kenji4861

Those of you that purchased your car in February or so, do you still have rattle problems?

Sporin

What "rattle problems?"

The cold start rattle seems to effect a few cars, not mine though, even in super-cold VT. I'd be curious to see some statistical data about this. Many of us have had a rattle in the pass. side door. Mine comes and goes.

Other then that door rattle, I've had 12,000 trouble-free miles. Not one single mechanical issue. This is the only car I (or my family) have ever had that carries that distinction. (Passat, Civic, 626, Civic, Blazer, Xterra, etc.)

I've been reading these boards for a long time and your posts seem to have a general tone. Please don't take this as an attack , I am just curious... it sounds like you are desperately looking for a reason NOT to buy a Protege. I don't get it? Why? The Protege is a true Japanese car with a LONG history of reliability. It is a best buy pick by nearly every consumer pulication and is also LOVED by enthusiests. If you nitpik enough, you will find a few little issues with EVERY car out there. But compared to many other cars in it's class, the Pro is practically perfect.

So why the waffling? Are you just not the type of person who can make a decision? Are you a pessimist who can't recognise a good thing right under their nose? Are you one of those people who just worris if you are making or have made the right decision? Again, I mean no disrespect, but if we, the Protege-Family, can help you decide one way or the other, let us know.

Referance:
http://www.protegeclub.com/forum/sho...&threadid=1439

Cyberglitch

I bought mine several weeks ago and already into 1000+ miles and do NOT have a rattle or any extra sounds what so ever. Even the wind noise every talks about although I do have a moonroof deflector. While driving to Roanoke over the weekend to see a friend got the car up to around 80 and still didn't here a whistling noise.

This is a great car and I will love it for years to come!

dac

Has everyone that says they don't hear the rattle actually reved the motor while looking under the hood? For me the rattle isn't noticable inside the car but after lifting the hood and giving the throttle cable a quick tug I certainly did notice a rattle.

Anyways just curious.

Sporin

I've had my window open, in my small garage, listening intently... revving. No rattle.

bmorton

On my P5 the engine rattle doesn't just happen within a certain RPM range and certain engine temperature, it also only happens at a relatively light throttle position. I'd had the car for a month and was sure I didn't have the rattle until one day my wife was driving and accelerating very gently. Then I heard it. Turns out when I drive I tend to give it enough throttle that the rattle doesn't show up at all or is so brief I don't hear it, but if I back way off the throttle at 2500-2900 rpm it's easy to hear. So, it's not impossible that some people out there could have it and not be aware of it--I wasn't.

Sporin

It's certainly possible, but if I have to have my ear in the engine bay and hit a certain RPM to hear a "rattle" then.. well.. I guess I'm just not worried about it.

I'm not saying people are over-reacting, it's your car, do what you need to. But *I* don't hear it. {shrug}

sunbyrne

I've done the same as Sporin and haven't heard it.

But most people report they get it in the cold, which we don't really get down here.

bmorton

Well, you can hear it perfectly well from within the car even when you're driving, so no need to get your ear dirty in the engine bay. And the rpm range is one you'd use often in daily driving. My point was that, as I said, for me the determining factor is the throttle position. Now that I know how to make the engine rattle I can produce it on demand when the engine is cold (nothing to do with cold ambient temperature), but in normal driving I don't hear it. I doubt I'm the only one who just doesn't drive the way you have to in order to hear it.

You sound like you've gone out of your way to hear it so it's probably safe to conclude yours isn't affected -- but for those of us who have it, it's an unmistakable, abnormal noise coming from the engine of our new car. Put that way, I think we can agree that it's far from an overreaction to at least try and investigate it, regardless of how often it occurs.

Sporin

Like I said above... "I'm not saying people are over-reacting..." If I had it, I'd be trying to get it fixed too.

kc5zom

Every morning I get in my car and get to hear a nice rattle until the temperature gauge is right smack dab in the middle. It comes up around 2500-3000RPM (Approximately) and yes I have noticed that if I am really putting down the throttle it is not as noticable. But the fact is that it is annoying and I have had friends who have heard me driving (or been in the car with me) ask what the heck it is. All I can tell them is that "I've called Mazda and they are working on a fix". To me that sounds like the biggest piece of bullcrap and would not make me want to buy a Mazda at all. On the other hand the service advisor at the dealership is working with me to get the issue resolved. I recommend a close relationship with that person whomever you are. Also just a question here but does anyone actually know what the hell is causing that noise? It sounds like its coming from the main engine (cams, cranks, somewhere in that vicinity) but I have not been able to trace it down.

sunbyrne

I seem to recall reading on Edmunds that it's something to do with the engine mounts, but that there IS a known fix--something about reprogramming the chip.

kc5zom

I just talked to my dealership and mine is going in sometime this week for my rattle problems. I will let everyone know how it turns out. As for the cold factor it is pretty warm down here right now. Lows are running in the 40's or higher so far this month. It doesn't really seem to matter. Even on the warmest days we have had so far this year I am still getting the rattle. If this does not fix it then maybe it will go away with the Houston summer.

bmorton

The fix Edmunds is referring to is for a different problem. The engine rattle fix is still being worked on by Mazda.

5SpeedP5

well i have no rattles engine wise..... i only have one annoying a$$ rattle, thats in the cabin, its coming from the front lights (where the sunroof controls are) and just recently started, i have about 8k miles on my P5 now, this rattle annoys the hell outta me, i was gonna fix it, but im gonna go waste some of my dealers time, since they couldnt bother to call me for my service check up, or even give me the mazda care package thing...... crappy dealers suck....... but ill get this fixed if it kills me