Momentum

Could i have a leaky gasket?? Dripping coolant into the rotor housing??

anti-mike

same with torotor too... (based on his posts) well it rules out the coils, plugs and wires, then, for sure.

The reason I think it may be the cat was this post:

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ytic+converter

The fact that mine has gotten much worse (rough idle all the time now, although not as bad as when starting, and no power above 5k rpms) is consistent with a continually worsening clogged cat due to coils in need of replacement. It may be that you just caught yours before things got as bad as on mine.

I will note a couple things:

1) My air pump stopped working on its own a while ago--come to think of it, around when I started having the rough start issue. I never really noticed that I wasn't hearing the air pump anymore until thinking about it while doing some research just now. I'm not an exhaust expert but it seems to me that a failed air pump would hasten the demise of a failing cat

2) I also suspected a coolant leak at one point, i am losing coolant (not a lot), and occasionally smell it, so I can't rule it out, although that does not seem really consistent with the 5k RPM limit issue I'm dealing with--which, of course, could be unrelated to the rough idle on starting

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

Maybe, maybe not, but a known problem needs to be corrected to assure that it is not at least part of the problem.

Momentum

As for the white smoke, can i be caused by the cat not re-firing? or is it a coolant in the engine problem. Its a thick white smoke like the smoke you get after sea foaming your engine.

Cam

iTrader: (1)

Momentum,

Im having the same problem as you. Im 99% sure I have a blown seal on one of my rotors leaking coolant into the combustion chamber. Im having the same symptons as you. Misfires at startup, sounds like a weed eater, hard to start, LOTS of white smoke, smooths out and runs normal after a minute of so.

This started a few weeks ago, has gotten worse. Check your coolant resovoir, mines empty.

New engine time.

anti-mike

Well, they've replaced the coils, plugs and wires and are in the process of replacing the cat. I mentioned to the tech the issue with the rough idle during start, and he chalked it up to the secondary air pump malfunctioning. And while I know the air pump is not working, I'm not sure how it's going to affect engine performance.

The only scenario I can imagine a faulty air pump causing this situation would be if the air is injected somewhere before the primary O2 sensors (the data of which is responsible for determining A/F ratio) and so while the air pump is supposed to be "on", the computer automatically assumes the engine is actually running richer than it is reading from the sensors, to compensate for the extra oxygen introduced by the air pump. Thus, if there isn't extra O2 in the exhaust when the computer assumes there should be, it will make the fuel map too lean.

I have no clue. But thats one possibility, and the OP did mention that air pump seemed to affect it.

Momentum

After a weekend of digging I've corrected some of the problems.

I found a faulty coil, swapped to my old stock set. Also changed a battery terminal

No more smoke.

Only 10-15 seconds of misfire on the first start of the day.

Runs great other then that.

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

How was this determined?

Momentum

Obvious current leak around my R2 L coil. Plug wire attached to coil only, other side isolated. Sparks flying all around the body of the coil. Tried one or two more positions with similar results. 3-4 coils tested fine.

I inspected coils and found no obvious signs such as cracks or damage.

I will try the timing light method if i can track down a light.

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

Are you Tony V in Tucson, AZ?

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

I am having difficulty understanding the methodology used. The last thing one wants to do is disconnect the plug wire from the spark plug because the current/voltage will find SOME way to ground itself as these little coils are simply badass. They will jump one helluva gap. If the case of the coil is not cracked, I am wondering if a plug wire is the problem.

In any event, your entire kit is warranteed.

Momentum

Yes the coils are badass. I felt like i was putting inadequate piece of equipment in my car by installing the OEM coils back in it. I wish i had those coils 112,000 miles ago.

anti-mike

Still can't explain the rough start. But the 5k RPM limit issue was resolved. Rats chewed through the wiring harness and spliced the injector wires! Oh the joys of city living... Apparently it's going to cost $1000s, but it's covered under comprehensive, thank God

anti-mike

Finally got the car back last week. New coils, plugs wires, and wiring harness. Seems the problem is resolved for now. Also, the dealer did a compression test, and didn't give me the numbers but said there was no issues, also the cat is clean. So who knows what was behind the rough start...

swiftscott

Momentum:

Any resloution to the cold-start weed-eater syndrome yet? My car has the exact same problem and I have not yet been able to resolve it. My car now has 101,500 on the odometer and I don't want to pay for a compression test if it turns out to be some other problem....Very interested to see if you have come up with anyting. Thanks.

Dances_with_cars

Looks like you solved your issue for now but for the couple others here....

My 8 just had a very similar issue, it was leaking coolant into rotor housing 1. Rough at start up but ran fine afterwards, progressively hard start ups, tons of white smoke pouring out the back and engine running a little hot (since coolant was going out). Bad seal and got the engine replaced. It just sounds like what happened to me but I hope it isn't!

ortegojq

Wow, i have the same problem. changed plugs, plug wires, coils. still rough start and white smoke....i do leave the car parked, got so bad that i don't take it out anymore. 93k on the motor. i did notice they had oil on the top front trailing plug. ran compression test, checked vac pressure. not sure where to go from here. also added some coolant. but didn't check it in awhile, so not sure if it's leaking in the engine or was just low.

swiftscott

Any resolution on this yet? My '04 with 103k (38k since new motor) is doing the same. Rough weedeater starts with white smoke for about 30 seconds in the morning then runs flawlessley. Daytime starts after it is warm needs 10-15 seconds for the motor to "clear its throat" before settling to a normal idle, then runs perfectly.

Since the issue I have replaced all four coils, all plugs, all plug wires, cleaned the MAF with MAF cleaner, cleaned the ESS by removing and cleaning with carb cleaner.

Took to dealer who thought front rotor coils (three weeks old) might be bad so I installed two more new coils on that. They did a compresssion test which the tech reported as "damn near perfect". They also did a coolant system test to see if coolant were leaking into a rotor, it was not, my cap was not keeping pressure and I replaced it. Hayes Mazda in Kalamazoo did the two tests and only charged $79.95 for an hour of labor, so thanks to them for that.

It is slightly embarrasing to take my car on a date and inform the hot chick in the hot car that I need to give it a minute for the engine to clear up. Also, three neighbors have come over to let me know my car smokes in the morning....HELP!!!

ozymandias01

I just started a new post about the same thing, guess I should searched a little harder before starting that post. I'm having the same issue with the white smoke and misfire on rotor 2. I changed the plugs and still the same thing. I had my oil changed right before the issue and they added too much at the place I took it too. I guess my next step is to change the coils.

I saw a couple of people talking about an air pump going out where is that located so I can check it out. I just got this car a couple of months ago so still trying to find my way around a modern car, all my past cars were all 20yrs old or more.

If someone can make a comprehensive list of things to check it would be greatly appreciated. I feel like apprehensive to drive it doing this because I don't want to make something worse.

swiftscott

Ok, this morning I removed the airbox and noticed a significant amount of coolant on the bottom of the accordian tube that connects the airbox to the throttle body.

My assumption now is that coolant is getting into the intake and on a cold start sucking that into a rotor causing a misfire and smoke until the engine heats up enough to burn it off or blow it out.

Now, can anyone give me a theory on how coolant is getting into the intake tract? I am also starting a specific thread on coolant in the intake......

Nadrealista

bump.

hm I started having a cold start misfire issue as well but only if car has been sitting for more than few days. It is not my daily driver so it gets driven rarely. Maybe once/twice every 2 weeks.

New plugs and coils went in April along with new air filter and MAF cleaning.

What is puzzling is that it only does it if the car has been sitting for several days at least..I was thinking of slow coolant leak but there is no smoke at the start up and I am catless. Perhaps leaky fuel injector? Any other ideas?

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

I know of at least one person that had this same problem when he stored his car for the winter. I want to say there were a couple others on here that experienced it as well. If I remember correctly everyone had an 04 and the deflood proceedures in the DIY fixed it up. Leaky injector was always thought to be the cause by the local group but it was never proven.

Nadrealista

what is the deflood procedure you are talking about?

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...t=flood+washer

Nadrealista

this procedure is more for someone who has problem starting the car. my car starts right up but it has lot of misfires in the first 30-60 seconds then it clears up and it is fine..this only happens on the cold start.