Miata Mailing List: October 1992, Message #23
sponsored by



     


   From: (none)
Subject: Re: Noisy valves/lifters
   Date: (none)

> A while back I asked if anyone else's Miata had a noisy valve train when
> started after sitting for a week or more.  A couple folks commented that they
> noticed it too.  Well, last night I started my wife's Miata for the first time
> in a little over a week.  Oil pressure was up within a second, but the clicking
> persisted louder than ever.  Plus only 3 cylinders were firing.  After 30-40
> seconds the engine smoothed out and all cylinders were firing fine, but the
> clicking didn't go away.  I'm really beginning to think there is a design
> problem with the Mazda 1.6L, either that or we've got a plugged up oil passage.
> Once all the oil drains from the top of the engine, it seems to take a while
> for it to get back up there!  Not a good thing.  The car was parked on level
> ground too.

My Miata always sits for a long time (I live 2 blocks from work and the
stores).  I get oil pressure quickly enough when I start it, but I have
always thought that there was more valve tick than there ought to be.
Perhaps I'm not used to hydraulic lifters, or maybe it's because I haven't
owned anything else with valves for a while - my RX7 had no valves and my
two-stroke sport bike has no valves.

It definitely is not too noisy though.

Here's the only problem I'm having:  When I start it cold, oftentimes the
computer takes 10 seconds or so to catch on and pull the idle up - until
which point it threatens to stall.  Likewise when I let it drop back to idle
abruptly, the computer seems to get caught off guard and lets it drop way
too low - sometimes 'til it stalls.

Anybody else experience these problems?  I hate to take it to the dealer
because it's such a hassle - the nearest dealer is about 20 miles away and I
often work long hours.  On the other hand, since this is my first new car,
I'll be damned if I'm not gonna take advantage of that precious warranty...

-Andy

Andy Poling                              Internet: andy@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
UNIX Systems Programmer                  Bitnet: ANDY@JHUNIX
Homewood Academic Computing              Voice: (410)516-8096    
Johns Hopkins University                 UUCP: uunet!mimsy!aplcen!jhunix!andy