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Picked up a 2004 RX8 with 77000 Miles, Does have some issue's, But hoping to meet good people to bounce idea's off of and listen to any advice!
paid 1300 for her, she does run and drive but cant pass 1500 rpm WOT, she does show 2 codes, generic but ( P0661 & P0037 )
If you haven't already, read rx8help.com, new and potential owners section. I would not drive it until you figure out what's causing the 1500 limit. One possibility is the OMP is setting limp mode, which has a code but it's specific to the rx8 and not all scanners can read it. The other option is your ignition or catalytic converter have failed and the engine can't make power. Limp mode usually has a 3000 rpm limit, so 1500 sounds like something else. What's the maintenance history like? Did you get a compression test?
If you haven't already, read rx8help.com, new and potential owners section. I would not drive it until you figure out what's causing the 1500 limit. One possibility is the OMP is setting limp mode, which has a code but it's specific to the rx8 and not all scanners can read it. The other option is your ignition or catalytic converter have failed and the engine can't make power. Limp mode usually has a 3000 rpm limit, so 1500 sounds like something else. What's the maintenance history like? Did you get a compression test?
THat interior looks surprisingly mint though.
I do not know the history of the maintence, and I have not ran a compression test
I am now the 3rd owner.. a guy bought it for his son and from what I was told it ran and drove fine but then started to have low power. and it's been sitting for a few months now, he also thought that it was a converter issue, I have started it and felt for exhaust pressure and it feels like there is barely anything coming out of it.. I may start there first.. I do know one of my codes (Generic Code ) is a O2 sensor, and the 2nd code comes to a Intake Manifold Tuning Valve ( which I now have on order )
1st owner was a lady and I believe the 2nd owner stated she kept it mostly in the garage.. So hopefully I didn't do to bad for 1400 cash
What exactly did you order? The intake manifold tuning valve code is for the one of the valve solenoid, it shouldn't be necessary to replace the valves themselves.
Ignition is the weak point of these cars. The stock coils aren't reliable past 25-30k, so they need to be replaced preemptively along with plugs and wires. Driving on bad coils clogs your catalytic converter and driving on a bad cat destroys the engine. So you'll want to check if the cat is still in one piece, then have a compression test to make sure this car is worth continuing to invest into, then once you have a good engine and good cat, coils are comparatively cheap to replace and after that you can drive with peace of mind.
What exactly did you order? The intake manifold tuning valve code is for the one of the valve solenoid, it shouldn't be necessary to replace the valves themselves.
Ignition is the weak point of these cars. The stock coils aren't reliable past 25-30k, so they need to be replaced preemptively along with plugs and wires. Driving on bad coils clogs your catalytic converter and driving on a bad cat destroys the engine. So you'll want to check if the cat is still in one piece, then have a compression test to make sure this car is worth continuing to invest into, then once you have a good engine and good cat, coils are comparatively cheap to replace and after that you can drive with peace of mind.
I ordered the O2 Sensor and this is what I was told to replace with P0661 its the one with the white connector.., I do have plugs already and wires, but I have not ordered coils.. I will attempt a compression test once I get everything I need, once its done raining I will get it up in the air and check the converter, I am going by my experience in regular valve motors, but I can put my hand over the exhaust and it has little to no resistance I would say 1/2 in away is when I start feeling any real pressure out of both tips compared to my wifes 4 banger G6 which I can feel the exhaust coming out a good 5 to 6 in away... So I dont know if I can still use this as a rule of thumb in a rotary or not
(or similar equivalent) works just as well and it is cheap.
You will need to remove the upper intake manifold to get at it which is awkward but doable. I would probably get two more such solenoids and replace all three, so they won't give you trouble later on, requiring the removal of the UIM again.
The G6 just has one exhaust pipe eh? If you block off one of the rx8s, it'll just exhaust through the other. At 5 grams/sec at idle you're not pushing that much air. But yes,, check the cat.
Ideally you'll need a rotary compression tester since regular ones just give you the highest reading on a rotor, not a reading for each face.
Picked up a 2004 RX8 with 77000 Miles, Does have some issue's, But hoping to meet good people to bounce idea's off of and listen to any advice!
paid 1300 for her, she does run and drive but cant pass 1500 rpm WOT, she does show 2 codes, generic but ( P0661 & P0037 )
Hi guys, I also just bought mine recently, I've already worked with some, you have to be very careful. The one I bought had the same codes as you. p0661 I recommend you check the valve because the bushing is damaged, it breaks and that causes the solenoid to get stuck, change it, buy it on Amazon or eBay. and the Cat I recommend you put a midpip/Cat delete
Finally had some time to start poking my head around the car.. Looked underneath at the converter and this is what I see, never seen one do this before.. Now I started the car no more then 1 minute to drive it up the ramps and the heat pouring off this thing was staggering
There's supposed to be an insulated heatshield around the cat which rusts away with time, that might be what the insulation is.
Yea, I went and got a grinder today and was going to take a easier way out by cutting a opening in the converter and start busting it out from there.. and noticed that it was a insulator between the converter and the heat shield, once I got that cut and moved out of my way, of course the battery died in the grinder, so with a crappy day at work and then the battery I decided to take some anger out on the converter with a hammer.. after wearing myself out I decided to start it to see if anything changed, and sure enough the pressure coming out of the exhaust was greatly increased engine even sounded a bit better, but after about a 10 minute idle it slowly started to loose exhaust pressure and engine started to sound like it did before..
But it was so nice to see a quick whiff of black smoke come out of that exhaust
The important thing now will be to out an adequate cat on it. 200 dollar rando cats will survive about 10 minutes attached to a rotary. Unless you don't have to worry about emissions
The important thing now will be to out an adequate cat on it. 200 dollar rando cats will survive about 10 minutes attached to a rotary. Unless you don't have to worry about emissions
No I don't have inspections so i'll just gut this one out and drive on
Also this might be a stupid question to ask, since I need to replace the SSV and I did notice someone say to replace the other 2 as well, could I possibly relocate this solenoids, only asking because I haven't broke down the intake yet, and haven't really looked at the current location of them and if that would even be doable
I cut a hole in the converter near the front cleaned all the honey comb away from the manifold part of the exhaust... Started it and idle was actually extremely better, put it in gear no shutter, took it for a 1 minute spin around the apartment complex still WOT nothing but 1500rpm no acceleration at all. The SSV Solenoid will be here Tuesday, so Wensday I will do a tear down and Thursday install that and see if there is that is the culprit or if some lines are broke. But tomorrow I may change out out the plugs and wires, but I dont feel, hear, or even see a miss in the car.
A friend of mine actually had the fancy tester for when he had his RX7, those numbers are
Leading
98
100
97
Trailing
96
98
100
My other option is what I thought it could be from day one and that was the OMP, and from what I have read this thing can cut all rpm and wont let you exceed 17% throttle
I cut a hole in the converter near the front cleaned all the honey comb away from the manifold part of the exhaust... Started it and idle was actually extremely better, put it in gear no shutter, took it for a 1 minute spin around the apartment complex still WOT nothing but 1500rpm no acceleration at all. The SSV Solenoid will be here Tuesday, so Wensday I will do a tear down and Thursday install that and see if there is that is the culprit or if some lines are broke. But tomorrow I may change out out the plugs and wires, but I dont feel, hear, or even see a miss in the car.
A friend of mine actually had the fancy tester for when he had his RX7, those numbers are
Leading
98
100
97
Trailing
96
98
100
My other option is what I thought it could be from day one and that was the OMP, and from what I have read this thing can cut all rpm and wont let you exceed 17% throttle
At what rpm are those pressure readings? Compression increases with rpm in a rotary. If that's at 300 rpm, they're failing, if at 250 borderline and at 200 about where you want to be.
Limp mode caused by the OMP is 3000 rpm limit, 1500 seems too low, but if you were only running on one rotor, maybe that's possible. The only other cause of limp mode I know is coolant temp sensor failure. Both should show up with a code scanner, but OMP codes are Mazda specific, not every reader can pick them up.
At what rpm are those pressure readings? Compression increases with rpm in a rotary. If that's at 300 rpm, they're failing, if at 250 borderline and at 200 about where you want to be.
Limp mode caused by the OMP is 3000 rpm limit, 1500 seems too low, but if you were only running on one rotor, maybe that's possible. The only other cause of limp mode I know is coolant temp sensor failure. Both should show up with a code scanner, but OMP codes are Mazda specific, not every reader can pick them up.
I believe 210 - 230 rpm, notes are at home.. and as far as codes the 2 mentioned were the only codes showing, but I do know I have the coolant light on ( little radiator symbol above the SES light ) coolant levels are good, but again I only have no power while in gear, you can rev it and its quick to respond just not under load so tomorrow my check list is as follows
Spark Plug and Wires
Check OMP ( clean connectors and possibly do a manual reset ) Quoted from Dannobre from another thread "If you remove the switch...and manually turn the pump clockwise till it stops...reinstall the switch..and turn it slightly counterclockwise a little bit until you feel it take up the slack ( about 1/2 way into the adjustment)...then reset the ECU"
Replace SSV Solenoid
Check for Vacuum leaks
Now as far as a code reader goes, is there any software I can get ? or a certain reader I can buy ?
ALSO the ABS light is on but I doubt that means anything
I think with Torque Pro Android app you can install manufacturer specific code sets, but maybe someone can confirm it includes the OMP. Then you just need any Bluetooth OBD connector.
I wouldn't ignore that ABS light, might be a clue.
Spark plugs and wires... And coils?
See what the spark plugs tell you when you pull them out. Oil, fuel, coolant, missing electrodes etc..
That cat you just smashed up was worth about 50% of what you paid for the car. I don't know if you can still take the honeycomb parts to the scrapper.
Cant be worth that much, even offered a few people the converter itself if they would come and cut it off for me, had no takers so I did what I could to try and solve a problem to the car, and honestly the only part of the honey comb that is missing is very small, the hole I cut was about 1in to 1/2 in just enough to see what the pressure was doing I would say 97% of the crap inside is still there
That cat you just smashed up was worth about 50% of what you paid for the car. I don't know if you can still take the honeycomb parts to the scrapper.
I’m about $400 ahead after buying a used BHR mid pipe, recycling the dead cat, recycling the stock catalytic converter mid pipe, purchasing a new HJS catalytic converter and having it welded into the BHR mid pipe. That stock cat was worth about $1900 CAD a couple years ago. Hopefully you can get something for your dead cat even after beating on it.
Cant be worth that much, even offered a few people the converter itself if they would come and cut it off for me, had no takers so I did what I could to try and solve a problem to the car, and honestly the only part of the honey comb that is missing is very small, the hole I cut was about 1in to 1/2 in just enough to see what the pressure was doing I would say 97% of the crap inside is still there
Yep, so I would check the wiring to the OMP first. Could be as simple as a frayed wire. Clean the connector and clear the code see where that gets you.
If no luck, it might be time to remove the OMP and make sure it's correctly aligned and clear of obstruction.
08-11-2023, 03:39 PM
