Mazda Miata Problems and Solutions

thel

Yeah, that just goes to show that mileage and age are not everything.

My Miata has clearly been in a scrape or two...the paint on much of the driver's side of the car is nice and shiny, but the passenger side front fender is quite faded. That said, the car drives solid and with some maintainence / upgrades that I've done, it performs so well that most people believe my car to be 5 years old rather than 15.

jerrym9

I just bought a 1994 "m" model with 65,000 miles. it appears to have been taken care of very well. The only problem seems to be shifting from 2nd. to third range,it will shift then drop back to 2nd. I took it to a good transmission shop and the said there was nothing wrong with the trans, thought it might be electrical problem between the sensors and the computer. I then took it to the local MAZDA dealer. They said there is nothing wrong but it is normal for early 90's MIATA's to cat like that untill the car warms up. Does any one know if that is standard, and if so has anyone figured out how to correct the problem. I use it mostly to drive to work, (7) miles, so it does not really warm up. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

gary16

CA 99 Miata, 140k miles and a Check Engine Lite glowing just before a required smog check. I checked the front O2 sensor and it did meet the Ohm spec on the resistance leads (I have a factory manual but no computer). Since the car has never been through a dealer's computer check, I paid the $186 to check for any other problems, but found none. The O2 sensor cost $208 (+ labor) at the dealer, $125 aftermarket and needs a 22mm, modified deep socket for removal (unless you cut and repair the wire leads or dismantle the female plug). Sensor threads and mounting are very similar to a spark plug. The old sensor was clean thanks to good gas.
I also pulled and dismantled the EGR valve. Its a nice unit, with an electric stepping motor and a valve passing hot exhaust gas. I use good detergent regular fuel (major brand) and the valve was in clean & in great working order.
After reading info from Autotap.com, I realized the O2 sensors are cheaper to replace every 100k (with the timing belt). Evidently, a bad O2 sensor can ruin the 3 way catalytic (CA) converter and cost you some major bucks.
Luckly, the 3way passed the smog test but is now performing in the mid range of the testing.
Its cheaper in the long run to change the sensors on a regular basis and use good gas.
The computer and check lite in the car can be reset by disconnecting the battery, but the car cannot be smogged until it is driven awhile (50m) and accumulates enough check cycles (computer operational history).

sixpacktr

I am pulling my hair out. I pulled the engine out of my 1993 Miata 3 weeks ago, and put it back in (replaced the rings, crank, oil pump, etc.). When I put it back in, it turned over really well, but didn't fire up. It is 1.5 weeks later and I can't get it to turn over. I have tested the ignitor, replaced the cam sensor, checked the coil, checked every ground wire, starter wire, alternator wire. I cannot find an open circuit. I get gas, but no spark. The battery is not the issue: I tried another one and it still didn't start up.

Has anyone else ever seen something like this? I ran continuity and it says it is grounded. HELP!! :confuse:

lng

I had the same problem on the ignition coil on my 99 miata. The car couldn't start on one night in June and I brought to the dealer. The dealer told me that I need to replace the coil. The cost is $400 plus tax and the installation is $150. I just spent about $600 to service the car and I needed to spend another $600 to replace the coil. So, I decided not to replace the coil and shop around. Then I saw this issue discussed in the forum. I called the dealer and told him about it. He checked on the recall list and didn't find the vin number so he told me that the part is just broken. I argued with him that I had the same miata which I didn't come across with this problem (I used to have one and it was total when I met the accident in May' 2005 so I got this one in June' 2005). He told me that they are different cars. So, I called Mazda and the customer assistant told me that there is no recall and he sounded he didn't want to talk further.
I also would like to know what did you do to have the coil replaced at the dealer...

jaclyn

I am totally psyched because I just bought a '94 with 77,000 miles. My son and I decided to purchase the Miata because the body is in beautiful shape as is the interior and the price seemed reasonable. However, my son, who knows a lot more about cars than I do, is concerned that the engine and the differential are not as clean as he thought they would/should be. There is evidence of seepage around the valve covers and definite build-up around the differential. Is this common? Any suggestions or advice?
Also, it is pulling to the right a bit. We are not too concerned about this (planning on getting it aligned asap), but any information about the pulling would also be appreciated.

thel

Sounds to me like a symptom of not being driven very frequently. A car that old has not probably recieved maintainence as frequently as a more "experienced" car.

crashton6

I really don't know about the diff. It could be leaking at the axles or the pinion seal. It could even be residue from a sloppy gear lube change. Hard to tell without seeing it. My 95 has a very clean one. I'd make sure & check the lube in there. You don't know how much has leaked out. While your at it just change it. As far as the valve cover goes, yes they can seep a bit. Change the valve cover gasket & at the same time replace the cam angle sensor o-ring. That oil is leaking on the heater hoses & it's doing them no good. If you'd like, e-mail me & I'll give you a link to the best Miata site there is. Forum rules prevent me from posting it here.

Chuck

vulture2

I bought a 6 disc radio over e-bay from a 2002 protege for my 2003 miata. Are there any security codes I shoud know about befoe installing in my car

sixpacktr

Another update. I have replaced the igniter, the coil, and the cam sensor, and the car still won't start. Luckily, I bought all of these from Advance Auto, who takes them back (the cam sensor alone was $360) as long as they aren't damaged. I have checked continuity all of the way back to the ECU, under the passenger foot well. I have power, continuity, ground, and good parts, apparently. Yet, the car will turn over really well but there is absolutely no spark. The plug wires were replaced 2 weeks before I took the engine out because of missing problems. I have checked everything that Haynes said to do, and everything checks out. I have gone to Madracki.com to see the wiring diagrams and ran the circuits on all parts and fuses, and everything is good. I have ground. What am I missing?

Pls help. I am nearly bald now... :mad:

tegster

Where is the EGR valve located and how difficult is it to replace?

tegster

Did you find out if this was the problem? I also took my 99 Miata to autozone
and received the same code. Did you replace yours?? or have it replaced??
Was it difficult?

psint

I have a 1999 Miata that I've been screaming at for 3 days now. Since mine is a later model this may not help you but it's worth a try. Under the hood on the passenger's side is a box with relays and fuses in it. One is marked "EGI Relay". It kills everything. Engine will turn over but it won't start. To check it remove the cover from the relay and squeeze the contacts together while somebody turns the key to start. Worked for me. Only problem is Mazda wants $90. for a relay that's worth about $8.00. My dealer felt so guilty over the price he let me have it at his cost. Around $65.00

jkohn

We had a problem with our Hold light (and the Hold, since the car would not shift into overdrive) on a 94 automatic miata. After paying lots of money to have a part replaced several times that controls the shifting of the transmission (I don't remember the name of the device but it is like 'flux capacitor'), a crafty machanic figured out that the wiring was wrong not the control device. He fixed the wiring and we never had a problem again and that was in 1998. So my guess would be that the wiring to the transmission control device got messed with during the GPS installation and hence your problem.

2keogirl

I have a 2000 Miata that has had the check engine light come on and stay on solid for nearly a year now. My normal mechanic suggested taking the car to Mazda dealership - who found code P0300 and suggested general tune up (altho these are the same people who stated 'oil very dirty'... I doubt this becuz the oil has been changed religiously every 3k miles (now has 27k miles); I'll note originally there was a misfire evident.

So, I had normal tune-up (plugs, wires, filters, etc) and the light stayed off for a while, then came back on solid. The coil pack was replaced in May05 (2 of them?) and light went out again. Now it's back on again, with code P0291 (? my mechanic doesn't write well - it's 291 or 241) that states 'warm-up cat efficiency bnk #1'.

Can someone suggest next steps on this? I've read quite a few forums today and see all kinds of suggestions, but haven't seen anyone mention this particular code.

2keogirl

The volume knob on my 2000 Miata is a little screwy. Unless you turn it VERY slowly, the volume goes way up when turning it down and the volume goes way down when turning it up.

Anyone have a suggestion to correct this?

oldwin1

The most common cause for a check engine light is a bad seal on your gas cap. Modern cars are all built with a closed system. If the system detects a leak it sends you a check engine error. This is the simplest and cheapest place to start. My 90 Miata has a simple O ring that can be easily replaced. Also make certain that the edge around the fill hole has not been scratched or dented. Even using poor gas or not tightening the cap down until it clicks can give you this error.
Ron

sweetdaddy

I have a 2000 Miata, and the time has come for me to replace the alternator. I purchased one, and got the old one almost completely removed when I noticed that, the bottom bolt cannot be completely removed. My question is, what else do I have to remove to get the alternator out? If the entire intake manifold has to be removed, I'll let a pro handle the job. If not, I'd like to do it myself and safe a boat load of money. Any advise would be most appreciated.

lpop

I am having this problem now, my 2001 sputters really bad then dies. They did a major tune-up, changed fuel filter, spark plugs--a day and a half later it sputtered a lot, middle of 75, and died. It took over 10 min. to restart and so far it throws a cam-2 sensor issue but they don't think it's this. Does anyone have any suggestions??
Thank you.

rodebaugh

I also am having this problem. I have a 2001 miata MX-5 with about 70,000 miles. No problems until a month or so ago. Died in traffic and took 5-10min to start again. Then it was like nothing happened. Drove until last weekend, when i took it from toledo, ohio to lexington, ky. Happened twice on the way home. Feels like the engine is starving for fuel. I thought it might be a clogged fuel filter, but after reading here, i'm guessing it's something else. Any idea's?

premee

I have a 1999 Miata and while I was driving one day the engine failed on me. White smoke came out of the exhaust and some smoke was seen coming out from under the hood. When i took it to a mechanic, he said there was no engine oil left in the engine so to fix it I would need to replace the engine. I would like to know if that is a correct solution? What if I put oil in the car, will it start? Or do I have to replace the engine? Is there another way to fix it? Thanks.

ateixeira

Oh how much damage was done. No oil is bad, real bad. The more it ran that way, the more likely serious damage was done.

I have a squeel from the left side on mine, might be brakes, because the pitch changes with speed and when I apply then. Anyone think it might also be a wheel bearing or axle issue?

I'll probably have time to look at it this weekend.

-juice

fitguy

I am considering looking for a used Miata as a "summer/fall toy" and was hoping some current Miata owners could list any specific problem spots to be looking for. I will be looking at older one's- early/mid '90's with higher mileage to keep the cost down. I have a Mazda6 and really like it; sat in a new Miata when I bought it and it looks like a real fun ride. Any tips/suggestions would be very much appreciated!

ateixeira

Early 90s had an issue with the crank, but 15 years later they would have failed already or never will.

I think 99s or 00s had some clutch chatter.

Besides that you don't see much of a pattern of problems. These are very reliable cars and pretty much always have been. If miles are high consider a compression test, look for no more than 10% variation in pressure between the cylinders.

If it was not starved of oil the engine will last forever.

-juice

thel

I've got a 1990 with 143,000 miles and I guess I got lucky b/c I haven't had thr shortnose crank issue rear its ugly head.

Some things to keep in mind:

90-93: The first of the first NA's with the 1.6L motor and (this was important for me and my 4-year-old copilot) no passenger ari bag.

94-97: Motor was stroked (I believe) to 1.8L and the passenger airbag arrived w/o a shut-off switch. The shut-off came in...

99-00: First of the NB's. Still the 1.8L motor but now a shut-off switch is in the picture.

01-05: NBs now have VVT and the recommendation for premium fuel with the tremendous 2 hp gain that comes with it.

If you're going for an oldie, the overall condition of hte car is far more important than miles, packages, etc. Around here, good Miatas from this era were tough to find...I ended up travelling about 3 hours.

Good Luck

fitguy

Thank you for the replies- I figured the Miata would have decent reliability/longevity although the crank issue corncerns me a bit. Does anyone know what the symptoms sound like; or a or any sites with tech info?

fergie1

Bought this top from Gomiata for $449.00 and had it installed a month ago. It cost $395.00 for the installation and was worth every penny. It looks fabulous and the no zipper feature is great. You can drop the top in seconds unlike the zipper version which was exremely difficult to do by yourself. I live in Florida so opted for the sunfast cloth. A little more expensive than vinyl but has that really classy look!
I have a black top so can't help you with the tan question.

Mr_Shiftright

Miatas are pretty tough on spark plug wires, so I'd swap those out if the previous owner hasn't done so. Also a new top isn't cheap so take that into account if you buy one with a shabby or holed top

ateixeira

Good point, and in fact the previous owner of my Miata had to change them right before I bought it from him.

Aftermarket wires tend to be better and last longer. The current ones are fine after 30k miles of use.

Any used model you get, you should do a full service on it to get a "baseline" so you know how old all the fluids are. Even if you get receipts, IMO.

For instance, the seller showed me a receipt for a full 30k service, and I found that indeed they had changed the front diffy/gear oil. But not the rear. It looked like melted chocolate and was overdue for a change.

So do it anyway, even if the seller can provide proof of servicing.

-juice

Mr_Shiftright

Also I'd tell people to "shop around". There are PLENTY of used Miatas around, no shortage, so you can pick and choose the best cars. As good as these cars are, I have to say that among the most neglected abused and beat up cars I see are Miatas. They can "take it" and some owners seem all too happy to "dish it out" to them. And don't overpay. Miatas are still "used cars"----unlike classics, you don't pay MORE as they age, you pay less. However, for an older low miles, totally perfect one, paying a bit of a premium is certainly warranted for that one "special" car.

ateixeira

You can get an early one in good shape for $4 grand or so, maybe even less. $8 grand buys a late 90s with high miles, still in decent shape. Even the 99s have dipped below $10 grand.

90-97 was called the NA, 99-05 was the NB, the new one is the NC. As the NCs arrive the NBs seem older, so prices should come down even further.

Supply is plentiful, they've sold about half a million of these!

-juice

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah, right around $3,500 or under they start to get shabby.

kymike

You'll find all of the tech info you need on Miata.net I am on my 3rd Miata (2 92's and a '91). My current '92 is my daily driver. I agree with the others when they suggest not getting in a hurry. There are a lot of well-maintained cars available. Do your homework and don't settle for a car that has not been properly maintained.

Good luck in your search.

fitguy

Thanks, everbody- some great tips. I'm like a lot of you, when I by an older used car I start from scratch- replace all fluids and soft items like belts & hoses- cheap insurance for sure. After a first quick-look, you are right- there are a ton of used Miatas around. Seems like the kind of car that some folks garage and baby; others just drive & beat. I should be able to find a one or 2nd owner that's been cared for; and I'm in no hurry at all. Best thing is I get to drive the 6 to look around for one!

premee

hey,

does the noise on the left side get louder as you increase your speed?? and does the noise reduce or disappear when you press your brakes?? I had a similar problem if it is this problem that when I drove faster, the noise from the left front tire side became louder. When i took it in to check out the problem, my bearing had to be replaced since it was a bad one. Maybe thats what you have.

krire3

Two days ago I bought a 2003 Miata (PreOwned Mazda Certified). Yesterday morning when i start the car, the guages(fuel, speed, etc) on the instrument panel do not work. the dealer service guy looked at ityesterday afternoon and at that time it was working fine. This morning it did not work again, but after half and hour of driving, it started working !!!

Anyone has any idea on whats going wrong here and how I can fix it.

Thanks
KP

ateixeira

That's exactly what I'm afraid of.

It's strange, intermittent even. I guess a squeel that sounds like the brake wear indicator and yes it is speed dependent. It change pitch when I apply the brakes, but that still might be the bearing under a different load.

I'll jack up that side and see if there is any play with the rims. Time to rotate the tires so I'll check the brake pads too.

Any symptoms in particular to look for, besides a little play?

-juice

carriej

We got about 12 inches of rain in 30 hours this weekend, and my car ended up damp inside (moisture and icky brown stuff seeped through the roof) and smelly. Any great ideas about what to do? Smells like mold. Yuck.

mary06

I'm trying to decide between the grand touring and the sport 06 models. Any opinions which is better---rag top vs. vinyl. Also is the extra $$ worth the upgrade of leather seats, rag top and Bose system?

ateixeira

Mine was damp too, after 3 solid days of consistent rain. We got a peek of the sun so I just took the top down and let it blow dry. :-)

Tops - cloth looks a bit better to most folks, and some said it's more durable. Still, I've stuck with vinyl up until now. My original top lasted about 10-11 years, which is fine IMO.

-juice

pinkfloyd2600

Hey,

I have a 2000 Miata that had this problem all summer. I had the 60K check up done and several other trips to the station about this in particular. I really appreciate the help because it's been driving me crazy! Last weekend I didn't think it was going to "kick in". I'm headed to the dealership tomorrow to get those things replaced - just wanted to express my gratitude!

-Matt

mdgray

I have a 1994 mazda Miata.. I just put a new battery in the car.. I now have a red anti theft led flashing and the car will not start... bought this used from a mazda dealer and they are of no help without a 300.00 diag bill....there was no alram that I was aware of.. no alarm key fob etc... does this car have a "smart key" that is not coding to the computer? I am at a loss here...

Thanks

Mgray

ateixeira

Just a suggestion - if you have a keyless remote, hit lock/unlock for a few cycles after you connect the battery.

On my Subaru, the lights blink at first. A few cycles and it goes back to normal.

Worth a try if you have keyless.

-juice

biglatka

In what group does the 1998 fall into?
Thanks

erics6

Where is the anti-theft light. Are you talking about the radio? If there's an aftermarket alarm system, I'd suggest going to a stereo/alarm shop.

Here are the instructions for resetting the radio code.

For most 1990 - 1996½ factory radios:
To determine if this radio has been set with an antitheft user code, remove battery power from it for at least 45 seconds. When battery power is restored with no user code set, the radio's operation is immediately restored. If a code is set "cod e" flashes in the radio's display.

When "cod e" flashes in the radio's display after battery power is restored, and you know your antitheft user code, the radio's operation can be restored by following your Owner's Manual "If Antitheft system is Activated" procedure. If you don't know your antitheft user code, or to remove one previously set, follow the same procedure three times entering an invalid 1 to 4-digit user code each time. Once an invalid 1 to 4-digit user code is entered three times, "err" flashes in the radio's display. When flashing "err" displays, the radio is now set to accept the following re-set procedure.

Press the # 1 button
Press Stop/Eject
Press Am/Fm
Press Clock Button
-- -- -- -- Will appear.
Enter code 4 9 8 9
Press F/Forward & Reverse at the same time and hold for a couple seconds.
The code should now be removed. Follow the instructions in your manual to set a new code.

erics6

Non-existent, at least in the states. 99 was released in 98 after some production delays. 90-97 bug eyes 99-05 fixed headlight.

mitchellz

1990 miata starts and stalls after 3 seconds.narrowed it down to loss of fuel injecter pulse. had an extra computer and air flow meter but they changed nothing.Looking for the source that would cancel the injecter pulse after start up possibly related to temp snsor or oil pressure? thanks for any help

ateixeira

I know the spark plug wires are notorious for failing after 30k miles in some cases.

-juice

jimboee

I have the EXACT same problem. I have let the car sit outside a few months after this happened and a rat got under the hood. I can not find any chewed wires that look related to the ECU, but I did find a few others. I don't know if the rat caused the problem or not, because I was driving the car daily before it would not start. I have a CEL and a code 9 which is "water thermistor". I clear the code, but it comes back when I start the car again. It starts for about 3 seconds, then the Check Engine light comes on and the car stalls. It is after the CEL comes on then it shuts down.
Any and All ideas are requested. How/where is the Injector Pulse sent from. I wonder if the rat could have gotten under the hood one night and cut that wire, but I can't see any damage in the injector area or Cam Angle Sensor area.

jackryan888

Photo:
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=160157&page=0

A CAR saleswoman who took a customer out for a test drive on Saturday evening, died after the man lost control of the sports car and veered into oncoming traffic on Upper Paya Lebar Road.

The brand new Mazda MX-5 flew over the road divider, smashed head-on into a black BMW, flipped over it and came crashing down into a van in the other lane.

The driver of the silver Mazda managed to stagger out of the badly-crushed car alive, albeit a little shaken up.

But the saleswoman, Ms He Xueli, 20 , broke her neck as a result of the impact.

Paramedics also found that she had suffered a cardiac arrest.

She was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital but died an hour later in the operating theatre.

The driver of the Mazda, a 24-year-old warehouse supervisor, has been arrested by the police and is out on bail pending further investigations.