cel caused by vtec system on '01 SE

[tmort]

I'm a new guy, with the problem listed on the title. The cel isn't flashing. It's intermittent, but it usually stays on for hours or days. No apparent problem with the car. My mechanic checked it out and says it's due to a valve in the vtec system, just go ahead and drive it.
The big question is, do I? I'm planning a trip across Nevada. Do I? The darned idiot light is driving me crazy, and when I talked to the dildo (I mean service guy) at the nearest mazda dealership he assured me that the Miata has never had vtec and was I really talking about a Honda. Oh yeah, and the soonest he could get a mechanic to spend 5 minutes to read the code on my car to determine the reason for the cel would be 5 working days and a weekend. Like, thanks so much dude.
I love the car, I hate the light.

[Demon I Am]

You either have a Honda motor in your Miata, a mechanic who does not need to be a mechanic, or misheard him. Go to an auto parts store and use their code reader. then report back here with the code number.

[HarryB]

Sorry to disappoint you, but the "dildo" on the phone was right; I would probably reply the same thing myself. That being said, do as Demon told you, the error code number is where you should start from.

[tmort]

OK, going after a code reader, thanks for the advice, and sorry I was a grouch.

[tmort]

OK, going after a code reader, thanks for the advice, and sorry I was a grouch.

[tmort]

all I got was "could not read the ECU" twice key was on

[MazRoadAdmin]

While the 2001-2005 Miata doesn't have "VTEC", it could be that your mechanic was just using a term that most people know to describe the Variable Valve Timing that the car DOES have. (or maybe he just doesn't know the difference)

There is a common problem with these cars. They trip a CEL for "camshaft retarded too far" or something like that. It is caused by a sensor (either the cam position sensor or the crank position sensor being slightly out of spec), is not a real problem, and is sometimes difficult to get rid of. The previous owner of my car tried a lot of different things from different weights of oil to cleaning the cam position sensor and VVT actuator.

My car will trip that code EVERY time I let myself casually cruise with light throttle below about 2400 rpm. I've learned to just not do that. As long as I keep the revs up above 2500 when I'm cruising, it never comes on. I don't know if that applies to every instance of this problem. But, as long as I can "work around" the problem, I'm not going to put any energy or money into fixing it.

Go to a major parts store chain. They can read your code. They usually won't reset them, but they can read them for you.

Oh, and the code will reset after 5 restarts. When mine comes on, I will often do 5 rolling restarts just to get it to go off. (used to reset it with a bluetooth OBD reader and my phone, but it broke)

There is a related service bulletin, btw. It says to replace the PCM (ECU). Not sure if Mazda would still honor that service bulletin or not. Someday I'll take mine in and find out. Maybe.

[tmort]

thanks mazroadadmin, your description of the cruiser driving pattern matches my driving style about half the time. It's just so relaxing to idle down the road with the low burr of the engine and the top off. I'll keep it in mind and take it out on the road tomorrow. See if it stays off.
By the way, I live out in the country, and I always pull over to let faster traffic go by.
You forgot "do not fold, spindle, or mutilate"

[tmort]

Wow, your advice was spot on! I got up this AM and reset the computer on my car then went on a drive up to Lassen Volcanic Nat. Park. A really nice drive once you get out of the Sacramento Valley, I followed your advice and kept my rpm above 2500 most of the time. I logged 399.5 miles and no cel. MazRoadAdmin rocks. Thanks again. I now feel much more confident about driving across the Nevada desert on Hwy 50 (the lonlyest highway in America).

[MazRoadAdmin]

Sometimes we get a little too wrapped up in the nomenclature and overlook the actual problem and/or forget to give relevant advice. "OMG, it's a Mazda, it doesn't have VTEC!"

Glad I could help. (total fluke that I even saw this, btw... I'm just the admin, I check in daily to be sure things are working and your post happened to be in the top 10 recent posts)

[—Martin—]

I'm just the admin

I beg to differ. You've added valuable content many times!