jesseservice

I just recently bought a used 2004 Mazda Rx8 automatic with 120k miles on it. I *%#$($% LOVE THIS CAR!!!!!!!!! Handles Drives and looks unbelieveable! Has a clean carfax history and was literally at a dealership 2000 miles ago for servicing! I only paid 3400 for this amazing looking sports car! My motto forever has been if its too good to be true it normally is. Obviously for all of you that own an rx8 you know 3400 seems like a giveaway for the way they look and drive. Okay enough of the back story heres my issue and i realize there are already multiple threads with this CEL but My problem seems to be a little different then others are describing a need some knowledge and opinions from people who are not haters on the rotary engine!

CEL - P0171 - Fuel To lean

Car Has a little hesitation starting but does always start. Always let it warm up to temp before driving it. Reverse seems to be the most bogged down, and then 1st gear also very boggy, 2nd gear little loss of power but not as bad, and then from there seems to be pretty normal power wise. Coming out of first to better explain the hesitation its as if it is just barely letting gas threw and so very slow roll and then after what seems like forever but maybe only a few seconds it becomes more powerful and takes off. Quite dangerous pulling out on busy streets. It has stalled a few times as well reversing out of parking spots or taking off from a stop sign. Always restarts immediately! It had a power steering issue when i got it. Read some posts on here sprayed the two wires under the air intake box next to the battery FIXED! Put the cable back on No check engine light! Alot more bogged down when light is not on! Cleaned the mass airflow sensor! Still no difference! Lucas oil fuel injector cleaner! no difference. Brought it to a reputable mechanic friend of mine who is very honest about not being very familiar with the rotary engines or rx8 but offered to give it a look for free! He said ill have to bring it in for further diagnostics which may or may not cost me money! Then pulled the cord on mass air flow sensor while car was running it killed the engine he plugged it back in told me to restart it! check engine light back on! He said that it should drive better with check engine light on? that seems strange! Did seem to drive a little better at first but not with the light on its hesitating still same problem! Drove it into mazda dealership, and she did everything but come straight out and tell me i bought a lemon and to resell it asap? SCARY!!!! Put my fears at ease .I WANT TO KEEP THIS CAR! IM NOT A TIGHT AS AND WILL SPEND A LITTLE MONEY JUST DONT WANT OT BE BUYING AN ENGINE OR SOMETHING! PLEASE EXPERTS OF THE RX8 HELP ME OUT WITH SOME PROFESSIONAL INFO!!!!!!

EDZRIDE

iTrader: (1)

Do an "Advanced" search on P0171(titles only).

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

RX-8 Help: CEL Codes

P0171

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

And yes, disconnecting the MAF with the engine running probably WOULD stall the engine. And getting a CEL afterwards makes sense too.

Your mechanics diagnosis methods are terrible. Don't listen to them. Even if they are reputable, a reputable person that has no clue is more dangerous than a disreputable person that understands it.

Get a $15 OBD2 bluetooth or wifi adpater from amazon and pair it with your smartphone, download an OBD2 app, and check back with us. We can help you figure out if you have a failing sensor causing it, a vacuum leak, or some other problem. Starting fine suggests that it isn't a compression problem.

circutracer1511

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jesseservice

Thank you for all of the quick responses to my post wasent expecting it to be so quick. RIWWP - Thanks for your answers I will purchase that piece this evening and it should be here before the weekend im sure. I will repost when ive received it and get whatever read outs it produces. THANK YOU again man hope i will get to enjoy it at least for a couple years before any major work is needed.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Look for a vac leak...often that code is caused by a Vac leak that will cause the LTFT to max out and trip the code. Most of the time t is a small one that effects the idle trims the most

UHATEIT

Did you ever find out the cause of this? Reading the list above damn there are a lot of things that can cause a P0171 code! I threw mine within a mile of running a full can of seafoam into my gas tank. The guy at Autozone ran a code reader, told me the code and just immediately said "oh thats caused by the O2 sensor you should replace it".

I continued to drive the car for 200 miles after that and the code disappeared at some point in that time and has not come back on. I'm assuming my issue was the seafoam running through the fuel injectors since one of the causes of this code listed above is "Fuel Injector Malfunction". maybe all of whatever carbon was there is now burned off the O2 sensor too and that could be why the code is gone.