20 Most Recent 2003 Mazda Protege - Page 2 Questions & Answers

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.

remove cooling fans, loosen upper and lower rad hoses (before you pull them off, drain coolant) disconnect two trans lines if it is an auto. remove two rad brackets and lift out

Replace the battery.its the cells in the battery causing the altinator to over charge due to a short cucuit in the battery.The altinator has a regulator built inside.So ypur battery is at fault.

now replace electrical,and check timing,you got ripped off

Should be in the fuse box in the engine compartment. Check your owners manual for details.

The code usually indicates a dirty or bad MAF Sensor most of the time. The sensor is located between the air cleaner housing and the intake into the engine and has a wired connection. You can open the large intake hose to access the MAF which is a thin but strong strip of metal or wire running across the air intake path. Spray it with brake or carb cleaner and let it air dry do not touch it with your hands, Reset the code by disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery for a few minutes and see if it goes away.

Most cars also have a hydraulic clutch with 'master-slave system' that could be leaking. Also transmission fluid. Hope this helps.

It may not be the rotors but it could be the calipers. If those check out try something out. See if the rubbing gets worse as you break or if it gets worse when you turn one direction or the other. If that is the case then you are most likely looking at a bearing going out.

remove the plastic covering the cluster by prying it gently with a flathead screwdriver. this will give you access to four screws holding the cluster, two at the bottom and two on top. before removing the cluster completely, you will need to reach in and detach the electrical connections at the back of it.

Most likely a wheel speed sensor or the wiring that connects to it. Check all four wheels to see if there is a wire connector that has a wire missing or broken.