[jasoondalegend]

Hello everybody! I'm currently searching for a mazda MX-6 and I have found a '96 model for a pretty good price with relativley low kilometres on the clock. In the description it is mentioned that there is a misfire. Apparently coil packs have been replaced along with spark plugs, fuel pump and fuel filter. It's suspected that the distributor could be the issue at hand according to the description. There is no engine light for the misfire either. (If that helps eliminate other potential problems)

Since this car could very likely be my first car/project, I would like to have a little more information so I know exactly what else could potentially be causing this misfire, or if there could be any other worse issues.

Thank you!

 

[Mal_Random]

I just bought a car in a similar state... Owner claimed to have replaced plugs, wires, distributor and there was a misfire.

I think in the end it was a combination of things focused around a vacuum leak, but it turned out there was a lot of work that needed done. That's fine for me, since it was a second car and was intending for it to be a project, but between tracking down issues and ordering parts, the car sat for over two months. It runs strong now, but I ended up chasing down a coolant leak in the idle air control valve & flushing the coolant, which caused the water pump to start leaking, so I had to do a timing belt and water pump job. Once that was done, I had to get the timing set properly.

Along the way, I cleaned the EGR, Throttle body, IAC, put in new gaskets for those, plus a PCV and thermostat. I also managed to break a bolt and a vacuum tee while I was working, so I had to track down replacements for those too.

If you can afford that the rabbit hole of work needed may end up going way deeper than you expect, and you want to learn, go for it.

If the list of crap I just mentioned is too much to consider, I recommend against it. These cars are old, they will need a lot of work, no car is going to be just one easy fix from being good.

Welcome to the forum. I honestly hope you choose the former - learning to work on the car and the satisfaction of a job well done are amazing, and will help you prevent being screwed later in life when you're dealing with unsavory dealers, repair shops and inspection centers.

 

[jasoondalegend]

I just bought a car in a similar state... Owner claimed to have replaced plugs, wires, distributor and there was a misfire.

I think in the end it was a combination of things focused around a vacuum leak, but it turned out there was a lot of work that needed done. That's fine for me, since it was a second car and was intending for it to be a project, but between tracking down issues and ordering parts, the car sat for over two months. It runs strong now, but I ended up chasing down a coolant leak in the idle air control valve & flushing the coolant, which caused the water pump to start leaking, so I had to do a timing belt and water pump job. Once that was done, I had to get the timing set properly.

Along the way, I cleaned the EGR, Throttle body, IAC, put in new gaskets for those, plus a PCV and thermostat. I also managed to break a bolt and a vacuum tee while I was working, so I had to track down replacements for those too.

If you can afford that the rabbit hole of work needed may end up going way deeper than you expect, and you want to learn, go for it.

If the list of crap I just mentioned is too much to consider, I recommend against it. These cars are old, they will need a lot of work, no car is going to be just one easy fix from being good.

Welcome to the forum. I honestly hope you choose the former - learning to work on the car and the satisfaction of a job well done are amazing, and will help you prevent being screwed later in life when you're dealing with unsavory dealers, repair shops and inspection centers.

I just bought a car in a similar state... Owner claimed to have replaced plugs, wires, distributor and there was a misfire.

I think in the end it was a combination of things focused around a vacuum leak, but it turned out there was a lot of work that needed done. That's fine for me, since it was a second car and was intending for it to be a project, but between tracking down issues and ordering parts, the car sat for over two months. It runs strong now, but I ended up chasing down a coolant leak in the idle air control valve & flushing the coolant, which caused the water pump to start leaking, so I had to do a timing belt and water pump job. Once that was done, I had to get the timing set properly.

Along the way, I cleaned the EGR, Throttle body, IAC, put in new gaskets for those, plus a PCV and thermostat. I also managed to break a bolt and a vacuum tee while I was working, so I had to track down replacements for those too.

If you can afford that the rabbit hole of work needed may end up going way deeper than you expect, and you want to learn, go for it.

If the list of crap I just mentioned is too much to consider, I recommend against it. These cars are old, they will need a lot of work, no car is going to be just one easy fix from being good.

Welcome to the forum. I honestly hope you choose the former - learning to work on the car and the satisfaction of a job well done are amazing, and will help you prevent being screwed later in life when you're dealing with unsavory dealers, repair shops and inspection centers.

Thank you so much! That was really helpful and I appreciate the reply! I'm considering it since I really want to get some hands on expereince with cars. I live in Australia so I get my actual full driver's license at 18 and I can start learning at 16 (I'm currently 15 at the moment). If this actually goes through, I plan on making the car a long term project fixing it up over time until I can get my learners or full license. I figured instead of buying a car that has everything already done for me, I can use this as a way to get some priceless knowledge and skill. Thanks again!

 

[Mal_Random]

Thank you so much! That was really helpful and I appreciate the reply! I'm considering it since I really want to get some hands on expereince with cars. I live in Australia so I get my actual full driver's license at 18 and I can start learning at 16 (I'm currently 15 at the moment). If this actually goes through, I plan on making the car a long term project fixing it up over time until I can get my learners or full license. I figured instead of buying a car that has everything already done for me, I can use this as a way to get some priceless knowledge and skill. Thanks again!

That's a great idea. You will pick up skills that are really useful, and you end up with a car that is worth a lot more relative to what you paid for it. I didn't get my first car until after I graduated university, and my dad convinced me to buy a new car when I got my first job. It was nice to have it trouble-free for a long time, but once things started going wrong, I got taken advantage of, and didn't know what I was looking for when I looked at used cars after that.

My first car I learned on was an MX-5, which I might actually recommend over the 6, since with the longitudinal engine, there's a lot more room to work in the bay, and there's a lot more aftermarket support. That said, I now find I prefer the hard top, and there's a lot more room in the MX-6.

 

[jcpost62]

That's a great idea. You will pick up skills that are really useful, and you end up with a car that is worth a lot more relative to what you paid for it. I didn't get my first car until after I graduated university, and my dad convinced me to buy a new car when I got my first job. It was nice to have it trouble-free for a long time, but once things started going wrong, I got taken advantage of, and didn't know what I was looking for when I looked at used cars after that.

My first car I learned on was an MX-5, which I might actually recommend over the 6, since with the longitudinal engine, there's a lot more room to work in the bay, and there's a lot more aftermarket support. That said, I now find I prefer the hard top, and there's a lot more room in the MX-6.

Hello everybody! I'm currently searching for a mazda MX-6 and I have found a '96 model for a pretty good price with relativley low kilometres on the clock. In the description it is mentioned that there is a misfire. Apparently coil packs have been replaced along with spark plugs, fuel pump and fuel filter. It's suspected that the distributor could be the issue at hand according to the description. There is no engine light for the misfire either. (If that helps eliminate other potential problems)

Since this car could very likely be my first car/project, I would like to have a little more information so I know exactly what else could potentially be causing this misfire, or if there could be any other worse issues.

Thank you!
[/QUO

Hello everybody! I'm currently searching for a mazda MX-6 and I have found a '96 model for a pretty good price with relativley low kilometres on the clock. In the description it is mentioned that there is a misfire. Apparently coil packs have been replaced along with spark plugs, fuel pump and fuel filter. It's suspected that the distributor could be the issue at hand according to the description. There is no engine light for the misfire either. (If that helps eliminate other potential problems)

Since this car could very likely be my first car/project, I would like to have a little more information so I know exactly what else could potentially be causing this misfire, or if there could be any other worse issues.

Thank you!

I have two things to mention. First, the ignitor module inside the distributor have a tendency to die. They usually just die outright and don't cause "misfire" conditions. Mine died at 60 mph and the engine just stopped. Just be aware of this known weakness. Secondly, I once had an intermittent misfire condition that was driving me crazy. Did everything I could think of. I had Magnecor wire on the car for about 8 years when this started. I dismissed them as the cause since they are suppose to last forever. WRONG! I replaced the wire set with NGK#9128 and the problem disappeared. That was December 9, 2011 and to this day no misfires. Hope this might help.

 

[jasoondalegend]

Thank you so much! That was really helpful and I appreciate the reply! I'm considering it since I really want to get some hands on expereince with cars. I live in Australia so I get my actual full driver's license at 18 and I can start learning at 16 (I'm currently 15 at the moment). If this actually goes through, I plan on making the car a long term project fixing it up over time until I can get my learners or full license. I figured instead of buying a car that has everything already done for me, I can use this as a way to get some priceless knowledge and skill. Thanks again!

I just bought a car in a similar state... Owner claimed to have replaced plugs, wires, distributor and there was a misfire.

I think in the end it was a combination of things focused around a vacuum leak, but it turned out there was a lot of work that needed done. That's fine for me, since it was a second car and was intending for it to be a project, but between tracking down issues and ordering parts, the car sat for over two months. It runs strong now, but I ended up chasing down a coolant leak in the idle air control valve & flushing the coolant, which caused the water pump to start leaking, so I had to do a timing belt and water pump job. Once that was done, I had to get the timing set properly.

Along the way, I cleaned the EGR, Throttle body, IAC, put in new gaskets for those, plus a PCV and thermostat. I also managed to break a bolt and a vacuum tee while I was working, so I had to track down replacements for those too.

If you can afford that the rabbit hole of work needed may end up going way deeper than you expect, and you want to learn, go for it.

If the list of crap I just mentioned is too much to consider, I recommend against it. These cars are old, they will need a lot of work, no car is going to be just one easy fix from being good.

Welcome to the forum. I honestly hope you choose the former - learning to work on the car and the satisfaction of a job well done are amazing, and will help you prevent being screwed later in life when you're dealing with unsavory dealers, repair shops and inspection centers.

Yeah I was considering the mx-5 as a choice but in Australia they’re slightly more expensive compared the the unappreciated mazda mx-6 it’s crazy how cheap they are here. Cheapest mx-5 I could find was $500 more than the mx-6 and has almost double the kilometres and more rust along with an electrical issue. The next one I could find cost around $9000 which is way too expensive for an mx-5 and out of budget. Plus as you mentioned earlier the mx-5 is way too small and I would definitely prefer a little bit of extra space.