P5 Stalled FOUR Times in 1st Year of Ownership!!!

[kasumi]

hey P5-ers, i'm new to mazda forums and am asking for your help and wisdom!

i searched through previous threads about owners having their P5 stall ONCE... in which after it happens, they get their computer flashed, and everything's fine again.

here's my problem... i own an automatic stock 2003 P5, purchased brand new from a mazda dealer last june 2003, still under warranty. since then, it has stalled on me FOUR times when idling, the most recent occurance being just last week. each time i brought it into the dealer... and each time no record is stored with the computer. and of course, they can't replicate the stall.

<b>history:</b>

1st time, sept 2003 -- said it was a fluke since no records stored on the computer. flashed computer.
2nd time, feb 2004 -- told me the RPMs were low when idling, so they increased it. flashed computer. were complete jerks and said that "having a car stall every 6 months isn't that bad."
3rd time, april 2004 -- said the EGR valve was stuck, so they replaced it. flashed computer.
4th time, june 2004 -- i called mazda canada's customer service and complained. they said they would get the dealer to work with their QA specialist to determine the problem. went to the dealer... after running the diagnostics three times, they said the RPMs were down when idling... i told them they already gave me that excuse. they do some more tests, and say there's nothing they can do. flashed computer again. i call mazda canada cust service again, and they're being complete jerks and giving me the run around. still waiting for them to call back.


there has been no similarity in conditions when it happens (i.e. weather conditions, gas level, engine warm or cold)... other than it usually happens in the morning 5-15 minutes after starting my car. each time i'm able to start my car again, but it's annoying and hazardous, since i'm usually in traffic when it happens with a bunch of cars going 80km/hr.

<b>my questions:</b>

1) has anyone else experienced this?? repeated idling??
2) does anyone else have ideas about probable causes for the engine to stall? they did all the diagnostics and found nothing each time... could be a faulty computer? how can a faulty computer be proved to the dealer, so that i can get them to replace it?
3) there are no lemon laws in canada... does anyone have any suggestions about what i can get mazda canada or my dealer to do?
4) does anyone have any ideas about the chances i have to get my dealer to break my lease without penalty to me, or replace my car with a new vehicle?
5) apparently in canada, you can get a mazda district manager (DM) to come assess your car... however, the dealer told me that if i can't replicate the situation, the DM probably won't do anything. does anyone have any experience with the mazda DMs?


mazda canada sucks big time. i'm so frustrated by this whole experience... (pissed)

thanks in advance for your help.

[kasumi]

dang i guess this hasn't happened to anyone else since no replies! looks like i should play the lotto with this kinda of luck!

[ProtegeES03]

sorry, never experienced or heard of this problem before...

[MinnowGT]

Have you tried taking it to another dealer?

my mom's volvo had something similar to that. she took it to the place that bought it and they just gave her the run around.

So she got fed up and took it to another dealer. The techs there were better and were able to track it down to an intake leak which was caused by a crack in the intake. replaced it and her car is fine now.

[Kona Bear]

Same thing with me. 1 year and it stalled 4 times. Had it flashed last week for the first time and nothing since (knocks on wood)

KB

[Mazda P5 driver]

hey P5-ers, i'm new to mazda forums and am asking for your help and wisdom!

i searched through previous threads about owners having their P5 stall ONCE... in which after it happens, they get their computer flashed, and everything's fine again.

here's my problem... i own an automatic stock 2003 P5, purchased brand new from a mazda dealer last june 2003, still under warranty. since then, it has stalled on me FOUR times when idling, the most recent occurance being just last week. each time i brought it into the dealer... and each time no record is stored with the computer. and of course, they can't replicate the stall.

history:

1st time, sept 2003 -- said it was a fluke since no records stored on the computer. flashed computer.
2nd time, feb 2004 -- told me the RPMs were low when idling, so they increased it. flashed computer. were complete jerks and said that "having a car stall every 6 months isn't that bad."
3rd time, april 2004 -- said the EGR valve was stuck, so they replaced it. flashed computer.
4th time, june 2004 -- i called mazda canada's customer service and complained. they said they would get the dealer to work with their QA specialist to determine the problem. went to the dealer... after running the diagnostics three times, they said the RPMs were down when idling... i told them they already gave me that excuse. they do some more tests, and say there's nothing they can do. flashed computer again. i call mazda canada cust service again, and they're being complete jerks and giving me the run around. still waiting for them to call back.
there has been no similarity in conditions when it happens (i.e. weather conditions, gas level, engine warm or cold)... other than it usually happens in the morning 5-15 minutes after starting my car. each time i'm able to start my car again, but it's annoying and hazardous, since i'm usually in traffic when it happens with a bunch of cars going 80km/hr.

my questions:

1) has anyone else experienced this?? repeated idling??
2) does anyone else have ideas about probable causes for the engine to stall? they did all the diagnostics and found nothing each time... could be a faulty computer? how can a faulty computer be proved to the dealer, so that i can get them to replace it?
3) there are no lemon laws in canada... does anyone have any suggestions about what i can get mazda canada or my dealer to do?
4) does anyone have any ideas about the chances i have to get my dealer to break my lease without penalty to me, or replace my car with a new vehicle?
5) apparently in canada, you can get a mazda district manager (DM) to come assess your car... however, the dealer told me that if i can't replicate the situation, the DM probably won't do anything. does anyone have any experience with the mazda DMs?


mazda canada sucks big time. i'm so frustrated by this whole experience... (pissed)

thanks in advance for your help.Yeah, Mine stalled 2-3 times and mine too is a 2003.5 and 1 year ownership. The last time I took it in they cleaned our the EGR and reflashed and it has been fine since. What they said about the EGR is that is was getting stuck open. Perhaps they had/have a bad inventory of EGR valves? But also it was never a constant thing, so it may be fixed it may not be. I havn't thought about it since I did get it fixed though.

What I ask for ANY of you is to get copies of the remarks they make when they "fix" things. It shows everything they did and in my case who they called. SO now I have a paper trail. I have it somewhere and if you need I can dig it up and scan it. I could prolly even post it here.

[anarchistchiken]

1) has anyone else experienced this?? repeated idling??
Strangley enough, my car actually HAS idled repeatedly. Almost every time I turn it on, in fact!

Hee hee, had to do it.

Call Wayne Brady up and get him to go choke some bitches at Mazda for you. I hope everything works out for ya.

[ES2k3]

As a LAST RESORT. We have CAMVAP (http://camvap.ca)

... just so you know :-)

[kre8]

I had the problem b4, I found out 2 things that caused it 1st time it was a dirty air filter. 2nd time it was my altenator. I have friends that are mechanics and they checked it out for me b4 i even went to mazda to hear there bullshit stories.

[kre8]

Is there one of those in the USA we need a CAMVAP....Shit i've had the worest service from Mazda.

[maple_leaf]

lease without penalty to me, or replace my car with a new vehicle?
5) apparently in canada, you can get a mazda district manager (DM) to come assess your car... however, the dealer told me that if i can't replicate the situation, the DM probably won't do anything. does anyone have any experience with the mazda DMs?


mazda canada sucks big time. i'm so frustrated by this whole experience... (pissed)

thanks in advance for your help.

I've never had THAT specific problem but, one I can tell you, it's that I've had ALOT of problems with Mazda Canada. They are the worst! I have a thread somewhere about paint problems and how I fought day and night with them for 6 months before I won my case ( paint came off - car rusting everywhere - were trying to blame it on me ). And when I say I fought with them day and night, I did. I did not let more than two days between each call.

It began with me calling the dealer, then dealing with the sales manager...to me making a surprise visit IN the GM's office, to me complaining to Mazda Canada....then a "District Manager" inspecting my car.......I'm telling you, I've been through it all. Good luck! If you need any "convincing" tips, let me know.

[ChopstickHero]

i've had my EGR replaced under warranty. it wasn't stalling me out, but it was giving me really rough idle. i would keep complaining until something's done about it. there's no point to stop complaining when you've already complained so much.

[kasumi]

thanks for the feedback... so here's what's happened to date.

my p5 stalled AGAIN for the FIFTH TIME. i was too tired and fed up to have it towed to the dealer so i restarted the engine, drove home, then called the dealer the next morning. told me the same crap that they won't find anything wrong with the engine, cuz most likely, no record stored with the compu again.

i got a friend to talk to one of his friends that works at another mazda location... to get their opinion and find out the inside scoop on whether or not i could break my lease w/o penalty. turns out that mazda dealership has encountered this problem before!! (mazda canada, do a recall if you know about it!!!!) i brought it, they ran the diagnostics, and again couldn't find a record. what they did find was a problem with the main relay switch... so they changed it. hoping this will be the final answer!!!

maple_leaf, would like to know your "convincing tips".

[bazooka joe]

possible bad egr valve, happend to me.

[Mark1str]

My 2003 P5 stalled for the first time this week, I have had it just over a year and I have almost 40,000 miles on my P5. I was slowing down to make a turn and my engine just died. Ended up in the grass. It started right back up again. I hate like hell to take it to my local dealer which means taking time off of work again...and having them tell me they can't find anything wrong and then charging me for the rental car because they can't find anything wrong...I will take all of your information with me when I go to the (chair) dealer..

Thanks guys!

[bazooka joe]

did you get a cel?

[kasumi]

possible bad egr valve, happend to me.

maybe, but wasn't so in my case... they switched the EGR the third time it happened... said that they thought "it was a bit sticky"... but still stalled again within two months after they switched it.

the other main excuse they've thrown my way is that my rev rate is down during idling... which i've had tweaked twice already!

[Mazda P5 driver]

Sometimes I think people shouldn't own cars. Mazda MAY have a bad batch of EGR valves, and that explains why it is stalling. They cleaned mine out and I have it on paper, and it has been fine ever since. Mine never showed up on the compueter, nor did it throw a code. they also raised the idle from 700 to 750, and reflashed the ECU.

Why you all are walking into the dealers and NOT telling them about what you heard and what others have experienced is beyond me. Quit giving up. Tell them you know for a fact that others have had problems with it, what it took to fix others, and to make calls if they need to. I told you all I also have the writing what they did to fix my car. I could scan it and post it if anyone requested it.

This is severley frustrating to read.

[kasumi]

Sometimes I think people shouldn't own cars. Mazda MAY have a bad batch of EGR valves, and that explains why it is stalling. They cleaned mine out and I have it on paper, and it has been fine ever since. Mine never showed up on the compueter, nor did it throw a code. they also raised the idle from 700 to 750, and reflashed the ECU.

Why you all are walking into the dealers and NOT telling them about what you heard and what others have experienced is beyond me. Quit giving up. Tell them you know for a fact that others have had problems with it, what it took to fix others, and to make calls if they need to. I told you all I also have the writing what they did to fix my car. I could scan it and post it if anyone requested it.

This is severley frustrating to read.

that's great in your case that you got it fixed... i took in the info about EGR valve, flashing computer, etc. etc... but it still didn't work. and i definitely have a paper trail. it helps to call into mazda HQ as well and speak to their customer service reps, so that they have you in their system, and record each call.

it's more frustrating to have to go through this then for you to read this! but i'm going to keep being in mazda's face until they recompensate for all the trouble i've gone through in trying to fix their defective product

[Mazda P5 driver]

that's great in your case that you got it fixed... i took in the info about EGR valve, flashing computer, etc. etc... but it still didn't work. and i definitely have a paper trail. it helps to call into mazda HQ as well and speak to their customer service reps, so that they have you in their system, and record each call.

it's more frustrating to have to go through this then for you to read this! but i'm going to keep being in mazda's face until they recompensate for all the trouble i've gone through in trying to fix their defective product
Did they clean the egr or did they replace it?

[pechi]

Yup I had the same problem the first time it happened the dealer replaced my fuel pump relay and the second time they replaced the egr valve. It stalled once more after the egr valve was replaced but I was too busy and fed up to take it in again and just let it be and it seems to have fixed itself hasn't stalled since. Also when they replaced the egr valve the service manager told me that he called mazda and was told they knew about similar problems with a couple p5's in Ontario and that replacing the egr was supposed to fix it.

[kasumi]

Did they clean the egr or did they replace it?

they replaced it

[meinp5]

I think that i am having a problem similar to this. Today when i got to a stop sign and i waited for a second my car started shaking and acted like it was going to stall but it never did. It only seems to be when i am idling. I keep reading that people are having the ERG valve cleaned. I was just wondering what that stands for b/c i would rather clean it myself then take it to a dealer. If anyone has some ideas for me that would really help me out. The only thing that i can come up with is a missfire, or a vacuum line is cracked. I hope this gets fixed before i actually start stalling.(dunno)

[meinp5]

Does anyone have any ideas at all? The check engine light came on today so i am going to go to autozone and have them tell me what the code is. I hope its just plugs but its never that easy. Has anyone else had a problem similar to this?

[theGeneral]

I had stalling problems when I had my SRI on the car.

Took it off and I still had stalling problems, what is what was a vac line that was not cleared out.

Check your vac lines (I replaced all of mine).

[meinp5]

Check your vac lines (I replaced all of mine).
I was looking around the engine bay and i noticed something just kinda hanging behind the intake and i was not sure what it is. I will have to take a picture of it and post it because i really cant discribe it very well. Basically it looks like some kind of selenoid with some wires going into it and what i think is a vacuum line. It is back around the throttle body area so i am thinking that might be the problem. I will have to post a picture of it so maybe someone will know what to do.

[theGeneral]

I was looking around the engine bay and i noticed something just kinda hanging behind the intake and i was not sure what it is. I will have to take a picture of it and post it because i really cant discribe it very well. Basically it looks like some kind of selenoid with some wires going into it and what i think is a vacuum line. It is back around the throttle body area so i am thinking that might be the problem. I will have to post a picture of it so maybe someone will know what to do.


Sounds like the problem to me.

Look to see if it has a place to go (connect to etc.) and snap or connect it.

I bet it is a vac line, they will not throw codes and the problem will be stalling that will drive you crazy.

Hope I could help, gotta run.

[meinp5]

Sounds like the problem to me.

Look to see if it has a place to go (connect to etc.) and snap or connect it.

I bet it is a vac line, they will not throw codes and the problem will be stalling that will drive you crazy.

Hope I could help, gotta run.
Nice call, i went to autozone today and they ran the code and it was a 171 code. Which means the car was running lean in the second bank(cylinder). I showed him that sylenoid and it is a vacuum line that is not connected to anything. He seemed to think that it was a line that might have been connected to the stock airbox. Since i got my car w/ the intake on it i dont know what the stock airbox looks like. I am going to take a picture of it tomorrow so that if anyone else has this stupid problem they will know what it is. Thanks for your help.(thumb)

[theGeneral]

Nice call, i went to autozone today and they ran the code and it was a 171 code. Which means the car was running lean in the second bank(cylinder). I showed him that sylenoid and it is a vacuum line that is not connected to anything. He seemed to think that it was a line that might have been connected to the stock airbox. Since i got my car w/ the intake on it i dont know what the stock airbox looks like. I am going to take a picture of it tomorrow so that if anyone else has this stupid problem they will know what it is. Thanks for your help.(thumb)


Anytime!

Tell everyone on the board I helped you, most people think I am here to cause trouble (I am not, I am here to have fun).

take care

[romecandleboy]

Could be one of the lines going into or out of the Purge Control Valve. The Purge Control Valve usually needs to be relocated when installing an intake so maybe one of the lines popped off in the process - this would cause rough idle.

[DeanSweet]

my car 2003.5 p5, sport shift auto has done this a few times... start it up, drive less than a mile and pull up to light, stop sign, whatever, then then car sputters and dies. Taken to or called the dealer after each time where they say they have placed something into my records.

[meinp5]

my car 2003.5 p5, sport shift auto has done this a few times... start it up, drive less than a mile and pull up to light, stop sign, whatever, then then car sputters and dies. Taken to or called the dealer after each time where they say they have placed something into my records.
Wow that was nice of them...putting stuff in your record makes your car run better everytime. I hate the jerks at dealerships...they talk down to you and everytime you have a problem they want to blame you or something else so they dont have to fix it. I think today i am going to take a picture of that selenoid and post it, and also try to fix that vacuum line. Also, where in ohio are you from? I live up in the Akron/Canton area.

[meinp5]

www.cardomain.com/memberpage/511160/4 (http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/511160/4)

Here are the pics ^^

This took me about 5 minutes to fix. Thanks for everyones help.

[theGeneral]

www.cardomain.com/memberpage/511160/4 (http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/511160/4)

Here are the pics ^^

This took me about 5 minutes to fix. Thanks for everyones help.

Anytime! :D