Thank Nicodeemus .. I'll look into it. It gets damn cold here and although I usually don't have problems starting my car I do hate the fact that it takes it 15 minutes to warm up and start blowing through hot air.

 

check your coolant level, mine was taking a while to warm up as well...when i checked the coolant level it was down about a quart or so....filled her up, gets nice and warm real quick now!

 

I check all my fluids on a weekly basis (at every gas fillup) so I don't ever give them a chance to get low. It's just too damn cold in Iowa, and there's nothing I can about that

 

Well, this is finally all fixed up. Turns out my EGR was toast - couldn't be cleaned, had to go for a new unit.

This, and the new plugs seem to have done it. Figure I'll change the fuel filter and clean the Idle solenoid just to keep it running smooth.

Anyone know what can cause an EGR to go?

 

Exhaust carbon build up. it is not uncommon for a lot of cars.

 

Don't bother with the fuel filter .. it's not even recommended to be replaced. It's meant to last the lifetime of the car and is not exactly easy to replace either. I'm pretty sure it's in the fuel tank itself, so just don't even mess with it.

If you wanna keep stuff running smooth follow this schedule and you can't go wrong:

-Oil & Oil Filter Change: 3000 miles
-Ail Filter replacement/cleanup: 5000 - 7000 miles (I clean mine at every oil change)
-Spark Plug replacement: 30,000 miles
-Plug Wires: should last a lifetime .. but wouldn't hurt at 50,000 miles
-Tranny Flush/Fluid Change: 30,000 if automatic, 50,000 if manual
-Coolant Flush/Fluid Change: Once a year before the winter!!
-Fuel Filter: NEVER!!
-EGR Valve cleanup: Only when the car starts sputtering and you have to, unless you don't mind taking it out then you could probably do it every 10,000-15,000 miles

 

The deep cycle battery powers electrical accessories, such as lights, trolling motors or winches. They provide a low, but steady level of power for a longer period of time than a starting battery.
It may be the deep cycle battery that is causing the problem

 

Sounds good - good to know about the fuel filter. I know its a hard one to change, but a couple people I spoke to say they change theirs from time to time and it might cause issues as it gets old. Maybe just depends on the kind of car you drive whether it needs to be changed or not.

Oh, and for the last poster, I already have a deep cycle battery running.

 

Don't get me wrong but the point I'm trying to make is the deep cycle battery !! Read the description.... low voltage output You said the problem occurred after the new alternator & the deep cycle battery went in .

 

Here try something for me ....after running disconnect the battery post & cover them up so they don't touch anything ...& the car should remain running, if all is well with the alternator, then go for short drive ....and see if the car is running better

 

Car is already OK. Posted above, it was the EGR valve that was blown. Battery and alt seem fine, car works great with new EGR.

The battery I have is a dual purpose spiral cell. Lots of crank amps for starting, and good power for the electronics. It's definetly a car battery, not a marine or winch battery.

 

Good,, Glad To Hear It's Fixed .... Keep The Shinny Side Up!!

 

Wow, this is terrible advice. NEVER do this unless you want to buy a new ECU for your car. This can cause all sorts of voltage spikes that can fry the computer.

 

It wouldn't work anyway on our cars. The way the Protege wiring is setup, the battery terminals have to be hooked up in order for the car to stay on. Something about completing the circuit in the electrical system .. I guess the battery is required for it. Macdaddyslomo mentioned it a while back and I remember testing it on my P5. Sure enough, as soon as I took off the terminal the car died.

 

That's smart. I'd like to see a wiring diagram on how they do that.