Repeated SSV Solenoid Failures
 

Hey guys,

I’m having frequent SSV solenoid failures. Some background here. My 8 is my daily driver as well as my track and canyon car. I’ve driven it pretty hard over the years, but nothing too far out of the norm. In any case, the P0661 CEL has been a part of my life for several years. Once I figured out the problem was the SSV solenoid, I would just replace the solenoid each time the P0661 CEL came up, and that would take care of the issue (no more P0661, no more loss of power). I would have to do this about once every 18 months, but it’s been getting more and more frequent. Lately it’s been every 3 months! The CEL is back again now and even though I’m now a pro at swapping these things out, it’s two hours of my time plus the solenoid cost. So I’d like to troubleshoot the root cause.

Any ideas about why the solenoid failures are so frequent?

Relevant facts — 2004 6MT Sport, and it doesn’t seem to matter whether I use genuine Mazda solenoids or aftermarket brands.

Perhaps the solenoids are fine, but the wiring is damaged, and you're temporarily fixing it by taking everything apart? P0061 doesn't specifically say the solenoid is bad, it says the signal from it is low.

Try to go through all the steps but not replace the solenoid.

Also if you clear the CEL from the computer, without fixing anything, how long does it take to come back?

Loki, I had that thought about the wiring and checked it out and everything seemed okay. But the problem being intermittent (works sometimes but not others) and only cropping up under load at higher rpms would make a wiring issue difficult to accurately diagnose without a dyno and a helper.

Also, the fact that the problem would always go away for several months after I put in a new solenoid leads me to believe that it was either the new solenoid that fixed the problem, or perhaps something in the installation process. That's what I might try investigating next.

As for clearing the code, the loss of power and hesitation remain just as frequent after clearing it, and the CEL returns after a few minutes of driving.

Okay here's the latest. And I may have a great tip for anyone having solenoid problems.

I switched the connectors and the hoses for the AIR and the SSV solenoids and sure enough, I got a P2259 code, meaning the same solenoid was causing problems. But I noticed something when I switched the connectors -- the connections were a bit loose. There's some slight but noticeable play between the connectors and the solenoids even after you fully connect them and feel the click of the clip.

So I tried an experiment. I zip-tied the connector to the problem solenoid to tighten up the connection and... NO MORE CEL'S!

If a simple zip-tie could solve any future solenoid issues, I would be stoked. A 2-cent zip-tie and five minutes of my time versus $35-$130 for a new solenoid and 2 hours to install it is exciting to say the least.

I'll throw in one caveat. This is the middle solenoid in the stack of three, and I now have it powering the AIR valve. So it's close to ambient temp when it needs to work (so the air pump can feed the cat on startup). People have said that heat is an issue with these solenoids, so if I still had it powering the SSV, it could be that my zip-tie solution wouldn't work at higher under-hood temps, which is the environment most of the time when the SSV is engaged. But for now, everything is running perfectly.

It's been a week, so I'll keep you guys updated.

Update:

It's been over two months since I used the zip-tie fix and the CEL came on only once about a month ago. I figured any zip-tie will loosen a little over time. So to fix it, I just reached in and disconnected the connector, sprayed some contact cleaner on the prongs, plugged it back in and put a new zip-tie on. This time I left some tail on the zip tie to tighten it whenever necessary. I think just that would have done the trick, but I felt like being extra thorough.

Total time spent: 4 minutes. Still way ahead of the game here versus buying a new solenoid and removing the UIM!

Good tip, might be useful in the future! Thanks for sharing!

I'm having a very similar issue.

I followed the FSM guide for P0661 and didn't find a problem. I think we came to a similar conclusion though our solutions are slightly different: I used needle nose pliers to slightly tweak the conductors on the connector. Haven't had a chance to test it because I did it just a few days ago and my car just went to the dealer for three recalls.

Your zip tie solution seems safer than mine.

Tips
 

I have the same issue with my 8 as well. Sounds like it's sucking air in at a pulsing rate? If so, is like a cheap alternative also. I've spent way to much to not have a my car running.

That sounds like it might be a different issue.

The PCM turns this solenoid on and off and monitors the voltage across the pins. P0661 is thrown when the voltage across the pins is too low.

DTC P0661

I tried the ziptie fix on mine but it's still throwing the code. I'm going to try to swap the VDI and SSV solenoids and see if it follows the solenoid. I've followed the troubleshooting steps in the FSM but haven't found anything.

I really hope it isn't the PCM.

Question: is anyone seeing this code in combination with P0301 (misfire)?

I had hesitation issues at the track yesterday and had a P0301 in combination with a pending P0661.

At the time I unplugged and re-plugged all the solenoids a couple times, cleared the codes, and it worked for one session before the issue returned. As it worsened I had hesitation or loss of power starting around 7000 rpm.

I'll probably start taking it apart tomorrow. I'm hoping the two are related (seems like it should be, and possibly the misfire is due to a vacuum leak once the solenoid tries to open).

I can't see how getting less air would result in a misfire code. It's possible that they are just coincidental.

If it's correct then the SSV isn't opening because there's no vacuum going to the SSV actuator so that's going to impact airflow at high rpm. You need to fix the wiring or solenoid issue.

Well, this confirms I have a bad solenoid (I swapped the SSV one and the AIS one around).
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to help me with my misfire :-(

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...0b16046fa9.png