Proud Owner of a 2003.5 LBM MSP

[JHew84]

:D, i just got back from the 800 mile journy from Raleigh NC to Lansing MI, it was quite the drive but i had a blast, what an awesome car!!!!! a few quick details:

2003.5, laser blue mica paint, 4,014 miles when i picked it up, now has 4,820 sitting in my driveway, only paid 16K for it (for the skeptics who thought it couldn't be done :p), and it came with brand new Toyo Proxy's... funny story about the car, the guy actually bought it in Brighton MI, which is about a half hr or so away from where i live, he flew out to MI, picked it up, and drove it back to NC, as we were finishing up he was explaining that the drive was not bad at all, and that it would only take around 12 hrs with stops for lunch and such, and he was right... heres the couple pictures i have uploaded on cardomain at the moment, i have more, and they will be posted, i am a picture whore :D...

mileage...
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_9_full.jpg
me, being a dork, i was excited, gimme a break :p...
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_1_full.jpg
The ass
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_2_full.jpg
The side
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_3_full.jpg
side profile from back
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_5_full.jpg
From Front
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_6_full.jpg
Interior, was basically spotless until i test drove it, then it got a lil dirt on the floor mat
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_7_full.jpg
me standing next to the speed at waffle house, had to have breakfast :D, it looks so small haha
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_11_full.jpg

the ONLY things wrong with this car, is some paint is chipping away from the front lip (he was going to have it fixed, but i wanted to pick it up to soon :p), i'm not sure if this is due to a bad paint job via mazda, or what, but it doesn't appear that here is any damage done to the actual plastic, just paint chipping/peeling away... another thing, LOW idle, there are some vibrations in the car and it *kinda* feels like it wants to stall out, i didn't have any tools and we were on the highway the whole time, so i didn't feel the need to adjust it, any other thoughts?? i'm gonna get it adjusted tomorow... and, along with those vibrations, NOISE!!!!!! haha, something is rattling in the back, i'm assuming it is the sub/amp enclosure, i've heard people complaining about that rattling, other than that there really wasn't any noises, except for the susp squeek i hear everyone complaining about as well... all in all the car is VERY solid, runs great, drives straight, pulls hard :D, next weekend i am gonna take it to a MS authorized dealership out in the detroit area and get all those problems looked at, and get the oil changed (he had it changed recently, but it looked a little dingy when i checked it, and a little low, between the F and E mark, safe enough to drive, but better safe than sorry right?)... so ya, this is my new project, it will remain stock until the warranty is up (thats another thing i have a question about, he said all i have to do is go to a dealership and they will fix me up with the warranty, he didn't have any papers for me, is this legit or am i gonna have problems?), but once the warranty is up, or sooner depending on how reliable of a winter beater i can find, expect some modifications to start going on rather quickly :D, hopefully i can get my hands on a beater so this car can remain a garage parked princess for a long time to come :D...

[Black Majik MSP]

CONGRATS on the new car! (nana) Hopefully these little issues are nothing major & will be easily corrected. Take some better pictures of it in the daytime & feel free to direct any MSP ?s to me.

My parents drove 2 hours from Delray Beach to Ft. Lauderdale & then later 3 hours from Ft. Lauderdale to Orlando before I got it. It actually took them longer than that because the car was new & I insisted that they vary the speed. Anyway, I know that there are several other people who also went way out of their way to get the Speed they wanted. :D

As for the warranty...I think all you need is proof of ownership. Whenever I go to the dealer, they never ask to see any papers, so you should be fine.

[JHew84]

awesome, ya as the car sits right now, if i bumped the idle up a little bit i would have no problems with the way it drives, just a couple quarks that i'd have to get used to, but if i can get them to fix it i will :p... thanks for the info on the warranty, it basically is the reason i sold all my older cars and bought a new car, i was fixing one of them and decided i was sick of it haha...

and ya, i would have driven from cali for this car, i HAD to have this exact one, when it came to my other cars, i always seemed to "settle" because i found a good deal, but with this one i told myself that if i didn't get a blue MSP with low miles, i wasn't going to buy one, luckily i found a good deal on the price to...

[Lil Freek]

the LOW idle (almost stall) is probably your EGR valve.. since it's got full warranty, rape the dealership to get that solved.
I got a new one, and it still likes to hit 500rpm sometimes.. from what I can tell, it's just the car - lots of people have the same complaint/remark

[Focus]

Also have the dealership replace the sway bar bushings. That may be the sound you are getting from the rear.

[BradC]

Congrats man! Now get out there and drive the thing!!!!

[JHew84]

Congrats man! Now get out there and drive the thing!!!!

:D, dont worry, it is getting driven today, A LOT, as long as the roads aren't all shitty and salty... and like i said, i'm a picture whore, so here are some more of the pictures (of the speed) from the trip, there would be A TON more but my mom was obsessed with taking pictures of random things and left the camera on the entire time, so about halfway through the trip the battery died (lol), but heres what i got...

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_13_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_15_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_16_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_17_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_18_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_19_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_20_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_23_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_24_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_25_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_27_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_29_full.jpg
and heres the last picture I took, RIGHT as the battery died haha...
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_32_full.jpg

hm, i never read anything on anyone having an idle problem, i'll have to look into that as well, either way i'm going to call the stealership tomorow and schedule an apointment with them for this weekend, now its time to go drive :D...

[JHew84]

and thank you for the warm welcome, this forum kicks ass (thumb)

one more quick question tho, how in the world do i adjust treble/midrange/bass/sub on the receiver?? at every rest stop i was flipping through the kenwood manual trying to figure it out and all i got was how to change it bewteen 4 1/2 speakers and 6*9's, and then also how to change the sub size, but the rest i can't figure out...

thanks again,

- James

[Brian MP5T]

Welcome, I don't know, Check the Kenwood website. or do a search

[Brian MP5T]

Repost for the "Stickey"

Adjustment Procedure
1. Press the SRC button to turn the unit on.
2. Press the AUD button for at least one second to enter the control mode,
which will display the first adjustment item.
3. Press the FM button to scroll forward, or the AM button to scroll Back, in
the adjustment items list.
4. Press the -- or >> to adjust settings of the displayed item to the values
as specified in the list below.
5. Press AUD button to exit the Audio Control Mode.

[ChiMSP]

Damn those mile are low. Congrats, although i bet you are not going to wait to modify it...thats what i said :D

[Wha'Happened]

Congrats on the new car! Dang, the blue looks awesome! Thats the color I originally wanted but as I was driving to go pick it up (I had to go about 250 miles) they sold it, so I got the Titanium. Oh yeah, good luck trying to wait until warranty is up to mod it, I said the same thing :)

[JHew84]

Repost for the "Stickey"

Adjustment Procedure
1. Press the SRC button to turn the unit on.
2. Press the AUD button for at least one second to enter the control mode,
which will display the first adjustment item.
3. Press the FM button to scroll forward, or the AM button to scroll Back, in
the adjustment items list.
4. Press the -- or >> to adjust settings of the displayed item to the values
as specified in the list below.
5. Press AUD button to exit the Audio Control Mode.

ya, thats what i did on the trip, it said that inside the kenwood manual, but i just tried it tonite before i went out to dinner, and it worked, i'm kinda baffeled lol, maybe i set something up on accident while screwing with it on the trip home that allowed it to work right? i dunno... but now, the rear speakers, and i think the sub as well, apparently dont work, we didn't think they were working on the trip home, but my mom sat in the backseat tonite and confirmed that they aren't working, i'll do a search on that as well but anyone have some quick insight??


and yes, i already have a turbo timer sitting on my kitchen table that probably wont be going in now due to some stories i've heard, i'm going to *try* and keep the mods to a non-warranty breaking level, i'm thinking something along the lines of a CF hood, stuff like that, who knows tho, it is gonna be hard, you are correct about that, hopefully i can be good tho and not screw myself over :p...

[gboromsp]

I dunno, with Mazda even if its stock they will sometimes still give you trouble. Just mod it and have fun. If it blows it blows. You'll like the car much more modded, except for the rattles that seem to come from everywhere.




ya, thats what i did on the trip, it said that inside the kenwood manual, but i just tried it tonite before i went out to dinner, and it worked, i'm kinda baffeled lol, maybe i set something up on accident while screwing with it on the trip home that allowed it to work right? i dunno... but now, the rear speakers, and i think the sub as well, apparently dont work, we didn't think they were working on the trip home, but my mom sat in the backseat tonite and confirmed that they aren't working, i'll do a search on that as well but anyone have some quick insight??


and yes, i already have a turbo timer sitting on my kitchen table that probably wont be going in now due to some stories i've heard, i'm going to *try* and keep the mods to a non-warranty breaking level, i'm thinking something along the lines of a CF hood, stuff like that, who knows tho, it is gonna be hard, you are correct about that, hopefully i can be good tho and not screw myself over :p...

[Black Majik MSP]

You'll like the car much more modded, except for the rattles that seem to come from everywhere.Don't forget buzzing, vibration, squeaks, clunks, & turkeys :p

I wouldn't bother with the new bushings because they are all just bandaids for a bad design. I want to get the Delsing clunk fix rear sway eventually because I finally developed the clunk.

[eting_pro5]

Congrats!

So you're in Lansing? I'm over at MSU and Aiken with his Laser Blue MSP lives in Lansing and attends MSU also.

[JHew84]

Congrats!

So you're in Lansing? I'm over at MSU and Aiken with his Laser Blue MSP lives in Lansing and attends MSU also.

ya, i work at MSU actually, in the new bio-chem building, i live out on the west side tho, towards grand ledge... i'm sure you'll see me driving around town, maybe not much once the snow starts to really hit, because i will promptly be getting a beater when that happens :p...

also, here is a picture of my shifter, it is REALLY short, i was suprised that anyone would want it any shorter than this by getting a short throw shifter, so i did some searching, and my shifter looks even shorter than some of the kartboy shifters people installed in their speeds, and it is definitly lower than the stock pictures everyone else posted... also, when i go into 1st it definitly hits the heat sheild sometimes and i get a little *ping*, to get a better idea, if i hold my hand on the bottom of the shift knob, it hits the trim peice if i'm shifting into 1-3-5, so is this normal or is it lower than normal??? sooner or later i'll get under and check for myself, but i'm not ready to jack this car up yet :p... *bad picture, i'll get a better one tomorow*

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_33_full.jpg

[toucci]

you should bend theheat shield back. it takes 5 seconds once you're under there. super easy to do.

[122 Vega]

1. EGR valve. Mine got to the point where it would stall every time you put the clutch in. You can tap on the EGR cover whhile the car is running and it should clear it up for a few thousand miles, but I recommend leaving it so the dealership can fix it. The EGR is on National backorder, so you will have to wait for it.

2. Swaybar bushings are what's making the noise in the back. I have had mine replaced 5 times with the new 156E updated bushings. They are bad again.

3. Congratulations!

Britt

[JHew84]

1. EGR valve. Mine got to the point where it would stall every time you put the clutch in. You can tap on the EGR cover whhile the car is running and it should clear it up for a few thousand miles, but I recommend leaving it so the dealership can fix it. The EGR is on National backorder, so you will have to wait for it.

sweet, i'll be sure to mention it to them so i can get on the list :p

2. Swaybar bushings are what's making the noise in the back. I have had mine replaced 5 times with the new 156E updated bushings. They are bad again.

not the back, the front, it makes a nasty noise in the front, basically sounds like as the sway bar is twisting from the suspension getting loaded, it is rubbing against the bushings (polyurethane correct?) and making a painted metal on rubber *grinding* noise, it is livable, and it only started happenening after i got back into MI with colder weather, and only after the car had been sitting and had a chance for everything to cool down

3. Congratulations!

thanks :D

Britt

[JHew84]

you should bend theheat shield back. it takes 5 seconds once you're under there. super easy to do.

ya, i haven't had a chance to get under it yet, i'll just live with it until next weekend when i've got it at a dealership and they can put it up on a lift for me...

I was just looking that picture over, and it really sucks, so I ran out (in the cold mind you, in sandals :p) and snapped a few more, I am quite curious, because it just seems a lot shorter than the stock pictures i've seen from other people, and if it is stock, is the kartboy really that much lower?

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_34_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_img_a/742129_35_full.jpg

[mspdfreak]

ya, thats what i did on the trip, it said that inside the kenwood manual, but i just tried it tonite before i went out to dinner, and it worked, i'm kinda baffeled lol, maybe i set something up on accident while screwing with it on the trip home that allowed it to work right? i dunno... but now, the rear speakers, and i think the sub as well, apparently dont work, we didn't think they were working on the trip home, but my mom sat in the backseat tonite and confirmed that they aren't working, i'll do a search on that as well but anyone have some quick insight??


and yes, i already have a turbo timer sitting on my kitchen table that probably wont be going in now due to some stories i've heard, i'm going to *try* and keep the mods to a non-warranty breaking level, i'm thinking something along the lines of a CF hood, stuff like that, who knows tho, it is gonna be hard, you are correct about that, hopefully i can be good tho and not screw myself over :p...Yeah, it's a bitch to adjust on the road.

[jred321]

welcome :)



i looked quick though and didn't see a post on pt about this... they'll be pissed

[JHew84]

welcome :)



i looked quick though and didn't see a post on pt about this... they'll be pissed


haha :p, i haven't had time to make my post on PT yet, i'll get around to it later tonite probably, i've been to busy taking pictures and driving the damn thing :D...

[Brian MP5T]

With my turbo, I completely plugged the EGR and do not have any problems with stalling...

[JHew84]

eh, although i wouldn't mind just taking the EGR completely off, i'm pretty sure that would screw the warranty :p, i'll just have the dealership look at it this weekend, i just got some feedback on which ones to go to (thumb)