RedCarbon

Recently my transmission has been having some issues.The car in question is an 04 automatic 4 speed. When coming to a stop after driving for a bit first gear seems like it doesn't want toengage properly. The car starts jerking and bogging until I shift into second. If I stop and shift between 1st and 2nd a couple of times half of the time first won't slip. It doesn't really feel like a grinding as much as the gear not engaging. It seems like its overheating but it has done it just after warming up before. The transmission was flushed and the problem still continues. Someone I was talking to a friend that said it may be the valve body but I do not have any solid transmission knowledge. Also searching hasn't been a sucess for me obviously.This is my first post on here so hopefully its not too ignorant to ask for some help.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

What is the maintenance on the rest of the car like?

The transmission shifting logic is based on engine parameters, and if your engine, ignition, sensors, etc... are having issues, it can cause problems with the shifting logic, or even seem like it's giving you transmission problems.

Not that you don't have transmission problems, because you still might. But engine, ignition, and sensor problems are far more common on this car than transmission problems, so we should rule those out first.

RedCarbon

I bought the car in august and It ran fine when I got it still had a dealer oil change sticker on it. I've changed the oil 2 times in 3000 miles. Transmission was flushed and treated with an additive. It has nology hot wires, Agency power 3" cat delete pipe, greddy sp2 catback, mazmart water pump. No redline in the tranny but had mazda approved dealer fluid used in the flush. The dash does vibrate while at a stop in drive now. Could it perhaps be my motor mounts? Sometimes first works fine and can be wound all the way up. There is a CEL but its been on because of the cat delete. I have a code reader I just have to find it to double check.Once it even effected 3rd not letting it shift until the rpms dropped real low then it slammed in. Doesn't the pressure of the fluid in the tranny have to be under the perfect pressure to engage properly? Anyway thanks for the help I'm still searchin but nobody likes autos.

RedCarbon

Oh and it has 135000 on it that's probably important.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Well, you listed some mods, which don't really change anything. You listed oil changes, which doesn't affect any of your symptoms.

What about the rest of the maintenance?

This the the list of maintenance stuff that is pretty critical to a healthy RX-8: https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...4/#post4533735 (link should jump right to the needed post)

Motor mount failure is a possibility, though you haven't really given me a set of symptoms that would make me jump to that yet.

RedCarbon

Well I premix my gas most of the time. I haven't changed spark plugs or coils yet but it was running fine, decent mileage, running smooth. Money is tight at the moment so I haven't got to it yet since I had to get 2 new tires and get the trans flush. I apologize if I'm not helping but I don't have a report on the cars previus history. I also haven't changed the diff fluid but I was always told it would make a whining sound but could it be locking up due to overheating. If you need specific information you would probably have to ask me since I'm new to this. Thanks for trying to help me out.

RedCarbon

I'm reading as much as I can from the link.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

You don't really have to apologies for not knowing the history, all that means is that you need to make the history

Start working through that list as you can. It's not a cheap list if you are tight on money, but it's a rather critical list. Shop smartly (but avoid ebay, lots of counterfeit stuff popping up there for the 8) and learn to do it yourself (all of that list is easily DIYable) and you will save tons. The 8 is a rather easy car to work on, far easier than people expect, and shops/dealers charge through the nose to do it for you.

RedCarbon

Yeah I've been reading before this. I redline it, use fuel additives, like I said I premix, coolant is good,got the tranny flushed. Whats next new plugs and coils? Today I'm gonna plug the code reader and clean my cia filter. I don't have a garage so when it gets warm I will see if there is play in the mounts. I'm scared to take my 8 to a transmission places for diagnosis because they say its free to diagnose but I have heard horror stories of the shops saying they can't put it back together unless you have $2500. Any common possibilties ? Should I just throw some lucas in there and see if it improves. Obvuisly I'm hessitant to drive it with the current problems because the lucas could help or do nothing. That's what a mazda tech told me! I've done the climate control fix diy and I've changed alternators and belts before, balljoints, bodywork and some electrical work so I can do some thing with a little research if you have suggestions.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, ignition first, it's one of the more critical systems on the car and can lead to expensive cascading failures if ignored. It needs replacing regularly. Order from Advance Auto online and you can usually get all 4 coils, plugs, and wires for around $190-220 shipped, depending on what deal they have running at the time.

I wouldn't add anything to the transmission fluid, since it implies that Mazda fluid isn't good enough, which isn't true. I really suspect that this ISN'T a transmission problem at all, it just seems to be.

RedCarbon

Can I reuse the nology hot wires? They are still in good shape. Why would that cause just first gear to have problems? Doesn't seem like an engine issue it doesn't sputter or anything during the car jerking. It just feels like first isn't engaging all the way. Damn this sucks.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I don't even recognize that brand name. How did you determine the wire's condition though? Using a multimeter for resistance is one way, using a spark tester or timing light is the other. Just physically looking at them doesn't mean anything.

If they test fine, then yeah, you can keep using them. If they don't test fine, then it won't matter if you have new coils and new plugs on there, the engine will still be lacking, and you will probably burn out one or more new coils from the un-relieved load, which will in turn foul the plugs. You can likewise inspect the plugs and test the coils to see how they are functioning, just stay away from the factory coil test, as it will pass a dead coil.

You are fairly new to the RX-8 so to be brutally honest, you don't know what the engine is supposed to feel like to make that determination. If the engine isn't performing as it is expected to however, it can easily change the transmission shifting logic, or react differently in different gears (because at the same speed it's at a different RPM).

Even if this isn't engine related, this isn't stuff you can ignore, so at least keep the info in the back of your head.

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

riwwp ive used nology wires in sport bikes before. they are big in the powersports world. the first time i swapped the ignition on habs 8 i was confused because the wires would not come out. turns out they were nology and each one had a groung strap going to the engine

RedCarbon

Thanks and you are right! Ok so I got a code reader and you were dead on it seems about my 'noobness'. Its throwing three codes p0301: Front rotor miss, p0300: random miss, P0661: ssv solenoid valve control circuit low. Guess its tune up time like you said. I'm gonna search the ssv valve. I have a tester for the wires yes so I will have to do that. Hopefully it will resolve this issue.

RedCarbon

I'm saving up for the coils, plugs, seafoam carb cleaner, and u-joint . As of this moment my financial situation is pretty rough so hopefully I will have the supplies by the begining of january. When the money comes I plan on cleaning the ssv, seafoaming the car, and doing the tune up. Should I seafoam before or after the tune up? If I did the seafoam after the tune up I'm afraid the freed carbon would foul the new plugs, and if I do it before I'm worried the engine won't turn over or won't properly burn off the carbon. Maybe not the best way but maybe I could put the new coils on, then clean the old plugs and do the treatment and then put the new plugs in after the carbon is burned off as long as it takes away the missfire. Suggestions??

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Read this whole thread before you decarb. I borescoped my engine before and after seafoaming, and other decarb methods, and posted pics of the results. Some of the information in there will probably surprise you: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...r-pics-241867/

RedCarbon

Read the entire thread and its just a little foggy. If there were increases in compression after the cleaning why are people opposing it? Also my car is high mileage 135 on the clock. If there was a high amount of wear would removing too much carbon cause any compression loss instead of gain? I have no clue how well the previus owner maintained my 8. I am a fast learner so that is why I am so inquisitive because I don't know too much yet just enough to get by. Thanks for the link by the way.

RedCarbon

I will do that Charles thanks and that does make sense. I plan on getting the coils from pep boys/ advance since I'm low on funds at the moment. I know they aren't amazing but they come with a lifetime warranty so do you think I could keep the wires if they are healthy since I could get the coils replaced when they fail?

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I'm pretty much the only one that has been able to show what happens with decarbing, if anything at all, and it's still just 1 data point, so it's difficult to correctly draw conclusions from what I've dealt with. My own carb cleaning methods may have not improved compression at all, we don't know. The dealer's decarb apparently DID improve compression, but it's also hard to make a real call there.

My arguements in that thread were more against people that would blindly refuse to acknowledge any form of evidence, and not really trying to assert that the evidence is complete proof. It's a distinction that isn't grasped by most.

Yes, this is a huge unknown, and it isn't one that we can really answer. At some point, I imagine that there would be a momentary drop in compression, followed by a re-lapping of the seals over the next few thousand miles that stores compression to better than before. But I also imagine that at some level of wear, there simply isn't enough material left to be able to relap, and it's a net loss all around. Where these points are is anyone's guess.



The point of the thread isn't "that you should do it" though, the point of the thread is to show that the traditional decarb method actually does nothing at all. If you want to decarb, ingest it with the engine running, but it's mostly going to just strip carbon from the face of the rotors, and it takes a lot to strip it from around the seals where it's important. If you do that method, then distilled water is just as good as seafoam, while costing 100 times less per unit of volume. If you do use water though, you really should do an oil change immediately after. I wasn't able to prove that water DOES get to the oil, but the general consensus is that it will.


There are a number of other decarbing tests that i want to do, but I no longer have an 8 to be able to do them, and no one near me has volunteered their car for me to use

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I'd go with Ray's recommendation of replacing the wires. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to coils and wires and how they interact. If he says that those wires are too stressful on the coils, then I believe him.

The BWD / Intermotor coils from autoparts stores are thought to be the original revision of coils, hence their cheap price. They will fail earlier than later revisions, but considering the warranty and cost even if you don't get warranty coverage, it's hard to argue against them. Outside of the occasional DOA coil (which happens with every coil type) they will still last you 15-20k without a problem, as they are still OE coils.

Advance usually has a deal running for free shipping and 10-30% off. You can get all wires, coils, and plugs for around 190-220 shipped to your door, depending on the deal. That's hard to beat.

RedCarbon

Well I guess I could pick up wires too. Looks like I have a lot to do. Hopefully this sunday I can start making my way to the ssv since it should be warmer than usual. The coils are actually only 30 bucks a piece with a lifetime at my local pep boys/advance auto :D. The plugs of course are still 21 a piece but there's also a 2 for 12 seafoam sale . When I clean the carbon I shouldn't have to disconnect my midpipe right? What wieght oil do you reccomend? I just changed the oil twice too within 500 miles :/.

RedCarbon

Oh and 200.mph I see you also live in Pa. Don't you just love pennsylvania roads?

RedCarbon

The issue (hopefully) is resolved. After I replaced the plugs and coils a small improvement could be noticed. Drove to the parts store and the car would not start back up. I cranked it twice with the floored pedal fuel cut. Cranked a third time and let off the pedal after a couple revolutions and it coughed to life and stabilized after a couple small revs. On the trip back first gear still super duper hessitant. I let off the throttle till it got power back and gassed it a bit. During the last leg of the trip ran it up to redline 1st,2nd, then held it at about 4. A huge.....and man do i mean. huge cloud of smoke was bieng produced. Thought my engin was blown there was so much. Must have been one hell of a carbon deposit cause now all the power is back.Took the 8 for a redline run for good measure. Thank you guys so much for helping. I soon plan on giving back to the forum with a diy or two this coming summer.

RedCarbon

Nermind the car is back to same old same old. Put the car in nuetral and the ssv seems to move smoothly but in nuetral it doesnt move till 6000 rpm.

RedCarbon

New talyor 8mms, coils and spark plugs. Idle is smooth plenty of power when the ssv wants to open. Is there any way to maybe switch the ssv and air pump soleniod wiring connecter and vac line to operate the ssv temporarily since the air pump is almost useless?