My grey import has had problems every time I go out in HEAVY rain recently - a misfire (oh the dreaded misfire) which actually the following weekend - cold and dry disappeared, weekend after- heavy rain again I noticed that after a 5 miles the temp gauge was almost in the hot (normally never goes above half way / normal even in 35 c/ 100 degrees Fahrenheit) so heat full on and it went back to normal but would go towards the hot going up-hill or waiting a couple of minutes at traffic light on a 50 mile journey across country and today its dry again and no probs Have I been unlucky and had 2 "one offs" or does the MX5 behave a little temperamentally in admittedly very heavy rain
1999 Mazda roadster RS in UK
Dec 21, 2003
4 Replies
I doubt the two problems are related, although the misfire may have something to do with rain. I can't help you with misfire, but overheating would result from one or more of these:
- Coolant leak
- Bad thermostat
- Bad radiator cap
- Bad fan motor or relay
- Air in cooling system
- Clogged radiator
- Something blocking radiator airflow
- Collapsed radiator hose
Check your coolant level, in both the radiator and the overflow tank, and look for leaks. Test the fan motor; test it many tmes to see if there's a dead spot on the commutator.
One wild possibility: one of your drains is clogged, and rain is flooding the ECU, which controls both cooling fan and ignition.
Sounds like wet ignition leads. Might be time for new leads. They're about Au$70 (UKP30) in Australia.
Could also be related to wet ignition leads.
Sounds like you have a problem. Bet there's a loose connection or damaged wire which allows water in and causes the fan to fail to run properly.
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