Fuel Starvation, Bad BHR Coils, Spark Plugs
 

Year: 2004
Make: Mazda
Model: Rx8
Mileage: 93,xxx Chassis
40,xxx? 2nd Engine
Trans: Manual 6 Speed
Color: VR
Mods: AEM CAI, BHR Ignition Upgrade, Turbo XS Catback with Racepipe, COBB AP w/ MM Tune, Oil Catch Can, ACT HD Clutch, Stance Coilover, AgencyPower SS brake/clutch lines, Work Emotion CR Kai 17x9, Direzza Star Spec 255/40/17, Stoptech Pads.

Here is a little background of what has happened that may have let to this. Back on July 20th my car was parked in a parking lot, well short version parking lot flooded from rain, and the rain water flooded into my car. Water was up to the bottom of my seats inside. Sucked most the water out and let insurance take car of the damage. Got my car back a month later with not everything fixed. My door ajar light remains on all the time, and since that is on my car alarm no longer works and my interior door lights remain on while driving. My stock stereo skips CDs now, my keyless entry doesn't work at all, and yes I replaced the battery in the key fob to check. Well I had to get it back due to me having to drive it from VA where the flooding happened all the way to KS, where I am at now.

On my way back when I hit St Louis area I was about at a 1/4 tank of gas. I was stuck in heavy traffic on the Interstate at stop and go speeds (5mph) for about 30 minutes. Ambient temps were at 100+ and humidity was pretty high. I noticed my car starting to chug a little when I would give it too much gas so I was worried I was running low on fuel. Well when the road opened up a little I went to take off and the car fell flat on its face. Chugged almost like fuel cut and then died. I was pretty pissed. It wouldn't start I was in the middle of the interstate in St. Louis and thought I ran out of gas, flooded it, something. Well I jumped out real quick popped the hood open and didn't smell or notice anything really. Made sure there were no vacuum leaks and that all my plug wires were fine. Jumped back in and tried starting it a couple more times. Nothing happened. Finally just let it sit for a second with the fans running and she finally started. I kept the rpms up cause I didn't want it to die on me again. I made it to the gas station and filled up.

I made it to Kansas without any other problems. Did a oil change and rear diff fluid change. A couple days went by then on my way home from work this time with over a half a tank it did it again but didn't die. Temps this time are 90+ F. It ruled out the low fuel having anything to do with it. I played around driving trying to troubleshoot when it did it and how. Basically under loaded throttle meaning moving in gear with some gas. It chugs and struggles again like fuel cut then just wouldn't go anywhere. When I got back to the place I am staying in KS I grabbed my seafoam bottle that I was going to use anyways and seafoamed it in a rage cause I know it has got to be something fuel or spark related. It only does it when ambient temps are above 85 and car is completely warmed up.

Well after the seafoam it didn't do it again until today. 88 F ambient temps and car was warmed up. I was on the interstate again cruising and got on it in 4th gear just a little like 25% throttle and it chugged on me. Really this is starting to irritate me cause I have a 1300 mile road trip I am doing on Friday and I don't want to get stuck anywhere. On my way back home today I data logged it and took a video. I will post the video up for you to see what it is doing, and if anyone wants to look at the data log and figure it out for me I will send it to them. I stopped by the store and grabbed new spark plugs cause I don't have the time to figure out what is going on much. I will change the plugs out tomorrow. It has only been about 4k miles since last plug change. I am hoping my BHR Coils or wires aren't going out and really hoping it is just bad plugs from the flooding. Anyways I premix on top of stock OMP with IDEMITSU. I seafoam about every 6-9K miles depending on the type of driving. Oil changes 3k religiously with Castrol GTX 10w-30.

I searched around on the forum but don't want to sit and read long threads yes cause I am lazy at times, or they didn't help me much cause it was pertaining to stock coils and wires going bad. So if you think it may just be my plugs then tell me and raise my spirits. As I said before I will be changing them out regardless tomorrow and will update this if it is the problem, if it isn't I hope that someone else chimes in with another quick solution as I am driving home to Idaho from Kansas Friday.

Video

2nd gear 75% throttle
88 Degrees F

http://s29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...t=IMG_1503.mp4

If I missed any info that you may want or need let me know.

Thanks

Trevor

A few things come to mind, not necessarily all of them are an issue, but things to consider/check.

- flooding (with water) is going to cause corrosion problems. Primarily around electrical points where the current accelerated the process (batteries work on controlled corrosion after all). Grounding points are REALLY susceptible to this as they usually has the least shielding/coating/protection(for a reason). Check the engine block grounds. If you can, run a new ground from the block (anywhere you can find solid) directly to the negative on the battery. It will bypass a problem if your problem is an engine ground, until you can adress it. I'd leave the ground there anyway,for the trip, just in case. No harm and might save you.

- after my miata's most recent engine change, it was acting that EXACT same way. Turned out to be a fraying wp/alt belt. The frayed end was hitting the crank shaft sensor and interrupting the ignition and fuel very momentarily and seemingly at random as the fray would get longer until the css cut it off.

I doubt it's plugs, seems like fuel/spark interruption.

sounds like a failing fuel pump. I haven't had one die in my 8, but every other car I've owned that has needed one had it start cutting out once hot. I believe that's a common symptom for the 8 as well.

As pearl said, it could be corrosion somewhere and it's an easier/cheaper place to start. With the flood damage and the other issues you're having, I'd start there then move to the fp.

Ya I wasn't sure if it could be a ground issue or not and I figured it may be a corrosion problem in the plug side of the wires. I will check the grounds too though. There was a lot of water deposit in the engine bay when I got the car back that I really need to clean up but don't have the time or place to do it right now. I will check the grounds though tomorrow while I am at it and clean them up as best as possible.
Do you think it could be the coils at all? I mean there is some deposits on them with minor surface rust that wasn't there before the flooding.

Ya when I searched a lot of FP stuff came up too but was more talked about in regards to vapor locking and I know that wouldn't be the case cause it is submerged in-tank and that the pressure is much too high for it to vapor lock or anything...What about fuel injectors? I haven't had them cleaned at all, just run fuel system/injector treatment through every 6 months or so.

Usually a car flooded that high is a writeoff....take it back to the ins company and tell them you are having issues and get them fixed :)

The same thing happened to me when I went to the Daytona 24hr in Florida. I got nearly to Jacksonville and the car started cutting out at expressway speeds. Further south, I could bearly make it up hills. The car would buck going up when I tried to apply more gas peddle. My speed was reduced to 45 mph at the top of the hill.
After exploring a few other options, I had a 1/4 tank of gas so, I filled it up. No more problems. The fuel pump was over heating in the warmer climate (south of Georgia). I kept the tank near full the rest of the time until I got a little back north and into the colder weather.
I then went to BHR for their pump conversion.

Hmm, The weird thing is though is that I had a full tank on the most recent occasion. The video I posted my fuel is nearly full. That is why I don't think it is the fuel pump, cause it does it at any fuel level, but it sounds exactly like what is going on with me..

Could be that the fuel isn't keeping the pump cool any more, and it's failing anyway?

Maybe corrosion on the pump's wiring?

With water damage it's hard to say what it is because it could be many things relating to the electrical system, sensors, etc. It could also just be the fuel pump but without a fuel pressure gauge it would be hard to diagnose. If I were you I would just replace the pump to rule it out.

But Dan is right, typically a flooding like you described is a write off due to the amount of unknown damage. Issues from the flooding could arise for years to come. I have a flooded R3 in my driveway that Hoss-05 bought cheap that was flooded about the same as yours and we cannot get it started even though it was running fine after the flooding for a period of time. We are narrowing down the issues and should get it running soon but it has been a bitch going through everything one connector, sensor, module, and ground at a time.

Flooded cars are always a nightmare. I worked at a shop near the Mississippi after one of the years it flooded. Every one of those cars came back every few months with a different intermittent problem that we would solve until it returned. Everybody involved grew frustrated and some of the insurance companies would no longer deal with it after a period of time.

Flooded cars are usually best considered totaled. The only car that usually comes out well is one obsessed over or a classic that has been sitting in someone's barn. Sorry

Well I decided that I won't change the plugs till I get home. I looked at the grounds I could without taking anything off and they all seem fine. I drove it around this morning at ambient temps of around 65-70 Degrees F. Pulled hard with no problems. So when I get home I will just look it over myself and if I still can't figure it out then I will call my insurance co. The claim on my car is lifetime and I have a really great insurance company. I have to call them anyways about my door ajar light and keyless entry not working anyways. One thing I hate digging into myself is electrical issues. Especially since I leave for Korea in less than a month.

Good luck to you, sir. Sounds like it didn't go totally under so it may work out. The one that haunts my sleeping hours me was a Mercury cougar that went totally under. I saw it numerous times over 2 years and replaced every bit of wiring harness in that car and it was never right. That little old lady refused to ever drive a different car.

Yeah it's tough because most dealerships won't actually troubleshoot each electrical issue because it is so time intensive, they just throw parts at it.

I always threw parts after too many electrical issues.

What a loose negative battery terminal cause the car to cut out and die? Because it just died on me on the way back home and I pulled over the rest up and touch the negative terminal and it happened to be lose and it kind of makes sense that when it only warms up it does it because then and terminal expands what you guys think

That would do it for sure.

That would be a huge relief. I am gonna stop at the next parts store.

Bad grounds can cause all sorts of funky issues. That is why you should never let get corrosion out of hand because then most people just clean the connectors when in fact the corrosion has worked its way down the wire where it is hidden.

Ya it wasn't corroded at all. Just loose at fuck from heat expansion. And it is tight all the way so just gotta get a new clamp

Well that wasn't the issue. New terminal and still doing it. Might just wait to drive till night.

Fixed.
Bad Fuel Pump.

What fuel pump did you go with?

oem

Old post I know, but Im assuming mine is a fuel pump issue as well but maybe its in the early stages of dieing? Sometimes it just feels like it bogs down and more pedal gets me nowhere faster.