In a rematch, the extra vigor of the Protegé MP3 would likely guarantee it the Stirling Moss Award. The last-generation car clobbered 12 other compact sedans in our "Little Cars 6.1" comparo in June 2000 with its fair impersonation of a BMW 2002. The Protegé has long been a favorite around these parts. Racing Beat gets featured billing on the MP3's trunk badge for its effort. That and the Racing Beat exhaust downstream of the catalyst are worth 10 horsepower and 7 pound-feet of torque, says Mazda, raising the cranking capability to 140 horsepower and 142 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0-liter DOHC four gets an algorithmic stimulant in the form of reprogrammed ignition timing. They interface with the road through 17-inch cast aluminum Racing Hart wheels encased in 205/45ZR-17 Dunlop SP Sport 9000 rubber, and with the driver through a leather-bound Nardi three-spoke wheel. Helping out the firmer springs and thicker roll bars are Tokico shocks and stiffer control-arm bushings. Co-founder Jim Mederer and his crew had helped put together the original MPS show car for last year's SEMA aftermarket-parts show and have delivered a production version virtually unchanged. They include mild engine and suspension upgrades for which Mazda relied on tuner Racing Beat in Anaheim, California, an established company carrying street credibility with the slammed-Civic set. Particularly since the miniature controls require a degree in enigmatology - the hand-held remote is thankfully simpler - and the display vanishes like Brigadoon in direct sunlight.įortunately, the MP3 has some other noteworthy tweaks that bump the roadability value above the more pedestrian Protegé models. The sumptuous sound from this radio and its 10-inch cochlea-compressing subwoofer seems as good as most bookshelf systems, but its presence alone isn't quite enough to get the resident rev heads here salivating. Hence, the name of this car and a big chunk of its $2230 premium over a similarly equipped Protegé ES manual. It accepts regular store-bought discs or self-burned jobs encoded with MP3 digital audio computer files. The MP3's 280-watt Kenwood Excelon Z919 head unit has a multicolor LCD that, when off, is populated by marine life and when on routinely performs a perfect imitation of Tokyo's Ginza district at midnight.įlip down the motorized faceplate (after locating the appropriate tiny button with an electron microscope), and a CD slot appears. It may sound as though we've snorted the whole bag of nutmeg, but not this time. Should you heed the message and put power to the stereo, a blazing iridescent quasar vaporizes Flipper and begins pulsing in a spectral orgy to the thump of the giant subwoofer. Their little pixilated bodies duck and weave across the dashboard reminding you that your ears are going to waste. The Mazda Protegé MP3 is inhabited by dolphins. All of these fluids are harmful to your eyes and skin so it is important to protect yourself.Dolphins. You never know what could be dripping down from the engine, battery acid, engine coolant, brake fluid, etc. We recommend wearing safety glasses whenever you are working under your Protege. If your Protege is too low to the ground to access your drain plug and oil filter, be sure to use jack stands and safe jacking procedures before getting under your Protege. If you can't do this, see our parts page to find a Mazda Protege oil filter wrench. For most Mazdas, you can wrap an old belt around the oil filter and unscrew it by hand. This video shows the location of the oil drain plug, oil filter, oil fill cap and dipstick in addition to the steps needed to change the oil and filter in your Protege. The owners manual will indicate if your 2000 Protege takes 0W-20, 0W-30, 5W-20, 5W-30 or 10W-30. Conventional oil works well for drivers who change their oil regularly and if it is approved for your Protege. Synthetic oil will not break down over time and tends to have longer change intervals, so if you want to have more time between oil changes, then synthetic oil is a good choice. The synthetic oil vs conventional oil debate has many proponents on both sides. Many vehicles will require the use of 100% synthetic oil, others allow synthetic blend, which is a mix of synthetic and conventional oil, and conventional oil too. What type of oil is required in a Protege? You can use synthetic oil in any modern vehicle. Learn how to change the oil and oil filter in your 2000 Mazda Protege with this free video.
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