An "Italian tune up" made my check engine light go away!

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
02/05/2018 at 17:29 • Filed to: None

On Sunday while on an aggressive drive up Latigo Canyon, my check engine light shut off and has kept away since then! I know it will come back but I just found it hilarious that I was able to get rid of it by just driving the piss out of my Miata. It is a code for a camshaft position fault which I have replaced the sensor but still get the code. I am not witnessing any of the typical side effects of a bad cam sensor so it’s ought to be something else afoot. My speed sensor is probably going bad as well considering my speedometer goes haywire while under load. I dont normally look at it much but seeing a needle fly back and forth sporadically does tend to catch your attention lol. Anyways, I have clearly learned that the Miata just needs an Italian tune up a day to keep the check engine light away!

DISCUSSION (23)

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 17:39

I’m so jealous of you NB owners. One year newer and I too could check codes with an obdii scanner.

How’d the socal drive go?

Chuckles > AestheticsInMotion
02/05/2018 at 17:42

It’s a trade off for the flip up headlights. Me, I’m happy with my NA, but I might feel differently if it had the earlier 1.6 instead of the 1.8

sony1492 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 17:42

All the proof I’ll ever need to never short shift again

AestheticsInMotion > Chuckles
02/05/2018 at 17:44

I’ll take a ‘95 with an 02-05 engine please

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 18:00

I had to squint really hard to make sure that was, indeed, an Alfa Spider. If I were to guess I’d say a... S3 Verde Veloce with cromodora campanatura wheels? It isn’t a quad, for sure, because it doesn’t have the body kit an I think quads came with 15" wheels. The windshield rake almost makes it look like an S4, but I think that is the photo.

Oh wait... this was about Miatas and Italian tune ups.... Awesome! Glad it worked out! A lot of cars really do appreciate being abused every once in a while.

EDIT: Oh duh. Yeah with non-body color bumpers and those mirrors it has to be an S3. Also fixed a brain fart.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
02/05/2018 at 18:01

It was excellent!

Kinja'd!!!

We had just three of us but that was perfect for a casual Sunday drive. It was very Oppo indeed!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
02/05/2018 at 18:03

And include the flyin miata frame bracing mods to make up for the structural difference. Plus a roll bar too and then you are set! You probably want to use an NB1 motor though so that you have an easier time adding boost. I’ve read that the NB2 motor just does not have much room to grow cheaply.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
02/05/2018 at 18:05

Haha I mean I wouldnt have the slightest idea, it was just the first cool pic that showed up when I googled italian tune up. And thankfully it was an Italian car being driven aggressively. But yeah my Miata always appreciates just being beat to hell and back. I like to drive my STi hard too but it definitely worries me much more that something will break while doing that too often.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > sony1492
02/05/2018 at 18:06

If I lug the car, that check engine light 100% comes back on. I have noticed this while in fourth gear going up a steep hill if it has been off for a while. That is also the only time my exhaust gets droney. Trying to do like 2500 rpms in 4th up a hill.

promoted by the color red > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 18:08

I like to give my Camry Italian tune-ups as well. It doesn’t need them, I just like to hear the VVT-i kick in.

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 18:08

I feel you. If I short shift and lug my Talon around it’ll backfire and shoot flames. Drive it with a purpose and it’s like a new car haha.

E90M3 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 18:12

Hey! I know that guy with the Golf R.

RPM esq. > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 18:39

This always worked on my Land Cruiser for an occasional CEL resulting from the exhaust leaking around the oxygen sensor. Of course, to wail on an FJ80 all you have to do is merge onto a freeway, so just driving it to work every now and then would usually suffice.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > promoted by the color red
02/05/2018 at 18:45

MMM yeah when my VVT kicks in, yo, its the best! I really thought it would be gimmicky but I find it definitely makes a difference versus the non vtec, I mean VVT, 1.8 Miatas. Especially with some better flowing exhaust, you can feel the little kick above like 6 grand.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru
02/05/2018 at 18:46

Arent flames a good thing though? Gotta get those flames out of the engine bay so that they dont burn the car!

MM54 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 20:47

Only one of my cars even has a check engine light on the dash, and there’s no bulb in that socket, so...

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > MM54
02/05/2018 at 20:53

Thats how I planned to fix the check engine light in the Neon if I had ended up keeping it longer. Nothing was actually wrong other than the computer was acting up so it would have been of value to get rid of the stupid flashy light.

MM54 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/05/2018 at 20:55

I’ve got a perpetual P0420 (bad cat) so when the bulb was burned out (along with half the dash) and I took it all apart to replace bulbs... I left that one out. “oops”

Powershiftmedia-ResidentDSMGuru > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/06/2018 at 01:00

They just exit under my feet now HAHA

pip bip - choose Corrour > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/06/2018 at 04:09

with the speedo it might be an issue inside the speedo head.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > pip bip - choose Corrour
02/06/2018 at 08:21

what is a speedo head?

pip bip - choose Corrour > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
02/06/2018 at 08:22

the bit you look at to see how fast you’re going

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > pip bip - choose Corrour
02/06/2018 at 10:50

Oh lol. Well the speed sensor is a common issue and a pain in the ass to change on a Miata, I believe particularly with the 6 speed transmission for whatever reason. But yeah that could be my issue as well.