Reminds me of my college years... the good ol days when we had no idea what good was, only what was cheap.

 

That same quote applies to my dating practices in college.


Also, John: I'm planning on coming up also. It will be a good refresher on exhaust work, plus I can look at your cat assembly and perhaps when I compare yours to mine I can see what is broken.
...and I'd like some Molson. (j/k)


Ha, and I was out in the company truck... saw a VR RX parked in the lot, got all excited and was like "YES! I finally get to use one of my rx8club forms..." only to realize they're in the glove box of my 8... d'oh!

 

John - I think my buddy Parker is gonna come along on Saturday now. Do we still have tickets?

 

I talked to Marlon on Tuesday and he said that we would have enough.

 

Nice.

Well I'm back at work on the car. Got the water temp adapter on w/o any leaking. Put the PCM and battery back on. Filled with coolant, started her up, and she went on the first series of cranks (~10 seconds).

Warmed up and all seems happy and well. Gonna keep going through the coolant fill steps - including a bleed - and then will put the tires back on and drop her for the first time since we did the struts/springs. Hopefully there are bump stops or I'm **** out of luck.

So someone mentioned that there's a good place near the passenger side of the car to run wire from the engine. Anyone know where? I am trying to run it into the side of the engine through the same entry that the winshield wiper fluid wiring runs from the dash to the engine. I get it in there but don't seem to know if there's a way to get at that area of the car. Basically right between the windshield and the dash.

 

You planning to bring the car Saturday Ryan?

 

Ryan - https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=16217.html

So I went out today and finished hard wiring my radar detector. A little frustrating but eventually got it done. Everything tested out ok and is buttoned back up. However, did discover a small snag. My battery died. I had been going out every couple of weeks and starting it but I guess I got a little lax as of late. I have the trickle charger on it now. Hopefully it starts soon.

 

Nope. Not driving anywhere until I get an alignment (and a second look at the install).

Although it's REALLY tempting.

Assuming I can figure out how to run the line from the water adapter to my gauges are you doing anything on Sunday? That final step of getting power supplied to the gauges and actually clicking them in should, hopefully happen then. I may give Noah a call to see if he's around since he's gone AWOL on us.

 

Probably.
My landlord wanted me to help him install stairs to my back patio (currently its a 2' drop).
Shouldn't take too long, but I'm not sure when he'll be over.

 

That's a bummer. I've gone completely obsessive with my battery now and every time I stop in I immediately put the charger on it.

Gonna be nice to have the Red Top tho.

Jon - don't sweat it. I'll give it a shot. And like I said I'll shoot a PM or something off to Vex to see if he wants to help out since this is kinda in his wheelhouse.

BTW - here's the place I ran my sender wire... but I can't figure out where it went to or how to get to it. I was really hoping it'd just magically pop out somewhere.

 

Car still won't start.

 

Describe "won't start"

 

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK *stop trying*
*wait 10 minutes*
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK *stop trying*
*wait 10 minutes*
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK *stop trying*
*wait 80 minutes*
CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK *stop trying*

 

Are the "clicks" cranking sounds (the starter turning)?
Are the interior lights starting to dime yet?

If you want, just hold off from trying to start it and we'll look at it when we get there.
Also, remove the battery and charge it.

 

I know that sound!

My money's on the battery may be uber-dead. The kind that doesn't revive. Like a vampire after he goes sunbathing. If you left it on your charger last night maybe it'll revive tonight but if you can today it might be worth it to take the battery out, take it to an advanced auto parts or your stealership, and have 'em check it.

The first year I had mine in storage my battery, a <year old Die-Hard Gold battery, went completely dead. I brought it into Advanced Auto Parts, they hooked it up to some battery machine, agreed that the thing was completely dead, and gave me a new one which is still on my car today.

How long did you go between starts? IIRC I went about a month and a half when the battery went belly up.

 

Jon - Sounds like the solenoid clicking but no turning. Interior cabin lights flash to make a nice strobe effect, dash lights dim.

Ryan - Yea...I don't have a real charger just one of those portable jump boxes that you can charge a little with. I will prolly just run it up to Murray's later and have it tested. Advanced is really far away and the AutoZone over in Willowick is full of asshats. In all it was probably 3 weeks since I started it...but in that time we had those unbearably cold days twice I think. Next year I guess it just comes inside.

 

Red top for amazon: 131.35 w/o shipping I'm guessing.

http://www.amazon.com/Optima-Batteri...6352333&sr=8-1

EDIT - upon reading your whole post.... There had to be some draw on your battery. Even my OEM Panasonic would hold a charge for 3 weeks, unless your battery was really on its last legs.

 

3 weeks during the summer or 3 weeks of winter? BIG difference.

 

That's what I got (and where I got it from). Careful with Zon tho because they don't allow you to return it. But I always use them and I'm pretty hopeful it'll work.

Also I would think a yellow top would work better for John. It's built for stereos/etc. Or just get a good, multi-year warrantied battery from Autozone/AAP for $60. Optima is pretty damn expensive.

 

I left it at the airport for 19 days in the winter... so, not quite 3 weeks. But it cranked more than normal, but started right up... It was during those single digit days.

 

There's a draw from our car at all times.

 

Solenoids usually don't click loud enough to hear from several feet away.
Relays can click pretty loud though!

Better price than Summit. They charge $150 for the Red Top.

Agree

 

Right now I'm looking at...

http://www.autozone.com/R,3804718/ve...ductDetail.htm

Any objections?

 

No objections... except the battery in that pic has the '+' terminal on the wrong side for our car
I'm just messing around... that is just a universal pic and not vehicle specific.
Nothing wrong with that battery.

 

OH WAIT... I FOUND AN ISSUE WITH THAT BATTERY JOHN!
That battery is 38lbs! The RedTop is only 32lbs.
Its all about weight reduction... right?

OK... I'm done messing around.
After being up since 3pm yesterday, I need to rest before heading out to John's tonight!
See ya around 6pm John.