SSV valve stuck closed
 

Has anyone in Aus had a sticky SSV valve? I have had lack of power, rattling noises under acceleration and poor idle for weeks and after checking I found the SSV valve in the inlet manifold Jammed closed. I asked my local Mazda dealer if they could change it and have been told that I need a new inlet manifold as MAzda Aus doesnt supply the individual parts. Manifold price Approx $2500 plus labour. Mazda US have a service bulliten on how to change it so I'll have a go myself and see what happens.

It's probably stuck due to sludge and buildup (not carbon buildup like many people thinks it is).

What you do is get the Zoom Power Cleaner and follow this DIY:

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-mazda-zoom-power-engine-cleaner-engine-cleaning-seaform-142852/

This should solve your problem.

yeah if you have gone as far as inspecting the valve then you might as well clean it. subaru upper engine cleaner or a can of carby cleaner are the alternatives to the zoom power cleaner.

Yep, a can of the cleaner costs something like 5 bucks as oppose to $2500 plus labor. :)

I thought i would report back the result. After 3 hours we have followed the US bulliten on MIL2070 and removed and cleaned the SSV valve! The amount of sludge was incredible! We had it spotless and reinstalled it and what a difference to the cars performance! Gone is the lack of power, stalling, and rattling under acceleration! I would recommend anyone with this problem to remove it and clean it properly or if required maybe replace it with a new one from the US, as Mazda Aus dont carry it . I'm surprised that this is not a routine maintenabce job as the car gets older.
ps to remove the valve required the careful use of a tyre lever to ease it out as this one was stuck solid. If its done before its stuck solid it would probably come out a lot easier.

Of course only attempt this if you are experienced in car maintenace.

^I too worked on an RX8 with a stuck SSV and agree that it is something one should clean after awhile.
I pulled mine out a couple months ago just to see how bad it was.
It had a film on it, but wasn't enough to bind the valve.

Did you remove the valve with the manifold still in the car?
That is how I recommend doing it.

Yes, removed it with the manifold in the car. Get a copy of the bulliten and it explains every bolt to remove....

Do you have a copy of that? I'm curious what it says.

What I do is:
Remove the ACV (and that hard pipe), thermostat, water pulley, alternator bracket.
Then I can remove the two bolts securing the SSV and pull it right out.
But last time I did it, I removed the upper intake manifold because those bolts for the SSV were difficult for me to reach (while reinstalling) and removing the UIM gave my hands more room.
I ended up dropping a bolt into the abyss and had to snake it out.

Your way is pretty much the same as the bulliten, I have a PDF copy. how do I post it?

Below the "message" box click on 'Go Advanced'
Then click on the "paper clip" icon and upload the file from your computer.
It'll attach any pdf document up to 4.87MB.

Ok here it is

Yeah... pretty much the same thing. Thanks for posting that.
I also applied a light coat of grease on the SSV bushing, but it probably isn't that necessary.

Did the same, but I was concerned not to apply too much as it may turn into sludge?

Not sure how hot it gets at the valve, but I don't think you'll need a high temp grease like Alvania or Kluber.
I did use Kendall's Super Blu high temp grease because I had it laying around

Only time will tell! Back to work now its afternoon here!

LOL... its 1:30am here and I should get back to work ;)

Thanks guys - very helpful info. :beer05:

I think I'll get my mechanic to check that out next service.

Appreciate the SB too.

I'm sure it would be worth while for people in Aus to post on this thread if they have the problem or have repaired the problem. It would be interesting to see how many cars have this , and whether there has been mis diagnosis for the symptoms which have created unnecessary expensive repair bills. My goal would be to educate about this fault and prevent the bad experience others have had with the car.

will it always throw a code?

I had been experiencing low flow at high rpm. I didn't prove it but I thought my valves were full of carbon.

I sprayed cleaner down the runners and then took it for a clean-out drive and the flow improved.

So what's the part number for the replacement valve kit mentioned in the bulletin?

Look at the end of the bulletin - it's all there.

I dont have an OBD11 reader, but I can tell you it never threw a check light or anything like that, but if I can get my hands on a reader I'll post the findings. I would imagine we should see codes 2070,0661,0662 as they are related to the SSV.

Sorry yes I did notice that right after I posted. Okay so here's the other thing - if one stands beside the engine and gets some one else to rev it to say 7,000 rpm - can one see this valve actuating from the outside? As a means of checking operation apart from pulling the UIM off etc?

I worked on a local's RX8 that had a stuck SSV.
He was driving with this problem for a few months and got all kinds of other codes, but only once for the SSV.

No. It actuates based on RPM and vehicle speed (or more specifically Engine Load).
So just sitting still and revving it won't actuate the valve.
FYI: The SSV opens above 3250rpm.
I made a video on how to check the intake valves in this thread:
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-troubleshoot-intake-valves-174009/

Whats a good way to get seafoam down in there?