2003 Mazda Protege - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

Have you thrown a code? Are you certain that there isn't a problem with your fuel rail? It is usually location on the fuel rail. Hope that helps.

Sorry for the late comment. I hope this will help others. there's a plastic thingy lever right side of the trunk release mechanism that you can toggle up or down, to release the trunk from the driver side release lever.

Twist the bulbs back and forth to clean the contact surfaces on the ribbon in the dash...try it with the parking lights on....look for illumination............

petrol or diesel?

Fuel line disconnect tool. Try to rent a disconnect kit from the auto parts store.

Bring in the car to a PROFESSIONAL shop. Mention your problem & ask about a wheel balance, alignment & make your problem clear before any work is done. Mention bearings etc. Ive dealt w millions of csrs at my own private shop & that would be your best approach. NO JIFFY LUBE TYPE SHOP

Upper strut mounts aren't prone to rattling or knocking as they are usually under load all the time. Very few cars do not have a swivel bearing - a few old Fords are all I can think of. Most current models have the swivel bearing integrated into the strut mount, the main job of which is to insulate road noise from the body. Some cars use a swivel bearing fitted between the strut and lower spring cup. Worn shock absorber internal valves can be very noisy over small bumps and road undulations and wear in steering rack components can make similar noises especially the rack slipper bearing, the rack end support bearing and the rack end joints. Many track control arm ball joints have an internal spring to compensate for small amounts of wear. When such a joint has worn significantly it is not always possible to detect free play with hand pressure but they are liable to make noise on the road. Struts that are housings fitted with shock absorber cartridges retained by a single large nut - the nut can sometimes be loose by a small amount causing the cartridge to knock inside the casing. The strut piston rod and bush is subject to a great deal of force from the reaction of acceleration and braking and considerable wear can take place between the rod and it's bush. The trouble is any free play cannot be detected when the vehicle is jacked and the wheels clear of the ground and similarly cannot be detected with normal force when the vehicle weight is on the ground. I find lifting the car until the suspension is only compressed an inch or two gives the best chance of detecting wear though considerable strength and energy is still needed.

Visit the on-line store, know as reliable-store, they have the repair manuals. I'm sure you will get the solution of your problem. Mazda Protege 2002 2003 Repair Service Manual PDF

Have you run a fault code test? Is the engine smoking? Does the smoke smell sicky sweet?

Inspect and repair the issue.

The ABS fault light will stay on until the problem is repaired, read the fault code and diagnose it again.

Yikes! Sounds like an electrical short from the lighting system to the transmission controls. I would see a mechanic about it. Shorts can be non-trivial to trace out and repair. Sorry I can't suggest something easy and less expensive.

Yes, the temperature gauge should normally stop in the middle, between the cold and hot points on the gauge. When the engine is cold the thermostat will be closed and will keep recirculating the coolant in the engine block until it warms up sufficiently. Then the temperature of the warm coolant will cause the thermostat to open the channel to the radiator to get rid of excess heat, which should stop the coolant from over heating. So the effect of the thermostat keeps the coolant at a fairly stable temperature. When the coolant runs low, it can't transfer enough heat to the radiator and the coolant and engine then over heats. Watch for radiator leaks under your car after you have been driving it. If the coolant goes low again fairly quickly you could have a leak in a hose or the radiator itself.

Check the voltage of electrical system when car is running. Should always be around 14 to 14.4 volts. If voltage dips to area around 12, either the alternator is fubar or the voltage regulator is not doings its job.

Is the car now running? If it is, then what you need to do is get a hold of the car schematic and check out all the components in between your power source and the items not working. Use a voltmeter or 12 volt car tester lite to track down the issue.

If everything was fine before you went through the puddle .. Get underneath the car and check all the electrical connections you can see on your transmission. Depending on the depth of the water and speed you were doing, the surge of water may have affected a connection. Remove what wires you can see and clean them. Do the same with any electrical connections you can see around the brake areas.

check crank position sensor

Could be a bad engine ground connection. There should be a cable connected between the engine block and the frame. If this is loose, it could cause intermittent failure of your ignition and your starter to operate properly.

Could be bad plug,wire,coil.catalytic con.could be plug.

You should read check engine code. It tells you more than you can guess. You can buy quality $1000 snap-on OBD scanner or $30 cheap one. $30 will do good job. (you need to google after car tells you error code because cheap scanner shows only code but not meanings in plain English) or you can visit local autozone and ask them read code for free. unless you ask car itself, nobody will be accurate.