Mazda Engine Bolt

Is the bolt in this picture OK? should something be attached to it?

You can use that as a grounding point for boosting your battery instead of the strut retainer bolts.

Difficult to say. What Model and Model-year is that Mazda?

That stud (a bolt fixed in place) is sticking up from the strut tower. Something could have been attached. Look down (flashlight?) between the tower and the battery and see if anything fell down. I’ve see wires (wire harnesses) hung from studs like that one. They usually have a little clip on them.
CSA
:palm_tree::sunglasses::palm_tree:

Most likely it had nothing attached to it and I would not be surprised it still has a factory paint on it.

Often, manufacturers leave 1-2 such studs with nothing attached in cars having less then top-tier options level - it may have something attached in top tier, but that option might be not installed in base option tiers.

Is it a “new purchase” of the used car?
What’s the history behind this question?

It is a 2001 Mazda Protege. I was the original owner along with my ex. I just noticed it and questioned it recently.

Is there a similar stud on the right strut tower?

Bolts with nuts on the other one.

An accessory crossbar between the strut towers is available for some cars. It’s supposed to stiffen the front suspension to make the car’s steering more precise under high-forces situations. Maybe this stud is part of attaching such a crossbar.

Another possibility is that the hole that that stud sticks through is there to speed up the installation of the front strut assembly at the factory.

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does it look as if it has ever had anything on it?

Sort of. The optional strut brace for this car attached to a different set of strut tower stiffeners (that rusted piece behind the hood prop) that had studs welded directly on the stiffener. Basically, on the drivers side, the stiffener slid over this stud and a small nut was used to help attach the stiffener to the chassis.

EDIT: I used to own a Mazda Protégé of this vintage, with the optional strut brace. I am 100% sure this is the correct answer to your question.

I can’t tell.

Look on used car lots or in junk yards for a Protégé (same style & era) and have a look. See if another has a bare stud in that location or something on it.

Go to a Mazda dealer and befriend a mechanic who looks old enough to have been born prior to about 1980 and ask if she’s/he’s worked on '01s. If so, show her/him that stud and ask what’s up with it.

On your car, if you don’t see anything loose or dangling in that vicinity then I doubt if there was something attached or anything that you need.

Is everything on the car functioning? If not then what isn’t working? That could be our clue. But really, you don’t want to put much money into an '01 Mazda, anyhow, eh?

They don’t call me common sense just because of my good looks or my unusually high I.Q.
CSA
:palm_tree::sunglasses::palm_tree:

Lack of self-confidence is a bad thing.

Somebody, please stop that man.:laughing:

The car is ok.

I’d buy it something nice like an air freshener or a little sticker or something. Surprise it. It’s good to look under the hood and all, in fact commendable :clap:, but we don’t want to find problems where there are none (like I do sometimes and away I go).

That car is a senior citizen as I am and we don’t want to over-work it and should make every effort to make it comfortable. Encouragement and a little gift goes a long way.
CSA
:palm_tree::sunglasses::palm_tree: