Pre-Purchase Info Sought

[Woodyw]

Hi looking at buying a 2002 Protege5 and have a few questions.
I'm new to Mazdas and I'm wondering what i should keep an eye out for

The vehicle: 2002, 5 speed, timing belt and water pump replaced, struts replaced, runs well, new brakes, 150,000 highway miles, original owner, recent tune-up, new a/c compressor.

1. Things to question?
2. Places to look for rust?
3. Mechanicals to worry about/check?
4. How long should i expect this motor to run?
5. Anything else?

thanks for everything

-Woody

 

[sealuva]

I'm also new to this thread, but since you haven't gotten any responses I will give you my two cents on what I've learned so far.

1. Receipts for all the work they did. They can say they've maintained it until they turn blue, but if they have receipts, then it's a plus.
2. Not sure about rust. Left Boston years ago and I don't worry about that here in Florida anymore. I would say though look at the undercarriage.
3. Not sure what to check if they've truly been honest about things replaced.
4. These engines l've seen never really die if well maintained. With emphasis on the maintenance. I've seen many well over 200K
5. What is the price? I paid $3300 for mine with 140K on it and it was well maintained. Manual transmission. Price is key..

I hope that helped a little bit at least. Good luck..

 

[Lewis7789]

Welcome to the Mazdas247, Woody and sealuva.

1. Things to question? - Everything. Haha. No harm in asking any question you can think of for the owner/dealership

2. Places to look for rust? - rear quarter panels by the bumper and the strut towers. Proteges rust in those spots very easily.

3. Mechanicals to worry about/check? -The 2.0l motor burns oil after 100k miles and isn't the most powerful motor for a 2 liter. But with regular maintenance and no boost/bad tunes they will last to 200k miles.

4. How long should i expect this motor to run? See above.

5. Anything else? Check the fan speed switch on the dash with the A/C on. Sometimes they quit working on speeds 2-3. The brake calipers seize commonly on Proteges. And headlight bulbs burn out a lot, but you can switch to HID's for ~$60.

Although all the posts above sound harsh, I still love P5's and am buying a second one. They handle great, look good and are a great car.

 

[Silverfox]

The fuel pump housing is common to crack and allow pressure to seep so if you smell fuel when driving the car be prepared.

 

[Lewis7789]

^^^ Really? I've honestly never heard of that happening... But if you say so, another thing to keep an eye on.

 

[Silverfox]

^^^ Really? I've honestly never heard of that happening... But if you say so, another thing to keep an eye on.

Oh well that's a very good thing then lol, mine did it and a few coworkers had the same issue. We contacted Mazda Canada and they told us they knew of the issue but didn't deem it worthy of a recall. The issue is the housing the sending unit and the fuel pump are mounted on is made of plastic, a hair line crack developes from the pressure and is then able to seep thew the top. it is rarely enough to drip as it stays on top of the fuel tank and then collects dirt and evaporates. You find yourself having a fuel smeel and wondering where it is and you go batty, just lift the rear seat and remove the cover for the fuel pump access. If right away it seams oddly muddy you clean the area and wipe it clean and dry, then all you need to do is prime the pump and you will see seepage if it is cracked. If you don't smell gas then dont waste your time but it is a known issue by many Mazda dealers and Mazda HQ.

 

[purewhitemp5]

Check bottom of the doors at the seams for signs of rust. Check front and rear motor mounts to see if they are still good and not falling apart.

 

[Woodyw]

I took it to a garage to have it looked at today. The mechanic had it up and said there was no rust and it looked like a well maintained car with 150k miles on it. The motor mounts were bad and 1 or 2 were broken completely.

in the end...





I bought the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Congrats, motor mounts are easy to come by and easy to replace...except the rear one will give ya fits. It is doable however. Make friends with the search feature as these cars are getting 10yrs and older now. Tons of stuff has been covered and threads about useful DIY projects and mods are years old sometimes. If all else fails tho, just ask. Welcome aboard..........and don't forget to post up pics. We still be pic ho's upinheeya!