Reply With QuoteWell, did ya?
Hey Maynerd!
Saw your post on Miata.net.
Did you have a chance to take the car to autozone to pull the code??
It sure sounds a lot like the problem Majik was having with his Miata last summer. It was a sensor IIRC.
No, didn't get the CEL code yet, I haven't driven it yet. I fired it up last night to see if it was still studdering. It was so bad before last night that it was unsafe to drive. When I fired it up last night It seemed ok, but as a precausion I didn't want to do a lot of driving and get stranded somewhere. Later in the week I'll see if it will run OK to Track Dog Racing where Gary is going to do some work on it this weekend.
What kind of sensor was Majik having problems with?
Hey Majik you want to share with the rest of the class?Originally Posted by Maynerd
Cam Position sensor is what I remember but I am getting.
I do remember the code is what pinpointed the problem, he was having similar issues it would run fine then skip, he'd let it cool of and it would be fine until it got hot again.
BTW. this is what Maynerd was reporting on Miata.net :
I have an '01. I searched, but did see this specific problem for NB's.
Took an EZ 100 mile drive today. Wasn't going over 65 much. Every thing was fine. Stopped a time or two at vegetable stands.
Coming home, got off highway, and within a few blocks of coming off the highway, the cars starts bucking really bad.The CEL comes on. I'm close to home and as I pull into the carport I look under the hood and the engine dies.
The engine cranked and fired up after it died, but when giving it gas it still spudders and there is briefly a funny noise when it is accelerating / spuddering.
Looks like I'm going to have to get it towed. I'm near the 60K service anyway.
Any ideas?
I searched about some and found this post, sounds very similar to what you are reporting! Would help if knew the code.
http://forums.dfwmiata.com/showthrea...t=majik+sensor
Those scenarios are similar to mine, but my car didn't start bucking until I was briefly driving in city traffic. It was fine on the highway all day. The timing of the bucking might have been a coincidence though...
I was thinking it might have been something heat related since cars usually heat up a bit after being on the highway and then suddenly crawling in city traffic?
I think Majik's car was bucking in traffic, ya know If you'd run it to Autozone (or Gary's) and pull the code that would answer a lot of questions.
Yes, Gary was kind enough to say if I could not get it running well enuf to go to TDR, he'd drop by and take a look at it.
Shhh... he's still sleeping!
Wow a guy goes to work and all of the sudden the solution to the worlds problems! I replaced the Cam sensor. It is on the valve cover right in the front, on the intake side. It took around 3 minutes to replace. Lets see if I can remember what happened to my car. The first time was after driving to work for 10 minutes in the middle of the summer. It hicupped while waiting in a fast food line then I drove around 3 blocks down the road to work and as I pulled in to the parking lot it hicupped again, but I made it 100 yards or so until it died in a parking spot. The next time was driving in slow rush hour traffic to TMS, it was very hot and I was ready for it. When it happened I pulled to the side and left the hood up for around 10 minutes. That let me get to the speedway, and by the time I left there ambient had cooled enough to get home. During this time I replace the coil pack thinking that was the problem. Then it happened again two days later cruising in a parking lot after 20 minutes of surface street driving. I finally replaced the cam sensor and all is good.
Edit: Links to my threads
http://forums.dfwmiata.com/showthread.php?t=2979
http://forums.dfwmiata.com/showthread.php?t=2984
http://forums.dfwmiata.com/showthread.php?t=3021
Ah... thanks for the info.
How many miles did you have on your car when the cam position sensor failed?
I've got 60,000 on my '01. Is this a common problem or a fluke?
Why is it a heat related issue? Why does the cam position sensor act up when hot? Just the sensor in a death rattle before it totally goes?
Last edited by Maynerd; 04-18-2006 at 04:44 PM.
I probably had around 70-80K at that time. I have no idea why it is affected by heat. However when I had my problem there were only a couple of similar posts on miata.net now there is one posted all the time with the same symptoms. Must be a part that goes out with old age.
Ok, thanks for the milage info.
Well Maynerd ya get a chance to swing it buy Gary's?? What was the verdict??
Yup, went by Gary's on Saturday. He did a 60K service: Timing belt, tentioners, etc., water pump. Tranny, engine and diff fluid changes. Seafoam treatment. Runs like a top now. Forgot the CEL code (sorry!) but I think it said something about "Cam positioner discrimination". Gary had never seen that particular code.
Kinda in a watchful waiting mode. After tha initial CEL on Easter sunday, I had the same event happen the following Thursday. I saw on another forum where someone suggested hosing that Cam sensor 3 prong connection with electrical cleaner. I did that and so far so good...
I'll see if it was just a funky connection. That might explain the relation with heat. If it keeps up too many more times, guess I'll replace the sensor.
Posting Permissions
