Help with Maintenance Issues

[BrashL]

5Hi all, long time lurker in need of some help. I have 2002 protege5 with about 108000 miles. It's been a workhorse handling some hellish commuting but I'm not in any financial position to give it up (nor do I want to, I love this car). I've been doing a lot of long due maintenance and I've got a couple questions.

1. Timing Belt Replacement: Is this something worth doing myself or does the hastle/difficulty justify paying the shop? Any how-to besides the Cam Removal one?

2. I'm trying to do the non-fouler trick to get rid of the P0300 code but I'm running in a problem removing the sensor. There's some kind of heat shield on the pipe that prevents me from getting a wrench in. I don't see it in the tutorial, so what is it? Is it necesary?

3. I've also found that one of the plastic shrouds on the front underbody shattered at some point and only remains in bits and pieces. What is this piece called and should I replace it?

4. Overall rust is BAAAAAAD, I live in the Midwest, and I've already broken off a small bolt removing the scrap of said shroud. Can I replace these with any bolt of the same size or do I need OEM parts? Probably a dumb question but I just dont know.

5. Finally, the oil pan has some pretty extensive rust. Should this be replaced or is the corrosion pretty normal/harmless?

Thanks All!

 

[slavrenz]

1. Depends how much time, patience, and mechanical ability you have. The hardest part is just getting the belt lined up on the proper teeth again, so it may help to have a buddy who's done timing belt changes before. Also be sure to replace your water pump and serpentine belts while you're in there.

2. P0300 is a random misfire code, and is not caused by a bad O2 sensor (in 99% of cases), therefore, the nonfouler will not work. Have you checked your spark plugs/wires/coils to see if they're good?

3. Do you mean the black underbody pieces? I think they're just called splash shields, and while they are not critical to the function of the vehicle, I would replace them to minimize the amount of water/road debris getting on your engine. Look for them at a scrapyard before you buy new ones.

4. For splash shield bolts and other nonessential hardware, aftermarket stuff is fine. For things like cylinder head bolts and stuff that has to be precisely engineered, I would go OEM.

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[BrashL]

Wow, quick reply, thanks! As far as the O2 sensor, think I'm mixed up. That WAS the code I got during bad misfires, changed plugs, wires, and coils, and then misfires were fixed but P0421 code. I got the impression that was a ruined cat so I just wanted to kill the engine light for the time being.

 

[RABID_MP5]

on the oilpan, I cleaned mine up with one of those drill-mounted rust & paint remover tools (soft web of material). Then some rustoleum. Still not rusting after a year.