Category: Miata
June 10, 2005
Miata: Going Strong, But Lit Up
Yeah, that's right. It's running well, but it doesn't know it. That is, it put on the check engine light. Silly car. What does it know about itself?
*grumble*
I'll have to take it up to get the engine code pulled. Again. *sigh*
It's barely been 100 miles since I picked it up. I never should have done the post yesterday talking about it.
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(0)June 9, 2005
Miata Back in Action
Well, we got the Miata back again after it went in a few weeks ago.
It's all tuned up, smogged, and running smoothly. Finally.
It's been a long while since I've been able to drive it and feel comfortable about really putting the pedal to the metal. But I can now. And it goes. It really goes!
It's nice to be able to merge into traffic at the speed of traffic with a short onramp. The Jeep just doesn't quite handle that very well.
Well, hopefully it'll last. I'm knocking on wood already that no problems will crop up soon.
May 17, 2005
Miata Back in the Shop
Yes, it's back in the shop. It had to be towed up yesterday because after what happened I didn't feel it was a good idea to drive it all the way up to Hayward.
Actually, with AAA Plus towing and not having to drive two cars up and one back I think the whole thing was cheaper. It would have cost an addition $10-15 in gas, alone. (About 40 miles one-way, two cars up, 1 back for a total of 120 miles of additional driving at about 20 mpg and $2.60 per gallon is about $15.60.)
I still need to run new mileage calculations on both the Jeep and the Miata. Neither are particularly good, but it would be nice to see just how bad they are. I think...
In any case, the Miata will likely be in for a while to determine the cause of the current problems, which are bit mysterious.
May 16, 2005
Miata: Doing Worse
I almost didn't make it in today. It stopped having power around the same place as last time I drove it. However, this time it didn't regain power as easily. I got it back at one point, but only for a little bit. I finally had to park it on the side of the road for about 10 minutes with it off.
Actually, I didn't plan on parking it. I had planned on calling AAA. The first time I dialed the number, I just had silence for a bit. Sometimes that happens when the circuits are busy and the call will go through after a minute. Not so, this time. So, I tried calling again. When I looked at the phone after a minute it was in the process of resetting! My phone had crashed trying to make a phone call!
Well, after it came on I got side tracked with SMS messages I'd missed the entire weekend. Then I started it and it got to about a block before our parking lot fine. I had to gently nudge it all the way in. That wasn't much fun. I'm waiting for the comments at work on why I parked somewhere different.
I think I'll have it get it towed up to Hayward. It's not that it necessarily wouldn't make it. It's more that it might take a while to make it. At the same time, if I arrived with the problem in full swing, it might make diagnosis easier. Of course, the problem may not be good for the car, so that might not be worthwhile. Additionally, the computer may have the correct problem logged.
It's really strange that the tach will bounce around when in gear coasting down a road. That doesn't seem possible unless there is an electrical problem of some sort. The tach must not measure engine speed by anything mechanical, either. That's a bit strange.
May 11, 2005
Miata Troubles
Although it's wicked fun to drive, our Miata has become a black hole for money as the troubles continue. The check engine light has been on for a while; Rick (of PR Motorsports) knows about it. The part that was assumed to be the main cause of the light based on the diagnostic codes was replaced, but the light didn't go away. Of course, I have to get the car smogged this month so it can get registered.
However, it's now actually mis-behaving. Twice now, on the freeway, a problem has occurred. I'll be cruising along, having not pushed the car even a little bit for the morning, and then the tack will go wild, bouncing all over where it should be. This usually happens when the gas is down a little and it can't get any power or accelerate at all.
Yesterday this happened and after pulling over and letting the car idle for a bit, it went away. Today, however, it came back a few times even after stopping and restarting the car. I don't think it's particularly dangerous since it'll idle fine with the clutch depressed, so all the electric stuff still has power.
Oddly, no one has honked or yelled at me for slowing them down a few seconds. They have gotten within inches of the car, though. In all cases, though, they've been on the phone, so maybe that's preventing them from being overly rude. Heh.
In any case, at least part of the reason for posting this is to have a record of it and a date, etc. So, for the none of you that read this, if it bores you, sorry. :p
April 5, 2005
Oil Change and the Code Pulled
So, the trip up to PR Motorsports went well. I got the oil changed with Mobile One full synthetic. Actually, Rick was very nice and comp'd me the oil change.
The code that was pulled was the same as before: EGR flow insufficient. And this is after having the EGR valve changed. So, no one quite knows what is wrong at the moment. Rick called up Flyin' Miata and they'll get back to him if they know anything.
For now, I've been told it doesn't really affect anything other than getting the car smogged. Naturally, I have until May to get the car smogged. Heh.
However, that does mean that I can run it full on. And boy does it fly! I'd forgotten how good flooring it feelins in the low gears. One of these days I'll have to get it dyno'd to get some good, hard numbers. But until then, just know that it's a kick in the back. Although, 1st gear is still a bit uncontrollable. That is, it tends to just spin the wheels. ;)
In any case, I'll be scheduling a longer visit soon. This visit will also include a full turbo tuning with Flyin' Miata recommendations. That should be fun. I'm not sure yet if I'll up the boost or not, but I think a little should be safe enough with the built engine. It has rods in it that are stronger than the ones they use on their 2.0L stroked engines. ;)
More Fun with the Miata
So, finally I got over the 1000 mile break-in of the new engine. Mostly, the rule was to avoid going on heavy boost of the turbo, so I kept it to no more than 1-2 psi (which is rather difficult, actually).
This was last Thursday. Given our quick trip to Death Valley, I didn't get to drive it much. Last night, I got to drive it home, though. And, naturally, the check engine light went on. Again.
Damn!
It was literally just in for a fix that should have solved that. Hopefully I'll be able to take it in today and get the trouble code pulled.
I also want to get the oil changed so I can switch back to synthetics now that the break-in of the new engine is over.
*sigh* At this point, I really just want it all running and reliable again. I'm looking forward to really jumping on the turbo and getting it all tuned up and stuff, but not having to worry about it is just as much of a dream right now.
March 5, 2005
Yes! We actually did get the Miata back!
Rick at PR Motorsports even called again to confirm that it was done and ready to go.
I got a ride up from a coworker in his 2001 Miata that he just got recently. It's very similar, in all, just some refinements after a couple of years. The cup holders are still in the way of shifting, though. But even the CD player is basically the same (Bose model).
Anyway, the car was sitting out front all ready for me. He showed me the engine block that used to be in the car. It had 5 or 6 holes in it (see crappy camera phone picture).
After about 1/2 hour talking with him I was on my way.
OMG! It's so different than driving the Jeep! It sounds a little different than it did, I think. It's been a while, though, so I can't really tell.
I have to change the oil after 25-50 miles to a non-synthetic type. Then again I need to change at 1,000 miles but at that point, I can use synthetic again. It's at just over 70 miles, so I have to get it changed today. ;)
March 4, 2005
THE Call Came In!
Yes, PR Motorsports actually did call yesterday. And yes, I'm supposed to be able to pick up our Miata TODAY!
It's about time. They said it'd be done by 10am, which is a good sign. I'll probably swing up there around lunch time.
Naturally, though, it's raining today here. Although the hard top is still on the car, anyway, so it's not too big of a deal. Besides that, the Jeep is technically a convertible, too.
*silly grin*
March 2, 2005
Another Miata Update
So, I got a call late Monday from PR Motorsports. They received the engine from Flyin' Miata Friday afternoon and they expect it to be done by Friday.
He says he'll call Wednesday (that's today!) to let me know if they're on track or if Murphy will be getting in the way.
Given that I'm also expecting a package to get to my on Friday, I have my doubts about getting both things then. In theory, though, all they have to do is put the engine into the car. It's made a little more complex by the fact that it has a turbo, but 5 days should be enough, no?
*crossing my fingers*
