I have a 2000 Mazda MPV with a flashing "service engine" light. Is this signaling some king of an emergency? Should I drive it at all?

 

Flashing CEL can mean only one thing rampg, your van has an engine missfire that is severe enough to cause damage to the catalytic converters. Van should not be driven if at all possible as the more it is driven with the missfire occuring the more the damage to the converters and they are very expensive to replace. A missfire code should be stored that should give some direction as to which cylinder is causing the problem. P0301-P0306 will indicate cylinder # or P0300 will be a random missfire.

 

babyhuey,

Thanks for the information. At least now I am better informed at what to expect. Sounds like a couple of hundred dollars just for starters. It's also due for the 72k mile check-up. A few hundred more... not to mention the unknowns.

 

I am being quoted $228 for one GY01-18-100, COIL, IGNIT

I read elsewhere in the forum that coils were one for each cylinder and $59 apiece ???

Ramón

 

The 2002 and later MPV use an ignition coil for each cylinder that are priced in that range rampg. 2000-2001 MPV use a coil pack and plug wires to each cylinder to deliver the spark. Still way overpriced if you are being quoted $228 for the coil only. GY01-18-100 has a dealer MSRP of $138.28 and is even cheaper at www.onlinemazdaparts.com for $110.62.

Are the spark plugs or plug wires also being replaced?

 

BH:

Yes, the spark plugs and cord set are being replaced but at an extra cost, of course.

$30 for the spark plugs
$81 for the cord set

I used to do this myself on a Pathfinder I had... but one peek inside the MPV hood and I can't even see where to start.

Ramon

 

BTW,

Thanks for the excellent mazdaparts website. There's a few minor things I could do by myself.

Ramon

 

Hi there again,

I got the ignition problem solved and I was installed a new cord set among other things. Only there's one strange thing. The cord set just lies there right on top of the engine. My Pathfinder has all lines in the cord set nicely hung in the air from some plastic brackets of sorts. I understyand this is so because the cord set, if let in touch with the engine, will deteriorate and become britle from the extreme heat. Am I right?

Ramon

 

There should be some brackets that route the wires around the valve covers and along the manifold and motor mount area. Couple of pics below of what it should look like. First is of the wires correctly routed and installed in plastic brackets. Second pic is of the wires removed so you can see what the brackets look like a little better. Does your engine not have these??

[IMG]local://upfiles/1377/9213EB0242474FB69DE59184B82BAF70.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/1377/AED681E6B15140B98CB6857CE5A228FF.jpg[/IMG]

 

Hello and thanks for the reply,

My MPV was installed a replacement cord set that obviously is nor properly routed. I can post a photo tomorrow.