Time2Rumble
Member
My mother sold her van and bought a smaller car with a 4 cyclinder, much better on mileage, etc. She just wanted something more simple and practical to get around..
Its a 2000 Mazda Protege, with the 1.6 liter engine and 4 cyclinders, 4 door and it has 82,300 miles.
She got the car a almost a year ago, no issues, etc.
About 5 months ago she noticed a slight decrease in engine response when accelating, the car just didn't want to accelerate as well as usual.. only happened a few times throughout the day, after that, the vehicle just ran fine again.
She went to a shop, they said her fuel filter could be wearing out and that if it was never changed it could need a new one now.. she didn't replace it, they said it was pretty costly the labor part because apparently with the Protege models, the filter is inside the fuel tank.. she didn't get it done since it only happened that one day and never again..
Anyhow, moving forward.. about a few weeks ago she took a drive that consisted of a couple of hours to head back to her home city, she made it fine, with no issue throughout the two hours, however, when she was getting onto this other highway entrance that went up a hill about a couple of miles off her destination exit, she had mentioned that the Mazda Protege started what she had felt it the past but this time the more she accelerated up the hill, meaning, the more she pressed the gas pedal, the vehicle started to hesitate accelerating and came to a point where it just started to lose acceleration power, which eventually she got off the highway, and drove to a local auto repair shop.. when the service manager came over to check it out, he said that the alternator was failing and she needed to replace it because the vehicle after that did not want to turn back on..
She ended up having the vehicle towed over to her residence. Around this time frame, I had just come back from a business trip and got in touch with a merchanic to take a look at the car for her. Since the car did not turn on while she told me what was going on during the time I was on my business trip I just went ahead and ordered her an alternator since she said that is what the service manager mentioned at the repair shop.. when my mechanic came over to look at the vehicle, he first tried cranking up the battery with a charger.. car turned on, after a few minutes of charging, when it was taken off the charger, the vehicle shut off.. so, he mentioned to give the go ahead and replaced the alternator.. ( I still think, had we charged the battery for a longer period it would've turned on.. now I wonder if the old alternator could still be good? I will explain below why I think this )
After that was done, mechanic tried turning on car, didn't crank up, so he charged it up abit more with charger but for like 10 minutes longer.. after that, car turned on, it has stayed on ever since..
It stays on the entire time, and runs... however, the problem that my mother experienced STILL happens, I took the car for a spin to see what she means, now, even though it doesn't shut off, I figured a way to drive it so it doesn't bog down.. what I do is, when it does start to feel like its going to bog down from pressing it too long ( say more than 10 seconds at stronger accelating speeds ), I let go off the gas pedal and then I re-apply the gas again and it runs fine after wards.. if it feels like it will bog, I just apply the same tactic and the car runs good but this isn't normal..
So, I asked the mechanic, he told me, to fill up gas tank, said that it the problem goes away completely by filling it up on full, and continues when the car hits a half a tank or below, he says that its the fuel filter, says if there is no changes after filling up full tank worth, and it still causes the same problem which IT DOES, he mentioned to replace the fuel pump..
From the Mazda Protege auto repair experts.. what do you recommend my mother do?
As of now, in the past few months she done a few good things to update the vehicle, just to keep on top of maintenance, etc.. new belts, alternator, shes due for an oil change soon so that will also be taken care of.
Its a 2000 Mazda Protege, with the 1.6 liter engine and 4 cyclinders, 4 door and it has 82,300 miles.
She got the car a almost a year ago, no issues, etc.
About 5 months ago she noticed a slight decrease in engine response when accelating, the car just didn't want to accelerate as well as usual.. only happened a few times throughout the day, after that, the vehicle just ran fine again.
She went to a shop, they said her fuel filter could be wearing out and that if it was never changed it could need a new one now.. she didn't replace it, they said it was pretty costly the labor part because apparently with the Protege models, the filter is inside the fuel tank.. she didn't get it done since it only happened that one day and never again..
Anyhow, moving forward.. about a few weeks ago she took a drive that consisted of a couple of hours to head back to her home city, she made it fine, with no issue throughout the two hours, however, when she was getting onto this other highway entrance that went up a hill about a couple of miles off her destination exit, she had mentioned that the Mazda Protege started what she had felt it the past but this time the more she accelerated up the hill, meaning, the more she pressed the gas pedal, the vehicle started to hesitate accelerating and came to a point where it just started to lose acceleration power, which eventually she got off the highway, and drove to a local auto repair shop.. when the service manager came over to check it out, he said that the alternator was failing and she needed to replace it because the vehicle after that did not want to turn back on..
She ended up having the vehicle towed over to her residence. Around this time frame, I had just come back from a business trip and got in touch with a merchanic to take a look at the car for her. Since the car did not turn on while she told me what was going on during the time I was on my business trip I just went ahead and ordered her an alternator since she said that is what the service manager mentioned at the repair shop.. when my mechanic came over to look at the vehicle, he first tried cranking up the battery with a charger.. car turned on, after a few minutes of charging, when it was taken off the charger, the vehicle shut off.. so, he mentioned to give the go ahead and replaced the alternator.. ( I still think, had we charged the battery for a longer period it would've turned on.. now I wonder if the old alternator could still be good? I will explain below why I think this )
After that was done, mechanic tried turning on car, didn't crank up, so he charged it up abit more with charger but for like 10 minutes longer.. after that, car turned on, it has stayed on ever since..
It stays on the entire time, and runs... however, the problem that my mother experienced STILL happens, I took the car for a spin to see what she means, now, even though it doesn't shut off, I figured a way to drive it so it doesn't bog down.. what I do is, when it does start to feel like its going to bog down from pressing it too long ( say more than 10 seconds at stronger accelating speeds ), I let go off the gas pedal and then I re-apply the gas again and it runs fine after wards.. if it feels like it will bog, I just apply the same tactic and the car runs good but this isn't normal..
So, I asked the mechanic, he told me, to fill up gas tank, said that it the problem goes away completely by filling it up on full, and continues when the car hits a half a tank or below, he says that its the fuel filter, says if there is no changes after filling up full tank worth, and it still causes the same problem which IT DOES, he mentioned to replace the fuel pump..
From the Mazda Protege auto repair experts.. what do you recommend my mother do?
As of now, in the past few months she done a few good things to update the vehicle, just to keep on top of maintenance, etc.. new belts, alternator, shes due for an oil change soon so that will also be taken care of.
