2001 protege rough idle
 

My car has a really rough idle but no other symptoms. I have had the problem 3 times in the last 18 months butthe problem disappeared the following day each time. This past week it started again and has been with me ever since. At a stopthe car isconstantlyon the verge of stalling but it accelerates fine and is also fine at freeway speeds. The only symptom is a really choppy idle that feels like the car wants to stall. I had the car at the local dealer and they said the diagnostics turned up nothing. They also suggested I just have an old car and should buy a new one when the engine on thisone fails.

It seems that a vacuum leak could bea likelyproblem but since the diagnostics are coming back ok the reptold me there is nothing they can do.

Does anyone have anysuggestions as to what elsethis could be? Is a vacuum leak likely? Is it something a dealer mechanic should be able to find and repair?

Thanks!

Any help is appreciated.

RE: 2001 protege rough idle
 

my money is on the egr valve. give it a good cleaning and see what that does

RE: 2001 protege rough idle
 

Thanks for the insight.

I brought up the egr with the rep and he said that they were well beyond that in the testing. But get this, today they asked me if I had had my timing belt replaced recently and I had at another Mazda dealer. Apparently the first dealer messed up the timing belt installation. I'm going back to them with the results from the second Mazda dealer to get my money back for a wasted diagnostic and bad belt installation.

RE: 2001 protege rough idle
 

if they didn't set the tensioner the right way, that would do it.