So I've been posting here for a while now. Heres the background of my rx8 https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...64/?styleid=17

My problem now is that the check engine light does not go away. I have cleared the memory in every way possible multiple times but the engine light only stays off for about 10 seconds then comes back. It will sometimes flash 3 times. The only thing it tells me when I hook up my scanner is that 3 monitors are N/A. Is this what's causing it to come on? And how do I fix it?

Note: if it matter any the engine takes a long time to crank whether hot or cold. And goes into a sort of limp mode when running. That's the only issue , we changed the spark plugs today and start times decreased a lot but the issue is still there. The car also drops its RPMs when switching to Reverse and dies. Thank you.

 

You're misfiring very badly. The code only gets stored in the computer after a certain number of flashing events, so it acts differently than other codes when its cleared without remedying the problem.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...t-here-222280/

 

So why doesn't the scanner mark a misfire or any code even after 15-20 minutes of limp driving?

 

And a different question, does Mazda in the US charge to flash the ecu?

 

Because it doesn't care. Driving in limp mode for 15-20 minutes is not the smartest thing to do.

Get a new ignition system and gut your cat, simple solutions for a simple problem...

 

New ignition and gutting the cat will not fix his problem. Your scanner might not be fully compatible with the car. Get it scanned by auto zone or some other parts store. If your talking about the CEL flashing when you turn the car on but not starting it that's normal and dose not indicate a misfire. If it is flashing whith the engine running it is a misfire. Get the codes read from somewhere els and let us know what you get.

 

The flashing CEL never happens once the car has already turned on, only while its cranking for a long time. And like I stated in the thread title, there are NO CODES when I hook up the scanner. My dad is a mechanic and uses the scanner on many cars daily so the scanner is working correctly. I just don't understand why I don't get codes, only 3 monitors N/A

 

Ok I tryed to help but seeing how you don't even want to try what I suggested just ask your mechanic dad why it's not working.

 

Sigh.... No need to be rude. I'm 100% sure the scanner works and is compatible, and its not some cheapo $20 scanner. Anyways I have no desire at the moment of limp driving a car with no tags to town and get it scanned by an equal or worse scanner at auto zone. Thanks for the advice though

 

Well the CEL is on for a reason and if one code checker doesn't pull a code try another one to make sure it's not the code checker simple trouble shooting. If I had 1cent for ever time I was 100% of some thing then found I was wrong I'd be rich. As for your CEL flashing when trying to start on long starts I'm not sure on that as the engine is not really running. Start simple clean the ESS and MAF then do both resets dirty enough ESS could cause no starting and misfire a bad ESS could do it too. Read through the forums do the trouble shooting. Do you have good spark? Do you have fuel? Do you have good fuel pressure? Most important find out what is triping the CEL if it's realy being tripped as you can't get it started it could be nothing as you have stated.

 

I should've stated that I've tried 2 different scanners and still no code shows up. By the way, I bought new NGK spark plugs last week and installed them but that didn't help at all, and yes I made sure I put them in the right place as well as the wires. So what i did now was bought a new MAF sensor, new coils, and new NGK wires. I'll test them all at the same time and I'll switch the ESS sensor with the one from the new engine (we're using the one from the old one at the moment) I'm also thinking about cleaning the intake manifold since oil can get in there when the oil is over filled (which it is ovrerfilled at the moment and have to drain some of it) andddddddddd we will also check fuel pressure.

I will update with results

Edit: starter gives constant 280+ RPMs on crank per the scanner we used to see live feed of the engine so that cant be the starting issue.

 

Now your cooking. Keep us posted. Maybe something will manifest it's self that was hiding behind other issues. I my self just went through a string of unlinked problems that after fixing one the other would show it's self.
I see you said some thing about a new engine did you put one in and now are having this problem? If so double check every thing. One new member had similar trouble and found that the dealer had hooked the fuel injectors up wrong.

 

Another thing to look for when double-checking is make certain you didn't miss or cross any connectors for the monitored switches and senders. It might explain why you get N/A on 3 senders and, if they are critical, could explain the limp mode as the ECU will act as a safety shut-down system in the event a critical function is impaired or absent.

 

I don't think my cars limp mode is cause by the ECU, but rather is just a pure loss of power. I say this because when we ran the car with the wheels in the air the car went 0-70mph in seconds (could've easily went even faster but we didn't want to race the engine) and the RPMs went 1-7 in seconds as well.

What I can acquire from this is that the ECU isn't limiting the RPMs or the MPH. I think the car just doesn't have the power to go any faster with its own weight. But there's something else not letting the engine perform to its potential.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Edit: I will check for the senders and monitored switches and make sure they are connected right but I have no idea where they are or what they look like. Any help would be appreciated

 

Limp mode probably limits load not mph or rpm. With very little load available it will work just as your describing.

This makes a lot of since considering omp injection is based largely on engine load.

 

Checking the car off the ground is vastly different than under load. Running up to 70 MPH under load places a LOT more stress on the engine than free-wheeling it and, as a result, increases the need for everything to be performing correctly. What I sense is that something is not performing up to spec under load and is tripping an error in the ECU that is causing the safety shut-down in the form of limp mode. In effect, the ECU is forcing the engine to operate within safe tolerances dictated by the failing performance. This failure could, however, be linked to one or more of the senders that are not being monitored as the ECU might be interpreting them as failed. I have been trying to upload a file that might help locate the failed senders but, for some reason, 2 tries have failed so I may have to try an alternative idea.

edit: I give up! Three tries and still no luck uploading a diagnostic PDF file that is 1/4 the maximum allowed size.

 

More than one way to skin a cat, Here is the diagnostic file. Hope this helps you find the problem(s);

http://jmp.sh/wmBjaSc

 

UPDATE!!!! Removed the air filter,the piece where the air filter sits, the accordion looking piece, maf, throttle body and intake manifold.

The air filter had oil in it and the accordion piece had puddles of oil sitting in the grooves. The maf seemed clean but I don't trust it to be working right. The throttle body was fairly dry and clean but the intake manifold.......

The intake manifold was FULL of oil. Not only oil but there was a certain part where there was lots of some sort of yellow grease/gunk that was really stuck to the metal. It was really hard to remove even with compressed air and gasoline. So I cleaned everything and removed the old oil which was really black. (Although the car has only been on for less than 2 hours since we put the oil in over the past weeks) and put in new oil and made sure not to over fill.

The oil filter also seemed to have some sort of burned carbon chunks in it which I took out with a tooth pick since the oil filter is still pretty new.

Now we just wait for all of the new parts to come in to test it out.

 

For the price of an oil filter, I suggest replacing it. If there was residue large enough to pick it out, imagine what could conceivably be in the paper filter material inside.

 

I think that's what I'll do, by the way, besides the obvios overfill of oil, is there something else that could have caused the oil to get in all of these places? Maybe a common leak somewhere?

Bonus points if someone can tell me the name of the accordion looking piece, thanks.

 

Chunks of crud in the oil filter? Is this a new or used engine? If you got crud in the oil you got a lot more issues than it running. You'll more than likely need to clean out the entire oiling system and hope a big chunk of crud hasn't made it's way to the OMP. On second thought just junk the engine if some one ran that one with out changing oil long enough to have sludge and carbon buildup in it than you got a lot of problems. Please clarify are you swapping engines? Did the old one fail? How meany miles? What year model? What was the thing that caused the last engine to die? Where did you get the new engine?

 

No leaks it's just from being over filled. Research oil catch can that should explain the issue.

 

In the service manual I have, it is referred to as "intake-air duct".
Я утверждаю, бонусные баллы!

 

Do I get bonus points for translating the Russian? Btw утверждаю, бонусные баллы!=claim bonus points !

 

The old engine was burned out. Overheated, melted lots of the components on it including oil lines. We bought a new one with 40kish miles online. It was assured to have good compression and came off a running vehicle. 2004. The new engine was from EBay from a guy who sells lots of rotory engines. He has his own website but I don't know it, my dad does.

By the way, the stuff in the oil filter was very little. 1 piece the size of a rice and a piece the size of half a bean. Very small but it was black and hard almost like burned plastic. I'll post pictures as examples.