newest problem,car wont start
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
newest problem,car wont start
so i went to gainesville for a day, drove my truck and come home and i go to get in my 8 this afternoon and it wont start...it sounds like it wants to and its trying but it just wont turn over...i love my 8 to death but its pissing me off soo bad right now... we just changed the plugs and wires, i got these beautiful new bright blue wires shes starting to look so much better then when i got her, and now she wont start....
could we have done something wrong with putting the wires/plugs in that would make it start one day but not the next? what can i do..im losing my mind with this car...
could we have done something wrong with putting the wires/plugs in that would make it start one day but not the next? what can i do..im losing my mind with this car...
#2
Registered
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Northern California
Posts: 2,196
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
so i went to gainesville for a day, drove my truck and come home and i go to get in my 8 this afternoon and it wont start...it sounds like it wants to and its trying but it just wont turn over...i love my 8 to death but its pissing me off soo bad right now... we just changed the plugs and wires, i got these beautiful new bright blue wires shes starting to look so much better then when i got her, and now she wont start....
could we have done something wrong with putting the wires/plugs in that would make it start one day but not the next? what can i do..im losing my mind with this car...
could we have done something wrong with putting the wires/plugs in that would make it start one day but not the next? what can i do..im losing my mind with this car...
#3
Surf Hard, Drive Hard
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 7,840
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
9 Posts
Okay................let's take it from the top.
Did it ever start after changing the wires and plugs?
I curious.........you went to G-ville, did someone possibly move your car and not let it warm up properly while you were gone and flood it?
Who changed them.......the wires and plugs?
I hope you/they know that the leading and trailing plugs are not the same.
Also............if not real familiar, you need to make sure that the plug wires are on good. One of the front ones likes to pop off if not on right. Of course i am assuming the right coils are going to the right plugs? You need a diagram to check.....I can oput on here. I know this is basic stuff and not trying to make anyone feel like an idiot, just trying to help.
Dave
Did it ever start after changing the wires and plugs?
I curious.........you went to G-ville, did someone possibly move your car and not let it warm up properly while you were gone and flood it?
Who changed them.......the wires and plugs?
I hope you/they know that the leading and trailing plugs are not the same.
Also............if not real familiar, you need to make sure that the plug wires are on good. One of the front ones likes to pop off if not on right. Of course i am assuming the right coils are going to the right plugs? You need a diagram to check.....I can oput on here. I know this is basic stuff and not trying to make anyone feel like an idiot, just trying to help.
Dave
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-15-2008 at 08:48 PM.
#4
Registered User
Thread Starter
The engine turns over, it just wont start.
It started up just fine right after my boyfriend changed the plugs and wires. I drove it for a couple days, drove back and fourth from orlando, so it worked fine after the plug and wire change.
Ill check the wire to coil connections I guess...
It started up just fine right after my boyfriend changed the plugs and wires. I drove it for a couple days, drove back and fourth from orlando, so it worked fine after the plug and wire change.
Ill check the wire to coil connections I guess...
#5
Rotary Powered Countryboy
u need to just make sure that the wires are on good on the plugs and coils if it started and ran fine i'm sure they on on the proper coils just sounds like it may be a loose connection!
#6
Registered
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Ewa Beach, HI
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Do you get a ton of smoke out of the exhaust when you try to turn it over or is there nothing? Another thing to look for is a heavy gas smell. If you're getting the smoke then at least you know you're getting a spark, the gas smell means you've flooded the engine. While I haven't had a problem with my 8 flooding my 7 used to do it all the time. The trick I have used in the past for flooding is to remove power from the fuel pump (the fuse is usually the best bet) so you don't further encourage the problem. Once this is done I would remove the trailing plug for each rotor and turn the car over for a bit. This should push the fuel out through the newly opened holes. After that just throw it all together and it should start fine. The other idea comes straight from the owner's manual. This is that if you have a problem starting the car push the gas to the floor and it should start right up (yes I know that this is the worst possible thing you could do on a piston engine but its in the manual and I've seen it work).
Let me know if this helps at all.
Let me know if this helps at all.
#7
Registered User
Thread Starter
thanks so much, ill try that tomorrow...i just hope its nothing major :/ and costly...
as far as the questions, no theres no smoke and i dont believe the smell of gas is strong... i just dont know what to do...my boyfriend plans on taking the wheel off tomorrow and taking the plugs back out to see if that helps...we tried the mashing the gas and trying to turn it over today and it wouldnt work...so i guess on to the next idea...ill post again tomorrow and we'll see how things go :] thanks for the ideas
my feelings right now about my car... :[
as far as the questions, no theres no smoke and i dont believe the smell of gas is strong... i just dont know what to do...my boyfriend plans on taking the wheel off tomorrow and taking the plugs back out to see if that helps...we tried the mashing the gas and trying to turn it over today and it wouldnt work...so i guess on to the next idea...ill post again tomorrow and we'll see how things go :] thanks for the ideas
my feelings right now about my car... :[
#8
Surf Hard, Drive Hard
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 7,840
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
9 Posts
I agree.........check those connections at the plugs for sure. I'll bet that a front one is loose or not on good.
While he's at it..........have him make sure the wires at the coils are tight and seated as well.
Let me know if ya want me to stop by real quick and I will. I'm beachside at near the end of the Eau Gallie Causeway, so I can't be that far away.
While he's at it..........have him make sure the wires at the coils are tight and seated as well.
Let me know if ya want me to stop by real quick and I will. I'm beachside at near the end of the Eau Gallie Causeway, so I can't be that far away.
Last edited by Mazurfer; 12-17-2008 at 05:04 PM.
#9
Surf Hard, Drive Hard
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Indialantic, Florida
Posts: 7,840
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes
on
9 Posts
auwen has the right method but only if you have or suspect it's flooded. If not, then see below what 04RXman said and myself below that. Since you drove it since the change, it is most likely a bad connection unless by trying it.....you have flooded it? Read the posts below.
Dave
Dave
#10
Registered User
Thread Starter
yea we are pretty sure its flooded...we took the plugs out like we were told and they smelled like gas and were damp..but heres the kicker we took the leading ones out and they had like 100 times more carbon build up then the old ones we just took out like a week ago...so after 200 miles or so they had more carbon build up then the old ones...crazy huh?
and we checked the coils they seem fine...but we were cheacking for a spark and what weve found is that we think the wires arnt good, even though i just brought them they are broken :[ so we took them back and got a new set so today we are going to try and put those new wires on and see if we can get it to start i mean we are going crazy with this car at the moment lol...
but ill post again here shortly and see what we have found...wish us luck :]
and we checked the coils they seem fine...but we were cheacking for a spark and what weve found is that we think the wires arnt good, even though i just brought them they are broken :[ so we took them back and got a new set so today we are going to try and put those new wires on and see if we can get it to start i mean we are going crazy with this car at the moment lol...
but ill post again here shortly and see what we have found...wish us luck :]
#11
Registered User
Thread Starter
Ok soooo update!!!
cars still not starting...the leading plugs have a really good spark but the trailing dont have anything at all... could it be anything else other then the coils???
like we have brand new plugs and wires and the only thing left we can think of is the coils....
anything else other then that?!?!?
and if it is the coils... what kind of price are we looking at here...
(this is getting old real quick
cars still not starting...the leading plugs have a really good spark but the trailing dont have anything at all... could it be anything else other then the coils???
like we have brand new plugs and wires and the only thing left we can think of is the coils....
anything else other then that?!?!?
and if it is the coils... what kind of price are we looking at here...
(this is getting old real quick
#13
Registered User
Thread Starter
Put in a new crank shaft posistion sensor in today...still not starting...im ordering new plugs again tomorrow because we are thinking that some how the plugs are messed up...this is pretttttty gayyyyy....still taking ideas if anyone has em....
#14
The Professor
Are you absolutely positive that you hooked up the plugs correctly? A correctly hooked up plug boot leaves only about 1/4 an inch exposed on the plug.
Have you tried going back to the factory wires?
Is the battery that you are using fully charged? Do you have it on a trickle charger right now?
Is there anyway that you could give me the voltage that the battery is at right now? Between 12.7-12.9 volts is fully charged.
Last edited by staticlag; 12-30-2008 at 10:07 PM.
#16
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know this sounds retarded, but...
Any engine needs 3 things to work. Fuel, Air, and Spark.
You got the spark, so you're good there.
Not likely something's blocking the air flow, so we'll assume that's fine..
So you're onto fuel. You've either got too much of it, or not enough.
Too much means you're flooded (could have made it worse when holding down the gas pedal & cranking... Future reference, fuel injected cars get WORSE with that technique; only use that on older carberated motors. Slap your boyfriend once for that one...). De-flood the engine.
Too little means something wrong with the fuel pump (most likely). You've got a lot of miles on that engine, so it's not surprising if the fuel pump has finally checked out. There's an "easy" check for this... Spray WD-40, starter fluid, or some other EXTREMELY combustible spray directly into the throttle body as someone turns the ignition. If it starts to catch like it wants to run, then you've got a fuel pump issue. Replace the fuel pump.
Any engine needs 3 things to work. Fuel, Air, and Spark.
You got the spark, so you're good there.
Not likely something's blocking the air flow, so we'll assume that's fine..
So you're onto fuel. You've either got too much of it, or not enough.
Too much means you're flooded (could have made it worse when holding down the gas pedal & cranking... Future reference, fuel injected cars get WORSE with that technique; only use that on older carberated motors. Slap your boyfriend once for that one...). De-flood the engine.
Too little means something wrong with the fuel pump (most likely). You've got a lot of miles on that engine, so it's not surprising if the fuel pump has finally checked out. There's an "easy" check for this... Spray WD-40, starter fluid, or some other EXTREMELY combustible spray directly into the throttle body as someone turns the ignition. If it starts to catch like it wants to run, then you've got a fuel pump issue. Replace the fuel pump.
#17
I wanna rock! Rock!
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Monterey, CA
Posts: 576
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The RX-8's ECU is programmed to cut fuel when you hold the gas pedal to the floor while cranking.
#18
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#19
The Professor
That's awesome. And as long as everything's working right, then the computer will fix stupid... But what happens if it's not?? A person should have to rely on the computer to keep them from doing something stupid; they should just not do the something stupid in the first place...
#20
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not to mention, on any FI vehicle, the same holds true whether or not it's got a fancy computer to fix stupid... Just don't touch the gas pedal when you're starting up a car unless it's got a carberator and it may actually help. Why risk problems? That makes no sense.
#21
I wanna rock! Rock!
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Monterey, CA
Posts: 576
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I refrained from being a smartass on my first post and I think I can do it again.
When normally starting a fuel injected car (ie not touching the gas pedal) the computer injects fuel. If the motor is flooded you do not want this.
For quite some time now (not sure when it started, maybe when fuel injection came to rotaries) Mazda has programmed the computer to not inject fuel when the gas pedal is fully depressed during startup. They did that specifically because of the tendency for rotaries to flood.
When normally starting a fuel injected car (ie not touching the gas pedal) the computer injects fuel. If the motor is flooded you do not want this.
For quite some time now (not sure when it started, maybe when fuel injection came to rotaries) Mazda has programmed the computer to not inject fuel when the gas pedal is fully depressed during startup. They did that specifically because of the tendency for rotaries to flood.
#22
Registered User
Thread Starter
Thanks for the ideas guys ive tried holding the pedel down ive tried not holding ive tried deflooding it and nothing seems to help...i know you need 3 things to start a car, ive got all 3, spark, air and fule....just still isnt working, ive tried spraying starter into the throttal still didnt work...im at my wits end here..:[
#25
Boosted Kiwi
iTrader: (2)
+1 on the push starting .
These engines need to be turned over fast to start . Once you flood them and drain the battery from lots of starting attempts you are making it less and less likely to start the more you try . Push starting will get it going for sure so long as there are no other issues.
These engines need to be turned over fast to start . Once you flood them and drain the battery from lots of starting attempts you are making it less and less likely to start the more you try . Push starting will get it going for sure so long as there are no other issues.