Mazda 323 stall problem
Jason Brisbane
This is a long read - I apologise, but I've kept it as short as
possible while still giving a reasonable level of detail.
I have an interesting problem with my 1997 Mazda 323 Astina (1.8
auto), but have been told by the local Mazda dealership that it is a
known problem that Mazda have no remedy for. I'm not convinced of
this, and would like to know if others also have the problem.
The problem first happened about 8 months ago. After a long drive
(about an hour), coming up to a set of lights, the car struggled at
below idle revs, and cut out. It started first try, so I continued
on, and pulled into the shopping centre I was heading for. Ever time
I slowed to a crawl, it struggled and cut out. Again, it started
first try every time.
I called the RACQ, more or less knowing that they would say they
couldn't do anything, and sure enough, when they turned up, that's
what they said. However, after the half hour of waiting, it all
worked fine, anyway. No problems on the drive home.
About a week later, same thing. Long drive, hot day, cut out problem
at every light. Luckily we weren't far from home.
Took the car into the dealership for a check. No engine fault codes
reported. The guys advanced the timing and raised the idle slightly,
telling me they had no idea.
Ever since, it hasn't cut out again, *but*, at pretty much every
single set of lights, it heads down to 400rpm, struggles for a second
or two, then heads back up to 800 (approx), and is happy. No problems
whatsoever with acceleration, or high speed, or anything, but this
continual trouble for the first few seconds of idle.
It's since been back in for another service (60,000km - new sparkies,
full check over), and again, no engine fault codes. That was a week
ago.
However, this time, the dealership told me that it's a known fault,
that Mazda know about, but they have no idea of the problem. They've
had heads off, injectors off, oxygen sensors checked, test sensors put
in to fool the computer - can't track down the problem.
I'm somewhat annoyed they choose to tell me this *after* the extended
warrantee had expired, not before, when I first reported the problem.
So, my questions are:
- Has anyone else experienced this? Is the dealership trying to pull
the wool over my eyes?
- Are there contacts at Mazda who I can talk to, perhaps?
- Is there a more appropriate or experienced forum?
Cheers, and thanks for any comments...
Jason.
(ozjason at yahoo.com)
Marco Spaccavento
"Oz1" <ozsa...@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:st7onukih7rrm0954...@4ax.com...
>
> Ahhh, Mazda service, aint it great!!
> And people ask me why I'll never buy another.
Yet Pesty keeps telling me I should have bought a 323 not an Astra :)
--
--
Marco Spaccavento
rbge...@iprimus.com.au
Michael L
I used to have a 1984 323 SS, and on some hot days I had the same symptoms
as you. I would pull out the choke a bit to keep the engine idling. Of
course that was before fuel injection etc., but I just wonder if you've got
something similar.
Michael Barry
"Marco Spaccavento" <rbge...@iprimus.com.au> wrote in message
news:alh7hk$1qbiqs$1...@ID-132730.news.dfncis.de...
>
> "Oz1" <ozsa...@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:st7onukih7rrm0954...@4ax.com...
> >
> > Ahhh, Mazda service, aint it great!!
> > And people ask me why I'll never buy another.
>
> Yet Pesty keeps telling me I should have bought a 323 not an Astra :)
Really? Are you sure he didn't mean a Corolla instead of an Astra? :)
Michael.
> --
> Marco Spaccavento
> rbge...@iprimus.com.au
>
>
Nic Pirie
too. might be associated.
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Chief Operating Officer
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"Michael L" <n...@spam.com> wrote in message
news:3d7c2aec$0$26220$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
Charlie
> - Has anyone else experienced this? Is the dealership trying to pull
> the wool over my eyes?
> - Are there contacts at Mazda who I can talk to, perhaps?
> - Is there a more appropriate or experienced forum?
sounds very much like an efi gremlin... I had a very similar sort of
problem (wild bucking hesitations, very intermittently, more often when
warm) on my rx7 recently... the 'experts' were useless as buggery, so I
spent a few days fiddling round with the multimeter and books, teaching
myself efi as it related to my car. Ended up diagnosing a sensor that'd
go nuts occasionally. You could try finding a knowledgeable sparky, or
try what I did. Though you do have a lot newer car...
Charlie
Jason Brisbane
> Can it be something as simple as fuel vaporisation on a hot day?
I initially thought something like that, but pretty much ever since
the first two times on the hot days, it happens all the time. Even on
cold days. I've done all the usual, like turning off air-con and it
makes no difference. Might just be my imagination, but if I put it
straight back into neutral, it seems to come good that little bit
quicker...
Thanks for the comments...
Jason.
Marco Spaccavento
"Michael Barry" <msb...@ihug.com.au> wrote in message
news:alhalu$lmr$1...@lust.ihug.co.nz...
> >
> > Yet Pesty keeps telling me I should have bought a 323 not an Astra :)
>
> Really? Are you sure he didn't mean a Corolla instead of an Astra? :)
Nah, it's Daryl who keeps pushing that barrow to anyone who will listen :)
alfred
an unichip(piggy back ECU)
i had try installing stronger and better ground wires to the car, a new
battery it seems to stop the stalling alot........ it didn't really stop it
completely but it only happen say once a month or 2months.........
and sometime try resetting ur ECU by disconnecting the battery for a few
hours this seems to stop it too
"Jason Brisbane" <ozj...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7c612c83.02090...@posting.google.com...
D Walford
Marco Spaccavento wrote:
>
> Nah, it's Daryl who keeps pushing that barrow to anyone who will listen :)
>
> --
I'd buy an Astra a long time before any Mazda:-)
Corolla is of course superior to both:-)
Daryl
dave
wrote:
Snip
>The problem first happened about 8 months ago. After a long drive
>(about an hour), coming up to a set of lights, the car struggled at
>below idle revs, and cut out.
Snip
Sounds like a fuel delivery problem. The increassed pressure in the
tank due to it being a hot day and a long drive, combined with the
surge forward of fuel when you brake for the lights is upsetting the
delivery of fuel.
Does the problem only happen during the day? What if you release the
pressure in the tank?
Does it only happen when stopping at traffic lights or can it happen
when coming to a gentle stop?
Jason Brisbane
> Sounds like a fuel delivery problem. The increassed pressure in the
> tank due to it being a hot day and a long drive, combined with the
> surge forward of fuel when you brake for the lights is upsetting the
> delivery of fuel.
The hot day and long drive were the symptoms of the first two
occurances, one week apart, when the car actually cut out continually.
Since then, it's been a consistent "want-to-cut-out" low revs thing,
that recovers after about 1-2 seconds.
> Does the problem only happen during the day? What if you release the
> pressure in the tank?
> Does it only happen when stopping at traffic lights or can it happen
> when coming to a gentle stop?
During the day? To be honest, I'm not sure. I think it happens at
night, too. Release the pressure in the tank? Not sure. My next
drive, I'll leave the fuel cap slightly unlocked to see if that makes
a difference.
Happens when coming to a gentle stop, too.
Does that help at all?
Thanks for your help,
Jason.
A.M.Suzuki
Premium creates this problem occassionally with my car in hot
weather, but it never happens with standard. Also, cold starts
are rough with premium, and I know it's not just my particular
car!
--
Athel, Perth (WA)
'90 AA34S, '84 G11R, '91 N13
----- Original Posting -----
"Jason Brisbane" <ozj...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:7c612c83.02091...@posting.google.com...
rjmillw...@gmail.com
I am reading your emails as I am having a similar problem with my Mazda 323 Astina as you describe and started searching the net to see if anyone else had listed comments on this. I know it was a long time ago and you may not even be on this email anymore but perhaps someone reading this can help.
My problem started about 3 months ago. It was a very hot day and I was heading south from near the CW Qld border in to NSW. I got 40 kms and the car started to choke or buck. It did this twice and then stopped completely while I was doing 110kms/hr. I managed to find somewhere to pull off the highway and then tried to restart the car again. It would turn over but wouldn't start.
I rang NRMA, and they got there 3 hrs later - the car started and they put it on the truck and took it back to town. Summary - no fault showing on the computer. I left the car with them a week, they drove it around and no problems showing at all - seemed like I had made it up!!
I drove the car south again after this check and it didn't stop until I was about 150km south (NB I had a break of a few hours in between and it stopped 10kms after I restarted when it was hot, mid-afternoon. I was well away from easy access to being towed again so I decided to wait a while and see if it would start again. No at 10minutes, No at 20 minutes but after 30 minutes it started and then traveled the remaining 150kms without incident.
There seemed to be no problems when traveling short distances, even when it was hot and I was stopping and starting frequently.
The next long trip I traveled 350km but early in the morning when it was pretty cool and no stopping. On the way back south it was a different matter. It was a hot afternoon and the car stopped every 40km x 6 times. Same thing - traveling 110km/hr 2 chokes and then within 10seconds the car stopped and the steering locked. I have learned to find a safe place to get off the road VERY quickly as the highway has many B-Double trucks going south and north.
In desperation my husband suggested to me (by phone) that I drive with the fuel cap off. I did this and got the rest of the way home without the car stopping. Not sure if it was this or the fact that the outside temperature had cooled considerably as it was nearly dark by this stage.
I have since done 2 long trips both leaving early in the morning and having NO problems at all, the return trips in the afternoon and the car stops a number of times; the first of these trips it was again at 40km mark and then having to wait 30 minutes to restart. The 2nd I actually had 2 x 40 km stops and then 30minute waits and then a stop after 95kms and a 30 minute wait. All with the fuel cap off - morning and hot afternoon trips.
I can't find any mechanic who has a clue what is happening but am getting really worried that the car will stop in a bad spot on the highway where there is no pull over area and I'll get squashed by a truck or 2 because I can't get off the road before the car conks out.
Has anyone had this happen to them and if yes, did you find out what was causing it?
thanks
Rose
Noddy
> Has anyone had this happen to them and if yes, did you find out what was causing it?
--
--
--
Regards,
Noddy.
Clocky
> On 27/02/16 3:31 PM, rjmillw...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> Has anyone had this happen to them and if yes, did you find out what
>> was causing it?
>
> Why are you replying to 14 year old massages?
>
>
>
>
"I know it was a long time ago and you may not even be on this email
anymore but perhaps someone reading this can help."
Find out where the crank angle sensor is located and carry a 2L bottle
of water with you. Next time it does it, pour the water over the area
around the crank angle sensor and if possible on the CAS itself. If it
starts immediately after doing so it's the CAS.
I would rate this as a likely cause as a CAS fault often shows symptoms
only when hot and often won't log a fault code.
Repeat the water test for cam sensor if applicable.
It is also possible that the fuel pump is flaking out when it warms up.
Make sure you have a clean fuel filter and if you haven't replaced it,
do so.
Stick your head under the tank or put your ear to the fuel filler with
the cap off and have someone turn on the ignition. You should hear the
fuel pump prime for 10 seconds or so. Remember that sound.
Next time it stops, wait for a minute then do the above step. If you
can't hear the pump prime up for ten seconds or so, there is probably an
issue with a fuel pump or a fuel pump relay.
Smack the bottom of the tank a few times. If it starts, it's the fuel pump.
If you swap the fuel pump relay (with the horn, fan or any other
non-essential relay that is the same) and it starts it is the fuel pump
relay.
Hope this helps.
mn6...@gmail.com
I have the sme issue. Car runs fine on highway but dies on traffic lights. I removed the fuel line connector cranke to pumpout some fuel , reconnected and it started again. Few km and same thing happens.only happens in summer and car runs fine in winter.
I live in kuwait and temp stays above 50 C on most days.
lil_ta...@hotmail.com
fordma...@outlook.com
> I have a 2001 Mazda astina and I seem to have the opposite problem. My car cuts out when im stopped at the lights,drive thru, etc. but it's started in the middle of winter. Ran fine after about half an hour but revs are still dropping and weird. Had revving problems for a few weeks (usually run on 95 or 98 octane) but put in 91 last week and the next day the car actually cut out for the first time. Anyone with updates on fixing this problem so so welcome!!!!
Jason
Diesel Damo
> Had revving problems for a few weeks (usually run on 95 or 98
> octane) but put in 91 last week and the next day the car
> actually cut out for the first time. Anyone with updates on
> fixing this problem so so welcome!!!!
Jeßus
bgr...@gmail.com
bgr...@gmail.com
tracyd...@gmail.com
tracyd...@gmail.com
Noddy
> So many years later still no one seems to no the answer 🤔
Daryl
> So many years later still no one seems to no the answer 🤔
>
probably worth more as scrap.
--
Daryl
