MAZDA MX-5: Questions and answers

Mazda MX-5 1990

Can any body tell me what could the possible cause for this problem on my MX-5 1.6ltr might be? When I accelerate from idling speed to full throttle I feel the engine missing, as if it works on 3 cylinders instead of 4. The plugs are replaced, high tension leads replaced with those from my friend’s Mazda, fuel filter replaced, pressure regulator replaced, and the throttle switch checked. Does anybody know what the problem might be?

Answers

Funny you should say that, I encountered the same problem. The AA man ’jiggled’ the wires leading to the coil packs and all cylinders started working again. He took the coil packs off and resecured the wiring to them. No problems since - Ray Taylor from Kent

Mazda MX-5 1999

Are 17 inch wheels OK to put on a Mazda MX-5 or are they too big? Not sure if they will affect the performance... any advice welcome.

Answers

I have 17" wheels on my MX-5 and they are fine. You need to lower the tyre profile when moving to larger rims as you want the gearing and speedo to remain accurate. Using the same profile tyre as you have on your original rims will increase the rolling diameter of the wheel and the speedo will read slightly low plus the gearing will be higher. This site will help you wth your calculations: http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalcold.html - John from Lanarkshire

Mazda MX-5 1996

When I turn the ignition key on my Mazda MX-5, there are no lights, the engine turns but will not fire - does anyone have any idea what might be the problem?

Mazda MX-5 1995

Car starts and immediately stops every time, it’s driving me mad. I changed air flow meter (hotwire type), which made no difference. Fault codes have come up as 81, 18, and 11 but don’t know what these mean. Any help really appreciated. (1.8)

Mazda MX-5 2009

The engine management light comes on and goes off after starting. When under power, it comes on again and stays on. The car still runs okay. I’ve been into Mazda dealership today and they cleared the system. It was okay for 14 miles. We stopped for coffee and after starting, the light came on again. I have to take the car in again tomorrow. The reason they have given was that the car is not used enough. It does only have 2,500 miles on the clock. Could this really be the reason?

Answers

Try getting a real mechanic to clean the oxygen sensor - Don Stewart from Devon

Mazda MX-5 1992

This is an Automatic, and the push-button used to enable you to select a gear has become stuck in. What is the cause, and is there any easy solution to access the problem? (Eunos)

Mazda MX-5 1995

I have discovered that my car is out of line, meaning the the rear wheels are slightly out of line with the front wheels. I have had it examined and there is no evidence of any accident damage. I was wondering if any owner out there has had a similar experience?