sorry for starting a new thread, but i wanted to catch everyone's attention. this post says AutoWeek is currently asking for owner feedback on the protege5:

http://forum.protegemp3.com/vbb222/s...&threadid=3383

if you're not happy with the rocking/jerking/rubber-banding/driveline lash/too quick throttle tip-in/ etc, please email AutoWeek with your complaint. a little public embarrassment might get mazda to do something about it.

see the link for details about who to contact and the info they're looking for.

thanks.

 

AWR Racing is selling urethane engine mounts that they say reduce the driveline lash, but some recent posts say they're TOO hard, and cause too much vibration.

last week i emailed AWR to ask if they'd make the mounts in a softer compound. no response yet.

anyone's whose interested might email them too, to help them get an idea how many people are interested. their mounts are here:

www.awrracing.com/pages/protege.html

 

Hey guys, I just got done with some mods that seem to have almost eliminated the problem. I modded the cat forward and put in the J-spec intake cam and the driveability is hugely improved. My wife noticed it right away and I'm loving the way it drives now. I never thought it was a driveline lash problem or spongy motor mounts. The mounts are better than a lot of cars I've worked on. It always felt like it was running right on the edge of being too lean. The symptoms have always felt like lean surge and lean tip in to me. I don't know if the exhaust restriction I've removed or the J-spec cam have caused the system to richen up since I did the mods at the same time. Needless to say I don't care! The car is much easier and more enjoyable to drive now.

 

Just what we need, another negative magazine article, simliar to the "Popular Science" slash........

THINK POSITVE. GO FORWARD.



Later, Speedbump

 

I have the AWR engine mounts in my '00 ES - I love the lack of rubber banding, but hate the vibration at idle (and with the AC, wow!). Now, others who have driven the car don't notice it as much, so maybe I'm picky. I do know that every cd case in the door pockets dances a jig when starting from a stop. And there is this annoying resonance in the area or the HVAC controls between 2500-3000 RPM.


I think I was one of the first with the mounts - when I gave feedback to Tony at AWR, he mentioned there might be softer bushings - I'd inquired later, but no response. What I'd love to see is solid rubber bushing vs. the poly ones - so some movement, but not as much as the factory ones (vs the almost non-existant movement now.)


As Tony pointed out, there is a tradeoff of comfort vs. performance - the trick is finding the balance.

Kevin M.
'00 ES