Hey guys, long time lurker here. Having an issue with my car in the vein of the dreaded P2188 code. I know you're all probably going to tell me to do my research, and I have, believe me. Been searching this topic on and off for like 3 years. However I just want to add a couple things in here and hopefully someone has found a permanent fix for theirs.
This is such a common and BS code that random fixes have been reported as working and some have been tried and true, but I have yet to find one for mine so I'm just curious if someone else had a similar set of circumstances as mine and found a fix. It's been bugging me for a while and I just can't figure out what the hell to do next without blowing money on "possible" fixes. I've searched ALL over just about every Mazda forum I can think of to no avail for my particular problem.
Basically here's what happened: I, like most people on the forum here, have modified my Mazda. Cat-back exhaust, SRI, ignition timing advance, various knick knacks, mazdaspeed seat swap and some other cosmetics and so on. After a year of me having my mods on my car without changing anything else, I suddenly get the p2188 code on my car after filling up on gas. So I think this is weird, maybe bad gas or something but the code persists. I tried everything: relearning the ecu, reversing my ignition timing, buying new O2 sensors(both of them and lengthening wires for second O2), cleaning my throttle body, tried seafoaming, cleaned out MAF, checked all connections and hoses and vaccum hoses 3 times over. Still no fix. Then I was reading that a user had reported that a shop that did his oil change used oil that had gas in it and I had gotten my oil change done at roughly the same time this code came on so I thought "hey, I work in a shop, why not use my own oil I have here and do it myself to make sure it goes properly". I used castrol full synthetic. 100% chance there is no oil in these bottles, used a really good filter too and the code went away because I changed the oil and disconnected the battery for full change of ecu and oil and whatnot. Basically starting from new. Success! It ran beautifully!
Except it was not a success. This was about 1800kms ago and now the damn code is back again, however it happened about 10 mins after I filled up my tank. And I missing something? I filled up three times since all this went down from different gas stations and still the code is here. I'll clear the code and like 10 mins later it will come back. Aside from buying 200+ replacement parts is there any fix? Or anyone who knows something that might be able to help? It sounds like it might be fuel related like the gas cap or maybe even injectors? I haven't tested my injectors but I inspected them and they seemed fine, and no leaks in or around them which is also a plus. Possibly purge valve? I haven't checked it but it seems unlikely considering it is related to p2178 not p2188 right? It would throw a lean code, not a rich code I would assume. Even if it was stuck closed that would throw an evap code as far as I can tell, not necessarily a rich code.
I'm at a complete loss, boys. My car runs like garbage, RPM jumps and sounds like it's choking half the time. Any help is appreciated, I'm about ready to scrap the ****in thing.
If it helps I have a 2009 Mazda 3 2.0L hatch.
Thanks,
Galaxy