Life of Brian

Cross posted from the Masters Miata Club web site:

There were 4 almost entirely gray scale flavored Miatas gathered at the almost entirely re-branded Sprint quick stop for today’s Drive-Eat-Drive event. They only thing that remains of the previous Greg’s Gas Plus is just the big giant sign out by the street. The assembled consisted of the Masons who were there in their Sparkling Black NC, the Garners who were there in their Brilliant Black NC, the Scotts who were there in their Galaxy Gray NC and we were there in our Sunlight Silver NB with a touch of blue.

The Garners were the lead car and off we went north on SC230. Determined not to have any Interstate miles on the trip, they set up their GPS to plot a route. After several miles of not being able to get the GPS to find our lunch destination, Shealy’s Bar-B-Que in Batesburg-Leesville, they broke out the phone and Google had no problem plotting a course. Well they must have had “shortest route” selected as an option because about 90% of the way there, it popped us off the main road onto a little dirt road over some railroad tracks. Less than 50 yards ahead was a stop sign, so we figured it must be paved at that point. Nope. But after another 1/2 mile of driving down what seemed to be farm paths through rows of peach trees we turned right onto blacktop and the road the restaurant was on.

With a bit more than 3 miles to go, car #3, that would be us, inexplicably lost forward momentum. The car hiccuped, the CEL came on and while the engine was still running, there was no power to be had. We coasted to a wide shady spot along the road. Car #4, the Masons, slowed and pulled in behind us. I unlatched the hood and while Dennis was under there looking for anything obvious I went to the trunk and got out my Bluetooth OBD II dongle. We called ahead to the two leading cars to let then know what happened, almost to the BBQ place, they both turned around and soon we had 4 Miatas parked along the road. I had the dongle, but the app to use with it was no longer loaded on my phone, so I attempted to download it.

Someone suggested it was bad gas, I had purchased a couple gallons at Sprint. I wondered out loud how come the Garner’s car wasn’t acting up, they bought gas at the Sprint too. After more than a few minutes of not finding anything obvious under the hood, someone asked for me to start it up to see what the engine was doing. The car fired right up, I mashed the go pedal a few times and the car responded as it should. We decided to see if our car would make the last three miles to Shealy’s. It did. Still no download.

Because Shealy’s is a buffet, I always feel as if I don’t polish off 2 heaping plates of food I haven’t gotten my money’s worth and based on a quick sample of the dining room, I’m not the only one. As the rate of food consumption, as well as the conversation, at the table waned every one started making after lunch plans. Of course, they offered to follow us home to make sure we made it, Donna and I declined. We knew the trick, if it acts up again, stop, set a spell, and try again. Still no download.

Wouldn’t you know it, but just a touch more than a mile from home, the car started to stutter again. I pushed the clutch in and coasted a bit hoping to make it around the next corner where there was place to pull off. Realizing we were going to be a bit short, I down shifted to second and eased the clutch out. The engine returned to normal. The two of us held our breath and tried to levitate off the seats to lessen to load so we could make it home. We did.

After we got home, the Torque Light app I was trying to get ever since the Miata first stalled, finally downloaded. My phone was set to auto update its apps and in its infinite wisdom would not let me add a new app until the 5 that needed updating were through. Once the car cooled off I ran the code – P0340: Camshaft Angle (or Position) Sensor circuit malfunction. A quick search of the Miata.net forums let me know that a failing cam position sensor will generate the symptoms we had. When it gets hot it acts up, then when it cools off it might work fine (for a while.)

None of the auto parts stores in the area (at least according to their web sites) have a one of these beauties in stock, so I guess I will have to order one. It was then, that I remembered I have an extra one of these items in the garage. It was a left over from a couple years ago when I was having issues with the maroon car. Turns out I did, so I’ve swapped it out and we’ll see how it one goes.