My wife drove the car last night to work ran fine then when she was leaving it started right up but ran really rough. The cel was flashing ,she said it sounded like a lawnmower , As she attempted to drive it home sometimes it would run fine then real rough with a loss of power. so this afternoon i started it up it started and ran fine for about 2 min then it bogged down and ran rough again . as i proceeded to drive it around the block same symptoms as the wife power then no power it was real jerky . I put in some plugs but it didn't do anything , the cel flashed 2 times then went solid ,
Is there a way to check the engine codes without a scanner cause i don't want to drive it anymore than i have to any idea or suggestions on how to diagnose this would be appreciated .Oh some infor on the car its an 04 with 47 k miles 6spd thanks in advance

 

Really need to get the code read.......most Autozones read them for free, but make sure they have a CAN scanner(might want to call them first). At this point, I would guess coils need to be replaced. They are cheap IMO, and I'd probably do the plug wires at the same time. After that......it gets way more expensive and bad news(CAT, Carbon build-up, etc.), so try to get that code read and then jump back on here and tell us what it is.

Coils...see http://www.finishlineperformance.com...me.php?cat=273 as one source, you might find cheaper, but you'll get these very quickly.

Plug wires can be found on the next page(page 2) of the link I gave you....unless you want to get some better ones.

 

sounds like your car is constipated, my car was at 59K when I needed a new cat; that may be it. PS- a flashing cel usually means misfire which I got when my cat failed and I needed new plugs and coils (all in one shot, that was a fun bill)

 

^^ I like ur subwoofer, had that Idea also -- how much trouble was it?

 

It was actually really easy; I just used a dremel and a drill. I took a risk with the 10" sub but it wound up fitting , PM if you need help doing it.

 

Where's that pic of the one that someone did as an "eight" symbol. That was pretty cool.....I'll see if I can locate it.

 

Well i just drove it to the dealer to drop it off and did notice one more thing the cat and the muffler and the pipes in between were a nice orange color almost like i had neon lights so my guess is the cat is bad will find out tomorrow

 

booyah! Who called it

 

Well the results are in turns out the dealer says it was 2 bad coils and that the unburnt fuel was causing the nice glow , Well thats what they say i will find out once i pick it up and drive it

 

I would...and I could.........but I won't!

 

I fail.

 

Naw.....we both had it.

 

do I have a bad engine?
well imma start by saying that Im getting 5.7mpg , exhaut leak I believe.
Okay so here comes the interesting part it happens every time I get out of the highway. So after getting out of the highway (15min ride to a town near by). My exhaust made a mute sound and it was kinda of stuck at 3,000rpm, I had to put the pedal to the medal to get it to come back alive.

 

^..............Think you have a seriously clogged CAT perhaps. Do some searches on clogged CAT and see the symptoms. Is it glowing red when you get done driving? Becareful if you decide to check......it's hot as hell fire under there anyway.
How many miles on your car? Getting a CEL? Need more input...................but that has to be about the worst ever mileage I've heard. How long has it been doing this?

 

Agreed, my worst even with the clogged cat was in the 10-11mpg range.

Are you losing power?

 

when my cat clogged, 60k, i had noticeable power loss and a cel. no change in o2 levels between front and rear sensors and a drop in mpg of 2 to 3. How long are you guys allowing these changes in driving habits to go on, or driving with a cel? The cat's are covered for 8 years and 80,000 miles from the US government. Take it to the dealer and have them fix it.

 

CEL:None
Mileage:77536
Power Loss: Well I never drove an AT Rx8 before,but I hope I have power loss because my friends Cobalt LS is faster than my 8, this includes low end take off, and high speed take off
Last time I looked under the car it was after a 10min drive on the highway, the cat wasnt glowing red but it was day time. This problem has been going on since I bought the car like 4 months tops. The passenger side of the car makes a hissing noise, thats why I thought it could be a exhaust leak.

 

Hey guys whats up?
I took my baby to the dealer yesterday and I got a call today and it turns out that it wasnt the cat... Rotor#2 has low compression, but they do not know if its a result of Carbon Buildup or something is just wrong with the engine.. Hopefully ill have more news tomorrow...
looks like im joining the new engine club.