i hate my msp

Toasty

Member
ive had this car since 2006 and it has only run right for about 1 whole year. after that the stumble reared its ugly head and i have not been able to fix it. now after doing a vacuum line test in class yesterday (im going to school to be a tech) i am throwing 0170 (engine too lean) codes left and right. i have smoked the vacuum lines and the appear to be no leaks, but it is weird that this popped up right after doing the vacuum test. i have double checked the disconnected line and made sure it was reinstalled properly. i really want to sell this damn car but anyone with any sense will run for the hills the minute they try to run it on boost. could really use some help here.
 
I will tell you, this car is made for someone with patience and lots of spare money and time to love it. These cars are amazing if you love them and give them loving! Lol
 
the car does have it's issues especially since it is approaching 10 years old. The P0171 lean code is a common problem with the car. If you have checked all vac lines, check exhaust manifold bolts and look for cracks in between the runners as well. Check your intake and IC pipes also. Don't let this simple problem discourage you. I bet almost everyone on this forum has thrown this code multiple times including me. Hell, Im throwing the code right now. But I know why. Im just waiting to install my standalone EMS and be done with o2 sensors, MAF and EGR.
 
well i figure the likely culprit is the vacuum line that was disconnected during the vacuum line test, but i have replaced it and it, cleared the code and the code popped up againt. i just replaced the IC pipes with the corksport ones and that lessened the stumble but did not get rid of it all together. i really need to get this thing running ok so that i can sell it. im starting a job on monday at the local mazda dealership, not sure if they are mazdaspeed certified but im going to ask one of the more experienced techs there for help. i cant afford to put money into this thing unless it is absolutely necessary, and i find it hard to believe that a piggyback ecu (ssafc) is the only solution when some people out there dont have the stumble on a stock car and i sure as hell didnt before i sent it in for its 50k service.
 
You might want to contact hornsfan on here, he's a certified Mazda tech. I'm pretty sure that he had an issue similar to yours with the recurring code.

And fwiw, I've just rolled 99,000 miles and have never had that code, don't have a piggyback or standalone and my car runs great like it always has. Only cel I get is for the warmup catalyst below threshold on occassion and I have not had cats since 26,000 miles back in 2003.
 
+1^ 116,000 miles codes ive had are ones i caused and fixed thermostat ait thats about it. Replaced egr with canadian and never had any issues with leaning out. Good luck this car does tend to kick you when your down. I did my lsd myself I was almost done when i bumped the tranny and broke the black plastic channel inside almost cried lol..
 
yep... i have had that code and many more. from my experience p0170 is a boost leak in your charge pipes or one of your manifolds. anytime my car runs rich on the wideband it seems to be a boost leak somewhere.. they may be a head ache but its worth it when shes running right
 
the car does have it's issues especially since it is approaching 10 years old. The P0171 lean code is a common problem with the car. If you have checked all vac lines, check exhaust manifold bolts and look for cracks in between the runners as well. Check your intake and IC pipes also. Don't let this simple problem discourage you. I bet almost everyone on this forum has thrown this code multiple times including me. Hell, Im throwing the code right now. But I know why. Im just waiting to install my standalone EMS and be done with o2 sensors, MAF and EGR.

This plus check the intake manifold bolts + gaskets, injector seals and the rest of your gaskets. I re fell in love with mine again last night. It's definitely a love hate relationship.
 
yeah have you ever removed the IM for any reason? A VERY common problem is a vacuum leak around the mating surface of the IM and head...two cast aluminum parts with aluminum bolts that will give false torque readings like no other...so its not a very easy thing to reinstall perfectly the first time you try...

if it seems to pop up with messing with the vacuum lines...its probably vacuum related...are you getting any other codes?...specific cylinder misfires will help point to a vacuum leak 'closer' to that cylinder...as in a fuel injector o-ring, or just the mating surface of that plennum from the IM...

If it was an actual injector, or the fuel system...you'd be getting too lean codes as well as specific or multiple misfire codes i'd imagine...vacuum stuff is annoying, but at least its usually cheap...its just hard to find the exact spot of the problem...so hang in there, you'll find it i'm sure...
 
Do you have the maf relocated? If so you now have a massive vacuum leak due to the pcv system pulling in unmetered air. My mazdaspeed did the same thing. Some never get the code with the maf relocated, I was one of the unlucky ones with a more sensative ECU. My fix was to disconnect the pcv valve from the intake manifold and vent it to atmosphere with a small filter. I never got the code again after.
 
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Start by checking turbo manifold as stated. Do you have a wideband? I can't say that I really trust the factory narrow band sensors. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're the problem, and sometimes the car is soo rich from a misfire that the car reads lean when it is actually pig rich.
 
Do you have the maf relocated? If so you now have a massive vacuum leak due to the pcv system pulling in unmetered air. My mazdaspeed did the same thing. Some never get the code with the maf relocated, I was one of the unlucky ones with a more sensative ECU. My fix was to disconnect the pcv valve from the intake manifold and vent it to atmosphere with a small filter. I never got the code again after.

Hmm.. Vacuum leak from relocated maf? I never thought of that. I never get a lean code but I always yet random misfires and its sooo annoying! I wonder if its from my maf relocation..
 
but why does that matter? The standard PCV design introduces crank gasses to the system after the MAF to being with? Meaning the MAF is never metering that stuff even in stock form...just curious as to why relocating the MAF actually changes anything...
 
ive had this car since 2006 and it has only run right for about 1 whole year.

you've been a member here since Jan 2005 and have 56 total posts... there's your problem

the mazda247 community is sooooo helpful. why you've neglected to post in the past about your issues, then complain 7 years later that something has been wrong the whole time is beyond my comprehension.
 
Hey bud.......how is it that you're going to school to be a TECH and you won't take the time & patience to fix your own sh*t? So when you do get a job and a customer bring in a MSP with that code,you're gonna tell em what?...........

Please don't take offense,I'm just curious

Also,what gauges(if any ) do you have in your car.hopefully you have a boost gauge? If so how much vaccum does it read?
 
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you've been a member here since Jan 2005 and have 56 total posts... there's your problem

the mazda247 community is sooooo helpful. why you've neglected to post in the past about your issues, then complain 7 years later that something has been wrong the whole time is beyond my comprehension.

Actually I have posted about my car problems before but most of the time I was not in a position financially to do anything about it. I have received some excellent advice on here, but mostly I just lurk. I'm complaining now 7 years later because in that time my car had been looked at by numerous techs from both Mazda dealerships and independent shops. No one had been able to figure out the stumble. This p0170 code is relatively new. you talk about the community and how helpful people are, but you are certainly not making me feel very welcome.
Hey bud.......how is it that you're going to school to be a TECH and you won't take the time & patience to fix your own sh*t? So when you do get a job and a customer bring in a MSP with that code,you're gonna tell em what?...........

Please don't take offense,I'm just curious

Also,what gauges(if any ) do you have in your car.hopefully you have a boost gauge? If so how much vaccum does it read?

Well I'm only one semester in so far and my job at the dealership is basically oil changes and tire rotation. They probably won't let me do diagnostics for a while so that is kind of a moot point.

I have a boost gauge waiting to be installed.
 
Hey bud.......how is it that you're going to school to be a TECH and you won't take the time & patience to fix your own sh*t? So when you do get a job and a customer bring in a MSP with that code,you're gonna tell em what?...........

Please don't take offense,I'm just curious

Also,what gauges(if any ) do you have in your car.hopefully you have a boost gauge? If so how much vaccum does it read?

Lighten up man I'm going to school to be a tech as well and i still post on here obviously because this is a place for MSP owners and there's plenty of experience with this car platform on here. He's going to school to learn obviously. Not trying to stir things up whatsoever
 
you won't get any help from local shops or even mazda dealerships because most of them don't know the platform, the cars quirks or anything for that matter when it comes to the MSP.
 
yes that is what i have learned Spiced.

tonight in class i convinced my instructor to spend the entire night trying to help me sort out my issues. we pulled the codes and p0170 was back as well as p0304 cylinder 4 misfire. we replaced a couple of loose vacuum lines and then smoked the intake. found a leak between the hot pipe and the bpv which we were able to close up with a new hose clamp, the screw kind rather than the clip style oem clamp. after that one was closed we noticed a pretty large leak coming out from around the WGA area. there was some argument as to whether it was coming from the WGA or the intake piping. we replaced the hose clamp on the intake piping (which was beat to s***) and the leak was smaller, but still there. i will try to get my boost gauge installed this weekend, but i have to find a barb fitting for the back of the gauge.

i guess i will be adding WGA and possibly intake to my list of crap i have to buy. on a side note my radiator support brackets (the ones the hold the rad/smic to the rad support right at the front of the car) are bad and my radiator rattles around a makes a lot of noise. does anyone know where i can buy this? cant seem to find it anywhere.
 

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