A few annoyances...ideas?

[Combover]

There are few things with my MX-5 which are now beginning to annoy me, so I could do with some help / advice if you'd be so kind (car is a Mk2.5 1.8 Nevada);

• The idle is all over the place and it often won't start cleanly without a bit of a bootful. I know the leads need doing, but which are the best ones?

A link to them with a big BUY THESE button would help.

• Since changing the rear pads before Le Mans there is a constant rubbing sound as if the pad is forming to the shape of the disc. After all these miles it can't still be doing this can it? Or is this the first sign of a sticky caliper?

• The cloth hood seems to be absorbing a lot of water when it rains (but never leaking). What is the best waterproof treatment so that the water just beads off?

• The seat belt warning beep. Is there any way of truning the fking thing off?

• THE MOST ANNOYING of all though, is a stupid, bloody annoying zinging rattle at about 3,000 rpm. It's worse when the engine is revving down. I really need help on this one as it's pushing by pea-sized brain to the limit.

Oh and if someone wants to find the nob-end who forced me into a kerb on sunday in his given-up-on-life Passat, they've got my blessing to give him a good drubbing.

First one to answer gets a fizzy sweet.

Cheers.

[anonymous-user]

I think for the seatbelt buzzer you just unplug it under the seat - mine has a small wire and plug poking out from under the carpet near the seatbelt mount on the centre tunnel, just unplug that.

As for the rattle, perhaps check that your exhaust pipe heatshields are all OK - the shields on my downpipe were hanging off in various rusty pieces. Check the manifold shield is tight also.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 2nd September 21:31

[MX-5 Lazza]

Combover said:

* The idle is all over the place and it often won't start cleanly without a bit of a bootful. I know the leads need doing, but which are the best ones?
A link to them with a big BUY THESE button would help.

I have Racing Beat leads but I bought them when there was very little choice of upgrade leads for Mk2.5. There are probably better (cheaper) leads available now. Give Phil at Performance5 a call and he'll sell you what you need.

Combover said:

* Since changing the rear pads before Le Mans there is a constant rubbing sound as if the pad is forming to the shape of the disc. After all these miles it can't still be doing this can it? Or is this the first sign of a sticky caliper?

If the calliper is sticking you should have a very hot disc. Try going for a gentle drive using the brake lightly then compare the heat of the brakes on each side (don't touch though). My bet would be that it's just normal gearbox/diff noise.

Combover said:

* The cloth hood seems to be absorbing a lot of water when it rains (but never leaking). What is the best waterproof treatment so that the water just beads off?

Renovo hood cleaner and protector (2 products). I'd post a link but MX-5 Parts don't seem to have the fabric one on their website, unless it's the same as the mohair one.

Combover said:

* The seat belt warning beep. Is there any way of truning the fking thing off?

You have a seat belt warning beep? I don't have a seat belt warning beep! Why do you have a seat belt warning beep when I don't have a seat belt warning beep?
If it's the same as the Mk1 seat belt warning beep you can just track down the seat belt warning beeper and unplug it.

Combover said:

* THE MOST ANNOYING of all though, is a stupid, bloody annoying zinging rattle at about 3,000 rpm. It's worse when the engine is revving down. I really need help on this one as it's pushing by pea-sized brain to the limit.

Could be a loose exhaust heat-shield or possible a stone of something trapped behind a heat shield.

Combover said:

Oh and if someone wants to find the nob-end who forced me into a kerb on sunday in his given-up-on-life Passat, they've got my blessing to give him a good drubbing.

I've suffered exactly the same fate before. If I'd gotten hold of that idiot...

Combover said:

First one to answer gets a fizzy sweet.

Do I get a fizzy sweet

Edited by MX-5 Lazza on Tuesday 2nd September 23:08

[Combover]

Enjoy.



I was looking at the Leads from MX5 parts / Moss but as there are so many I haven't got a clue. I'll give P5 a ring.

The zinging rattle does sound like a heat sheld so i'll have that checked out asap as it's driving me mad.

Thanks for the replies chaps.

[m4tthew]

Could it be that the pistons in the caliper need winding back in a bit?

Had this on my Colt track car, few turns of the piston and now they dont bind.

[NiceCupOfTea]

I bought these leads:

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/product...

They seem OK

I also used the Renovo stuff from MX-5parts for vinyl hoods and it works a treat.

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/product...
http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/product_info.php/product...

If your idle is hunting try reseting your base idle, and clean the throttle body with carb cleaner (helps cure idle droop). Do a search on www.mx5ocforum.co.uk

[SunDiver]

Hunting idles can often be caused by a vacuum leak too. Run the engine and see if you can get the note to change when you spray a little carb cleaner around the engine bay. If there's a leak it'll suck in the carb cleaner and you'll hear the engine rise or fall momentarily. Try around the injectors and intake manifold - don't go nuts with it - just a little puff here and there...:-)

[NiceCupOfTea]

When I changed the seat in my Mk.1 the replacement had no socket on the seatbelt clip for the cable from the seatbelt light - try unplugging the wiring from the clippy thing (as long as you don't have pretensioners or anything!)

[lord summerisle]

Combover said:

• THE MOST ANNOYING of all though, is a stupid, bloody annoying zinging rattle at about 3,000 rpm. It's worse when the engine is revving down. I really need help on this one as it's pushing by pea-sized brain to the limit.

First one to answer gets a fizzy sweet.

Cheers.

I have the exact same rattle on my mk1. also get a rattle if i knock the exhaust with my foot (was trying to trace it) it sounded like it was coming from around the Cat area, but the heat sheild there (and the one by the silencer) seem to be solid.
Someone commented on a similar rattle coming from a BMW Z3 at a hillclimb the other day that it sounded like his Cat was on the way out.

[hcanning]

lord summerisle said:

Combover said:

• THE MOST ANNOYING of all though, is a stupid, bloody annoying zinging rattle at about 3,000 rpm. It's worse when the engine is revving down. I really need help on this one as it's pushing by pea-sized brain to the limit.

First one to answer gets a fizzy sweet.

Cheers.

I have the exact same rattle on my mk1. also get a rattle if i knock the exhaust with my foot (was trying to trace it) it sounded like it was coming from around the Cat area, but the heat sheild there (and the one by the silencer) seem to be solid.
Someone commented on a similar rattle coming from a BMW Z3 at a hillclimb the other day that it sounded like his Cat was on the way out.

Me too. Exactly the same "high-frequency" rattle/grinding/zinging noise between 3,100 and 3,300RPM. No matter what speed, gear, etc. I'm going to lift it up this weekend and find the bloody source, it drives me a little crazy too! Still, good stimulation to keep the revs up I guess

[Combover]

lord summerisle said:

Combover said:

• THE MOST ANNOYING of all though, is a stupid, bloody annoying zinging rattle at about 3,000 rpm. It's worse when the engine is revving down. I really need help on this one as it's pushing by pea-sized brain to the limit.

First one to answer gets a fizzy sweet.

Cheers.

I have the exact same rattle on my mk1. also get a rattle if i knock the exhaust with my foot (was trying to trace it) it sounded like it was coming from around the Cat area, but the heat sheild there (and the one by the silencer) seem to be solid.
Someone commented on a similar rattle coming from a BMW Z3 at a hillclimb the other day that it sounded like his Cat was on the way out.

I'll jack it up at the weekend and give the cat a gentle tap with a rubber mallet.

I bloody hope it's not the cat

[lord summerisle]

£50 for a cat bypass pipe till MOt time, replace cat... pass MOT, replace bypass....

[Combover]

lord summerisle said:

£50 for a cat bypass pipe till MOt time, replace cat... pass MOT, replace bypass....

Cheers Mark, didn't think of that!

[NiceCupOfTea]

Could be a loose baffle - mine has the same rattle but the cat is less than 2 years old.

[DennisTheMenace]

lord summerisle said:

£50 for a cat bypass pipe till MOt time, replace cat... pass MOT, replace bypass....

Thais is what ive decided to do , i then get a nice rasp at 3k

[NiceCupOfTea]

DennisTheMenace said:

lord summerisle said:

£50 for a cat bypass pipe till MOt time, replace cat... pass MOT, replace bypass....

Thais is what ive decided to do , i then get a nice rasp at 3k

Bit of a fag to swap out without a hydraulic lift though. Never seen a decat for a 1.8 either

[DennisTheMenace]

Easy job to do , jack the backend up stick it on axle stands , spray the bolts with plus gas , coffee , remove cat 4x 17mm nuts fit new gaskets fit pipe job done , takes 30 mins at most

my cat is (1995) 440mm , yours might be the same .

[Combover]

Right, i've jacked the car up and tapped everything tappable with a rubber mallet. The noise isn't the cat (thankfully), but appears to be eminating froma heat sheild:



Nothing I can do with it. The rattle is coming from the area of the shield where it isn't firmly bolted to the body. Must be a bit of resonance at 3K which is vibrating it.

[NiceCupOfTea]

Can you drill it and add an extra bolt? Or perhaps some drill a few bits of rubber and put them between the shield and the car on the mounting bolts?

[MX-5 Lazza]

Some people just remove the heat-shield altogether...