Hi all, my first post here, I’ve spent some time browsing and searching the forum to find similar problems, which has helped but looking for advice from folk who’ve had a similar experience with the garage/servicing issue and also what the problem might be so I am clued up when I take the car back next Tuesday for them to “hopefully” fix!
Ok so I own an MX5 mk2 1.6 registered in '99. I’ve had it for over a year and it passed its MOT early November no problem, only advisories are corrosion and worn brake discs. The previous owner is my father who owned the car since 2004 when it had 12,000 on the clock, one previous owner. Its now on 66,500. So I’ve actually been driving the car on and off for a long time and he looked after it and has its got a full service history from main dealer Mazda garage, Johnsons on Botley Road in Oxford.
So breaking with tradition! I just got the MOT done at my local garage with a discount and saved some cash. it was also due a service by November which I have been putting off but it was within the suggested mileage so I decided to get it done and went for service at Johnsons, 30th Jan, as the price was slightly better then what my garage offered for a Level 2 service which includes changing the spark plugs. The only issues I had was that the brake warning light had been on for over a week, handbrake definitely was off. They said they would check it out.
It was all straightforward until after the service was finished, they told me no problems found apart from those advisories from MOT (and there was also no brake warning light coming on as I had said it was) and so I paid and begun driving home. Its only really a quarter of a mile till you get onto the southbound A34 and thats when I realised that the car was not performing as well as it used to. The engine feels a bit lumpy and then when at slower speeds or just idling it was more noticeable. I rang them back as soon as i got home (near Didcot) and told them of the problem, they said bring it back in the next day, so I did that and hung around for maybe an hour or less while someone checked it out. After this they basically said I needed new ignition leads and it was definitely that no question as the car had new plugs in the service and the leads must be worn out. So asked them how much and they said £146 (genuine part something like £75 +VAT and half hour labour) and I’d have to wait 3 weeks for an available slot! Anyway I left and had a chat with a mate who said that was very expensive and its a simple job parts available online etc.
Anyway ordered good quality 7mm ignition leads from mx5parts and had to wait a week for them to arrive what with the snow and all. Done the odd short local trip in the car, still the same. I also noticed for the first time when I had moved the car that there had been a small oil leak on the drive under the middle of the engine/sum area. Leads came yesterday, straightforward job, changed over and made sure they were connected in the same way as I could see the existing ones, all push on firmly etc. Guess what…no change, if anything more noticeable poor running. If I listen carefully when I accelerate it sounds like a lawnmower, like something intermittent. So not happy and called Johnsons and said its their problem to sort out. What really annoys me is that I have paid to have a Level 2 service, and they have said there is nothing wrong with the car except for the aforementioned corrosion advisories and let me drive away. Surely if you are changing spark plugs as part of a service they drive the car around before/ after etc. all I can think is the mechanic has not been paying proper attention to the performance or not driven it far or at all!
So they said bring it back in and leave it there all day next Tuesday and they will have the head tech look. So I’ve come on here to educate my self and seek advice as to what could be the problem/ how to proceed with the garage etc. I’ve had a search and read of various posts and can see some people have had to get new coil packs. But there was nothing wrong with the cars performance until they changed the spark plugs, ive seen mention of cars running on 3 cylinders etc and I also saw mention of sparking when people have had similar problems so last night we went out and had a look and when the ignition is turned just before it kicks in i can see a few sparks around were the cable connects to the coil pack, looking at the windscreen its the second from the right. Looking back in service record, spark plugs previously changed 2 years ago. When its dark 'm going to swap the lead with he sparking to the old lead and check if it still does it.
Apologies the post is a bit long but Im new here and wanted to make sure all the facts were clear. Thanks in advance for any helpful advice which will be greatly appreciated. One worry is what could happen before it goes back there, should I be driving it at all? Not got any breakdown cover and thinking now is a good time to get some! Back in 2010 it blew a spark plug out so wouldnt want to stress it out and have that happen or a similar catastrophic failure brought on because of its current running condition. Hopefully the will sort it or diagnose properly when it goes in, but because of the experience I have already had it wouldn’t surprise me if they say X needs changing it’ll cost XX and you’ll have to wait till XXX for it to get done! What are my rights if I’ve had a car running fine taken to a garage for a service and given back in a poor state when they have said EVERYTHING is fine?
