Ask Bob!

October '99

Bob sure is a good name!
I just found your forum and found it very good...thus my question. How important to Mazda,and their dealers are the Miata Clubs located in so many large cities? Has there been any thought given to them to help them grow?

Bob Ritchey, St. Louis Mo USA

Obviously they're quite beneficial to Mazda, but they cannot rely upon Mazda too heavily. In order for the club and branches to be of benefit to Mazda (and this is the most important point of all), first they have to be of benefit to the members. The club will live - or die - on the enthusiasm of the rank-and-file members, regardless of the manufacturer's involvement of that of any personalities involved, myself included. You people, as Miata owners, are the truly important ones. And never let any one tell you differently. Without you there's no Miata, and without a Miata there's certainly no club.

bwob

Sir, I bought a used 96 Miata m edition. I do not know the stereo security code, don't know if a previous owner even programmed it. But after a recent trip out of town I came back to a Miata that had become home to a mouse couple. They chewed the insulation off several wires in the harness leading up to the fuse box. which must have caused a short, because now the car will not start. plenty of juice in the battery, but I'm guessing the fuel injection is messed up. So, how do I disable the stereo code so I can disconnect the battery, pull the harness and see how much damage there is? And what would you recommend as the best way to repair this, run all new wires? thanks

pete rightmire, edgewood, KY

Pete, not knowing where the rodent family took up residence - or the extent of damage they caused - I have a feeling that your problems may very well be of such scope the radio code is going to be small beer in the total scheme of things. I'd worry about the inability to get the car started and any effect the infestation may have had on the car's primary electrical system than the entertainment apparatus an the radio locking code.

Regarding the best way to repair it, first you have to figure out exactly what's wrong.

bwob

I had a ton of good questions? for you, but when I was done filling them  out I felt they kinda' fell on the NOT APPROPRIATE side....

michael, Ft. Collins/CO/USA

Yeah, life's a bitch isn't it. Even when the Broncos win the Superbowl.

bwob

Could a 94' Mazda Miata smoke a 92' prelude si?

mark, usa

No. Even the oldest Miata is underage, so the 94 will have to wait till 2012. But it's a filthy habit and shouldn't be encouraged. Keep it off the gasohol, too. It's no fun to live with a problem drinker.

bwob

I would like to know details of Miata engine (van Winkle type?) Such as web sites where I can find its working principle, design, etc. Thanks.

Hongyan Zhang, Ann Arbor

That vanWinkle engine, it's a real Rip. But the Miata's Otto cycle four cylinder follows the working principle that's been well documented in various encyclopædia for years. Drop by the Uni library and take a peek there.

bwob

I was captivated by the beautiful blue mica of the 10th anniversary edition, I was wondering if this color would be offered in the 2000 model.

Rick, Detroit/Michigan

Well, considering the build-up the car got (' a limited edition of only 7500 cars worldwide'), it would certainly place the 10AE into contention as the king of cynical marketing exercises. I suspect Mazda's a lot smarter than that. Remember, they never 'brought back' the BRG limited edition, even though the colo(u)r was continuously in production after the 4000 cars were shipped to the 'States. Do that enough and your special editions become about as special as the next Firebird with a chicken decal on the bonnet/hood.

bwob

WILL THE CD-RADIO FROM A 97 FIT MY 90 WITHOUT MODIFICATION.

Glen Coker, nEW bRAUNFELS,TX

YES IT SHOULD. AND YOU WON'T EVEN NEED TO MODIFY ANYTHING EITHER. But you might want to do something about that shift key. It seems to be stuck.

bwob

I'm in love with you and I want to know if you are married.

Krystle Almond, Oakboro NC, US

Jeez, thanks. But sorry Krystle, I am. WifeKaren's as much of a Miatamaniac as I (maybe even a bit more so), who also was the first outsider to see the car in prototype form. She had these dragon lady nails at the time (about an inch long on her index finger - GREAT back scratches), so Hirai-san's 2IC, Kubo-san had her come in and open the door, since Japan was worried about the M1's door handles for those with long fingernails. With no coaching (even from me) she looked at the handle then (while being videotaped), opened it with her knuckle.

But I've got a twin brother...

bwob

HI BOB,
I OWN A 90 MIATA AND WAS WONDERING IF THERE IS A ELECTRIC CONVERSION KIT FOR THE CONVERTIBLE TOP????

SANDRA H. LANIER, KEY WEST, FL. USA

Not exactly. But there is a sort electric top kit that's offered, bit it comes at a huge cost, in terms of both money and image. It's called a BMW Z3.

bwob

Hi Bob. Greetings from the windy city. I guess I should get straight to the point. Many have debated the issue of power and the Miata's apparent lack or adequate deployment of it. Personally, I feel the Miata is more than adequately powered for its size. However, as more and more high-powered roadsters enter the scene, the idea of having more power on tap is an appealing thought. While this can be adequately addressed with aftermarket products, I was wondering if there is a possible standard factory power increase on the way for the Miata. Somehow I feel Mazda has shied away from adding more power for fear of losing the true essence of the Miata as a purist in the roadster community. While the Miata remains a major element in the roadster market, somehow I feel increasing available power will make it more of a direct competitor with the new, and not so new, kids on the block... the Boxster, SLK, M Roadster, S2000, etc. Is this the case (that Mazda is avoiding a direct competition with those vehicles), or is it that Mazda is honestly keeping the cost of the Miata at a reasonable level. Or am I missing something else. Please steer me in the right direction.

G'day!

Pretlow Stevenson, Evanston, IL USA

As long as the higher-powered entries don't come in at the Miata's price point - or too near it - there should be no problem. Assuming the price relativity of the S2000 Vs Miata is similar to that here in Australia, there's enough breathing room between the two to ensure the survival of both. While we may sit back and think that potential S2000 owners consider the Miata, the truth of the matter is that nine times out of ten people buy the most expensive car they can afford. This means the loads of folks who cannot get enough scratch together to pay for an S2000 will be happy with the Miata they can afford. As for things like the M Roadster (if you don't mean the Z3) and SLK, both cost twice what a Miata does, so a performance benefit to this pair would be expected, if only to justify the price.

bwob

I have a '91 Auto Miata. I'm interested in better all-around engine performance. Do you recommend turbos, etc. for automatics.

Thanks,

James Ervin, Plano/TX/USA

I don't recommend turbos on anything that lives below 7000 feet altitude or uses a spark plug to ignite the mixture. Regardless of the transmission fitted.

bwob

I read that the tow hooks in the front mouth should be removed as towing the vehicle from those points would damage the front end plastic. This was a recommendation in mounting a front end grill. Do you think that sounds right about not towing from those points? Do you have any opinion about those aftermarket grill inserts?

Keith Axler, White Rock, NM

The 'tow hooks' are basically there as tiedowns for the sea voyage from Hiroshima to the ports of entry. Nowadays most recovery towing here in Australia is on tilt-tray trucks or carriage which lift the car from the underbody, not the hooks or bumper. In any case the car isn't so unreliable that I'd worry about 'em. They were the second things I pulled off the car when I got a new one, anyway...

bwob

From everything I've read, the Miata began as "an MG which would start on a rainy day, and wouldn't leak oil on your driveway." Great pains were made to get weight distribution correct for great handling, since it wasn't built to compete with V-8's on the straights. The battery was put in the back, and the hood made of aluminum I assume to get the handling as perfect as was economically possible. Where (and when) did the thinking change to give us electric windows and mirrors, leather seats and power steering? Thank heavens they made a few of the "R" equipped cars!

Don Miller, Biloxi MS USA

In the order you raised the subjects; Power windows were in the original draft, since they had - by that time - migrated into the likes of Corollas and 323 and the Miata had to sell to more than hard-core enthusiasts if it were to be economically viable.

Power mirrors were STRONGLY wanted by us (after all it's a driver-oriented feature that is a direct part of the driving experience), but we were continually told by the Japanese product planning department that they were not part of a 'true light weight sports' concept. Despite this they had a power antenna in the car (for Japanese consumption at first) within 90 days of the launch. Now I'll accept the fact that power mirrors aren't a part of the traditional sports car, but then neither is a heater or wind-up  windows. And unlike a power antenna, power mirrors can be a driving aid.

What's wrong with leather seats? Is it a heavier material than vinyl? Nope, not the stuff Mazda use. It was the standard seating material in EVERY MG from 1924 till the end of the TF, not to mention in pre 105-series Alfa Romeo spiders, most Porsche 356s and virtually all Jaguar sportscars. Vinyl's the interloper here in what created the image of sports cars. And cloth was seldom seen because the tops used to leak so appallingly.

I hate to tell you, but power steering was part of the original concept, and not solely for commercial reasons. The non-assisted steering came about at the insistence of the US importer who contended that it was needed for base cars and would account for 20 to 25 percent of total Miata volume. Under considerable duress Hirai-san went about developing a non-assisted rack, but this was initiated late and (in order to keep the steering light enough for daily use) the overall ratio was changed. For the worse.

In any event, the non-power steer cars never accounted for more than 10 percent of total volume in the 'States. While the power steering system wasn't perfect (what is?), nobody on the development team liked the non-assisted box, with wooden center feel and almost one additional turn lock-to-lock. I always have a chuckle at the autocrossers who've only driven the non-assisted car and still insist it's better around the pylons than the power steering could be.

Kijima-san (program manager for the Miata after Hirai-san retired) was the guy who did the chassis of the M1, so he knew what worked and was in a position to make sure the non-assisted tiller wasn't part of the M2. Mazda had to use up the unwanted steering racks up somewhere so I'm in complete agreement; 'Thank heavens they made a few of the "R" equipped cars!'.

bwob

Could you please send me a list of computer error codes or tell me where I can get them. I know how to read them I just lost my list.

Nathan Bowser, O'Fallon IL

The only computer error codes I ever have to worry about (albeit infrequently) are those for my Mac. But the ones for the Miata are in the domain of the service department. When they started electronics to carburetors, I stopped doing anything more exotic than an oil change. Sorry! But you might drop in at the tech bulletin board at Miata.net. I'd be stunned if somebody there won't be able to point you in a right   direction.

bwob