WTF is my car doing?
 

Ok so here is the deal. Its the 2008 Mazda CX7 with 42k miles. It has the same engine as the ms3. Its the 2.3 turbo. I have a CPE CAI and Forge BPV v1 that has been on the car for 2k miles. I have only had these problems when the equipment was on. However i have had to clean my EGR from a P0401 CEL.

This has happened 2 times now. Each time it is after it rains. I didn't drive it in the rain either. When i go out to start my car it will not start. It turns over and dies. It will not idle. I have had to call my mechanic friend out 2 times just to get it started. He just plays with the gas pedal and ends up getting it to idle. First time there was smoke like barreling out from under the car when he got it to stay turned over. He said he thought it was flooded.

So this time it was harder to start. I tried and tried and ran the battery down. He came over and within like 2 tries had it running. But it was being retarded. CEL came on and so he had me drive it to his shop so he could plug it up to the computer.

On the way over there the car was acting so damn retarded. I could not get about 2500 rpm or it would just go ape shit and spit and sputter. So i limped it over there and he plugged it up to the computer. All it said was multiple misfires. He cleared that code out. CEL off and computer still plugged up and IDLE and it was reading Long term fuel 6 - 7% and short term fuel at 19 - 20%. So it was trying to add 26% fuel at idle. We drove it around for about 5 minutes and it cleared up.

Has anyone heard of these issues or had problems. It has become quite annoying. I should not have to call a mechanic every time it rains and i cant start my vehicle.

What was the CEL code? Sounds like hte Throttle body connector isn't attached fully and is getting moisture in it.

It didnt give us a code the 2nd time. I know it gave this one the 1st time around though when i had the EGR problem. Its the P2187.

Try disconnecting the throttle body connector and reconnecting it. Turn the car on, but do not start it. Wait about 2 minutes withc car on, then start it up.

What does the throttle body connector look like?

Yeah, I can't see shit in it. The throttle body is the doodad that the front boost tube from the intercooler connects to. It should have a connector on the side with a red clip. The clip pops backward to unlock the connector and then you can pull it off.

OK. Here is what i unplugged and replugged back in.

When i unhooked it and pulled it off it was very hard to pull off. I pulled back the red tab and then pulled it out. When i got it off, it looked like the red tab pulled out even a little bit farther.

When i put it back on and pushed the red tab back in. It was real easy to pull back off.

I turned the car to on, waited 2 min, then fired it up. Let run for 5 min an turned it back off. It was running before i tried this so i guess ill see if it helps.

Yep, that's it for sure. There isn't much else that will cause such poor running. You can try the same thing with the MAF sensor plug on the intake pipe as well, but it will set a code almost immediately. I've seen MANY times when a simple "re-seat" of a connector will clear up some of these intermittent type problems, so good luck to you!

vacuum leak somewhere? if it's adding that much fuel you might have an air leak somewhere

I have triple tightened almost every clamp i have on this thing. lol i have no idea where the leak could be. How do i search for leaks?

Its probably your Mass Airflow Sensor. I had a CPE CAI on my MS6 and it was pooling water because of the angle. The car kept dying because it did not know how much air to let in.

Unplug your positive batt cable, disconnect the electrical connection from the MAF, and then use an allen key to take out your MAF. Buy some MAF cleaner as well. Dry the MAF and use the cleaner. See if this works...it should. I ended up having to buy a new MAF all together but cleaning and drying it should work for the time being.

Let me know if this works

edit: I may have missed the part about you not driving your car in the rain. May still want to try this but I am not sure if this is the cause of the problem.

Everytime this has happend i have opened up the hood and looked around. It always looks like there is water on the CPE CAI pipe. The MAF is at the bottom of the pipe. Maybe it is pooling water around the MAF? I know i have gotten a dry paper towel and felt all along side the filter and it is never wet.

d. [x]

Thanks lenny ill try that next time.

if there was water then yes i would definitely still try what i suggested. do that, buy a SRI and call it a day, thats what i did

Any water on the MAF is going to cause the condition you described. Happened to me after I cleaned the MS filter. Despite allowing the damn thing to dry 8 hours, there was enough water left over to soil the sensor and cause the car to hesitate/die.

Curious, how is water getting into the engine bay at rest?

I am also curious how this happens.

I think i will buy a diff intake.

Yeah I switched to the cobb sri because I had a miserable trip a few weeks ago due to the same issue. Just clean it for the time being, but just letting you know you may need a new maf cause I did.

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Any luck?

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+1. On my old mazda 6i, I attempted to install the autozone special SRI and it would start and then immediately die everytime. im guessing you have a leak also. or a bad MAF as someone above me mentioned.

Yea I went stock. No problems. My maf though does not look right. 1 side is black the other side has a golden copper look. When I took my CAI off there was oil or something around the CAI pipe and where that other hose connects in at the top. What would that be from?

oil blow by. happens to all of us. i put a catch can inline from my valve cover to my intake. barely have any oil in it after 10k miles