Mazda Miata MX5: Crank No Start Diagnosis Part I

In this video I have a look at a 1994 Mazda Miata MX5 that was towed in as a crank no start. It doesn't take long to find the problem and order the part. -Enjoy!
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Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained .

[@felixrosa241]

Oh man, that Miata reminds me of an 87 Toyota Corolla GTS, a rear wheel drive four banger I used to own and really miss! Great basic troubleshooting and the timing light in part II brought back memories. Thank you sir!👍🏼

[@AWD_T]

"ever since you replaced my windshield wipers, my engine burns oil" lol I used to get that all the time as a service writer.

[@central_ky_prepper2679]

Careful with that rare and unbroken dipstick handle.

[@XantheFIN]

Check new video. Too late.

[@throttlebottle5906]

@@XantheFIN loool

[@thaburninator0904]

I shed a tear every time I go to check my oil.

[@agger838]

You holding out brake job videos on us? What the heck Eric!

[@shiboyanjj]

Hi, recently my Miata died and the car would not crank. After troubleshooting, we assumed it was a faulty CAM because of the P1345 code the scanner was showing and we swapped it out. However, the problem persisted and so we measured the voltages at the connector and we got the 12v but the 5V signals were inconsistent. They measure between 1.5-3V and sometimes it will jump to 4.5V and then back down to the lower range. After we let the car sit for a little while, we started the car and it fired back up as if nothing ever happened. So we measured the voltages again just to make sure everything is fine, but now it will measure 4.8V and then zero, and then it would fluctuate and the car wouldn't start after that. After letting the car sit for a bit again, it fired up right back up and the car sounded healthy and when we measured the voltages again, it was a steady 5V. I'm really not sure if it is a computer issue or if there's another sensor robbing voltage from the CAM. Any advice would be of great help.

[@talisairvine7481]

I’m also having an issue with voltage and the mechanics in my area will not work on my car because it’s a 1990 so I’ve either got to figure it myself or sell my car 😕

[@TheTheomax]

2 Part series you gotta love that!! Now on to part 2

[@klwthe3rd]

I like seeing the Miata returning for more service and videos. Get tired of the 2015 CHEVROLET truck on constant replay 😥. Nice to see a reflection that many other people drive cars that do get 35 mpg plus instead of 10.

[@meineszmf]

You broke rule no:1 Do Not move the seat. Keep up the great video's.

[@baileymiller546]

Great video, my mechanic hates the weekends too I'm sure you guys all do. He schedules me for Saturdays only. Shows me how dedicated he is lol, but I travel from PA to NJ and only go to him.

[@Brookside975]

That sensor is a common (although they last a long time) part that goes out on NA and NB Miatas. Sometimes they go out intermittently and sometimes from 100% to zero! (been there). Very reliable cars though! My 2001 has let me down only two times. First was when the cam angle sensor started to get intermittent, but I made it back from Georgia to Ohio. The other time it had to be towed when the crank angle sensor went bad. Car is just getting broke in with 103,000 on it. Doing a cross country in her late this year I hope. PS: The battery is in the trunk under the mat on the passenger side. On the NC models forward they are under the hood. The OEM Panasonic battery in my 2001 went 17 years. Was still ok, but starting to crank a little slow.

[@throttlebottle5906]

@mr billionaire so, points, distributor, condenser and carburetors again.... I'm game! only minimal tools needed to get it running again

[@throttlebottle5906]

@mr billionaire but ECU tells the injectors and spark plugs when to spray fuel and ignite. without cam/crank sensors it would be a crap shoot of endless backfire explosions, bogging and surging lol. old cars had a distributor mechanically gear driven off the camshaft ( or other location) that pointed towards the right spark plug wire and also triggered the spark either by points or a magnetic/hall sensor. amount of fuel was meter by the amount of air passing through carburetor, unless you go to earliest mechanical fuel injection that was crank/cam/belt/chain/gear driven :)

[@bighurk30able]

I knew letting them calibers hang by the brake hose would catch up with you 🤣🤣🤣👍

[@buffsheeri]

that is funny

[@12mak]

hahahaha

[@greanstreak04]

Yep, it's a caliber problem.

[@throttlebottle5906]

:)))

[@wyattoneable]

Thanks for the great editing. It really makes viewing a pleasure.

[@tonyv7660]

Eric: Good morning! What can I do for you? Customer: Ever since you worked on my car __________ Don't ya love them??

[@lerch122]

this has been a very good help to me and my mx5

[@jaredstrehlein5605]

Scope on the rope to the rescue. Back to basics again.

[@KevinJohnson-fx6wq]

Those graphs seem to boggle my mind a bit, lol. Just not used to seeing them. Nice to know or at least hopefully able to refer to in case I ever come across this problem. Thanks for sharing.

[@BoerGuy]

BAM! straight forward, did not even get dirty!

[@baxrok2.]

Quick weekend diag. Thanks Dr.O!

[@thermalreboot]

I own one of these, I'm highly interested in this video, more so than most.

[@jeffgreenfield7025]

A paperclip between TEN and GND in the diagnostic box probably would have shown that missing signal code.

[@opl500]

MX-5's are relatively easy to work on, it looks like.

[@blockbertus]

You should watch the multi part series of the clutch job he did on that thing. ;D

[@berlinbadger6725]

Did I hear a seat move?!?

[@ilikeboost4764]

When you have to you have to. Plus it's a manual seat. Lol

[@doctorjohn-burgtekie]

Oh the quiet of working on weekends. No phone ringing, no one stopping by to shoot the well you know, or that guy driving by and honking.

[@mrpetit2]

This is I presume the same miata that you did that clutch replace series on (last year)? That was a nice serie to watch.👍

[@SierraOne]

Mr. SinceU That bugger! Great Video

[@timbuck2505]

Why don't you use a timing light to check for spark? Seems like this would be a good way to isolate individual cylinder issues.

[@blockbertus]

Isn't that the Miata you also did a clutch job on which was... a bit difficult?

[@joshua_lee732]

Same Miata.

[@zx8401ztv]

Good i like the problem to be definite, the faults that come and go are a pig to catch. Odd slitty headlights, could be doing a Clint eastwood impression :-D

[@Blazer02LS]

Those are the turn/markers, the main headlamps flip over from their stored position when turned on. Great idea until you get freezing rain or a bunch of snow.

[@zx8401ztv]

Blazer02LS Ahh i see, it's a shame that interesting designs can often create more unplanned problems :-(. The kiss rule often works well.

[@ilikeboost4764]

I had a hunch that it was the cas once it had no spark or fuel.

[@call6060842]

sound of him getting in & out of the mx5 is funny

[@donnierobertson3088]

Great job again like always

[@billysbikes8671]

i like your hat!

[@herbwag6456]

Nicely done!

[@mdoneg]

I have same problem with my Miata (crank no start) but no power to the injector. I don’t get any voltage like you do @2:54

[@63256325N]

Thanks for the video.

[@nicknicu1787]

Love these little cars,I have one and I’m 6.2! Lol!

[@ethelryan257]

Your diagnostic videos should be organized and used in various college level courses, not just for auto mechanics.

[@greanstreak04]

It's a "sinceya" problem... Did you move the seat??? Looking forward to the update...

[@fire7765]

Great video, thx for sharing.

[@garyharrington4598]

Can u also do a voltage check on the signal wire with 12 volt supply. Using a regular meter?

[@ShainAndrews]

LS swap. That is a safe go to solution.

[@jasonjgr8580]

Shain Andrews , I would not do a junk ls swap. Things break.

[@noostroi]

@@jasonjgr8580 Drive shaft... Rear diff... Traction... 😁

[@ShainAndrews]

@@jasonjgr8580 Sarcasm... I was using it ;-)

[@BuggysTowJam]

Me notta miata guy, I'm solely a solstice guy! It's tiny, and I'm big so while driving it i look like 10 gallons of shit in a 5 gallon hat. I have contorted my arm like T Rex arms to reach my window switches and cup holder. But it's a cool looking car that wouldn't pull a greasy string outta cats ass. I always wanted a corvette and couldn't afford one. So i bought the solstice thinking i could lie to myself, making myself believe it's the poor man's vette. No dice

[@bulwinkle]

It may not be super fast but those things handle like a dream. Its difficult to keep up with one on a twisty road.

[@billyyoder8171]

Thank you Eric. Good job. Have a blessed and safe week.

[@lonwillis783]

Is that the clutch job Miata also? Thanks Eric

[@SmittySmithsonite]

I hate it when I change brake pads, and it causes catastrophic engine failure from lack of lubrication ... 😁 Tight squeeze in them things! Rollerskate with an engine. I bet a 302 kit for that would be a friggin BLAST! 👍😜

[@opl500]

There's three schools of thought as I understand it. LS swap, Coyote swap and boost the shit out of it. Most popular is the LS swap and there's more than one video series of people doing it.

[@GoatzombieBubba]

Looks on Calendar sees Friday, go back to video yep he said weekend, hmm

[@Sertao2013]

Can you show how to make or buy and what connection you connected the tester to the injector ? I'm assuming you didn't get a check engine light with a code for that sensor . If the check engine light didn't come on and give you a code what use is the sensor ? What would happen if you were driving and the sensor went bad ? Does the check engine come on before the car stops running so you have time to get off the road ? If the check engine light isn't going to come on and the car can stop with out warning what good is the sensor ? Why is it there ? Can you get rid of it and bypass it so your engine won't stop dead on the road and you get ran over because of a bad sensor ? A bad sensor shouldn't get you killed it should be their to save you by giving you a warning to get off the road .

[@kylehoyt7478]

Did changing the brakes actually affect this because I just had my brakes change now it won’t start

[@partsshooter]

Geez.... Video today really have me reevaluating the way I diagnose. I would've definitely wasted alot of time just checking basic fuel system components and working my way to injector pulse. Not sure if I should change my ways but I'll assume you check that fuel pump relay off camera!😂 Makes sense to jump cam/crank signal and no other way

[@davesage9190]

The order he did the diagnosis makes sense. No point in checking fuel issues if you don't have an injector pulse. And it's so easy to check.

[@partsshooter]

@@davesage9190 I understand you, However it's quite contrary. Not everyone has a scope. Checking injector pulse is necessary to an extent and will still lead you to the crank sensor, that being an afterthought -in hindsight, this video will be the most resourceful method.

[@davesage9190]

I think his experience eliminated later feelings of hindsight. He didn't use a scope until it was really necessary. (even then maybe not necessary) He used a simple light bulb (noid light) and a spark tester. He eliminated the need to check the basics of the fuel system (as you say you would have stumbled on) by simply knowing that regardless of the rest of the fuel system, without a pulse the fuel isn't going anywhere. First things first. Being able to pick the simple tests that eliminate the need to do more complex tests comes with experience and logical thinking. It's a gift (and experience) to be able to work like that. that's why I like to watch him work. He has a brilliant approach. He rarely has any wasted effort. I don't fix cars but I relate it to my 40yrs of electronics trouble shooting. The process is the same. Sometimes you just have to slow down and think before taking any action. (I think he says that too. "Sometimes you have to slow down to speed up" - or something like that). Thanks

[@danedwards1227]

Whenever I've had a crank/no start, assuming the engine sounds ok, the first thing I do is hook up a timing light with the trigger zip tied so I can see it strobe from the driver's seat. It's a quick way to verify both spark (more or less) and pulse from the ECU without having to unplug anything. Generally if I get a strobe from my timing light, my next step would be to put a noid on an injector plug. Of course I'm also listening for the fuel pump to prime... if I don't hear that, I'd change my course of action, but that's just part of my initial "crank it and see what it sounds like)

[@partsshooter]

@@danedwards1227 ha! It's rare I ever hear folks doing that! Gotta be creative being by yourself.

[@rrmech11]

Nice job 👍👍

[@airdaleva42]

I was washing my cars when my Miata engine compartment got doused with water. I started it up and it ran rough. I got any water out I saw and tried it again. It started and ran normal. 18 hours later it won't start at all.

[@misfit1-3]

i did a rebuild engine and i have this exact problem i get no spark but the engine turns the crank position sensor is good but not sure if the cas went bad

[@DailyDeliveryDrifter]

Odd question, I've got a 96 miata, cranks but no start, it has spark and fuel, just replaced the CAS and it doesnt run now. The motor ran perfectly fine before being pulled. Everything is connected and bolted down. Any clue?

[@deepsquat600]

I am on vacation right now Eric in the middle of nowhere place called la grande Oregon I came out to my car yesterday morning to a no-start situation had to go through some of these procedures diagnose a bad distributor which by the way is brand new less than a thousand miles on it ordered one up now I'm waiting for it to arrive about 4 hours from now cuz like I said I'm in the middle of nowhere and nobody has a freaking distributor for a 99 Acura 2.3 l VTEC engine ridiculous there's another $100 for a hotel room

[@georgebonney90]

Cool car

[@fukkyoutube]

haha youtubes stupid closed captions said that you said welcome to sylvan auto pairs i had to watch that one twice

[@phamuchuynguyen7921]

❤

[@mikechiodetti6737]

Part 2! Part two! Pico's are a great help!

[@grantheathman]

What model of the Pico tool did you use on the Miata/MX5?

[@jeffleach2668]

Ah, an engine that looks good without some stupid piece of plastic covering it!😬

[@cecilianoble3065]

I recently ran off onto the shoulder of the freeway and lost control of my 1997 Mazda mX5. There was minimal damage caused to the front right side and lost the tire but now the battery won't start, after it was charged overnight with a brand new portable charger. The tow truck driver was suprised after he tried with his own charger. He explained that it might be a cut battery line. Does anybody have any suggestion, comments, or advice for me. I'd appreciate any feedback one would have for me.Thanks...CeCe

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Good video Eric O

[@MotherlodeMotors]

How did you know to go for the cam/crank sensor based off the info you had?

[@grahammason8558]

He was getting no spark plus or injector pluse which is sent to the ecu by the crank sensor. So it had to be cam/crank wiring or ecu.

[@amyshepperd2672]

My 05 just died going down the road and now cranks and won't start sounds like that one you think that's the problem ?showed no signs of anything like it ran out of gas.

[@jeffreybanks7128]

I hate Vice-Grips, they can mar stuff up!

[@CubasAutomotive]

Nice! I ran out of older videos, been repeating them. Lol Quick and easy testing to pinpoint direction. ..

[@CubasAutomotive]

Now I remember. ... never seen this type of system. I suppose it's not too far off from a normal hall effect.

[@georgebonney90]

👍

[@baggins1]

Works on brakes, car don't run no more. Hmmmmm ;)

[@bbkmm1]

The customer is wrong with his assumption. It is the new air fresher that's causing the non start condition.

[@romualdbienaime]

Hey , guys I need help so it started to rain one night start the car it start fine. When woke up the next day I try to crank it wouldn’t starts when I check I was not getting any spark I replaced the coil and the spark plugs , I retime it, I replaced the cas , I replaced the ingniter I tried everything I’m only getting spark I two cylinder with the stock ecu I thought the ecu was bad I replace it with speedy efi now I’m not getting any spark at all. When I crank It with the stock ecu it makes that pop sound.If anyone has the same issue please inbox. I just don’t know what is wrong.

[@adamreed31]

Can a bad cas cause spark but no fuel? Im pulling my hair out. Lol

[@Ironsja11]

Wait a minute....what light is that?

[@lexustech48]

Ever since you...

[@ritag7854]

we have done everything. New Cem fuel pump, plugs cam gas nothing makes this car start.

[@TheDoeVideos]

just reminded me that the timing belt job i did on one of these 4 years ago, the guy never paid me lol

[@anthonyyoung7344]

The battery is in the trunk

[@ronaldanderson9263]

Ever since you.......

[@nitrous07me]

Naw it’s definitely an “ever since you” my wife left me, my dog died ect ect 🤔

[@Joseph1NJ]

Yer making it look too easy Mr. O.

[@jameswatkins7278]

Where’s the video of replacing the brakes ? Lol

[@scurfie2343]

I'm number 1.

[@daveblane6442]

fuck you

[@saddestchord7622]

I must be going deaf.

[@blockbertus]

Why?

[@lexmaximaguy8788]

LOl a brake job broke the miata...haha..

[@Bekim8310]

Yo yo!

[@ryguy57106]

Is there a prize for sixth

[@phprofYT]

A 1994 Miata? Well. Everything is about to break, he knows that , right? Heck. A 1994 anything. I'm about broke everyday. Bones, muscles, wallet.

[@richieschmidt6225]

My guess is cam angle sensor, because it’s almost always the cam angle sensor.

[@richieschmidt6225]

Or I guess crank sensor is a possibility if it’s a 96+

[@Brookside975]

@@richieschmidt6225 I have replaced both one time in 100k miles on my 2001. Cam angle senor is a two minute job and I carry a spare for luck, but will probably never need it.

[@richieschmidt6225]

Ah turns out I was right! Great video Eric.

[@ryguy57106]

Sixth

[@NewLevelAuto]

First

[@lukecartwright1803]

Dam. I tried to be the first comment lol

[@daveblane6442]

WTF is with you?