1990 Mazda Miata MX5 - service

[MiataMark]

Ever since I've had this car I've been a bit suspicious about the cooling system, lately I've been losing water after/during a run. I decided to do a bit of investigation thinking that it might be head gasket failure.

Checked the oil filler,. no evidence of water in the oil, and no evidence of oil in the water. No obvious leaks in the engine bay after running the engine up to temperature. Took it for a run, no issues engine is fine, nearing teh end felt something hot on my foot (wearing sandals with no socks, no photo), rusty looking hot water dripping onto left foot.

So it looks like the heater matrix is leaking, looking at the Haynes manual etc doesn't look like a fun job. will take the opportunity to remove the AC though. Looking on eBay (new they're £347) there seems to be a difference for the heater matrix assembly for AC and non-AC cars?

I will bypass the heater first to check that that's where the problem is.

[kevins]

You can remove it from the drivers footwell with a bit of discomfort, it could just be one of the short hoses in the footwell to.

[MiataMark]

Bit more investigation and a head in the footwell look, very soggy carpet as well

and just to add to the fun my sister managed to push one of the parking sensors into the bumper on the BMW. Think that's a bumper off job,

yes it need a good wash.

[kevins]

You can get aftermarket ones for around £100 on ebay.

If you take the drivers seat out it's not too bad to lay down with your head on a cusion in the footwell

[MiataMark]

Some idiot in a van has managed to catch the rear of the wife's Disocvery...





Trouble is at 152K miles and 18 yrs old that'll write it off (£400 for a new panel pluse paint etc.), we want to keep it so I guess I'll scouting around for some parts and sorting it myself after getting something from the insurance.

It's in for an MOT tomorrow, sop some gaffer tape on the sharp edges.

[grizz]

That’s such a burgerr.

Years ago I had a 2002 Golf GTi company car.

It was hit and run also by something tall, like a Transit, and by the level of damage, like yours, there is no doubt they knew it happened.

I hope you can get it all sorted in a way that works for you.

[MiataMark]

Feb 13, 2023 13:27:46 GMT grizz said:

That’s such a burgerr.

Years ago I had a 2002 Golf GTi company car.

It was hit and run also by something tall, like a Transit, and by the level of damage, like yours, there is no doubt they knew it happened.

I hope you can get it all sorted in a way that works for you.

It wasn't a hit 'n run, we've got details etc of the driver. Phoned the company and the driver's in a lot of trouble as he had his aunt in the van which isn't allowed, karma.

[vitesseefi]

Ask them to contribute to the repair then. Usually happy to avoid involving insurance.

[MiataMark]

Feb 13, 2023 13:59:25 GMT vitesseefi said:

Ask them to contribute to the repair then. Usually happy to avoid involving insurance.

That would be my preferred route, waiting for their head office to call back, I reckon £800.

[paul99]

THEIR insurance to put YOU right. remember that.

[MiataMark]

So £3,500 if we write it off, £2,100 if we keep it. They'll pay up £1,400 to repair it, their estimate to repair is £2,400. Just spent £700 getting it through the MOT and it's running nicely.

I can get a second hand panel for £400 but can't find any info on changing it.

Personally I'd like to keep it but it's hard to justify, it's also really the wife's car.

[jamesd1972]

Is it worth 1400 as it stands to you ? If so I'd take the 2100 and keep going - better the devil and all that.
Or what can you buy for 3500 you'd rather have ? Big non cat 6 diesels are taking a bit hit at the moment so might be a bargain ?
Tough choice but I'd start at where you want to be and work backwards if that makes any sense.
James

[kevins]

It might be difficult to get access to weld in but you could bond a new panel in, I wouldn't be too difficult to form a repair section either.

[grizz]

Feb 16, 2023 22:18:06 GMT kevins said:

It might be difficult to get access to weld in but you could bond a new panel in, I wouldn't be too difficult to form a repair section either.

I do like this thinking.


But as you say MiataMark it is the wifes car.


Hope it works for you, whichever route you choose.

[MiataMark]

Re welding, pretty sure it's aluminium but bonding would work.

I'm (we're) inordinately upset about this, we were jogging along quite nicely with the car and some careless idiot writes it off, he didn't even get out of the car when my wife went up to him.

Sometimes all I want to do is go back to bed and pull the covers over my head...

[MiataMark]

Disco disaster...

Having taken the money and decided to repair the Disco I sourced a panel (whole rear quarter), rear bumper and door mirror from Tim Fry in Cheltenham (Land Rover heaven in terms of salvage). I set out on Friday to collect, on the way back, oil light on, stopped won't restart tries to turn over. 2 hour wait for AA when they arrive will turn over and try to start but after a while stops. Recovered home, rigid bar tow behind AA Transit. Yesterday morning check oil, OK even over-full, will start and run for a bit then stop, take serpentine belt of (in the past I've had a Discovery that wouldn't start because of a seized alternator), starts but after a while stops and won't start. Something internal to engine is seizing up, given the age of the car and mileage it's really not worth trying to repair so the sad decision has been to write it off after 15 years of (mainly) faithful service. I'll get peanuts for it especially having spent £400 on parts on Friday. Will probably replace with an BMW X1 or a Panda 4x4.

Anyway I have actually made some progress with the MX5.

Sidelights.

The sidelight have always been a bit of a botch job with teh sidelight glued in and a miss-match between the sides when I quickly need to get an MOT,





I've been wanting to get some clear indicators from MX5 parts but they've been out of stock for a long time but finally they were in stock. I did think about the combined intake and TSI aftermarket ones but it doesn't really fit the new resto look.



The issue is that these are really US spec with the indicators being twin filament and needing to splice in the sidelights, comparing the wiring,



I decided to use the indicator bulb holder from the original lights and wire in the new sidelights.



The horrendous soldering is nicely hidden under the heat shrink. Then it should just be a case of installing them right? errr no they didn't fit, there is an moulding on the side that is bigger in the new lights that needed cutting down (compare the old vs new below).



But after some junior hacksaw action, and tracing down a bad connection in one of the old bulb holders happy car (and owner).




Heater leak...

I haven't been using the MX5 because of the heater leaking and losing water, but needing to press it into service as a spare car I needed to do something. The plan being to bypass the heater to (a) prove it is the heater and (b) if that is the case get it mobile.



Handily the heater hoses are easy to get at, the first thing I did was to take the hoses off (after a fight with them) and use some copper pipe and the original clips, which looked fine but leaked, not surprising as it wasn't a tight fit.



I then found some plastic pipe that was a much tighter fit.



Which was fine until the water heated up....



So a hunt around the garage turned up some copper pipe connectors and some jubilee clips,



No pictures of them fitted but it would be a picture of the hoses joined face to face with a couple of jubilee clips.

Which work well and a couple of test drives have been OK. So I can use the MX5 for a while, while the wife uses the BMW and we sort out getting rid of the Disco (I need to take a personal plate of it) and buy something else. Then when the MX5 is free to work on the list is,

• MOT runs out end of March
• Replace heater matrix
• While centre console etc is out replace gear lever bushes etc
• replace tombstone and heater panel with better examples and fit a radio
  
• Replace door mirrors
• put the 'Miata' badge back on
• Needs a clean to show off the paintwork
  
• Use it...

Mark

p.s. Despite not being touched for months the MX5 fired up first time (good old Japanese engineering).

[ballbagbagins]

And that is why we all keep tons of stuff just in case we need it years down the line.

[MiataMark]

MOT Fail

• The seat isn't insecure it just moves a bit, I've got a replacement seat runner,
• The passenger door can be opened but it's a bit temperamental (needs lubricating and leaving it unlocked)
• Ball joint covers have been an advisory for the last 2 years, I've bought replacements
• Handbrake hopefully just needs a bit of adjustment.

[kevins]

Not too bad but the Ball joint covers are a pain, I use a piece of scaffold tube but the top ones really need the arms off, If I do them again I might make a tool to clamp the scaffold tube from the other side of the arm.

On ours the handbrake failed when the slider pins had seized, footbrake still passed though, pulled the caliper appart and greased the pins, it's been fine ever since.

[MiataMark]

Mar 29, 2023 17:35:16 GMT kevins said:

Not too bad but the Ball joint covers are a pain, I use a piece of scaffold tube but the top ones really need the arms off, If I do them again I might make a tool to clamp the scaffold tube from the other side of the arm.

On ours the handbrake failed when the slider pins had seized, footbrake still passed though, pulled the caliper appart and greased the pins, it's been fine ever since.

I was hoping the ball joint covers wouldn't be too hard, oh well. Need to have a read of the Haynes book of lies.

I'll be surprised if it's the slider pins as the callipers were rebuilt but then it has been standing, so I'll probably just pull it apart lubricate and adjust.

It's a bit of a pain as with the Disco gone and waiting for a replacement we're down to one car. Although I mainly WFH this week I've had to be in the office and I've been using the MX5 for communing duties.