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Mazda Tribute Start Stall Idle Problems

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Comments

  • lv2beach247lv2beach247 Member Posts: 4
    I did change the valve cover gasket because there was for sure an oil leak, the smoke from it was coming up by the valve cover so I assumed that was the problem, should have checked the oil filter first, turns out that's where the oil leak was coming from. The filter was loose and the oil was coming out from that, didn't realize it until I changed the valve cover gaske(which didn't need changing I found after taking the cover off, oh well there's a new one on there now). After sitting for 7 months I did get someone to check the catalytic converter and sure enough that was the problem (the one at the back). Been driving it for 2 weeks now and it runs like a champ, until yesterday that is, now it's making a ticking sound as if it's out of oil. Checked the oil and it is low which I don't understand since I changed the oil when I changed the filter, I put some oil in but the ticking is still there, and get's louder at times, only when idling though. Now, what could this be. There's no sign of an oil leak now, so where's my oil going and what could be making that ticking sound? Any ideas?
  • randr10randr10 Member Posts: 1
    If you had a leaking intake manifold gasket before, your car's computer probably adjusted to the extra air it was sucking in by adding more fuel (if it was leaking oil, it was leaking air too). Now that you've sealed the leak, it's not getting all of that air that it used to, and your computer still thinks it needs all that extra fuel. My suggestion would be to clear out the computer. You can do this by disconnecting the battery terminals from their cables, wait 30 minutes, then connect them again. The computer will relearn the fuel trims. If this doesn't fix it, you've probably got a fuel starvation problem, which could mean fuel filter or fuel pump is bad. Hope this helps!
  • yuchyuch Member Posts: 1
    Did you find an answer to your problem? I am having this same problem but it only occurs in cold (32 or below weather). Any help is appreciated!
  • lv2beach247lv2beach247 Member Posts: 4
    Yes, the problem was the rear catalytic converter. Good luck with yours.
  • jim500jim500 Member Posts: 1
    I had this problem last week and it is resolved after cleaning the carbon built-up in the Idle air control valve.
    Before the valve had carbon deposit around the spring and was not moving well. Soaked with cleaner for 5 minutes and removed with plastic knife.

    After disconnecting the battery and connecting again the check Engine light gone. check it before going for expensive alternatives.
    Thanks
  • hokie85eehokie85ee Member Posts: 3
    Just acquired a 2002 Mazda Tribute ES V6 with 103k miles. Runs great it seems. Only issue is that it occasionally will cut off or stall when put in reverse. Starts right back up with no problem. Check Engine light is not on. No oil leaks. No sucking noises. Can't find any bad hoses.

    I've skimmed the postings on this and other sites. Seems it might be

    "Idle Air Control Valve" (??) - needs replaced or cleaned - "on top of engine" (?) - where is it exactly? I can replace or clean myself if I knew where it was.

    Ignition Switch - might be bad - where is this? in steering column? how difficult to replace?

    Fuel Filter?

    Any other ideas? without an OBD engine code (yet) I don't know how to pin point the problem, but would like to attempt to fix it with by replacing parts that are simple.
    Any thoughts appreciated.
  • stermansterman Member Posts: 1
    I also have an 08 Mazda Tribute with the same the exact same issues. It will turn over but not start. Then in a few minutes it starts like nothing ever happened and runs normally. My daughter drives this car and is an out of town college student, so I need some help. Did you ever find a solution?
  • djpro7djpro7 Member Posts: 1
    I'm having the same issue with my 01 V6. It was pretty bad a couple of weeks ago. Then, I replaced the old battery and it improved. It's been erratic for a while before replacing the battery, but seemed to get worse suddenly and has now improved back to an erratic, slightly noticeable, varyingly high idle. I'm concerned because this is our family car for my wife and child. I haven't had it professionally looked at and I'm not much of a mechanic myself. Please let me know if you get to the bottom of it. Thanks
  • bachmanbachman Member Posts: 31
    Well, I just reviewed some of my posting history to remind myself what I've been through over the years. I had the idle control valve replaced and it turned out that was not the issue. However, it was intermittent enough that time went by and I didn't feel I had as strong a case to pitch a fit about the $200 or so I paid for the computer to tell them to replace parts and related labor not needed ... or incorrect. Turned out to be a wire or connection problem and as intermittent goes,, that did make more sense to me. Not sure what you'll be up for. If you visit the dealer ask them to check for TSB's related to a connection issue/idle problems and tell them you are fine with the diagnosis fee as long as it is the fix. I'm an example of a customer who went that route and paid for it and parts-labor even though it was NOT the fix as per idel control valve. -- Hell, if they just want to start replacing parts to see what fixes it, anybody can do that !! :)

    One cheap thing I did that was an overnight improvement - taking it to WalMart for an injector cleaning. My symptom was surging. As I'd drive, I could feel a pulse and a drop of power ever so slightly. Thinking it was either bad gas or injectors, the dealers want $180 - $200 for the injector service and WM does a similar thing albeit a different method. It cost $20 about 2 years ago and it may be a little more these days. Instead of tearing into the parts and getting high class expensive equip hooked up, they do a drip feed just like an IV in the hospital. The chemical flows through the injectors just fine though and they add a can of fuel treatment injector cleaner to the tank of gas and send you on your way. It was an overnight success in my case and for $20 you can't pass it up on the chance that it fixes a problem or just as a preventative maint item. Good luck !
  • shade_tree2shade_tree2 Member Posts: 1
    Someone advised me here as well as a store manager at Advanced Auto to spray out the idle control valve with throttle cleaner. I sprayed really good, put it back on the car and at dead cold it idled at 1000 RPM! Saved many $$. My Tribute is 10 years old and apparently it just needed a little cleanout job.
  • natashasagenatashasage Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Mazda tribute. When I stop at a light I have to put my transmission in neutral and rev the engine or else it stalls. It is fine when I'm driving and only has this problem when it is idling.
  • jaima18jaima18 Member Posts: 1
    Please please someone tell me they can help me!!
    I have a 2003 Tribute V6 and here is what is happening:
    Around 1500 rpm(driving up a gradual incline makes this happen more) my engine wont accelerate anymore unless I floor it. It feels like it gets "Stuck". if I do not floor it my car will shake and stutter and eventually it feels like it shifts and the rpm's increase. The other thing that happens more frequently now then it used to when my engine "shakes" is once the shaking has subsided all of my gauges will zero out, go all the way to the right (eg. 120mps, 8000rpm, no gas ect ect) zero back out again and then return to the accurate readings. My check engine light IS NOT ON but it lights up when i turn my car on so I know that it works. Please help me someone, I need to get this fixed but it hasn't been able to be diagnosed correctly yet and I am very frustrated
  • nikkip04nikkip04 Member Posts: 1
    I have this same exact problem with my 03 v6 .....but something new that happened ..i got gas the other night started to go home and when I would press the gas I wouldnt go anywhere it would sputter so I pulled over and it stalled so I truned it off waited then it started up again and I drove it the rest of the way home I am hoping it was bad gas, but I still have the idle problem and hard acceleration!
  • lv2beach247lv2beach247 Member Posts: 4
    Turned out mine was a bad catalytic converter
  • fi_ozfi_oz Member Posts: 1
    originally it was just misfiring when driving and had a rough idle but never stalled gradually worsened over the last 12 months and this last week it stalling out after being started up after a few minutes today as soon as i select reverse its stalling out, starts fine after but i cant get out of my driveway!
  • movieguymovieguy Member Posts: 2
    this happened to me too. Turns out after having it at the dealership for three days they were able to duplicate the sputter and stall out and they discoverd that it was a bad fuel pump. had it replaced and all is good. now the alternator is acting up.
  • movieguymovieguy Member Posts: 2
    me too. dealer said it was a bad fuel pump. replaced and it is fine now.
  • albyj1albyj1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Natashage,

    Did you ever resolve your problem? I'm having that same issue right now but it resolves itself after 5 minutes of driving. No mechanic I bring it can duplicate the problem so every few weeks this happens and I've just had to live with it.
  • promechanic2promechanic2 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Master Mechanic 7 years. You guys both have 2003 to 2006 Mazda tributes with in comparison are virtually the same as the same era of Ford Escapes. Your problems are your Idle Air Control Valve's. I recommend you go to your mechanic and ask for a quote on a IAC replacement or go on youtube and type in 2004 Ford Escape idle air control valve cleaning. Do not look up 2004 Mazda tributes as there are no videos. the 2004 Ford Escape is the same SUV with different outer panels. I hope this solves your problems. BTW the IAC is located above the throttle body. If you have no mechanical expirience i recommend not touching it and going to a mechanic to REQUEST it. If they cant find the problem its school 101 they dont have a clue of what there doing they dont deserve their pay. If you are to replace it yourself you just need to remove two bolts remove the IAC spray some throttle body and carbourator cleaner clean the gunk and remove the old gasket replace it put back on the IAC and put a Little Anti-seize on the two bolts and torque em down to 10 FT. LB of torque. Before ANY of that disconnect the negative terminal of the batery and disconnect the sensor connections from the throttle body and IAC. Thanks and i hope this helps you. Here is a Link I added in to possibly help you. ;)link title
  • gsonng4gsonng4 Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever find out what the ticking sound was? I remember when I bought my 2001 Mazda Tribute, V6, it made a sound like a bad pully sound. I thought for sure that I had a bad idler pully bit it turned out to be a bad catalytic converter. I don't know which converter because the dealer replaced it after giving me a hard time. At first they told me it was the muffler baffle. The suv has serious issues when it's cold or damp. Rough idle during cold starts and the other day it was very smokey and I thought the engine was about to die. Scared the daylight out of me but after several minutes it smoothed out and ran better. Anyways, I've replace one coil so far and want to replace the spark plugs and whatever else needs replacing but I don't want to put good money into a bottomless pit of a car. Please let me know what you found out about the engine noise.

    Thanks,

    Ronn
  • angrymouse77angrymouse77 Member Posts: 2
    I have had the idle air control valve replaced. Wednesday morning was driving to work, truck would barely move, will not accelerate passed 45, I heard a weird sound along with a small jerk in the engine, and then heard air blowing. turns out the EGR valve had a hole in it, something caused it to get too much pressure built up. I replaced the EGR valve myself. I figured that would by time until I could get money to get diagnostic test done, nope...same things happened today.

    I read on this forum that it could be the fuel pump, intake manifold gaskets, or the catalytic converter. what things can i look for to help determine which it is. i know it has to do with fuel system in some way.
  • pomo707pomo707 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Mazda tribute, I had the catalytic converter replaced 5 months ago. Now car stalls out & when driving it jerks like the tranny is pulling. Also, it has started up but won't accelarate. Any idea what it would be anybody?
  • teteiateteia Member Posts: 1

    HI ,
    I have a 2004 Mazda tribute just had the transmission replaced and the rear main seal replaced and a block heater installed. Since i got it back from the shop it would not stay running in idle. It will drive fine but the die when in idle. Took it back they replaced the mass air flow censer , checked the air intake vavle , replaced a few vacuum hoses and i am still having the problem just not as bad. now it will stay running until after it has been driven for a lil while then once put in park it will die. it starts right back up and drives fine but still wont stay running in idle after being driven.... Any sugestions the shop is stumped and i NEED my vehichle fixed... Thank you

  • vango357vango357 Member Posts: 5

    Same problem here on the stalling after starting. 2003 tribute 3.0. I took my MAF sensor off cleaned it with MAF cleaner. Starting perfect for the last 4 days. Worth a try, cheap and easy.

  • bdamron28bdamron28 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 02 mazda tribute, its coded on the catalytic converter. It has started to stall at red lights.it hasnt actually died yet but seems like it. Is there a way to cut it out yourself. I was told no because it was on the manifold?
  • cnash1980cnash1980 Member Posts: 1
    Hi guys,

    I hope you all can help me, this is driving me crazy.

    I own a 2001 Tribute DX 4 cyl, Automatic

    I turn the key hear the fuel pump run the vehicle starts and idles rough for 2-4 seconds and stalls
    Have changed:Cam, Crank, TP Sensors and fuel pump
    when i disconnect the IAC the vehicle will not start at all so i know the IAC is doing something
    can someone provide me the fuel system diagram please help!
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