Hi,

I successfully flooded my 2009 RX8 2 days ago.
I still am following some steps found on internet to make the car start again (removing fuel pump fuze, or push throttle while cranking). Looks like it takes time to succeed.

My concerns is about the sparks plugs and the starter.

After a flooded engine, do I need to replace the Sparks ?
Do I need to add anything in the engine to clean the mess ? (like WD40, etc)

I keep cranking for 5 to 10 sec every 20 sec interval, am I damaging the starter ?

Thanks for your help

 

You could try replacing the spark plugs in order to make it easier to start the car, but if you can get it started on the current spark plugs, you should be fine afterwards.

BC.

 

You can take the plugs out and let them dry for a while. And no don't put anything in the engine.

 

This is the first account I've seen of a series-2 car flooding. So, a few questions:

-Under what circumstances did it flood (conditions, sequence of events)?
-How many miles on the car?
-Maintenance history (plugs, coils, wires,etc.)

I'm wondering if something else is going on here....

 

+1.

 

Hi,

So yesterday I successfully make the car start again.

This is a 2009 automatic with about 49K miles.
Oil change made 1K miles ago.

This is how it happened,
- Sunday I cleaned my car
Like usual, for some reasons, after putting that kind of water on the wheels, the break pads stick on the break rotors. So on the first movement of the car we can hear a 'CLACK' (not a big deal though)
- On monday I start the car, right away I put the 'R' mode, the break pads still sticking on the rotors, the engine stopped by itself (usually it doesnt)
- And then the engine couldn't start again.

 

Hrmm, strange. I have on numerous occasions turned on my car to immediately turn it back off and never had a flooding issue, or even an issue with the car struggling to start.

Any codes thrown by the ECU?

 

Very curious to see if anyone else experiences flooding on a series 2, I have a 2011 VR R3. I daily drive it, even in snowy winters, but it only has 11k miles on it with no trouble yet.

 

It really is the 1st time it gets flooded.

Numerous time before I just started the car to move it 5 feet away out of the garage to wash it outside, then restart it again to put the car back to the garage... Oh.. wait...

It must be it,
- On sunday I started the car to move it just out of the garage to wash it (basically 10 sec engine running).
- After washing I started the car to move it back to the garage.
- On monday I start the car, the engine stalled 3 sec later because the break pads were sticking the break rotors.
- The engine is flooded after 3 shorts start-and-stop

So to conclude, don't exceed 2 start-and-stop without driving, on the 3rd start-and-stop it will start, on the 4th start it won't start.

 

I am confused on how your automatic stalled out in reverse due to brake pad sticking.

 

Good question.

It was only in R backward mode.
In forward driving mode no issue of stalling.

 

Just out of curiosity, does the car stall when driving in reverse? What about if you place wheel chocks behind the rear wheels (this would simulate the resistance of the brake pads sticking). It is suspect that your car stalled, and I am wondering if this is more of a transmission issue vs a flooding issue.

 

It was a flooding issue. After unflooding, the exhaust rejected a lot of white smoke, and during it was smelling gas.

I might have a transmission issue though, but why only in reverse ?

Also I have a problem with the shifter, I can shift down but shifting up doesnt work. I use the paddle shift on the wheel instead.
I got a diagnostic from Mazda, and a new shifter would cost me about $800, so for now I let it go.

Tonight I will try to block the rear wheels, but I dont see the point, the car stalled out, it will probably stall out again.

 

well it would further solidify that you are having transmission issues that eventually led to your flooding. Are you not under warranty?

 

No more warranty.
I will try to check that out then.

Thanks

 

Alright, I did the test, I put the 'R' backward mode on the shifter with the hand brake blocking the wheels.

The engine RPM reduced (we can hear in the noise that the engine is not in parking position for example), but it didn't stall.
Last time it stalled probably because the engine barely had the time to run and to evacuate the excess of fuel (I guess) from the 2 previous start-and-stop.

Thanks for the diagnostic !

 

STOP DOING THAT.

Drive your car.
Take it out and drive it.
Even once around your own block.

See those three lights on your dash?
Don't turn it off until at least that first one turns off.
That's what they're there for.

And you don't know why your car flooded...

BC.

 

What country do you live in?

BC.

 

I asked about maintenance history on your car. Is your oil change the ONLY maintenance ever done to the car? Have you done spark plugs / coils / wires yet?

How is the car normally driven? Short trips around town without high RPMs or occasional redline? Or, long distance highway trips ? Or ?

Water will NOT cause brake pads to stick to the rotors, unless the car was left sitting in a moist and/or salty environment for a very long time. The clack you noticed is likely the ABS system check routine, and should happen during the first few feet of any new trip.

Sticking brakes or parking brake or other barrier to movement generally will NOT cause an automatic to stall, as it contiuously slips via the fluid torque converter. Your stalling is symptomatic of some other issue, probably ignition system. I do not believe it is symptomatic of a brake or transmission issue.

Please give us more history on the car's maintenance and driving style.

 

Not true, my pads stick after washing the car if i park it with the ebrake on.

 

So, your rotors are rusting overnight from just washing the car? I haven't seen that...

 

Yea it gets some funky color on it after a good wash, like this : http://1.cdn.lib.americanmuscle.com/...h-guide-02.jpg

If I leave my Ebrake on over night, the pads stick and it takes a bit of acceleration to break free.

 

Yeah in 1 night the rotors get rusty on the surface.

 

California
Checking Mazda website I see "Basic Warranty 3 year / 36,000 miles"
I bought the car with a little bit more than 36K miles.

What don't you understand ?

 

I never said I don't know why my car flooded. Also I explained before why my car flooded.

I don't know the 3 lights you are talking about.