I have had my 8 for awhile now an I haven't had any real problems with it I got my bhr ignition kit this week an installed it today and started it up an it started harder than it did before. While I was installing it the only thing that comes to mind is that the trailing 2 sparkplug wasn't in as far as the trailing one but it was hard to get it in there any farther. Taking it off it was really tight as well im just wondering if this could be the problem it's in there a good ways just not as far as the first one. I also have before an after start ups if I knew how to post them. Any help is appreciated

 

Just installed mine last week.

Follow the diagram included in this thread: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-...-part1-167033/

Make sure your wires are seated properly on each end. It is a bit difficult. You should feel and hear a clicking noise when properly seated.

That was my experience.

 

Yes the spark plug must be fully seated otherwise the spark will not fire far enough into the combustion chamber for properly combustion. Did you also change to new wires and plugs at the same time? If you did great. If you did not change to new wires and plugs, it is then possible that in the process of taking everything part and putting it back, one of the wires might have been going bad and the movement and bending during install might have caused a break or made a loose connector tip worse , or one of the plugs has carbon on the tip and it picked up some dirt during the reinstall, or just that the wires aren't seated well on the plugs.

The simplest way to check this is to remove the plugs and wires and reinstall them. (make sure the wires and plugs were installed in the proper order and all are properly seated) . Some find the plugs easier to get out and in with a warm engine. How old are the plugs?

If you can get into the right position( take the driver's side front wheel off) shine a flashlight into the plug hole you are having trouble with and check that the threads havent been crossed stripped during your install. If there is any debris in the threads carefully clean it out with a link-free rag with some alcohol , without pushing the debris into the engine.

Let us know how this works out and if you are still having start issues we can suggest other systems to check that effect poor startup. Check the stickies on this first if you want. Describe just how "it started harder" , that would help us with a diagnosis.

 

Did you strip the grounding wire as well? I just put it on top of that grounding wire. And I'll go back an make sure all the plugs are in, I heard all of them snap but I'll check again. An I put my plugs on after it was already mounted which made it pretty difficult

 

I did get new plugs an everything an I made sure not to cross thread I took it out about 5 times to make sure since it was so difficult to get them In a little ways with just my hands but I'll go through it again and check. I will upload them to YouTube an post a link. Thanks for the quick responses

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Vz...ature=youtu.be

this is how it starts now it still seems like its slower than before i changed it out. i went back and tightened the spark plugs to around 100lbs torque i read that around 114 is spec

 

Check the four coil-wire and the four wire-plug connections. They should each be pushed in the same distance, which is usually slightly further than what is visually adequate.

What do you think you're doing tightening your plugs to 100lbs when you know the specification is 114lbs at minimum? That seems like a really stupid move. Doing so has the potential to lower compression to the point that starting becomes difficult.

 

I have checked all the connections they all snapped in I can try it again but idk if it will help an since it was in inch pounds not foot pounds I did it to a little under 13 feet pounds.

 

Did you unhook the battery?
Try the 20 brake pedal stomp, can't hurt.

 

That is not a hard start, that sounds like a normal start with the old S1 starter. And your spark plugs should not go in hard, you should always use a spark plug thread chaser to make sure the threads are clean of debris.

 

I have the same issue. My car started better before with OEM parts and my response from BHR is that I have a compression problem. I am going to back to OEM ignition in the Spring (car is now in storage) to confirm this.

 

Dang hopefully it's not compression I was getting frustrated clipping the wires into the coils so I'll do it tomorro an I'll try the 20 brake stomp an see how it goes. It runs a little better with the kit which is why I'm confused

 

Jesus you guys need to learn how to educate yourselves.

 

If you only do the 20 brake stomp after changing something you're going to cause some obnoxious, minor, masked issues, that will only go away after some unknown interval (I think it's like 5 drive cycles).

Do the stomp as well as the test mode/battery disconnect reset. It probably won't fix all of your problems though.

 

M A Z D A

Engine: ----------> Symptom troubleshooting. Guessing, assuming, and diagnosis by parts replacement will get you no where.

 

I put in a BHR kit at the start of the year and had no trouble at all if anything it started faster. I think you might be or have done something wrong.

 

That's why it's odd to me all the spark plugs are torqued to spec at 13 foot pounds an all my plugs are snapped in good redid them all a few times to make sure. I have read a lot on here and know that if I did have bad compression this wouldn't solve it but I don't see how it would make my starting worse. After tightened the spark plugs to the right torque my car now squeaks while trying to start

 

Problems after installing a BHR kit have historically come down to one of three, things:

1) Installation problem, the ground wasn't properly secured

2) Installation problem, the wires were not seated correctly at each end (proper connection AND to the right plug)

3) Exposes a compression problem with the engine.

 

Alright thanks I put the ground in the spot it said but I put it underneath the grounds that were already there which I figure is fine? And it runs better than it did but I'll have to get a compression test soon I guess

 

This might be a silly question, but how does a BHR kit expose a compression problem with the engine? Wouldn't better coils mask low compression?

 

Well it would expose by omission, meaning if you know your ignition system is stout, and you are having trouble starting, it's one less thing to rule out towards the compression issue research

 

Not quite. Ray has stated multiple times that if you installed a BHR ignition kit correctly, and you suddenly have starting problem, then it has historically ended up proving that you have low compression.

I don't have answer for why this is the case, and it doesn't really make sense. But the number of times that it has proven to be true is hard to ignore. The BHR kit obviously starts better on a good engine than stock coils, but something about healthy stock coils that can start a bad engine better than BHR coils? Dunno.

 

Thanks omega that's what I was thinking. I find it odd that it does that i still don't know why it squeaks when try to start now cuz it doesn't sound like a lot of the compression starts iv seen I'll post another video of how it sounds

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOUK...ature=youtu.be

 

Yes and have you done any actual troubleshooting at all? You were not happy with the way it was starting before so you purchased the BHR kit and now you are still not happy with the way it starts so what does that tell you?

You can post useless youtube videos all day, that is not going to fix your problem.