HELP!! is it dead?
02-15-04, 05:19 PM
#26
Rotary Freak
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Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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First, pull your spark plugs out again for an inspection. Are they dry and either tan or grey in color? If so, and there's no thick blue smoke (or white smoke, indicating a busted water jacket seal) hanging in the air after the engine reaches operating temps, your engine is ok.
If the plugs from only one rotor (often the rear) are wet from fuel-soaking you've likely lost an apex seal. If all 4 plugs are fuel-soaked you're either not getting adequate spark, or you're getting too much fuel.
If your engine idles fine once warm, but then the idle rpm begins to drop and sputter before stalling, your idle mixture is too rich. This would be accompanied by dry but black and sooty plugs.
Another indicator that an apex seal has been unceremoniously kicked out through the exhaust port would be the car's refusal to idle below about 1500rpm, backfiring like a bitch, very poor acceleration, and fuel economy similar to a deisel locomotive.
But it sounds like your engine is ok. As mentioned a post or two back, your fuel delivery may not be up to snuff, and this WOULD cause some of the intermittent problems you described.
Pick up a new fuel filter (under $5) and install it. Fuel filter is located under the car just in front of the fuel tank and before the fuel pump. Dirty filters will allow just enough fuel to reach the carb to make you think everything is ok, but then starve the engine once higher revs are sustained.
One of the most annoying, but easiest to fix problems is an electrical coupler under the drivers' side storage bin. To get to it you need to remove the bin including the carpeting. This coupler has several wires going into it, one of which is the electric fuel pump circuit.
The problem is that moisture gets into it and shorts out the circuits. If this is happening you'll get intermittent stalling and non-starts at first, and then it will simply quit altogether.
Easy fix is to pick one up from a wrecker for a nominal (ie: low) fee and then install it yourself. Simply snip the wires on each side of the connector (leave at least 3 inches of wire out each side so it can be spliced into your circuit.
BTW, are your new plugs (NGK 4-electrode type I hope) producing a stronger spark than the old ones? If not, I'd begin to wonder if the problem is in your coils or igniters.
Used replacements for either of these shouldn't cost that much, but new from Mazda might require signing over your first born female child, to be taken possession of on her 17th birthday. But I understand that AC Delco igniters will work just fine for a fraction of the cost.
If the plugs from only one rotor (often the rear) are wet from fuel-soaking you've likely lost an apex seal. If all 4 plugs are fuel-soaked you're either not getting adequate spark, or you're getting too much fuel.
If your engine idles fine once warm, but then the idle rpm begins to drop and sputter before stalling, your idle mixture is too rich. This would be accompanied by dry but black and sooty plugs.
Another indicator that an apex seal has been unceremoniously kicked out through the exhaust port would be the car's refusal to idle below about 1500rpm, backfiring like a bitch, very poor acceleration, and fuel economy similar to a deisel locomotive.
But it sounds like your engine is ok. As mentioned a post or two back, your fuel delivery may not be up to snuff, and this WOULD cause some of the intermittent problems you described.
Pick up a new fuel filter (under $5) and install it. Fuel filter is located under the car just in front of the fuel tank and before the fuel pump. Dirty filters will allow just enough fuel to reach the carb to make you think everything is ok, but then starve the engine once higher revs are sustained.
One of the most annoying, but easiest to fix problems is an electrical coupler under the drivers' side storage bin. To get to it you need to remove the bin including the carpeting. This coupler has several wires going into it, one of which is the electric fuel pump circuit.
The problem is that moisture gets into it and shorts out the circuits. If this is happening you'll get intermittent stalling and non-starts at first, and then it will simply quit altogether.
Easy fix is to pick one up from a wrecker for a nominal (ie: low) fee and then install it yourself. Simply snip the wires on each side of the connector (leave at least 3 inches of wire out each side so it can be spliced into your circuit.
BTW, are your new plugs (NGK 4-electrode type I hope) producing a stronger spark than the old ones? If not, I'd begin to wonder if the problem is in your coils or igniters.
Used replacements for either of these shouldn't cost that much, but new from Mazda might require signing over your first born female child, to be taken possession of on her 17th birthday. But I understand that AC Delco igniters will work just fine for a fraction of the cost.
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