vacuum leak, help?
 

Hey guys, it's my first thread. But ever since i got the 8 the CEL was on. I got it checked and the code they gave me said it was a vacuum leak. I took it to my mechanic and he said he couldn't find it. The car runs good, the breaks need bleeding, someone said it is cuz of the vacuum leak. Anyways, there's times where the idle drops a little and the car shakes, also there's like a whistle sound once i get to a point on the throttle peddle. I have a AEM cold air installed, but it still did it with the factory filter. Any help? I'm still blind on the rotary engine. Thanks guys!

I have the same whistle at maybe ~5% throttle. I also have idle issues. If the brakes need bleeding, it has nothing to do with a vacuum leak.

What's the code causing the CEL? Sounds like whoever scanned it gave you their opinion instead of usefull information. Maybe a vacuum leak could cause whatever code they read but it could be other things as well. Have them give you the code number.

Yea the whistle sound comes about that certain area. And i just got it read in auto zone and they said vacuum leak. But I'll get the code today and I'll post it.

I got the code. It used to read vacuum leak, now it's random misfires. The code is p0300.

That's what I figured it was.

The whistle at part throttle is just air in the throttle body. You may hear yet another whistle at closed throttle which is the jet tubes and is normal. First thing I'd look at for missfires is the plugs. Check the color too. That will tell you a lot. Others here will recomend the regiment of rotary rigmarole required to run rev and resist random missfires.

Well the car was rebuilt die to a small accident. So since i got it had it. I accidentally flooded the rotary cuz i didn't know. But the dealer said that they changed the spark plugs and wires. But i should check then anyways? And also when i start out, it like struggles a little but still starts.

When was the last time the coils were replaced?

Stop taking it to the dealer if you can, you will get horribly ripped off. Plugs wires and coils can be done relatively cheap yourself and they are also very easy to change. A dealer will charge you a lot of money for the parts and install.

It's the only time i took it. I didn't had the acc on here by then and i didn't know what was going on. And coils, i haven't checked them. And the dealer didn't do that either.

I got the cel checked again, now it read the code p2259 with p0300. Any suggestions?? The guy said it could be coils if i haven't replaced them.

Replace the coils, plugs, wires.
Misfires ,p0300, are usually do to worn out ignition systems.
At least from what I understand. :)

Well i just replaced the coils. Would i have to replace the wires and the plugs as well? The plus and wires were done by the dealer almost a year ago.

If you had a bad coil causing a misfire, you could have fouled/dirty plugs as well. 1yr old wires should be fine.

Check the VFAD nipple under the upper intake manifold near the throttle body. When you installed the intake that nipple needs to be capped off or it will cause a vacuum leak

I haven't checked that. Like i said, i got it with the CEL. But I'll check for that tomorrow. And i was looking at a diagram that came with the intake, and it shows a hose running through the front of the throttle body and i have a feeling like there's something missing.

I can't find a nipple that's sitting without a plug or cap.

best way to find a vac leak is to do an evap test (i think its called). you use a machine to fill the intake with smoke and look for the leak with a flashlight. i found one of the caps on my lim service ports had a crack in it. i would have not noticed w/o the smoke.

Well i looked for that vfad nipple and i don't have one. There's no hole either where it should be. And where can i get that test at? Just any mechanic shop? Haha sorry for all the questions and this shit, i just want to get rid of that light.

not all shops have this machine. there are otherways to check for vac leaks. what do you mean you dont have a vfad nipple? is your car an auto? recheck the couplers on the aem

Yea, the car is auto. And i don't think it's the couplers cuz it had the light on even with the oem filter. But i never felt comfortable with one of the coupler cuz it slides in instead of going over for a secure fit.

iirc, the autos at least 04/05 didnt have a vfad. im not sure what you mean about the couplers. could you post a pic?

Idk how to post the pic it's asking for a URL. But before the pipe goes through the frame (the one that bends) the coupler that goes to that one goes inside the pipe, not on top.

Make a photobucket account ^_^
Hmm, how many miles have you put on the car within the last year? (since the plugs/wires were replaced?)

Based on the info you provide your problem is a p0300 which could be taken care off by changing coils, plugs, and wires something you have already done. Your second code p2259 has to do with your secondary air valve solenoid located behind the throttle body.

What makes you believe that you have a vacuum leak? The whistle sound could be due to your AEM intake or a failing air pump (hard to tell though without a sound clip). When you say unstable idle, what exactly do you mean (rotaries do have a small rpm fluctuation when idling)? Unstable idle could be caused by a bunch of different factors including fouled plugs, dirty maf, dirty ess, bad motor mounts, etc... Based on the info you provide I am not convinced that a vacuum leak is your issue.

How many miles you have on your car? What year is it?

I've put approximately.... 15,000 more i think.

And i have 71,9xx on it right now. I got it with a little over 49xxx. And it's an 04. Majority of them are hwy miles.

Attachment 228623

That's what i was talking about with the coupler going inside instead of going over.

That's really weird^ There should be a bump coupler their and it should be connecting the piping from the outside.

And the VFAD nipple is right under the upper intake manifold to the right of the throttle body. There might be black tubing still connected to it if you didnt delete your VFAD yet.

Yea that's what i was thinking. I had called the place but they said that's the way it's suppose to go. But i bought new NGK plugs as well, i installed the coils yesterday. And what are some good wires (not too extreme)? And what are the proper size for the plugs and the torque for then to be adjusted?

Attachment 228618

See no VFAD. Haha, is that bad?

Automatic 04's did not come with VFAD, it seems fine, BUT your intake should have an outer coupler on it, why is it tucked inside?!

Idk why it's tucked in. That's what it came with when i ordered it from AEM. I had called and they toldmethat's how it suppose to go, bit the person who answered didn't seem too sure about his answer. Should i change it?

I bet your issue is the way the intake is installed. Looks terrible:) Take it apart and reinstall it. Also make sure that all the screens (inside the intake) are placed correctly. I don't even know how the installer was able to put the coupler inside the tube. As far as plug wires you can use OEM (NGK)

Lol thanks bro xD i installed it :P but that was the only way that coupler would go on. But i don't mind redoing it haha. And i doubt it cuz even with the factory filter it had the code. And can you tell me torque required for the plug and the gap?

You can torque the spark plugs hand tight with the socket then a half turn after that.. Their already pre-gapped. No need to gap them.

Hope you have your flame suit ready. haha, always double check the gap on plugs. Those boxes get tossed around everywhere, and those tangs can easy get bent and need re-gapped.

I have had misfires from plugs that were incorrectly gapped. Pulled them, re-gapped them, re-installed. No more misfires. It turns out to be pretty critical with this car.

I installed mine with the factory pre-gap.. Not a misfire in over 4k miles since my last tune up :dunno:

Well just in case, what would the gap be?

Dude the way you have installed the intake is wrong. The coupler you have at the bottom needs to go at the throttle body. The one you currently have at your throttle body needs to go at the bottom. Couplers are not supposed to go inside the tubes...I am still pretty sure that this is your issue.

It is? That's what the instruction told me how it went. I still have the box with the instruction, I'll take a look at it once i get home. And i fixed the coupler on the bottom, may still be wrong but i put it overlapping the pipe. But I'll check the instructions again. Haha, sorry if I'm being annoying man xD

Nvm, you're right. I got those couplers backwards! Time to change them.

Switched them, made sure everything was secure. CEL still came back on. Looks like I'll be doing the waiting game for the wires to come in, then doing the job.

Your p2259 code is not going to go away until you take care of the solenoid (it might need to be replaced or cleaned). You do not have to worry much about it as it only works during warm up. Many people including myself have ignored this code with no issues. I had this code for about two years. I decided to replace the solenoid as I moved in a state with emissions testing:(

As far as p0300, as I told you before you need to make sure your ignition is good. Test the coils and inspect the plugs. I would also clean the maf, ess, reset ess, and also check your cat.

Well so far, the p0300 is gone, i got it checked twice today at auto zone and out came back two p2259. I cleaned the MAF, when i changed the couplers and it was dirty. And that sensor you're telling me about, is that the purge selinoid valve?

Read this thread for locating and cleaning ess: https://www.rx8club.com/tech-garage-...eaning-206687/
You do not have to take it out to clean it. Just swipe it with a cloth. To reset it, turn your key to the "on position" and pump your brake 20 times really fast (it needs to be done within 8 seconds). You should see your gauges move.

As far as your p2259 here is some info: https://www.rx8club.com/trouble-shoo...lenoid-171612/
This code is not a big deal, as the solenoid and air pump only work when the car is warming up. You should avoid though warming up the car idling. After your rpms drop a bit just drive it gently. The solenoid is behind the throttle body. Some people including my wife are able to reach it without taking anything apart. To change the solenoid you just need to take the upper intake manifold out of the way. Read the thread above and you should have some good info around it.

Thanks man! I'll check both of then once i get the chance. I'll clean the ESS and I'll see what effects it has. Also on the way to work, i usually redline it and i noticed that by like 3rd gear (auto) it had trouble getting to 6k and i felt it just lose power completely. This is like the 4th time it's done it. Any ideas??

Most likely it is your ignition, cat, or fuel pump. Please check your ignition (inspect the plugs and test the coils). Ignition components in our car last around 25k to 30k miles. I know you said that your coils have 15k miles and the plugs are new but that does not rule out the fact that your coils (or some of them) might be shot.

I would also check the cat (do this immediately as it is super bad to run the car with a clogged cat). There are a few different ways to do that. After driving the car hard for a bit look underneath the car. If the cat glows red you got a cat issue (you got to do this in a complete dark area or else you wont see any glow). You could also pull the cat out and see how it looks inside. If the material is melted or has holes, cat is bad. You could also use a flashlight and see if the light goes through the other side.

FYI cats have an 8 year/80k mile warranty. I think you said somewhere your car has 72k miles. So if you are still in the 8 year period, take it to a dealer and tell them to inspect visually your cat. If they tell you they can run a test and see if the cat is within specs tell them that you also want a visual inspection of the cat. Sometimes cats pass the test although they are bad...Maybe they could also test your coils and let you know if they are good or need to be replaced.

Well coils are new i changed them like 3 days ago, I'm waiting on the wires to change the plugs and wires. And yea i have 71,xxx but the dealer said any kind of warranty the car had it's void because it's a blue title rebuild. And once i clean the ESS, change my plus and wires. I'll run it hard to see what it does and then I'll look underneath to see if it's glowing. And I've put a towel on each exhaust tip and there's a good constant flow.

That's the buzzing sound, and at like 6500 rpm i lose power. And i tab out hard a before this vid, and checked the catty to see if it was glowing red, but it wasn't. It was a little red from what i saw tho.

And this morning it was working perfect, better than before cuz i slightly cleaned the ess. I reached 115 mph on 3rd. Now I'm hitting around 97 again.