How to Break Her In... the bad way.
09-01-2017, 11:16 AM
#1
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
How to Break Her In... the bad way.
I have been driving a preowned, 100K+ '07 Rx8 for 4 years now. I love her. Other than body wounds, she has been an absolute beauty. I really do love this car and will be getting another when this one is done. . . Hopefully a while from now.
Two Sundays ago, however, I screwed up massively. On the phone pulling into my garage, armfull of groceries, I heard the air flowing and mistook it as the usual cooling down after shut off. I didn't turn it off.
Let's get this over with and not address this further. I have had my share of what-ifs. I could have been dead. My pets could have been dead. My house could have gone up in flames. I know how lucky I am.
Garage closed at 10 PM. Wake up at 6:30 AM - 8 and a half hours - turn the car off...
Noted the temp gauges - straight up. Not overheated, oil temp normal. Dipstick unblemished.
Fuel level low (light on), CEL on.
Monday morning, 2 hours after shut off: filled with gas, went to a friend's.
Off for about 15m. Less than a quarter mile down the road, going uphill, shut off. Engine turns, no ignition. Coast back down to a parking lot.
Hour later, try to start. Fires up, get on the road, engine cuts off.
Let it rest til night, when it started again and got to a shop.
Told them what happened. Asked for full look over - noted that I may have Cat issues from it.
Tuesday, 5 PM, cleared from shop. CEL cleared with MAF cleaning. 40 minutes driving, idles fine. No issues. Stop and go is fine. Last leg home is a 1 mile back road. Neutral Rev to 8k is fine. Bolt off. Feels fine. Second gear, 7k RPM I feel power loss. Feels like it wants to shut off. Power returns, CEL flashes 3 times, holds for a few seconds, goes off. No further issue.
Wednesday, power cuts while idle at gas station while I buy cigs. 5m later, cranks fine and I get to work. Lunch break, I check Starter/Alternator/Battery - check ok.
Leave Advanced Auto, go to a drive through. As I get to the pick up line, power loss. Immediately fires back up and I get out of the line as it cuts off again. It coasts long enough for me to get to Oreilly's. They check for a code with no CEL showing. "Multiple Random Misfire".
After work it dies and I leave it in a parking lot. Get it towed home on Tuesday.
Homework yesterday: Cat is visibly showing ash on the outside. I wanted to go Catless anyway. I yanked it off, beat it out, put it back. 8K RPM while parked, took it for a ride. 30 minutes later, no issue. Feels smoother than before. Smoother idle.
30m later I take it for another drive, in town stop and go, on and off, no issues.
Eat dinner. Take it back home. As I get to a stop light, I downshift and feel the power vanish. Engine turns off.
Will not start. 3m wait. It turns on, I walk it to a gas station and park. 15m later, drive and goes fine and gets me home.
Thought process after reading on here all day every day for the last couple weeks...
Fuel Pump
Fuel Sock
Ignition Coils
Spark Plugs
Am I missing any other potential problem causes?
I listened to videos of Compression Failed RX8 start ups. Those are not me. Fuel Pump Failed start up sounds closer to mine. But does that explain the loss of power/engine shut off?
EDIT: Yes. I oil changed Tuesday with the shop visit.
Two Sundays ago, however, I screwed up massively. On the phone pulling into my garage, armfull of groceries, I heard the air flowing and mistook it as the usual cooling down after shut off. I didn't turn it off.
Let's get this over with and not address this further. I have had my share of what-ifs. I could have been dead. My pets could have been dead. My house could have gone up in flames. I know how lucky I am.
Garage closed at 10 PM. Wake up at 6:30 AM - 8 and a half hours - turn the car off...
Noted the temp gauges - straight up. Not overheated, oil temp normal. Dipstick unblemished.
Fuel level low (light on), CEL on.
Monday morning, 2 hours after shut off: filled with gas, went to a friend's.
Off for about 15m. Less than a quarter mile down the road, going uphill, shut off. Engine turns, no ignition. Coast back down to a parking lot.
Hour later, try to start. Fires up, get on the road, engine cuts off.
Let it rest til night, when it started again and got to a shop.
Told them what happened. Asked for full look over - noted that I may have Cat issues from it.
Tuesday, 5 PM, cleared from shop. CEL cleared with MAF cleaning. 40 minutes driving, idles fine. No issues. Stop and go is fine. Last leg home is a 1 mile back road. Neutral Rev to 8k is fine. Bolt off. Feels fine. Second gear, 7k RPM I feel power loss. Feels like it wants to shut off. Power returns, CEL flashes 3 times, holds for a few seconds, goes off. No further issue.
Wednesday, power cuts while idle at gas station while I buy cigs. 5m later, cranks fine and I get to work. Lunch break, I check Starter/Alternator/Battery - check ok.
Leave Advanced Auto, go to a drive through. As I get to the pick up line, power loss. Immediately fires back up and I get out of the line as it cuts off again. It coasts long enough for me to get to Oreilly's. They check for a code with no CEL showing. "Multiple Random Misfire".
After work it dies and I leave it in a parking lot. Get it towed home on Tuesday.
Homework yesterday: Cat is visibly showing ash on the outside. I wanted to go Catless anyway. I yanked it off, beat it out, put it back. 8K RPM while parked, took it for a ride. 30 minutes later, no issue. Feels smoother than before. Smoother idle.
30m later I take it for another drive, in town stop and go, on and off, no issues.
Eat dinner. Take it back home. As I get to a stop light, I downshift and feel the power vanish. Engine turns off.
Will not start. 3m wait. It turns on, I walk it to a gas station and park. 15m later, drive and goes fine and gets me home.
Thought process after reading on here all day every day for the last couple weeks...
Fuel Pump
Fuel Sock
Ignition Coils
Spark Plugs
Am I missing any other potential problem causes?
I listened to videos of Compression Failed RX8 start ups. Those are not me. Fuel Pump Failed start up sounds closer to mine. But does that explain the loss of power/engine shut off?
EDIT: Yes. I oil changed Tuesday with the shop visit.
Last edited by JClan; 09-01-2017 at 11:18 AM.
09-01-2017, 11:26 AM
#3
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
They won't identify another cause for my pump going out and null the recall?
Also, will my new lawnmower odor and CEL for no Cat cause problems? I am in a state that does NOT run emissions.
Also, will my new lawnmower odor and CEL for no Cat cause problems? I am in a state that does NOT run emissions.
09-01-2017, 11:30 AM
#4
That's the best part about a recall...they can't void it out 😎
Unless you get a flash tuner that can mask the CEL you are stuck with the light. And the smell is just a rotary badge of honor thing until your significant other forces you to buy a CAT 😉
Unless you get a flash tuner that can mask the CEL you are stuck with the light. And the smell is just a rotary badge of honor thing until your significant other forces you to buy a CAT 😉
09-04-2017, 08:52 PM
#7
New Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Got home and decided to check Fuel Sock before driving again.
Sock was COVERED in sludge, but not torn or showing damage. Cleaned it off.
Ran like new after that for a good hour drive. Hit 9k RPM and governor kicked in as it should in 1st 2nd and 3rd. No misfire feelings.
That was Sat night.
This morning, woke up to the smell of gasoline in my laundry room (next to the garage).
Fuel Pump housing/cap had a nice layer of gas.
Pushed it outside, dried it off. Relieved pressure and disconnected battery.
Disconnected fuel line and realized I forgot the blue insert between the Fuel line and Pump fitting.
Found it and put it back. Still had fuel seeping around the plastic cap/nut.
Was going to limp it to an autoshop.
Started car with the Pump exposed and seat/metal cover off.
Looked back and it was steadily dropping fuel at the connection.
Relieved pressure and disconnected.
When the Fuel line is disconnected, the plastic fitting of the pump drips about 2 drops/second.
Finger over the opening stops it.
When the line is connected, the drips drop to about 1 drop/3 seconds.
Red o-ring is in place. Blue fitting is in place. Green clamp being in place or not has no bearing on the rate of dripping.
If the fuse is in, the dripping becomes closer to a trickle.
Sock was COVERED in sludge, but not torn or showing damage. Cleaned it off.
Ran like new after that for a good hour drive. Hit 9k RPM and governor kicked in as it should in 1st 2nd and 3rd. No misfire feelings.
That was Sat night.
This morning, woke up to the smell of gasoline in my laundry room (next to the garage).
Fuel Pump housing/cap had a nice layer of gas.
Pushed it outside, dried it off. Relieved pressure and disconnected battery.
Disconnected fuel line and realized I forgot the blue insert between the Fuel line and Pump fitting.
Found it and put it back. Still had fuel seeping around the plastic cap/nut.
Was going to limp it to an autoshop.
Started car with the Pump exposed and seat/metal cover off.
Looked back and it was steadily dropping fuel at the connection.
Relieved pressure and disconnected.
When the Fuel line is disconnected, the plastic fitting of the pump drips about 2 drops/second.
Finger over the opening stops it.
When the line is connected, the drips drop to about 1 drop/3 seconds.
Red o-ring is in place. Blue fitting is in place. Green clamp being in place or not has no bearing on the rate of dripping.
If the fuse is in, the dripping becomes closer to a trickle.
09-10-2017, 10:49 PM
#8
Registered
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: North of Sanity, Alberta, Canada
Posts: 172
Received 409 Likes
on
291 Posts
Carefully check the O-ring for a small nick or rough spot that might be allowing the fuel to leak past also check the O-ring for being hard and brittle, they get old and don't flex into a new shape well. Really it is best just to change it once it is disturbed. Next inspect the fittings for any cracks or gouges that would prevent the O-ring from sealing, if it was rotated and flexed side to side to loosen it something may have cracked and allowing the fuel to flow outside of the O-ring seal area.