MS3 Acceleration Problems Any Ideas/Help?

[spyder]

Hey folks. It has been a long time since I last posted on here but I am having a little problem.

For the past couple of months I have consistently noticed a jerky/shaky type acceleration from 3 gear or higher from my 2007 MS3. I think I have noticed the problem for about 6 months or so but could not replicate it as frequently as I can now (about 4-5X a week) and I drive my car for 20 minutes each way on the highway to and from work.

The best way I can describe what happens is when I am on the highway and I need to accelerate to change lanes from the collectors to express or bolt from one lane to another and pass truck to avoid flying stones or rocks from their tires. So when I accelerate my car speeds like a dream and makes me love my car again and again:). But sometimes (not consistently I might add) I go hard on the gas, to accelerate quickly and it slowly accelerates and shudders or jerks or shakes a few times while creeping up to my desired speed.

I have taken my car in three different times to the dealer. The first attempt was a bad O2 sensor which the code read. The second was bad MAF (code read again) and yesterday was to install a new BOV not because it is proven faulty but the tech said it was dirty. Fair enough but I am wondering at what point should I keep letting them try before I really push the issue. Has anyone else had this experience with acceleration? And as aside the first to fixes did not correct the problem but I now get an extra 60-75km on a tank so the first two attempts were beneficial:)

I must also add that I have the MS CAI and exhaust for over 2 years (Mazda Tech installed) and I always hear a back fire down shifting or slowing down and every morning when I remote start my car I can see the see a puff of light blue smoke coming from the exhaust.

I have spoken with the tech extensively about the turbo and the potential turbo seal leak and he is confident it is not leaking since he has already replaced 15 turbos with the new revised design because of the leak issue.

If I am leaving any info out that you may need from my car or my driving habits please feel free to ask or PM me but any ideas or suggestions to problem solve for myself or for Tech that I trust with my car (Steve @ Ajax Mazda) who also owns a MS3.

Thanks for your time and help with this matter.

Cheers!
Spyder

[starscream]

Now I am not a MS3 expert, but I do know the characteristics of a turbo car.

What gear are you using to pass? (are you downshifting and then booting it? or staying in 6th?)

Also do you know if your boosting in that gear?

Because sitting in 6th and hammering the gas isnt gonna make you feel the same as if doing it in 5th, or even if you were to do it from ramping up gears (going from 1-2-3-4-5 WOT). I mean its just a thought. From you backfiring and all that, it seems like either its rich or your leaking oil (hence the blue tinted smoke) just something to check out.

[spyder]

This acceleration issue happens in any gear from 3 and up. I understand that 6th gear would be "weak" it is not just a slow accleration, it is the notable shake/shudder or jerkiness that is the issue and it doesnt seem to be any particular gear. So to answer your question I have passed in the highest gear and I have passed by dropping down a gear and then accelerated.
I can feel the boost kicking in when I press the gas agressively enough (does that make sense?)

I could be running rich because there is a lot of black dirt on the exhaust tip but every MS3 I have seen has the same.

Spyder

[starscream]

Boost Solenoids good?! Maybe one of them is acting up, could be a cause too. If its messing up it can be the reason why sometimes it doesnt it and why sometimes it doesnt. The shudder would be from it screwing up and the ecu dumping in a bit more few then it should. Not enough to cause the car to die or severly bog...but enough to cause loss of power. Just maybe something to see if you can swap out and check.

[Mazda3X2]

I get a similar symptom to this sometimes in mine as well. Very rarely when I get on the gas in the upper gears the car will hesitate and sputter (for lack of a better term) a few times almost like it's confused about what I am asking it to do and it usually clears up if I go to full throttle. It's like it's asking me, "are you sure you want to speed up that much or just a little?"

Please keep us posted on what you find out of this. I would be curious to know. I haven't been too concerned up to this point becuase it happens so little. Then after a good blast at "heavy" throttle it won't come back for a while. Strange.

[Fobio]

sounds like spark plugs...maybe need new plugs w/ proper gapping.

[silvermist99]

or/and fuel pump, mine studdered like crazy when the fuel pump was failing.

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=23887&highlight=fuel+pump

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

I agree with Silvermist. Symptoms sound just like those folks with 2007's that had to have the fuel pump's replaced. That said, the plugs and gapping are a lot easier to check first.

[Unoriginalusername]

I agree with Silvermist. Symptoms sound just like those folks with 2007's that had to have the fuel pump's replaced. That said, the plugs and gapping are a lot easier to check first.

+1

[Mazda3X2]

Were there problems with the factory plug heat ranges or gapping?

Seeing as the problem only occures occasionally do these still fit as a solution?

[spyder]

So as an update. The next step is they are now going to change my fuel pump and and I am going to upgrade my spark plugs next week. Will let you guys know what the status is.

Spyder

[Mazda3X2]

Looking forward to seeing the results, keep us posted.

[spyder]

Hey guys. I know I haven't posted in a long time this is due to my wife expecting next month so some or most of you know that everything else goes on the back burner when new offspring are arriving. So I do have an update about my acceleration/hesitation problems. To go over what I have done so far.....

I have consistently been getting P300 and P303 error codes and it has happened primarily after driving on long drives with a lot of stop and go traffic such as driving over 2-3 hours and hitting traffic jams like crossing the US customs boarder on the way back to Toronto and also when l am hitting a traffic jam on my way to Kingston from Toronto. So what happens is the car is fine during the long trip but when I park the car (and I have a turbo timer to cool the engine), I start the car again and the car sputters and nearly doesn't turn over and the CEL goes on. Then when I start driving and I have to accelerate from 50km/h up to 100-120km/h (changing gears around 4000rpm) the car jutters or "coughs" and then the just speeds up to the normal acceleration pace I expect. Sorry if this sounds wordy but it hard to describe.

I always use the premium Shell gas and I have never used anything lower that 91 octane if I can't use Shell gas. First I had the high pressure fuel pump and one coil #3 fail and got it replaced (under warranty) and still had the problem so I willingly changed the remaining coils and all the spark plugs. I still had the problem but then I put Sunoco 94 octane (to burn higher to clean the engine), the sputtering from cold start disappeared but the acceleration problem still occurred. Only when I did less aggressive driving for a week or two and then when I decided to do some more "spirited" driving the hesitation would show up a few times in any gear going from 3000rpm or higher and then the juttering would fade away for a few weeks and my car would be symptom free. The quality of the gas never really changed the juttering in acceleration problems it seemed that fast accelerating multiple times would cause the problem to fade out.

Three weeks ago I drove to back from Kingston and my just acted up in a bad way with constant P303 and P300's CEL. The car would only start after hearing the engine turn over 6-8 times and barely keep a normal idle in neutral. Well since I have a new kid coming I just couldn't handle this problem any more and I went in and had Steve a tech at Ajax Mazda (he owns an MS3) and he was nice enough to drive my car home and around town for a few days because he never seems to feel what I truly describe. Well this time he did. I am now out of warranty (over 3 years) but under 80k and he has now found that my fuel injectors are faulty (not dirty but faulty)! So they are talking to Mazda Canada about some warranty support because I pointed out this problem multiple times way before my warranty was over and I have in good will paid for a lot of other preventative repairs (over $1k) at Ajax Mazda to resolve my issues.

So this is what I am thinking, our cars run rich and the longer you drive and hit slower stop and go traffic, it may cause a build up of carbon or other deposit and that is when I have idle sputtering and the fuel injectors get clogged or not working properly and then when you do some spirited driving the higher temps/firing help burn off or clean off some of the deposits and the car learns to adapt with the injector problems and just over time this causes multiple miss fires (P300 and P303 is cylinder #3).

So now I am hoping this helps others and I will post once I get my car back. Has anyone had the same problems? And, I want to ask what can I do to keep my engine, injectors and throttle body clean? The only performance parts I have are the Mazdaspeed CAI and exhaust all installed by Steve at Ajax Mazda.?

Also I know we all have good and bad experiences at dealerships and I myself gripe a lot since I read posts here but I have to say Ajax has been amazing and you know not all problems can be diagnosed right away if mechanics are always on a time constraint to be perfect with all problems.

Please feel free to offer any positive advice as this is not a complaining post.

Cheers!
Spyder

[spyder]

Also I don't have any pics but I want to sell my stock MS3 exhaust since it is taking up space so if anyone knows someone that want to buy it let them PM me:)

[Kris"Speed3"CWP]

Was reading your thread and noticed you only ran Shell 91. I have a 2010 and tried shell 91 for my second fill and I got a slight hesitation before it would run full steam at W.O.T in any gear or rpm . With 94 sunoco would have no hesitation even if were in too high of gear and hitting W.O.T. I then tried sunoco 91 believing car could only run on 94 and with sunoco 91 ran same as with 94 only diff is more points with 94 and couple bucks more to fill! With my 2010 Speed I know it does not like the nitrogen enriched gas shell has if I can't get sunoco 94 I will make sure to use any 91 gas but Shell or pioneer,(believe this is shell supplied not sure) to make sure hesitation does not return no matter how minute it may be!

[Fobio]

Thanks for the great post spyder...please let us know how it goes with Steve@Ajax!

for those who took the time to read it, my addition to this is that it's a good thing to WOT your MS3 on a regular basis to redline and thru the gears...

if this scares you and you now want to start a rant on unsafe driving, I recommend you STFU and take it to the track. =)

or go get a CR-Z...they look good with your nuts hanging on the rearview mirror...

[bunchi]

speaking of taking it to the track.. saw you earlier in action at the track at mosport... lookin' good! lone mazda on the track!

[Kinn]

Thanks for the great post spyder...please let us know how it goes with Steve@Ajax!

for those who took the time to read it, my addition to this is that it's a good thing to WOT your MS3 on a regular basis to redline and thru the gears...

if this scares you and you now want to start a rant on unsafe driving, I recommend you STFU and take it to the track. =)

or go get a CR-Z...they look good with your nuts hanging on the rearview mirror...


LOL!!!