P0171 is fuel system too lean, P2259 is Secondary Air Injection System Control B Circuit Low. Car also makes sound similar to noisy lifters from passenger side of car. I'm not very familiar with these parts, so I really have no idea what I'm looking at or what to do. What would be making that noise would be my first question, and will replacing it solve the problem? Also, there is, or was, a complete manual online that was free, but I can't remember where it was. Can anyone tell me how to find it? Thanks. EDIT, found the manual, it's RotaryHeads.com

 

Check your MAF rate. Should be around 4.5-5.5 g/s at warm idle with the AC off.
If it's lower than this then, combined with your lean code, you probably have a pretty big vacuum leak.

It might be related to the P2259. That code is for and electrical problem with the solenoid mounted to the back of the upper intake manifold (near the oil filter). This code is most often caused by a failed solenoid but can be a loose connector. The solenoid controls vacuum to the vacuum actuator which allows air from the pump into the exhaust system at cold start to help the catalyst light off.

There are two other identical solenoids back there connected to the same vacuum reservoir that control the VDI and SSV. You can test things out by swapping the electrical connectors.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-...4/#post3411252

DTC P2259

SECONDARY AIR INJECTION (AIR) SOLENOID VALVE INSPECTION

M A Z D A

 

Thanks for the advice. I haven't had a chance to work on the car today, but I hope to get to it tomorrow. I'll probably have a lot more questions, this is a system I'm not at all familiar with.

 

I've been working on the car an hour or so a day, due to life circumstances. Before I took the manifold off, I traced the sound to the solenoid. It is a rapid clicking, as if it is repeatedly switching on and off when the car is running. I removed it today and checked it with the standard test in which you blow into the tube that is perpendicular to the body and see where it comes out when 12V is applied to the solenoid and when it isn't. Seemed to work ok. Anyone know what the issue might be, what is causing the solenoid to switch on and off? Perhaps something related to the P0171 code I also have? Thanks.

And BTW, it was great to have some of these well illustrated DIYs on removing the UIM. Really, really helpful. Thanks to anyone who contributed to those.

 

replace it

 

Here's a follow up. I replaced the solenoid valve even though it seemed ok, since a new one was only $25. I also discovered an open port on the throttle body, so I stuck a cap on it. No more cels. Thanks, guys.

 

That open port is probably for the VFAD if you have a manual trans 6-port(232 BHP) model. If you don't have VFAD anymore, then capping it is fine. Otherwise you could hook it up to the VFAD line again.

 

Yes, that's what it was for, the previous owner, or the previous, previous owner removed the VFAD. The reason I had this car for two years and never realized that it was throwing these other two codes was because it needed a cat, so the cel was always on, and I never thought to check for other codes that might have also been there, I got fooled. Now I know that if I have a long term cel I'm living with, I should check the codes every now and then, to see if a new code is present.