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Hello, I bought a 2004 rx8 with 101k miles. I bought it from someone who kept the battery, but he showed me it started and ran. I got home and put a new battery in it and the lights and everything came on and I attempted to start it and it clicked and all power died. I assumed the terminals were the problem and replaced them. I still have no electric to anywhere in the car. No taillights, no horn, no ignition, nothing. I have checked the main fuse, it's good and I have power to it. I have visually inspected every fuse under the hood and at the drivers footwell. I am at an absolute loss and would love some help. Before anyone asks, I have searched: no power and no electric. I can't find any posts with my same issue. Thanks!
The RX8 battery terminals are the typical piece of useless japanese junk, best place is to start there and make sure they are tight. Although you’d typically see some lights just with bare minimal amps. It’s not unusual for the OE terminals to stretch and require replacement (get heavy duty aftermarket ones). However if you have power at the 120A main fuse then it must also exist at all these other points directly below it in the following diagram (EPS, IG, ETY, etc)
Just to cover all the bases, are you sure the battery cables are connected to the proper +/- battery terminals? Sorry to ask, but we’ve seen worse on here ...
I can't even get a click out of it again. And I am using a different battery, known to be good out of a running and driving vehicle. It's like the rx8 has no idea there is even a battery in the vehicle... It's driving me crazy trying to figure it out.
Had a similar problem to yours and this was my fix
I had accidentally mixed up the terminals when I went to jumpstart it one time, had all the same probs as you. I checked all the fuses relays etc none were blown, then I got really stressed b/c I thought I must have blown the ecu... I pulled it to get the part number and was horrified by the prices, then put it back in the car and to my amazement everything was working perfectly then. Unplugging it reset some kind of anti-theft system that had kicked in. Quite simply, try unplugging the ecu for a little while then plugging it back in.
(Yes I know that's a dumb as **** mistake I made, it sounds like whatever lockout that kicked in on mine did the same on yours.)
Thanks everyone! I will try the advice everyone gave me and report back my findings. This group is impressive! Most of the forums I have been on have not been as helpful to new members!
Update: I tried disconnecting the computer for over an hour and no luck, if I have the location of the computer right... (Next to the battery under a cover?). I have tested the main fuse with the battery connected and I have power. I have tested all of the fuses in main fusebox under the hood and most of them have power when battery hooked up. The row that starts with the wiper fuse at the top has no power at all and the row toward the bottom closest to the airbox that has headlight fuses on it has no power. I have tried with different batteries and different battery terminals, no luck. I found where the starter is and placed a metal screw across both sides of the solenoid... If the starter was getting power should it have attempted to start when I jumped the solenoid? I am not a mechanic, I am a nurse who is fairly handy... But this is a real head scratcher! Thanks again!
Did you verify that the 15A room fuse in the interior fuse box is good? It provides power to the ecu and many other things in the interior cabin. You can see it in the upper RH corner of the previous electrical diagram.
Battery power does go direct to the starter, but to jump it you’d have to connect the battery power terminal to the starter relay terminal (the two A-01 terminals) indicated below in the lower LH side.
I did not get a cover to the interior fusebox, I did pull all of those fuses and inspected them visually. I will replace it just to be sure. Thank you. I ordered a new main 120amp fuse, just to rule out the possibility, even though it tests fine.
This has been a lot of trouble! So I have power to the fuses on the inside of the car by driver foot well. Still no power going to lights, emergency flashers, horn, etc... Idk, is my ecu fried? That's the only thing I can think of.
no, if you go to the main electrical diagram all those get power directly from the battery to their fuses and then to all those things you listed.
the node right before the main fuse, go down to the node just past the EPS fuse, go to the first node to the right, then follow it down to the headlights on the RH side just past the middle, and also down near the bottom the hazard flasher, horn, etc. on the LH side.
but back up at the top it also supplies power to the ignition key cylinder on the steering column, ignition, etc.
all indication is you’re not getting power from the battery
are you sure the battery terminals are on good and tight??? You can’t rotate or move them by hand on the battery posts?
you didn’t leave it off when you pulled the main fuse right? I think it’s one of two main wiring cables that attach there at the main fuse with a bulge in the bottom corner of the engine fuse box cover where they enter in there.
I’m just going by memory, I don’t keep my RX8 here where I live.
ok, so all those fuses are in the main fuse box. so it has to be between where those main harness connectors come into the fuse box to where they are in the fuse box.
so I have to think you have something unconnected or connected in the wrong place there around the main fuse.
the smaller cable coming out is for the EPS (electric steering) and the EPS fuse holder is on top, but you need to take that apart and check the main battery cable. It has several plastic latches on the surrounding plastic cover that you can disassemble to get a better look at what’s going on inside there, but it looks like the main battery cable is severed, or at least partly so.
Or you might be able to undo the screw and pull the main cable out. That’s supposed to be a hex bolt so somebody has been messing around with it, apparently as a result of the damage. Maybe it came loose off the battery and the belt was rubbing on it is what it looks like.
06-07-2020, 11:22 AM
