Hot answers tagged mazda
7
Apparently, this is the Mazda limp home mode. If you check that link, two common causes are:
Vacuum leaks
Bad ABV solenoids
In discussing with your mechanic, I would suggest first having them scan for codes to see what is triggering the limp mode.
7
They really are that simple - as long as you torque them correctly, there isn't a lot that can go wrong. They are designed to be as straightforward as possible - they don't require calibration, measurement etc.
Make sure the connector is securely on the top of the spark plug, and make sure you don't get oil or grease on the contacts. And do them one at a ...
7
The question is can I just go out and buy any 17mm bolt that is the
same length as the current one,
No.
or is there some kind of material
requirement?
Yes.
Think about the jobs that those bolts are doing: they support the steady state mass of the vehicle and the transient spring loads of the transmission. That means that those bolts need to ...
5
Unfortunately wheels will get dirty first - they are closest to the ground so will pick up everything; they also pick up brake dust, which is very sticky.
This means there is no silver bullet here - you need to wash frequently, and apply a wax if you want to slow down the build up of crud.
Use a wheel cleaner solution to dissolve the worst grime and combat ...
5
I think you threw a wheel weight.
Let's consider this quote from the great Wikipedia:
When the wheel rotates, asymmetries of mass may cause it to hop or
wobble, which can cause ride disturbances, usually vertical and
lateral vibrations. It can also result in a wobbling of the steering
wheel or of the entire vehicle. The ride disturbance, due to
...
5
It sounds to me like a dead battery.
Depending on how accurate your voltmeter is, what you see as 12V may be 11.9V or lower. To give you an idea, an open circuit battery terminal voltage of 11.7V indicates a completely uncharged battery.
What you are describing happened to me once with a Volvo car, due to a faulty switch in the glove-box; the glove-box ...
5
A simple test that you can perform in your own driveway is:
For each corner of the car, push down hard several times (the car should be bouncing visibly up and down)
When pushed down, release and watch
The car should bounce upwards (above the normal resting point) and then immediately settle at the resting point. Additional bouncing indicates worn or ...
4
First off I can say that I have done something like this, but with the ignition and not the horn - my friends ignition switch broke so we wired a bright red push button directly from the battery (well - actually a fused 12v line inside the car) to the starter motor coil - it has since worked like a champ for nearly two years.
First off - DO NOT wire ...
4
If you have checked another working window, your best bet is to use a multimeter to see which wire carries what voltage for the up and down signals (this is not specific to your cart but relevant for any).
Then check first to see whether the voltage is present at the motor end of the wire. If so, the connection to the motor may be faulty.
If no voltage ...
4
Based on your wiring diagram, the relay is inside the switch, and based on that it's not serviceable.
Based on the picture you posted here
That black square box on the switch (tyco) is the relay.
Here is are the specs (PDF)
Here is a where you can buy it
Based on that I would say it's replaceable, with some soldering required. It would take some ...
4
The firewall is typically made up of metal with a layer of fire retardant material. There are holes through the firewall for necessary pipes, wires etc from the engine bay to the passenger compartment.
With old cars (much older than a Mazda 323) I have seen heavily rusted firewalls, but not seen anything like that recently. It certainly shouldn't be a ...
3
As Tim suggests, clearing the code doesn't solve the problem if it's not a random positive.
The engine temperature gauge is fine
Based on the information that you've provided so far (and using Tim's link as a reference), it seems likely that you have either a bad engine coolant temperature sensor. The implication from your PS is that the car is, in ...
3
I can't speak to the Torque app, but in my experience the US Gov ratings are typically quite a bit lower than what you can expect to get in actual normal driving (Gov ratings seem to be based around someone that does 15mph+ over the speed limit all the time, launches from every stop light, does full-throttle passing, and doesn't see red lights until they ...
3
A 2005 car will be OBD-II so with an OBD-II dongle and some appropriate software you should be able to read the basic information you get via standard OBD-II. Depending on how Mazda implemented the connection you might well have to use Mazda-specific software to read all the information that the ECU can provide.
3
You should never mess with the safety systems, ever. How tall is your GF? If she's short enough (I believe under 5') the air bag could be dangerous, given that it will hit her at an unsafe position. Given that, it may be better that the airbag is in fact off.
Supposing she's of average height, you've only got two real next steps. Push the dealer harder, ...
3
Her weight doesn't really have much to do with the necessity of an airbag- I'd say it'll still be a massive improvement in the safety for the passenger if it goes off for a light passenger.
I would also strongly recommend against trying to modify the airbag sensors yourself, as you might cause a lot more problems that you'd solve that way.
Which IMHO ...
3
Unfortunately, there are many, many things that can cause a rough idle. I'll try to cover a few things that might help with the diagnosis. I'm sure that there are many others that could be added.
Like I mentioned in my comment, it's definitely not the fuel filter. If a fuel filter was bad enough to affect idle it would stall instead of accelerate.
A ...
3
The first major symptom that appears when spark plug gaps get too big (from wear) is that you get a band of hesitation only at full throttle and somewhere well below peak torque. This is the band where the most voltage is required for a successful spark, because at this time mixture is most dense. Below this band the mixture is less dense because less ...
3
That rev range does sound high. It's sounds like the transmission is trying to shift to overdrive (the highest drive gear) but isn't succeeding (scary jerk but no change in speed).
Some internet research indicates that the CD4E transmission in the automatic 626s from that era could have potential problems. However, reading further, I begin to wonder if ...
3
This sounds to me like a sensor problem. Most modern engines vary the air-to-fuel ratio automatically based on the engine temperature, and do other complicated tricks like changing the spark timing based on temperature and other factors. If one of your sensors is giving inaccurate readings, especially the coolant temperature sensor, all sorts of things could ...
3
If you were to simply replace the existing petrol engine with an electric motor, then yes, it would ruin the gearbox very quickly, as it won't be able to handle that amount of torque.
However, even if the transmission would cope, that wouldn't be the best way of doing it - an electric motor has a very different torque curve to an internal combustion engine, ...
2
I ended up pulling off the bed cover by unscrewing the 8 screws on the inside of the tailgate. There was a metal plate underneath that also came off, giving me access to the inner-workings of the tailgate latch mechanism. The plastic hardware connecting one of the pull-rods to the handle lever had snapped. The hardware kit that I had purchased from Auto-Zone ...
2
This may or may not be a permanent fix, but don't overlook the value of lubricating the gears and cables in the handle and the actual side latches themselves.
The stress of pulling on cables and gears may waste energy that could be used to pull the latches just that much farther. I've found that lubrication with WD-40 or Silicone spray to be a great method ...
2
By "only one end seems to be releasing when I pull it," I am assuming you mean the latch on only one side of the tailgate is releasing. That, coupled with the lightened pull, suggests to me that the other side cable has worn or broken. In the meantime, to un-stick it you'd have to find that cable and pull it. To fix the problem overall, you'll probably need ...
2
@dude's answer reminded me to come back and look at this question. If it hadn't been for the RX-7 I would have argued pretty strongly that all manual cars can coast quite happily downhill in neutral, however I have learned from my mother in law, who has an RX-7, that rotary engines cars have some very odd problems:
Running the engine for less than a couple ...
2
I don't know about Mazda, but some manufacturers still stock parts for older vehicles - it might be worth asking at the parts desk at your nearest dealer.
It's not the sort of part I'd expect a normal motor factor to stock, although they might still be able to get hold of one. Your best bet is probably to try one of the bigger parts chains such as ...
2
Tow-starting won't work if you've not got any fuel going to the engine!
Where is the fuel pump? Is it somewhere that is fairly easy to remove, and just take the pump itself to be repaired rather than the whole car?
Otherwise I'm afriad you'll have to get a tow - most garages will offer such a service for a small fee.
2
Is this an automatic or a manual? The idle speed should be higher for an automatic. Do you have an engine light on? A bad misfire will sometimes turn one on, because your emissions go up with a misfire. (Unburnt fuel is being sent into the exhaust, which can destroy your catalytic converter.)
Either way, this car is new enough to have a scan tool plugged ...
2
Just thought I'd post how we resolved this issue: my girlfriend eventually figured out that if she pushes her elbows into the back of the seat while sitting, the airbag activates and the warning light goes off. It only seems to be necessary once, and then the airbag is active for the rest of the drive until I restart the engine. Now she just does this ...
2
I'm leaning towards a bad thermostat. They gunk up and fail over time (usually on the "too cold" side). My experience with factory coolant temp gauges is that they're pretty much useless. My experiences show that the coolant temp can be a good 20 degrees (F) off of normal and the factory gauge will still sit in almost exactly the same spot as if the ...
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