YACT: The never-ending problem(s) (long, please help!)

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Some of you might remember my YACT threads with problem after problem, well actually it was mostly the same problem that never got fixed in spite of all the money I threw into it. :( :|

Here's a couple prev threads I dug up: distributor replaced, stuttering, stalling.

Well still nothing is right. For the last month or two, it keeps stalling like it did after I got the dist. replaced. After them checking a bunch of stuff they finally replace the fuel pump yet the f*cking day I get the car back it does the same thing (see 2nd thread). I've just been driving it and dealing with it stuttering and stalling.

One thing I discovered is that it is much more likely to stall if I give it much gas. If I lightly press on the pedal to accelerate then it normally goes fine. Most often I found it to stall out when I was cornering and got back on the gas. The rpms would just drop to zero and it'd stall. If I very lightly pressed on the gas (as in not enough to make it downshift, which really sucks when you're in 3rd gear and you can't press the gas down hard enough to get any rpms cause obviously a 4cyl don't make too much power at 2k rpms in 3rd!).

Some days it's real bad and I don't even want to drive the car because it stutters and stalls so much, while other days it doesn't give me any problems, although those days aren't too often. Lately it hasn't even been stalling, but rather for instance I'll be accelerating and try giving it more gas, only to have the rpms drop to a few hundred and almost stalling, then "catching" a half-second later and they shoot back up to whatever I was at. It's like it just cuts out for less than a second a lot of the time and may or may not get back going.

To me, it sounds fuel-system related, as some people said a couple months ago. But I don't know much when it comes to cars. Any ideas?

Oh, and on a possible but bad related note, there is something wrong with the cooling. A couple days ago I was driving constantly for about 2 hours and there was smoke (or steam?) coming from the hood. My temp gage didnt indicate overheating, but when I drive my car for any length of time and then get out I can smell something that smells like burning from the hood area. I've been having to add addl coolant every week or less... it's either leaking or getting burned off I guess.

And finally, ever since the original problem several months ago, it has developed this sound, which I can't ever find the words to describe, so maybe i'll try and get it recorded to post. It seems to have worsened. When I used to have the car it was really quiet. Now when I start it up it's really loud... lots more noise coming from the hood (I don't think it's the exhaust, which has been replaced too, and it sounds like loud clicking kind of). Again, not sure if this is all related.

Anyway, it's a 1993 Mazda 626 4cyl with 150k miles. What's been replaced in the last couple months in attempt to fix it has been the distributor, fuel & air filter, fuel pump. All the mechanics I've brought it to haven't really done jack other than waste my money and still be left with the problem. The last thing we tried as the throttle pos sensor, but supposedly the mechanic hooked it up to a comp and said there was nothing wrong with the TPS.

I'm desperate
 

bmacd

Lifer
Jan 15, 2001
10,869
1
0
desperate enough to take it to a mechanic? let them solve your problems.

-=bmacd=-
 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
It's already been taken to two mechanics, plus my neighbor took a look at it. I'm not gonna bringing it in and having them change something that doesn't fix it, cause I've done that enough already. I don't think they know what the problem is or they will be like "well we took it for a test drive and it ran fine" but it dont!
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
63,305
19,668
136
Uh... when you stopped when the hood smelled like burning, did you pop the hood and see where it might have been coming from, and/or can you describe what it smelled like more specifically?
I know someone with about the same year 626, and it's sounded like COMPLETE shiat the 3 years I've known her... every time I see her, I'm surprised that thing still runs.
 

Quixfire

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2001
6,892
0
0
Is the TPS adjusted correctly? Some of the early built Mazda car had adjustable TPS sensors and if they got out of range as much as .05 volts they could cause the problems you describe. The nominal range for your vehicle should be .490 to .515, I like to set them at .495 to .505.
 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Quixfire: I don't believe I have the equipment nor the knowledge to check that, but I'll tell the person who looks at it.

nakedfrog: Well I'm at a loss for words for describing it, but next time I smell it I'll think of it and post back here. :)

edit: No I can't tell exactly where its coming from, but it seems more towards the engine block (as opposed to say the right side of the hood where the coolant goes in).
 

dirtboy

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,745
1
81
If you're adding coolant every week, it means you need to replace your headgasket or you have a leak somewhere else. That in itself is probably worth diagnosing. Do you notice wherever you park it overnight that there is a puddle of fluid underneath it, or anything of that sort?
 

Black88GTA

Diamond Member
Sep 9, 2003
3,430
0
0
Try looking at the oil...if it looks like a chocolate milkshake, coolant is getting into it. This usually means you have a leaking headgasket.
 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
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Originally posted by: dirtboy
If you're adding coolant every week, it means you need to replace your headgasket or you have a leak somewhere else. That in itself is probably worth diagnosing. Do you notice wherever you park it overnight that there is a puddle of fluid underneath it, or anything of that sort?
No, the only thing that puddles underneath it when parked is oil. :disgust: (which too was *supposed* to be fixed, but that was long ago, it only leaks a little bit of oil)

I thought about a headgasket a couple days ago, which would really run my day/week if that ends up being the case. My brother's 91 Lumina 3.1, which is known to blow a headgasket a lot, had it happen. Luckily through some relatives and a warrantied engine it was fixed without too much money. However, I wouldn't even want to know the cost to fix a headgasket on my car.
Do you live on the East coast or West coast ?
And when I seen Roger posted in here, I thought he'd have the magical answer. But what kinda question is that? :) Anyway, it's neither. Same state as you live in man!

Oh, and I talked with my dad today about all the problems. He kept thinking that the plugs, wires, and dist cap should be replaced, but I don't know about that...

Lastly, the sound it makes when I accelerate is mostly a rattling type sound as if something is loose.
 

You live in Connecticut ?

If you do, I will diagnose your problem in person.
 

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Originally posted by: Roger
You live in Connecticut ?

If you do, I will diagnose your problem in person.
Well I said that because your profile indicates Michigan, but I see that's not the case. :confused: Thanks though!



For the record, the plugs, wires, rotor ?, and dist cap are being replaced now.

I thought it was fuel-related, but from yesterday it seems electrical.

And the smoke that is coming off/where the smell is coming from appears right on the engine block. After I came home I shut off the car and opened the hood and I could clearly see smoke coming off of the engine. It smells like burnt oil although I can't be sure.