HI! New to the forum, but no to forums in general. I tried searching the forum for answers, and I got some, but some clarification would be awesome.

My mother in law has been having coolant leaks for awhile now, having her husband top it off. Couple of days ago she was outside in the Las Vegas heat, idling for longer than she really should of, with the a/c on. They came over, parked for a bit, then drove off. Find them on the side of the road after a call to me, the car died at a stop sign. Cranked it but could tell it wasn't getting fuel. I thought maybe it vapor-locked. So I topped off the coolant and sprayed a bit of carb cleaner into the intake and had her fire it up. Naturally, she red lined it

So get it to the house with the heater on, but not before it died a block away. Pushed it home, took covers and air box out and saw the infamous rotted nipple. I replaced the radiator without much issue, and it even started up fine and I ran it till I saw the fans come on. I wiped away an remaining carb cleaner from the intake, and guess what? It wont start So now I am led to believe it's flooded, has a fuel issue, or has lost compression. Any ideas on what things I should eliminate first as the cause?

Thanks in advance. And don't be to hard on me, I am just a backyard mechanic who worked in a shop for a few years and learned from the crappy vehicles I owned as a kid.

 

Engine > Troubleshooting.

M A Z D A

 

I tried posting there but since I am new it wouldn't let me? Thanks!

Turns out it was flooded. Thanks to anyone looking trying to help!

 

gotta be more specific, no start as in no crank? or cranks but doesn't fire.

 

Hmm maybe I wasn't clear enough. I did fire it up with carb cleaner to the intake, so it cranks. When I removed the residue in the intake it cranks, but won't start. I did the de flooding procedure and got it to start. I think they flooded it when it died on the side of the road. However it misses something fierce, I think she may have fouled the plugs and possibly blew the cat when she red lined it on start up

 

Go get the compression checked ASAP

 

Going to have to. Car started de flooding it but I think that was pure luck. Attempted starting it today. It cranks, gets fuel, gets spark, but only tries to actually turn over and just cranks again. The kicker, fuel vapor in the brand new radiator I just put in.... Sounds like a warped head or blown head gasket , so little to no compression, to me.

 

Impossible...

 

Wait, did I miss something? Since when did rotary engines have cylinder heads?


Sounds like you may have blown at least one of the coolant gaskets and you're getting fuel in your coolant and coolant in your combustion areas. If that's the case, the engine is toast and needs to be replaced. Remember that these engines are VERY sensitive to overheating, and, without coolant circulating, the heat produced by the engine has nowhere to go and things get warped out of shape, which usually leads to blown coolant seals.

And the most likely reason the car is not firing is because the spark plugs have coolant on them. Given what you've said, they may be swimming in the stuff.

 

Like I said be easy on me! Just a mechanically inclined guy, forgot about the no head,pistons,etc on rotaries, doh!!!
Always been a v8 and inline 6 guy. Remember, its not MY car, no way I'd allow myself to be that ignorant on rotary engines. Her husband is the one that allowed her to idle for hrs, with the a/c on, knowing they had a coolant leak somewhere, that apparantly Mazda was unable to find. Though I am skeptical of the latter.

I just know the basics don't change no matter the engine type, like how replace a radiator, and fuel vapor in your coolant is indicative of blown seals in the motor, and in all probablility a toasted motor. I'd agree the plugs are fouled, both from starting too long, too many times, and most likely now coolant swimming in 'em. They asked what to do next and I definitely said its time for a shop to do a compression test.

Thank you all for your helpfulness! This forum rocks!

 

You're right that it does rock. Many helpful folks here. I've only been here a couple of weeks and I have already learned a lot (yay for slow time at work to peruse the boards).

You may be able to save them some trouble with the compression test. Before doing that, if you can, pull the plugs out and check them. If there's even a hint of coolant on the sparking portion of any of them, inform your in-laws they will still need to take their car to the shop, but it will be to install a new rotary engine, as the one they have will only serve further use as a doorstop.

You might also inform them that they cannot treat their 8 as they would a Honda or Toyota. Most of those, you can skimp on the maintenance and not hurt anything. The Renesis engine needs to be taken care of at all times, with faithful checks of all fluid levels at every fuel fill-up.

If they can't be bothered to do that, tell them to trade in their 8 and get a Miata or Solara or Accord coupe. One has to be an enthusiast to properly handle the RX-8. It is certainly not for the casual motorist.

 

I can personally attest to the ruggedness of the vehicles you mentioned. I can't tell you how many Hondas I saw at the shop I worked at with 175,000 miles plus with rear main seals leaking like a sieve that just plug along with thick oil top offs. I was actually working there when Mazda re introduced their rotary engine and reading about it. Which is why I feel especially silly about the misconception I had about rotaries.

I told 'em that in all likelihood the motor was blown and the car was scraps, but as I have been out of the game awhile I felt that was a drastic measure without concrete proof. They swear by its maintenance, but the oil pressure sensor is leaking and so her husband has been "topping" it off. Though apparently that means overfilling it by almost a quart, which I drained. I understand oil leaks can be topped off, especially with thick oil stabilizers and thicker oil (never believed in 5-20 non synthetic anyways, especially in Vegas), but coolant leaks should be and are unacceptable. I only wish I had known when it initially occurred. Unfortunately, computers don't tell you your radiator is plastic and you have a corroded radiator inlet nipple....

I only offered my service as they were in a tight bind having to move. In 110 degree weather it's tough to get a solid 6-10 hrs work in just to diagnose and repair overheating issues on a car I am unfamiliar with, let alone figure out why it just "suddenly" died in the first place. Thus, I am reluctant to pull the plugs and do more diagnostics on it. First lest I be accused of the problem I had nothing to do with, also I have fulfilled my son-in-law-to-be duties. Red lining a recently overheated motor, having to be told to turn the AC off when it just overheated after I got it started to get it home, and accelerating like you are batman on the way to a crime scene are strong indicators of a woman who drives it like Tim Petty and questions why it broke.

Time for the car to leave my driveway. If you can afford to drive it and brag about a rotary engine, you can get it properly maintained and fixed. I wouldn't mind owning one, but hey, I have a small notion of what real maintenance looks like.

 

Another one bites the dust


Keep us posted please, if you can on what finally happens.

 

Yeah, it sounds like they ride the thing hard and out it away wet, which you cannot do. You have to be almost religious about the maintenance on it, and it sounds like they weren't.

Tell them to have it towed to the closest Mazda dealership for a diagnosis, but, in your professional opinion, it needs a new engine, and that it cannot be treated in the way you described she does. Tell her if she wants a cute Mazda she can throw around and not have to worry nearly as much about with maintenance, she needs to trade her 8 in on a Miata.