29th Sep 2003, 18:40
HEY! Wonderful Site! A problem with my car right now is that it over-heated and I need to replace Cylinder Head & Gasket. Any ideas or suggestions to this problem? Do you know where I can get a Head for Cheap? I have a 94 Protege, 1.8L DOHC Engine and it has a little bit over 98K Miles on it.
I haven't had the horn/CV Boot prblm yet, but thanks for the advice!
Hit me back up if you can help.
Thanks!
Vinny.
Vindawg123@yahoo.com.
30th Sep 2003, 09:51
Yet another person with a stuck horn chiming in. I was woken up by a neighbor at 5am this morning telling me my horn had been going for over an hour. I'd actually heard it, but it was only faintly audible in our bedroom and I'd assumed it was someone else's car : (
I disconnected the battery and came back upstairs to search the Internet. Nice to know I'm not alone. I added an extra layer of about 1/8" foam over the existing layer (which was also about 1/8" at this point) and it works great now.
10th Oct 2003, 10:36
My everlasting thanks. I had the same horn problem with my 1990 Mazda - replaced the foam rubber and it works very well. I used 1/4 inch foam and lipstick to mark the holes.
29th Dec 2003, 12:50
I thought I was the only one. I did the "1/4 foam repair" and that solved the problem.
The horn first went off in a parking area in front of a movie theater. Like some of the contributers, I thought that was someones else's car until I got closer.
Later that night it went of again. I took steering wheel pad of and proceeded to perform the new foam implant.
I hope Mazda will use something more durable other than a 1/4" thick foam that flattens over time as a spacer.
Overall, Protege is a great car.
25th May 2004, 11:22
Jon '93 protege Lx.
Hello. I own a '93 Lx great car fast and reliable, all but the ignition system. I've replaced it in it's entirety. Now the car will not start. I have no power to my ignition switch and when turned the interior lights dim and the seat belt relays click repeatedly. Also, no power to sun roof or stereo. When my hazards are turned on a noise under the driver side dash clicks as if it is a bad relay. Help I'm stumped.
31st May 2004, 20:35
I was the one with the high performance lemon listed above. Although all comments were true, I must admit this protege has been a very dependable means of transportation. This car brought me home, a distance of 30+ miles with no water pump/alternator belt in the middle of the night, I drove it the speed limit and she came through for me. To this day the engine purrs like a kitten and does not leak or burn any fluids. If only Mazda could have built the accessories as well as the engine.
26th Jul 2004, 11:12
I too fixed the horn problem this past weekend. My horn started blaring in IKEA's parking lot. I did not know which fuse to remove, so it took some figuring out. The 94 Mazda protege manual does not specify the fuse for horn, but it is actually the same as the fuse for the tail lights and side signals (i think 60A). This fuse is near the battery under the hood. AAA guys also advised me to remove the battery terminal (probably the negative terminal).
I did not about the sponge solution, instead I put some electrical insulator padding at specific points where the metal plate was too near to the base. All that means is that when I hit the horn at those points, the horn will not sound, but the horn is quite wide, so there are lot of other areas, where if I hit, the horn will sing.
16th Aug 2004, 22:41
I have a 94 protege and had the same horn problem. I went to the mazda dealer and got a new contact pad for about 11 dollars. I think that is the cheapest I have ever had to fix a car problem.
26th Aug 2004, 09:46
I have a 92 Protege DX, I did the 1/4 inch foam repair last night so that the car could be used for a trip today. It worked great!
I also replaced the horn (which I assumed was burned out-since there was 12 VDC between the horn + wire and ground), moving it to a much more accessible location on the passenger-side inside bulkhead in case we need to do an emergency disconnection!
I still may get the pad from the dealer since it's only $11.
8th Oct 2004, 10:27
I am glad I found this message. Yesterday morning around 6:30am we heard the horn on my 94 Protege LX going off. We too thought it was the neighbors. My husband said it did it again this morning while driving to work. I have printed off these comments and will give it to my husband so he can fix it.
I have also found a problem with my tape player. One night on the way back from a trip from GA to NC the radio and tape player died. The radio came back, but the tape player didn't. Any suggestions?
7th Jul 2005, 19:46
I've had a 94 Mazda Protege LX for almost 3 years now. The car has performed better then I ever expected.
I bought it cheap for $550, replaced front brakes and rotors, started driving it with 12000 on it. Now I almost have 20000 on it and the only parts I've had to replace were the muffler and the timing belt.
If you are thinking of buying one, have the engine compression checked, (well worth it) and make sure to maintain it on a regular basis.
I've already got my money's worth out it, plus then some.
29th Jun 2006, 19:19
I've had my 94' Mazda protege for a few years now and its up to 165K. I'm very happy with it. I'm having the problem someone mentioned about the automatic seat beat beeping. It seems to have a life of its own sometimes. LOL. Haven't had a chance to run a voltmeter yet, but any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for the great list.
1st Feb 2009, 14:04
The horn problem: this site helped me fix on the cheap! $5; if that isn't cheap, I don't know what is! I bought a pack of those green flat scrubber pads for pots and pans that are kinda spongy. I cut one up into thin strips and glued them onto the old pad with super glue, leaving most of the old holes uncovered. This doesn't have to be perfect by any means, just make sure the majority of the holes in the old pad aren't covered. Kinda like cutting and gluing a jigsaw puzzle. Works like a charm!
19th Feb 2009, 12:53
I have a '92 Mazda Protege and am having the horn problems as well. I took out the entire horn mechanism from under the steering wheel cover. I found a replacement horn at Advance Auto for about $30. I plan to put it back in myself. I have had to teach myself a lot while owning this car to keep myself from having to pay labor on top of parts. I have only had the car for 3 years. Every time I have to get it inspected I walk out with a $200+ bill. I also had the problem with the seat belt sensor. I disconnected the sound for the dinging and put black electrical tape over the light on the dash. The only problem with this is that your car won't ding if you leave your lights on. I have also replaced the CV boot, a caliper and a full front axle. If I, a 21 year old girl, can fix the horn you can too! But I couldn't have done it without all the information I found on this site! Thanks so much for everyone sharing their knowledge!
11th Jun 2011, 15:33
I have a 1994 Protege with 310000 miles; that's right, 310000 miles. I did the horn fix, the seat belt fix, but my last problem is the transmission. I have to change the fluid every year, it does not slip, but what it does do intermittently; it does not shift from 3rd gear to 4th gear to overdrive. But it shifts fine when it is extremely warm outside. Any suggestions?
12th Dec 2011, 11:11
Maybe it is a sticking solenoid or valve in the valve body. "Lucas Oil Transmission Fix" promises to loosen sticky valves. You can't lose but a few dollars.
11th Apr 2012, 20:51
SEAT BELT CHIME.
I have a 94 DX. A great car, super dependable.
My horn has been out for over a year. Thanks for the tip about the foam; I'm about to run out and try it.
To anyone that has a seat belt warning light (SBWL) that's stuck on or chimes irregularly, you can disconnect the plug under the driver's seat to shut it up. The only problem is the seat belt arm won't work either. I talked to a Mazda guy, that says if you take the two wires responsible for the SBWL, and twist em together, you can get around that. Just haven't figured that out yet; wiring diagrams are in short supply. Any help is appreciated.
26th Nov 2012, 17:05
You can with the alloy wheels. I have 16 inch Prime 119 on them. Running a 205 40 16 H rated tire. I have 254,000 miles on it. I will replace the shocks/struts soon since she's creaking a little. Besides that and the seat belt beep, she's still fast and agile. Motor work is stock except for performance wires, plugs, intake, Random Tech cat convertor, and custom catback exhaust.
9th Sep 2003, 13:08
My 92 Mazda Protege has the same problem on horn, this morning at 7:00AM, it started to sing at a parking lot, waked up all neighbors around, it was really embarrassing thing. thanks for the valuable posts here, I will try to fix it with foam mentioned above when I get time.