PSUGreySreet

So I had my 8 towed to my local dealer on Friday a few days before heading back to school... I officially flooded my engine after moving from one garage bay to another (I thought I rev'd it enough to burn off the gas)... I spoke to the dealer today and they said they'd take a look at it later today or tomorrow due to high volume of inspections & work.

The reason I am starting this thread is so that I am prepared when I speak to them later or tomorrow. I've already read through countless pages of flooded engine threads and the 94 page sticky on it... but here are my questions...

I have already gotten the TSB updated starter, plugs, and battery (no more than 2 months ago)... Will they cover the updated ones? Is that more of a reason for them to cover it because the updated plugs are so new? Should I ask them to replace them all and check my Cat. Converter or will they know to do that temselves (or will they take the short end and go around that)?? I just want my baby back home running like it did before it was unfortunately flooded...

It seems as though not many (if not any) of the late 2005 models have been plagued by this, but I have gotten all the updated bulletins... Any suggestions would be GREAT!!

rotarygod

Next time it floods, have someone pull you down the street with the car in 2nd gear. EVERY flooded rotary will start EVERY time!

I guarantee that whatever they tell you they did to the car, they just got it started somehow and let it run for a bit to clear out. They probably change the plugs while they're at it. There isn't anything to worry about. People get far too paranoid thinking that flooding the car will kill the cat. It's not going to happen this easily. You could pour gasoline into it, fill it up and start the car and the cat would still be fine. Too many people are paranoid about what will get damamged. Basically, nothing will unless you do it day in and day out for years on end.

Next time don't have the car towed. No one should ever have to do that as the fix is extremely quick and easy and unfortunately all the playing with plugs, cats, etc isn't going to guarantee that it doesn't happen again. I've started a rotary moved it 10 feet and shut it off cold and not flooded it. Done it many times. Don't worry about it too much. It happened. It happens to every rotary owner at some point in time. It's not just an RX-8 issue. RX-7 owners have gone through this for years. That's the nature of the rotary and it can not be changed. It's like living in Florida and waiting for a hurricane. It WILL happen at somepoint.

Trekk

"It's like living in Florida and waiting for a hurricane. It WILL happen at somepoint."

O/T but yeah FL.. My windstorm insurance was 7k this year.

Did you try to deflood it? Seems like it would save lots of time.

OneEvilRx8

I just went thru that, last week with my 8, and I let sit for 2 days with out starting the car, and that didn't work, so, my next step was unplug the FUEL relate and crank it with out it, after 4 cranks the car starts I let it run for about 35 sec. shut it off, plug the fuel relate back on, and the car started with no problem, the first 10 min. it created a sheet of smoke down my streets, but once the car was warm I took into the hwy and the smokes was gone and the car starts with no problem.

Evil

rotarygod

Waiting for a rotary to "unflood" will not work. You can wait as long as you want. It won't help. You have to get the fuel out of the engine and get enough of a spark to ignite what is being sprayed into it. Pull starting it accomplishes this every single time without fail. I've started blown motors this way!

F22C1

So when you assist start the flooded engine, do you have your key set to the "on" position and wait for it to come to life while it's cycling over? (I've witness this with other piston cars rolling in gear with engine off, then comes on.) Are we talking the same thing??

PSUGreySreet

Thanks guys... I already had the car towed to the dealer though...

Any advice on what to shoot for with the service reps at the dealer??

Wilson

Rotarygod is correct.

Back in my younger days (70's), I did a lot of motocross. Our 2 cycle engines would load up (flood) in the blink of an eye. You could let it sit there for 6 months and it would still be flooded. You have to get the engine started to clear it. There is no other way.

Pull starting is the way to go. Second gear and keep the throttle wide open till it fires up, then half throttle till it clears up and runs smoothly. You may or may not need to change the plugs afterward.

As far as the guys at the dealership, nothing you can do or say. They will pull start it and if it runs smoothly afterward, they won't change the plugs.

mdw1000

Any tips for someone with an AT? Haven't had it happen yet (knocking vigourously on wood), but would like to be able to start it if it does happen...

captain mercury

how fast do you need to be travelling for the engine to start up? like a total *******, i flooded my engine before leaving for the long Thanksgiving weekend. tried to push start, but couldnt get going fast enough with just my brother pushing.

also, what type of cables can you recommend for pulling?

EDIT: I also have the updated starter, plugs etc

SlayerRX8

I flooded mine a little over a month ago. The deflooding procedure worked.

Basically I held down the gas pedal and cranked the engine for about 10 seconds, waited a minute or so, cranked it 10 seconds with the gas pedal down again, took another minute break, and cranked one last time. Supposedly holding down the gas pedal while cranking cuts off the fuel supply and forces the gas in the engine out into your exhaust. (Correct me if I'm wrong, RG)

I let it sit for about half an hour in hopes the spark plugs would dry off a little.

Came back to the car, and it started up normally.

Really I would've liked to push start it, but it's an AT. So that wouldn't work.

aerospacediver

What if someone did a DIY for a pull **** choke like whats on tractors and such. That would be so awesome for no aparent reason what so ever!

rotarygod

Sometimes it'll start up the second you get movement and other times you might have to pull it around the block. Typically there's no need to go over about 20 mph or so. Keep it in second gear.

When I have flooded my car, the first thing I try is to push start it myself and then pop the clutch. If the car isn't severely flooded, this works about half the time. If that doesn't work it's break out the tow rope and get another car to help. Fortunately the RX-8 has tow hooks for you!

captain mercury

thanks for the info everyone
i'm still an automotive n00b
i'll try the gas pedal down crank tonight, and have someone pull me tomorrow if that fails.

Wilson

That might not deflood it, but it would make it so you didn't have to shave for a few days.

SpeedB

I work for mazda and i have witnessed some of my technitions deflood an rx8 by windshield washer fluid, dont quite know how they do it but it starts right up, I will def find out the procedure they use and post it for you guys

captain mercury

this is posted here as the DIY for deflooding i believe
doesnt it involve some modifications to the fluid reservoir?

caskstrength

Rotarygod is dead on. If you have the new battery and starter, you should not have to take the car to the dealer. Just keep cranking that thing and pumping the gas pedal and it will eventually start. Push starting seems to be a little harder with the Rx-8 than it was with the FC's. What do you think rotarygod?

PSUGreySreet

UPDATE!!! So my Mazda dealer back home called me today to say my car was done...

So one of the first things he said when he had me on the phone was that I had the wrong spark plugs in my RX-8. Now if you recall, I am the one who wrote the letter to the Mazda dealer (about a month ago) here at PSU to get TSB items (plugs, battery, starter) put in my 8. The guy on the phone was very helpful in explaining that there are two kinds of spark plugs (leaders, and trailers)... He said rotary engines in the 8 require or recommend leader plugs and the technician here at Mazda at PSU put in ALL trailer plugs... He said that was the reason to my car not being able to start when the engine was trying to turn over... He said I did have updated parts, but the wrong parts at that (and that wouldn't produce enough of an ignite to start the car)...

All in all, he was VERY helpful, got my 8 going and it was all covered under warranty... my mom will be picking it up for me tomorrow back home and I will post updates if anything else is wrong...

rotarygod

I run all trailing plugs in my RX-7 and have no issues.

caskstrength

i didnt know you could get work done on a japanese car in central PA.

PSUGreySreet

Well it goes to show that even though there is a dealer.... you can't!!

captain mercury

pull start no good. i dont feel like going to the ******* dealership

rotarygod

If it doesn't pull start you only have a couple of potential issues to check. The first is to make sure your plugs are firing. You also need to make sure you've got fuel. Aside from that as long as your plugs are good it should start. I have had times when the pull start didn't work right away but it was easy to isolate the issue. I've also had to pull start them for quite a while until they clear out. The worse it's flooded, the longer you pull it. Keep it in second gear.

captain mercury

to be honest, its just a bad scenario with my parking lot, improper tow cables, my apartment being on a pretty busy street, etc.

one guy (coworker) helping me started pulling my car backwards with both hands wrapped around the spoiler i think its time i just take it in since i cant seem to find the time or equipment to get it done. lol none of my friends live down here anymore, so im on my own or stuck with guys who manhandle small, japanese sports cars like they would an old, beaten truck.

thanks for the help, and sorry for the threadjack!