well the starter gear does get power, when i turn the key over the starter engages but the gear doesn't get kicked out... Everything in my car works, all of my lights, radio and what not. My battery is about 4 months old.

I've looked around and people say it could be the neutral safety switch, starter relay, or ignition switch.

 

How do you know that the starter gear doesn't kick out? Have you applied power to the starter with the starter un-installed from the car? You can't see it when you are trying to start normally, and several other start-failures could sound like no starter engagement.

 

well that's just the thing, when i took my old starter and the new one i purchased in to get check they both kick out and work fine. the guy told be it is something to do with my "control wire" that also connects to my starter. Now i don't know much about cars and wiring them but i'm assuming its the wire that basically slides into place? He said that is what sends the starter signal to kick the gear out

 

Doesn't really answer the question.

Pop the hood and watch the front main pulley when someone starts cranking the car. If the main pulley isn't actually moving, you then need to determine if it's the engine or the starter. Grab a 19mm socket and breaker bar, stick the socket on the main pulley bolt and use the breaker bar attached to the socket to rotate the engine. You should be able to move it in each direction relatively easily. If it doesn't move at all, your engine is seized or carbon locked. If it moves only a little bit, then you have something grabbing onto the flywheel's teeth, trying to hold it in place. (I had this happen when my clutch shattered and shrapnel lodged in my starter nose, holding the gear back and wedging against the flywheel teeth) If it moves freely but doesn't spin while cranking, then yes, your starter isn't engaging the flywheel.

If the pulley spins while cranking, the starter is engaging fine, and you have a different reason for no start. Could be anything from battery connections, grounding problems, failing ignition, flooded, no fuel pressure, etc... and we can start diagnosing on those points. You have to KNOW that the starter isn't engaging. It's incredibly rare, where as other no-start problems are far more common. ESPECIALLY with new owners

 

engine seems to be rotating just fine so it is not seized up or anything like that. I crank it over and it doesn't move... So it is something to do with the starter and my best guess is it is that control wire being faulty, probably connecting to my ignition switch somewhere.

 

Ok, I guess you do indeed have one of the rare issues

The trouble I'm having though is that there are only 2 connections to the starter. A power cable to hold the current and a ground cable to carry it away. That's it. If both starters function properly off the car, the only way it can change on the car is if they aren't getting the full current draw that they need.

 

Look at the starter as a basic DC motor, stator and a rotor. No load and full load characteristics can be very different.

A faulty motor may test fine with no load on it but once a load is placed on it it wont function. I would say the motor itself in the starter is just to worn down to supply a crank under full load.

 

Quick question. I replaced my plugs, wires, and coils about 5 months ago. Since then I have had the car flooded twice. once at the dealer and they got it started, and then when I had the not-starting issue because of the loose bolt on the starter, I had probably 20-25 starting attempts in that area with no start, and then once I figured out the problem, I had to try starting twice with my foot pushed down all the way, and then do it regularly again. I do notice a bit of slower acceleration.

Do you think I should replace my spark plugs for winter? Would they get damaged from that type of flooding quickly?

 

WOuld it be possible or a good idea to swap my rx8 engine with the engine from a thunderbird super coupe?

 

you are lucky that the rules of this thread does not allow me to flame you or reply to you with a sarcastic answer

 

I am installing new springs tomorrow and the DIY instructions i have show cuting the bump stop and tappering it. my question is do i need to tapper it or just cut it shorter?

 

i just cut mine when i installed my koni yellows and stechs

 

OMG, I shot coffee out my nose with this one.

Nan

 

I love and hate my brakes all t the same time

Yes I know are brakes are by far some of the best on a sports car today and going to a BbK is a huge waste of money unless you want the appearance appeal there isn't to much extra stopping power added.

I know a ton of people have gone with these brakes and love them.

RX-8 Brake Rotors

My question, do the squek?

 

price seems ok but who makes the lines and rotors? i have r1 concepts slot/drill rotors hawk pads and ss lines and my brakes dont squeek

 

thanks, thats what i figured just wanted to make sure there wasnt some random reason to tapper them.

 

This may be a good spot for this thread. Just bought a 2005 RX 8 with 36000 miles. 6 speed. Gray with cloth interior sun roof traction control. How do I figure out what package it has?

 

It's Touring.

Leather means it's GT, which you don't have so that leaves Touring or Base. (For 2005, later years had the Sport package added to Base and called "Sport")

The moonroof and DSC/TCS wasn't available for Base, ruling that out.

You should also have HID headlights as a determining factor.

 

Yes hd headlights and fog lights. What confused me is the dealer did a car fax on the car and it says base/ shinka ( not sure I spelled that correctley) in the reading I am doing on the RX i am pretty sure it is not that.

Doing all the reading I can on this car right now. First rotary, but I am very comfortable with sports cars as i have two classics and helped do the sons eclipse and tiburon

 

For 2004 and 2005, there were only 2 trim levels, Base and Shinka (so Carfax isn't even telling you which one). The Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring were additional option packages. Only trim levels are reported to places like Carfax, KBB, etc... Not option packages.

Starting in 2006, they switched them to actual trim levels, which show up in 3rd party info.

No feature difference between a 2005 Touring and a 2006 Touring as far as packages go (A few minor tweaks here and there across the board). Only in how they are split/displayed.

 

Why would it matter

 

Thanks RIWWP. so its a touring. Dannobe, you are correct that it does not really matter, but as I said' I am new to the Rx and like learning as much as I can about my cars.

Another question. I want to run snow tires for the winter. Has there been any discussions on what rim works for a winter tire system? We were running stock rims with snow tire s for my sons eclipse and his 17 x 8 nice wheels in the summer. I know the RX uses 14.3 lug pattern rims. Those are some what common. Anything unique on the rx

 

Make sure the hub fits and you should be good. 17x7 is the most common winter size for us, 17x8 is just a bit wider but no problems still.

 

Thanks. Does anyone know what is the narrowest rim that would work? I am thinking if a 6" will work. In my part of the country, I find a lot of snow tires/rims for sale. And 17 x 6 appears to be a one of the common ones.

 

Help!!! acceleration problem power increase at 7500rpm

Only had my 04 231hp RX8 for about 2 months and never even noticed a problem until watching some videos on youtube etc and other rx8's accelerating. It can only be described as having even power right the way through to 7500rpm and then a real power surge/ powerband right through to redline in every gear. (very similar to Honda's Type-R engine) Thought this was normal as not had an RX8 before :/ Now startiing to wonder if it is really underpowered and only getting full power at 7500rpm???
Coil packs, plugs etc changed only 2000miles ago. No engine management lights or anything?? Car is on 04 plate, 52kmiles and FSH. Please help guys - new to this thanks

Apologies if i have posted this in the wrong section or has been discussed before but spent hours trying to find a similar problem but to no avail !