wont start after work on door
 

My son has a 2004 RX8 (manual trans with 76K miles) where the interior drivers door handle stopped working. Was running fine to that point. It took several days to fix, and when finished, the car wouldn't start.

(I'll follow up with a separate post on the door handle. I'm most interested in getting the car started now.)

[Brain cramp admission] One corner we cut was in not disconnecting the battery before disassembly. I figured we had drained the battery, but I couldn't jump it, and even replacing the battery didn't help. The starter turns the engine over, but it doesn't sound like it even wants to start.

After reading the forum, I next thought that the engine was flooded. Tried pulling the fuel pump fuse and cranked it several times for 10 secs each time. Tried on a couple different days. That also didn't have any positive affect.

The one last clue is a whine that comes from the ignition when the key is in the on position. I know it's the ignition because it stops when I pull the ignition relay in the fuse box. I don't know if the whine is normal, but there is also a little crackling sound in the whine every now and then.

Any ideas on what the problem might be, how to diagnose, and, most important, how to fix it?

Check all your fuses. Does the anti theft light stay on? The alarm arm/disarm wire is in that kick panel.

2004 Mazda RX8 Alarm/remote start request

At 65K my car ran fine on a Friday and would not start on a Sunday. That week Mazda ordered my new engine, pcm and cat. Just under the 8 yr warranty for my 2004.

thanks
 

Thanks for the tip, Silver. I'm on a road trip for the next week, but will check it as soon as I get home.

Good luck with your new engine. It's nice you get to hit the reset on your engine seal lifespan.

Check your wires for proper connection to the coils and plugs themselves. As for it being flooded, I would recommend pull-starting it (There are tow hooks in the back, they can be put in the front or back bumper).

I had to pull-start mine twice now (damn winter killing battery/trickle charger not working). Just go around 35ish KM/H or 20MPH rolling, then put it in second gear and let off the clutch. Might take a few attempts doing this, but it should start. You can expect to see some smoke pour out once it does ;)

Let us know how things go.

fixed?
 

Thanks for the tips. The alarm sounded promising, but turn out not the be the problem. Here's what finally happened, though I can't explain the "why" behind it.

Initially I was only cranking the starter for 10 seconds as the owner's manual advises. I eventually started cranking for 15-20 seconds at a time (out of desperation), with a half minute pause between. The battery was new, so I wasn't too worried about draining it. After a couple long cranks, I could hear the engine start to catch a little. A few more long cranks and it caught, roughly at first, then smoothed out a little.

I started driving gently to charge the battery, clear the engine and keep it running. After a minute or so it was driving as good as new, and it's been fine since. Starts right up.

I wish I could explain the mechanics of what went wrong and/or the "fix", but I don't have a clue. Hopefully the info will help the next poor slob anyway.

welcome to the rotary! you were flooded.