Frustration with the Miata has got Donna to the point of suggesting that we leave in the Kroger parking lot with the keys in and walk away. Me, I wanted to take it to Panic Motorsports and let the experts figure it out. So I emailed Steve and gave him the run down of what is going on and asked when could I bring him the car. His response:
I’d check the gap on the crank sensor, replace the VVT oil control valve, and throw a cam sensor at it in that order. MAYBE an ECU if I got real desperate.
Solid advice from the Master, so I wrote back:
Steve,
I see what you did there – trying to teach a man to fish. So I tied a hook to my 3/8 drive and dug right in…
After reading several threads on Miata.net I would have bet $100 the chuckleheads at the local shop just replaced the crank angle sensor and didn’t bother to align it.Good thing I didn’t, as it measured right around .049 inch which is in between the .020-.059.
If by oil control valve you mean this – YIKES! – that’s pricey (around $300.) I tested it as best I could per the folks at M.net instructed and it passed. Resistance between terminals, 7.5Ω which is between the 6.9-7.9Ω they mention. I slapped 12v to it and it fully opened. Disconnected the 12v and it returned to the starting point. I think I’ll take it to work tomorrow and have the guys in the lab apply a variable voltage to see if it moves along its travel path.
The Cam Position Sensor I can swing ($60 from a seller on Amazon), but the oil control valve or heaven forbid the ECU and it may be time to quit throwing good money after bad…the ND is looking mighty tempting.
While I had the wrench in my hand I pulled the actuator thing off the valve cover to check the o-rings inside. They don’t seem to be as dry and brittle like some of the photos I found on the forum. I’m tempted to buy the kit that MiataRoadster sells with all the o-rings and then some.I guess I could pry the o-rings out and measure them, I work at a place that makes valves and we use a ton of o-rings, including viton ones.
Thanks for the advice, I’ll keep you posted.
Brian
I’ll keep you posted…the valve is a 2-position deal, no sliding, just on or off. I’m thinking this ain’t the problem. Those o-rings, we didn’t have them at the Valve Store(TM), so I did order the kit. Its coming from California via USPS so it won’t be here until next week sometime. ‘Til then, the Emperor sits .