The car idles very hard (I took it to a dealer to be looked at. They replaced the intake hose it still does it. If anyone knows what causes this please let me know)
Car idles like it will die when I am stopped.
RPM jump around on occasion.
Makes loud noise, almost like belts slipping.
Low profile tired replaced 3 times in month! Alignment of car never straight.
No A/C this sucks!
I think the steering column is going out.
If I could get a newer one I would.
Body is seriously ahead of its time.
Needs lots of work.
Whole engine replacement needed to make it run effectively for any model.
I see why this was discontinued.
Try shifting into neutral when you're stopped for whatever reason. I have a '93 Mazda Protege and it also tends to vibrate a little bit when idle. Normally it's not too bad, but when it gets on my nerves shifting into neutral solves the problem.
Replace the motor with a Japanese KLZE 2.5L, 200 hp V6. You can buy them with about 50,000km for around $1000 CDN. well worth the money for an extra 36 hp over North American stock.
The loud idling noise is could be caused by the friction gear located in the back left of the engine near cylinder #1. I have the same problem, but the dealer told me to not get it fixed unless the noise tends to increase. Bought it at 56,000 km it has 117,000 km now and still runs like a dream. It may also be the cam springs that need replacing. Just a bit of information.
I have this car now, but I had the MX-3 GS with the 1.8 liter V6. It also had a rough idle when coming to a stop. It was a simple fix. It turned out to be a cracked spark plug wire. But I will have to agree with the V6 swap. I had mine swapped with JDM version. Cost me $1200, but this was after my engine failed at 170,000 miles on it. Not bad if you ask me for a stock engine that was driven aggressively. Hopefully this helps if you still have the car.
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