Problems with my FC

ToplessFC3Sman · 04-23-2004, 09:41 AM

I have an 88 convertible RX-7, NA, and currently its just not starting. When I first got it it worked fine (a couple months ago), but I havent had a chance to drive it a whole lot cause I'm in college in NYC. Two weekends ago, I started her up and drove her out of the garage to just work on the radio, let her warm up, and then shut her off. After working on the radio (the guy before me had a whole mess of aftermarket wiring in her for subs etc), I took out all the wiring he had for the radio, tried to start the car, and it wouldnt start. All I got was a lot of gas-smell. Had to push it back into the garage.
Came back the next weekend (last weekend) to try to get her started, no luck. Was playing with the fuel-cutoff switch that the previous owner had put in, nothing, disconnected it cause it was run with all the other wires that I had pulled out (i hadnt pulled the fuel-cutoff wires out, but was afraid that I may have damaged them while I was working with the other wires), and still no start. So I removed the plugs, and altho I didnt have a compression gauge, there was compression, judged by my "highly calibrated" finger. So I cleaned the plugs and put them back in, still no starting. Took one of them out (front rotor, trailing plug), had my GF try to start it to see if there was spark, and I got a couple shocks in quick succession, and at least I think I saw a couple sparks on the plug, altho my arm was twitching a little with each spark. The plug wires look good, I havent checked them for resistance yet, but there doesnt seem to be any corrosion. It still puts out a lot of gas-smell whenever I try to start it, so I dont think its a problem in getting the fuel to the engine (i dont see any leaks under the car.... besides a little oil anyway)

When I was working on the radio, I needed to get to the door speaker amp, which is up under the dashboard approx over where the clutch pedal is. To get to it, I needed to remove another box that Im unsure of the purpose of, but its mounted at an angle, and has a big long yellow-ed plug with a bunch of wires sticking out of the narrow side. Would this have been a problem?

As for the history of the car, I really dont know it. I got it for pretty cheap from someone who didnt have the history, but I believe the engine in it is either rebuilt or has been replaced fairly recently, due to crayon-looking markings on the top of it identifying it, and by how clean and non-rusty everything in the engine bay looks, especially when compaired to the condition of the interior. The odometer reads a little under 138 thousand miles.

Thanks for your help, Im gonna have a lot of time to work on it once college lets out, so hopefully with your help Ill be able to get it running for the summer.

Emagdnim · 04-23-2004, 10:34 AM

So your getting spark and gas. Do you hear the starter trying to turn the motor over. If not thats proably where I'd look next. You could have a bad ground somewhere or a blown fuse.

hachiroku-fc3s · 04-23-2004, 11:14 AM

We know the starter is good cuz he said he checked compression. Id say flooded but I would think you would have known that. Spark, fuel, and compression. It's a NA rotary with those three. Yeah, prob flooded.

SDRotary · 04-23-2004, 11:27 AM

it might be the injectors, get them cleaned it is usally like $25.00 per injector

theflatlander · 04-23-2004, 11:52 AM

^injector cleaning will prob. help. if it still floods try pulling you egi. fuse and crank her over a few times shut the car off install the fuse and then try to start her.

ToplessFC3Sman · 04-23-2004, 02:47 PM

Yea, Its cranking, and sometimes it catches a little bit, only for a second or two, and then dies. Ill try the injectors when I get a chance to. I just thought that it may have something to do with that grey box i took out from under the dashboard (i put it back and plugged it in afterwards, im not quite that dumb lol) If it was flooded, and I tried to start it a week after it refused to start, would it have un-flooded by then? Or with the leaky injectors would that keep dripping gas into the engine for the whole time?

hachiroku-fc3s · 04-23-2004, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ToplessFC3Sman
If it was flooded, and I tried to start it a week after it refused to start, would it have un-flooded by then? Or with the leaky injectors would that keep dripping gas into the engine for the whole time?

Its been too long since Ive been on the Rx7 boards. Gas doesnt evaporate the way it does in a piston engine cuz there's always at least one side of the triangle not open, you have to pull the plugs and crank the gas out. 15 sec.

ToplessFC3Sman · 04-23-2004, 10:26 PM

Ok, thanks, and BTW, flatlander... that is one awesome avitar.... dude i wish my FC did that. Thats a Turbo II? ooooh man... damn cool!

theflatlander · 04-27-2004, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ToplessFC3Sman
Ok, thanks, and BTW, flatlander... that is one awesome avitar.... dude i wish my FC did that. Thats a Turbo II? ooooh man... damn cool!

yes it's a TII, my car will be doing that once i get the motor in. Im going to scare the $h1t out of anyone behind me at night

hers's my favorite flame pic.

ToplessFC3Sman · 04-27-2004, 10:31 AM

Is that just something that happens, or do you need to run the engine rich, or what? I know my dad used to do that with his old VW minibus (back in the 70's) by running it very rich, and he had an extra spark plug wired up to right behind the muffler so itd ignite the unburned gas. Is that just one of the many benefits of going TII at high revs?

theflatlander · 04-27-2004, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ToplessFC3Sman
Is that just something that happens, or do you need to run the engine rich, or what? I know my dad used to do that with his old VW minibus (back in the 70's) by running it very rich, and he had an extra spark plug wired up to right behind the muffler so itd ignite the unburned gas. Is that just one of the many benefits of going TII at high revs?

Its the way of the rotary. Mostly do to exhaust port design, but when you rev the motor and let off there's extra fuel that does get burned off and gets scraped into the exhaust and with a free flowing exhaust and some emission removal you get flames. Its really crazy when you go for a wot run and have to hit the brakes suddenly, sounds like a friggin gun going off.

04-23-2004, 09:41 AM	#1
ToplessFC3Sman Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NYC Posts: 178	Problems with my FC I have an 88 convertible RX-7, NA, and currently its just not starting. When I first got it it worked fine (a couple months ago), but I havent had a chance to drive it a whole lot cause I'm in college in NYC. Two weekends ago, I started her up and drove her out of the garage to just work on the radio, let her warm up, and then shut her off. After working on the radio (the guy before me had a whole mess of aftermarket wiring in her for subs etc), I took out all the wiring he had for the radio, tried to start the car, and it wouldnt start. All I got was a lot of gas-smell. Had to push it back into the garage. Came back the next weekend (last weekend) to try to get her started, no luck. Was playing with the fuel-cutoff switch that the previous owner had put in, nothing, disconnected it cause it was run with all the other wires that I had pulled out (i hadnt pulled the fuel-cutoff wires out, but was afraid that I may have damaged them while I was working with the other wires), and still no start. So I removed the plugs, and altho I didnt have a compression gauge, there was compression, judged by my "highly calibrated" finger. So I cleaned the plugs and put them back in, still no starting. Took one of them out (front rotor, trailing plug), had my GF try to start it to see if there was spark, and I got a couple shocks in quick succession, and at least I think I saw a couple sparks on the plug, altho my arm was twitching a little with each spark. The plug wires look good, I havent checked them for resistance yet, but there doesnt seem to be any corrosion. It still puts out a lot of gas-smell whenever I try to start it, so I dont think its a problem in getting the fuel to the engine (i dont see any leaks under the car.... besides a little oil anyway) When I was working on the radio, I needed to get to the door speaker amp, which is up under the dashboard approx over where the clutch pedal is. To get to it, I needed to remove another box that Im unsure of the purpose of, but its mounted at an angle, and has a big long yellow-ed plug with a bunch of wires sticking out of the narrow side. Would this have been a problem? As for the history of the car, I really dont know it. I got it for pretty cheap from someone who didnt have the history, but I believe the engine in it is either rebuilt or has been replaced fairly recently, due to crayon-looking markings on the top of it identifying it, and by how clean and non-rusty everything in the engine bay looks, especially when compaired to the condition of the interior. The odometer reads a little under 138 thousand miles. Thanks for your help, Im gonna have a lot of time to work on it once college lets out, so hopefully with your help Ill be able to get it running for the summer.

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04-23-2004, 10:34 AM	#2
Emagdnim 400lbs Gorillia Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 269	So your getting spark and gas. Do you hear the starter trying to turn the motor over. If not thats proably where I'd look next. You could have a bad ground somewhere or a blown fuse.

04-23-2004, 11:14 AM	#3
hachiroku-fc3s Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: D/FW TX Posts: 549	We know the starter is good cuz he said he checked compression. Id say flooded but I would think you would have known that. Spark, fuel, and compression. It's a NA rotary with those three. Yeah, prob flooded.

04-23-2004, 11:27 AM	#4
SDRotary chris@SPD Racing Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: San Diego Posts: 293	it might be the injectors, get them cleaned it is usally like $25.00 per injector

04-23-2004, 11:52 AM	#5
theflatlander Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North Dakota Posts: 393	^injector cleaning will prob. help. if it still floods try pulling you egi. fuse and crank her over a few times shut the car off install the fuse and then try to start her.

04-23-2004, 02:47 PM	#6
ToplessFC3Sman Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NYC Posts: 178	Yea, Its cranking, and sometimes it catches a little bit, only for a second or two, and then dies. Ill try the injectors when I get a chance to. I just thought that it may have something to do with that grey box i took out from under the dashboard (i put it back and plugged it in afterwards, im not quite that dumb lol) If it was flooded, and I tried to start it a week after it refused to start, would it have un-flooded by then? Or with the leaky injectors would that keep dripping gas into the engine for the whole time?

04-23-2004, 10:26 PM	#8
ToplessFC3Sman Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NYC Posts: 178	Ok, thanks, and BTW, flatlander... that is one awesome avitar.... dude i wish my FC did that. Thats a Turbo II? ooooh man... damn cool!

04-27-2004, 10:31 AM	#10
ToplessFC3Sman Registered User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NYC Posts: 178	Is that just something that happens, or do you need to run the engine rich, or what? I know my dad used to do that with his old VW minibus (back in the 70's) by running it very rich, and he had an extra spark plug wired up to right behind the muffler so itd ignite the unburned gas. Is that just one of the many benefits of going TII at high revs?