Check engine light?

Tiny
DMCLALIN
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 89,000 MILES
My check engine light comes on when the gas gets below 1/2 tank and the engine jerks, bucks, hard to accelerate. After I fill to full, the engine runs great and eventually the check engine light goes out. Is the fuel pump failing? Bad gas in tank?
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Sunday, April 11th, 2010 AT 2:22 PM

43 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
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Lack of acceleration, chugging, hesitating, bogging etc. Could be caused by a weak fuel pump.

This guide will help us get the codes so we can fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

Please run down this guide and report back.

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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 AT 7:33 PM
Tiny
SANDE70
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  • 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 118,000 MILES
Check engine light on. Checked the gas cap.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:25 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Have the computer scanned for code/s-you have a problem within the engine management system that caused the CEL to turn on-This is your starting point of diagnosis, finding out what's going on.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:25 PM (Merged)
Tiny
TIMOTHY14
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  • 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 70,000 MILES
The check engine light came on for no apparent reason. Engine fluids are all good. No overheating or other visible or audible mechanical problems. Drives fine. Had belts and timing chain/belt replaced about a month ago and the oil changed as well.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:25 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MHPAUTOS
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Hi there,

The ECU has logged a fault code form the input of an engine management sensor, you will have to get a scan retrieve the code, your tech will use this code to determine where the fault lies.

Mark (mhpautos)
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:25 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LORIEVERS
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  • 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
I recently had the alternator belt replaced. Also, noticed the car would shake and feel like it wanted to die when stopped at light. Then would very slowly accelerate. Put fuel injection cleaner in at last fill up. Now the check engine light is on. My husband checked under the hood and all fluids are as they should be.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:25 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
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Now the check engine light is on.

Go to Autozone its a free public service and have the computer scanned for code/s-you have a problem within the engine management system that caused the CEL to turn on-This is your starting point of diagnosis, finding out what's going on
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:25 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DEREKIZQ
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  • 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 3 CYL
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I’m hearing a rumbling sound coming from underneath my vehicle everytime I let go of the gas pedal. The wheels will start to shake and the check engine turned on and stays on.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:26 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
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Hello,

Do you think you could pull the Direct Trouble Code(s) (DTC)(s) off your vehicle for me? If you are unfamiliar with how to do this I have included a link for you to go to below.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

If you don't have a code reader you can go to your local parts house, like AutoZone, and they will pull the code for you free of charge. Please get the DTC(s) and get back to us with what it is. This will make diagnosing your vehicle a lot easier, and we can go from there.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:26 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DEREKIZQ
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I did and it gave me a P0456 which is a evaporative emission. System leak but that doesn’t solve the rumbling problem underneath the car. Could it be the exhaust isn’t placed right like not screwed in well?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:26 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SCGRANTURISMO
  • MECHANIC
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Hello again,

No, it would not. I would check the exhaust hangers and both the engine and transmission mounts. I have included a few guides for you to go to down below.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-a-motor-mount-works
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/vibration-noise
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/automatic-transmission-problems

Please go through these guides and get to us with what you find out.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:26 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RICK1951
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  • 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 80,000 MILES
My wifes mazda check engine light sometimes comes on on occasion it will start blinking while blinking the car keeps running but stepping on the gas does not change engine speed of car speed when it stops blinking the car runs normal. The light comes on and goes off on its own sometimes the light does not come on for days at a time. I had it scanned and it came back with a 300 code, we took it to our toyota dealer and gave them the scan print out and had them do the 90,000 mile service this did not fix the issue and I took it back to them they went thru everything and could not find the cause, normally they are great about fixing any issues on the car and my ford truck also. I had a second scan done and got the same 300 code do you have any ideas
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:27 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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That is a misfiring code and it can be due to many possibilities. Fuel pressure, spark plugs and related components, PCM and bad ground circuits are some of the list.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:27 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JASPAR
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  • 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE
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  • 2WD
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When the car is idling, the car seems to choke quite a bit. It almost feels as though the car is going to stall. If I tap on the accelerator a bit, the problem seems to go away. The car seems to run fine otherwise unless it is at an idle. The check engine light also recently came on. What could be causing this issue?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:27 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SIONNA
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I own the same car and I had the same problem. The catalytic converter was recalled in this model and when I took it to the dealership and had that replaced the problem went away. Hope this helps.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:27 PM (Merged)
Tiny
2CP-ARCHIVES
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  • 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 14,000 MILES
Engine hesitates I pump gas and it goes. Ck engine light came on auto zone said actuator circuit malfuction, failed IMCC. So is safe to continue driving car?
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:27 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
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First, you need a real tech not a parts salesman.

Imrc rarely go bad, it is the controls that fail associated with that system.

You need a real shop to check it for you to determine the actual issue

Roy
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:27 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MAZDADRIVER2003
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  • 2001 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 90,000 MILES
For the past 8 months my car has been in and out of the stop and my mechanic just can't seem to fix the problem. I have been randomly getting a check engine light for the past 6 months. It used to just appear and stay solid. It didn't really affect the performance of the car, but would just remain on until the mechanic would clear it. When they would run the diagnostics they would get a generic po300 code (which he says is just a random misfire in a cylinder). I have new spark plugs and wires, I have changed my EGR valve, and nothing seems to work.

Now, I still get the check engine line, but its blinking. It always occurs on this certain stretch of the highway when I am accelerating up a hill. The car feels like its losing power. I am pushing on the accelerator, but it can only go about 50 mph. I exit the freeway and when I'm stopped at the light my car starts shaking as if it was sputtering. Once I restart my car, the light normally changes to a solid light and the car runs fine. The only changes I notice are that my car feels a bit sluggish when I'm driving it.

I don't know if it matters, but it seems like this problem occurs when my gas tank has been recently filled.

Thank you in advance for any help. I really appreciate it!
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:28 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MERLIN2021
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A blinking check engine light means damage to the catalytic converter can be happening, Check the fuel pump and fuel type you ar using! May need higher octane.
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:28 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DEEMUNK
  • MEMBER
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I'm having the exact same issue with my Mazda. I own a 2001 Protege manual transmission. The problem started as yours did. Now, several months later, it has gotten worse. The problem is not consistant, but happens more frequently and to a higher degree. My mechanic has cleaned the tubing to the catalytic converter, replaced the coils, spark plugs and wires all with no results.

When I first described the problem to him, he thought it was the catalytic converter as well. He cleaned the tubing running into the converter, but it didn't help. Finally, he happened to be driving it when the problem occured, so he was able to determine that two of the cylinders are not firing. After replacing the wires and coils it's still happening.

Please post something if you figure out how to make this stop! I'll do the same.

Good Luck!
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Friday, July 24th, 2020 AT 6:28 PM (Merged)

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