Mazda - Protege :: 2000 - Idle Roughly - CEL Comes On?
Nov 6, 2013
I have a 2000 Mazda Protege ES (1.8L) with 120k+ miles and an automatic transmission. The car drives well at speed, but when sitting at stops it will shake a little, sometimes worse than others. Often the RPMs drop to below the lowest tick for a split second before recovering, very much like when driving a manual transmission and not pressing the clutch in enough. Even when the RPMs are steady at a stop, it shakes enough to rattle a couple of the plastic parts in the dashboard.
Recent history (some likely unrelated, but I'm no expert):New air hose (one from the air filter to the engine) in September. RPMs were falling at idle more often than they are now, there was a decent sized crack in the hose. RPMs stopped falling as often, but has idled roughly before and after.New radiator and thermostat in April (overheated on the interstate and cracked open).New spark plugs and wires last fall after one cylinder wasn't firing.For the last couple years every fall when it starts to get cold, the alternator belt squeaks and I tighten the bolt a little each morning until it stops (usually after 2 days, maybe 3 - the alternator itself is on a long bolt that adjusts the belt tension).Every 5k miles I have the oil changed with high mileage oil and tires rotated/balanced.
I took it to a garage a couple weekends ago after the check engine light had come on earlier in the week. I reset the computer and the light never came back on, so I lost the chance to have the code read, but there weren't any other symptoms beyond what I'm used to. The mechanics at the shop said they couldn't find anything specific causing the rough idle and suggested replacing some or all of the motor mounts, which are weak. They didn't seem confident that would fix the problem, and neither am I, as I don't see how weak motor mounts would explain the low RPMs as well as the shaking.
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The idle speed is higher than normal, about 800-900 RPM. Whenever I stop for the traffic light, the engine will behave as if someone is pressing the gas pedal intermittently. It has new spark plug wires and coil.
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I have a 96 Mazda Protege DX. 1.5L engine, now with 161,000 miles. 5 speed manual transmission. I had it for 7 years. Originally bought it for $1900 with 121,000 miles.
This has been a problem for about 5 years. When I am at a red light or idling and I step on the brake, my idle gets rough and my engine feels like it is about to turn off. The idle does not bounce up and down. It just goes down to 400-500rpm from the normal 800-950rpm range.
Again, this only happens when I step on the brake while the car is not moving. It does not seem to happen when I coast in neutral and hit the brake to slow down. I raised the idle a bit, but it still does it. I could not find any vacuum leak around the brake booster and I know the brake booster works because I pumped my brakes while the car was off, and when I turn the car on, the brakes soften up.
Also, my brakes feel weak. I usually hit the brakes nearly to the floor board to stop the car. New pads, rotors are good. Brake fluid is at right level. Mechanics say nothing is wrong with my brakes.
Secondly, my belts screech at every start up. Lasts anywhere from 3-20 seconds. This has been happening for the entire 7 years I have owned the car. Mechanics replaced the serpentine belts twice in that time. Replaced a pulley and A/C compressor. I tried using WD40 but it doesn't effect it. Mechanics tell me that the belt tension is correct and they do not know why it still screeches.
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My car just started making a wheezing kind of noise when accelerating. Reminds me of wind being forced through a small hole, or the sound of a balloon being aired up.
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I think I broke my car. I just bought this car a few months ago and all seemed well. I bought new tires, changed the oil, had the brakes inspected, you know the things daddy's tell their daughters to always be sure of. I have had no problems with the car till last weekend. My boyfriend and I got into an argument, long story short I sped off, using his words "hot rod style".
I smelt burned rubber (not so new tires anymore) but I figured it was just that. When I got back home my boyfriend said that he smelt something burning under the hood. No smoke or fire just a burning odor. The next morning my car wouldn't start. We jumped it and it ran just fine. Did the errands for the day no problem.The next morning it wouldn't turn on again, this time when we jumped it, it just wouldn't start. I have checked the battery at AutoZone and they said it was fine. the fuses are all good as well.
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1990 Mazda Protege with a 1.8L DOHC, manual 5-spd transmission, ~173K miles on it. On my way home the other day, the car ABRUPTLY started to run very rough - with what I would call repetitive and incessant stuttering when accelerating (though I am by no means technical with respect to cars). I shut the car down, hoped the problem would go away, but when I started it up later that day, the problem was still there - the car BOTH idles rough and doesn't accelerate very smoothy. When I come to a stop, the car feels as if it's going to stall but stays running. This afternoon, I took it out on the road for ~3 mile drive (up to ~ 50 mph) and the problem is the same - but I did also notice, when driving, that the car gave off a smell reminiscent of firecrackers - perhaps a sulfur-ish smell. I googled the issues I was having and I got a whole array of problems - ranging from simply bad spark plug wires (which have been replaced in the past 1.5 years) to a stuck EGR valve .
Here's some additional info on my car: -Was just in the shop 2wks ago for overheating - found the thermostat to be bad - they replaced it and I no longer have the overheating issue. While there, they also replaced the belts for the alternator and water pump (Which had been squealing for quite some time) -Spark plug wires and distributor cap were both replaced in the last 1.5 years -Last oil change was > 6 months (but less than 3000 miles) ago - all the fluid levels seem to be fine -Though I think it is unrelated, the car is also making a high pitched squeaking noise emanating from the R front of the car while driving - I suspect this is the suspension-related as the shop informed me that I have one front stablizer link broken while the other is loose (and when I push down on the R-front side of car while it is not running it yields a similar squeaking noise.
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2000 Mazda Protege 1.6l Just replaced timing belt, tensioner, idler, water pump, plugs and coil packs
I have checked the timing about 10 times before puting everything back together by rotating the engin clockwise. No stiff point and marks lining up perfectly every time.
Though when I turn the key in the ignition, the engine cranks but doesn't start.
Can't really check the sparks cause I am on my own, but seems like the spark plugs in 1 and 3 are wet with fuel and 2 and 4 are dry.
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I have a 2000 Mazda Protege LX with 38k miles on it and a 1.6L engine and it starts fine in the morning to go to work and starts fine in the afternoon to go home from work. If I get home and change clothes, hop in the car to go somewhere, it won't start, turns over like it's out of gas, sometimes sputters and lopes before it just stops firing. It seems to only do this in the afternoon, specifically between 3pm and 5pm, never after dark or in the morning. I can drive all day long as long as I don't cut off the engine.
After sitting for about fifteen to thirty minutes, it will start like nothing ever happened. So far, it only does it once per day. After I get it started in the afternoon, I can seem to go anywhere, stop as many times as needed, and it keeps starting every time. It seems to be getting more frequent as the weather warms, never did it in January or February, but so far has done it every time I try to start it when the temp is around 80 or higher. I get no engine light, temp gauge is normal.
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I recently noticed a humming noise coming from the passenger side on my Mazda Protege 2000 ES . I suspected it was the water pump, so I took the car to my mechanic. He inspected the coolant reservoir and it was empty. He also checked the noise and the area were the pump is, and told me that the water pump had to be replaced.
My dad told me that his 1994 Sentra had the water pump replaced but none of these things had to be done and that it was unnecessary. But then I thought, every car is different.
I was in shock with how much the repair would cost, so he then gave me another quote with just the timing belt and water pump replacement for $503, but this time he said that he will not give me any warranty for the repairs because of the tensioner.
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Been having a fair bit of trouble with my accent, at first my car sometimes would hesitate on acceleration in 1st gear. Now it has a rough idle and the engine just completely cuts out at random. It does however start straight back up. It makes an odd noise whilst idling almost like a misfire from the exhaust. On start up it blows a lot of white smoke. And when you do get driving it is really jerky. It's been serviced every 5000ks. I've changed spark plugs, map sensor and throttle body sensor, put a fuel injector cleaner through and still no improvements. It's been booked into the mechanics for next Tuesday.
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I'm having continued issues with my mom's POS 2005 Hyundai Accent. It usually runs great cold, but once it's warmed up, it will stall out while driving. This almost always happens when accelerating from a stop. After it stalls, you have to let it set for 30 seconds to a minutes before it will start again. It will also sometimes idle roughly.
I've changed out the TPS and the MAP sensor, the battery, the CPS, the fuel pump, and the spark plugs. I did find that the radiator bypass hose was leaking on to the wiring for the O2 sensor. I fixed that, and the wires appear to be fine. I've sprayed throttle cleaner around the intake and can't find a leak. I scanned the ODB codes and I'm getting a Random misfire, misfire on cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4, the Throttle Position Sensor and the MAP sensor, both of which have been replaced.
Tonight during my troubleshooting I was trying the wiggle test on the various connectors and got zapped when I was wiggling the coil pack connectors. Is that normal? I'm starting to suspect a wiring or electrical issue, but I'm not sure how to troubleshoot that.
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Have 2002 mazda protege 5 . During acceleration at 3000 rpm the engine hesitates. Computer said o2 sensor, replaced it but that wasn't it. Drilled out both catalytic, that wasn't it. Found hole in mass air flow tube, figured that is it. I haven't replaced that yet, however I used gorilla tape thinking it would be a temporary fix but that didn't work. I know I need to replace that tube, but think that it may now be a fuel pump issue??
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I have a 1999 Mazda Protege. As of last summer it started giving me problems with not wanting to start after I had driven it around town for a little while. (IE: to the grocery store, to the bank and then to my sister's house. It wouldn't give me the same problem if I just went to the grocery store and back home. It would start up fine and I'd be on my way. Only when I went somewhere and shut it off then repeated that a couple more times.) I took it to a mechanic who wholeheartedly believed it was the coil packs not allowing my car to function properly.
So we replaced those and everything seemed on the up and up. (Keep in mind that this was towards the end of summer and the temperature was dropping.) The car was perfect all throughout the fall and winter, but now that the temperature outside is starting to rise again it's beginning to do the same thing it did last summer. I don't want to take it to another mechanic that's going to have me dish out an extravagant amount of money again only for the problem to persist.
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2000 Mazda Protege ES 1.8L
What's a good way to find whats the cause of all the rattling and knocking in the front end of my car when going over uneven terrain? It seems that noise appears only if one of the wheels is lifted up a little bit. I am attaching a picture describing the "motion" here:
Steering wheel doesn't shake when driving at high speeds and is fairly stiff, but it does pull to the right a bit, maybe because I didn't perform a front end alignment (I know this is not good) after I had most of the stuff in the suspension of the replaced; all 4 struts + boots + mounting blocks, ball joints, control arms...
Now the only part, I didn't replace was the sway bar link on the passenger side and it's being knocking for 3 years. The one on the driver side was replaced at the time the struts were replaced but I didn't have enough money to pay for the other one.
Another mechanic told me when I was quoting that sway bar links aren't really necessary as a safety feature, and a google search showed me that there are people that just take the sway bar off the car, so I left it there and just tried to live with the noise. now I am noticing the driver side is knocking as well, and I am wondering if it has to do with because I didn't replace the one in the passenger side?
I just want to rule out the possibility of another component being the cause of the noise because I am prioritizing safety over ride comfort in my attempts to save some money.
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it was over 100 degrees today in Lawrence, Kansas and on the way home from work, the air conditioner stopped making cool air. Hot air now comes out. This is a different problem that the poster before me seems to have. Mazda Protégé, 1996, 128,000 plus miles on it.
A reconditioned one was installed in 2006, compressor replaced in July, 2012.
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I read here that some tire noise can be caused by bad belts. How do you know if the tire belt is bad? My tires get loud between 20 and 40 mph. Mechanic says the tires are OK but to replace them to get rid of the noise.
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Basically, my car (2002 Mazda Protege) has been acting like my brakes are engaged. Not all the time, though - The first time I get out and drive it, it drives smooth as silk like always. But then after I put it in park and then get back in and head out (I'm a delivery driver, so this is constant), sometimes it feels like the brakes are constantly being pressed. No, the emergency brake is not on. Most of the time it's almost not even noticeable so, like an idiot, I put it off for the past week. But today, it was very, very, very bad. I was having to press the gas to the floor to get up to speed, and then it was constantly trying to slow down. My brakes were definitely getting burned up while it was doing this, but luckily it stopped.
It may be unrelated - I know I have an oil leak, but today I saw a very unusual spot where something leaked out in my driveway. I checked my oil, and it was where I expected it to be, but this was a relatively large stain which would be very unlike my current leak.
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Started my car yesterday and as I was accelerating, it made a very loud noise. It sounds like normal engine acceleration noise, only ten times louder. It was present whenever I accelerated, but not when I was coasting or idling, and not when the car was in neutral. (It's a stick shift.) During acceleration, there was a little hesitation and a little jerkiness, but not horrible. The problem came on suddenly - no problems with the car before yesterday.
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My Mazda 1996 Protege appears to have no alternator, but there is something called a generator. Are they the same thing?
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Here's a quandary for those who know more than I do:
I have a 2000 Mazda Protege with 182,000 miles on it. On occasion my dashboard lights (and radio, for that matter) cut out, going completely dark. Now here's the kicker: If I give the dashboard a little tap with my hand, everything comes back all glowing and lit.
My fear had been the alternator was going bad (Again!), but since it seems to be coming back with a bop on the dashboard...is this just a loose ground? What should I be looking for? Is this something a novice like myself could be taking care of, or where should I be directing my mechanic?
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I have a 2003 Mazda Protege. I had the check engine light come on and took it to my local repair shop. They diagnosed it as a bad oxygen sensor. They replaced it, but a week later, the light came back on. So, I decided to take it to the dreaded dealership and pay for their "expertise". They informed me that the light was a result of a intake hose with a hole in it. They also told me that the vehicle's oil pan was rusty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle did not leak oil. After a week of driving, I noticed spots of oil on my driveway. I checked the oil and it was low, so I decided to have it towed back to the dealership to have it checked out. I assumed it was the oil pan that had not been installed properly.
Today, the service tech informed me that my engine was blown and needed to be replaced. He told me that this cam warped and didn't leak before because the pressure was being release through the rusty oil pan. This sounds absurd to me. It seems to me that what has happened is their responsibility. What could have caused this? A co-worker suggested that more than likely the mechanic could have made a mistake and started the engine without motor oil either after the oil pan was replaced or after the vehicle sat overnight and the oil drained out. Does this seem more logical? If the dealership is at fault, but will not fix it, what can I do?
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