CEL came on and now i can barely drive out of the drivewway

blumsp03

Member
:
Mazda Speed Protege
ok, yesterday morning as i was heading to work, my msp started to hesitate so i tried stepping on the gas and it was struggling to go any higher. CEL came on and now it wont stop hesitating/ stalling while i drive. i barely got it home from work and up the driveway cause as much as i tried to give it gas, it just wont pick up. When i come to a stop, the RPM drops to almost below 1 and the engines idles with a really shaky sound and struggles to stay on. i havent checked the CEL code yet, will do later when my friend brings over his code reader, but does anyone know what the problem is or how to fix it?? i've read a few of the other forums with what sounds like a similar problem as mine but wasnt sure if it was the same. most of the symptoms they described in their forums were similar though. any help will be good. oh yea, and my msp is completely stock if that helps. thanks.
 
First thing doe the CEL flash at you?
Does your craptastic plastic intercooler pipes have any cracks in them?
How many miles are on the car?
Have you ever replaced the coil packs?
Have you cleaned the MAF and or ever replaced it?
 
That's how my car was running when I had a large vacuum leak before i installed my fmic. My cold pipe was split in a few places. Definitely check your pipes
 
yes, the CEL flashes as i drive and there are no cracks or damages on any pipes. i have about 150,000 miles and i havent changed the coil pack since i bought the car, which was

ok, i scanned it and the codes comin out are : P0171, P0300, and P0090. i read that the p0171 has something to do with your fuel running lean and p0300 is a cylinder misfire and the p0090 has something to do with the FPR but what would i need to do to fix these?? should i try replacing the FPR?? how would i fix the lean and the misfiring??
 
I would start with coil packs, plugs and wires based off what you just gave. You can rent a fuel presure gauge from autozone to test yoru presure.
 
yea, that was the plan. but i was wondering, should i change the o2 sensors too?? might as well i guess right?
 
Definitely replace both coil packs, wires and plugs. I recommend NGK ZFR6F plugs. No need to replace the O2 unless you want to, it won't hurt. My car throws a P0171 occasionally and as far as I know there is nothing wrong with it so I would focus on the other two codes.
 
i would also second the coil packs. does it sound like a lawnmower? flashing cel means do not drive haha. happend to me. ended up being the coils, when you get the plugs (if you change them aswell be sure to gap correctly aswell.)
 
damn, seems like everyone has the same prob. guessing its a common thing then huh. this car is starting to get annoying with all these problems.
 
As mentioned by everyone so far, do a check for vacuum leaks. I found some methods on youtube a couple of weeks ago. Check out some of those and try which you like best.

A stuck EGR can cause the lean condition. A dirty or bad MAF can also cause the lean condition.

I'm having similar issues. I have a scanner that goes through my laptop. Unfortunately, I haven't used it in years and didn't have the codes to unlock it, so I was delayed and tried some blind diagnostics. When I got my scanner working I found that my MAF is fried. I'm waiting on a new one, but I'm hoping that's all of the problem. I also picked up a digital multi-meter for $3 at Harbor Freight. That has come in handy for diagnosing issues.

With missfires, it's nice to have a scanner and car that can isolate which cylinder is missing. On my GM vehicles I can check individual cylinders, but haven't tried on the Mazdas.

You'd get missfires with a bad coil. If the missfires on two cylinders that share the same coil, then yes check the coil. Missfires aren't always caused by a problem in the ignition system. Missfires can also be triggered by fueling. Too much or too little fuel can also cause missfires. Missfires can also be triggered by mechanical issues. . . won't go into that, since that's tearing into the motor, not good!

With the P0090, I'd chase the fuel pressure issue first, as that can cause a lean condition and missfire. Disconnect a line before the FPR and stick a gauge on. Fuel filter (sock) may be clogged or fuel pump going out. If it's fine before the FPR, then check pressure after the FPR. If that's bad, then the FPR is the problem. If not, then run a scan to find which cylinder is missfiring. . . check that injector.
 
Back