DIY: Air Pump inspection & repair
 

I have not completed this yet once I get the air pump I will fill you all in.

Hi All If you are experiencing a high pitched buzzing noise on cold starts it is most likely a failed air pump. FYI my 8 has 100,810 miles on it and it failed now.

the easiest way to test it is to

wait for engine to be cold not started within 8-9 hours.

unplug the air pump unit located on the passenger side it is located right next to the strut it looks like a carbon canister. there is a black two prong plug on the unit itself that needs to be unplugged.

start the car the noise should have gone away and it should sound like your backfiring a little bit.

once the engine is started go around and plug the pump back in it should sound like a air mattress pump which is essentially what it is.

I will finish this install with a complete DIY if anyone wants it. a new unit costs roughly $270 so testing it first would be key.


DIY instructions for repairing the air pump bearing squeal issue: https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...6&postcount=45

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Hello,

I'm just in the process of my dealer saying i need a new air pump as he, "thinks" it's faulty....

I'd like to make sure it is so if you could complete this DIY in full it would be great.

Thanks

did you follow all the steps for the testing that I listed above? changing this yourself is stupid easy. I did it in my parking lost in dress attire.

Should also check the AIR fuse. It's a 60A, if it's blown, the air pump motor probably has a short or won't turn.

Hmm, So this is why that happens everytime I start my car.

Damnit.

If the fuse is blown you wont have a high pitched whine.

yep sucks dont it, I told someone it was my supercharger.

I'm looking at how to do an air pump delete.. the used one I bought has just failed on me.

Does it increase hp at all with out it?

it shouldn't increase or decrease HP. I have to look at the manual and see how the system is setup.

removing the airpump wont increase or decrease your horsepower. its solely an emmisions thing. the purpose of the airpumps is to inject fresh/ambient air into the exhuaust stream during (cold) startups, it helps light off the catalyst in the converter in a more timely manner.

That happen to me too, and ever since the air pump has gone bad there is a lot of smock coming out of my exhaust when I start it up, until it heats up. I don’t know if I should change it or not.

So if I don't even have a cat it doesn't do anything :)

correct, air pumps SOLE purpose is to make the catalyst reach its operating temp quicker. EPA regs require certain "bad stuff levels" by a certain timeframe after the car is started. the airpump helps the cat get to the operating temp sooner to meet this time requirement for making cleaner exhaust

Take the pump and the cat and toss them over your left shoulder . Get the AP to delete the codes and get some powa :)

+1. if your on a temporary budget you can do what Kane, myself, and i'm sure many other have done... get a piece of approx 3ft rebar or similar, a hammer. remove the pipe, remove the O2 sensor, punch out all the cat material(carefull its sandwiched in fiberglass) and replace everything. its not by any means good for flow etc... but it will immediately allow you to get tuned to run leaner since you have no cat to protect with dumping extra fuel. this can equal power and MPG

I'm still going to see if there is a way to bypass it for track days.. as we have strict smog restrictions here in cali.

me too and i'll bet ya it's as good for flow as just about any midpipe out there ....

I don't think it would be due to the shape and size of the cat. if you were to remove it and have a shop weld a straight tube into it of equal size and shape then yes you'd have a mid pipe as good as any.

I don't know if this is the same thing but i figured I wouldn't start a new thread if it was. But, what is the secondary air injection system? Is that the same as the air pump that you all are talking about? If so, how do I fix it? I checked the fuse for the air pump and it fine. any help would be greatly appreciated. (Sorry if I thread jacked. Not my intention.)

Yes, it's the same thing. Code P0410? Start with the OP.

Shady, your air pump is not bad. They just make noise when they are cold.

Yeah its code P0410. A DIY would greatly be appreciated

there's different levels of noise. there's a soft whine which is normal and then there is the jet turbine which is bad.

did u buy a new pump or get a used one? where did u get it if it was a new one? part number?

I bought a used one from greddy2greddy. new they are expensive as ish.

where's a good place to buy one? besides the stealer