When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hi i have a 2004 model with engine that was driven 120000km since replacement. Recently it died on the highway, but it starts when cooled off and drives fine for about 5 minutes. There is no smoke or CEL indicating engine failure. The dealer did compression test, is there any way you can get false readings ? I can't believe it would even start at these low numbers, which it does. I've checked and somene had same issue which turned out be the fuel injectors.
How does it not even give a CEL? When i had issue with old engine it would throw CEL all the time.
Because not every failing engine acts the same. Heck, I never have a catalytic converter on my car and I have NEVER thrown any CEL for that. I've had failing engine with CEL and I've had engine with no CEL at all.
Ok, i was just expecting atleast smoke or something else to confirm this. Whenever you bring the rx-8 to the dealer, almost for any issue, they say it must be bad compression . Any thoughs on new engine vs used? Can you suggest where to buy?
There is no CEL for lost compression. There is no way to measure it while the car is running.
Their tester could be faulty but that's pretty unlikely. It sounds like in addition to the test, you also have hot start problems, so the exact compression number is kinda irrelevant, it's not good is what matters.
Yeah i get it, it just seems like most mechanics dont want to touch it and dont want any reponsibility for it, so its better to just call it dead How about loose connection to the plug port when testing? I mean seriously 3.0-5.4 compression and it starts...thats one tough cookie.
I have to say it served me well for ten years. So Loki, would you recommend new engine instead of used, maybe you have some recommendation from where to buy? About the ebay listing, seller will do compression test before purchase. I've manged to find one brand new for 4500 usd.
Going with a very reputable rebuilder is probably your best bet. You can either ship a motor to one of those rebuilders or take your car to the nearest one that fits your needs and is proven to do good work.
Understand that a rotary engine can "blow" oil, coolant, apex, side, &/or corner seals ...which may result in a variety of differing symptoms. The compression #s shown above definitely indicate a blown engine. Hard starts &/ or dying when hot confirm this. Rotary life...
Search the forum...many threads on engine purchasing and rebuilders.
4500 for a new engine, assuming it's really new sounds right. I mean to me the math has always been: do I want to spend x$ and keep driving the 8 or spend x$ and drive something else. I don't really want a $4500 car if I cam avoid it.
Unless you did the test on top of Mountain Everest, yeah that's a failing engine. Altitude can affect the reading, but otherwise, what you see is what you get.
There are bandaid fixes you can try in the meantime which may or may not work, but you will need an engine sooner or later.
Are we talking about US$4500 including labour? If so, that's really not a bad deal. Add some other incidentals like clutch, cooling system parts, etc. and you should be under $6000.
Unless you did the test on top of Mountain Everest, yeah that's a failing engine. Altitude can affect the reading, but otherwise, what you see is what you get.
There are bandaid fixes you can try in the meantime which may or may not work, but you will need an engine sooner or later.
Are we talking about US$4500 including labour? If so, that's really not a bad deal. Add some other incidentals like clutch, cooling system parts, etc. and you should be under $6000.
No thats without labour. How many hours aprox to swap engines?
So i got the car back from the dealer and im still not convinced the engine is blown. The car has all the symptoms of a failing fuel pump, speciallly the whining noise from fuel tank. Is there any way i can test this myself without burning down the car? The dealer claims they did test the fuel pump, but gave no explanation on how. And stalling at high temperatures can also be because of fuel pump(car shuts off to prevent overheating).
Whining Noise From the Fuel Tank. If you notice a whining noise coming from the location of your fuel tank, the fuel pump is probably beginning to fail. ...
"So i got the car back from the dealer and im still not convinced the engine is blown."
If I showed you a gunshot wound, would you not be convinced that it resulted from being shot?
They could have miscalibrated the tester and even though the compression might be low, it doesn't need to be cause of the current problem. The sound it makes seems to be coming from fuel pump, i had this issue before, thats why i spesifically asked them to test it. I just hate it when they always blame compression, blown engine for every single problem with this model. Yes i am planning to get the engine replaced later, proper upgrade, full makeover.
Buy a compression tester from RotaryCompressionTester.com and test yourself, easy job. Alternatively, just buy a fuel pump (DW200 is a good choice) and get the fuel pump ring tool and replace it yourself (relatively easy job with minor tools and a low fuel tank level (1/8 - 1/4 tank of fuel at most, the less the better.)
Buy a compression tester from RotaryCompressionTester.com and test yourself, easy job. Alternatively, just buy a fuel pump (DW200 is a good choice) and get the fuel pump ring tool and replace it yourself (relatively easy job with minor tools and a low fuel tank level (1/8 - 1/4 tank of fuel at most, the less the better.)
-So you say it randomly died on the highway. I assume at cruise (RPM?) or after a hard pull?
-Did the car drive perfectly fine after this event? No extreme lack of power?
-How does it idle now? do you have to baby it? does it do a hunting idle between 1250rpm and 750rpm?
-Are you able to use the full rpm band to redline? One of the usual symptoms of failing fuel pump.
90% of what you are describing is going to be caused by failing compression. You'd only see smoke from either blown coolant jackets(thick white smoke) or blown oil seals(light blue smoke) The rx8 doesn't have pressure transducer so there really isn't a way to throw a cel for this. My best bet would be that you were already losing compression and have temp issues in the rotors. Seals are probably getting stuck in the rotor and losing all compression until cooling down. You could change your oil and see if there's flakes from a spun bearing.
Just go with a mazda remanufactured engine if you are keeping the car. It will cost the same if not less to buy a brand new engine from mazda than it would to rebuild an engine back to worse than stock. JDM or ebay motors are all scams, dont bother looking.
Buy a compression tester from RotaryCompressionTester.com and test yourself, easy job. Alternatively, just buy a fuel pump (DW200 is a good choice) and get the fuel pump ring tool and replace it yourself (relatively easy job with minor tools and a low fuel tank level (1/8 - 1/4 tank of fuel at most, the less the better.)
Gonna order the compression tester. Should i order some gaskets and other stuff if i decide to change fuel pump? The dw200 is direct fit? Awesome price.
Usually, if it's low compression then as you rev it, it might get better since rotary builds up compression as it revs, but the fuel pump will be pretty unhappy if you try to rev. I would be careful in trying that, though.
Also, hot start. If you just have to wait maybe half an hour after you shut the engine off for a hot start, then it's the fuel pump since that should cool down relatively quickly. If you have to wait hours, then the engine is the issue, since you'd have to wait for the housings to contract enough to make a decent seal.
I just don't see how you could screw up a compression test. IIRC, removing trailing or leading spark plug doesn't matter, and if you remove both, I would think there will be little to no compression at all since the air will be shot out of the open spark plug hole.
01-19-2022, 10:12 AM
. Any thoughs on new engine vs used? Can you suggest where to buy?
The dealer claims they did test the fuel pump, but gave no explanation on how. And stalling at high temperatures can also be because of fuel pump(car shuts off to prevent overheating).
