I'm done with this Miata

Well, I just got back from leave today, and picked up my 2001 Miata from a friend. Before I went on leave I had to take it back to the dealer because the Check Engine Light was on again, and it was throwing a code for the catalytic converter. Well, I only put about 100 miles on it today, and the light is back on. Its hunting at idle, and dropping below 1k rpm at stop lights. That's it, I'm done with this car. The same thing has gone wrong three times in less then two months. That's got to be pretty strong grounds to return a lemon. I guess it just isn't my time for a Miata.

Drew

Easy way to solve it? Cut off the cat, replace with a catless downpipe. And a turbo manifold. And a GT28RS. Can't throw a code if the stuff isn't there.

GI_Drewsifer wrote: Well, I just got back from leave today, and picked up my 2001 Miata from a friend. Before I went on leave I had to take it back to the dealer because the Check Engine Light was on again, and it was throwing a code for the catalytic converter. Well, I only put about 100 miles on it today, and the light is back on. Its hunting at idle, and dropping below 1k rpm at stop lights. That's it, I'm done with this car. The same thing has gone wrong three times in less then two months. That's got to be pretty strong grounds to return a lemon. I guess it just isn't my time for a Miata. Drew

before you get rid of it, check the vaccuum lines behind the intake for cuts or left off completely. I had a similar problem on my '96 and come to find out one of the vaccuum lines had come off. Also talk to people on miata.net about other possible causes. 90% of the time, its something somebody knows exactly about and can tell you how to fix it.

I'd say it's probably not time for this Miata - you'd think that the dealer should've been able to fix the issue by now, given that these are quite simple cars.

I doubt it is the catalytic itself and rather something else measuring the fuel air mixture, before or after ignition.

What you're done with is the dealer, not the car.

What's the CEL code exactly?

I agree with Keith,

sounds like you need a new DEALER, not a new car.

I feel your pain. My 7 is stuck at the dealer when it should be sitting in my garage. It just spent 3 days getting the idrive fixed for the 3rd time - it acts possessed and spins on its own. I went to get into it and the door handle pulls free and doesn't let me in. Second time for that handle and the rear door handle has been done x2 also. You think a car that sold for $98k new would be built better! I spent some time looking at potential replacements this morning.

mndsm wrote: Easy way to solve it? LS3

fixed that for you.

Datsun1500 wrote: You also realize there is no lemon law for used cars, right? It's your problem now. I would look into seeing what the easy fix is.

Depends on the state - there is a used care lemon law in NY.

Datsun1500 wrote: You also realize there is no lemon law for used cars, right? It's your problem now. I would look into seeing what the easy fix is.

Not according the lawyer I spoke with.

Hopefully it won't get nasty with this dealer. Thus far he's been good to me, and before he replaced the cat offered to take the car back. But I had hope this would fix it. I definitely won't even look around this guys lot again, but in a month I'll never see him again. I remember seeing a silver 02 Miata in VA...

Buzz Killington wrote:

mndsm wrote: Easy way to solve it? LS3

fixed that for you.

Wait! Isn't that the fwd engine?

Sorry, nothing in your original posting said this was a recently purchased car....that makes a bit of difference. I've never been in quite your position, that is, never had a repair....that wasn't, on a new or new to me car. I have had dealers do half a$$ed repairs on older vehicles and they never got my business again. And once I bought a used car from my mechanic, but the sale was on the condition it would pass the city emissions test. It took 3 tries before he finally gave up and took the car to the dealer....and the dealer for that brand fixed the problem.

I hope this isn't a case of the dealer trying to "outlast" you and hoping you will eventually go away. BTW, you don't say so, so I will guess the Mazda dealership was NOT where you purchased this car?

WHoops, sorry there's some confusion here. I bought this Miata in Texas, not Virginia. I just bought it in June. About two weeks after I bought it I went on leave, and left the car with the dealer to attempt to fix the problem. The first time the CEL came on he didn't check the code, but replaced the O2 Sensors. The second time I went to Autozone and pulled the code and it came up as the Cat. So he replaced it with an OEM part (or so he said). And Friday, upon getting the car back, drove it about 100 miles and the light is back. I'm going to go to Autozone today and pull the code again.

Appleseed wrote:

Buzz Killington wrote:

mndsm wrote: Easy way to solve it? LS3

fixed that for you.

Wait! Isn't that the fwd engine?

No, the FWD is the LS4 - the LS3 is the current-gen 6.2L used in the Camaro SS and base 'vette.

So, are you in Texas or VA now? If in VA, I would be happy to help. Texas, well, that's a long ways away.

There is a salient point here, but discresion prevents me from saying it out loud.

pigeon wrote: I feel your pain. My 7 is stuck at the dealer when it should be sitting in my garage. It just spent 3 days getting the idrive fixed for the 3rd time - it acts possessed and spins on its own. I went to get into it and the door handle pulls free and doesn't let me in. Second time for that handle and the rear door handle has been done x2 also. You think a car that sold for $98k new would be built better! I spent some time looking at potential replacements this morning.

I can't feel sorry for you, you should have bought a civic, or 7 of them.

Datsun1500 wrote: Texas actually hurts you more, the lemon law there does not include used cars at all. What warranty did the dealer put on the car when you bought it? How long has it been since you bought it? ( I think from the previous thread it was May, not June) With used car purchases , what is written on the FTC guide takes precedence over anything else as far as warranty goes.

Sorry, I'm all mixed up on dates right now. I bought it late May.

As an update, the CEL turned off at random today and its not hunting at idle any more. I tried a few quick starts and it didn't come back on. I guess I don't have much of anything to go with. I'll just be keeping a very close eye on things.

@NYG96GA, come on man now you have to say it. I do that to my wife when I want to bring touchy subjects up.

I wonder if the CEL going out was a consequence of the engine management "relearning" / re-educating itself after the catalytic converter was changed? I seem to remember reading somewhere that when the CEL is thrown, sometimes it takes a few on-off cycles of the engine, along with some extended driving for the ECU to clear and re-educate itself.

Or I could be vastly dreaming....it is 6:30 am.

integraguy wrote: I wonder if the CEL going out was a consequence of the engine management "relearning" / re-educating itself after the catalytic converter was changed? I seem to remember reading somewhere that when the CEL is thrown, sometimes it takes a few on-off cycles of the engine, along with some extended driving for the ECU to clear and re-educate itself. Or I could be vastly dreaming....it is 6:30 am.

You aren't dreaming, though i thought that was more characteristic of older cars.

Can you jack the car up enough to see if the cat is in fact new?

pigeon wrote:

Datsun1500 wrote: You also realize there is no lemon law for used cars, right? It's your problem now. I would look into seeing what the easy fix is.

Depends on the state - there is a used care lemon law in NY.

yeah, it's called a Louisville Slugger.

I have an '99 with 130k with a new catalytic converter, coil packs, plugs and wires that is showing P0421's (pre cat effiency) and a few P0300's (intermittent misfires).

I also noticed that the idle is a little rough, but if I turn on the ac, it idles smoothly at 1k rpm (about 100rpm higher than non ac idle).

I'm guessing the misfires are causing the cat CEL, but don't see any obvious probs that are causing the misfires. Zero misfires under load or higher rpm, just at idle...

1999s are prone to coil problems. However, if you have a crank or cam sensor that's not reading quite right it might throw a misfire. The cat code is probably a byproduct.