Protege5 won't start when hot weather

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Mazda3226

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Mazda Protege 5
My daughter's 2002 Mazda Protege5 runs well, unless it is hot weather. Then it will crank but not start. Turn key to first position, no engine lights, no clicks. (The radio and fan blower will turn on.) Gauges not working at all.
Turn key to start position and engine cranks without catching. No engine/oil lights, before, during, after start attempted. The exception is that the icon for an open door will light if door left open. Last year, we did replace the main relay hoping to fix. Then the weather cooled and we didn't know if it worked or not. Now we know it did not.

Maybe the bad ignition switch?
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/symptoms-of-a-bad-ignition-switch#b

Any other ideas? It seems to be a common problem on the web but haven't found a definitive answer.
Thank you.
 
Mazda3226 said:
... Turn key to first position, no engine lights, no clicks. (The radio and fan blower will turn on.) Gauges not working at all.
... No engine/oil lights, before, during, after start attempted.
Click to expand...


That really sounds like a bad ignition switch to me... (Although I don't get why that would be temperature related ??)

Here's the test for the ignition switch....

ignition%20switch_zpsvsq0g2kq.jpg
 
Thank you for video. One thing I notice in video is that dash indicator lights come on when key turned but not yet cranking. This doesn't happen on our car. It doesn't have that knocking sound. I still suspect this fuel pump relay though and will see if I can get it switched out today. It is at the shop - the mechanics are at a loss.
 
Ignition switch would likely not allow the car to crank over, there would be nothing when turning the key. I would clean the MAF and maybe even a tune-up with new plugs and wires/coils depending on condition. If the car will crank the shop needs to verify fuel and spark, but these are all basic things that any decent shop knows and if they don't they shouldn't have the car in the first place.
 
I came back to write up the solution to our problem because I have seen that many have had this problem. I hope it helps other. Mazda Protege5 would not start in heat. The dashboard gauges did not respond when the key was turned, the car would crank but not catch. Other electrical items (radio, interior lights) did work. I took to mechanic and asked him to replace the ignition switch. He did not agree with me but did it, called and said it did not work. He then said it was the fuel pump. I was mad - the fuel pump did not work because the ignition switch was not telling it that the car was starting (IMO). He went ahead and put in fuel pump - which of course, did not work. He put old pump back in and the car sat while he tried to think of what to do next. I asked again to look at ignition switch, and they put in a Mazda ignition switch (they'd previously used generic) and voila! It worked. We've had no issues since. Not one. So, if you are having this issue, no dash gauges working, car turns but doesn't catch, no fuel to fuel pump, you might look at the ignition switch and use a genuine Mazda part. And - the mechanic, btw, did not charge me for the fuel pump debacle, but it did take him three weeks to get this work done because he didn't believe me that this was the problem and didn't know what else to do.
 
Thank you for updating. Glad you got the issue resolved and you're back to cruising the roads :)
 
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