[My car: 2004 Mazda 3]
So, my wife came home from running some errands and told me the check-engine light was on and that the car was sputtering and felt like it was going to stall while stopped at stop lights. I went to check it out, maybe 5 minutes later, and I took it for a drive... everything seemed fine.
The next day it happened to me. I got to where I was going and let it sit for 10 minutes. The car seemed fine on the drive back home. So, maybe letting it rest, fixes things?
Later in the day I went out and it still seemed fine. I got to where I was going and let it sit for about 40 minutes or so. When I left, it was sputtering again. I drove 10 minutes then decided to try letting it sit a couple minutes in a parking lot.... so I went and parked, sat for a couple minutes and restarted, and it went back to normal for the rest of my drive - about 30 minutes.
Later that day, I left work and it seemed fine for the first 30 minutes or so and then it started sputtering while driving again and really threatening to stall when stopped at the lights. I tried the parking lot trick but it only worked for a couple minute then it went back to sputtering.
Also, at stop lights when it's threatening to stall it smells kinda like rotten eggs.
Sorry for the long story but I want to make sure I put down enough detail.
Anyone have any idea what could be the problem?
Thanks!
[UPDATE]
Here are the codes:
P2178 - System too rich off idle bank 1
P0335 - Crankshaft position sensor A circuit
P2196 - O2 sensor signal stuck rich bank 1 sensor 1
[UPDATE 2]
I took it into the shop and they spent 5 hours troubleshooting the problem and eventually came to the conclusion that the O2 sensor needed replacing. (as Bob Cross suggested)
I got the car back and the next day the same problems started happening again and the check-engine light came back on throwing the following codes:
P2196 - O2 sensor signal stuck rich bank 1 sensor 1
P2188 - System too rich on idle bank 1
It's back in the shop now waiting on a solution.
[UPDATE 3]
The car is now fixed - at least it seems to be. I've driven it a few days and the symptoms have not returned.
The fix: the shop found that the MAF sensor was corroded, so they cleaned it up.
