Hey all! I just got my first RX8 yesterday. It's a 2004 model with only 119k miles. The guy I got it from stated that he was driving and pulled up to a red light and when he pushed in the clutch it shut down and would not start back. No one around here works on them and so I got it for a great price. I tried to start it after I cleaned all the battery terminals and connections. I checked the neutral safety switch and I can hear the fuel pump run but it still will not turn over. I checked the oil and no metal shavings at all. I attached a video hoping one of you all can help me. I am thinking possibly the starter but this is my first rotary engine so any help will be appreciated.

 

Try push starting it. Starters are expensive especially if you don't need it.

 

Went through the flooding stage and the owner told me it had bad plugs and he only replaced one. So I am going to replace them but it started after several attempts. Has a rough idle but I am assuming that is from me resetting the ecm. I am just glad the engine was not seized up. I asked him about the starter and he told me that he had just replaced it about a year ago with a performance one.

 

You should change the coils and wires also.
We usually do them and the plugs all together.

Rough idle could be a vacuum leak.
If you don't have the stock intake that could be a problem.
If you do, clean the MAF sensor with MAF spray cleaner.

Clean the ESS, then do the 20 brake pedal stomp.

Go to a parts store and get a OBD scan to check for stored and pending codes.
Do you have a catalytic converter?
If you get a P0420 code you have no cat or a bad cat
They can clog or break up and cause major problems.
Gutting a bad cat is common, often replaced with midpipes.
Most aftermarket cats won't last.
Misfires kill cats, bad cats kill engines.

Lastly, I hate to tell you this, but "only" 119k miles is often near the end of a '04's life.
Most S1 Renesis engines don't have the same lifespan as a normal internal combustion engine.

A rotary specific compression test should be done ASAP before you sink too much money into it.

Good luck!

 

Ty I will definitely do that. So I need to be looking at getting the engine rebuilt. Any suggestions for the best shop around Kentucky or Indiana?

 

I don't have experience with him, but Kevin at Rotary Resurrection has contributed a lot to this forum and they are in Morristown, TN:

https://rotaryresurrection.com/

You can also search on here for rebuilders and read the feedback, too. There are Good Guy threads and Bad Guy threads.

 

Banzai is in Indiana.
Rotary Ressurection is an hour east of and Knoxville has a solid reputation.

Read the Rebuilders thread and the linked threads in it.


https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...ilders-265177/