Alright, first off, let me say that I am new to these forums but would appreciate any help that I can get. I have searched this forum and could not find anything that would seem to help me with my problem but have noticed that you all seem to be a bunch of rather knowledgeable people and helpful at that. I have noticed that this type of car seems to have a problem with distributors (most topics I read dealt with that) and my last problem was exactly that and I got it replaced about a month and four days ago so I don't believe that is the problem. My car is nearing 203k miles on it and it had 200k on it when I bought it last year at the end of May. It is an 1993 MX-3 GS Manual Transmission and seemed to be running fine the first three months I had it, except for it being hard to shift down from third, though shifting up was fine. I ended up having to shift to neutral, give the gas pedal a good push and then shifting down to get around that. Some days it would be perfect and others it wouldn't... the bad days outnumbered the good. Anyhow, in October third gear went out altogether... first it would just kick back the clutch when I tried shifting into third, but after a little bit (a few weeks) it just rev'ed the engine if I gave it gas when the stick was in third. Well, the next thing that happened (before having to change the distributor) was while driving down a nice stretch of road I decided to shift into fifth gear (which I hadn't done at all really) and it was pretty tough getting it to go, but drove superbly while in that gear. When it came time to shift down though my shifter just dropped when I tried putting it into fourth and wouldn't respond to the clutch pedal when I tried to shift. I did get it into gear again though and although the shifter is a lot lower than what it should be it actually shifts much better into fifth (flawlessly actually) than it ever did before.
Okay, with the backstory out of the way, here's where my problem starts. In December, I'm driving home at night and it's rather cold (my car tends to make some noises during cold days when I drive it... the sound sounds like a squeaky belt revolving around.... but after a time it's fine) but my car is driving quite fine. I stop at a light and go through fine. I get to the next light and go into neutral as I normally do to coast to the light before stopping. As the light is about to turn green (I am stopped at it by this time and have been for about two minutes in neutral) I shift into first and the car just dies as quick as snapping your fingers. Well, I get a good mechanic to look at it and he goes over a wide list of things that it could end up being and testing them all until he gets to the distributor... notices that power is getting to it but none to the spark plugs themselves. So, I go along and get the distributor changed for about $250. Flash foward to today where I'm driving along this straight road at about 30 - 25 mph (my car hates driving slow) and I'm about to stop at this light about 1.75 miles from my starting point. The light changes and there's no need to stop so I shift back up to second and get up to about 25 mph in about 30 seconds (the traffic was moving slowly) and then the speed starts slowly dropping... nothing I do causes any acceleration, even shifting into neutral and back again. I get some help pushing it to the side of the road and try getting it started again and it tries to turn over but just doesn't catch... It's really close though but doesn't make it. When I checked the engine I noticed that the battery had some acid leaking from the side as if it had burst out and so decided to replace the battery... that did nothing to help and the engine sounds the same as it did with the old battery. About the same sound coming from the engine as when the guy said the distributor was out, but I doubt it's the distributor since it's only been a month. Besides these two times I have NEVER had a problem staring up the car on my first try. I just turn the key and up it goes. If the car doesn't start on the first go it just doesn't start.... both times. With all the info I have given does anyone know what it could be? I'm not liking trying to contact that mechanic again since I think he may have been wrong in his diagnosis (even though the car did start) and I had him look the car over afterwards and he didn't find anything that was in need of being fixed besides the shifter sitting low.
Only other info I can give is that I haven't had a tune up on the car since I got it, but I was told it was all attended to before I got it so it should have been fine. I replace the oil when it needs it and was about to get it changed here next week and the car doesn't burn up oil, but seems to use it normally.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh, I also seem to have the same problem someone else mentioned about the check engine light coming on once I hit around 40 - 45 mph but not beforehand.... it actually seems that once the temperature gauge gets to where it should be (this takes awhile since it always seems to reset itself upon shutting the car down) the light turns on. I don't know if that light being on is actually a problem or a malfunctioning light since I've read that this car actually has a problem with that. Would that actually cause my problem?
I'm sorry if I'm putting a lot here but I'm a total newbie when it comes to cars and don't know much at all about them and would like to give as much info as I can to get whatever help and advice that I can.
2nd Time car has died on me... new dist and batt
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Custommx3
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looks like you should check your codes and post the results.
Jump GND to TEN in the diag connector. put the car in the ON position and see what codes you have by watching the Check engine light. The fan should kick on. (make sure the HVAC is off.)
You can check the codes in the online manual for their meaning.
Also as referring to distys, if you bought a reman, they can go out.
I had mine OEM go out @ 188K miles, 5 days later the reman died, got a new one, 2 days later it died... so dont eliminate the disty.
IF your temp sensor has problems, you can get weird issues. My RS kept dying on me and it was the temp sensor.
You could have a vaccume leack, check your upper intake tube for cracks.
If your belt was squeeking.. you could have a bad bearing in your alternator or the tension is off. Bad bearings in the alternator can keep your battery from charging, but typically you'll get a charge light.
Pull the codes, post results.
Jump GND to TEN in the diag connector. put the car in the ON position and see what codes you have by watching the Check engine light. The fan should kick on. (make sure the HVAC is off.)
You can check the codes in the online manual for their meaning.
Also as referring to distys, if you bought a reman, they can go out.
I had mine OEM go out @ 188K miles, 5 days later the reman died, got a new one, 2 days later it died... so dont eliminate the disty.
IF your temp sensor has problems, you can get weird issues. My RS kept dying on me and it was the temp sensor.
You could have a vaccume leack, check your upper intake tube for cracks.
If your belt was squeeking.. you could have a bad bearing in your alternator or the tension is off. Bad bearings in the alternator can keep your battery from charging, but typically you'll get a charge light.
Pull the codes, post results.
Thanks for the quick reply.
As to the Distributor, there wasn't a way to get a remanufactured one (I think I can't remember the price correctly, someone told me it was nearer $350 a few minutes ago) and had to order one from Mazda brand new.
I'll get to checking the codes soon, just was wondering if it would still hold true since that manual put up on here is from the 1995 model and mine is 1993 one. The dealer I bought this from didn't give me the manual with it.
Also, I'd like you all to know that I meant it when I said I'm a newb. I get what I have to do to retrieve the codes but can't seem to find where this Diagnostics box is exactly located. I've looked but can only find my fuse box and nothing else that would seem to come up like that. The picture given doesn't show the entire engine and only focuses on the box itself so I have no way of knowing which part of the engine that it is near. Any help on this will be appreciated for I have checked the faq and links given to another guy when he was asking what the codes meant and it doesn't say anything more than diagnostics box and fire wall... I haven't a clue what a fire wall in a car engine even looks like. Thanks again for any and all help.
As to the Distributor, there wasn't a way to get a remanufactured one (I think I can't remember the price correctly, someone told me it was nearer $350 a few minutes ago) and had to order one from Mazda brand new.
I'll get to checking the codes soon, just was wondering if it would still hold true since that manual put up on here is from the 1995 model and mine is 1993 one. The dealer I bought this from didn't give me the manual with it.
Also, I'd like you all to know that I meant it when I said I'm a newb. I get what I have to do to retrieve the codes but can't seem to find where this Diagnostics box is exactly located. I've looked but can only find my fuse box and nothing else that would seem to come up like that. The picture given doesn't show the entire engine and only focuses on the box itself so I have no way of knowing which part of the engine that it is near. Any help on this will be appreciated for I have checked the faq and links given to another guy when he was asking what the codes meant and it doesn't say anything more than diagnostics box and fire wall... I haven't a clue what a fire wall in a car engine even looks like. Thanks again for any and all help.
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PATDIESEL
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Drivers side, right where the hood hinge is, small black box, just behind the battery.
I agree with Barry, you still need to check for spark from the disty. Do this by pulling one of the plugs out of the hole where it enters the engine. Hold the end of the plug near a metal bolt and have someone try and start the car. The plug wire "should"l spark between the wire and the bolt. If it does not then you might need another disty. However, let us know what the codes are, does it spark, and check for cracks in the black tube that has an accordian looking section in it (the tube is about 2.5" inches in diameter so it is pretty easy to find).
I agree with Barry, you still need to check for spark from the disty. Do this by pulling one of the plugs out of the hole where it enters the engine. Hold the end of the plug near a metal bolt and have someone try and start the car. The plug wire "should"l spark between the wire and the bolt. If it does not then you might need another disty. However, let us know what the codes are, does it spark, and check for cracks in the black tube that has an accordian looking section in it (the tube is about 2.5" inches in diameter so it is pretty easy to find).
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Okay, I just checked for codes and nothing shows up... so it's just a faulty light that's coming on when my thermostat gets to where it should be. Without the paperclip in place, when I turn the key to the on position the light stays on (as does the seatbelt light, etc. as normal)... with it in the light just turns off after a few seconds and then does nothing. So I guess nothing is stored or going wrong there.
I'm going back out now to check the spark and see what I get there.
1st Edit: Alright, I just checked for spark and couldn't get any from the test you told me to use and I notice no cracks in that accordian like tube you said to check. All of the plastic and rubber that I see in the engine looks basically new, it's when I look at the metal underneath it (like in the spark plug connector or whatever it's called) that it shows its age. How can I test if the distributor has gone out on me and would it be possible that if it is out that I could get the guy who did it (a mechanic) to actually do it again since it's only been a month and it shouldn't go out or is it not really a faulty one but the way the car runs?
2nd Edit: Okay, now I'm beginning to see (from reading more on here) that this car likes eating distributors... especially if you all keep recommending using an HEI mod so often. I have a friend that is pretty good with cars who could help me. Since it seems that it's having the same problem that it did before when it was the distributor and if the car itself is doing this it wasn't the mechanics fault I can only really do one thing. I'll wait to hear back from one of ya'll before doing anything.
Just gotta let you know though that I only use this car to get to work and to my friend's house. I was amazed by it's speed however when you really start to push it (I had a feeling when I first got it that it wanted me to go faster, like the engine was asking for more speed as I topped 55 on fourth)... all these good things I keep hearing about the car make me want to not get rid of it if only I can keep it from costing me so much every month. I only paid $2400 for it and besides from the two things that have gone on I truly enjoy the ride and its dependability.
Thanks again for any and all help you guys can give me.
I'm going back out now to check the spark and see what I get there.
1st Edit: Alright, I just checked for spark and couldn't get any from the test you told me to use and I notice no cracks in that accordian like tube you said to check. All of the plastic and rubber that I see in the engine looks basically new, it's when I look at the metal underneath it (like in the spark plug connector or whatever it's called) that it shows its age. How can I test if the distributor has gone out on me and would it be possible that if it is out that I could get the guy who did it (a mechanic) to actually do it again since it's only been a month and it shouldn't go out or is it not really a faulty one but the way the car runs?
2nd Edit: Okay, now I'm beginning to see (from reading more on here) that this car likes eating distributors... especially if you all keep recommending using an HEI mod so often. I have a friend that is pretty good with cars who could help me. Since it seems that it's having the same problem that it did before when it was the distributor and if the car itself is doing this it wasn't the mechanics fault I can only really do one thing. I'll wait to hear back from one of ya'll before doing anything.
Just gotta let you know though that I only use this car to get to work and to my friend's house. I was amazed by it's speed however when you really start to push it (I had a feeling when I first got it that it wanted me to go faster, like the engine was asking for more speed as I topped 55 on fourth)... all these good things I keep hearing about the car make me want to not get rid of it if only I can keep it from costing me so much every month. I only paid $2400 for it and besides from the two things that have gone on I truly enjoy the ride and its dependability.
Thanks again for any and all help you guys can give me.