Mazda Tribute Start Stall Idle Problems

lindgyle

i having trouble with my mazda this morning i was almost out of gas but it stall and when i went to start it back it would only click it wouldn't do anything else. got any suggestion what could be wrong with it. please let me know asap. thanks

mgregory123

Been reading alot about idle problems with cold starts and the possible causes from bad IACV's to leaking intake gaskets. Never had problems with my Tribute until a few months ago when starting it cold, the engine started to lope like it was starved for gas. Gave it gas by keeping foot down on the pedal a bit to keep the idle up and once the vehicle warmed up, everything was fine. I have never had a check engine light come on nor had any warning about a part failing, etc. I have since taken the IACV off and cleaned the inside but it is very difficut if not impossible to clean the inside of the solenoid housing as only the piston comes through the opening. The results were only slightly better but still have the problem. The vehicle has approximately 80,000 miles on it and normally runs just fine except for this issue on cold starts. Any suggestions or help anyone could offer would be appreciated.

jaiven

Hi, after I replaced the Spark Plug and PCV valve on my 2001 Mazda Tribute V6 the idle became rough as if it is going to die. I replaced the old spark plugs with Bosch Platinum +4 and a PCV valve I purchaced from Auto Zone. Should I not be using this kind of spark plug? Or is their anything that needs adjustment? Please advice. I will greatly appreciate your suggestions and advice. Thanks.

dannybmx

I have a 2001 V6 Tribute with 180,000 miles. I have been chasing this problem since last fall. I have changed the IACV, spark plugs, fuel filter, have tried several different fuel system cleaners and have searched for vacuum leaks. I have not found any solution. Have you had any luck lately?

dipinb

Hi,

I'm having the exact same problem so I was wondering if you found a solution yet. My dealer changed the battery, alternator, and fuel pump and nothing has solved it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

dannybmx

I have not found a solution yet. I have found another person local to me having the same problem with a Ford Escape.

sger

HI just wondering if anyone had this problem, tribute 06 2 wd 2.3l after a cold start i press on the gas pedal and ...nothing. after 30 secs everyting fine

thxs

raustria

I had the same issue; car is just under 100k miles and had this issue for about 4 months. Mechanic found that the intake manifold gasket was leaking. Replaced upper and lower intake gaskets and problem nwas fixed. Cost was about $50 in parts and $180 in labor.

sger

thank you ! for the info. gerry

dannybmx

Thanks for the information. I replaced my upper and lower intake manifold gaskets a week ago and have not had any idle problems since. The lower gaskets were really bad and most likely 3 out of the six were leaking.

bachman

Just an FYI;
Had a problem over a year ago on my 02 Tribute (V6 ES) and paid the diag fee and another $180.00 or so to replace the idle control valve. Part was + $40.00 at the dealer versus AutoZone. The problem comes back now an then and the idle can float to 1500 or more, sometimes not coming down. I have a month or more left on the 1 year warranty for the work they did and do not wish to pay a 2nd diag fee since the first did not solve the problem. We'll see how it all works out. I'm worried if the idle creeps up to 1000 or 1200 and my wife or kids are driving, they may put it in gear ... ouch !!

Katloverindy

had the spark plugs checked, the coils checked and boots replaced and the mechanic told me it might be the computer sensor is not being read.. take it to the dealer for a diagnostic. At the dealer, someone mentioned it could be the catalytic converter needs to be changed. He just drove it and parked it in the lot. I'm waiting on the diagnostic test tomorrow, however, initially the mechanic that looked at it thought I needed the engine coils replaced. The first mechanic replaced the coils and the engine still didn't work. So, I'll see how the diagnostic report reads tomorrow. Just wondering if anyone has a similar problem. It is a 2001 Mazda Tribute 4wd which I don't use 4wd.

bachman

Per your title no acceleration / shaking;

I had a very similar issue with a Jeep about 3-4 years ago.. turned out the cat was shot and plugged up. It finally blew the stuff out and since then, the exhaust sounded different. Eventually I had the system re-done but prior, the thing almost wouldn't run and had a severe loss of power until the bb's burned or blew out. This could be a simple and inexpensive fix if you end up with the same diagnosis.

Katloverindy

So would the simple fix be to just change the two cats they say are blown.

bachman

The two ways I look at this kind of thing are;

a) if it's me doing the guess work by trial and error, I start with the simpler and less expensive things and work up from there. Take the cats off and eliminate that issue yourself. You can temp run the thing with just a muffler and see if the engine runs ok as a short term test. Then you'll know if there are other factors or not.

b) where ever possible, I trust a shop to do the diagnosis for me. They have specific equip to check things. This way they are accountable to the fix and warranty as well as a mis diagnosis that replaces the wrong items that I would not feel the need to pay for.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm dodging your question but a shop doing a few basic checks related to the symptoms you describe should be fairly cut and dry. I'd think 2 cats and the system back (mufflers tailpipes) and labor is going to cost upwards of $400.00. Be sure you give the shop as much info about the way the vehicle started acting up and when.... often the right choice of words and some basic patterns can really give them a lot more to go on. Post back what you end up with when all is said and done !

racenut

when my tribute first starts in morning it will race to 2800 rpm and slowly creep down to a normal high idle and then on to normal idle. If I just turn the key on and wait about ten seconds it wil run up to 2200 rpm still a might high. I can`t find the problem. No Codes are shown or stored.

bachman

I wish I knew something more about what to tell you ... yours sounds similar too my problem yet undiagnosed but thought to be the idle control valve that was replaced a year ago. I have a re-do appt in a few weeks and will hope to post what the fix is but I will need to give it the test of time first since it was almost always intermittent.

deepsky1

2001 Tribute DX 4 cyl, 5speed manual, 122,000 miles. If I turn off/on the motor too many times in a given time period, it stalls at idle. Letting it sit awhile helps sometimes. Fuel filter replaced no luck. Any suggestion greatly appreciated.

bachman

I'm following up because your message tagged mine. Now that my problem is solved (it was not the idle control valve as they thought, I paid for parts/labor and the diagnosis fee). It was an electrical connection they had to trace down. It was causing erractic idle speed and usually too high of rpm's. If I were more assertive and the time frame wasn't so long, I'd have refused to pay the second service fees since it was about the same as the first cost and they ahd not fixed the problem.

Have your dealer do the code check and follow that path down to the fix with the understanding ahead of time that you will hold them to it. It will be a total of the diagnosis fee and the parts/labor. If they dont' get it right the first time, they will have to use your fees paid as credit toward the new fix ... should it go beyond the previous price you already paid. Mine was a wash ...around 180 to 200 $$.
Then go out and test it as much as you can to be sure they solved it. My problem was so intermittent that it was hard to know if / when it was fixed.

abester

Hi brayofsunshine1@yahoo.com. I recently bought a 2001 Mazda Tribute with a 145,000mi that acts up only when it's cold, and then after about 5 to 10 mins the vehicle runs perfectly fine. I've read similar stories of people claiming to have a loping idle on cold starts, and like most owners, I've replaced, sparks plugs, air filter, and used injector cleaners with no positive outcome. Could anyone whose had a similar experience help me eliminate this problem that has no engine light warning. Thank you.

dannybmx

I had the same problem with my 2001 Tribute. My solution was replacing the lower intake manifold gaskets. After doing so my idle problem stopped.

marvilus33

Holy crap! I am having the same exact problems, and have been for the past 3 weeks, and i just bought it on 9/30. Today the dealer who sold it to me told me he had a Mazda expert mechanic look at it and this was the problem. So now i have to wait until tomorrow's cold start to see if this was the problem. I'm pretty sure it is, because i am experiencing the 100% exact problem.

deepsky1

my stalling problem occurs only on hot days like 85+ degrees; running about town turning the engine off. Go in a store then come out and start the engine. Repeat this about 5 or 6 times within one hour. Then I have to do the gas, clutch, brake shuffle, to keep the revs at 900 rpm or else it stalls instantly. Taking it to the dealers tomorrow.

jark

my stalling problem is a bit different. My emissions light went off and now, my car stalls after use. It will run fine most of the time, then when I park it for a bit and come back out, it shakes, makes a grumbling noise and then shuts off. Could not start it until I let it rest for a good 45 minutes with the hood up. Mechanic looked at it, and the error code for a o2 sensor went off. That was replaced and thought everything was good until today, the car did not completely stall, the engine was sluggish and sounded like it was about to stall. I lost the power brakes and steering so it was really scary. Luckily i was just in the parking lot so I was able to stop safely. I let the car run for a bit, and the rough idle went away. Once that cleared up, everything was back to normal again. Any ideas what this is. I'm assuming once the stalling issue is fixed, the loss in brakes and steering will also be resolved because they seem to be related to each other.

mayday0408

I have an 02 and a 03 mazda tribute, they are both having a puzzling starting problem. Sometimes they start right up, but at other times I have to crank and crank and then they will start like nothing is wrong. It doesn't matter hot or cold, there is no pattern. I have replaced fuel pumps, filters, air idle control valves, batteries and have checked engine grounds. HELP

tnanninga

I have a 2006 I-4 cyl, AUTO, 2WD, 74k miles. Originally I thought the tranny was slipping... But it turns out the engine is stalling. The dealer could not reproduce the problems, So I took him for a ride, during which the vehicle shuttered and shook several times. Within seconds he diagnosed it as Fuel Pump. Because I do not trust the dealer, I declined to let them repair the truck, yet stuck with $110 Diag Fee. I replaced the Fuel Pump, and after 15 minutes of warming the car continues to shutter and shake.
After a couple minutes to warm, the car shutters beyond 2000 RPMs. I refuse to pay of another Diag fee. They missed it the first time, now we try again.

bachman

Just taking a poke at it but

1) could it be an air flow and or fuel mixture issue ?

Secondly, I am awestruck by dealers that hit us with the $100 diag fee then won't stand behind it. I'd rather they do the work and replace the part after I'm in for the $100. Then, how can they make you pay for the diag and the fix when the fix isn't it..?
Tell them they are going to earn that $100 this time around and you'll know when they are done because you car is fixed and under warranty for a while to boot.
*Simplify your point; One diagnosis fee = one correct diagnosis period.
They'd likely have to re-do another diag but you cannot owe them for two fees when they boogered it up the first time if the fuel pump they put on is not the fix.

The whole idea of the fee is paying for the elaborate computers they have that are nearly fool proof and save them hours of time in actual diagnosis cost/labor. They are double dipping in the profit center most of the time. Book time is $80 or more per hour nowadays and we are paying $100 for a 2 minute hook up to the computer. That's $50 per minute and lawyers don't make that !!

I always think about how things like that can go wrong and I try to rehearse what I'll say to counter them .... and how I"ll say it. It pays to be nice and friendly but hold your ground at the same time. I have them listen to me say it out loud and restate it back to me that I'll pay the diag fee and the fix if it's the solution. I'm sure there are times when it can be a domino effect or one problem linked to another gizmo but that would be an exception and I believe I'd understand the process and if I felt them credible, I'd pay the extra w/o fuss. For the most part just get them to agree to your terms or go elsewhere before the fees add up and the thing still pukes and fogs. Good luck!

pdmclay

My 2008 Mazda Tribute has the same issue. It always starts. However, sometimes it takes an extended time to start. Only 46,000 miles. Replaced fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs, and use quality fuel. Let me know if you run into anything new.

Clay

gwiley

Hope u can help. good morning hope you still read posts. Im having the same problem, did u get the problem resolved ? any info is helpfull. Thanks gary wiley wilmington de

aviator2010

Hi

We have a 2001 Mazda Tribute - occassionally it will not start - the motor turns over, battery is good - but it does not catch.

If we leave it for a couple of minutes, then turn the key again , it will start. We had the fuel filter replaced a few months ago and after that particular operation, the issue seemed to go away - unfortunately to return now. Has anyone seen this
before ? , any idea of what the problem could be ?

Our mechanic said last time that they saw no events
in the cars engine computer - in fact for something
there to register the 'check engine light' would have to come on - in this case - the 'check engine light' does not come on - so we have no idea as to the issue.

The car is leaking a little oil but outwith that there is no
other standing issue here.

Any thoughts appreciated .... car has 120k. Oil changed regularly every 5k. miles.

duanedoug1

1. If the key shaped lamp on the dash is flashing wile cranking, you have an anti theft problem,
2. The Idle Air Control valve can stick closed intermittently - if you open the throttle a bit while cranking and it starts, change it.
3. If the fuel pump check valve does not hold pressure with the key off it can cause extended crank before starting. Cycle the key on and off before starting (primes fuel system). If it starts with this method, get the fuel holding pressure checked.

4. Get a new mechanic.

aviator2010

Thank you very much .... I was thinking of changing the spark plugs aswell here as
they have not been changed in a very long time .... probably won't do any harm together with the other items you mention here. I had to laugh at point 4. - probably
should consider it cheers ....

aviator2010

No problems so far - thanks again ... !!

olynana

110,000 miles - runs fine when cold - after engine warm car will stall out (manual transmision) when clutch depressed - doesn't happen under about 1500 rpms - can someone give me an idea of what is wrong.

jlabarge

2005 Mazda Tribute, starts good in the morning, after driving the car will not start. The key turns over but absolutely nothing happens. All guages and radio etc work but will not start. If you let it sit it will then start. I have had the battery checked and it is not the issue, the starter tested okay...not sure where to go with this , any ideas ?

judopilot

I have been driving my Mazda tribute for the last several moths with no problems. This morning I got in it to drive it and it would not start. The engine turns over normally and the battery is strong. There is just no ignition. I have checked all the fuses I can and I even disconnected the computer. No luck. Does anyone know something I can try?

anjy834u

may be its an issue of lack of gas..

triciam808

I have a 2001 Mazda Tribute V6 with almost 80,000 miles on it. It will not start after I have driven a long distance and keep starting & stopping my car. It will turn over but then it just dies. If I let it cool down for more than an hour it usually will start. Just lately it has not been starting even in the morning, its been taking like 2 or 3 times to try and start it. Please help!! I do not know what is wrong!

triciam808

What you wrote about your car sound exactly like the problem with my car!! Did you get an answer from the dealership what is wrong? Thank you for responding.

dlovett

My wife bought this car 2nd hand with 270,000 Kms on the speedo. For a while everything went well, but after about 2 months the motor would snuff and die. The only way I could get it to the mechanic was to open the throttle wide (High Revs) and ride the brake at the same time and prayed that the traffic light were going to be kind to me.

Anyway our mechanic found that a hose which feeds from somewhere??? was collasping in itself (possibly some vacuum hose) and he said the hose was not the Mazda original. So he replaced it with a more stronger hose and that seemed to have fixed that problem.

After about a week later, the motor would start good but some days the motor would misfire and you could see the tacho needle jumping up and down about 300 rpm. On those days the motor had no power and it was astruggle to keep it going.

On other days the motor would not miss a beat and performed well all day. But the very next day it went back to the misfire.

So I took it back to the mechanic who then changed the lft front coil pack and this seemed to fix the problem.

After about another week the misfire returned.

The machanic suggested we change all of the spark plugs to the more expensive ones with a longer life which meant the manifold had to come off (Just to change the plugs) DOH.

Anyway after a $750.00 AUD bill the car is still misfiring on some days and some days it has lots of grunt.

I talked to a Mazda mechanic and he said that he chased his tail for 2 years with no luck and he just gave up. He reckons that it is design fault in the motor from new!!!!!

So if anybody out in inernet land can help well I am listening Thanks from Dennis in Australia.

saxybacon

My 2001 Tribute (which I've had since it rolled off the lot) and now has 153K miles (240K km). I have had all the service done on time at the dealership. But I had the same issue starting mid-2010 and got it fixed about 2 months ago. I found that the symptoms dimished after I had been driving for about 15-20 minutes, so I thought my plugs were getting bad and needed a warmer engine to work better (even though Mazda installs plugs rated for 90K miles / 145K km, and I only used 2/3 of their life). I initially tried having the fuel system cleaned. That seemed to work for about a week, but I still had issues of rough idling and occassional stalling at red lights.

The dealership ran a diagnostic and told me that I had a crack in my head gasket, which was causing leaks of air into the system (which was worse when the engine was cold). Also, my idle speed sensor (which regulates the fuel/air mixture at different engine temps and RPMs) needed replacing. I hated to spend the money to get everything fixed, but my car runs like a charm now!

And since replacing the plugs involved taking the engine apart (which cost about $350US) the dealership replaced them at only the cost of the plugs while they had the head off to replace the gasket.

I hate that you already had the plugs replaced, but I would recommend having your mechanic look at your gasket and idle speed sensor. If that's the problem, hopefully your mechanic will realize his oversight and work with you on the repair bill (since he already had the engine apart and should have seen the condition of the gasket).

deepsky1

"my car runs like a charm now!" WOW finally some good news.

dlovett

Saxybacon, Many thanks for the time you spent putting together your very informative message. I have printed it out and I will certainly talk to the mechanics about it. I cannot understand why they didn't see the problems(if they were there) when the manifold was off. They have told me already that I am chasing my tail and I agreed due to the ongoing costs. We are pensioners and the wife is none too pleased that after the $750.00 she spent was really a waste of money. She is so dissalousioned about it, that she wants to trade it in and buy something else but I say to her that is also a very expensive exercise. Once again thanks for your support in this mind numbing debacle. Den

cf21

I chased the same probllem and have the solution. My Tribute has 153,000 miles. 1. Replace all the intake manifold gaskets. Comes in a kit. Don't cheat. You need to replace the UPPER and LOWER intake runner gaskets and throttle body gasket. Grease the o-rints so they slide into place when tightening (won't bind and pinch) 2. I then replaced the plugs and coils while I was in there. 3. Also replaced the idle air control valve. I got my parts at Rockauto.com and Advance Auto. 4. I got MAF cleaner and spray cleaned the MAF sensor. Runs like a champ.

cf21

I replaced ALL the intake manifold gaskets. Especially the UPPER and LOWER intake runnner gaskets. Comes in a kit. I installed new coils from Rockauto.com, new plugs, new idle air control valve and cleaned the MAF. I also replaced some worn vacuum hoses. The key culprit were the gaskets. I used my OBD II reader. When the OBD II reader tell you Lean mixture on both banks, the gaskets are the culprits. My car runs like new. Idles great and runs smoothe.

tootfoot

I have a very similar problem with my 2001 Tribute (4 cyl, manual, 86k miles). Very intermittent, and it never happens when the mechanic is open! Mine used to do it only on hot days, but in the last 6 months it has done it on cooler days too. About 750 rpm seems to be my stalling point (which is also my idling point when it's running normally). Every time it stalls it starts right back up, and seems to be running fine.

Did you get any resolution from your dealer?

jnitt

I have a 2001 Mazda Tribute with about 107k miles. The last time I got an oil change I was told that I need to have a transmission flush. I checked the fluid and it is a brownish color with no flakes. The car has been running perfectly fine, yesterday coming home it has started to feel like it will stall when I am idling, stopped at a light or something, and then once I go its fine. It does feel a little sluggish at first when excelerating. Could this be related to the transmission? I'm also not sure about getting the trans flush. I've read some things that don't suggest it.

shouldibuy

Saxybacon, what was the cost of all the repairs? I am thinking of buying one used, but want to have the cost of repairs for negotiation purposes... thanks. Tiphanie

lv2beach247

I recently changed the valve cover gasket and afterwards the car (which was running fine before that) will not go, it starts fine and idles good, but once I put it into drive and start to go, it looses power, the faster I try to go the worse it gets. I've had so many things checked, spark plugs have been replace, fuel filter replace, hoses checked, catalytic converter checked, MAF sensor checked, etc.... No one seems to know what the problem could be. Any ideas?

hate_my_mazda

I had that problem last year. I should've gotten the transmission flush because in the end I had to replace the whole transmission in the end. I have the 2001 Mazda tribute with 80K miles at the time. Now this year my engine and battery had to be replaced a month ago. Today it wouldn't start at all and not even sure what to check at this point . Bottom line nip it in the bud and get your transmission looked at now.

rsslmorgan

Why did you change your valve gasket? I guess an oil leak.

The next time you start it check to see that exhaust fumes are actually coming out the tail pipe so that you don't blow your EGR valve..........My story is that my son asked me to change his transmission fluid in a 2001 escape Saturday. I released about a Qrt of the trans. fluid and replaced it with Lucas oil which should provide much viscosity to the other 10 qrts or so left. I took it for a drive around the block and decided to take it on the freeway. The Escape kept losing power until I heard a hissing sound-air being sucked into engine from a partially destroyed EGR valve. I don't know which catalytic converter is gone but fixing to order the rear one which costs around $150 with shipping. If I need to do the other two, I guess I'll be going to some junk yard to look for them instead of buying them new.

This escape was being driven by my son at around 45mph so he knew it wasn't working properly, but he did not take it on the Interstate and experience the Power loss as you stepped on the gas. A plugged catalytic converter can cause what you are describing, and I would have someone get in it and step on the gas while you check the air pressure coming out the exhaust. You may want to check your good car first to get an idea of what to expect. don't spend too much time breathing in the CO gas though-good luck!