New to the Miata world!

[dede78]

Hi everyone,

I bought '97 Miata about a month ago in Orlando, FL with 102k miles on it. I've been driving it and totally loving it. Made a trip to Miami and then back to Atlanta and another trip to Destin. Running good but looks like car was neglected by a previous owner and has some issues. I will go ahead and read the forum for some hints how to fix them.
It's my first convertible ever and I enjoy driving it.

[MSMX5]

Why hello there! Welcome to the site. Sounds like you've got an awesome little car there. You should post some pictures when you get a chance

[oldgrayfrog]

The basic things to know about the Miatas and maintenance. First, it's what is known as a non-interference motor, so when the timing belt goes, you just stop, it doesn't eat the entire valve train. You can get a timing belt and the water pump replacement at Rspeed or Sportmotoring, both site sponsors btw. You want to do the water pump at the same time, it goes, and there goes the engine. Timing belts should be done at 60k intervals. Some folks stretch that, the good news is that the mechanics at either shop can look in and see the condition of the timing belt, and not change it, if it's still in good shape. These two shops are reputable enough not to do the work, when it doesn't need doing. Figure somewhere around $300-400, both shops run specials from time to time. Hey Stacy and Joseph! Hint Hint!! The next big thing that can bite you in the butt is the clutch, if it starts slipping it'll cost about $1000 for a Mazda shop to repair it, less at RSpeed or SportMotoring. OTH we have tech days, and this might be a great time to get intimate with your new car. Parts on a clutch vary, but budget around $300 in parts. The next thing is a general sprucing up buy wires (they get too hot laying on the block and should be replaced avery 10k) a set of plugs (you'll need an extension for your socket and a little duct tape to keep it from coming apart), replace the fuel filter, that gets missed often and a new filter and oil change of course. If you are just going to keep driving it, that's about it. If you have massive power gains in mind, well then that's a good start. Welcome to the friendliest car site on the net. here there are no stupid questions, and nobody will bully you or call you Noob. Post pictures when you get a chance, we are all very visually stimulated.

[theothersawyer]

Welcome! Post some pictures of your new ride!

[CaveRacing]

Welcome to the forum. There's a few of us running around Sandy Springs/ Dunwoody.

Post pics!

[Bob_Bobber0]

Welcome! I'm one of the Sandy Springs guys! Can't wait to see photos.

[dede78]

Here are the photos of my Miata, not the best quality though, they came out somewhat blurry.

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/djdede78/miata/P1040383web-1.jpg

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/djdede78/miata/P1040385web.jpg

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/djdede78/miata/P1040386web.jpg

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/djdede78/miata/P1040387web.jpg

http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/djdede78/miata/P1040388web.jpg

[dede78]

Thanks MX5 Miata Atlanta Owners Club - View Profile: oldgrayfrog@@AMEPARAM@@View Profile: oldgrayfrog</title>@@AMEPARAM@@oldgrayfrog for hints. I will go ahead and visit one of those shops for sure to check if timing belt / water pump has ever been replaced. I have no paper work whatsoever on this car so have no idea.

Issue that I'm facing now are:

1) check engine light on. Autozone read it and gave me the code P0420. I tried to reset it a few times but it always comes back on after driving 50 - 80 miles.
That's a problem because I can't register the car yet since it's probably will not pass the emission.

2) Car shakes when you hit 60 mph and then it's ok again when you reach 80 mph. Is it normal or could be an issue with wheel rotation / balance?

3) There is some noise coming from the wheel, not terrible but definitely noticeable. I'm thinking maybe it's hub wearing not sure here.

4) glove compartment can't be opened.

[oldgrayfrog]

I'd have to look up the code, probably something to do with the emissions, as most codes do, either O2 sensors or the catalytic converter. O2 sensors can be had off ebay for under $60. The catalytic converters from Mazda are best but ridiculously expensive, try the Flyin Miata cats, they add a bit of horsepower and actually come with a five year warranty, something even the factory cats do not, and certainly no other aftermarket cats do.

There is the dreaded 60 mph shimmy common to most NA miatas. Certainly having a wheel out of balance will make it a lot worse, but there are lots of things sold to "correct" the problem. Most of them are related to bracing the chassis. Again, I would start with the easiest to fix, and check out the balance on the wheels.

Glove compartment won't open? Have you tried using the key to unlock it? Past that, it may be jammed. Certainly an interesting problem for a tech day.lol

[Dr.Drew]

Edit: Whoops, I got the 420 confused with the 400. 420 is the cat code. My bad.

[dede78]

According to reader P0420 is: "Catalyst efficiency monitor malfunction - bank1"
"Probable cause: 1 - exhaust leak, 2 - check other service codes first, 3 - faulty catalytic converter".

I just hope it's not the cat, I don't see any drop in a performance and get 30 MPG. I guess if the cat was bad or clogged I would get those symptoms.
I'm wondering if it's am exhaust leak sort of a thing - interesting I can sometimes smell gasoline when I sit in the car and it's very noticeable but can't really tell where it would be coming from.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Sometimes the cat is to blame for this code, but it can also be caused by the secondary o2 sensor going bad. The OBDII Miata ECU is a very finicky unit and a faulty sensor can definitely cause the CEL to turn on. I'd agree that good fuel economy is a good indicator that the cat is not clogged. It could be blown completely out though (although pretty rare IIRC). The cat does come out with only 4 bolts, so it takes very little time to pull (as long as you don't have rusted hardware) and will allow you to visually verify its condition.

You have a few options if it's not the cat, replace the sensor with a new OEM sensor, but that route is about $200. Or you can replace it with a universal o2 sensor from AutoZone, Advance, etc. that you wire in. Normally works just fine as long as it's properly wired up and costs $50 or so I think. Or you can check with our forum sponsors here (Panic Motorsports, PartsGroup, MazMart, etc.), they regularly part out Miatas and usually have o2 sensors from cars that they know had no CEL. Their prices are better than the other 2 options and it's a plug-n-play solution.

Smelling gas could be an exhaust leak, which needs to be fixed, could also be excess fuel in the charcoal canister. Might also lead you to find that you need to replace your rubber shifter boots. Regardless it's a common issue (google it, you'll see), especially on the NAs, normally attributed to the use of rubber lines for the tank and vents and the fumes seep although there's no problem. Some people have even blamed the odor on the spare tire...

[dede78]

MX5 Miata Atlanta Owners Club - View Profile: RotorNutFD3S@@AMEPARAM@@View Profile: RotorNutFD3S</title>@@AMEPARAM@@RotorNutFD3S - when you say secondary O2 sensor, you mean the one behind the cat?