Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Mazda Miata Problems and Solutions
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
-Tay
jeff
Can you still drive it and not have problems. I've had so much work done on this car but I still love it.
Thank you for any insight.
Our 626 did that, hesitated like crazy, and that service cleared it right up.
EGR = Exhaust Gas Recirculation.
Your EGR system could be clogged up with contaminants, or you could have something as simple as a bad PCV Valve (positive crankcase ventilation). Since those are very cheap, I'd change that first, might only cost you a few bucks.
-juice
I've been hand washing my MX-5 Grandtourning. This is great exercise. Remember not to wash the car in the heat of the day and purchase a good chamoise cloth. I may be washing mine too much. However, I wash it once a week or every time it gets dirty. I do keep a few soft cloths in the trunk to wipe small spots and bugs. :shades:
-juice
Here is the passenger side front:
And the passenger side rear:
Oddly enough, there are bolts covering some of my holes. I had some body work done and I think the body shop just did not know what they were doing, looks like they actually plugged up several of the holes! DOH! :mad:
I managed to free up one of the ones on the passenger side and sure enough water came pouring out. Lots and lots of it. :sick:
I need to remove bolts on the driver's side.
You'd think a body shop would know better. Sheesh.
-juice
Cheers,
-3rdMan
Any ideas?
- Bubba
Any ideas about what is wrong? After reading many of the postings, I haven't seen anything exactly like this. Thanks in advance for any help.
It's not a big deal whatsoever but I was just wondering if anyone knew what caused it!
Thanks
-juice
Thanks
I got a '93 when it was 8 years old, and the rear diffy fluid looked like melted chocolate. The clutch slave cylinder wore out and the fluid in there wasn't much better.
That plus all the usual 60k service stuff. Anything original is 16 years old now, so maybe all the belts and hoses if they look worn, cracked, or feel hard.
-juice
1st I may compound the paint then wax?
2nd Change oil asap
3nd Back window. Is there just a window replacement?
4th Brakes. Will they just wear in?
5th What's the time frame to repair the withdow (Power)?
Change oil ASAP. Cheap insurance.
You might try some plastic polish on the back window. I have seen that do wonders. You have nothing to lose if you are going to replace the window anyway. You can have a new back window sewn in (I have one in my car that the previous owner had installed). Any shop that does convertible tops can do this.
The rust on the rotors is just on the surface. It will wear off in your first drive. Make certain that you don;t have any other brake components rusted and not fully functioning before you try that quick stop behind someone.
Pick up a copy of Rod's Miata Enthusiast Manual to help you through all of the maintenance items including the power window repair. This should not be too difficult with the proper instructions.
Enjoy your new ride!
Mike
On the first star the windows blower & a bunch of other stuff didn't work I turned off the engine than restarted & all the components worked. Started & restarted theyesterday & now nothing works. Any suggestion?
When changing the back end fluid does the car have to be level or can I just jack up the back end?
The car does need to be level to check the differential fluid. I ususally drive the front on to ramps and put jackstands under the rear. Remember to loosen the fill plug before you remove the drain plug. It won't do any good to drain if you cannot refill. You will nee 0.69 qt to fill the differential.
Did you unzip the window prior to putting the top down? The top latches should always be undone prior to unzipping the window in order to put less strain on the zipper. The window should always be unzipped when putting the top down in order to avoid creasing it.
Post back if you have more questions.
$460 gets you a new Robbins top if you are handy and want to put it on yourself.
$800 for a top installed, and it's a LOT of labor so it's arguably worth it.
You can get just the windows for abour $150, but you need a new rain rail ($100), and it's just as much labor. Then the top will crack and you'll have to buy a whole new one anyway. I'd just get a whole new one.
The upholstery shops I called wanted nothing to do with sewing in a new window. They can't get it water-tight. And they would not even replace just the window portion, in one case even when the top was installed by them (PBC in VA)!
The paint is probably thin, so whatever you do be careful not to burn through it.
I'd clean the brakes a bit before you do for a drive. Certainly be gentle on them at first.
-juice
Replacing the power window hardware was ok but I can’t seam to get the wire mechanism part correctly around the power motor part. Therefore it’s not going up & down correctly. Any hints?
Battery is get extremely hot! As I was checking it there was actually liquid coming out of one of the air holes at the top.
This almost sounds like a back-pressure issue with the exhaust. Check your catalytic converter to see if it is glowing red. If so, it is probably clogged and you will need to replace (with generic converter as the OEM converter is expensive).
Does it rev OK when you are not driving?
Post back as to what city you live in and maybe we can help find a local Miata specialist to help you out.
Thanks for the tips. I will check it out. It has certainly been a puzzle!
There was about a 1/4 of a tank it it when I had it dropped off so I filled it at home with some fresh gas hoping that would help clean it out. Another thing, I heard a "thumping" sound coming from the front pasnagger side, could this be a bearing, shock. spring or tie rod problem? I'm getting a sticker tomorrow hopefully it will pass or at least I will find out if its the ball joints )-: I would have thought the tires would have flat spots ( one was flat but got it fixed it was the stem) after sitting for so long but I couldn't feel anything on the first run. Getting the back window done I got a price of $275.00 (THEY'RE GOING TO STITCH A NEW ONE IN) I'm going to have them look at the power window I did for a little but, I know they will charge me. The cable looks all messed up after I tryed doing it I think I wasted $85.00 )-: But I did learn a lot.
I just bought a 93 Miata from Washington, and it's a real pain to import it to Canada. You have contacted RIV. Then you contact Mazda and you send them the VIN#. within 2 weeks they will tell you what you have to do to meet Canadian safety standards. My 93 had to have daytime running lights and bumper modifications. I changed the wiring so that the lights come on when the ignition is turned on. I have to take it to Mazda for the $500 bumper mod . Kilometer stickers for the speedo. Then to Canadian Tire for the federal inspection. Then a Provincial inspection. Then I can get insurance and plates.
It's a real pain and so stupid, however I bought my 93 for $3500 and the same car sells in Vancouver for $10.000 so the hassle is worth it.
Next I'd look at the fuel pump. You're doing all the right things, IMO.
-juice
Not that there is a real problem, but I'd go ahead and change the spark plug wires if they're original. I'm already on my 3rd set.
-juice
If my radio is too low with the top down I reach over and turn it up. :P
I often wonder if the new hardtop will also become a bane of existence when it starts having problems.
Give me my old manual drop top any day.
Thanks to all for the repair advice. Although our daughter's Miata is running better, we are still not there yet. As I said in the last message, we had the injectors cleaned and also had chemicals added. It would never have any pick up before, and that is no longer the case. We ran the chemicals all the way to less than a quarter tank. It is very sluggish when first started and remains so for the first mile (sometimes only going a couple of miles per hour), then it kicks in and runs great--like there is not a thing in the world wrong! If run again in a relatively short period of time, it does great; if it sits for a couple of hours or more, it is back to the slow start.
The computer indicates G-signal and the manual says that means the distributor (although, I have been told that the Miata doesn't have one) and the PCM circuitry or components. I have no clue as to what the PCM circuitry or components are.
Has anyone out there had any experience with this?
Thanks,
Steve White
The bumper mod cost $780 cdn at a Mazda dealer. The daytime running lights I did myself with a wiring mod.
I had the federal inspection at Canadian Tire and it passed. Then I had the provincial inspection (British Columbia) last week and it passed. It is finally lisensed and insured. The biggest hastle was dealing with RIV. You have 45 days to successfully import the car to canada, but after 3 weeks, I had not heard from RIV and called them again. They emailed the form to me and I had only 2 weeks to have the mods and inspection done. Between the mods, duty, taxes etc it cost an extra $2000 but it's worth it.
Contact me if you want any help.
Good Luck
-juice
But if the top it brittle it'll keep cracking. If yours is original it's 7+ years old, and they only last up to 10 years if you're lucky.
-juice
Reminds me of that scene from Sling Blade when Billy Bob goes "ain't got no gas in it!"
-juice