3G Protege5: Dampening the hatch spoiler (rattle reduction)
 

This is only a small, but self explaining howto/diy...
i used the howto from chopstickhero, just made a small version

part2

last one

Excellent write-up! Thanks! ;0

This is so it doesn't rattle etc. right...Hmmm, good right up! I may have to get into something like this!

So clear and professional that I'm considering doing this even though I've never noticed a rattle! Is this one of those things where, after you fix it, then you notice that it had been rattling?

Yes, that is exactly the case. Especially if you have a lightweight CF spoiler like mine. Man that thing used to rattle like crazy!!

If you don't have a subwoofer it probably isn't rattling. :)

OK, I just performed this work. Very clear instructions, not difficult at all to do. A few comments:

* A conventional 10mm deep socket and 1/4" drive ratchet work just fine. No need to try to find that funny-looking Allen wrench tool shown in tool1.jpg. A short socket most definitely will not work. An extension is helpful.

* Being a bonehead, I dropped one of the nuts down inside the hatchback. As I was trying to fish it out with my magnet on a telescoping stick, I noticed that Mazda has provided an opening to make it easier to retrieve dropped nuts! It's even oblong, ideal for inserting the magnet on a stick. Just pop out the rubber plug, fish out the nut, put the plug back in. Very nice.

* For the attachment of the black plastic panels where you're supposed to add two new screws, I found two screws that were the same thickness and the same length but were a different thread as the others. So, I marked these two locations with Liquid Paper to clearly indicate where these two screws are to be used.

* In 8.jpg, it shows that you're supposed to apply a long narrow strip of foam to the black plastic piece where it contacts the rear lip of the spoiler. I found that this resulted in the foam being visible when assembled -- and I was using white foam, unacceptable on a dark blue Protegé5. So instead, I applied the strip to the spoiler itself, tucking it down between the rear lip and the ribs that guide the black pieces into position. I was doubtful at first that this would function as well at dampening rattles, but when assembling it seemed to work well, you could feel the black plastic part compressing the foam as it went together.

* During reassembly of the spoiler itself, you'll be installing four screws that hold the 3rd brake light in place and 7 original screws plus 2 new screws that hold the black panels to the spoiler. I highly recommend that you put all 13 of these screws in before you tighten any of them. And then I recommend you tighten the outboard 4 screws on each black panel first, then the single screw in the center that goes through both black panels, then the 4 screws for the brake light last. And while tightening the 4 screws for the brake light, be pressing the brake light itself toward the spoiler.