[Miata] '02 Miata Bucking Without CEL - Big Mystery!

Bryan Wyatt bryanewyatt at yahoo.com
Tue May 27 09:09:10 CDT 2008 

To answer your question simply, yes.  When I first got the car, it was obvious they had used degreaser or something on the valve cover because it was corroded (not rusty) in several places all over the valve cover.

I guess the easy way to check would be to wait until dark and then run out and fire the car up.

In related news, the car felt kind of asthmatic today on the way in.  I'm guessing that's as much to do with me being nervous about it (and running it at very light throttle loads) as it is the car actually being "bad".  I also must say, the AC in this thing is very intrusive.  I would think that on a more powerful engine (than my old but cursed NA), it wouldn't make so much of a difference, but I notice from the moment it turns on that I will feel occasional pulses through the gas pedal as if the car is hesitating.  I also 3/4 filled up the car with 91 instead of the full tank of 89 that I'd put in the day before.

-Bryan

No signature...the choice of a New Generation

--- On Tue, 5/27/08, Larry Alster <Larry at Miata.net> wrote:
From: Larry Alster <Larry at Miata.net>
Subject: RE: [Miata] '02 Miata Bucking Without CEL - Big Mystery!
To: bryanewyatt at yahoo.com, "'Miata Mailing List'" <miata at realbig.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 8:34 AM




 
 






Still worth thinking about it 



Does the cam cover appear to have been cleaned with some sort of cleaner that
might have removed a coating?? 

   

In my case new wires, even custom hi performance wires just didn’t
matter.  The way I finally found it was it was dark, the car wouldn’t
start, I had the hood open and when it started I could see a blue glow under
the hood.  It looked like St Elmo’s Fire all over the engine. 

   

   

   

Larry

 

White Knight      1991 Crystal White   #99
CSP

Silver Bullet        1992
Silverstone     #17 SM2  FM I+ Turbo

Honey B            
1992 Sunburst Yellow #99 SM2L  JR Supercharger

Whooosh           2004
Titanium Mazdaspeed MX-5

 

LowCountry Miata  http://www.lowcountrymiataclub.net

Masters Miata

RAGS 074 

   



From: miata-bounces at realbig.com
[mailto:miata-bounces at realbig.com] On Behalf Of Bryan Wyatt

Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 8:23 AM

To: 'Miata Mailing List'

Subject: Re: [Miata] '02 Miata Bucking Without CEL - Big Mystery! 



   


 
  
  Each
  time, it was 70-85deg F and humid but not raining.  Strangely enough,
  it's been raining like crazy up here and the car's been just fine.  Each
  time it's acted up, the weather's been generally "good" if not
  cloudy. 
    
  -Bryan

  

  --- On Tue, 5/27/08, Larry Alster <Larry at Miata.net>
  wrote: 
  
  From: Larry Alster
  <Larry at Miata.net>

  Subject: RE: [Miata] '02 Miata Bucking Without CEL - Big Mystery!

  To: bryanewyatt at yahoo.com, "'Miata Mailing List'"
  <miata at realbig.com>

  Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 8:01 AM 
  
  
  Bryan 
    
  What
  was the weather like??  Was it raining or had it been raining before
  this happened??  I used to have an issue with my Toyota in the 70’s
  where whenever it was wet or humid I lost cylinders and it didn’t
  want to restart.  The problem ended up being that the factory clear
  coating on the cam cover had failed and I was getting an arc over from the
  wires to the cam cover whenever it was humid.  Painting the
  cam cover with engine paint solved the problem. 
    
    
    
  Larry

   

  White Knight      1991 Crystal White   #99
  CSP

  Silver Bullet        1992
  Silverstone     #17 SM2  FM I+ Turbo

  Honey
  B            
  1992 Sunburst Yellow #99 SM2L  JR Supercharger

  Whooosh           2004
  Titanium Mazdaspeed MX-5

   

  LowCountry Miata  http://www.lowcountrymiataclub.net

  Masters Miata

  RAGS 074 
    
  
  From:
  miata-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:miata-bounces at realbig.com] On Behalf Of Bryan
  Wyatt

  Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 7:44 AM

  To: Miata Mailing List

  Subject: Re: [Miata] '02 Miata Bucking Without CEL - Big Mystery! 
  
    
  
   
    
    I've been thinking of changing the wires to Magnacores anyway,
    so this might be an excuse.  They seem to cost almost twice as much as
    the old reliable NGK Blues, though.  Everyone I've talked to says
    they're worth it, but I'm a little skeptical. 
      
    As hot as my car seems to be (seriously, I don't remember
    Junior getting this hot), the exposed wires near the harness points just
    seems like an all too likely candidate for shorting out at high temps. 
      
    You had an experience like this one, Mark?  Was there
    anything different about it? 
      
    -Bryan

    

    --- On Tue, 5/27/08, mark moore <miata at bwr.eastlink.ca>
    wrote: 
    
    From:
    mark moore <miata at bwr.eastlink.ca>

    Subject: Re: [Miata] '02 Miata Bucking Without CEL - Big Mystery!

    To: "Bryan Wyatt" <bryanewyatt at yahoo.com>

    Date: Tuesday, May 27, 2008, 5:33 AM 
    
    
    Bryan for what it's worth the wires can fail. I have had to
    replace the OEM set and a set of the RB Ultras. We have a lot more miles on
    our car though. We had an issue somewhat like yours when we were a long way
    from home (southern US) and it scared the wits out of me as it happened on
    the highway in traffic. We made it back home to Canada with the issue
    reoccurring only once I believe. In our case it was the wires and a very
    occasional thing. 
    
    
      
    
    
    I don't recall the exact circumstances at the time but don't
    rule them out as a potential cause. Maybe consider all the other advice
    first and get new ones if you have to. NGK make them now and the price is
    reasonable. I haven't heard of coils on an 01+ being a problem. 
    
    
      
    
    
    One other odd thing we had happen to a club member was the
    immobilizer in the key causing the car to shut down but then it could be
    restarted. Again an erratic thing. That one took the owner about six months
    to track down and correct! 
    
    
      
    
    
    Mark 
    
    
      
    
    
      
    
    
    My car is an '02, which means that I don't have coil
    packs--just the coils on plugs 2 and 4.  I checked the wires and ensured
    that they locked in place both at the coils and on top of the plugs. 
    
    
      
    
    
    As for wires, I was under the impression that 01+ wires seldom
    need replacing.  How about the coils?  That's $235 or so to
    replace 4 parts! 
    
    
      
    
    
    -Bryan

    

    --- On Mon, 5/26/08, Hank <Subhunter at verizon.net>
    wrote: 
    
    
      
    
    
    Don't
    know about your year car but plug wires going bad at around 20 - 25Kmiles
    regardless of appearance is a very common problem common to Miatas and when
    they go bad you get some strange indications.  Those that you mention
    aren't out of the ball park.  Also possible that you've cracked the
    insulator on a plug or that for some other reason one of them's shorting
    out under heat.  Other then that there's always a possibility of an
    electrical short under the hood due to heat and vibration, give all
    the plugs and wiring under the bonnet a good physical check for security
    seems in order.  
    
    
      
    
    
    

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