Troubleshoot by symptom

Symptom

• Temperature gauge climbs in traffic, then drops once moving
• Air-conditioning turns warm at the same time
• Fan does not run when the engine is hot and idling
• Coolant boils or the warning light comes on in a jam

Cause

The radiator fan motor seizes or slows with age. At speed the airflow through the radiator hides it, so the car behaves normally on the highway and overheats the moment it sits still. This is the fault Gen-2 owners mention most often when they talk about overheating, and it is cheap compared with a head gasket.

Solution

Ask a workshop to confirm the fan runs at both speeds with the engine hot. A replacement fan motor with blade is sold for the Gen-2 as an APM-type unit, so the part is easy to find. If the car has already boiled, do not keep driving it: stop, let it cool, and have it towed or checked before the next trip.

Estimated cost:~RM 260·Moderate·parts and labour · as of Oct 26, 2026

Symptom

• Hard thump when shifting from Park or Reverse into Drive
• Delay before the car moves when you press the accelerator
• Flare in revs between the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts
• Shudder under light throttle at low speed

Cause

The four-speed automatic's fluid and clutches wear with heat and age. A car that has towed, sat in traffic for 200,000 km or missed its fluid changes will show it first as a delayed engagement, then as a flare between gears. Old fluid turns the shifts harsh before the gearbox actually fails.

Solution

Ask a workshop to check the fluid condition and change it with the correct Proton automatic transmission fluid, then drive the car again. A fluid and filter service is the cheap attempt and sometimes restores the shift. If the flare or shudder stays, get a quote for a rebuild before spending on anything else, because a rebuild is a four-figure bill on a car worth less than that.

Estimated cost:~RM 300·Moderate·fitted · as of Oct 26, 2026

Symptom

• Cold at speed, warm in traffic
• Cold for the first ten minutes, then fades
• Whine or rattle when the air-conditioning engages
• Water on the passenger floor instead of under the car

Cause

Three faults look the same from the driver's seat. A low refrigerant charge from a slow leak cools poorly. A tired compressor loses output when it is hot. A blocked condenser or a fan that is not working makes the system give up in traffic. The Gen-2 is old enough that any of the three is plausible, and the radiator fan fault on this page produces the same symptom.

Solution

Ask a workshop to check the refrigerant charge and look for the leak before condemning the compressor. If the compressor is the fault, a reconditioned unit is the usual route on a car of this age, with a new receiver-dryer and a system flush. A condenser that is full of road dirt can be cleaned rather than replaced.

Estimated cost:~RM 600·Moderate·parts and labour · as of Oct 26, 2026

Symptom

• Steering wheel and dashboard vibrate at idle
• Vibration gets worse with the air-conditioning on
• Clunk when pulling away or when the automatic engages Drive
• Engine rocks visibly when the throttle is blipped in neutral

Cause

The rubber engine mounts harden and tear with heat and age. Once one mount collapses, the engine moves further than it should, which loads the remaining mounts and sends vibration straight into the cabin. The S4PH's idle is not especially smooth to begin with, so worn mounts make it feel much worse than it is.

Solution

Ask a workshop to inspect all the mounts, not just the one that looks worst. They age together, and replacing one while the others are soft means paying labour twice. Genuine or good aftermarket rubber mounts restore the original feel; stiff performance mounts make the cabin buzz more, which is the opposite of what most owners want.

Estimated cost:~RM 280·Moderate·parts and labour · as of Oct 26, 2026

Symptom

• One window stops responding from the driver's door switch
• Window moves slowly, then stops halfway
• Click from the door with no movement
• Works from its own door switch but not from the master switch

Cause

The switch pack in the driver's door and the window lift mechanism both wear. The master switch carries every window's current, so a tired contact there can kill one window while the others still work. A window that is slow before it stops is usually the regulator or motor, not the switch.

Solution

Ask a workshop to check the switch pack first, then the regulator and motor in the affected door. On these cars the switch is the common and cheap failure, and a used or new switch pack is a straight swap. If the glass has dropped into the door, stop using the window and have it propped shut before driving in rain.

Estimated cost:~RM 150·Low cost·parts and labour · as of Oct 26, 2026

Symptom

• Fog or droplets inside a rear lamp
• Damp carpet or a puddle in the spare wheel well
• Musty smell in the boot after rain
• Rust starting around the boot floor or jack holder

Cause

The rear lamp seals and the panel seams around the tailgate let water past as the car ages. It collects in the spare wheel well, where nobody looks, and the smell is usually the first thing the owner notices.

Solution

Ask a workshop or accessory shop to reseal the rear lamps and check the boot seams with a hose test. Owners report a simple lamp reseal costing about RM10 in materials. Dry the well out, check the jack and spare for rust, and treat any surface rust before it becomes a hole.

Estimated cost:~RM 60·Low cost·basis not stated · as of Oct 26, 2026

Symptom

• Car feels weak pulling away from a standstill
• Needs a downshift or more revs to climb a hill
• Noticeable surge as the engine passes 3,000 rpm
• Automatic hunts between gears at part throttle

Cause

The fixed-cam S4PH makes its torque at 4,000 rpm, and there is a well-documented dip below 3,000 rpm. This is how the engine was built, not a fault that appeared with age. Proton addressed it in the 2008 facelift with the IAFM and CPS engines, which is why later Gen-2s feel stronger in town.

Solution

Adjust how you drive rather than chasing a repair. Rev it a little more, use the manual's gearbox instead of lugging it, and do not expect a 1.6 to pull from 1,500 rpm. If the car has become noticeably flatter than it used to be, ask a workshop to check the basics first: a dirty air filter, tired spark plugs or a failing ignition component can make a normal flat spot much worse.

Estimated cost:~RM 0·Free·basis not stated · undated