Mazda Newbie With Questions!

[AngelDust09]

Hey Ya'll! I just bought my first Mazda yesterday and I'm already in love with it but I can't deny that I know absolutely NOTHING about Mazda's other that what I've read online. To be honest I don't know much about cars at all but I'm trying to learn. I love that Mazda engines are strong and take a lot to break down so I'm hoping to make my baby last for several years. It's a 2002 Protg ES with almost 132,000 miles on it. The only problem is that I was in a real bind needing a car (plus I'd always dreamed of owning a Mazda like mine) and had to make a quick decision to buy the car or risk losing it to someone else. I took the risk of buying the car privately without having a mechanic look it over first. I know I took a huge risk but I trust Mazda's reputation and the Seller seemed trustworthy. Anyways, the car seems to run great but it sounds a little rough. Would you guys say this is normal for an 11 year old Protg? Far as I know it's always been well maintained. It has a newer battery, fuel lines and belts. The engine compartment looks pretty clean. The only thing I noticed is that the there is a green gunky build up around the lid for the coolant and there is a white powdery substance on the top of the battery. Are either of those things anything to worry about? The brakes are a little squeaky and grindy so I suspect I'll have to have a new set put on in the next weeks to a month or so but I'm not worried about that. The only thing that's worrying me is some noise I keep hearing while driving it. Half the time I go over bumps and other imperfections in the road, I hear a kind of clanging noise like something might be loose underneath the car. Sometimes it sounds like it's right underneath me and other times it sounds like it's closer to the rear of the cars. Can anyone tell me what that might me? I suspect that the suspension might need some tweaking since I'm hearing the noise in two different spots. It drives down the road really smoothly otherwise and (it's automatic) shifts smoothly as well. Do the automatics have catalytic converters or is that only on the 5 speed manual models?

I'm so paranoid that I spent $3000 on this car and I'm going to find out something is horribly wrong with it but my gut tells me that's not the case. I think it just needs some fine tuning like any used car you buy for a cheap price. I just wish I knew a good affordable Mazda mechanic in the Milwaukee, WI area. If anyone has a referral I'd gladly take it. This is the kind of car I've always wanted so I'm willing to do whatever I have to in order to make it last as long as it can. It's not perfect and it has some "cancer" on the rear wheel wells but I'm planning on saving up to have some body work done to it maybe early next spring after all the snow melts. Oh that reminds me, I'd also love some tips on how to preserve the rest of paint job on the car through the winter so the rust doesn't spread too much more. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!!!

 

[concept]

That noise you hear is fairly common among Proteges. I believe it's a sway bar link and not the type of thing that will fail catastrophically and leave you stranded. Of course, the next time you take your car in to a shop, mention the noise to them.

The green antifreeze you see indicates that there is a slight leak. Is it the lid on the overflow tank? Remove it and clean its gasket. If the gasket seal is hard and brittle, replace it. The white stuff around the battery post can be easily cleaned. see: http://www.ehow.com/how_6875253_do-clean-white-power-battery_.html

Take a look at your brake rotors. Are they grooved? If so, have the rotors and pads replaced.

 

[AngelDust09]

Thanks!

That noise you hear is fairly common among Proteges. I believe it's a sway bar link and not the type of thing that will fail catastrophically and leave you stranded. Of course, the next time you take your car in to a shop, mention the noise to them.

The green antifreeze you see indicates that there is a slight leak. Is it the lid on the overflow tank? Remove it and clean its gasket. If the gasket seal is hard and brittle, replace it. The white stuff around the battery post can be easily cleaned. see: http://www.ehow.com/how_6875253_do-clean-white-power-battery_.html

Take a look at your brake rotors. Are they grooved? If so, have the rotors and pads replaced.

Thanks a lot for the reply! The green antifreeze collected around the lid to fill the tank. Someone told me that it means the car might have overheated at some point. The temp gauge has been steady since I've been driving her so I think it's okay for now. I'll have it looked at whenever I get my car into a shop. I think I'll try to get it in this weekend to at least have the noise addressed since that's my major concern for the moment.

Do you happen to know what it costs to replace sway bar links? I had to have one replaced on an old car of mine and I don't remember it being that expensive. Thanks again for all your help I appreciate it!

 

[concept]

Anytime!

A set of bushings/links typically runs $30 and it should take no more than an hour to replace them (my estimation), so figure less than $150. I have not had mine replaced, yet, because there is no danger in waiting. It is irritating, though.

Did you have yours checked, this weekend?

 

[AngelDust09]

Anytime!

A set of bushings/links typically runs $30 and it should take no more than an hour to replace them (my estimation), so figure less than $150. I have not had mine replaced, yet, because there is no danger in waiting. It is irritating, though.

Did you have yours checked, this weekend?

No I didn't get a chance cuz I'm flat broke right now. I got a hold of my friend that's a mechanic and has worked on Mazda's (he owns an RX7) but he's super busy with a full time job, school and is about to become a Dad so he has no idea when he'd be able to look at it for me. I'll have money by the end of this week so I'll probably end up taking it a shop that specializes in imports to at least have it looked over so I know what all is wrong with it and how much money I'm eventually gonna have to sink in to it. I think she's worth it though. I still love it even if it has issues lol.

 

[concept]

Don't worry about any catastrophic failure because of the sway bar bushings or suspension end links. Of course, if you ever hear a clicking noise while taking a corner, that indicates a CV joint is without grease and should be replaced, soon.

Regarding protecting your car: I have been using a waterless car wash called 3D. You shouldn't use it if your car is filthy dirty, but if it's just slightly dirty, you would spray this stuff on one section at a time, gently wipe it off (microfiber towels)and then buff it to a brilliant shine. You can do your whole car is 15 minutes. I haven't washed any of my cars in months. Here's the link:

http://www.3dproducts.com/Waterless-Car-Wash.html

If your car is extremely dirty, hose it off with soap and water, first.

 

[AngelDust09]

Concept you are awesome! All your info has been really helpful. Unfortunately the suspension rattling is starting to get worse so I've been driving with the greatest of care going over anything that stresses the suspension. It's going to be at least another week to two weeks before I can afford to even think about having the car looked at. Do you have any idea how long it can hold out before something could give way? The sounds started getting worse yesterday and not by a whole lot just enough to make a little nervous. One other thing I noticed is that my car always seems to run rough when I first crank it over in the morning (it's started to get down to the low 40's here at night in Wisconsin) but once the engine is fully heated up (which takes about 10-15 minutes), it runs pretty good. I only hear the slightest chugging noise coming from the motor. It could just be that the car needs a tune up. Ugh, I need to come up with some extra money so I can start fixing this damn thing!

 

[concept]

Angel,

If the noise is getting worse, you might want to limit your driving until your car can be looked over. It sounds to me like something is loose and needs to be tightened or replaced. Rough running sometimes points to an EGR valve but really, an ASE-certified mechanic should methodically check the likely causes. My MX5 was making a metal-to-metal grinding noise whenever I backed up, but only when the exhaust and engine were cold. The next time I had the car at the shop the mechanic tightened one of the exhaust flanges and I've never heard that noise again. They charged me $30, but it was well worth it, as it's kind of a pain to jack up the car high enough so I can move around under there. I can check out the front end when I change the oil, as I use Rhino ramps - I just drive up on them in my driveway.

 

[ffocused.]

Welcome!

Regarding the slight noise and "rough" running on cold starts that is most likely the VTCS system that the protege has.

That is just the system working and like you said once the car is warmed up to normal running temp it goes away/turns off.