Let the fun begin! New P5 Owner!
- Thread starter crunchox
- Start date
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
I doubt that's the exact same as the one from ebay, it seems to fit just like the stock one.
There is a pro series rustoleum flat black that comes in a bigger sized silver can. I painted the grill with the same stuff and it seems to have held up really well so far.
On a side note I thinks its strange that nobody knows what grill I have
You have no idea how long I've been searching for a grill like that after I saw yours. I showed it to my wife and she was like... OHHH YOU SHOULD GET THAT GRILL! lol
There is a pro series rustoleum flat black that comes in a bigger sized silver can. I painted the grill with the same stuff and it seems to have held up really well so far.
On a side note I thinks its strange that nobody knows what grill I have
fyi- if you are having issues with the paint chipping on the front grill, try the black plasti-dip spray. Alot of Audi guys use it to black out their chrome grills and it doesn't chip b/c its more of a rubber compound.
I just installed a rear strut tower brace and plasti-dip sprayed it so it doesn't get all scratched and chipped up. Here's a link if needed: Plasti-Dip Link
I just installed a rear strut tower brace and plasti-dip sprayed it so it doesn't get all scratched and chipped up. Here's a link if needed: Plasti-Dip Link
There is a pro series rustoleum flat black that comes in a bigger sized silver can. I painted the grill with the same stuff and it seems to have held up really well so far.
On a side note I thinks its strange that nobody knows what grill I have
- :
- 2003 mazda protege5
i have one i wanna sell it cheap
Thanks for the tip SirDaft... Sounds like you might have crossed paths with a similar grill... we'll have to start our own club
Yes sir, the grill is identical! I should have it from yellow pro5 in the next week or so. I might do the plasti-dip right off the bat and not have to worry about paint chipping. Does anyone even know what kind of grill that is?
hornsfan10609
Certified Mazda Tech
- :
- 2003.5 Mazdaspeed Protege x2
I think the one with two bars across the middle is the Mintblue, but I am not 100% sure. The mintblue is JDM and hard to find, considering I have yet to come across one.
The problem started after detailing the engine bay and after running some 92 through her and some injector cleaner it seemed to make a difference. Im back on regular and no issues so just seemed to be one of those issues that worked itself out. I love it when that happens! On a side note I seem to get about 50 more miles to the tank with premium so I might just run it all the time, maybe try mid-grade to see what that gets me.
Bought some royal purps last night and plan on changing out the tranny fluid today. Hoping that fixes the sluggishness of 1st and 2nd gear just a little bit. Im also going to do my first oil change this weekend, with 190k should I stick with the high millage thats been in there or switch to full syn?
Dopeness!(band)
Glad to hear the problem worked itself out, that is the best! I find that I get better mileage on higher octane too, so it's almost stupid not to run it since you're paying more but you get more out of it.
Kurtanius21
Member
Please head my warning. Using Premium gasoline in a car not designed for high octane gasoline is a no-no as far as performance is concerned. Higher octane gas is really just gas with heavier molecules designed to ignite at a higher pressure or temperature. Premium belongs in high compression performance cars.
"Premium, in fact, sometimes is worse fuel than regular. It resists knock because it's harder to ignite than lower-octane fuels. As a result, some engines won't start as quickly or run as smoothly on premium," notes Gibbs, the SAE fuel expert
"No data show that engines designed strictly for regular run better or longer on premium."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-07-30-premiumgas_x.htm
If you put a heavy gas IE, high octane gasoline in a lower compression motor, like our 8.5-9.0 ratio, the gas will not ignite in a uniform, smooth manner. My father literally destroyed an old Toyota from using premium for too long. I also tried premium in my P5 and noticed acceleration deficiencies and sluggish idling. Please, for the sake of your P5, do not commit to premium unless you're desperate. Just because you "feel" like it's not problem does not mean it is not there.
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/premium/myths.html
"Premium, in fact, sometimes is worse fuel than regular. It resists knock because it's harder to ignite than lower-octane fuels. As a result, some engines won't start as quickly or run as smoothly on premium," notes Gibbs, the SAE fuel expert
"No data show that engines designed strictly for regular run better or longer on premium."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-07-30-premiumgas_x.htm
If you put a heavy gas IE, high octane gasoline in a lower compression motor, like our 8.5-9.0 ratio, the gas will not ignite in a uniform, smooth manner. My father literally destroyed an old Toyota from using premium for too long. I also tried premium in my P5 and noticed acceleration deficiencies and sluggish idling. Please, for the sake of your P5, do not commit to premium unless you're desperate. Just because you "feel" like it's not problem does not mean it is not there.
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/premium/myths.html
Much Appreciated! All new news to me. What would negate a switch from regular to premium in our cars? Forged internals/turbo? I thought I might see some gains after having the CAI, ignition, 4-2-1 headers/catback etc. I would agree that I have not noticed any performance gain with the premium fuel other than the extra millage.
Thanks again!
One thing that would require 93 octane is if you got an ECU from a Protege MP3. That and boost. 
You need 93 because of the advanced timing, but that is such a good mod. It doesnt really make much more power, but it smooths the powerband out. I don't regret buying one. There's someone on here who will flash a stock P5 ECU to MP3 specs.
It's a Protege, you wont see much gains beyond basic intake and exhaust mods... Gotta boost for the big power. lol
You need 93 because of the advanced timing, but that is such a good mod. It doesnt really make much more power, but it smooths the powerband out. I don't regret buying one. There's someone on here who will flash a stock P5 ECU to MP3 specs.It's a Protege, you wont see much gains beyond basic intake and exhaust mods... Gotta boost for the big power. lol
Thanks for the info. I've never actually run premium before, only mid-grade which is 90-91 octane I believe. Is this still a bad idea? Because I have found that my tach needle stays steadier at idle with mid-grade over regular.
