How's it going fellas,

Need some help. I have a 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege that wont start. It cranks but wont start.. I'ved done the following and still wont start.

Tested the Battery (good).
Sprayed started fluid into the intake manifold.
Checked the mass air flow sensor.
Checked the fuel pressure regulator.
Codes that came up were 106 / 401 / 171

Recently had the timing belt and water pumped replaced
(2 months ago) Timing belt was still intack.

Please Help Thanks

 

I read 106 as barometric pressure sensor poor performance. The other two codes lean and whatever are related. I've read where this same sensor has caused issues. I don't know how hard to replace it is.

 

Only takes 4 things to start/run the engine:

Battery to crank
Fuel
Air
Spark

Obviously you have battery.
Fuel - The obvious question is 'Do you know you have gas?'. If so, skip for now.
Air - Is your filter plugged? If not, you should be fine.
Spark - Couple of ways to check this. Do you have plug wires? If so, pull a wire and plug. Ground the plug to the chassis. --Vice grips work well for this-- After you clamp the plug to a good, clean, steel place (around the hex of the plug), crank the engine. You should see an obvious spark. (You can also buy a spark test tool. It's a simple clamp you attach your plug wire to)

If you have spark, you get back to 'Do you have fuel?'. While the plug is out of the cylinder and you've been cranking, stick your nose to the plug hole and check for smell of gas....

 

He has tried starting fluid. Yes needs gas to run, however it has to be the correct mixture. Thats what the barometric pressure sensor does.

 

Barometric pressure sensor should not keep it from starting. ECU will use a default value to let the engine run in limp-home mode.

And "Spraying starting fluid into the intake" is hardly the same as a steady supply of fuel. This isn't a carb'd engine in cold weather that needs a bit of spark to help turnover until a mechanical fuel pump supplies fuel.

 

ok, don't believe he has a mechanical fuel pump.

 

And he doesn't have a carb. Which was exactly my point. Acting as thought a modern, rail fuel injected vehicle with an electric pump will start or run starting with starting fluid just because a carb'd V8 could have been primed/started with it 30 years ago is a stretch.