Effects of cleaning AIR Solenoid connector
 

My Shinka (126,6xx miles) for the past month or so had been running like dogshit. Starting was getting harder and harder, cold or warm -- didn't matter. I started having nightmares of blown engines and massive cash expense to replace. Cash that I don't have right now.

I ordered a set of new plugs, which are sitting on my coffee table waiting for "the right time" for me to install. But before that, I got to deep-searching.

Somewhere in this board, I found an article that said if there's cold hard starting, to reset the ESPS (20-brakepedal stomp). Well, I did that, and it did start up much better cold and warm -- and then promptly threw DTC P2259 -- AIR solenoid voltage low. Using info from here, I removed the connector, gave it a squirt of WD40, put it back and took it out a few times to clean it up, erased the CEL, and all was well.

This was like 3 weeks ago. Car's been good since. I haven't put the plugs in yet, will do that in a couple of weeks or three when I do the oil. Shocks come first (this week, actually, KYB gas-ajust, the OEMs are not damping small motions at all anymore)

So.. WTF? Don't people say that the air pump does nothing post-warmup? It would seem to me that it does. Have a look at my MPG since I reset ESPS and cleaned the AIR Solenoid connector.

Car runs much better now, idles better, starts like it always has -- on the 5th "ruh" (you know, when you start a car, ruh-ruh-ruh-ruh*WHOOM*)

How did this get all out of kilter? I tried reaching the AC condensate drain from the left side of the engine (the dipstick side) and I guess I must've bumped the connector or something. Also just before that the car had a new radiator put in by dealer, so who knows.. I also know they've spilled oil on the engine and possibly washed the engine a bit, so.. yeah. Who knows.

Because of the oil incident(s) I've resumed doing my own oil and small service stuff, and the dealer will never again see my car. I'm on the lookout for independents that don't suck and steal and lie. The shocks will be done by a Japanese fella, let's see how that goes.

Seriously, look at the MPG chart. That's an insane improvement. AIR must do something post-warmup, I don't believe in coincidences. I had done ESPS resets before and it never once helped with idle or MPG, so I'm thinking it's all down to AIR.

Attachment 189756

Air pump turns off after warmup, it does NOT do jack shit after that.

Your mpg increase has to do with the brake stomp, it resets the profile, ECU re-learning, So timing is more "accurate" now than it was. Resulted in Better MPG.

RX-8 use something like a trigger wheel instead of CAS, it's more accurate most of the time. but after 12xK miles on your car, there will be mad dirt on the Sensor. your timing WILL go off. So what happen is when you reset it, everything relearns. but expect to get your shitty mpg back a while after, what you should do is remove the ESS sensor and clean it. you be surprised how dirty it is.

Also, 3 mpg increase is not that significant, Gas Quality varies(Ethanol count) and you might get 10-15% (even it saids 10% max) of Ethanol garbage before. Suddenly the gas station thinks it's so fuxking expensive to put so much Ethanol (the price did increased a lot over the past few months) so instead of 10-15%. they now do it at lets say, 7%. Boom, you get that 3 mpg right there painlessly.