[rebel2k4]

Yes, it happened again, lol. I knew it would. Whenever I fix something, something else breaks.
I got some new rings in and replaced the head gasket since I blew it 2 weeks ago, as some of you know.

Anyways, as I edged up to 300 miles today since the rebuild, the car decided to break again. Started out as being reluctant to start, and ran bad once started. Also was missing at high boost. That is a problem I've been battling with for a while. Tried smaller gaps, different plug wirs, disty cap and rotor, coil, all to no avail. The plugs are NGK v-powers with approx. 6k miles on them. Replaced with 91 miata denso's, no luck.

Anyways, now I tried to start it, had to crank forever. Just as my battery started to die, it fired up but I had to rev it really high to keep it running. I went driving around and all the lights were very dim and there wasnt enough juice to run my stereo. I drove like that for about 10 miles and the battery never charged. Good thing I even made it home.

So anyways, does anyone have any experience with distributors going out? I got a code 2, CPS once but now its not showing anything for codes. I don't really know where to start besides replacing the alternator....

 

[evo626]

Check your alt. There wire could be burned up going to it? I dont see it being the dissy, because it would work or it wouldn't. Although I had a problem with the wires going into the dissy breaking inside of the wire and lossing contact. Those wires are exposded to a lot of heat.
Check if you getting spark.
evo

 

[Urethane]

I agree with evo. When my alternator went it went hard with no warning. Flying down the freeway, lights start dimming, car running progressivly worse untill nothing and coast to a stop.

However, with all of your mods I would suggest getting an aftermarket coil and perhaps a multispark ignition from MSD or Crane. That way you'd definitely be getting enough spark. Also, double check all the connections for wiring, perhaps something is loose or not connected (finally wiggled loose..) after the rebuild.

 

[magik8]

Take a battery voltage measurement with a voltmeter while the car is idling. If it's not more than 13.5 volts and the alternator belt is tight I would replace the alternator.

 

[MazdaMiester]

if you're going to get an alternator at the yard, stay away from anything that says "world class" LOL thats autozone or advanced auto...i never had any luck with them, all the alternators that ive had to replace, were aftermarket remanufactured, from a cheap parts chain.

There is one way to test your distributor electrically... on 88 and 89's, the GT distributor has a 6 prong connector, 2 rows of 3 as you know. get a multimeter and test the resistance between the top row and the bottom row. Top row goes ABC, and bottom row goes 123, respectively. the resistance between A and 1, between B and 2, and between C and 3 should fall within the range of 210-260 ohms. I wouldnt stress it if its like 265ohms, my disty reads that on the probe and its not bad. they should be pretty uniform, ive never seen them vary more then 15 ohms between the 3 pairs. Also, if one crank position sensor fails, you'll get a CEL, however the car wont run any different, the other CPS assumes the task for both sensors. however, if all along one sensor was bad, and now your other sensor went bad...well that'd definately have adverse affects on how your car runs.

-Eric

 

[luis]

HAHAHA...ME TOO!!!

Just that my car decided to die on the way back from the worlds largest car show aka Nopi Nationals.....flying on the intersate....radio started acting funny, within a minute, dash lights started dimming....then wham, no power....roll my butt to the shoulder and whip out the AAA.......car died went from radio acting up to total loss of power in about 10 minutes.....was the alternator......only $80 bones at autozone....but since i dont know how to replace it, this actually cost me $240 labor and part.......suck to be me....wish i had a magik8 or flyswat in my neck of the woods....i would soo much rather for over the money to someone to SHOW me how instead of just doing it.......

 

[Manifest]

Also, if one crank position sensor fails, you'll get a CEL, however the car wont run any different, the other CPS assumes the task for both sensors. however, if all along one sensor was bad, and now your other sensor went bad...well that'd definately have adverse affects on how your car runs.

-Eric

If both fail, the car is supposed to shut down. I have recently been looking at the cause of a 03 and 04 code in my computer. I have yet to determine the exact cause; but I have cleaned my distributor, and I am currently suspecting bad gas or too large a gap in my plugs.

Also timing might be too high for the amount of boost I am running, but will eliminate the other items before I set it back any more.

 

[Guest]

Re: HAHAHA...ME TOO!!!

wish i had a magik8 or flyswat in my neck of the woods....i would soo much rather for over the money to someone to SHOW me how instead of just doing it.......

I've been stranded in my protege in the middle of nowhere and had to pay a stupid amount of money to have it fixed, so I feel your pain...Always carry tools with you

 

[rebel2k4]

Okay, some updates.

It turned out to be that one of the vacuum lines had fallen off and the engine did not like it at all. After that was fixed it ran very well.
For the alternator: I decided to remove it and take it to get tested. It turned out to be good. I think the connection was just the problem. I bought some new nylon washers, electrical connectors, dyelectric grease, and fixed up the wiring harness. Put back in the alternator, and it works great. I also replaced the disty. Despite all of this I am still having problems with skipping at high rpms. I've tried almost everything I can think of. Plugs, wires, plug gaps, everything.

 

[Manifest]

Is it possible that your getting too much fuel at high RPM's? Did you put it on a dyno with a wide band o2?

 

[Methman]

Rebal...I know excatly what you me when you say "skipping at high RPM's" my car does it to but its only under hard accelration in 1st gear at max "powerband" RPM (5-6k) that it does it.
I was thinking that its mabey the BOV, because if you lightly accelrate in 1st or 2nd, up to between 4-5k it will skip and sputter because of the blow off valve, mabey it does the same thing at high RPM's under hard accerlation, plumb-back your BOV and see if the problem clears up.

Methman

 

[1FIERCEGT]

Okay, some updates.

It turned out to be that one of the vacuum lines had fallen off and the engine did not like it at all. After that was fixed it ran very well.
For the alternator: I decided to remove it and take it to get tested. It turned out to be good. I think the connection was just the problem. I bought some new nylon washers, electrical connectors, dyelectric grease, and fixed up the wiring harness. Put back in the alternator, and it works great. I also replaced the disty. Despite all of this I am still having problems with skipping at high rpms. I've tried almost everything I can think of. Plugs, wires, plug gaps, everything.

Regarding the 'high speed skipping': Is it possible that your coil may be bad or maybe bad injectors?? Also TB maybe cracked/loose, maybe leaking IC piping?? Just some suggestions, I don't have these problems but I have other ones and I know how you feel it can be really damn frustrating. Hope you find the prob soon.

 

[rebel2k4]

Okay I regapped my new denso miata plugs to .035 and it is still skipping out once it hits around 13 psi. Vacuum lines are good, intake pipes and TB boot good. ( I have a home depot TB boot) I also have a DSM bypass so I highly doubt it would be leaking at 13 psi. They are supposed to be good to 18-20 in uncrushed form.

Manifest: I haven't dynoed yet because I cant get it to run right, it's skipping too bad and always has. I have tweaked with the extra injectors though, didn't help, just made my EGT's higher and started to ping.

I also re routed and swapped my spark plug wires which didn't help either. I'm kinda stuck :shrug:

 

[Dex]

try a new coil, from what I have seen/heard our cars a very sensitive when it comes to the whole ignition system. I would also check to make sure the timing is correct, I have seen cars skip in funny ways when the timing is off by a tooth or 2

 

[rebel2k4]

Okay, thanks for the replies. My ignition timing is at 9 degrees BTDC. The timing belt is lined up perfect.

I have a balster 2 coil laying around so i might try swapping in that, and also an ignitor. Right now I have a 5th injector spray at 14 psi, and sometimes the boost will spike to 17 psi where it usually starts skipping. The 6th injector doesn't spray because for some reason I can't get over 17 psi, even with the wastegate flapper pinned off. The problem rearely occurs when I make a run through all the gears. It does it when I pass a car, or floor it in a higher gear.

I think I'll head to a dyno soon and check to see what my a/f ratio is. Maybe I am running rich but I think I'm hearing pinging in the 3.5-4.5k rpm range under boost. It sounds like a metallic ringing sound and is definately coming from the engine. Once I hit 5k it stops. EGT never goes over 1400 degrees.

 

[Methman]

Sorry to get off topic but is 10 degrees BTDC ok to have instead of 9? Because my timming is set at 10 degrees BTDC.

methman

 

[MazdaMiester]

Check the prongs on your igniter, A few months ago, one of them broke off inside the igniter, so it was wiggling around randomly making contact, car drove fine except at 4 grand in 2nd gear it'd jerk back and forth so hard the tires would spin.

Also, does your car have the old style injector clips? the one with the metal retaining U clip? if so, LOOSE those, they are junk, either go with 330's and the newer clip...OR if you notice on 90-92 GT's, the clip for the water thermo sensor, they used that exact clip for the injectors on SOME 89 NA's. ive stocked up on them, i have them on my mx6... check the prongs on your injectors for corrosion, i'd just replace those connectors anyhow, they dry up, crack, let moisture in and they corrode the terminals, and they stop making contact. Also i had to replace the Injector style clip on my water thermo sensor, it did the same thing as the injector clips did...and dont even think about trying to clean the connectors, you'll ruin em(i learned this the hard way).

re-check your AFM extension... i had a problem similar to yours, and it turned out my insulating job wasnt the best, now its better and hasnt acted up.

hope this helps...
-Eric

 

[STS2.2]

10 degrees BTDC s fine, the spec is 9 degrees BTDC plus or minus 1 degree

 

[SleepCounter]

Sorry to get off topic but is 10 degrees BTDC ok to have instead of 9?

Depends on engine temp, boost level, throttle position, a whole bunch of variables.

I run 13-14° BTC with stock boost.

 

[rebel2k4]

grrrr.... checked my AFM harness, checked ignitor, cleaned cap and rotor again, swapped with different spark plug wires and still skipping. I am also pinging pretty bad on 91 octane in 3rd-5th gear but I know I am running rich.WTF!!