Deer hit my 02 Protege 5!

[kilbey]

Short story: I need help finding instructions for removal and replacement of:

Radiator

Radiator support frame

Hood (looks simple though)

Passenger headlight (once I can find one for a reasonable price! I have the aforementioned parts coming in tomorrow)

Any tricks for removing the bumper cover and radiator support frame?

Thanks!


Long story:


I need a little help with some DIY work... I was driving along monday night, when I approached a cop going in the opposite direction. He hit a deer coming from his left, sending the poor animal right onto my hood and over my car. I had no time to even react.

This left my hood looking like a taco, pulverized my grille, and snapped apart my left ignition coil so that I was running off 3 cylinders. I have a new ignition coil arriving tomorrow.

Radiator is now curved and leaking from a couple of spots, and the rad. support is waaaay bent.

Pssgr side headlight assembly is in shards, and light isn't working. My side is fine.

Insurance won't cover it, and I am jobless, so I have no choice but to do it myself. I am very mechanically inclined though.

Thanks in advance!

-Brian

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Get the entity the cop car was from to pay for it. If he wouldn't have hit it, it wouldn't have hit your car. Cop's fault.

 

[hornsfan10609]

Technically it isn't the cops fault, when I hit a deer the insurance company said it was an 'act of God' and it would be covered, so it is the deer's fault. I would have filed it if I had more damage than a broken side mirror.

 

[MATX]

Technically it isn't the cops fault, when I hit a deer the insurance company said it was an 'act of God' and it would be covered, so it is the deer's fault. I would have filed it if I had more damage than a broken side mirror.

Tell them gods not real unless they can prove it!!! or just tell them the deer fliped you off and ran out in front of you.

 

[slavrenz]

Technically it isn't the cops fault, when I hit a deer the insurance company said it was an 'act of God' and it would be covered, so it is the deer's fault. I would have filed it if I had more damage than a broken side mirror.

Wait, I thought you just said they weren't going to cover it. Anyways, like a previous poster said, now that you've notified your insurance company, you need to contact the cop's precint and make them pay for it.

 

[kilbey]

Geico says that it would have been an unavoidable/comprehensive issue, if I had comp. I asked about whether I should pursue getting the city/county to pay, but Geico says that for the same reason, it wasn't the cop's fault, although he had a lot more time to hit the brakes than I did. He turning to his left and the deer came from his left just before the turn.

Any suggestions on how-to's, ither video or not? I really could use some info, since I can't find a repair manual to buy in the 7 years I've owned this car.


Thanks in advance-
Brian

 

[808MP5]

you should be able to find instructions here
http://www.floptical.net/mazda/service_web/

 

[slavrenz]

Geico says that it would have been an unavoidable/comprehensive issue, if I had comp. I asked about whether I should pursue getting the city/county to pay, but Geico says that for the same reason, it wasn't the cop's fault, although he had a lot more time to hit the brakes than I did. He turning to his left and the deer came from his left just before the turn.

Any suggestions on how-to's, ither video or not? I really could use some info, since I can't find a repair manual to buy in the 7 years I've owned this car.


Thanks in advance-
Brian

That guy just doesn't want to have to fill out the paperwork or something else stupid. How does he know that the cops won't pay for it? You need to be calling them up and be polite but firm and insist that they cover the damage. They have their own comprehensive policies for just such situations.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

The act of God was when the cop hit the deer. The deer flying off the cop's car was NOT. When the cop hit the deer it became his cargo. It was not properly restrained & damaged your vehicle. Cops fault. It's just like when someone rear ends the car behind yours and knocks that one into yours, the one that got hit first doing nothing wrong has to pay for yours when it hit yours, same concept. Pull the uninsured pedestrian card on the deer or the deer left the scene so uninsured motorist coverage on your policy should cover you at reduced deductible...please tell me you don't roll about without uninsured motorist coverage even if having only liability these days because that's just asking for nonsense just like having no insurance would be.

 

[kilbey]

Re: Protege 5 manual

Thank you so much for posting this!!!

Happy New Year!!

-Brian

you should be able to find instructions here
http://www.floptical.net/mazda/service_web/