I have the msp from hell

[wesklockmsp]

i got the car at 68k miles.. since then my mechanics have had more work than an LA plastic surgeon and that pesky CEL is once again on so far:
-front passenger caliper rusted/corroded and brake would randomly shut while driving
-MAF went bad and was replace along with new spark plugs
-passenger side engine mount/front engine mount broken and replaced
-stress crack on windshield had that replaced
-wires connected to coils frayed and stopped working so sporratic 2cylinder driving -> fixed wires
-clutch went and slipped everytime i boosted so ACT stage 3 clutch
-some asshole jumped on my roof so dents repaired (at least that one didnt come out of my pocket!)
now the car has 78k miles.. all of that within 10,ooo miles and the CEL is on again. sorry im just frustrated and venting but i cant seem to find anything wrong with the way its running.. im gonna have to have someone read the code

 

[Spiced MSP]

wow, sorry to hear about your luck with the car. Hopefully your luck will change. The stress crack in the windshield, bad motor mounts, bad MAF sensor, bad coils/wires have all been experienced with this car. The other issues you are having, I don't know what to say but, this car has its good days and its bad days..and usually the bad days the car will show its ugly face and make you want to trade the car in or something. On a good day, you will enjoy the car.

 

[littlemimus]

yeah dude. these cars are a b**** but when u get em running good its so worth it!

 

[satyr36]

this is nothing compared to the nightmare i bought

 

[Outlawstar98]

I'll trade you dude, ive had more issues. But still love my MSP, even when it's sitting in my garage with no motor because it blew up... Fun times

 

[thepope540]

wesklockmsp - Cheer up! Be thankful that you haven't had to put in a diff or a motor. You're not really initiated into msp ownership until you've done one or the other, or both. I've only had my msp for 15 months and I've done coils, plugs, diff, motor, control arm bushings, ac lines, sway bar bushings, the list goes on... I never even replaced my cracked manifold or cracked windshield. In the 15 months I've owned it it has been down 9 months. Part of that is because I've been working on an engine swap, but the bottom line is that if you own an msp there will be crap to deal with.

Keep it and be ready or run away as fast as you can.

 

[bgibb68]

welcome to the world of cars...i have an 02 p5(not turbo) and i have actually had to replace more. i went through and had to replace all mounts(2 were in pieces, the other 2 were about to be) wires and plugs, just prepare to replace every so often. the maf is a new one. and my car is yellow....bought it thinking people couldn't miss it...well i was right, been hit 'n ran on twice. once i was driving. that doesn't include all the times someone has backed up on it.

 

[destineal]

Ahh, the curse of the MSP

 

[StealthWyvern]

welcome to the world of cars...i have an 02 p5(not turbo) and i have actually had to replace more. i went through and had to replace all mounts(2 were in pieces, the other 2 were about to be) wires and plugs, just prepare to replace every so often. the maf is a new one. and my car is yellow....bought it thinking people couldn't miss it...well i was right, been hit 'n ran on twice. once i was driving. that doesn't include all the times someone has backed up on it.

that sucks I have something similar.. got rear ended when I about stalled out on my 2nd day owning the car by the only other person on the road besides me... Her excuse was everyone else was going. I had also just literally got the rear bumper re painted the day before.

The clutch in my car was extremely touchy where even other MSP owners stalled out in my car. lol

Ahh, the curse of the MSP

I honestly dont think its a curse... i think its the time when these cars came out... read fast and the furious

These cars have their far share of known issues but show me a car that doesn't...

I have sunk in roughly 4k in repairs on my car since I purchased it but I can't blame that on mazda nor the previous owner(well not fully). All my issues have been from poor install jobs that lead to massive boost leaks, previous owner tearing up the trans, trans shop botching up trans repair(4 times), racoons playing chicken with me and for the most part normal wear and tear for any car.

 

[1fastms]

MSP is one of those cars that are somewhat nice to have b/c they are rare but theres much better options out there.

 

[ucMP3]

Lol, it's not just yours, they're all money pits (MSP's & MP3's). I'm on my 2nd motor, 3rd tranny, been hit & run on once, not to mention everything else I've done in maintenance and upkeep. I won't even go into the modding $$ spent.

 

[mazdaspeedp]

ya these cars always **** up

 

[destineal]

that sucks I have something similar.. got rear ended when I about stalled out on my 2nd day owning the car by the only other person on the road besides me... Her excuse was everyone else was going. I had also just literally got the rear bumper re painted the day before.

The clutch in my car was extremely touchy where even other MSP owners stalled out in my car. lol

I honestly dont think its a curse... i think its the time when these cars came out... read fast and the furious

These cars have their far share of known issues but show me a car that doesn't...

I have sunk in roughly 4k in repairs on my car since I purchased it but I can't blame that on mazda nor the previous owner(well not fully). All my issues have been from poor install jobs that lead to massive boost leaks, previous owner tearing up the trans, trans shop botching up trans repair(4 times), racoons playing chicken with me and for the most part normal wear and tear for any car.

A little modest aren't we?

 

[StealthWyvern]

A little modest aren't we?

Nope not really. If you replace the known crap parts. I'm not talking rods because if you keep the boost stock you wont have rod issues.

The car wasn't meant for high boost applications from the factory. Replace the crap tastic plastic boost tubes and the LSD(hit or miss issue) and you should be golden as far as not breaking down everyday. Grant it the rear sway bar bushings are wear and tear no matter how you look at it. Its just that they wear a hell of a lot faster then other cars rear sway due to the poor design. Also the EGR is a issue but thats not just a MSP issue either.

 

[MSPzac]

mines been down for 9 months i replaced the clutch, slave cylinder, and the lsd o ya... and had the tranny rebuilt. ive had it running for about a week and now my ABS light is on and when i hit the clutch i hear a thump.
Ayear ago my lower ball joint went out, these cars you cant replace just the ball joint you have to get a new lower control arm!! also my axle broke and ruined my steering knuckle and wheel hub. ive had pretty rough luck with mine.

people ask whats done and all i really have to say is UPKEEP

 

[wesklockmsp]

Forgot to mention one more
-had to replace egr

wow guys thanks a lot i actually feel a lot better about my car now.. when u think about it cars from 03 are certainly not as reliable as a new car or even a car from 07 or something. i can however blame some on mazda for trying to take shortcuts with shotty internals trying to build an enthusiast car for under 20k at the time.

it turns out CEL showed a (i believe) P 0131 code meaning o2 sensor had low voltage... code was reset and i was told that driving around like that is okay if anything it can run a little bit rich and if the CEL comes on again it may need to be replaced. The previous owner had what appears to be an o2 or fuel gage spliced into the wires attatched to the o2 sensor which is now hooked up to nothing and just sitting there.. this wouldnt be causing this problem would it?

 

[BOOSTR]

You've had nothing but minor issues and problems from buying a used car, period. Hardly an MSP from hell issue in my opinion.

Clearing the pcm will not resolve your underlying issue for that cel. Driving around with a faulty or shot primary O2 sensor is not okay unless you want decreased performance and economy. Replace it as its the most important of the two 02s. The 2nd one does not do anything to affect either performance or economy so you can ignore a CEL for that 02 with no worries.

I bought mine brand new. Its been to the dealer twice since 03 for the flash and bushings. Its modified and sees plenty of boost. I had to replace the radio, passenger motor mount, valve cover gasket, brake pads and tires. BFD, when you consider I've rolled 81K of virtually trouble free and very reliable miles.

 

[mazdaspeedp]

if abs light is on probabley just the abs sensor is bad

 

[StealthWyvern]

if abs light is on probabley just the abs sensor is bad

that or a poor connection

 

[thepope540]

I'm not talking rods because if you keep the boost stock you wont have rod issues.

Not necessarily true. When my motor popped I was only making 1-2 lbs. With a peak of roughly 7.5-8 psi.