Hi Mx5 owners my model is a
2008 mk3 with 98+k miles which has been owned for about 4 months. Bought on a whim during the blast lock down booted on furlough A few issues have been resolved by posts here or elsewhere on tinternet. As a retired Industrial designer and mechanical engineer I have maintained serviced, tuned and modified cars and been involved in motorsport all my life. I am now frustrated by these modern fly by wire digital sensor controlled machines and wish to find a simpler more cost effective solution to the problems encountered.(see previous posts).
European legilation means we can gain access to the standardised fault codes via a cheap plug in reader linked to a phone app great. Unfortunatly this does not give you access to the Mazda database with all the diagnostic information required to analyze trace and cure a fault code.!
Requests have been made to local Mazda dealers an indipendent garage (with access to the data required) even Mazda UK all in business to make money from car sales parts or repairs.
As keen amature enthusiasts it would be great to be able to access the required data without resorting to online fee charging services or trawling through dozens of help and advice resources like this forum.
I would like to start campaign for a proposed solution. A dialog with the Haynes publishing group been instigated. It would help if it we’re supported by the mx5 owners club went viral or attracted crowd funding.
The concept is simple:-
Buy an OBDll reader from Haynes, plug it in your make /model/year car.
Get real time data on your phone pertainent to performance or faults detected.
Get Official Mazda info relating to any problem.
Fix it yourself using used recycled servicable parts or send data to your online garage of choice for their diagnosis and repair cost estimate. Choose wether to get your hands mucky or get someone else to do it without getting charged an hour for a diagnostic fee.
My last Bill was for a code p2107issue. Tracedvby trial and error to a soft relay. Cost £104 for replacing an ETC relay part £6 from Mazda charged £11 Inc delivery.
Current problem duff starter motor and low tickover 900RPM dropping to 700 whenvhot in traffic slight delay in throttle response. I still have the original throttle body and a throttle pedal which were both replaced to try and fix p2107 fault. The parts may still be perfectly servicable but Mazda will not give me impedance data to test them with a multimeter…
Thanks for reading look forward to any feedback
I’m response to both the negative posts.
Anything can happen. Henry Ford put wooden wheels on the model T. Most cars now use alloy. I anticipate composit electric cars in the future with integrated bus electronics. Like Tesla use.
All the leadingvcar companies can generate a revenue streamvif the sell access to their data as required by paying enthusiasts who have bought the rights through a deal with Haynes publishing. Only people who enjoy the challenge of investigating and repairing thier own cars would invest in the product. I would have paid £50 for a OBDII transmitter and £50 for access to the data to fix my recentbfault code errors.
Discuss.
In the recent effort to cure fault code p2107 I purchased a used throttle body for £20 cleaned it and fitted it. Better condition and of a lower miles car than mine. Limp mode persisted. Bought A throttle pedal for £18 fitted that. Swapped relays around and discovered dodgy One fitted in ETC location as found in American forum. Relay cost from Mazda £6. Cost me for parts + electronic diagnosis about £150.
Yeah if I had taken it direct to Mazda they may have found the fault straight away pond only charged 1hr + parts estimate £100.
Any one want or need A used throttle body and pedal for a mk3 probably in perfectly serviceable condition. Contact me free + postage.
My Starter is slow on these cold mornings Mazda no longer offer a reconditioned exchange service… Local breaker has one of a 40k car £25 which I will fit myself. Anyone want a used Starter motor working but needs reconditioning. Free + post…
You can get a lot further into the system by using ForScan Extended Licence on PC, (note the phone Extended licence is not open as much). They explain this on the forum and is sensible.
The extended licence allows you to do and see much more than the legally required ODB connection and provides diagnosis and guidance to resolve issue.
Diag codes do not always show the fault only the symptomatic results so you need to understand what the symptoms are telling you. I accept they are a good guide but they frequently are not the solution.
A number of times I have used the codes to look for issues only to eventually find the fault, then reflect on what the symptoms were telling me.
For instance a Merc recently was misfiring when cold and fine when warm, cleared learned parameters held in ECU and the fault went away. This solved the issue after plug change and compression testing failed to sort, a time costly non-fault not solved by ODB codes.
Great responce. so what’s the cost of the forscan extended licence for pc (laptop) where can you buy it. Your words of wisdom are appreciated.
My fault was traced despite the code. The official Mazda workshop manual test sequence found online pointed to the ECU / PCM which 2 Mazda dealers confirmed. A £800 component at the top of the tree. No doubt the Mazda diagnostic tool would allow interagation of the components. testing their values against their intended operating parameters & specification.
I could have mesured mine with £20 multimeter.
Some resistance figures were given on the American Forum that pointed to a duff throttle body. £300 component from Mazda.
The Tech guy at work has abandoned his pc and laptop does everything on his phone with the DEC app. I want forscan on my phone linked to any model specific data I can get my hands on…
The slight problem with my mk3, that looks just like yours, is the low tickover and slight delay in throttle responce. In an old car I would check the cable for slack and turn up the tickover screw.
But only until a service is done that would probably correct the issue??
I’ve only Donne 1000 since the previous owner claimed it was serviced…
Barrie. what is it I am supposed to read?
Is there a post about the key pairing that uses the forscan programme?
Ok found it and scanned through. Far to complex for an old school fella like me… That’s why I want Haynes to get involved. Plug in your Haynes dongle OBDII go the Haynes app on your phone. It should see any fault code or help search for step by Step help when required. I stopped buying Haynes Manuals after my first ten or so as 80% is the same for every vehicle. With a bit of nounce. You can wing the rest. Its only model specific data relating to a specific issue that you need not the whole book or multi thousand £ diagnostic tool. Practical simple low techbways to get around any problem.Then reset/ clear the damn fault code or fix whatever problem you have
Here is another example. My seat bolster was ripped right where people slide down them to get in and out of the car. All pre 2008 100k must have this. Passenger side perfect but not easily interchangable.
A Haynes App could also link you to cheap or expensive seat covers, local trimmers or on line fabric suppliers. I bought some fake Alcantara looking fabric for £6. My Sister, who is retired & handy with a sewing machine, glued and sewed reinforcing fabric inside. she cut a paper template for the outside panel and sewed with invisible stiching the suede like fabric. I spent weeks getting quotes looking at second hand seats replacements etc. Even asked a nephewbin Germanybif any LH drive pasengers seats came up over there. Cost of my honest repair fabric + 1 box of chocys. With enough material left over to make the grandaughter a slinky outfit…
Maybe that should be posted elsewhere?
