Kudos on changing the belts yourself lol, just did mine this weekend for the first time and what a PITA! My pinch nut on the power steering tensioner was seized and I had to get a bolt out socket to get it off and replaced with an M10x1.25 thread stainless steel nut coated generously in antiseize lol, and my alternator pivot bolt on the bottom was seized as well, still need to snug it up, belt squeals a bit at random times, mostly when I let the revs drop too quickly. I also blew out the main fusible link when I was loosening the lower alt bolt by bumping the contact on the back of the alternator with the wrench (oops!). Plus side though, now that I've changed the belts/fusible link and the ECU has relearned itself (and my driving style), the car seems to be running better and stronger than it has in months...Now for the timing belt/water pump...

As far as your CEL, first place I would start is pulling the code(s)... It sounds like your charging system is functioning properly. If you have a bad cell in the battery, it could be causing the harder start conditions...Never hurts to try a known good battery, clean contacts, etc... That's where I would start (especially with winter settling in, no one wants to be stranded in the cold with a dead battery ;) )

As for the mounts, it honestly comes down to personal choice. I'm in the same boat myself, but I'm the "I'll fix it once in 100k miles and be done type" and am willing to sacrifice comfort/noise/vibration level by going with full poly mounts. The window weld mod will stiffen up new mounts and prolong the life, with less vibration/noise than full poly. If you choose to go with the AWR inserts, start with new rubber mounts first (just as with window weld mod). Personally, so far I've installed the AWR 70 durometer front mount (on the tranny) and what a difference it made. Definitely more vibration than stock and more rumble, but once I'm on the highway I don't notice it until I hit about 4k rpms at 80mph. Nothing the volume knob on the stereo can't fix though ;) And bonus, it definitely made the ride of the car feel more stable/stiffer in corners, making it more fun to drive

Hope this helps :)
 
So its fine to just fill the broken mount, as long as everything lines up properly? What's the best way to support the engine, or is it fine to just sit for a weekend without one mount?

Also thanks for the suggestion, I ordered a Bluetooth reader. Didn't even know they existed and at such a reasonable price!
 
It will need to be supported since that mount holds the majority of the engine's weight. It is most easily done with a floor jack and block of wood under the oil pan.
 
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