244k miles and done

Lonnzo79

Member
:
2003 Mazda Protege5
Last year one of my buddies was moving to Hawaii and needed to get rid of his 03 P5 so I found myself buying it last Apri.

It had 240k on the clock but the motor had been replaced @200k with one with 160k. It ran great, no problems until July it developed the death tick when at around 1/8 throttle, more gas or take your foot off and it would go away. I knew it was only a matter of time but after putting another 3k on in the last year it finally broke loose Saturday.

As I just got done driving 50 miles and got back into town the death rattle began. Chucking metal, screeching engine, I tried to nurse it home as it tried to die at ever slowdown or stop I made, as I got to my street it died 1/2 a block from the house and I coasted to park in front of my house. It would barely crank, like a low battery crank.

I left and came back a few hours later, and hopped in to try and push it back into the driveway. MIRACULOUSLY it started, sounding like a midget with a sledgehammer I backed it in and there she sits.

I like the car but I'm pretty certain I'm going to part it out or sell her whole, engines for these are 700-1000 bucks around me and I'd still have a car with 240k on it after all that. Sad part is I'd been fixing all the little stuff, alternator, belts, bearings, and such myself so I got about $500 in new parts in it and other than the motor it was great, 5 speed was flawless still.

Thinking of getting a Mazda 3s hatch 5sp or a MS3, anyway just wanted to share my story, here's a pic.
 

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