2003.5 Protege Speed Hueitation And Stumble Under Acceleration

[lyndonvang]

My mazdaspeed 2003.5 has 51k and does not have warranty. Have any of you guys have hesitation or stumble when you accelerate fast and have you fixed it with the Dealer? I read that it was PCM that was the problem. If you have fixed this problem with your car I would like to know how much it cost. I want to fix this problem on my car.

Thanks

[JDM Sam]

Call your local dealer and ask if they will load the calibration for free
The flash doesn't fix the problem anyways it just alleviates some of the problem.

Go to our site and purchase an EMS system
Http://***********************/mazdaspeed2.htm

[Orangelo]

My mazdaspeed 2003.5 has 51k and does not have warranty. Have any of you guys have hesitation or stumble when you accelerate fast and have you fixed it with the Dealer? I read that it was PCM that was the problem. If you have fixed this problem with your car I would like to know how much it cost. I want to fix this problem on my car.

Thanks
I think i may have to get mine flashed, so i just got off the phone with a local dealer and they want $88( i think that might be a rate for 1 hour of labor).

[lyndonvang]

Do you have the same problem as me?

[Orangelo]

Do you have the same problem as me?
sometimes under full throtle hesitater betweem 3k and 55k RPM? if that is it than yes

[Kansei]

sometimes under full throtle hesitater betweem 3k and 55k RPM? if that is it than yes

argh that's precisely what my car is doing. sucks because I bought it from Protegegarage, I had no clue the ones he had were unflashed.. I'm sure he doesn't either, I'll have to let him know.

$88 dollars though, wow that's not bad at all. I guess they can't charge for parts since there are none involved :D

[lyndonvang]

Can you let me know if it fixed the problem or not after reprograming your PCM.

[msp35]

Wga

[Orangelo]

ok i got it done, paid 60(cash, off th papers), took them about 30 min, and it worked for me. Now the acceleration is smooth.

[Kansei]

ok i got it done, paid 60(cash, off th papers), took them about 30 min, and it worked for me. Now the acceleration is smooth.

for the flash? 60 bucks, not bad at all.

[Orangelo]

well it is originally 90+/- but i talked to the service manager and he and tech split the 60, i told them i only ghad that much i cash, and i also told him that i didn't need any paperwork. now if something was to go wrong i would have been screwd.

[lyndonvang]

Did you ask to have your PCM reprogram or was it your ECU that was reprogramed? Did you do it at a Mazda Dealer? Does your car now run smoothly with acceleration at 3+RPM?

[lyndonvang]

Did you have a check engine light (code:PO171 System too lean) that came up? Mine has this code.

[Captain KRM P5]

argh that's precisely what my car is doing. sucks because I bought it from Protegegarage, I had no clue the ones he had were unflashed.. I'm sure he doesn't either, I'll have to let him know.

its a toss up honestly, we get them from wrecked cars and the best i could do is run the VIN through mazda's service database to see if a PCM reflash was done. heck, i remember when people did not want to have them flashed for more than a few reasons.


Did you have a check engine light (code:PO171 System too lean) that came up? Mine has this code.

this tells me its possibly not ECU related and more something like a faulty sensor or vacuum leak.

[Orangelo]

actually it did have that code in the system, from time to time if i would go hard on my car the check engine light would come on, and than i would take it easy for about 2 days and it went off. and yes it has acceleration after 3k rpm and 3 days no CEL.

[lyndonvang]

So the car now accelerates smoothly and the code is gone?

[lyndonvang]

Was it your PCM or ECU that you reprogramed?

[jersey_emt]

If you have that code, your problem may be a vacuum leak, it is the most common cause to throw that code.

[lyndonvang]

I am running at 7psi but my Boost Guage is showing 12psi. Will a vacuum leak casue this?

[Orangelo]

from what i have learned here in a short time it sounds like WGA(i am not saying it is because i don't know), but i have not replaced mine yet, i will order it soon, but for now 4th day no cel.(btw i have no boost gage)

[Kansei]

I am running at 7psi but my Boost Guage is showing 12psi. Will a vacuum leak casue this?

don't let the boost get that high! get the wastegate actuator detached to that it just don't ever really build boost, that way you don't make the engine go "pop" just because of a silly little actuator.

[lyndonvang]

So Orangelo you got your mazdaspeed's PCM reprogramed by a Mazda Dealer right?

[Orangelo]

yes

[lyndonvang]

So now you dont have any hesiation on accleration right. Are you also going to change you wastegate? Why?

[Orangelo]

i dont have a boost gauge so just to be safe, because i heard almost everyone had to change theirs, and my car is at 77K miles

[Metallic36]

Just curious about this type of hesitation.. it was cold outside a week ago and I was on my way to work.. I had driven about 10 minutes and I pulled out onto the highway, kicked in the turbo and it jerked really bad all of a sudden. It's done it a couple times since then, one guy tells me it's because I don't have a turbo timer and that I'll need new gaskets soon.. but of course I wanna get more opinions about this, to see what it really is. Oddly enough, my boost gauge has risen up to 6 and 7 since that incident, whereas it usually won't go past 5 even if I try. Definitely feels like more psi.. any opinions?

[lyndonvang]

It may be your wastegate. I had that problem and after I changed the wastgate the psi on my guage went back to normal (6-7 psi). Follow the vacuum hose that connects to your wastegate until you get to where it splts three ways. Take off the wastegate vacuum hose and blow through the hose if you hear a leak then change your wastgate.

[505zoom]

Search this topic and you will find answers to all of the questions you are asking. In short though, the flash pretty much sucks. You need EMS.

Oh, and PCM = ECU.... not 2 different things.