RandolphB First gear | Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Earth Posts: 45 |
RandolphB
First gear
Quote:
Originally Posted by STO962
10 minutes spent checking the fuel pressure would have eliminated a bunch of guess work and possibly have saved you several hundred dollaras replacing parts that weren't needed. I don't understand why people insist on replacing a bunch of parts without doing a proper diagnostic check. Fuel pressure is one of the first things to be checked when dealing with lean codes, and weak fuel pumps are far more common than you realize.
That's a really good question, and I can answer that!
1. Nobody in this area has a fuel pressure tester for sale for under $500.00. It's the first thing I looked for. Auto parts stores list them as low as $45.00 and can't seem to get them. When they do, nobody knows what it takes attach it to a Miata...so they want you to buy it, try and and then hassle you about the return if it doesn't even work.
2. The smog place that failed the car (the guy who owns the place, not some flunky with no idea), the techs at my local Mazda dealer, two shops I used to trust all said the issues would be (in order), O2 sensors, cat, EGR valve, MAF sensor and fuel filter. Since the cat has about 300 miles on it, I counted it out. The fuel pump is about a year old, the fuel filter was a year or so old, but who knows what it may have picked up in that time? While replacing the filter, there seemed to be great pressure still at the filter....
3. The shops I used to trust wanted no less than $300.00 to diagnose the problem (and probably more). Since one told me I had a bad rod bearing in the engine before (and it was a harmonic balancer coming off from a bad timing belt install by the other shop...), I decided to not trust them anymore. I'd rather put that money towards repalcing old parts than their next trip to the river.
4. In my world of aviation, every manual includes a description of the system, what it does, how it does it, finally followed by a troubleshooting chart. THEN it includes step by step instructions of the FAA mandated method of repairing whatever you are working on. The automotive world (and my factory Mazda manual) seem hopelessly confusing and misleading. They don't tie together issues that may cause the same results; so if you don't realize the possible systems causing the problem, the manual won't lead you to it. I guess that's because when a car breaks down, it pulls to the side of the road, and somebody makes a lot of money fixing it. It's not like when an aircraft breaks down and falls out of the sky.
5. Compounding bad repairs done by the PO where bad repairs done by the shops I used to trust. Repairing them has complicated issues multiple times. I have found major items not torqued, (PPF at less than 15 ft #'s, etc.), hoses routed wrong, all manner of crushed and damaged fittings, etc. It leaves me nobody in the area I trust to work on any machine I own.
6. I'm 48 and have been twisting wrenches since I was 14. A few months from now I'll be testing to become a certified aircraft mechanic. I've had theory of operation of endless systems pounded into my head. I have been force feed how to reason out a problem; and taught when you can't figure it out you either call the factory or step by step replace parts in the most logical process of elimination you can determine.
To summerize: There seems to be no reasonably price test equipment to allow me to pressure test the system. The "Experts" ALL agreed on other things than fuel delivery as a primary issue. Cost of paying shops to simply diagnose is more expensive than step by step replacing parts until the issue is resolved. The car is old, and in the long run it won't hurt to replace these items anyway. I plan to have this car a very long time.
There is no substitute for those who have faced an issue before- hence me asking questions here- after my worn out mind started running in circles instead of working like it should...!
