still burning too much gas...

[mikeinaus]

theres some steps in the online manual on how to check the injectors electrical components, but im fairly sure youd need to remove them from the car to get good access to them. however if they are out of the car they are fairly easy to test. to test for leaks you need to pressurize them and see if they leak, to test for clogs you can plug them into the car and set them onto 6 glass jars with one injector in each jar and having someone try and start the car. youd then watch the flow/spray from each injector should be more or less the same. you could also measure the amount of fuel sprayed into each jar over a set period of time which would tell you flow rates. but dont be an idiot, vaporized gas is extremely flamable, no smoking or sparks anywhere close to you preforming this test. unplugging the disty would be a good idea as wel.

that being said theres more then one cause of a dead cylinder. are you getting spark on it? a compression test would tell you if the cylinder is healthy, and if it is its more then likely not firing from a clogged injector or no spark. is the spark plug in that cylinder wet/smell of gas? if it does thats an indication of bad compression or lack of spark or that cylinder being flooded.

to everyone else. i was just thinking. is it possible for injectors to dump too much fuel if they arnt leaking? i guess the only way to know for sure is to take them out and bench test like i described but i guess thats another possible cause of my problem. ive read its possible for 1 or 2 to become partially clogged and the other injectors will try and compensate by adding fuel to correct the lean reading in the o2s, but if this was the case id expect the spark plugs of the corresponding cylinders to look different from the others no?

[Daninski]

I just realized I have a k834 that some one sold me to chip but never said it was for a 94 so if you want it shipping plus$5 for my gas going back and forth. I think I paid like $30 for it. I could mail it to you tomorrow.

[mikeinaus]

I really appreciate the offer dan. I just don't think it would make a difference. I don't see how a ecu can go bad and the only symptom is bad fuel mileage. That being said if your never going to use it and want to donate it I'm happy to try. Ill PM you when I get home from work and send you my address.

[mikeinaus]

so some semi good news. with the coolant sensor functioning i got 12.44l to a 100km with a few spirited bouts on the throttle. i also added more gas past the first click on the handle as i was shocked it was so low and didnt believe it was full. it was actually slightly under 12l. bad news is my attempt at wedging the wire into the connector failed at some point and the code has returned. im going to goto the wreckers tomorrow and grab a wire with a pin on it so i can fix this problem once and for all. im fairly sure the connection failed shortly before i filled up as my idle started acting weird but hopefully it was earlier and my mileage is better then what i got. im also going to dig up my spare disty and install that tomorrow. if the problem this whole time was a faulty coolant sensor im going to be choked, but happy, but still very choked i didnt figure it out when i bought the car 8 months ago and had to pay someone to pass me threw emissions testing . ill keep everyone posted as i continue to fill my tank and log my mileage.

[mikeinaus]

this coolant sensor is pissing me off like no tomorrow. ive replaced the pin/wire in the harness and its making good contact with the pin on the ecu. ive verified a signal is being sent from the sensor to the ecu with a volt meter. take sensor out of the coolant and the reading goes up towards 5V dip it in the hot coolant and it goes down to .7V at operating temperature. turn key off and readings goto 0. ok sounds like its working to me. reset the ecu test for codes, nothing shows up. turn the car on then shut down and check for codes again nothing. turn car on for 5 min and wait for temp to go back to full (while watching the readings on the voltmeter the entire time, no spikes in readings, no irregularities just a slow and steady voltage drop) shut down and check for codes bam code 69 again. ive tried 2 new sensors that both look like they are working to me. ive taken the plug from my old car without any change. 9 times out of 10 when resetting the ecu code 69 pops up before i start the car and cooling fans are on even before the temp needle is at operating temp.

i just dont get it. i know i have it wired up to the right pin on the connector i just dont get why its throwing the code and not using the readings from the sensor. i throw my probinator back in and see if i have the same problem.

[MrMazda92]

It sounds like you have progress at least, and that's worth celebrating!
This is unfamiliar territory for me, but I'll be here for moral support!

[mikeinaus]

id hardly call it progress. ive lost my probinatr chip for the moment so i cant test if its a problem with the new chip or something to do with the wiring.

[MrMazda92]

I don't think you mentioned it earlier, but have you tried running a stock(un-chipped) ecu with a known working VAF?

[mikeinaus]

nope. if i had access to one id try it but at this moment in time i cant afford to try it.

what are the chances of 2 new coolant sensors being bad? im thinking that is why im getting the code. with the engine cold theres no code, as it starts to warm up the fans turn on way too early and i get a code. my old car had the coolant sensor jb welded into the neck, i broke it off and had it sitting in the filler cap of the new car and i didnt get a code. the idle was high as the sensor is old and i doubt its sending accurate data but there was no code. im going to clean off the treads and install the old sensor into my car properly and see how i make out. im also going to contact amazon and get a 3rd sensor sent out. does anyone have any recommendations on a brand to go with or what oem is? ive been having bad luck with delphi which i believe is the oem brand for gm?

i guess this means the wiring is good but the ecu is detecting faults. all of this could have easily been figured out if i kept my original sensor.

i managed to clean all the jb weld off the original sensor. it looks like denso was the oem manufacturer for the coolant sensors as well as the o2 sensors. the problem is i cant find a part number or anything on denso's website saying they make coolant sensors.

[mikeinaus]

i just swapped my disty with my spare one and i noticed a few odd things.
1. my disty is only being held on by 1 bolt who knows what happened to the 2nd one. 1 will have to do for now.
2. original disty has 3 cracks going threw the plastic body to the center where the rotor plugs in. i assume these are from heat?
3. my new rotor from my old disty didnt fit on the "socket" in the new disty. the rotor from the new disty fits on both but my newer rotor only fits on the one. no biggie i just swapped the "socket" from the old to the new and all is good.
4. timing seems like its good, didnt notice anything odd during my short test drive. there may have been slightly more pull in the car but im not sure if thats just in my head or what.
5. exhaust feels hotter/drier during idle then it did previous. im hoping this means i have a leaner mixture and a better burn.
6. no codes for new disty or coolant temp sensor when running the one from my parts car. although idle is high which im blaming on the temp sensor (i highly doubt its in spec).

on a side note i bought some used injectors off of superK. he can get them cleaned/flow tested locally for fairly cheap and im considering having that done before he mails them out to me if hes willing. they should be here in the next couple weeks and then installed shortly after.

my list of things left to replace is getting smaller in smaller. after the injectors and coolant temp sensor i think the only thing left would be a new fuel pressure regulator. the tuner i bought the chip off of doubts there is a fault in my ecu only affecting gas mileage. he tested the chip on his car personally before he mailed it out and he wasnt having any problems with it running rich. at this point in time im thinking a kl36 would be a waste of money until everything else is ruled out.

ive also decided to look into getting an oem temp sensor from mazda. im assuming its going to cost a crap load. local parts stores want $60+ so im guessing oem will be closer to $100. as long as it works im ok with spending that, i just dont want the headache of trying other brands with the luck ive been having.

[mikeinaus]

i grabbed a coolant sensor locally today. its beck arnley and its functioning properly. with my voltmeter hooked up and car warmed up and idling its about 2.6Vish i went for a quick drive with the voltmeter to measure its activity. as im driving the voltage raises slowly as more airflow goes across the rad and the coolant cools. at stop signs it slowly starts to raise back up. when i finally parked my car i let it idle for a few minutes. doing this caused the voltage to drop slowly and the fans eventually came on for about a min then turned off once the voltage from the sensor raised to a certain point (2,55Vish). checked for codes and nothing. awesome one less problem to deal with!

problems ive noticed since installing the sensor. after plugging in the sensor and resetting the ecu the idle was jumping between 650 and 850 at a steady rate. during the drive the car wouldnt idle properly at stop signs. on average around 1100ish rpm. if i let the clutch out with my foot on the break i can get it to idle at 650rpm. im assuming something is off with my tps adjustment and ill redo that when i do my timing belt in the next few weeks.

[MrMazda92]

Have you tried completely unplugging your IAC at the TB after the car is warmed up completely? This part is all reminiscent of my own issues with IAC...

[mikeinaus]

i could but thats not really solving anything. my iac works as the car can adjust idle fine. there is a reason this is happening. im thinking it may have to do with tps.

im gonna give the car a bit to reprogram the maps with the new coolant sensor. perhaps it will sort itself out.

[MrMazda92]

I agree that it solves nothing, but it is still a step in troubleshooting... If the surging idle is as it sounds to me, that should make it stop. If it does, you have another system to check into. If not, you spent 45 seconds testing it...

I'd go for it, since it's simple and causes no harm if it doesn't work.

[mikeinaus]

i just got back from a trip to costco. idle is fine. im assuming the ecm wanted a baseline of cold to hot to determine the idle off of.