Please help! Rx8 smoking and barely running!
 

I bought a 2004 rx8 auto 125k yesterday at a dealer auction that was a repo. When I started the car it was very hard to start and when it did it smoked like a insect sprayer truck and it misses like crazy! I have Toledo giving it gas just to keep it running. The smoke is white with blue tint maybe but it's not burning antifreeze it's burning oil like crazy. The check engine light is on so I put it on my scanner and the codes are P0031 and P0661? The previous owner just had the oil change according to the oil change sticker and it looks like it has new plugs. I checked the coil packs and they seen to be working. The oil also has a slight gas smell to it. Is there anything that could go bad that would pour oil into engine? Maybe a oil injector stuck open or would the ssv valve cause that? Please help! Any help is greatly appreciated!

M8 im new here too but u know if u search u will find!!!

I've used the search but found nothing with the same. Every post on here that involves smoking is from leaking antifreeze. My car is not burning antifreeze it's burning oil. Does anybody know if the SSS valve could cause this?

flooded

I thought when a car was flooded it won't start? My car starts every time it's just hard to start. U have to crank it over and over then keep hitting the gas to keep it running and it misses like crazy, sounds like popcorn and smokes like a fog machine! I'll try the deflooding procedure today and see what happens. Also just found out the air filter and mag screen is very dirty.

Does anybody know if the 02 censor code could cause this or maybe the ssv is completely stuck?

Just def odder the engine it smoked like crazy for about 2min then it cleared up mostly. It still smokes every time u crank it up and it missesnlike crazy and backfires a few times? It spits and sputters and sounds like crap but it will rev all the way to red.ine missing like hell! Also I cleaned the ssv plug and switched it to the air solenoid but made no difference? Going to pick up coils and plugs now from parts store. I think its running on one rotor but it's backfiring bc the other rotor is trying to fire? Someone please help!

test your plugs and coils, and replace if necessary.

Did you reset the NVRAM after cleaning your ess? (turn car to on position- don't start- and pump brake 20ish times in 8 sec, or until oil gauge sweeps)

Whats the ess? All I did was unplug the ssv electrical plug and plug it into the air pump solenoid to bypass it. I'm beginning to think the engine is junk!

Simple tests. Before you spend a lot of money.
Disconnect the ESS. Pull the front leading spark plug. Get in the car and crank the engine. You should hear smooth rhythmic pulses from the engine. poof poof poof poof poof. If you hear poof, poof, shit, poof, poof, shit.
Then you need a new engine. Put the front plug back in. Repeat on the rear sparkplug if the front sounds smooth.
If that test sounds good. Then do a check on the coolant tank. Look for bubbles in the overflow tank while it's running. Be careful it's hot!
Now if it passes those two simple tests, then chances are your engine is OK. Now replace coils, wires and plugs.

Poof poof shit ;) LOL That made my day :)

^....................ha ha ha :) poof, poof, shit, poof, poof.

Made my day as well!

Thanks guys for all the help! I'm going to try the blown engine test in morning before I put $200 worth of coils and plugs on that I just picked up from auto part store. I've owned to many cars to count and I've never seen a car run this shi**y! It won't even idle soon as u let off the gas it stalls. I'll try the test in the morning and update the post!

Ah I misread what you were saying. I thought you said ess (eccentric shaft sensor), but you said ssv- which are completely different things!

Have you had the battery disconnected at all? If so, the car will need to relearn the fuel trims, which could be giving you bad idle.
Just to make sure, try cleaning your MAF and ESS sensors, then reset the NVRAM. That could help your idle

loved it

Did the test and it sound the same on both sides but the back leading plug has oil on it? What does unplugging the ess do when doing this test?

Keeps the car from firing and injecting fuel ;)

Just pulled the plugs and they were in complete opposite! Took plugs out and front rotor is pushing a lot of air pressure out plug holes. Back rotor is pushing little to no air out which means there's no compression right? Looks like I'm going to have a rx8 for sale!

That's what scared pussies do.
Just rebuild the darn thing and enjoy the ride!

Is there anything that could cause the back rotor to not push air out the plug holes, other than something major like seals inside motor? Someone before me obviously didn't know what they were doing as they put the plugs in completely wrong. I've been cranking and running it with the plugs in wrong could that of blown the rear rotor seals?

Anything else I could check before I have to install new engine? If the car doesn't sell in a few days I have a 500hp ls6 just laying around and hinson has a mounting kit on there website for $1200!

buh-bye ...