Fuel pickup problem on the track
 

I've got an '09 Touring, still stock at this point....

I've had this car out on the road course track at the Nashville SuperSpeedway for 2 track day weekends now, and I don't understand a fuel pickup issue I'm having. The road course runs within the oval, using most of the banked front stretch and about half of the back stretch on the course. What's happening is that when I get down to about the last gallon of fuel in the tank, about 2 seconds after I transition on to the banked front stretch the engine just won't respond to the accelerator and the revs start dying a slow death...

As I am slowing though, the engine will kick back in for a bit, and I can make it back to the garage to fuel up ... except this last time, when I had to actually pull off course to avoid causing a red flag. After sitting the last 5 minutes of the session, I was able to easily restart and make it back to the garage to refuel. Each time based upon the amount of fuel it took, I had about 1 gallon left in the tank (which wasn't a surprise), so I don't think there's anything like vapor lock or clogged fuel filter going on here.

But, what does have me confused is this: Other RX-8's out on the track ('04 and '05) do not have this problem, and I believe they have a smaller tank.

So..... my question for the masses here is: Why? We're travelling counter-clockwise so I'm wondering if the fuel pickup is on the driver's side of the car and on low fuel the collector won't pickup? Perhaps the earlier designs don't pickup fuel in the same way? Perhaps there's something about the newer Renesis that I'm not considering? I already know it sucks more fuel than the earlier models.

Any and all ideas are welcome, thanks!

It sound like your fuel pump is faling or the siphon is working properly. I recently threw an 09 in my 04 and it solved my left hand fuel starvation that I was seeing on Road Atlanta. I would say look into changing out the pump for a new one.

That's how it starts.

First it won't pickup fuel when the fuel is low -- bet you notice it more on left turns?
Then it starts happening on half tank
Then it starts happening on full tank
Then in a straight line, even when going real slow on a full tank,

I've just been through all these steps. Get a Walboro 255lph pump from BHR. Works great and you won't have to worry about it breaking down again like another stock pump.

^.....+1 Wulf..........that's pretty much all the symptoms and answers he could ask for!

Wow, interesting stuff guys. I hadn't considered that it might be the pump as it never seems to happen unless I'm on the track and (yes, as you predicted) am turning left on a high-bank with low tank level.

Sounds like I may want to save up for a pump ...

This doesn't bode well for the 09 pump being better than the 04-08's :(

Before wasting a ton of money on a pump,Why do you run your tank so low on fuel? Surely you can't be burning a whole tank in one run. Weve never experianced the left turn fuel starvation, but then again we always have over 1/4 tank before refueling

^ Then you're lucky or aren't running it very hard. I've seen every 8 in the old Koni series have fuel starvation issues, from Team MER to Speedsource. The entire fuel system is crap from a racing standpoint. Saddle back fuel tanks are crap needless to say that doesn't help the issue at all.

Upgrading the pump will help also look into fitting an auxiliary pump in the passenger side of the tank. I know a few teams that have done this with amazing results. Try to get a hold of Eric Meyer as well, I'm sure he has tons of insight as he has built a couple Grand-Am ST 8's and a Speed WC 8. ;)