Mazurfer

What I call the butterfly valve is located right at the throttle body entrance. You have to take off the accordian tube and then you will see it. I usually wipe that area really good, pushing on the top of the valve will open it up and then you can wipe the areas where the valve would close and make sure that's clean. Clean it all the way around to make sure it's no sticking when trying to close.
I'm just trying to give you the easy stuff......before it gets hard.

Zekex

If it can be done.. listing it would be great.. I go back to work on Monday so I have until then to get the car running lol. I've got all day and night to work on the car.. assuming I don't have to pull the engine (can't do lol) then I'm pretty willing to try it.

Storming pretty hard out right now so I'm not gonna tear into the car tonight cause I'll loose my place if the lights go out lol.

Butterfly valve (the entire intake actually) was pretty spotless but I'll pull it again tomorrow and give it a thorough cleaning.

Is the car safe to drive with the misfires only happening at high rpms? Or could the problem get worse if I continue driving?

If I can, tomorrow I'll take a pic of my MAF and someone will have to let me know if the color of the bulb is right.. I couldn't find any pics of what it SHOULD look like.

Zekex

Cleaned the MAF today.. again..

No luck tried to take pics of it.. but couldn't really get the lighting right so what would be brown would have been black anyways.

However.. like an idiot.. I clean my air filter and while it was still wet.. drove the car.. so a new CEL popped I'm sure. It bogged down HARD at 6k rpms.. I'll drive again tomorrow and make sure it was just the wet air filter.. if not.. the problem got worse, the bogging was pretty similar.. just SIGNIFICANTLY worse. Anyone around probably saw my front end dip down hard lol.

Does anyone know if Mazda takes aftermarket warrantys? My car is warrantied until 2014 or 130,000 miles but it's a aftermarket warranty entirely.. not related to Mazda at all.

I cApstone I

Just be careful with this one. Make sure no debris makes its way into the TB. I definitely recommend cleaning it though. This is one of those things people tend to forget about....especially with an aftermarket filter.

Zekex

Well.. the cars not starting anymore
It just cranks endlessly.

Pulled the plugs and they smelled like fuel, so I figured somehow I flooded it (never started it and just moved it.. always let the engine warm up)
Fuel on the spark plugs does mean flooded.. right??

Tried the deflooding.
Hold down throttle, crank for 4-6 seconds, let it sit for 4 or so.. about 20 times. Finally gave up because my battery probably doesn't need to be almost dying and recharged 10 times in an hour.

Could I have flooded it with water?? The air filter was still wet (I beat most of the water out of it) and forgot I cleaned it when I started the car to see if cleaning the MAF fixed it.

I pulled the filter out and some water was on the screen in the air box, and the filter was still damp.. but not really wet at all.

I didn't pull any fuses because I was unsure of what fuse was what and most posts I read said it was unnecessary in the first place.

If the air filter didn't cause it to flood than I'm unsure what would have.
Wet air filter + MAF = a confused car putting too much or not enough fuel into the engine maybe??

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Flooding is ALWAYS a symptom of another larger problem. Always. Flooding occurs on a start attempt, NOT on a shut down. Flooding on shut down is a myth from people that don't understand what is actually happening.

Yes, fuel on the plugs with a crank but no fire means it's flooded.

If the reason for the flood and no-start isn't fixed, it will keep re-flooding as you keep re-cranking.


And yes, Mazda can "take" aftermarket warranties. It just means that the paperwork needs to be submitted to the other warranty company instead of Mazda North America.


I just re-read some of your responses since I last posted, and sorry, I missed them. The MAF housing should be jet black and smooth. No brown. The blob on the tip of the filaments is brown, but a dark brown, and the color itself isn't really important. However, Carb Cleaner is not safe to use on the MAF. They sell MAF cleaner for a reason. It's very similar, but not nearly as harsh. It will get the job done easily. Bogging hard at 6k RPM could be that the carb cleaner damaged the MAF (if that's what you used). However, the bogging is more likely to just be the water on the MAF. It won't dry quickly that way, and the water is going to make it read REALLY wacky, since the MAF works by heating the element and then measuring how much it is getting cooled by passing air (more air = more heat transfer). Water on it will completely kill it's ability to do this, and could make it read anything. The MAF isn't used in starting, so that isn't your immediate problem.

Zekex

At this point would a trip to mazda be best?
Should whatever problem their id be warrantied? Dumb question i suppose since you guys dont know my warranty or the problem for that matter lol.

Zekex

Just wanted to update everyone just in case someone experiences a similar problem in the future.

Got the car start on Thursday (took forever to deflood)
Took it into Nelson Mazda in Tulsa because now it was PROBABLY misfiring still but was so bogged down and died every other stoplight I wouldn't have know lol.

They called today...
The engine is dead.
The CAT is good (only 600 miles left on the warranty dang it)
The motor mounts are both leaking something.. I forgot what he said.. but they've gotta be replaced
The vacuum elbows have to be replaces
The coolant subtank is being replaced because of the crappy sensor (i've just been checking coolant myself every couple thousand miles)

I imagine they'll call again with more things needing replacement after they pull the engine and REALLY look around... but hopefully not.


Grand total out of pocket... $290..WITH a rear differential service ($97)
Purchased an extended warranty a year or two back that is covering EVERYTHING but 1 hour of labor.. the tax on parts.. and a $100 deductible.. and the vacuum elbows.. which are cheap.

All in all Nelson Mazda really saved my *** because the technician said that differential fluid should have been replace FOREVER ago (i'm an idiot...)

They also said the cabin air filter needs to be replaced entirely but that's easy lol.. I think.

**EDIT**

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped out! Appreciate it greatly!
Kinda excited for a new engine lol.