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Odd Problem With Getting My Miata to Start



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 10th 05, 08:49 PM
Noah Body
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Default Odd Problem With Getting My Miata to Start

I have a 1993 Miata. It has recently become impossible to crank start it.
However, it starts easily when push started. The Mechanic ran a diagnostic
on it and said that the computer shows that the crank position sensor is
bad. He then added that doesn't match up with the problem. I can replace the
sensor for $600 but that may not solve the problem.

Has anybody else had similar problems? If so what did you do to fix it?


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  #2  
Old February 11th 05, 12:04 AM
Lanny Chambers
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In article >,
"Noah Body" > wrote:

> I have a 1993 Miata. It has recently become impossible to crank start it.
> However, it starts easily when push started.


Sounds like you might have a marginal battery, where cranking drops the
voltage too low to fire the plugs.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
'94C
the alignment page:
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html
  #3  
Old February 11th 05, 06:44 PM
Noah Body
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"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Noah Body" > wrote:
>
> > I have a 1993 Miata. It has recently become impossible to crank start

it.
> > However, it starts easily when push started.

>
> Sounds like you might have a marginal battery, where cranking drops the
> voltage too low to fire the plugs.


We've tested that already and the battery is fine. The mechanic said that it
has to be one of the engine sensors but since he's not a Mazda dealer it's
prohibitively expensive to just start plugging in new sensors.


  #4  
Old February 11th 05, 08:02 PM
Simply Pete
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"Noah Body" > wrote in message
...

> We've tested that already and the battery is fine. The mechanic said that

it
> has to be one of the engine sensors but since he's not a Mazda dealer it's
> prohibitively expensive to just start plugging in new sensors.
>


Don't know how you've tested that already... but I'm with Lanny.
I can't imagine what sensor would fail depending on what is turning the
engine over...
unless it is related to low voltage when the starter motor is doing the
cranking.
In your testing, did you try another battery or jumper cable it to another
car ?

Pete



  #5  
Old February 12th 05, 03:26 AM
Anthony
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Batteries can show the correct voltage even if they are suffereing.
Did you test it for current?

~Anthony

  #6  
Old February 12th 05, 01:20 PM
Noah Body
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"Anthony" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Batteries can show the correct voltage even if they are suffereing.
> Did you test it for current?
>
> ~Anthony
>

It was tested for voltage and current. I also tried to jump start it with
another battery and as always it cranked but wouldn't ignite. The problem
developed slowly. At first it just take multiple attempts to start it then
it finally got to a point where it just wouldn't start.


  #7  
Old February 12th 05, 05:02 PM
Simply Pete
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"Noah Body" > wrote in message
...
> It was tested for voltage and current. I also tried to jump start it with
> another battery and as always it cranked but wouldn't ignite. The problem
> developed slowly. At first it just take multiple attempts to start it then
> it finally got to a point where it just wouldn't start.


is it possibly a fuel pump problem ???
jostling the car when pushing to start it might be sloshing the fuel in the
tank enough to get the fuel pump going.
I had this with a Chev Express van... it took progressively more cranking to
start it, then it just wouldn't start anymore unless someone stood on the
bumper and jumped up and down whilst I was cranking it. I knew it was fuel
pump related because I no longer heard the characteristic 'hum' when turning
the ignition on.
this is a puzzler... be sure to post what ultimately fixes it.

Pete



  #8  
Old February 13th 05, 12:38 AM
Leon van Dommelen
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"Simply Pete" > wrote:

>
>"Noah Body" > wrote in message
...
>> It was tested for voltage and current. I also tried to jump start it with
>> another battery and as always it cranked but wouldn't ignite. The problem
>> developed slowly. At first it just take multiple attempts to start it then
>> it finally got to a point where it just wouldn't start.

>
>is it possibly a fuel pump problem ???
>jostling the car when pushing to start it might be sloshing the fuel in the
>tank enough to get the fuel pump going.
>I had this with a Chev Express van... it took progressively more cranking to
>start it, then it just wouldn't start anymore unless someone stood on the
>bumper and jumped up and down whilst I was cranking it. I knew it was fuel
>pump related because I no longer heard the characteristic 'hum' when turning
>the ignition on.
>this is a puzzler... be sure to post what ultimately fixes it.


I would hope the shop checked the fuel pressure. But if they did
not, look at
http://dommelen.net/tmp8.jpg
http://dommelen.net/tmp9.jpg

Also, I would assume they checked that the spark plugs were sparking.
And no water in the spark plug wells.

Something being shaken into shape sounds logical, though. It is
hard to imagine what else push starting could do that the starter
engine cannot, if the battery is OK.

I too would like to see what it turns out to be.

Leon


>Pete
>
>


--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)
  #9  
Old February 26th 05, 01:17 AM
Noah Body
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The problem was actually just a bad ignition switch.


  #10  
Old February 26th 05, 02:48 AM
Leon van Dommelen
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"Noah Body" > wrote:

>The problem was actually just a bad ignition switch.


We should have thought of that. It is a common problem with
older Miatas. But I would expect a bad ignition switch would
affect push starting and crank starting the same way, assuming
the starter motor runs normally.

Anyway, I would think a new ignition switch should have been a lot
cheaper than a crank position sensor.

Maybe miata.net should post a list: "10 most common problems
experienced with Miatas"? Beyond excessive mileage, of
course.

Leon

--
Leon van Dommelen Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)
 




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