I have a 1999 626 (2.0L/4cyl Auto Trans)

The problem:
The car will crank, but not start after it has been driven for 10 or more minutes. When this problem occurs, I can get the car to startup if I let the car sit for 15 or more minutes. However, this symptom is intermittent

Interesting points:[*]When engine is cold, the car will start every time[*]Twice, in the past, when the symptom above occurred, the car started immediately after putting the gear shift into Neutral. However, I think the Neutral "trick" was simply a fluke since it only worked twice[*]The problem has been ongoing for over a year[*]The problem may not occur for over a month, then once the problem rears its head it will act up multiple times within a week. Then, go away for a month or so and the vicious cycle begins[*]Transmission was replaced in 2004 by a Mazda Dealership (ROMERO MAZDA in Ontario, Calif)[*]I've changed the O2 sensor, problem persists[*]I've changed plugs/wires, problem persists[*]Two different mechanics have been unable to diagnose the problem because they cannot reproduce the problem when I have them look at the car (typical, eh?)[*]Sometimes, when the problem occurs, it feels as though the car is out of gas - i.e. the car cranks and fires, but then will immediately go back to cranking

Not being savvy with cars, it's difficult for me to know exactly how to describe the car problem. I'm curious, would it be helpful to any of you in diagnosing this problem if I were to send you an .mp3 audio file of what the car sounds like when the problem occurs?

 

If you give it a little gas while you try to start it, will it start?

 

When I give the car gas, the car will feel like it's trying to rev up (for less than a second), but then the car will bog out.

Hmm - this is a bit difficult to describe, actually.

Maybe it'll help if I lay out the sequence of events: [ol][*]I turn the ignition[*]Car will crank[*]I give the car a little gas[*]Car starts with very little RPM's (less than 400)[*]I give the car more gas[*]RPM's bounce up and down (as though the tank is very low on gas)[*]Car stalls[/ol]It may be worth noting that Step 4 (where the car starts for a moment) doesn't always happen. Most of the time, the car will just crank without ever starting.

 

Your problem sounds very familiar to mine. In my case, If I gave it gas, it would run but not idle. I was 100 miles from home the first time it happened. I thought if I could get it in gear, I could maybe get home. Oddly enough I gently pumped the gas, I got it in drive, and by the time I got to the first stop sign, it was fine. I went home, and the next day it was fine. I checked everything and could find nothing wrong, I replaced the Mass Airflow sensor because that seemed to be everyones favorite fix for this. 2 weeks later, it did the same thing to my wife. Again she got it in drive and it was fine. When she got home I tried it, this time I tried shifting to neutral, and it started. I put it in park, and it was fine again. I could not understand why the gear shift position would make a difference, butevery time once I got into drive it was fine. The transaxle has a sensor on it called the Transaxle Range Sensor. The wiring diagrams in the Hanes manual shows only the starter motor circuit should be affected if the sensor goes bad. What it does not show is what all the other contacts do on the switch. There are many wires attached to the thing. Something I stumbled across on mine was a missing part at the end of the gear shift cable right at the linkage on the transmission. The cable doesn't come off, but it only hovers over the stud on the linkage. There is a lot of slop in the connection. It made sense that without the part, the transmission would not be completely in whatever gear position you think it is.
The transaxle range sensor is also not completely in the position it is supposed to be in, and its range of movement is not much to begin with. I made a new grommet/ cable retainer and installed it on to the transmission cable and pushed it onto the transmission linkage. There is now no slop in the cable to tran. joint. The car has not failed to start in 3 weeks now. I don't know for certain if it is fixed, but it does make sense... I washe dthe engine the week before the problem started. I found a plastic part in the driveway that I could not identify. I know now it was half of the missing piece. Good luck... I hope mine is fixed and yours soon will be...