dfknl

So I have an 03' Series 1 RX8 handed down to me by a family member. This car has not had the greatest owners and has a myriad of problems. As trying to sell it for a decent price is next to nearly impossible (and probably immoral) I just want to know whether or not I would be better off paying someone to rebuild the engine or replacing it - or if either options are viable. The following are the problems with the car that I am currently aware of, any help and input will be greatly appreciated!

- Please note I am the furthest thing from an expert in cars, let alone rotaries, so excuse me for any mistakes I might make in this list.

Firstly, the car takes unusually long to catch when starting up (maybe 5-10 seconds of turning over) especially in the mornings, and sometimes it will even stall immediately after catching (if this happens I usually press the throttle and turn it over a few times as I heard this helps de-flood the engine). Sometimes it doesn't start up at all and will take a few tries at turning over before it catches.

When finally starting up, the idle will be extremely lumpy, which I assume to be the car misfiring. Once the car warms up this misfiring stops, but attempting to drive in this state is pretty much impossible. The exhaust will also emit a large amount of white smoke, and will last for 3-5 minutes. Based on the sheer amount and duration I am fairly sure this is not just smoke from condensation. Looking through threads from this site and a few others I think it may show signs of a water/coolant seal leak?

The car also seems to have a problem with warm/hot-starts. If I go to a petrol station after driving for 10+ minutes and fill up, it will take a few tries to start the car back up before it finally turns over.

Finally, the coolant level decreases very quickly, and because of this, water is often used as a substitute. To give you an idea in terms of rate, it's probably refilled once every two weeks. I think this problem here also links/contributes to the idea of a water/coolant seal leak?

NOTES: The spark plugs were recently changed so I don't think this is a contributing factor to the problem, however the coil-packs have not been replaced in a while. The radiator is from that of a series 2, as the old one was rusty and failing. At this point in time, the second radiator seems to be diminishing in effectiveness aswell though, as the car heats up very easily. (but does not overheat, unless out of coolant).
Not sure if this is relevant, but the car also has the honeycomb of the Catalytic Converter bashed out as it was blocked up and was affecting airflow. The car also has a straight-pipe (the rear muffler removed). The engine has about 150 000km on it, and to my knowledge has not been replaced or rebuilt.

So my question is, am I best off
a) fixing these problems myself
b) hiring someone to rebuild the engine or
c) purchasing a replacement engine.

Any input and help will be greatly appreciated, I hope to hear some replies soon. Quotes and suggested mechanics will also be appreciated. I currently live in Sydney, Australia. Thanks again!

- Dillon

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Hello.
It sounds like it needs a rebuild. Coolant loss is very bad.
For best results, pay to have it repaired, very expensive.
Less expensive, but somewhat risky, replace the engine with a used one, hopefully with good compression.
Lastly, don't attempt to rebuild it yourself, unless you are knowledgeable about rotary engines, or know someone who is that can help you.
It sounds like it's not worth repairing.
They are high maintenance cars, neglecting them results in cascading failures.
Another option is to part it out, or sell it to someone as is for a parts car.

dfknl

Hey, thanks for the quick response!
Yeah I had a feeling this car was too far gone to save. Do you know how much roughly the difference in price is between a rebuild and a replacement engine? Or are there too many variables to consider with the rebuild. Also, I'm assuming replacing the engine is a hit and miss, as I might end up with an engine just as bad as mine?
So disappointing, despite the trouble it's given me, it's a beautiful car, would be hard-pressed to let her go