@alexw - You could try cleaning the MAF, but more than likely that isn't at issue. I'd check all connections between the MAF and intake manifold to ensure they are air tight. If the system is claiming a leak, there probably is one.

Also, the MAF is not going to be anywhere near "old gaskets" in your engine. It will be upstream of these items. It should be getting fairly much clean air directly from the air filter.

oh, interesting

yeah maybe he didn't tighten down a hose clamp or something sufficiently, and a hose slipped out?

will get in there and look at everything tomorrow

thanks!

@alexw - It's a good place to start.

Getting chilly here. Time to put the winters on. Hooray and sigh. My summers have become exciting as they’re about worn down to slicks. Great when it’s hot.... ;-)

@BobCross hehe.. I'll bet. Lethal when it's wet though!

I need to get some winter wheels for the new car

Not quite lethal. Exciting but not in a fun way. The fronts are a bit more worn so they go away on wet turns. It serves as a reminder not to be a donkey when it’s cold and rainy on slick tires.

The winters in the snow are exciting in the BEST way!

@BobCross agreed

Sometimes I make myself laugh. It’s like a joke bomb for future Bob:

@BobCross - Yes, and we still appreciate it when you crack yourself up like this ...

Anyone else here watching (or have watched) Season 3 of Daredevil on Netflix?

It’s on my “maybe I’ll watch it” list

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 did you see that that’s your old question? History!

@BobCross - Yes, I knew it was my question ... I've not asked so many of them I've forgotten any of them ... forgotten which questions I've answered, though ... dang getting old sucks ;-)

@Pᴀᴜʟsᴛᴇʀ2 I got some telemetry from my code reader - didn't know it could do that!

@alexw - NOICE! That sounds awesome :o)

just a freeze frame though, no fancy time series like in this question

It's all good. Information is always golden.

it's showing a MAF reading of 0.299 lb/min at idle (671 rpm)

should there be some table with nominal ranges and threshold values for some of these sensor readings?

oh dang, this is pretty exhaustive: mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/58775/…

it seems like the removal procedure for the intake manifold, according to the Haynes manual, is pretty involved. Do you think it's worth it? I also noticed that one of the clips on the engine air filter housing had come unclipped...that shouldn't be vacuum sealed anyway though, right?

@alexw - It needs to be sealed so you're not letting unfiltered air into the engine, but it shouldn't change how the engine runs.

yeah so it shouldn't be raising any codes about the cylinders, like the ones I'm getting...

I did notice a small mouse nest under my engine cover >:( I can't imagine a mouse would have wanted to chew into any of the hoses in the fuel delivery system though, right? Those are all thick rubber

whoa, short-term fuel trim of 25% is so high...supposed to be 0 at idle, it seems

@alexw - Computer trying to make up for it being lean, eh?

yeah I believe so

seems like a vacuum leak is the first thing to look for, if I can figure out this "soapy water test"

a guy on one forum said that a clamp popped off his PCV valve on his car

so I guess it's possible that my mechanic failed to tighten a clamp down enough, or something

but I feel like something that catastrophic would push the trim way higher, unless Mazda3 has an upper limit at 25%

All you're doing with soapy water is spraying it on the engine as it's running. Any change in how it runs while you are spraying points to an area where your vacuum leak is occuring.

@alexw - I think 25% is pretty much top-o-the-line.

see that's the thing - it doesn't sound like it's running badly

though my ear is untrained

@alexw - Where in what I said did I say "run badly" :o)

I just said, you're looking for it to change pitch.

oh

Just the sound in how it's running.

oh!

ohhhhh

If you don't want to us soapy water, you can just use water.

so literally just spritzing the engine block, manifold, throttle, etc?

hoses

Just in the intake area.

Intake manifold.

You need a heavy spray, but make it a mist. Don't be shy when doing it, just realize where you're spraying it.

So you can figure out where the leak might be.

oh, mist not stream?

@alexw - yup, just make it wet.

lemme go try...I think I can do this with my headlamp

@alexw - lol

hmm, can't seem to access much from the hood

might need to jack it and get under tomorrow