mx5cartalk.com

Hi all

Anybody with any ideas on the following?

You may be aware of the relative downpour in Gippsland this week and not sure if this is coincidence or possible cause, however on Friday my Wife was looking after my Girlfriend (the MX!) when she noticed after starting the car that the stereo switched on an off, then groans as if the CDs are being changed. She also reported a buzzing noise but was unable to explain from where.

I've subsequently found that the Starter Fuse pops every time the ignition is turned to crank the motor. I've left the car for a few days in the event this is a water issue around the fuse box however there are no indications of moisture in the main fuse box (there is however damp on the passenger side carpet - it was HEAVY rain!)

With the Starter Fuse out the stereo acts normally.

??

With thanks in advance

Tony

Can't help with the fuse blowing except to suggest like you that it's possibly due to a leak, but ref the leak there's a couple of Mazda TSBs from 2006 that might be relevant:

09-036/06 9/21/2006 Water Leak Above Side Windows

09-013/06 4/20/06 Water leak at front of convertible top

http://www.miata.net/garage/tsb/

the way you write it suggests that the car will not start as a fuse blows. If replacing the fuse only results in it blowing again then it might be a job for the RAC a mobile mechanic or a tow. There may well be a fault in the starting system - I would have thought a fault in another circuit blows the fuse for that other circuit?

Mr Morlock wrote:the way you write it suggests that the car will not start as a fuse blows. If replacing the fuse only results in it blowing again then it might be a job for the RAC a mobile mechanic or a tow. There may well be a fault in the starting system - I would have thought a fault in another circuit blows the fuse for that other circuit?

That was the logic I started with, however when I remove the Starter Fuse the radio acts normally. I guess my question now is where could the two circuits interact?

Thankfully my town car is a mighty Patrol so dragging its sore bottom to the car doctor isn't too much of an issue, but an inconvenience all the same.

Starter relay shot? Loose connection to starter or even a.short in the com or solenoid contacts inside the starter motor its self it could probaly be something abit more simple then that but Yeh your best bet is to take it to a local auto electrical workshop

She's booked in for Friday if I can get her there, bastard prior owners have kept the tow lugs!

There is a definite hum from the starter motor area when the ignition is set to aux so I'm suspecting the solenoid. Thanks for the responses in any case.

Cheers

Tony

guess you mean the tie down hooks. Sounds like a flat bed or a tandem required.

Mr Morlock wrote:guess you mean the tie down hooks. Sounds like a flat bed or a tandem required.

No, have the hooks, but missing the screw in towing "rod" that inserts into the cap on the bumper similar to the bull bar pins on a truck. My lovely sister also has a Mazda down the road and found it has a pair

Right, apparently they're referred to as both "tie down hooks" and "tow hooks" depending on the application....and the MX5 just happens to have a different size to other Mazda's.... why WOULD you standardise these types of things?!