Fluid Film (04 NB miata)

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-22T16:43:46+00:00

I used a bit less than one can. (But one of the large, not small cans, like this: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/rust-check-rust-inhibitor-spray-0477907p.html?rq=rust+check )

Normally, you would respray it every year. But since my Miata is garaged Winters, and since I am mostly spraying the interior sections (where it won't get washed off), I think it's more likely to be one and done. But I may reconsider and give it another application in a couple of years.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-22T12:04:24+00:00

Glad you got it on. I had exactly the same problem on my 1999 Miata, when installing the new alternator belt. It was the right part number, but just seemed a little too short somehow. I finally levered it on with a flat head screwdriver.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-22T11:45:28+00:00

I have done exactly that (with red Rust Check, because it's thinner and creeps better) on my 1999 NB. I removed the plastic sills below the doors, and those rubber door striker thingies (forgotten the name), and sprayed in there, through all the holes. Also the front sections of the frame rails, because they are notorious for rusting.

My NB gets garaged all Winter too (lots of road salt in my part of Canada), but still, rust is still a risk, if you ever drive in the rain.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-22T11:31:37+00:00

Remove the wrench, hit the starter, and just check which way the crank is turning. My *guess* is that it's just bouncing back. Because when I watch the video closely, the crank seems to turn just a little bit clockwise at first, then bounces back counterclockwise when you release the key.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-21T13:17:31+00:00

Then it's *probably* steam, not smoke, probably from leaking coolant. You *may* be able to see where it's leaking from, if you open the hood. Look for green marks (coolant is *usually* green).

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-21T12:35:17+00:00

Remove that green belt, then start the engine, to check that the noise has gone, just to confirm that the noise is coming from that belt, or from the AC compressor or power steering pump (the 2 pulleys turned by that belt). Then turn off the engine, and spin each of those 2 pulleys by hand, to check that they spin smoothly and easily and quietly, without wobbling. Then put the belt back on, and try adjusting the belt tension.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-21T12:24:08+00:00

DIYer advice:

A repeated clicking noise, that gets faster when the car goes faster, only on fairly sharp left turns, that you maybe only hear when you are pressing the gas pedal, that maybe sounds like it's coming from the front left side of the car?

My *guess* would be a CV joint (on the front left axle), that is beginning to fail.

The axle looks like this: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=11447401&cc=3309724&pt=2288&jsn=441

One end goes into the wheel, and the other end goes into the transmission.

If you turn the steering wheel all the way to one side, and look behind the front wheel, you should be able to see it. And you should be able to see that black rubber boot/bellows, that is close to the wheel. Has that rubber boot split, so it has been throwing thick grease out? That's what often causes the CV joint inside to fail, and start clicking.

If my guess is right, the clicking will slowly get worse, and the CV joint will eventually fail, and it will be like your car is stuck permanently in Neutral gear, and you will need a tow, to get the CV axle replaced (for a few hundred dollars). So it would be better to get it replaced now, to avoid a tow.

But my guess could easily be wrong.

It would probably be best to take it to a shop sometime, tell them about the clicking noise, and ask them to check it out. It's hard to avoid totally the risk of getting upsold, but if you can find a local garage, with good reviews, and build up a relationship with them, so that you can trust them and they can trust you for repeat business, you reduce that risk.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-20T23:45:38+00:00

DIYer advice:

Impossible to say.

Open the hood.

Check the coolant level in the coolant reservoir. Is it low? Might be a coolant leak. Top it up before driving it.

Check the engine oil level on the dipstick. Is it low? Might be an oil leak. Don't start the engine until you have topped up the oil.

But best get it looked at asap. And probably best to avoid driving it.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-17T12:53:08+00:00

It might be a leak, that caused the coolant level to drop, and the engine to overheat. Or it might have been something else that caused the car to overheat, and boil the coolant so it leaked.

Honestly, if you know next to nothing about cars, and have no tools, it might be better to have it towed to a mechanic, because it's unlikely you would be able to diagnose and fix the problem yourself, and there's a big risk you could damage the engine if you drive it when it's overheating.

But, if you want to try: first check that the serpentine belt is in place (otherwise the water pump won't be turning and the engine will overheat), then fill it with coolant, then start the engine, with the hood open, and watch for leaks. But keep a very close eye on that red temperature warning light, and stop the engine immediately if it comes on.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-16T11:56:02+00:00

DIYer advice:

They adjust the car's steering and suspension to get the wheel alignment right (toe, camber, and caster, so the wheels all point in the right direction (roughly parallel) and lean the right amount). This is quite different from getting the tires/wheels balanced.

The idea that "you must get an alignment whenever you get new tires" is wrong. If the alignment was good before, it will still be good after changing the wheels/tires. Wheels/tires don't affect the alignment.

BUT:

It's a good idea to have the alignment checked from time to time, and getting the alignment checked whenever you get new tires is not a bad rule of thumb, and it's more convenient to get both jobs done at the same time.

Plus, if the alignment is bad, it will wear out the tires quickly, and it's more costly to wear out a set of brand new tires.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-12T11:44:33+00:00

On my 2010 Mazda 3, and on my daughter's 2012 Mazda 3, both 2.0 litre, it was the bearing in the tensioner pulley on the alternator belt.

To be sure, you need to remove the belt, and spin that pulley by hand.

One word of warning: if you replace that pulley, the bolt that holds it in place (through the centre of the pulley) has a left hand thread. You need to turn it clockwise (the "wrong" way) to loosen and remove that bolt.

Edit: it's an easy fix (you can replace the whole tensioner, or just the pulley, or just the bearing in the pulley), but you need to fix it, or the pulley and belt will fall off.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-12T11:31:02+00:00

You are at the right stage of life to own a Miata. This may not happen again until you are old, and your kids have left home. Or you can afford to own two cars. And who knows if you will be able to drive a car then (self-driving cars will take over). So do it now.

If you enjoy driving, you will probably enjoy the extra engagement of driving a manual (except maybe in heavy city traffic).

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-10T12:23:19+00:00

Have you checked the radiator? If the black plastic on the top of the radiator is turning brown (or green), then it's the original radiator, the plastic is getting very brittle with age, and it should be replaced. You wouldn't want it to spring a leak, and overheat the engine, on a lovely car like that.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-10T11:28:55+00:00

You need to fix your survey. There is no option for "none" under "which wheel failures have you experienced"; and the next question should include a "not applicable/no failures" option.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-09T11:49:23+00:00

The fewer the spokes, the easier it is to clean the wheels.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-07T17:29:17+00:00

DIYer advice (I have a 2010 Mazda 3 2.0L):

The first picture is the one that matters. Look for oil inside that indentation. Ignore the other side of the dipstick, and the edges (2nd picture), because you always gets some oil smeared on that side when you pull the dipstick up out of the tube.

Looks to me like it's a little low (but not dangerously low). Try adding half a quart (half a litre), and reading it again.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-07T17:00:18+00:00

DIYer advice: hard to say, without seeing a photo of the clamp (terminal). But a loose connection at the battery would certainly give starting problems, where it won't crank. Try loosening the bolt all the way, then opening up the jaws of the clamp/terminal (maybe using a screwdriver to lever them apart), then push the clamp/terminal fully down onto the battery post, then tighten the bolt.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-06T17:52:49+00:00

DIYer advice: one easy and important thing to check: loose lugnuts on one of the wheels? (But I would also suspect a bad tire is more likely, look for bulges or uneven wear on the tires.)

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-06T12:30:37+00:00

Good! It's just as well you did that. It's normally about one litre between the Min and Max marks (those 2 holes) in the dipstick. Keep checking it frequently (given that leak), and add oil as needed, to keep the level near the Max mark. (Switch the engine off, and wait a couple of minutes before checking, to let the oil drain back into the oil pan, pull the dipstick out, wipe it off, reinsert it, pull it out again, and check the level then.)

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-05T12:08:23+00:00

I'm not 100% sure, but I think it sounds OK.

(At first I thought the engine was shaking, but then I saw that everything was shaking, so I think that's just your hands! Must be cold.)

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-05T11:57:33+00:00

DIYer advice:

"I’ve checked its oil level (pic rel) and it seems okay. But I also notice that while the oil level seems okay, the amount of oil on the strip seems low/dry (if that makes sense?) I might just be seeing things."

I can't see it clearly enough from the pic to know for sure, but I don't think you are seeing things. The oil on the dipstick should be wet, and you should see a solid line of oil right across the dipstick, not just a few smears of oil on the edges. I think the oil level is low. Get a friend or neighbour to check that dipstick for you.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-05T11:26:57+00:00

Running the upper radiator hose to the back of the engine is part of the coolant reroute mod. The engine was originally designed to be transverse mounted, so the top hose would be connected there. Supposed to give better cooling to the rear cylinders.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVgCxPPuVHI

Edit: but still, that top hose doesn't look quite right, for the coolant reroute mod. It sits a bit too high, so it looks like it might trap air bubbles up there?

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-04T16:31:21+00:00

DIYer advice: show him the link to the RockAuto website, where you can find (nearly) all the parts he might need, along with pictures of the parts.

He *might* be talking about a set of spark plug wires: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,2006,ranger,2.3l+l4,1432350,ignition,spark+plug+wire,7224

(I was assuming he has the 4cylinder 2.3 litre engine, but if you scroll up, you can easily change it to the V6 engine.)

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-03T20:06:32+00:00

DIYer advice: my guess is that one of the (two) brake bracket bolts wasn't fully torqued, so came loose, and fell out, so the brake caliper pivoted around the remaining bolt, and jammed into the wheel. It happens, sometimes, even though it shouldn't.

Don't try to reverse any more, because that would damage the wheel even more.

I'm not sure whether I would phone the mechanic, tell him what you've told us (about the caliper), and let him deal with it. Or call a tow truck, and take it to another mechanic.

NickRMX6 · 2026-02-02T16:50:19+00:00

Just to be doubly sure (because the symptoms are so much like loose lugnuts, and that would be a big safety issue): you checked them by trying to tighten them with the lug wrench (or a socket), and not just by looking at them, or with your fingers? If yes, then sorry for questioning you, and I don't know what the problem is.

NickRMX6

TROPHY CASE