Five Simple & Cheap repairs for Your Miata


Rough Engine

If acceleration is spotty or intermittent it could be just your ignition wires, Miata wires are famous for wearing out after about 30,000 km. If you don't know what ignition wires are, they are the rubber thingies on the top of your engine block. Very cheap, very easy to replace.


Trouble Starting Car, Misfiring Cylinders

Like ignition wires, Miatas can be hard on spark plugs. If you don't have a long socket wrench to replace the plugs, any independent mechanic should charge you 15 minutes only to replace them. Provide the mechanic with plug you bought yourself, preferably Borsch platinium.


Overheating, Radiator Problems

If you have overheating or radiator problems, there are only two parts that may need replacing. One is the radiator the other is the thermostat. Guess which is WAAAY cheaper. Get the mechanic to replace the thermostat THEN take it out for test drive to see if it still overheats.


Check Engine Light Comes On

More times than not it means that the front oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. Instead of paying a dealer $350 to fix the problem, buy one at Ebay and replace it yourself.


Shifting is Rough

Shifter boot is torn. That's the top enclosure of the gearshift. Notorious for tearing, it's a $30 part and 15 minutes of a mechanic's time.



The ignition wire and oxygen sensor replacements you should learn to do yourself. For the shifter boot, thermostat and spark plug replacement, any good independent mechanic can do the repairs very quickly especially if you provide them the parts. Most Mazda dealers have a one hour minimum repair charge so avoid them at all costs.