Misfire at idle Case Study: '03 Mazda Protege -Part2

In Part 2 we finally win the war against this Mazda!
The discovery was both surprising and humbling.
From experiences like this all we can do is laugh and learn how to be more efficient the next time around. Now, can we explain all the symptoms based on the discovered problem and repair?
Thanks to all who commented on Part 1! All the guesses to the potential problem were valid. Maybe I will do a quick follow-up in part 3 to discuss how to narrow down the issue based on our observations. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but this is the best way to learn for the next case study that will come along.
Enjoy!

[@DJDevon3]

People with those tips are always complaining about losing them down in the wells. The same ignition boots are found on the V6 KL engine too. I'm all for junkyard parts but never ever go with junkyard ignition wires or spark plugs. It's one of many things an FS owner should never skimp on. Great video. Sucks you had to spend so much time on it but that's just the way the battle goes sometimes. You won in the end and made a Protege owner very happy. Good job.

[@willieshepherd5041]

DJDevon3

[@whitetiger8652]

Great diagnosis Ivan. Don't beat yourself up on this one as you figured it out in the end and you did not give up and that makes a great diagnostician.

[@NZdiagnostics]

Another great video... I appreciate your putting this up when so many would have been too proud. The thing is, you often learn the most from videos like these where you have a hard time of it. Not to mention it makes the rest of us feel better when we get a tricky one that doesn't go to plan. Really enjoying your channel!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Alex Wills Yeah at first when I finally found out what the issue was, I thought I would scrap the video...but then again you don't see this scenario every day! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@SouthMainAuto]

DUDE! Did you not pay attention in our last class!? Every car that runs rough and shows and anomaly on secondary ignition needs plugs and wires...and the occasional injector flush haha and I thought you took notes lol. Haha good fix Ivan, we all get slid once in a while, it won't be the last time I am sure but that is how we keep on learning right!?

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+South Main Auto Repair Well it was still pretty weaksauce even after the repair...I think the real fix would be to install some go-fast add-ons like a fart can or maybe a cold-air intake?

[@SouthMainAuto]

+motoYam82 With a trunk mounted fin too and stick on hood scoop!

[@waynec6059]

Good deal. Was thinkin' on last one to run a scope on a rope along 'em first. This is why I've waited 4 days to get NGK wires ordered online for a junker Isuzu a friend gave me for helping to fix other vehicles of his. Just doesn't pay to cheap out on some of the basics like this. Thanks for the closeout vid on this one, and hope to see many more from you both as always. Beats having cable.

[@bigdaddymak1439]

+South Main Auto Repair Can you believe +motoYam82 made a 2 part case study that a simple parts swaper could fix!! SMH LMAO

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

lol I was almost too embarrassed to post this one! However in my defense the parts swapper ran out of options...that's why he called me up :) The thing is, how does the parts swapper KNOW he swapped in a good part, especially when all the parts are from a junkyard!!

[@toamataafa4647]

Blessings Ivan...great job finding the problem. Love your videos.

[@georgeheri895]

nice find and fix Ivan. Your expertise carried you thru and you found the problem. That is what counts. Thanks for sharing , keep up the good work. Always enjoy your vids.

[@felixdelgado5399]

Watched Part 1 & 2 of your video. I have a 2003 Mazda Protege with idle under 1000 which hesitates while in drive gear. I changed spark plugs, changed spark plug wires, cleaned air filter, changed both 02 sensors, checked all vacuum lines, so now just researching KZbin videos on what else I can do. Felix from San Diego, Ca.

[@TheeRobc5000]

Fuel pump maybe

[@jgeorges3061]

Nice info IVAN, as always and it is always good thing to do as ERIC says go to basics when a car runs rough and show problem on secondary ignition issues but over all good fix and job well done as always thanks to you and MR SMA all u know for sharing.

[@pookatim]

An age old problem. The more we rely on sophisticated test equipment, the further we stray away from the basics. In this instance it was your tenacity that prevailed. Too bad it took four hours to find a problem, bad ignition wire, that has been around since the first internal combustion engines entered service. Lesson learned!

[@ManicMechanic007]

Determination paid off. There is NO replacement for experience. Good work Ivan.

[@ericcorse]

Your last statement was the most important thing you said. I know you were glad to get that one done.

[@shinmatsunami]

I'm glad I came across this and the previous video. Been having really weird idle issues and waiting for my new coils, plugs and wires to come in. Thanks to this video, I'm going to pay close attention to the boots on my new coils. I got NGK coils, so the boots look more solid. But we'll see. Thank you for posting this!

[@zoidberg444]

Diagnosing automotive electrical issues seems more like voodoo than a science sometimes. These videos are very interesting. I really don't envy you diagnosticians, it all seems a bit hit and miss sometimes.

[@sabroosh]

Well done dude! Great perseverance.

[@iotcheez]

Thanks for making this video!

[@victorcovarrubias4022]

good good lesson for all of us! thanks for posting! 🖒🖒🖒

[@trainer2018]

Good job Ivan, I have gotten my butt kicked too so don't feel bad. Look at it this way, no one else in your area could figure it out, they called you and you fixed it. Only tip I can think of to help is next time look at your secondary on all four cylinders and see what they look like at idle and under load. Under Load you will flush out the problem.

[@wysetech2000]

Who would expect a secondary leak on all four cylinders? As soon as I saw the plug boots I knew the rubber seal at the tip was missing and the first thing I thought of was rule #1, visual inspection. If you didn't know they were missing it would throw you off as well but you knew enough that the spark was leaking there and that wasn't right. When I think of all the times I have had my butt kicked on a job I smile because I never forget it and ask myself, "remember the one that". That repair is something you will always remember, Bud.

[@CravinMorehead420]

Nice find and fix !

[@FinalStopMobileAutoTech]

Nice job my man!

[@XNeverXKnowsBestX]

keep up the good work 👍👍👍

[@ringmaster146]

Well done Ivan. Somehow I don't think we've seen our last video on that car :-)

[@davidgoldberg]

Enjoyed the diagnostic process, you do a great job with a handheld camera!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+David Goldberg Thanks David! As you can see at first it was going smoothly, but then frustration set in and I only got the important bits...

[@billrimmer5596]

I think o e glue the little piece at the bottom. Also those old plug wires were shocking u. I wonder if they would ohm high? I think we all can relate to getting hammered by the simple things. Great video!!!

[@ryanraymond1563]

I had the same problem. I switched the ignition Coils found out that one of my ignition Coils was out. Auto zone. $32 bucks for a new coil fixed my problem. Don't let anyone tell u it's ur EGR valve before checking ur ignition Coils. I had a p0300 code and auto zone it was most likely my EGR valve. I did the work myself to find out it was a bad coil. I also changed spark plugs, wires, and Valve gasket before finding out that the ignition coil was bad!! Fixed and running like a champ once again.

[@feeneysmechanical6215]

Nice job Ivan

[@punkguy350]

Great video mate. Glad you figured it out 😊 I have same idle and misfire at idle or pulling up at traffic lights it nearly stalls on my mazda astina 323. I changed ignition leads and spark plugs and it still does the issue. Maybe a coilpack? or cam angle sensor? or crank angle sensor you think?? As very rarely I get a little misfire while driving too. Been a bit since changed coilpacks though just FYI.

[@laohantun7404]

Thanks mate, it help me a lot.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

Jeez, I had to chuckle. My very first thought at part 1 was: Sounds like spark plug wires…. I am not a tech at all. But I experienced this on my car once. Even back then, I just drove to the shop and asked for new spark plug wires. Problem solved in 5 minutes, haha. But, you got it fixed in the end and learned. That's good. I wonder if you let the customer pay for all the hours?

[@microstorm]

Really cool. Came here to see if the symptoms matched my 02, but even though I have a stumble every once in a while I mine doesn't cut all the way out, but it does shake at idle, (I have Delphi and NGK coils and boots in good shape with the lower rubber boot glued to the rest), but my MAF is off by 0.6g/s (2.6) at idle (from what I saw you had), so I guess I have to keep looking. Thanks for all the info and the insight, this will help me one way or another.

[@jhonviel7381]

ive read a few blogs that point out the piston rings are the weak point in these fs engines, i know im having bad compression problems on my own, but its also 240k, which actually shakes the engine more often than not, but after i replaced all my engine mounts, bc 3/4 were bad, it helped a lot more.

[@vincescalise4821]

That was a good diagnosis Ivan It took a little longer big deal,I guess that’s why you have to use OEM parts.You have no control over the junk parts that the owner put on

[@josemarcelalopez5270]

Great job.

[@stevescott8758]

Every day’s a school day Ivan 👍

[@ilyavoloshin9686]

Thanks for the video! I bought a 2000 Mazda 323 Protege Shades sedan last year. There are some acceleration issues; it does not like me stepping on the throttle hard, as it drops the revs for like half a second, then goes up. I got it stalled 4 times and all those are on low revs accelerating from stationary (like on traffic lights)... I had essential service on it 2 times (just oils), but nobody can say anything about this issue. I think I might have a similar case with ignition leads. Will try to find brand new ones and change. Thanks!

[@wyattoneable]

Thumbs up for finding that one.

[@stuzman52]

Great video Ivan. I was thinking of the ignition system in your 1st video when you showed the voltage ignition waveforms. I was thinking of a very high resistance since the voltage jumped so high on the waveforms. But when you drove the car and it ran pretty darn good at higher rpms, I was thinking maybe something else was going on. Very strange scenario as you would think with it being ignition, it would have got worse at higher rpms. Who would have ever figured? Great work Ivan in finding the culprit...

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+stuzman52 Hey Terry! With ignition systems it seems like the key is not just load and rpms, but scenarios that require higher kV to jump the gap. Apparently the engine at idle is actually under a greater load, compared to just off-idle! Spark timing is a huge factor here too, as it requires more kV to fire closer to TDC than earlier in the cycle. I'll have to organize my thoughts from this case study to explain the exact symptoms that were present.

[@stuzman52]

+motoYam82 But Ivan, is it not true that compression actually increases when you snap the throttle as the engine is pulling in more air? This would put more load on the ignition system for it to fail. Here is a link to one of Motorage's article which describes the procedure. www.motor.com/magazine/pdfs/022003_08.pdf Thanks Ivan for the feedback.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Absolutely! That's why it stumbled when I snapped the throttle initially. Should have taken it for a test drive much sooner in the diag instead of playing with the pressure transducer :)

[@stuzman52]

+motoYam82 You did a great job Ivan as I've been in the same boat with some repairs along with others out there. The main thing is not how long the diagnostics takes, but the learning that comes from it. To me, that's the most important and will stick with you. Once again, great diagnostics Ivan and keep up the good work!

[@Tallguy203]

+stuzman52 just saw this video and agree with you. You have time invested in diagnosis but learned from this. Didn't buy a bunch of parts but pin pointed the real problem. These kinds of things happen to all of us. Great job Ivan.

[@movingupautodiagnostics8645]

Wow great case study Ivan! The ugly part is that a normal parts changer guy would had gotten away as a genius just by changing plugs and wires in just 10 mins and nailing the apparent idle issue! Lol! Anyways, I really enjoyed this one, and thanks for explaining this kind of asian waste spark system.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

well the beautiful part is that the parts changer guy already had his go and gave up! They change a part and assume that if the problem is still there, then that part is ruled out....thus getting slid!

[@movingupautodiagnostics8645]

motoYam82 lol! That's good news! One down, a few million to go!

[@movingupautodiagnostics8645]

motoYam82 thanks to guys like you, Paul, Eric O and Matt I can handle a few Diagnostics myself. Already started fixing some cars around!

[@F4runnr]

Happened to me today when I replaced the ignition coil on my 03 MS. I used some super glue around the outer edges of the old boot and put the boot back in. Waited a few minutes and then carefully removed it. The tips came out of the well with the boot. I noticed the new NGK ignition coil tip was glued to the boot.

[@todayintheshopbanksy5904]

This is where the novice would have turned up and thrown plugs and wires at it and come away looking like they new what they were doing. Great videos Ivan, thank you for posting them. Mike

[@NabilChouchany]

Great vid man!! but indeed, this is how we keep learning... Turned out it needed plugs and wires: Matt "the scientist" is gonna hate you ;) Keep up the good work!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Nabil Chouchany Actually just wires; plugs were OK haha

[@freddylee729]

Good video Ivan. thank you for sharing the case. ScannerDanner's book chapter 1 part 3. Have you read it before?

[@TexasPLNR]

Nice video! Persistence is sometimes necessary.

[@SteveRobReviews]

Nice vid Ivan , it's not always so easy to know the parts your looking at are correct. Working on one brand has so many advantages compared to guys that work on everything. 👍👍

[@fieldsofomagh]

+Steve Rob Even a limited number of brands should cut the down time. There are some brands that will get you a quick ride to the poorhouse.

[@SteveRobReviews]

Tom OConnor. Ha so right you are Tom...

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Steve Rob All I saw was a strong spark coming out of the tip, so assumed the plug wires were fine...it's the cases that kick your butt that teach you the most!

[@fieldsofomagh]

Sometimes an ordinary visual inspection can work wonders.Liked the videos.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Tom OConnor Very true, but a visual inspection would have done absolutely nothing in this case...unless I knew what the plug boots were SUPPOSED to look like lol

[@Bluewrench61]

Remember your coil amp pattern that had the large downward spike is almost always an open or high resistance secondary.

[@calholli]

KZbin deleted my markers, so I can't tell what videos I have watched already. Guess I'll just watch them all twice. :)

[@jerkimerjames3545]

You got the flashing check light that should narrow it down to coils and wires. Also turn on ac drive for 15 minutes minimum and stop at idle until you stall which the scanner will give you the details, those wires are elcheapo. Great use of diagnostics but KZbin is a great shred resource as everyone with that model has same problems over time.

[@ChrisVoight]

Just replaced the boots and having the same problem. Any other idea what it could be? I have a 2002 Mazda protege5. Got the new boots from Autozone. The old boot came off same thing on Cylinder 1, but got it out.

[@bnskproductions]

Wow.. I wonder if this is a problem in design for Mazda Protege or what.... I have a Mazda 3... but I have seen ads that have Mazda that Idles rough and starts rough... they say its the EGR valve that needs replacing... I almost would take a chance on buying one cheap just to see if it is or just a spark plug problem.I like Mazdas ZoomZoom. Great video!

[@newyota1]

I am still fighting this 300 code on my protégé.I have reolaced wires and now have decided to try one coil and see if that is it then if it comes back I will pull other coil and put the one I pulled before and see if it comes back again.Not sure if coils can be intermittent or breakdown whenever wherever?Seems there are so many causes for this error.

[@zfiddy]

Your videos are great to watch... But someone with your experience i feel should have started with a basic misfire issue. I was yelling at the screen in part 1 check plugs and leads! That off idle misfire i could hear/feel it through the screen haha! How was the IAC ever going to cause a misfire? Anyway love your channel!!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

The plugs and leads looked great on initial inspection! But lesson learned for sure. Test drive was key here, as it wasn't just an issue at idle :)

[@eldocilospina6091]

hey Ivan thanks for your videos I really enjoy them and learn a lot question the long spike on the scope waveform it's cause by the wire grounding in the head does it affect primary or secondary

[@SouthMainAuto]

+Andres Ospina I think Ivan will agree that secondary voltage is reflected on the primary VOLTAGE waveform. However he was doing a primary current ramp test and one of the few secondary failures that can be reflected on a primary waveform is when the plug wire goes open. He mentioned in the video that it was back feeding causing that negative spike when the coil was turning off. Basically when the secondary coil collapses and has no place to go the energy will be reflected back on the primary winding, and that you can see with an primary amp waveform. Make sense?

[@eldocilospina6091]

Thank you Erick I was just watching the Dakota video and you just answer the question jaja funny hope Ivan don't get jelous

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Andres Ospina Eric and I are planning to do some videos on controlled experiments with ignition systems and in-cylinder pressure transducers over the winter...should be a great series!

[@tam1381]

Ivan sad to say I have seen this too many times with poor Ignition leads.Saying that maybe a simple approach would have worked better.Saying that after the event is easy thou .You got there in the end ,a nice lesson learned.Tam.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Tam Couch For sure, I'll always take the easy approach first :) But what would that approach be?

[@tam1381]

Misfire for leads and plugs then coil. Unfortunatly that is not always the case as we all know. Tam.

[@martinarrieta7779]

grasias bonito video

[@unchainedsilver9702]

i have the same issue sometimes P5 and those same bluish cheap looking wires gonna pick up a new set tomorrow

[@billyr9840]

Great vid ! It's amazing that the rubber at the ends of the original wires did not get stuck in the head when he pulled them out but when he got them from the junk yard they did ! Sh*t Happens ! LOL !

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Billy R For all I know that's how he got the car so cheap...no one knew how to fix the damn thing!

[@billyr9840]

LOL !

[@polsksm1]

Love your vids Ivan. I have no idea how you manage to do this while holding a camera. I think the next time your at SMA's place you should lift one of his tripods. Out of curiosity, what do you charge on a call like this? I ask because 95% of the DIYers probably change wires and plugs first when they get a misfire.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Ken Mueller Hah this guy already did plugs and wires and look what happened! Granted if he got new ones then he would have been OK. On this one I told him flat fee $70 to at least get a direction...was sure that I would have been done in under an hour. Bad assumption on my part!

[@johanaalvarez7200]

OMG i have the same issues in my car. I take to many mecanics and thats the problem. Tomorrow i go to the store and fixed. I tell you more after i buy

[@DriveBetter]

Thanks for the two part Mazda fix. I like your Suzuki 4x4 base camp. How reliable has yours been and what should I look out for when buying a used one? I'd like to make a 5/8 scale trail toy out of one. Thanks!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+TheBurnout The Zuki XL-7 has been a reliable rig so far; only 130k on it right now. Just replaced the rattling timing chain tensioner, a weak spot on these V6 engines. Other than that just a couple wheel bearings, O2 sensors, thermostat... had to tighten up a nut on the driveshaft. Parts are still available and not too expensive. My other choice would be a second-gen 4Runner :)

[@Travisfromoregon]

i used to work for a honda mazda dealership. These early 2000 years had problems with there secondary wiring, moisture was a real enemy with them as well. You could usually see a burn mark in the side of the plastic were they were arcing out. If a customer had washed his engine or it was really cold and moisture was in the spark tubes it would cause a miss that would go away after the engine was warm. Back then you'd tell the customer it needed wires, and they'd take it and install them themselves only to come back and say you missed diagnosed it. During that time aftermarket sucked and mazda engines were picky about having factory wires. New factory wires usually solved the issue.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Looks like the aftermarket option sucks pretty bad even now. OEM or NGK seems like the only way to fix this one.

[@HollomanUFOLanding]

So if it was the ignition leads, why was the rough running only at idle and not all the time??

[@mikeeustice4452]

there is supposed to be a rubber boot at the end of the plug wires when he pulled them off the plugs boots were either oil soaked and swelled and they fell off or they stuck to the plugs

[@ezra8761]

So how did you take out the rubber out the cylinder ??

[@x99j]

I ran into the same problem on a 1992 camry with the 2.2L 5sfe. Those aftermarket 2 piece plug wire boots are junk!

[@DJ-tn7vj]

Those plugs wires have an rubber insulation at the end. Sometimes when oil gets on it, the rubber tends to slips off. Customer leaves them off and expect that amount of KV not to jump. Thats why you were having issue putting it back on.yeah i know this is after the fact

[@alexbrophy6885]

Coil over plug extensions are awesome for this, fit in your extension and then get your test light and wave it around the boot to check for leakage! Good video

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

yeah...but you won't find the kV leakage since the extensions will "fix" the problem!

[@vitavas3824]

Спасибо.

[@valherustinger7848]

fyi = they only break off if you are careless when removing the plugs. You have to pull them straight up and out if you dont, they catch on the head and after time snap off

[@mr.dozer.7471]

Sweet. I have a problem. Misfire cylinder number 3. I've replaced the plugs the plug wires both coil packs pulled apart the fuel injection tested those plugs tested all for fuel injection everything tests good I still have a misfire on number 3 cylinder? everything checks out good including compression and everything is new and replaced? any ideas? nice video thanks

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

If you have compression, fuel, and spark at the right time, by the laws of physics it is impossible to have a single-cylinder misfire!

[@karlbuttler]

That would explain the high Kv, it was jumping that massive air gap too inside the valve cover..

[@dil6969]

Even on my 1991 Mazda, fresh plug wires are SOOO important for the engine's performance. Even OEM plug wires with 36,000 miles on them had hesitation issues and a misfire at idle. NGK blues or bust!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I run NGK blue on my 1989 Mazda MPV. Sparks like a champ :)

[@jimcrane6862]

I had an '87 323, and had to change the plugs every 15k. If you even took them out to just look, they would misfire when reinstalled.

[@sancheztorres35]

I had same issue with my mazda .what kind of wire set from subaru year and model to buy it please thanks

[@JoshG1977]

No answer?

[@samuelbane6743]

Easy to play Monday morning quaterback, but this one was a little overthought! Don't be upset for me saying so : x

[@MiguelRamirez-ld7sy]

Is the ignition 'green' light supposed to stay on all the time, till you insert the key? I'm tracing a battery that keeps draining on a used car.

[@coltonweber1979]

Yes!

[@volvo09]

I had a similar experience with cheap plug wires on my 98 civic winter dd. after sitting for a year I fired it up and after 30 mins or so it started randomly misfiring, then it totally dropped a cylinder... I thought it might have been a stuck inj because of the scenario, but when pulling the plug wires I saw a spark jumping OUT from the side of the silicone boot to the plug well... no seam was there or anything! so a pinhole or conductive path was formed there and let the HV through the insulation... that was my last set of cheap plug wires I'll ever use, id rather have used oem's, as I'm sure you've seen some aftermarket wires are complete sh*t, barely passable.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Aftermarket GARBAGE lol

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Aftermarket GARBAGE lol

[@JoshG1977]

What suburu model?

[@mikeoneill7360]

awesome catch, shitty wires, incredible!!!

[@thedreadedgman]

the question is what do Mazda OEM ones look like are they one piece rubber like most OEMs??

[@zackbrown9321]

Man, that was a battle. At least you get to put a check mark in the victory column. Still wondering about that long dwell time as seen on the primary ramp though. I understand the high voltage spike with an open secondary, but why would that affect the dwell? Is that maybe the engine computer trying to compensate in some way?

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+Zack Brown Yeah I think when the engine is ready to stall out the ECU commands full juice to the coils in attempts to keep it running...

[@glenharper3136]

Did you charge him for 4 Hrs.?

[@MrFouzi123]

i m wondering why you first did not check obvious spark iac tps atc??? 4 hours for what

[@CHIBA280CRV]

Unreal ! He bought them at the junk yard ! How cheap can you go . He should have just used speaker wire ..I hope you charged him for 4 hrs of diagnostic testing ... That's crazy...lesson learned..

[@justingonzalez7049]

I have the same idle issue with misfires constantly showing on the reader, so I should use Subaru coils lol I also have a 2003 protege

[@austinhurst467]

Did u find the subaru coils?

[@jusb1066]

back when cars didnt have deep set spark plugs, they did often have plastic boots where the metal conductor was near the end, it was just to keep fingers off, it couldnt jump to the head, and didnt have seals on them at all, vintage motorcycles are worse and use a bare terminal

[@fuckjewtube69]

But why did it only happen at idle?

[@jamesrossmotors]

Sometimes we over think things and with all this fancy test equipment we don't do the basic stuff like a drop test or listen for things. Man the jumping spark was screaming out for the whole video. Also one thing regarding in cylinder pressure testing and dividing peak to peak by 4. Valve events don't happen at top dead centre (center if your American) or bottom dead centre, they happen before and after and vary from engine to engine. It is a great test though. I have watched all your videos and hold you in high regard. I just think you missed this one. We all do it.

[@PhattyMo]

Carbon tracking. All it takes is one arc down the boot,to the head,and then there's a conductive track inside the boot. Misfire mania.

[@sociallydistantcamper]

Do you have a part number for the Subaru part

[@austinhurst467]

Did you ever get the part number?

[@opel-ll6gz]

очень долго искал такую простую неисправность, а сколько стоит такая работа?

[@vencentbauer]

I could hear spark jumping on first video

[@markcarpenter3600]

KV reading will always be the largest gap.

[@aricowan8731]

Anybody can help me get my car started im located in the DMV it’s a 2003 Mazda protege5 automatic it cranks no start.

[@RipCityBassWorks]

The one time the parts cannon would have been victorious if it hadn't fired $3 parts...

[@osc1968]

All that to end with bad cables from the beginning it was showing misfiring why not to start with that first

[@mr.edmiston6725]

I was screaming at you trough the screen!!

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

I heard you!

[@lolzlarkin3059]

I did think you went overly complicated right away. Not saying I wouldn't have done the same given the previous timing information. Think the best way to approach a miss is first find out if its one cylinder or actually random. Then check spark and fuel and go from there. Obviously it's always easier with hindsight.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+lolz larkin In hindsight it was a two-cylinder intermittent misfire...not so easy to track down! A good test drive right from the start would have cut down on the unnecessary IAC and timing/compression tests for sure :)

[@tickyul]

The ignition-wires on my MPV are shot, basically doing the same things as the car in this video, not quite as bad.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

+tickyul You mean Mazda MPV? What year and engine?

[@tickyul]

+motoYam82 Yeah, 98 Mazda MPV........what a poorly/cheaply designed POS. Whoever wrote the software-routine for the misfire-counter did a pretty sloppy job. The thing will be misfiring pretty badly, shaking at stop-light........the CEL rarely comes on (P0300). I can spray the wires with water and it will really shake and throw a code. It's a junker so I am hesitant to put ANY money into it.

[@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics]

Dude just put some new wires and plugs in it what's the big deal? That's just basic maintenance...how does that make the car a POS? The 1st gen MPVs are generally very reliable and capable (unlike the second gen), but a bit underpowered lol. I own a '89 with 240k miles and my brother has a '98 with 170k; both are still running great but getting rusty up here in the salty Northeast :(

[@tickyul]

motoYam82 Cheap, shoddy construction........crappy mounting of switches, a flimsy sunroof that crumbled under its own weight, flimsy interior trim, fuel-flow problems when the temp gets over 60 degrees and the tank is on the low side, the worst handling vehicle I have ever driven in the snow when not in 4wd. I would rate the VW-Fox I owned above this POS Mazda.

[@jerkimerjames3545]

Also always put die electric grease in the rubber I'd and antisieze on the spark plugs threads the next guy will thank.

[@straxx99]

You are a genius trouble shooter, but why swap ignition cables from a scrap car to this car?

[@TonyRule]

Terrible plug lead design - the rubber should be bonded or moulded to the plastic. Also, some dielectric grease on the inside to stop it binding on the spark plug insulator in-service.