What the heck is wrong with my Mazda Tribute?!?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mattfromasia
  • Start date Start date
M

mattfromasia

Guest
This is going to be a headache to diagnose. My initial thought is something electrical. I'm thinking a bad connection or a bad wire somewhere.

In cold weather, there tends to be more moisture in the air. (This is especially true of snowy days, obviously). If there's a bad connection or a stripped wire, we all know that electricity and water don't mix well...so that could be causing many of your problems.

It is also consistent with the reverse, going over bumps, etc. that go along with your car making more sudden movements that can wiggle a wire loose or make it ground against the frame.

Again, that's just a guess, but if that's the case, it might be a needle in a haystack. Your best bet might be to find time you can leave it with the mechanic over several days and hope the problem happens to them and they can duplicate it.
 
Last February I bought a automatic 2001 Mazda Tribute. Exactly a week later it died on me at a stop sign. Dealership drove it around all day and couldn't find anything wrong (of course). It only did it like 3 times from Feb.-Oct. so I figured the engine was just too cold.

It snowed a lot this past month and it's getting WAY worse. When I say 'dies', I mean the pedals lock up and the battery, engine, and oil lights come on. I have to put it in Park, turn it off, and turn it on again. Happens nearly every time I take it out, no matter how long I let it warm up.

Supposed to have 4wd and I couldn't even get it out of my driveway during this snowstorm without it cutting out.

The common factors have been cold weather, braking and/or being in reverse, and going over those tiny, annoying speed bumps. And as soon as I put it in 2nd gear. I don't even know how to describe it; whenever I'm trying to come to a complete stop it's like "Screw you"!

Oh, and recently when I try and lock the doors (in the car or with the keychain one) it'll lock them, and then click for about 30 seconds. During the time it's clicking at me I can't do anything else with the locks/doors.

I've heard of anything like it and nobody else seems to know what the problem is. Help me?
 
I have heard these symptoms on a different kind of car!! I think they figured out it was a faulty relay after hours of diagnosing.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb and say you blew a serpentine belt. Is your steering very stiff?

I could be way off but this happened to me recently. For me, it turned out that the belt was fine. The idler pulley went, thus making the belt come off.
 
Check the ignition relay and engine relay under the hood in the fuse box . The reason the mechanic cannot find the problem is that the relays come out good when scanned. They do not give a trouble code.They are just weak and a little bump will switch them off. Check the fuel shut off valve also.
 
I'm not sure but I'd start with the battery, bat.cables, and connections to the starter.
 
Back
Top