MX-3.com

So over the past month ive been going broke trying to get my mazda mx3 on the road. The car has had idle and vacume issue and miss leading computer code..

The last repair on the ob2 said malfunction in the EGR boost selonoid and after finding the broken part and replaceing it, the surging idle and jerky throttle issue is still there, now the comuter is saying vacume leak but not giving a specified place.. I dont know what todo anymore..

Anyone delt with this?

Everyone does at some point.


Since you were getting an EGR code, suck through the EGR vac port. Its very common for the rubber diaphragm to fail, and then that is a vac leak. That would also throw an EGR code.

If thats not it, the trick I like best:

Turn off the car, remove the intake upto the throttle body.

Remove a big vac line from the intake manifold, brake booster or PCV.

Put your hand over the TB, plugging it totally, and suck through the hose, creating vacuum in the manifold. Listen for where the air leaks in.

If that doesn't work for you, then you need to do a thorough visual inspection. Remove the intake manifold entirely, re-gasket the surface (no need for MLS gaskets, just use a thin layer of gasket maker), check all of the vacuum solenoid nipples, all the hoses, all of the ports, absolutely everything.

You can't half a-- a check over like that, or you may as well not do it at all. Replace the small tubing, why not, it'll cost you maybe $20 to do the whole bay, probably washer fluid hose too. Since you're balls deep already, whats $20 gonna do.