My 04 8 starts fine when cold but once in a while it takes quite a bit of cranking to start it. Again, should not be a flooding issue because it normally happens when full warmed up. Any one else have this problem? haven't read any threads about it on here.

yes. Oil is a huge factor in rotorys. Oil makes the seal between the apex seal and the housing. no oil, no compression. When yous car is cold the oil is thick. which makes a good seal. The hotter your car ets the thinner the oil gets. Thus redusing the compression. There also is some left over gas that has not evaporated yet. Its a very common problem usualy on flodded engines (gas washes the oil away) and on newer engines (apex seals are not fully broke in yet). What you can do is when ever you are going to start the car when it is all ready at operating temperature crank it with the gas pedal fully depressed first. It will cut off the fuel. how many miles do you have? i also think there is a new flash out that helps with that problem.

I have this exact problem. When it's dead cold, the car starts up instantly. After the first start of the day though, the car gets hard starts, particularly if the day's hot. I took it into the dealership for an oil change and mentioned the problem and got flashed, but I still have hard starts...maybe even worse than before. I think my battery's still the weak and puny stock one, that might be the next thing I look into, or tell the dealership to look into.

What you can do is when ever you are going to start the car when it is all ready at operating temperature crank it with the gas pedal fully depressed first.

doesnt the manual say to NOT do that? :confused:

ohh maybe im wrong ill have to check that. i thought that choked the fuel. And a slow cranking battery makes rotarys extremly hard to start

ohh maybe im wrong ill have to check that. i thought that choked the fuel. And a slow cranking battery makes rotarys extremly hard to start

page 5-4 of the '05 manual

"Whether the engine is cold or warm, it should be started without use of the accelerator"

My guess is it could lead to flooding (fuel injected cars dont like the gas being used to start as far as i know)

;)

page 5-4 of the '05 manual

"Whether the engine is cold or warm, it should be started without use of the accelerator"


Yes, but on the RX8 product update DVD, they give an example of how to start a flooded car--by depressing the accelerator fully to the floor, and cranking for 7-8secs (no longer than 10). Release the accelerator, and turn it over again.

My guess in the descrepenacy between the two, is that the MSP04 updated flash possibly added the "cuts the fuel pump with the accelerator is depressed", not present before. I do believe in the TSB's they gave a different technique to the mechanics to cut the fuel pump, and it involved unplugging wires. I assume this new deal was for consumers not to have to pop the hood at all.

yeah i thought that mazda had learned from there mistake. To cut the fuel on the s4 rx7s you has to pull a fuse under the hood. When they designed the s5 rx7 they programed it if the pedal was fully depressed it would cut the fuel.

I have hard starting if I drive it somewhat and don't give it time to cool down enough before I start it again. Next time I go to start it, it will crank about 3x as long before it starts.

how many miles do you have on the car??

i have problems with starting it in hot weather as well... Well it always fires up, but i've had to crank it as long as 7 - 8 seconds!

time it next time with a stop watch

hard starts on cars with M or later pcm level should have a compression test done and have the plugs checked

Using WDS, perform compression test. Print or copy compression test
results.
3. Document all DTCs and Freeze Frame Data.
4. Note condition of spark plug condition. (Example- normal, excessive
carbon build up, fuel flooded etc...)
5. Contact the National Technical Assistance Hotline for more
information.

Try this:

Put the key in and turn it to the ON position, but not START. Wait for 3-4 seconds, until the "mazda rx8" logo comes on the display screen, then start it. Ever since I did this, my dragging/hard warm starts have been cut down by 99.9 percent.

heheh "initializing" i coined that word for that action ^^:)

Try this:

Put the key in and turn it to the ON position, but not START. Wait for 3-4 seconds, until the "mazda rx8" logo comes on the display screen, then start it. Ever since I did this, my dragging/hard warm starts have been cut down by 99.9 percent.

Yes this does seem to help with the hard starts...I count to about 20 myself before firing it up. It's just sometimes, somebody else gets into the car with you, and then they see you just turn the key to ON and just sit there waiting and they look at you like you're wierd... :o

My 04 8 starts fine when cold but once in a while it takes quite a bit of cranking to start it. Again, should not be a flooding issue because it normally happens when full warmed up. Any one else have this problem? haven't read any threads about it on here.

Yup... never had a cold start problem, but it occasionally takes much longer than usual to fire up when it's hot. Scared the heck outa me the first few times (oh no! it's flooded and not gonna start!). Now I'm used to it.

And yes, I *always* wait awhile to let the fuel pump prime itself before cranking it over.

I have experienced this. From cold (even very cold), the engine starts after two or three cranks, but it took more like fifteen or twenty cranks after a highway run with ambient air temps in the low 90s. It started, thank goodness.

I had the same hard starts when engine was hot. The first time, the dealer did a reflash (not the usual ones, like P or R) - did not help. Next time I went, they changed the battery and installed updated spark plugs. Problem solved (they said old spark plugs were OK at 16000). I think that the culprit is the weak stock battery. When it is hot, it just doesn't have enough amps to crank. This is also in line with the above procedure of waiting before energizing and starting the car....

I have had this problem lately. First thing in the morning it will usually start right up. But going out for lunch, or making a series of stops after driving around, it doesn't want to start up. It will crank for a good 5 seconds or so before starting. Or, I'll crank for 5 seconds with no results, think it's really flooded this time, and then on the second attempt it starts right up. I'll try the "insert key, wait a few seconds, then crank" thing tomorrow and report back.

I suspect that it's mainly just a small battery, almost 2 years old, exposed to loads of heat. I think I'll probably replace it next spring whether it needs it or not. If I tell my dealer about it, they'll no doubt tell me it's due to lost compression caused by synthetic oil eating up the seals. :rolleyes: (They actually did tell me synthetic oil would damage seals and lower compression)

My car is in the shop for failure to start when hot. It dosn't seem to be a flooding issue. The de-flood routine failed to work. The car sputters sometimes but will not start. With a push start, the car fires up.

hard starts on cars with M or later pcm level should have a compression test done and have the plugs checked


My car is new (around 250 miles) and is supposed to be on the latest flash - I asked the dealer to flash it before I picked it up.

The car has a build date of 08/2004, so it has been sitting on the lot close to a year.

No problems starting normally, but the battery "seems" weak.

I drove home from work yesterday but made a stop close to the house. I was away from the car for 45 minutes or so and when I came back it spun 20 seconds at seemed to be a slow speed before it fired. Ran fine once it was fired. This morning after sitting overnight it fired much faster. So it is not the charging system and shouldn't be the flash (assuming the dealer did it) - sounds like I just have the weak battery?

I guess I could try to get the larger battery free from the dealer, or just buy an Optima for myself?

Dennis

Thanks for the "delay start" tip folks!

I had to run to the DMV yesterday to transfer tags and the car sat for 30 minutes or so - pretty much like the day before on the way home. When I got back in the car I waited after key on but before start - and bingo it fired up MUCH easier.

I still think my battery is weak, but I will need to use less of its (limited?) capacity by delaying the start when the engine is hot.

Thanks again!
Dennis

Is anybody using a super-capacitor to take the high demand loads of the stock battery?
Just curious....

Today, mine started almost instantaneously as I turned the key. My first thought was, "that's odd" :D

Ditto to the hot start issue. I've always had it but it does start! So press on and drive. :cool:

I was just going to post this but with the title "After the Revi Install Hard Starting".

Is this just because it's hot. I noticed this for the first time after I installed the Rebi and it didn't start right up like always.

Just Heat???

Did you guy's do the Revi?

I'm scheduled to get the my center console lid r&r'd and also the latest flash.
I'll report if it rectifies the situation.

Bill

My car is in the shop for failure to start when hot. It dosn't seem to be a flooding issue. The de-flood routine failed to work. The car sputters sometimes but will not start. With a push start, the car fires up.
An update:
The dealer gave me my car back yesterday after a new flash and replacing the battery for the starting problem. I drove to the gas station for a fill up. I then had problems trying to restart the car. It took 5 min to get the car to start. Drove promptly back to the Dealer. Now they believe it is an internal short in the starter that only shows up when the car is hot. :confused: The present starter seems to crank fine. The new starter is to arrive today. We'll see.

After coming back from service I didn't notice a hard start. Seemed normal.

In the morning first start it does start much easier.

They said they flashed it. I didn't notice my new sticker. I don't know is this is done with every flash or not. I can't tell what flash it is currently at. I'll hunt it down on the forum to see if I can find out how to tell which flash I have.

Bill

Took mine in for the 15K service and mentioned the hesitation to start when hot. They checked the charging system and said the battery was weak and ordered the new HD battery. My dealership rocks! :D

With the M flash my 8 almost always started after about 2 or 3 cranks warm or cold. Now that I have the N flash it usually takes about 4 to 5 cranks to start the engine when warm.

my car had always started 'instantly' , even in the 93+ ambient temps here in central FL, seems like as soon as the key turns the motor is running, up until yesterday, I parked the car at my girlfriends house, we used here car all weekend, so the car sat fridaynight, saturday/saturday night and I finaly drove my car home on sunday night. the car usualy gets driven at least for a little while every 24hrs or so. After sitting for this long, in the heat all day, it had to crank for about 3 secs, then fired right up. I let it run for about 2 mins then drove home. car ran fine. who knows. I guess it was just from sitting

I was just going to post this but with the title "After the Revi Install Hard Starting".

Is this just because it's hot. I noticed this for the first time after I installed the Rebi and it didn't start right up like always.

Just Heat???

Did you guy's do the Revi?

I'm scheduled to get the my center console lid r&r'd and also the latest flash.
I'll report if it rectifies the situation.

Bill

I've got the same issue. Most times start up is fine but every now and then I notice a delay and it's always after the car is warmed up. I didn't notice this as much pre-REVi, but it's also hotter now. I'll try the "initialization" theory and see if it helps any.

They put in the new "heavy duty" battery. A weeks worth of hot weather driving and no slow starting.

what battery can i put if i want to change the stock one.for ex. how many amperes??

what battery can i put if i want to change the stock one.for ex. how many amperes??

You should be able to get one free from the dealer:

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/01-042-04-1429.pdf

The "new" battery is 640 CCA. If you complain of slow cranking or hard starting and have the small battery, the dealer SHOULD install the larger capacity model.

Some folks have replaced the OEM battery with an Optima with good results as well. You can do a search here for optima and the info should come up. I think the red top Optima that will fit is 800 cca.

Dennis

Took my '8 in today to get the brakes looked at for clicking sounds...and while I was at it, mentioned that I was still having a hard start problem even after getting flashed with whatever they flashed me with last time I was in. Shoved a TSB in their face even specifically mentioning a bigger battery and better spark plugs...I was really hoping to be able to get these things. But they gave me the round about, and in the end, ended up performing yet another flash with the "latest and most recent flash"...which I suspect is what's supposed to be used for the recall, when I haven't even received any letters yet for that? That kind of pissed me off, as I was hoping to not have any recall related stuff done until I got the letters, just to make sure they did the job right. I know the car didn't get the heat shield installed or control arms checked. I think it's pretty hard to get the battery because for them to claim warranty on it, your battery needs to fail their test.

But oh well...whatever flash they did, I must say, it does seem to be helping so far. I can now just turn the key to on, wait for the seat belt warning to beep 5 times, and then crank, and it turns over smoothly. Before that was just about a guaranteed way to get the choking hard starts...20-30 second waits were mandatory for a smooth crank, and even then it wasn't 100%.

1st post so go easy on me :)
Sorry to drag up an old thread, im in the uk have a manual 192 (2004), so far ive had new battery, coils and cat replaced.
My car starts fine from cold everytime, however quite a few times when ive done say a 20 -25 min drive and the car is warmed up, ill get to the car and it turns over but doesnt want to start and sounds like its dieing...if I leave it for a min or two it will eventually reluctantly start. Im just hoping its not a sign of low compression.
The car drives great, oil is always topped up/checked regulary, I have read that earlier cars had a weak? starter motor.
Any ideas guys?

if you still have the original have the starter checked.

welcome:)

i'm having the same issues when the engine is hot, it's taken me 16 times to start the car on one occasion another time in a petrol station, my partner had to push it to the side as it wouldn't start and the battery sounded like it was going. lifted up the bonnet to let it cool down faster and 40 minutes later after stopping to fill up it finally started. This happens every single time my engine gets hot and I try to start it instantly or up to around 45 minutes after. different people on here have said and tried different things to fix it from, plugs, battery, coils, leads, upgraded starter, flashing and according to mazda the engine managment system, I have no idea how to resolve this due to different people saying different things, all i know is it can't carry on like this!!!!!! any help would be great.

Upgrade starter, battery, coils. If that doesn't work swap engine. That's what ended up working for me under warranty. :)