My car shakes and putts when I crank it. Smoke startes to come out of the tailpipe after. I have little power when I start off driving and after I get down the street It acts just fine. What could be the problem? Other problems Im having is check engine light on (cylinder #2 misfire) what does this mean? Also I feel like Im FOREVER adding coolant. The coolant I use is the 50/50 from Advance Auto Parts. Could someone please help me?

 

Congratulations! You need a new engine!

 

Maybe not.

You probably have at least one bad coil and maybe a bad CAT converter.
The converter will be under warranty(8 years, 80k miles), but your coils and plugs won't.
How long has it been since you had a tune up?
How many miles on the car?

Now the kicker questions:

1.) What color is the smoke?
2.) Does it smell sweet?
3.) Tell me how much coolant you put it? In other words, do you know where the fill mark is on the bottle? How full are you filling it?

 

I haven't had what you call a NICE tune up in 8months I changed the spark plugs about 2 months ago thinking this was the problem.

_white smoke
_yes kinda sweet but feuley smell also
_I fill it up until I get where I can see it. (not so close it runs out of the hangin hose though)


Getting close to 100,000

 

Hard starting, consuming coolant like crazy, works fine after she's up and going (heat expansion and sealing). Does it look like this when you are starting it up?

 

or this?

 

YES! but when I push the pedal it smokes a WHOLE LOT WORSE

I starts up fine, its when it does crank when it starts to act up.

In the past I had starting up problems, I bought a new battery and fixed that problem.


I LIKE YOUR PANCHO BY THE WAY. lol

 

Thanks Mazurfer : I will remember that next time. I def. go past that. never knew it had it marked on the side. I will look nxt time

 

It was from our Poncho themed track event to Arroyo Seca Raceway in New Mexico. The car pictured is Jeef (MazdaManiac). He blew a coolant seal.

 

It still could be the engine, but first I wanted to know if you were overfilling the coolant and it appears as you may have been.

You still have other issues such as those mentioned.........coil(s), and maybe CAT, but I think it might be too early to call it a bad engine just yet. I could be wrong though.

 

Ohhh... well its a nice car. Coolant seal? is that expensive?

 

Mazurfer? What coil? the ignition coil? can you give me a check list of things to buy and MAYBE one of them is the problem? I don't believe the engine is bad. I raced a mustang the other day and made it eat my dust. lol. But putting all laughing aside. Just want to thank you guys for your time.

 

Well, keep in mind that you could still have a blown coolant seal. It's just that diagnosis over the internet is difficult and I think it's too early to jump on the blown seal theory. Which picture looked like your amount of smoke.....a little or a lot?

I'm guessing the coolant smell that you said you did smell might have been caused by you overfilling the coolant bottle, you said you were but didn't say how much. It's POSSIBLE that what you were smelling after a good start up was the extra coolant getting dumped out the overflow hose. (POSSIBLE that's all).

Having said that...........our car has four ignition coils. You said you had a mifire in rotor #2 and this should be indicated by a flashing CEL(check engine light). It may only do it some of the time(in high RPM's)., and I'd like to know that answer or was it on solid all the time?
So if you know it was a misfire in rear rotor, then you must have had the code read somewhere. If this is true, then you probably need a set of coils and maybe spark plugs again if they got real fouled.

Coils shouldn't run you any more than this. http://www.mazmart.com/ItemDetail.aspx?id=609 and if you go to the dealer, they will charge you WAY more than that. Plugs are the same way, you can search on this site for good places to get them as well. The dealer will rape you!

Now..........it's hard to really say once again, but if you do have a bad coil(s), then unburnt fuel can get dumped into the CAT where it might ignite and damage the insides of the CAT and possibly send some smoke out the tailpipes. The good news is.............if you don't have a blown coolant seal, and it is just from over-filling the bottle.....then you might just be facing needing four coils and maybe plugs.

Did you ever say how many miles on the car?

Once you get those figured out, then you can address the CAT if need be.

BTW..........you have anybody local to you that might be able to look at it before you head off to the dealer?
What is your location?

 

ok I will go buy me a set then.

 

Please go re-read my last post, I was editing as you were typing. I have a few questions I'd like to see you answer.

 

I don't want you to go off and spend money you don't need to, so just don't run off and by coils because some stranger on the internet suggested it.
It would be really good if you had someplace or someone you trusted to take a look before running out and spending the cash.

 

actually both pictures are right. the 1st one when I first crank it
2nd when I push down on the pedal.

Im hitting 100,000 miles

soooo

CHECK COOLANT SEAL!
CHECK IGINTION COIL # 2?
CHECK THE LIMIT ON COOLANT DRUM WHEN ADDING COOLANT

RIGHT?


IF ALL FAILS BUY ANOTHER CAT

 

HUMMM I will try that. I do have a guy I trust with my cars I just needed some advice on some things so I could tell him what to look for instead of just troubleshooting the WHOLE CAR. lol

 

WAIT!

Okay, this part is very, very important.
I just had to re-adjust my whole train of thought.

DO NOT let your mileage go over 100,000 miles!
Get it to the dealer ASAP and have them look it over!
I know I said they will rape you, but.............your warranty for a new engine will expire if you go over 8 years or 100k miles. You have to protect against that at all costs! Get it in there and let them diagnose it before that 100k miles is up!
Don't buy coils, plugs or anything yet!

Yes, you can stop overfilling the coolant bottle now that you know, but don't do anything else until you get it in there.

 

It does it worse when it rains or when its cold out. UGH its sooo embarrassing....

 

Oh no warranty went out at 30,000 thanks though... MAZDA DEALER SUCKS!

 

No......Engine has warranty for 8 years or 100k.
Don't let it go over!
Take it in!

The engine warranty is in addition to the normal warranty! Trust me! Take it in and don't exceed 100k miles!
See this thread as proof! https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discussion-3/8-years-100-000-mi-extended-warranty-147287/



If it turns out to be the engine needs replacing, it will almost be for free!
Will probably cost you some for coils, hoses and and what-not, but engine will be free.


And you have an 07 with almost 100k on it?

 

OK well thanks but I tried that already TRUST ME. MAZDA said NO. No longer under warranty.
That's why I tried coming to you guys. lol Its is a motor that mazda had to put in after I blew the factory motor up for not having oil in it. lol DON'T LAUGH AT ME.

 

Ouch!

Then we may be back to the post I made at 09:54 PM if you are sure about Mazda saying "No".

 

I nooo well thanks. I will give you a update when I fix it. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!