copperband

Had my car for 5 days now and very pleased with it,etc,etc.
I have 2 issues though that concern me one is the drive away clunk I hear everytime I release the handbrake and pull away the other is starting the car.
On friday I was 15 mins late picking up some work colleagues because the car simply wouldn't start. I know all about the flooding and not to press the accelerator before or during starting but the car just wouldn't start at 7am on a cold damp day. I tried several times and then refered to the manual which says turn the key for up to 10 secs to start I did this and after sounding like a clapped out Datsun Cherry with a knackered battery for about 8 seconds it did start. The same happened after my meeting and after about 8 work colleagues had admired the car, I went to start it to let them hear the engine and again it was a real problem.
On Saturday I used the car again and had less of a problem but it was later in the day and relitively dry. I spoke to Mazda and they said that it can take this long to start but if I was in any way concerned I should take it to my local dealer (not where I bought it otherwise I would have gone straight round there).

What are your experiences? Is there something about the cold and damp particularly that the rotary does not like?

Thanks for any feed back + any comments on the clunk?

Ed

AnilS

My car took alot of turning over to start this evening (4 degC). Wife started it yesterday for the first time and flooded the engine. Eventually sorted this, she went out in it, loved it but won't yet admit its better to drive than a TT. On her return, put her through the start up procedure, and she started it, no problem. Hope starting won't be an issue but if it is, the dealers going to be busy.


AnilS.

druck

I think it was Friday morning it was very wet, and it didn't start in the normal half a second, so after two seconds I just gave it a bit of gas (like I've done in everything else I'd driven) and it fired immediately.

That should just be coincidence as the RX8 has a fly by wire throttle. But I'd be interested if anyone else found a bit of pedal did the trick.

Cheers
---Dave

Wingnut

The clunk is normal, I noticed this too and somebody on this forum enlightened me that this was part of the ABS system normal startup routine. A calibration or something.

The starting difficulty seems to warrant a trip to the dealer. This car's starter motor is a lot slower than the previous RX-7's I've owned but has not failed to turn over within 1-2 seconds even on a few 5-10C damp mornings.

Good luck,
WN

AnilS

Many thanks WN, might just do that.

AnilS.

copperband

Thanks for the feedback guys, interesting point on giving it some boot as this is what Mazda said I shouldn't do?

Ed

fishadr

Went to collect mine on Saturday only to find it was in the workshop as they had flooded it and then could not get it resolved. At one stage they were talking about taking the spark plugs out of the demo car to resolve the problem.

Fortunately they managed to get it resolved after about an hour. The dealer had another one like this early in the week and had to tow it down the road for a while to jump start it!!

Been in the car all weekend and not had any problems starting (Yet!!)

ChrisW

I think rotaries need a bit more cranking than piston engine cars - but if you crank them too much they flood!

The only problem I have had was when I stopped turning it over because it was taking longer to start than I expected it to (this was in the damp). That nearly flooded it and I then had a lot of difficulty starting it.

Since then, I make sure I always keep the starter turning until it catches and its never taken more than two seconds of cranking to start it (usually less).

The Ace

Your comments are rather peculiar, because in my own experience, I had NEVER *any* problems starting my TII. Remember, this is a very old car, with the also very old 13BT. I also had to start it sometimes in very cold temperatures (barely above 0 degrees), and I *never* had to crank it for more than 3-4 seconds.

Most of the time it was "click-whiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrr", because the rotary just started on the very first rotation

ChrisW

It seems to be the damp rather than the cold it doesn't like (although we haven't had any really cold weather yet).

One thing to check is the battery terminals. I seem to remember in the US some of the cars had difficulty starting and subsequently flooded and were found to have loose connections to the battery.

Also, when starting, you need to keep the key in the ON position for a few seconds while the immobiliser checks out the key code, before turning it to START. If you go too quickly to START I think the starter will still turn but the ECU won't actually deliver any fuel until the immobiliser has checked the key code, so it will seem to take longer to start.

specman

-2c between 5pm and 9pm when car was left out and not put in the garage.

It started fine with no problems about 2 secs tops of cranking the nwent right up to 2k rpm and quickly dropped off.

Took 5 mins to get anything like a start on the defrosting.
Went straight to bed after a blast (650 miles now:D )

jimbobjoe

Also hold the clutch in whilst starting. It makes it a little easier to turn over.

Lucozade

Mines starts first time everytime. No problems. I have noticed that if you turn the key once and let go it does tend to think about it and then spark into life.

No complaints with that one.

byrdd

Same as Lucozade... no problems starting at all.... left it out last night until 6am this morning .. leaving to go to work (200 mile drive) started first time... had to wait a while for ice to defrost of windscreenthen away....... 2148 miles and counting..... I love this car.

copperband

I am now starting the car in a different way almost in the same way as you would a diesel, ie turn ignignition on a wait a few secs then turn the engine over for a second or 2. This method hasn't failed me as yet, I think my problem on friday was started with the immobiliser delay and then compounded by me flooding the engine. It's also true to say (as somone else has observed) that the engine seems to catch and start a split second after the key has been turned and released.
I guess its just down o getting used to something slightly different

Ed

copperband

I take it all back, car let me down again tonight.

Took my Dad ot to a play left car in car park in rain for 3 hours, came back and the bloody thing wouldn't start again.It took 3 attempts then I had to leave it for a few mins then eventually after about 5 or 6 seconds it started.
Not good for street cred and not good when you have a passenger desperate for the toilet (My Dad is in a whhelchair so getting him back out the car to use the ones in the theatre not easy.)

I love this car but I am not enjoying it when it threatens to let me down.
It definately seems to happen in the damp only, I think it will be taking a trip to the local dealer tomorrow.

Ed

ChrisW

I had some difficulties this evening as well - the car really does not like starting in the rain.

I had decided I was going to just keep turning the starter over until it caught, but I wimped out after about 3 seconds of turning, because it didn't sound like it was going to start and I didn't want to risk flooding it.

The next thing I did was to try turning the engine over with the throttle fully depressed. This should cut off the fuel so if the engine is a little bit flooded it will expell the unburnt fuel and unflood it. What actually happened is that within about a second the engine sprang to life (I had to lift my foot off the accelerator pretty quick).

What I think happened was that after cranking it normally for a few seconds, there is already more than enough fuel in the chamber to start the engine, and any more risks flooding it. So if you then turn it over with the accelerator depressed (before the fuel has had time to condense) you can get the thing going.

The question though, is why does it have such a problem with wet weather?

The Darkling

Sorry, I started a thread regarding engine flooding before I read this. As a potential owner this issue really could put me off buying an 8. Having driven the car I love it, but its not good if its being towed off your drive everytime it starts raining. Its also embarrassing!I

The Ace

Only thing I can imagine might be happening is that the battery terminals and the main wires hooks are not connecting very nicely. I'd put on some di-electric paste in there (if it doesnt already have), just to make sure battery is connected properly with the rest of the electrical system.......

Another thought is that, if indeed Mazda has set up the ECU in such a way that the car runs rich for the first 1000km or so, combined with the fact that you people dont rev above 6K rpm (which is rather normal), causes the engine to run rich ALL the time! Which is a very probably explanation why *some* of the cars have troubles starting in general.......

Jon H

It does sound like a few of you need to speak to your dealers. The posts I have read so far suggest its not an "oops I flooded it" problem, more of a "car doesnt like starting" problem. We need to get a bit of data together as things like this can be hard to diagnose when you take it in and it behaves perfectly. So how about a brief survey? (I think I might post this over on the RX8 owners club as well).
So to set the scene, I have had mine 4 weeks (just over 1,000 miles) and it has never had a problem starting. I have used it in all weather, including the current heavy rain, my average journey must be about 15 miles, and I do not keep it in the garage. I have done some short trips (1-2 miles) with no problem. I'm getting 22.5 mpg (12.5l / 100km) which I think is the norm. I also allow the various lights to go out (about 5 secs) between turning the key to 'on' and actually cranking the starter.
So you guys who have had a problem (and maybe those who dont), can you answer:

1) Garaged / not
2) Average journey
3) Length of journey prior to not starting
4) Weather conditions when it happened
5) Mileage
6) Consumption
7) Crank immediately or wait a few secs

I think with these stats we might get a pattern and maybe something to tell your dealer.

And finally.... would loose battery terminals cause refusal to fire, surely that would prevent the engine turning over?