RX8Club.com - Is My Starter Not Disengaging? Hot Start Issues [Video]

RX8Club.com (https://www.rx8club.com/)

- Series I Trouble Shooting (https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/)

- - Is My Starter Not Disengaging? Hot Start Issues [Video] (https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/my-starter-not-disengaging-hot-start-issues-%5Bvideo%5D-263896/)

Update: Hot Start Issues/Dying at Idle and Won't Restart

Quote:

So I've just swapped my engine from my old 8 to one in better condition. It ran fine in the old car and fired up no problem. When I put the engine in the new 8, I added an RB dual resonator, BHR ignition kit and I've just changed the spark plugs and put in the upgraded starter from the old car this weekend.

Ever since the first hot start, it's taken a little extra long to start up. This was with the old starter in it. With the updated starter, I have no idea what it does because it's making an odd noise after startup - a whirring, akin to straight cut gears which I can only assume is the starter not disengaging - and is slow to crank/will not crank at all if shut off. I assume this is because the starter is overheated or something - it was bench tested at AutoZone today four times and fired up 3/4 so I'm fairly certain the starter isn't totally bad yet.

Here's the video of the issue: https://youtu.be/6cCiJhtfv-w

If you can hear, the whirring is relative to RPM.

I shut the car off after that video and it cranked, but only very slowly and would not start. I ran it for probably 20 minutes at idle and drove it for a minute around the parking lot it's currently sitting in.

The only other variable I can think of is the plugs - they're NGK iridium but the wires seem to stick out farther than the OEM ones. I have no idea if this is usual or not but they're on, I pushed very hard on them to make sure when I changed the plugs.

Any ideas on my noise/starting issue? 2004 6MT, body has 101k miles, engine has 53k. I'd like to get it out of the parking lot ASAP.

Update: Car runs but will now intermittently cut out at idle. Idle is kind of rough when there's load on - heat, heated seats, etc. Found a ton of oil in the intake from an oil cooler hose leak and I also assume the throttle body but it's hard to tell. I sprayed an entire can of throttle body/intake cleaner and cleaned the MAF. There's still residual oil in the intake.

I can rev it at idle, coming to a stop, heat on, but if I catch it at the right spot and apply throttle, it won't catch idle and will die out and won't start up.

I have yet to test compression but I've taken care of it and it only has 55k miles on it. Again, it was not doing this before I swapped it into the new shell. The only variables are the coil packs and the ECU, really.

I'm beyond stumped.

Edit: I've just unplugged the MAF and idle smoothed right out. Bad MAF sensor?

Did you bring the battery over from the old car? That's another variable that could be in play. But, if you say the starter worked 3/4 times at AutoZone, that's not a great sign. It should work 100/100.

There is really only one kind of plugs for these cars. If they're RX8 plugs they should sit exactly like thry did in the old car.

When you push the plug wires on, if you wiggle them left and right slightly, you should be able to feel the metal contacts inside the wires against the metal on the ends of the spark plugs. If it just feels rubbery, they may not be fully seated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loki (Post 4791671)

I did bring the battery over, but never had any issues with it prior to this.

@Gummy the wires are fully seated then.

Bump.

Replaced fuel pump with a 255lph unit today. Car still dies at idle. New starter does not make the same noise as the old one, so that issue is solved.

I'm beginning to think it's the BHR coils. Somebody else recently had an issue with them and they're the only variable I can think of that wasn't on the old car. I have the OEM coils and may go back to them, but it's blowing wind and beginning to snow outside.

I've been without the car for almost two weeks now and need it to get to work and such. If anyone's got any ideas, please let me know. No CEL is being thrown, no rough idle, no bad smell aside from being catless. Car just starts up, warms up, gets to temp and will die right out at idle if off throttle. I haven't checked the intake for vacuum hoses yet but they were all on prior to finishing up the swap.

It only dies after you let go of the accelerator, but it doesn't die on start? That doesn't make sense. Fuel pump issue I bet. (just saw you replaced it).

I would double check your spark plugs, make sure they are in the correct spots, they are specifically marked for what port they go in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesD31 (Post 4792961)

I made sure when I replaced them to do them in pairs. Leading on the bottom, trailing on the top of I'm not mistaken. Regardless I replaced them with the same marked plugs as I pulled out.