RX8Lovah

Got my Starter / Battery and charging system tested today and got these results.. however - I have no idea wtf they mean! haha (i was at work while my hubby took the car in)

Battery Test :
Voltage: 12.40v
Measured: 664 CCA
Rated: 640 CCA
Teamperature 118F
He did the test twice ^^^ was the second test.
Battery Test: First test
Voltage 12.59V
Measured: 632 CCA
Rated: 640 CCA
Temp: 119F


Starter Test:
Voltage: 10.68V
Amps: 765.7A
Time: 1.32s

Charging system Test:
No Load- 13.64V 4.1A
Loaded- 13.72V -41.6A


Drain Test
2.62A


Ive been having a few hard warm start troubles, then had a hard cold start. So i figured my battery was going.... Guy at Advanced Auto Parts said the tests came back normal and everything was fine..
Gona pull out the spark plugs and Coils tomorrow to look at them. Any suggestions of anything else i should check out while im out there?

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

useful website http://foxed.ca/rx7manual/2003mazdarx8/

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

How many miles are on your ignition coils and spark plugs?

RX8Lovah

I wish I knew =/
The previous owner "forgot" to give me his records... but gave me the other 2 owners records.. when i asked him he gave me a very vauge response "i buy the plugs that have a 2yr warrenty, and before the warrenty was up i would exchange them"....... he only had the car for 1yr 3months?? lol
Its doesnt "hard" start all the time.takes about 3 -6 revolutions before the car finally turns over when its hard to start.

And thanks but i already have that website bookmarked =)

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Keep in mind that the starters will not fail any tests because there is nothing wrong with them... they just don't produce enough torque consistently to spin our flywheel.
I actually took mine apart once and measured every component, tested the commutator, etc and found no problems.

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

Seems shady to me. i do not know for sure if replacing your ignition coils and spark plugs will help your starting problem, but it would not be a bad idea to change them. Since you have no idea how many miles are on them. Then again you do not want to throw money away on new parts that you do not need.

Spin9k

The results for your battery test were excellent, actually better than its as-new spec. If you are having problems starting, look elsewhere as other have suggested. Best to take the plugs out and check their condition, or post pictures for others to do it for you. Getting the plugs out is only a small PITA ... as you really a socket wrench, sparkplug socket, couple extensions, and a universal joint, then take the wheel off and you'll see how to get at them ...they come out pretty quick. Checking coils - that's another issue altogether.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Your Alternator is dying (slowly)

That's about it.

Cuz Alternator should give you 14.7-14.2 when new/reman.

RX8Lovah

oh fun... and as it seems.. alternators arent something thats common to fail in rx8's.
Will the alternator cause any starting problems? or just charging problems?

DocBeech

iTrader: (1)

neither at 13.6 volts. your alternator is fine for now. just remember though for every connection you loose .25 to .5 volts. which is why you need more than 12 volts to run a 12volt system.

ive said this before, but I dont know if anyone has tried it yet. in my 1958 we had problems with the starter not providing enough power so I switched to a 6v starter. The only difference is the 6v spins twice as fast so it was able to start the car up a lot faster. Ive had the 6v starter in it for some years now with no problem. This might be a fix, i dunno maybe one day i will try it. its an old trick though that my dads best friend that races and a lot of his buddies use.

ken-x8

Couple of things....

1. The shop manual specifies an alternator output of 13 to 15 volts. IMHO, that's kind of a generous range, but 13.6 to 13.7 volts is perfectly OK.

2. The reason you need more than 12 volts from the generator is because a 12 volt battery is more than 12 volts. A lead acid battery is nominally 2.2 volts per cell. You don't get the full 13.2 volts because you never get what you pay for. But that 12.4 to 12.6 volts they measured is good.

By starting problems...do you mean that the engine cranks more slowly than usual? Or that it takes longer to fire? If it's the first, then keep digging at the starting system...check the battery cables and the cable to the starter for being clean and tight. If it takes longer, then dig into the ignition system and hope it's not in the fuel system.

Ken

RX8Lovah

It takes longer to fire up. Since may I turn the key and Vroom vroom! quick start up. just as fast as i start up my SUV... So when it takes 2-3 seconds to start up I was thinking wtf. but it isnt every start up.
It started when i drove 2 miles (engine fully warmed up) shut it off to go inside the grocerystore... spent about 20 mins in there. Left the grocery store(car started (perfectly) then i forgot an item after i drove maybe like 500 feet (engine was still warmed). I shut car back off to go grab that item. and came back and it took longer to start.
since then its done it a few times. most of the time it starts right up. But one time it took longer to start while cold, which made me think it was a battery issue/starter ect.
It has never not started.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

uhh ... oh oh ...

2004 ...

Hard warm starts ... hmm ...

we all know what that usually means...

Alternator @ 13.6 means fail in my book. Cuz to "properly" charge the battery + all the stuff running on the car, you need more than 13.8. Its pretty easy to do a load test, you need a multimeter and about 10 minutes (most likely less) of your time.

Manual's 13-15.0 means "We don't have to honor as much warranty claims"

I just help a friend to replace his belts (a 1999 Lexus ES300) and Alternator. His battery went dead and he was like wtf. he didn't even know his Alternator failed. I was like hmm fishy, his battery is 5-6 yrs old but I still tested his charging system with a brand new battery (cuz I took his battery out and its giving 10.3 volt, time to say bye bye anyway)

I tested it and its pumping 13.1 with no load. That with load @ 2K rpm its pumping 11.7 lol? yeah its not pumping anything + draining my battery like nutz (its brand new Optima Red top lol)

He has 140K on the odo, the Alternator was a Reman Unit from Toyota about 60-70K miles ago.

Went to Autozone got a Alternator for his car (yea I know Autozone stuff, it has lifetime warranty so I guess its ok), came back, installed it for him. 14.5 Volt at all time and very close to Service Manual's spec on the AMP test.

RX8Lovah

Low compression so i get a new engine? =) lmao...
Theres no loss of power. car feels good, idles great, drives great. i do have 75$ to throw away to get a compression test done thou.. hmmm
My warrenty expires July 29 2011.

DocBeech

iTrader: (1)

you dont need to throw away money for a compression check.

ken-x8

Your book fails.

11.7 volts fails.

So your friend's battery was discharged, and you found his alternator was bad. Did you check to see if the battery really was bad? As opposed to just being run down from not getting charged?

RX8Lovah has provided the additional info that the problem is that it takes longer to start, not that it cranks slowly. The problem is not the battery or alternator.

Ken

Spin9k

^I agree alternator failure idea is just plain wrong, no basis in reality. You have a car that sometimes fails to light for 1-3 sec... this is no biggie...at all. On a scale of 1-10, I'd go watch my favorite TV program. and forget it. What you did at a store has nothing to do with this. If you have nothing better to do, and can't stop complusing about it, as said before, check you plugs.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Well, you will not always feel the loss of power. I didn't feel much, but mine failed.

haha ~!



obviously

I have a battery charger, spent 1 night charging it, not taking charge, so its bad.

a weak battery can cause "longer than usual cranking time"

but like I said in the earlier post "We all know what that means..."

I will say the obvious.

Get a compression test done. if it pass, get another one before the warranty runs out. I got mine, 9 months later it fails.

RX8Lovah

Speaking of weak ignition coils. Ill be ordering your kit+plugs on thursday =)

I wasnt there when the starter/battery charging system was tested. My husband picked up my car while i was at work and went and had it done... and he knows nothing about cars & hates when i talk about cars. So all he provided me with is the paper slips he got from Advanced Auto parts.
The only information i got on cranking is the cranking Amps 765.7A and volts of 10.68V

VashGS

I forget is this the original engine?

RX8Lovah

Yes.

RX8Lovah

Well i have some money to blow. I got a job purely to fund for my car =) lol
I was looking at getting a Optima Redtop group35 battery. yes i know they are expensive.
You said quite a few things to fix. Starter, Battery, plugs, Coils? what else did you have in mind?
I wish i knew when the coils and plugs were last changed.(going out now to check them out) but the previous owner was umm well you know=-) ill keep the name calling to myself!

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

that pretty much it.

check the belts too, those are not hard to replace.

Alternator is not important now, but if you're going to change the belts. might as well change it, with coupons and stuff you can get one at Advance Auto for around 110 bux b4 tax, and it has lifetime warranty.

RX8Lovah

Hubby comes home from being at the store and goes "oh one more thing i forgot to tell you, During the testing he asked me to rev up, then let idle, rev up again, While i reved up There was a popping noise twice. (once with each rev)
(ive never heard it before)
He said thats also happened once before.
Misfire? or Normal? he said it sounded almost like gun fire. (off to use search lol)

Was thinking about grabbing the Alternator from Mazmart for 150 used. Bad idea to buy used? (http://www.mazmart.com/ItemDetail.aspx?id=434)


Btw, Thank you guys for all your help

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

agreed with CRH,

unless you want best of the best and don't mind to pay anything extra for that little bit. skip the Optima Battery, get something like Duralast gold from Autozone or Autocraft Gold from Advance auto (or whatever your local parts store offers that comes with 3 yr free replacement warranty + 72 month prorate after)

I have Optima cuz I paid closed to nothing for it (long story not gonna bother explain it here) Would I buy another GEL battery? YES. Thats just me tho.