GF is broken down 6 hours away. Car started slowing down on its own while highway driving. She stopped and the CEL came on. The temp warning came on etc. any ideas?
GF is broken down 6 hours away. Car started slowing down on its own while highway driving. She stopped and the CEL came on. The temp warning came on etc. any ideas?
Oh... Car is a 2012 3 hatch
Does it have coolant in it?
I am NOT a tech, but I can tell you this- car is going into limp mode. Why it's doing that is related to the temp CEL. Now the question is WHY it's temp CEL'ing. I don't know. GF's best bet is to d/c the negative battery cable, reset the ECU by letting it sit for 10min, and see what happens once it is reset. Could be a glitch, could be something more serious.
Temp warning? I'd be thinking cooling system leak, possibly due to road debris holing the radiator?
Or a blown hose? This happened in my 323. Temp light came on, but I was in about six lanes of traffic. Managed to limp past the off-ramp and onto a safe shoulder, but the engine was toast.
Sounds like road debris punctured the radiator or a coolant hose. Ask her if it's leaking anything on the ground?
Or a failed water pump if you're really unlucky. What's the temp gauge like? If it's showing a normal reading, do the ECU reset and drive home, whether it runs properly or not.
In reply to GameboyRMH:
The 2012 Mazda 3 doesn't have a temp gauge, just a "cold temp" light and a "temp warning" light. 
Possibly a bad temp sender too.
Warranty? Call dealer and tell them to send a tow?
David
Car is at the dealer now. From the description i got of the events the temp light didn't come on until well after limp mode kicked in and CEL went on, But I haven't seen the car. It is still 6 hours away. I hate that the car doesn't have a temp gauge. If you can't see the temp until its too late the light might as well just say " your Berked"!
You'll need to log in to post.
