RX8 Problems Please Help ***
 

Hi ive just purchased an RX8 (bit of an impulse buy):crazy:

After test driving for 15minutes all seemed fine, it was alittle lazy on take off but after a few mins drove normally. After purchase i started driving it home after 90miles the engine light flashed and the car went extremely slugish ie going up a small high on the motorway i found my self dropping to 3rd just to keep the car going as the power just wasnt there to pull it up the hill, but then back on the flat it was running like a morris miner, slowly rebuilding speed. It was also stalling all the time and wouldnt restart without bump starting it. Ie every round about, giveway sign, stop sign, yadda yadda you get the drift*.

When i got back home i had someone come out and connect a gadget up to tell me what the engine light flashed for, it turned out to be the num1 coil. He also found oil in the air filter pipe.

After all this im now having trouble even getting it to start, and even when it does it cuts straight out again.

Hes advised me to get a coil and change that first, and go from there.

Does this sound like ive bought a lemon? and should quit before i start? or does it sound not to expensive? (under 1k)

Please help as ive already spent 3k buying the car and really dont want to be wasting more if the cars never gonna be right.

If you have any experince with this type of problem please help. Thanks All:doh:

I would definitely changes the coils/plugs first.

From your post, it feels like buying a 3k fixer upper was a poor decision you made.
Apparently, I think you are way in over your head.

If you're willing to make the time and monetary commitment, read through the forum.
There is a lot of good info here if you're willing to take the time to sift through the noise.

Your stated issues are:
* starting
* lack of power
* stalling
* idle quality

There are many threads for each of these.

Your friend pointed you in the right direction by starting with the ignition system. The fix can range anywhere from replacing coils/plugs (few hundred) to replacing the motor (thousands).

Unless you want to roll your sleeves up, My gut feeling is that you might be better off selling off your car to a knowledgeable person willing to bring the car up to snuff. You don't strike me as the type of person who will part out a car.

Ive ordered the plugs/coils and ht leads, it seemed good on the test drive. ive driven a friends one before but that was alot newer. it seemed about the same though it was on the ride home all started going wrong. After these bits have been fitted i'll post up a continuation. main thing that worried me was the oil in the air intake pipes. Is that normal? or sound problimatic? thanks for the replys

If the rest of the car is in good condition then even if you have to replace the motor, it will still likely be under the 10k marker.

I hope the coils fix it. Good luck!

That car cost you only $3K:eek::eek::eek:

Coud you describe a little more the nature of that purchase? Sounds like the car might need a lot of work:SHOCKED:

Check the battery voltage as well, make sure the alternator is running.

If it ran good once, likely it can run good again. They are right with plugs and coils. There are 2 good threads in my sig. Let us know how it goes.

By chance is it 3k UK pounds?

That's a good possibility.

Otherwise, I cannot imagine anybody buying an RX-8 for $3K US dollars that wouldn't need a significant amount of work.

I hope the OP didn't rush to purchase an RX-8 for a super "deal" thinking that the car is something like a Honda Civic or a Toyota Corolla:SHOCKED:

Oil in the intake is most likely from someone overfilling the oil. Lots of threads on that. Part of the poor running could be from that getting the mass air flow sensor dirty. There are a lot of threads on that, too - search something like "MAF sensor" or "MAF cleaning." You can get a spray can of cleaner for that.

You're definitely doing the right thing replacing wires coils and plugs. Lucky that only one coil went bad. I had two, on the same rotor, suddenly go bad. Took out an 02 sensor and the cat in under 10 miles of driving. And the last 5 miles felt a lot like what you described.

Ken

£3000 as some asked £or$.
Ive changed the faulty coil this morning.

Now the water coolent lights come on but ive checked that and its full. (light wont go off)
Engine lights on. (will reset monday)

Ive also sprayed a full tin of carb cleaner through out the air intake pipes to get rid of all the oil and left them to dry out. On the dip stick it seems to be on max so im guessing the last owner overfilled it.

Now the car is starting again. But after about 2minutes of running its spluttering abit but doesnt cut out like before. Also the engine sounds ratterly when you rev it but same again it only does this after the engine has had a few minutes to heat up, from cold you can rev it and it sounds fine.

Ive checked the battery thats fine.

And cleaned the mass air flow sensor which did look dirty. hasnt made much differents though.

Any comments/Help Welcome

If the ccolant light is the one that looks like a radiator, that's pretty common. The float that works the sensor gets heavy with age and sinks. You can replace the tank, or just pull the plug and check the coolant visually every now and then.

Read the codes before you clear the engine light.

Ken

3K UK pounds sounds like a decent deal ($6K US approx is a little on the low side, but right arround the ballpark, you got a good deal)

Congrats on the purchase, keep reading the forums, as a very unique sportscar, with a one-of a- kind engine, it needs a little more attention than your average petrol-burner, but these are very good cars when you know their unique "quirks"

The engine uses up oil... this is normal for a rotary
The radiator light will light up, (as long as th etemperature gauge still reads normal you should be fine.
Pre-mixing 2 stroke oil into our fuel 1/100 ratio or lower will further protect your engine
These engines run very hot, so if you sit idling in a car park you are cooking your engine's electronics (alternator/ coils/plugs etc) The better you manage your heat, the more durable the engine.

These cars are not particularly powerful, but they trully shine on teh handling department, and the engine when in good repair is as smooth as a jet turbine.

Both lights have gone off now
I hit the coolent tank with a hammer and that solved one problem, and the engine light went off after starting the car up a few times.

Only thing now is the lack of power at low revvs and knocking noise (about 1.06min into video, as my foot comes of the acc you can hear it) it only does this when the car reaches normal temp. not when its cold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQwGOo0R0Yo <--- sorry about the sound but you can make it out

Thanks for all the help so far, seem to be getting somewhere slowly.

Also i read up that this maybe caused by the SSV (secondary shutter valve) being dirty or possibly the CAT? does that make sence?

You are using High test/premium (93 octane or better) petrol right?

The renesis engine does NOT like the low octane/ cheap fuel.

A clogged cat(alytic converter) would give you a Sulfur smell after driving it, (and you can check under the car and see it glowing red from overheating) it can also cause the knocking/lack of power you are describing. (and it was common on the early models)

Have you taken it to a dealer to check what ECU "flash" is programmed into your car's "brain" (more of an issue with US spec cars, but worth checking out a well) they can also run a compression test on teh engine to ensure it is in good health (Compression test out of warranty costs about 100 USD though)

Engine gone.

I'll have to try that on mine. Of all info in the coolant tank threads, nobody thought of that one before. And it's such a satisfying solution to so many problems.

Ken

About starting issues - I literally made a thread about this. Check my sig.

About that knocking noise... Sounds rough man. On the other hand, my car has been making a similar noise as well since I replaced coils and plugs. Runs fine though. Ended up that my issue was a vacuum leak for the "popping" noise.

Ive run a full tank of Esso's finest thorugh it since i had it 2days ago but havent a clue what the previous owner used.

Ken-x8* defo get the hammer too it, was well satifying after the troubles im having, i just tapped it on each side of the water tank and hey presto light went out.

Regarding the CAT, being abit of a novice to all this if i just remove the cat and start the car is it going to damage anything running it with most the exhaurst missing? or by doing this and trying the car without it, ie it runs better without it? then just buy a new one.

Takeing it for a check at the local dealership is going to be my last resort, but is starting to look unavoidable :(

I was thinking the same thing. Very clever.

Removing cat won't harm the car. Seems you have good diagnostic sense. Try running without it.

NOTE: An unmuffled rotary engine is wicked loud, like a chainsaw from hell.

The engine losing power and smoothness after it gets warm feels like your motor has lost nominal compression.

If the engine is on its way out, you can premix. You might get a few hundred more miles out of it.

It may be good idea to take it in for a compression test. Make sure you hold on to your receipts for coils and spark plugs, and let the technicians know they are new.

thing with taking the cat off & running without the exhaust is that it will be UNGODLY LOUD so it will be very hard to notice any other sounds (like the knock youre looking to eliminate)

Also, the car has pre- and post cat o2 sensors, so running catless may trigger a CEL (engine light) hopefully someone here running a "test pipe" (cat delete, non "road legal" pipe) can confirm

If you have te time & tools and would rather try to save some cash, you can remove the cat & visually inspect it (shine a light through it and look to see that it is not melted on the inside, or clogged)

I'll check with the torch first but sounds like i should start the car even if the only outcome is to wake the kids in the morning! should get them up. If not sounds like a trip to mazda for the com test.

Thanks all for the info very helpful

I'll update in a few days in detail to let you know the outcome good or bad

It seems like it's hit or miss with the cel for the cat. I got a 04, and my cel comes on for the missing cat. While my buddy with an 05 has been catless for over a year with out a cel.

Engine lights off. Cats checked (sounded lovly catless), Plugs/coils all new.
and ive regained most of the power i think, its not slacking when pulling up hills anymore anyway.

But the idleing problems back after a 5mile run, and its cutting out when i take my foot off the gas and again still wont start up when hot.

Also it sounds like a sowing machine.

Cars booked into mazda for the compression test etc for wednesday next week. Will update again after that.