JackEM

Hello to everyone! My first post here.

My girlfriend owns a 93 Protege and has asked me to major tune up on it.

Where do you guys order general replacement parts? ie headlights, plug wires, plugs, brakes, suspension components, etc.

I know this must be an often asked question, so my apologies in advance. I searched the site, but couldn't find any links....

Thanks,
Jack

demoninvictus

tune up eh? replace her whole ignition system using NGK spark plug wires, NGK copper spark plugs, a distributor and rotor. brakes replace every 15,000 for good measure or if she's brake happy, eitherwise replace at around 20,000. timing belt every 60,000. headlights, you're running 9004 bulbs, and unless they're broken, don't worry about the bulbs, or just replace them both, whatever floats your boat. check your tires for wear using the penny trick... i mean, all of this is covered in a haynes or chilton manual. if you're really curious, go to pepboys and pick up the manual. in the year and a half plus that i've had my car, it had 80,000 miles on it when i got it, now it has 105,000 miles on it, i've done the following things that can be considered general maintenance... not necessarily repairs:
New belts (2)
New spark plugs, cap, rotor, and wires
new front and rear disk brake pads (2 changes so far all around)
new front and rear rotors
oil change and filter every 3,000
air filter every 5,000 (at least thats how often i've been replacing mine just for good measure)
new tires all around twice (had **** yokohama's before)
2 alignments (1 required, 1 just for good measure after 2nd set of tires)
2 new 9004 headlight bulbs
new hyperwhite 1157 and 1156(?) bulbs all around
1 new fuel filter

some of that goes beyond routine maintenance, but is always good to do for good measure. if replacing tires, try to do so in pairs..etc. hope this helps ya out some, good luck on the tune up
peace and welcome to the group

edit: suspension parts, i'm not too keen on, but more or less push down on each corner of her car with all your weight and let go, if it'll give you a bounce or two, you should be alright, any less, might want to look into replacing the shocks on that end of the car, whether it be the front or the rear. personally, i've only replaced my rear shocks so far once at around 89,000 miles.

JackEM

demoninvictus, thanks for the great tune up guide.

I'm actually looking for an online source to order up OEM or aftermarket OEM replacement parts... Can anyone point me in the right direction for a good/cheep online retailer?

Thanks,
Jack

Identity_X

www.nopionline.com has a good list of parts for our car. Prices are pretty good as well.

celi85

if your looking for a good place to find used parts, check here:

www.car-parts.com

protejay

www.mazdadiscountparts.com

Davard

Why on earth would you replace your pads and rotors so frequently?

My rear pads lasted 155k (and I only replaced the pads), and my fronts would go over 100k had I not run my car on a race track. And I've autocrossed it since it was new (13 years now), so I haven't been that easy on my brakes.

demoninvictus

maybe there is something wrong with the way i brake? and pads lasting 155,000 miles, thats impressive. i always use organic pads, never bothered with greenstuff, tried semi-metallics and they wore out in less than 16,000 miles till they started squealing in the front like hell, to the point where the stress on the front end of my car caused too much stress on my sway bar links (i am just assuming, as the brakes went and no more than 20 miles after the brakes reaching near failing, the sway bar linkage took flight on me). figure this much, you should get a brake job every XXXXX-amount of miles, and for each 'proper' brake job, they recommend that you resurface your rotors, and by the time you're ready for another brake job and you've had the resurface done twice, the rotors are thin enough that it makes no sense to keep the damn things (easy warping i'm guessing?). this is what i've been taught, this is what i've been told, this is what i've had experience in doing, so lets say even on a 'bad driver' you say a set of pads lasts 30,000 miles, you change out the pads once at 30,000, once at 60,000, by the time you hit 90,000, it's just about time for new rotors??? but then again JackEM, there is one principle that i've yet to follow, so keep the "KISS" principle in mind, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!!! Keep It Simple Stupid!!

hope that helps ya out a little bit, and how often do you change your fronts davard? just wondering how auto-crossing my car would be on repairs? (in the process of contacting a local group that independently auto-crosses in philly)

peace

DarkApathy

i agree with davard...there's no need to replace breaks that often. maybe you've become a lil paranoid with your parts and have developed a habit of constantly changing them. Like you said demon...K.I.S.S. Inspect them, and if its not broke, dont fix it.