So I just recently put in a new MAF, my car was idle at a light and it died. So next day I went and got a replacement. To my misfortune it made matters worse. I start it and dies, I have to give it a little gas to start up fully but I pull off to idle then it dies again, I figured this was going to happen and I just needed to drive it around. I took it on the road and immediately noticed that when I get to around 4K rpm or higher, however if I floored it, there's no problem. it also sputters so much it practically looks like I'm braking erratically. I'm thinking I need new plugs and coils (which I have now) and replace it. I don't know if my sensor is dirty, or my connection to the MAF is fully connected, but figured I wouldn't even get the car started if my connection was bad. Also when I'm in the range of it sputtering, my engine light flashes, but when I get out of it, the flashing stops.
I'm sorry to put this up when there are other threads but I'm having a combination of a few problems, so I just want to know before I start pouring in more parts and money that I have at least narrowed it down to my assumptions, rather than something I may not be aware of. Thanks!!

 

Looking at the plugs and seeing if their dirty is always the first place to start. It doesn't cost you anything and it's quick. The coils have been a problem on this car and may need replacing more often than the plugs.
If I remember right, you in Calif. can't borrow ODB diagnostic tools from the auto parts store. It would be worth it to buy/borrow one to see if there is a problem. Ignition components won't show up as an error code.

 

Your ESS sensor may also need to be cleaned off. I've read that if there is any bits of metal that get stuck to it, (it is magnetized) it can cause problems.

 

Ok so I took it to the dealer to have all my plugs, coil, and wires changed out, and it's still doing it. However, I know I forgot to mention this before, but I have a AEM cold air intake I put on it. So with that, is there a possibility that it needs to be nynoed because of the incorrect fuel to air combination? Because I do have a more excessive fuel smell. Or maybe I need a programmable MAF sensor (if there is such a thing)? But now I know it's not anything related to the plugs, coils or wires. But before I end it there, I also did replace the fuel pump awhile back before I put there intake on, I installed it correctly (to my knowledge) and it was running fine before hand. But that's the ONLY parts I changed out. I figured I'd get the list out now before I shoot myself in the foot again..

 

Where did you get your MAF...?
Sounds like a faulty MAF from beginning...

 

If you took it to a Mazda dealer, they would have hooked it up to the service machine and got a readout. What are the results of that?
AEM intake is the same as the Mazdaspeed intake. However, it doesn't say Mazda on it so a dealer could blame it for anything.
The fuel smell could come from the tank or the fuel injector area.
Without engine codes, it's hard to troubleshoot from 2000 miles away.
Maybe you should get a code reader. They are available for under $100.
Also, see above reply.

 

Ok, well from what the dealer told me it was giving them a error code on the intake, they tried to reset the CEL to get rid of the light relating to the MAF I think and the car would just shut down. But I will go to autozone and see what they could do about getting me a new MAF or even see about hooking it up to see exactly what the error code was. Thank you for your quick reply.

 

The cheap maf at autozone carries a one year warranty. If you got the duralast one they have a lifetime warranty.

 

I'm pretty sure I got the duralast one, but I got the MAF less than a month ago, so I should be good either way.

 

Well I never would have thought it but that did it! I replaced my sensor and it started up, and ran just fine. Thank you so much, one thing that was weird was that every time I put the old MAF on, it would click or I guess lock, but I put this one in and it clicked, something that I thought was funny but maybe it wasn't fully seated in?... Whatever, thanks again everyone, I don't know what I would have done without this forum.