mx5cartalk.com

OK, slightly strange issue. Car has been harder to start over the last few months - takes 4-5 seconds of cranking before it will fire. Does this whether its hot or cold. Always starts, just takes a while. If you turn the car off and straight back on, it fires up OK. Leave it sit for a while, takes longer to fire.

However, if I turn the key to "On", wait for 5 seconds, then crank it over, it will start within 1-2 seconds every time.

I've replaced the fuel pump, I thought perhaps it was getting a bit lazy, but that didn't make a difference.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, its more an annoying problem than anything major.

If you're saying its fine after you let it prime i'd put my money on the fuel filter being a bit clogged. Probably due for a change anyway.

Have had similar issues on other cars and changing the fuel filter improved starting time noticeably. GL

Ta, I'll grab one and see how it goes.

+1 for fuel filter as first thing to replace.

jordan.k wrote:If you're saying its fine after you let it prime i'd put my money on the fuel filter being a bit clogged. Probably due for a change anyway.

Have had similar issues on other cars and changing the fuel filter improved starting time noticeably. GL

Spot on!!!!!

Sounds like a battery too.
This cold weather does mean difficult starting.

bruce wrote:Sounds like a battery too.
This cold weather does mean difficult starting.

While that is very true, it probably wouldn't explain his symptom of "if I turn the key to "On", wait for 5 seconds, then crank it over, it will start within 1-2 seconds every time."

1600Dave wrote:OK, slightly strange issue. Car has been harder to start over the last few months - takes 4-5 seconds of cranking before it will fire. Does this whether its hot or cold. Always starts, just takes a while. If you turn the car off and straight back on, it fires up OK. Leave it sit for a while, takes longer to fire.

My track NB has been exactly the same for the almost 4 years I've had it. A new fuel filter didn't make any difference. I've tried jumper leads as battery ground & engine ground, but still the same. The strange part is the instant firing on the second start. It performs fine, so I've ignored it.

Yeah, a few forumites have experienced this issue without resolution. Just had a look at Mazda TSBs & found following (Engine hard to start/ excessive cranking time) for NB8A: https://www.miata.net/garage/tsb/sb003_99.html
From memory I think some have also found replacing or checking & cleaning up the Main relay aka EGI relay in the engine bay fuse box has also helped.

RS2000 wrote:It performs fine, so I've ignored it.

Likewise. No dramas otherwise, its now becoming my routine to get in the car, turn key to "On", get settled, put seatbelt on, etc, then start it. Starts fine that way, but jump in and try to start it straightaway and it always takes a fair bit of cranking.