I've been having some trouble trying to diagnose this issue I'm having with my 2004 Mazda3 2.3l hatchback. I'm still new to fixing/tinkering with cars and was hoping to get some help on narrowing down what is causing a P2177/2187 CEL with my car.
This is a used car I purchased recently and as far as I know, after taking a look under the hood, the only modification to the car that was made was the installation of a cold air intake. While idling, the engine's RPM remains steady. There is, however, a slight amount of shuddering when the car is at a standstill which leads me to believe there is some kind of vacuum leak. Although, whether this is considered normal or it is due to the extremely cold temperatures where I live, I don't know. I'm not experiencing any problems like stalling when I stop a red light/stop sign, nor any issues with handling or acceleration and getting up to speed, although the car can be a little difficult to start up in the morning after sitting in the cold for the night.
While I was getting the wheels balanced at a local garage, I also got the mechanics there to diagnose what might be causing the CELs. They concluded that it is likely due to a damaged (or "rotting", as they said) PCV hose, and because it's apparently very difficult to access (as it is under the intake manifold), it would cost around $300 worth of labour on top of the costs for the parts themselves.
From my extensive googling, possible reasons for the P2177/2187 CEL could be an contaminated MAF sensor, a stuck purge valve, the PCV valve, or a vacuum leak? As I mentioned in the thread title, I can't really feel any problems while driving, but then again, something I perceive as normal might be otherwise.
Anyone have any advice for me on where to start? I'm aware that a lean/rich CEL can be quite serious, so would it best if just take it into the garage for it to be fixed for the aforementioned price?
This is a used car I purchased recently and as far as I know, after taking a look under the hood, the only modification to the car that was made was the installation of a cold air intake. While idling, the engine's RPM remains steady. There is, however, a slight amount of shuddering when the car is at a standstill which leads me to believe there is some kind of vacuum leak. Although, whether this is considered normal or it is due to the extremely cold temperatures where I live, I don't know. I'm not experiencing any problems like stalling when I stop a red light/stop sign, nor any issues with handling or acceleration and getting up to speed, although the car can be a little difficult to start up in the morning after sitting in the cold for the night.
While I was getting the wheels balanced at a local garage, I also got the mechanics there to diagnose what might be causing the CELs. They concluded that it is likely due to a damaged (or "rotting", as they said) PCV hose, and because it's apparently very difficult to access (as it is under the intake manifold), it would cost around $300 worth of labour on top of the costs for the parts themselves.
From my extensive googling, possible reasons for the P2177/2187 CEL could be an contaminated MAF sensor, a stuck purge valve, the PCV valve, or a vacuum leak? As I mentioned in the thread title, I can't really feel any problems while driving, but then again, something I perceive as normal might be otherwise.
Anyone have any advice for me on where to start? I'm aware that a lean/rich CEL can be quite serious, so would it best if just take it into the garage for it to be fixed for the aforementioned price?
