Driving my 2004 6 (3.0 Liter V6) in a traffic jam on the freeway. The Traction Control light comes on for about 10 seconds, then goes away. I thought, "gee that was odd." A few minutes later, ALL the dashboard warning lights come on, except for the oil light, which begins to flicker every time I give the car gas. The car begins making a horrible chattering sound whenever I give it gas (chattering is perfectly in sync with the oil light flickering). The engine temperature gauge drops all the way to zero (C). Other than that, the engine is running normally at idle.
I pull off the freeway, and on the exit ramp the car just switches off. Engine dead, all dash lights (including gauge lights) dead. Headlights and interior lights still work. I try to restart the car, it will not catch but makes the horrible chattering sound with the oil light flickering.
I have the car towed home. Check the oil, it's fine. Try to start the car again--and it starts right up, runs completely normally. I check the battery (12.6V) and the alternator (about 14.2), all seems fine. The only CEL code is P0117, which is Engine Coolant Temperature Circuit Low Input (from when the gauge dropped to zero), and some preexisting P1410 and P0443 Emissions codes I've been dealing with, but those are old and surely unrelated).
Next day I drive the car around for awhile. It runs great.
Is the battery hitting the hood or grounding out anywhere? My 03 did that when I 1st bought it. At some point someone had put a battery in there that was too tall. It wore a hole through the hood liner throughout time and all of a sudden it started acting up. I'd start checking all the grounds and positive wires on the battery. Good luck because electrical gremlins suck!!
Edit: how are the CV axles? I've seen on other cars where the inner joint will go out and not drive the axles as the should. Might be worth jacking the car up and see if the axle and joint have a lot of play in them.
I had a throttle body issue waaaaay back in 2005. It behaved much the same way you describe, except it didn't shut down completely. I pulled off the road, shut it down, waited a bit and started it back up. Of course, it threw a code and it was covered under warranty and there was a tsb for it.
I think I'm on the right track with a ground or electrical issue. The battery is not touching the hood, but I did pull the main wire bundle connector at the engine fuse and relay box and there was some kind of schmutz on two of the connectors. Cleaned it up and hope that's it.
I don't think it's throttle body because the car doesn't throw a CEL and it is basically idling fine till it conks, the TSB I ready described revs going crazy and the car jerking, I had none of that.
So I test drove the car, and now the thermostat seems to be bad - car took forever to heat up to normal, and at full temp produces no heat from the heater.
This SEEMS like it would be completely unrelated, but could it somehow be connected to the problem at hand? It's such a coincidence for two things to go bad at the same time...
So I test drove the car, and now the thermostat seems to be bad - car took forever to heat up to normal, and at full temp produces no heat from the heater.
This SEEMS like it would be completely unrelated, but could it somehow be connected to the problem at hand? It's such a coincidence for two things to go bad at the same time...
I realize this is a while back and you may have sorted this part out. However I will add from my experience.
I lost coolant (wife actually in stop-and-go traffic) as the result of a broken coolant T-connector (you all know the one). I replaced the piece and refilled the coolant. I got a horrible clacking and the heater did not blow hot. I shut it down immediately (just as my wife did originally - and likely saved the engine). What I surmised was happening was there was air in the cooling system that was preventing the water pump from circulating fluid. As a result of this, the temp sender switch was reading air and not reporting the car was actually heating up. Since the heads are at the top of the motor they were essentially running dry and heated up to the point of causing detonation and the sound was the valve train telling me it was about to grenade.
The Mazda factory recommended procedure to purge air did not work for me. I took the overflow tank hose off and poured coolant into that while squeezing all the radiator/coolant hoses I could find with my hand. I re-attached the coolant tank hose and all seemed to work fine. That was 4 years ago.
OK, I replaced the battery. The car ran fine after that until one day when it rained, and it started acting up again. I realized last time this happened, it was raining as well. I've read on later cars that the BCM can get wet and cause this behavior. Is this an issue on 2004 as well? Where is the BCM for me to check? Are there any specific drains I should be checking if they are clear?
https://forum.mazda6club.com/newbie-section/392249-body-control-module.html#post5022984
"- Unplug the battery the night after it started happening.
- Take out the BCM module which is located behind the interior fusebox at driver's side kickpanel.
- Pop the plastic covers off the BCM module to reveal the circuit board (it was wet when i took it out).
- Dry it with paper towel and a heat gun.
- Use rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush to brush off the visible corrosion.
- Heat it again to remove any extra moisture.
- Reassemble."
If you are lowered, the CV angle may be enough to cause issues. Also, if you are on aftermarket axles I would do everything I could to get OEM on there. Pull a pair from the wrecking yard that still have intact boots. Replace any boots that are cracking with OEM boots and grease. Install them and be amazed with the difference in smoothness.
Could it be a bad ECT sensor or connection/ground to that sensor? Maybe all the illuminations and chattering were a limp-home mode due to no input signal from ECT...
Also maybe explains the low coolant T code and why your engine apparently (how did you confirm) is running cold?
The ECT is just a thermistor, you can do a two-point water temperature test (RT and boiling) of the resistance using an ohmmeter and a styrofoam cup.
Electrical engineer here. - Certainly sounds like and electrical problem to me. If you dont own digital multi meter I would suggesting going and buying one before you start throwing money at parts. They are like 10 on ebay. 15 in store. - Check the resistance of your wires and your sensors per manufacturer manual. Look at all the things that COULD throw that code. Cause that code that was a thrown is a catch all for potentially 5 different things. A lot of people are lacking general electrical awareness which makes it difficult to do modern day car diagnostic for a lot of people. From my experience. ---- Best of luck, let us know the results.
OK, I replaced the battery. The car ran fine after that until one day when it rained, and it started acting up again. I realized last time this happened, it was raining as well. I've read on later cars that the BCM can get wet and cause this behavior. Is this an issue on 2004 as well? Where is the BCM for me to check? Are there any specific drains I should be checking if they are clear?
I had a similar issue where abs, e brake, and traction control lights turned on and remained on. Nothing with instrument cluster reading zero or engine lights. Pulled into Walmart one day and pulled out, and immediately the cv axle broke and the car wouldn’t even go into park and waited four hours for a tow. I don’t get the lights anymore after the axle was replaced (even though I replaced both of them a year and a half Before it broke for preventative maintenance sake)
I hope this info helps
I took a picture of the dash lights when it first happened
EDIT: Lights turned back on after 4 months of it behaving with hard shifts. But turn off after the car sits for a while lights turn off. My brother says it’s a bad abs sensor. Can’t help but to think something is ruining my axles
@DrFeelGood mine made a horrible clacking sound too. I've replaced the thermostat, but not sure what else might be wrong after test drive. I'll try the air solution you described, thanks. By the way, when overheated I see coolant fluid coming from the bottom of the engine, but only while the engine is running. Everything else sounds good.
Hey Dave, I saw your other thread but I'll answer here too - The Coolant T fitting on these cars is crappy plastic and is doomed to fail eventually. Usually it's fairly catastrophic and you wouldn't just see a little leak, but it could be on its way out. There's a dozen threads on here about replacing it or bypassing it, just search around
In the image above you can see the Coolant Bypass fitting for the Throttle Body. It is locarted next to the battery. Notice the battery hold down (just above in pic) is rotated. This piece breaks free from the battery tray if it is over tightened (anything more than hand tight basically)
The Coolant T-fitting is an elbow with two 3/4" OD and the throttle body line is 5/16" OD as a "tap" off the elbow.