Hi Guys,
I have a stock Mazda 3 MPS BL series 2 (2009 model). Its just done 66,000 km's and is always regularly serviced at Mazda.
I have just started to have a problem with starting the vehicle when its warm (i.e. - the car has been driven in the previous 20 to 30 mins, and anywhere up to 3 to 5 hours) and also a rough idle when the car is warm.
Problem 1
When starting the engine it now takes a great deal of time to crank the engine (between 3, 4, 5 and even 6 seconds). Mazda advised me that anything upto 10 seconds is acceptable to them (Pffffttttt..... the car used to start within 1 second... everytime until last week). It seems to do it when the engine is warm, and occassionaly when its cold.
Problem 2
Also, once the car is warm I'm having a rough idle issue where the rev's stay around 740 rpm (with air con turned off) and at the muffler it sounds like the engine is missing. Its not an extreme idle issue, but enough to make me feel it inside the car and so very different to what it used to sound like last week.
Please see a little video of the issues I'm having here:
YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK
Mazda service kept my car for 3 days, they said their head tech / mechanic spent a lot of time on it and couldn't come up with an answer to the problem.
There were 2 error codes relating to the battery which he cleared. He tested the battery and it was all okay. It's actually a brand new battery which I just had installed 1 month ago.
Their diagnostics machine came up with no other errors, the engine was firing as it was supposed to, the fuel was tested (I only ever used 98 octane anyways.. shell V or BP ultimate) all okay there.
EDITED **** Mazda have had my car for a week (lucky I have a loan car), they narrowed down the starting problem to a faulty air temp sensor in the MAF sensor (the sensor was not throwing any error's though). They replaced it and now the car start fine.... The rough idle still isn't fixed though. They replaced 4 x spark plugs after noting a mis-fire in cylinder 1 whilst driving the car, they moved spark plugs around and the prblem shifted to another cylinder, replaced 4 x plugs just to be sure..... rough idle still there though. Aparrently they are now wait on Mazda Australia after sending in photo's or the bores.... not sure why they want that but we'll see what happens.****
I'd really love some ideas, or info if any of you have come across this before.
EDITED - FIXED *****************
They also replaced my high pressure fuel pump but it did NOT fix the problem.
They also replaced the EGR valve which finally fixed the starting and rough idle issues for my car. It took a month for that conclusion and fix to be made. Good luck everyone