Electrical Problems: help appreciated!
 

Thanks in advance.

These problems are with my 1991 n/a vert and I have scoured the forum for answers. Keep in mind; I have been using a push button start since I bought the car two years ago because the key/ignition would not start the car. The button is wired between remote power and a wire straight to the solenoid.

1) A few weeks ago as I idled in a parking lot, the radio turned off and back on a few times as the voltage dropped significantly and then the car died. Re-cranked easily and hasn’t happened again.(I found a posting where someone advised a girl with a similar problem to check under the hood, near the battery for a black wiring harness with black wires running into both sides, she reported back that the terminals on that harness were rusted and fixing them fixed her problem. What harness are they referring to?)

2)A week ago as I get in to go somewhere, I turn the key to ON and hit the button and nothing happens, as if the button has gone bad. I get in the next morning it cranks fine. Later that afternoon nothing again.(I checked the button, its fine. I checked the remote power, it’s hot and the wire from the button to the starter seems fine) Its working fine now.

3)The seat belt light is intermittent... sometimes the seatbelt light continues to blink and does not stop until I turn the car off. sometimes the seatbelt light doesn’t come on at all.(I see that Icemark and the FSM say that this may be a function of the CPU)

4)The bright headlights only seem to work when the seatbelt light is blinking and the bright lights blink in unison with the seatbelt lights.(All fuses seem to be fine. Are the brights a function of the CPU.)


Are these problems related? It doesn’t seem as though an electrical problem would effect starting the car since the button is directly wired to the starter. Am I wrong?


Thanks for your input.

Any ideas? It happened again yesterday. Turn the key, everything seems fine, good voltage, hit the button and NOTHING. 20 minutes later, working fine.

Thanks!

My 'vert had the high beam and seat belt problems and the CPU fixed it swell. I don't know about your ignition stuff though. I would think the CPU will fix some and maybe all, if you get lucky, of your problems. They are availiable from mazdatrix for $85 or so. They also have different components on the pcb so I assume they are upgraded from the original CPU. Good luck with the ignition, maybe someone else knows more.

OK, Thanks Stan. I think I do need a new or re-soldered CPU but the ignition problem happened again tonight at a convenience store. STRANDED. Luckily I had everything I needed in my trunck. Flash light, sockets, Hydralic Jack, Hammer, 10 feet of wire. After fooling arond with it for a couple of hours, I decided to bang on the starter with a hammer. I had discounted the starter before because it was NOT making a "CLICKING" sound when I tried to start it.(I've had the "CLICKING" problem before on other cars) This time when I banged on it, it made a very faint electrical BUZZING sound, and then it started up just fine. I assume that the starter is bad and ordered one from the local parts store. Am I correct?

Thanks!