slushee

Hellow All! Bought my first 2000 Mazda Protege LX 5sp. 3 months ago here in Canada (from what I can tell, LX being the highest trim model in Canada) .. it's been GREAT! I stumbled across this place today and from looking around, I think i'll stay awhile.

2 questions.

1st, recently, I have started to hear a small rattle that sounds like the heatshield from underneath my car. I plan on taking it to the dealer and have them look at it, but i'm curious if this a common problem to the Protege.

2nd, I have seen ppl post things refering to certain mods, and cool little things to do ... is there a specific section for these or should I just continue to search and read?

Thanks in advance for all the help!

DumpsterDiver

I had that same rattle...right underneath my seat practically...I figured it was heat shield...but, turns out, the mounts holding the muffler were loose, and I had the custom muffler shop replace it with a bullet...the vibration was gone...

macdaddyslomo

what kind of mods are you looking to do???

steveES

Actually the ES is highest trim level.

mgs_freak

The noise could also be a stamping plate for the catalytic converter that fell off. I had it happen on a car of mine. Sounded like a small rock inside the heat shield of the cat, but ended up being a small metal plate with manufac. number and stuff on it.

2nd. I haven't been here long myself but after you look around the site a few days and read different forums, you start to get an idea of how things go and where to search for what.

slushee

Thanks for all the info.. Gonna just let the local Dealer look at the noise, they said they wouldn't charge me for ripping off the heat shield or removing a plate that fell off the caddy. Unfortunatly its looking like about a 2 week wait to sqeeze me in.



Well I thought I read there was a mod to do something to the Windshield Wipers that gave you better intermittant settings? ... and maybe any other inexpensive Mods that make driving the Protege much nicer.

I have read the forums a bit, and heard that some people were saying there was a small ticking sound from one or both of the front doors. I didn't have the noise at all, but then this morning (very cold, first snow of the season) the passenger side front door started making a 'ticking' sound. I didn't check to see if it was just that small label on the seat belt, but I didn't have any windows open and the sound was definatly coming from the door. Has anyone figured out how to get rid of this tiny annoyance?

Thanks again for all the help guys!!!

RipperSnapper

Well, if your satisfied with the engine performance for now, you can find some good deals on springs and shocks. It all depends on your budget.
Lowering the car gives it a better stance so it looks good, and it gives the car better handling. A strut tower brace would be good too, and are generaly cheap.

eggynatey

The windshield wiper stalk from an MPV van is a direct swap, and the intermittant feature is adjustable.

For your 5 speed, a Kartboy short shifter is a relatively inexpensive mod that makes a nice difference that you can feel. For a shifter, bushings and ****, it'll cost around 135 bucks.

RipperSnapper

^^Thats a good idea too. Those bushings kick ***. An they are only around $25-$30

slushee

Man, that sounds SWEET! .. Yeah my budget doesn't get much more then $200 at the moment ... and a nice short shifter and better intermittant wipers sounds just like what the doctor ordered!

I am curious of three things, what years for the MPV Van should I be looking at (or all years they were made) when I hit the junk yard looking for the wiper controls, are the wiring harnesses the same, and how 'hard' is it to install the short shifter?

RipperSnapper

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the hardest, I would give it a 3 or 4. I have a service manual and it comes in handy .

eggynatey

Yeah, the shifter's not too hard at all. The only part that gave me trouble was getting the snap-ring back into place. Once I spent the 2 bux on snap-ring pliers, that puppy popped right in.

Installation directions:
http://www.msprotege.com/vbb222/show...&threadid=3726

This stalk's kinda expensive...just buy the newest one you can find.
http://www.mazdastuff.com/product.cfm?ProductID=1423

slushee

The only thing I worry about before I buy it, I have a 2000 Protege (3rd gen.) sedan .. and it say's on that site "Does not fit the Protege sedan. " ... Does this mean it won't fit?!

Sorry for the silly questions..