Has any one had this problem?

Has any one had this problem?

Author
Discussion

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Saturday 30th August 2008
quotequote all
I have been the proud owner of my MX5 2001 Conran 1.8i, for a year and half now & i have not experienced a problem until now……For the past few months the car has been misfiring and stalling when it feels like it. The car now sounds idle & unhealthy when I am stationary in neutral. The car seems fine in higher gears and appears to rev more in lower gears before it cuts out. When it stalls it will not restart, the battery light comes on but it will not start until the engine has been turned off for about 30 mins.
This car has recently had a service from MAZDA: the filter has been changed; the plugs, the HD leads and the ignition coil.

Has any one experienced this problem, I know nothing about cars and this problem is making my life a misery!!!!

I will have to take it back to MAZDA but i know they do not know the problem.


Edited by CeCe on Saturday 30th August 21:21

hcanning

4,952 posts

203 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
They definitely changed the coilpack?

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

220 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
It doesn't sound like a coil problem to me, if a coil dies the car runs on 2 cylinders, it doesn't die altogether (there are 2 coils, each runs 2 cylinders, 1+4 & 2+3).
It sounds more like a sensor somewhere has died (not O2 or temp, possibly CAS?) or possibly a faulty ecu. Both of these should be easy enough for a Mazda Dealer to diagnose - I'd expect an ecu fault-code for a start!

NiceCupOfTea

25,295 posts

252 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
battery?
fuel filter?

How is the car running generally? Does it happen when the engine is cold? How is the coolant level and what colour is it? Does the fuel tank cap fit properly?

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
The Mazda garage had my car for a week, after i complained that they were not doing enough to help me with this problem....so yes i do believe they changed the coil pack.

The car generally is not running well, the revs seem very high some times in low gears and the engine sounds idle and erratic in neutral, sounds to me like the car is going to cut out and stall which it has done before in heavy unmoving traffic.
The car has stalled when the engine is warm, not sure about the cap and the coolent i imagine the Mazda garage has checked these faults.....however i will bring these points up with them tomorrow when i return the car yet again!!!!

I will suggest a dead sensor or a faulty ecu (As if i know what i am talking about)

Thank you all for your thoughts on this problem i hope my misery will end soon.frown

NiceCupOfTea

25,295 posts

252 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
The reason I mentioned coolant is that if there is an internal head gasket leak it could affect running of the engine (I may be suffering from that myself on my other car). Unlikely, but possible.

I wonder if it could be a vacuum leak or a blocked breather... A loose oil cap or fuel cap can cause the same problems. If the plugs, leads, and coil packs have been changed it's unlikely it's still an ignition problem IMHO, and I would have though ECU would manifest itself in a no-start situation rather than rough running, ditto with camshaft/crankshaft sensor...

In my experience there's no point in telling a garage what to look for, it can cloud the issue. If it's not intermittent they should be able to sort it easily without too much trouble.

Is it a Mazda dealer? My experience of them is less than good. If you are close to either Telford or Chatham I can recommend some excellent garages who will see you right smile

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
Yes i am attending a Mazda dealer. Unfortunately i live in south london. I have contacted other garages however they have not been that interested and advised a Mazda dealer....i'm sure they do not want to get lumbered with my problem.

NiceCupOfTea

25,295 posts

252 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
I am in Bromley and I take my car to a chap in Chatham - Freelance Mazda. Mark there is a decent chap, very honest, really knows his stuff, and very fairly priced.

If you have any more grief with the main dealer I would give him a call. He will even collect the car and deliver it back to you!

His website is here:

www.freelancemazda.co.uk

Very highly recommended on the MX5 owners club site smile

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
I will give the M/Dealer one more go, if they are unable to solve this problem i will definately give your garage a call.....many thanks! smile

zac510

5,546 posts

207 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
Can you explain the idle better?

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Sunday 31st August 2008
quotequote all
When the engine is running and not in gear, i could hardly hear the engine running however since this problem i can hear the engine running sluggish and it sounds like something is seizing up, if that makes sense!

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Ok the car is now with the MAZDA dealer...they are now going to change the fuel filter, if this doesn't work i will not be taking it back, i do not believe that they are spending any time investigating my problem. frown

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

220 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
I am in Bromley and I take my car to a chap in Chatham - Freelance Mazda. Mark there is a decent chap, very honest, really knows his stuff, and very fairly priced.

If you have any more grief with the main dealer I would give him a call. He will even collect the car and deliver it back to you!

His website is here:

www.freelancemazda.co.uk

Very highly recommended on the MX5 owners club site smile
If the Mazda dealer doesn't fix the problem this time (and I reckon they won't) then I'd recommend Freelance Mazda too. I've never used them myself but have only heard good things about them.

NiceCupOfTea

25,295 posts

252 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Did you mention the fuel filter or was it their idea?

CeCe

Original Poster:

14 posts

189 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
A new face at the MAZDA dealer desk suggested the fuel filter, he said it did not sound like an ignition problem...funny because the other man at the desk said it did and that was why they changed the coil.
No probs i will get my car back hopefully tomorrow with a new fuel filter and my old coil put back on.
If the problem remains i will call your freelance garage man.

NiceCupOfTea

25,295 posts

252 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Fingers crossed smile

My experience of Mazda main dealers has not been good - my dad put in his Mk.2 for a cambelt change, asking them to investigate and fix a really slow petrol filler, and do the tracking.

They did the cambelt (so they say) - no mention of either of the other things on the invoice. Basically they didn't do anything about the fuel filler (apparently this can be fixed with a revised part but they obviously coulnd't be bothered), when asked they said the tracking was spot on. He got the tracking checked by his normal garage elsewhere and they said it was miles out.

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

220 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
Very few Mazda dealers have the equipment to even check the alignment on an MX-5 let alone the skills to adjust the settings.

NiceCupOfTea

25,295 posts

252 months

Tuesday 2nd September 2008
quotequote all
MX-5 Lazza said:
Very few Mazda dealers have the equipment to even check the alignment on an MX-5 let alone the skills to adjust the settings.
They do, though it seems, have the equipment and skills to lie through their teeth! wink

MX-5 Lazza

7,952 posts

220 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
quotequote all
They don't tend to have the equipment because it's big and expensive and requires specialist training so it's cheaper and easier for them to send cars out to a local specialist for alignment work. If the alignment had been done by a specialist I'd expect to see a print-out of the results.

ali_kat

31,993 posts

222 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
quotequote all
CeCe said:
Ok the car is now with the MAZDA dealer...they are now going to change the fuel filter, if this doesn't work i will not be taking it back, i do not believe that they are spending any time investigating my problem. frown
CeCe - get them to change the oil & filter - I had a similar problem with my old Lupo, and that was because the wrong filter had been fitted......