First time poster, long time Mazda owner with a 2002 Protege5 acceleration problem that I'm hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction on. It's been in the shop for 6 days now and they can't figure out the issue

Problem:
Step on gas, car doesn't like to go over 10-20 miles an hour. It's like flooring a go-kart with a governor on it (sorry, best description I could come up with). It starts up perfectly, idles perfectly, just when you step on the gas it barely goes at all. Flooring it doesn't rev the engine, it's almost like it's not getting more gas. Occassionaly it will accellerate and shift into higher gears but not often. Going up hill on a half tank of gas it seemed to be worse but that could be just my perception

Car Info:
*No check engine/indicator lights showing there are any problems
*Computer data isn't revealing much per the mechanics
*100K miles
*Could use new plugs & wires
*Regular oil changes are done
*Replaced serp. belt & water pump less than 6 months ago
*New struts and tires a week ago

Problem Areas That have been or are being looked into
*O2 sensor – checked out ok
*fuel pump - replacing the existing one with a used pump, it’s not the fuel pump. Everything’s ok there
*Looked over existing repair/maintenance items to make sure nothing was accidently knocked out of place
*Replaced a cracked “Air Snorkel” (?) – Slight improvement but not the solution, car is still bogging down
*Replacing computer – this is the most recent item and it hasn’t been completed as of 9-21-09.

Any other ideas on where to look that I could present to this garage?

Thanks!

 

Maybe a plugged exhaust or timing belt jumped a tooth.

 

thanks for the suggestions! Sadly it's neither of those, those were also checked I just haven't made an update recently. I'm about to post my updates though.
Thanks again for the suggestion!

 

Thanks to the those that have suggested new areas to investigate, I appreciate your input!

Updates as of 9-28-09
*It's not the computer, that checked out ok
*It's not a fuel issue. The fuel was checked to see if it was bad and it wasn't (burn test: Gas in my tank compared to some gas purchased the day of the test)
*The timing belt was checked and it hasn't jumped a tooth so that's not the issue
*Next item being checked is wiring. It is possible there is a bad wire leading from the computer to the engine. Can't wait to hear how much this is going to run if it is the solution to my problem (Aaaaaand that's what you call very heavy sarcasm).

 

The last and final update to my bogged down/won't accelerate 2002 Protégé 5 saga:

Well, after almost 2 full weeks of exploration, possibilities, and dead ends, light has emerged and I have seen the other side of the tunnel. The problem has been solved. Evidently my car needed a new "Pulsation Damper" which is in the fuel line (or fuel delivery system....) somewhere. The tecs that eventually solved the problem said it was just a product of wear and tear over the life of the car and needed to be replaced. They also cleaned the fuel injectors for good measure and recommended I add a fuel injector cleaner to my car every 6 months to help avoid this problem in the future. The Protégé can once again go faster than a running human! Success!

This "Pulsation Damper" is an item that my local mechanics wouldn't have been able to fix. After discussing it with them they didn't have the right tools to diagnose my car, they knew Mazda had more tools available so they offered to tow it to a Mazda dealership to have further diagnostics done on it. These guys were a class act every step of the way so I have to give a shout out to Blake and the boys at the Precision Tune on Lake Street in Minneapolis. They were a pleasure to work with.

(Also, sorry for the bad spelling. The post should be titled "Acceleration Problem" not "Proplem")

 

Glad you found the source of the on going issue with your car. The mechanics went the extra mile for you. I'd call that "good, old fashioned service" , hope that's making a come back !!! And thanks for posting the answer to your thread . zoom-zoom !!

 

This sounds exactly the same as the problem I am having with my 91 miata. Do I have a pulsation damper?, where is it located? Do local auto parts stores carry these or are they mazda specific> Thank you for any help

 

Try taking off your intake hose and look at the throttle body

this happened to my protege where when you start it and idle it its fine but when you step on the gas it LOSES that power quickly. i didnt check my fuel pump with i think i'd need to soon.

Anyways, take some 2+2 spray it on a rag and clean the throttle plate along with the walls. Then try taking some O2 sensor cleaner and clean the O2 sensor, just to be sure. this helped with my problem and seems to be doing only sometimes in the rain (again either my fuel pump or fuel filter [which is even more complicated cause mines in the gas tank] needs to be changed)
hoped this helped. im new to this forum thing too