rx7rally

So I bought this 1987 base model rx7 from a friend. Im a girl and he told me its a good car to learn manual and the car has no problem. I believed him and spent $1100 to buy it.

He told me its normal that I have to floor the throttle when starting the car cuz its rotary engine.(My dad said bs on that) so everytime I start the car I have to floor the throttle?

another problem is when Im driving and I floor it the car jerk back and forth like crazy!!

then after driving for a while the car smells like gas? or smells like the emission?

whats the problems on this?

DC5Daniel

iTrader: (10)

1. An 87, being an s4, does not do fuel cut UNLESS it has an RTEK, which is a chipped factory ECU. If it's stock, he's full of ****.
2. The rotary does not handle large changes in throttle well, especially when cold and especially when at low RPM. If it's not fully warm or at low RPM, stabbing the throttle will result in chugging.

Unfortunately you've bought a 30 year old car. The guy who sold it to you sounds like a moron, and probably didn't keep up on any routine maintenance that these cars require to run like they should. If you have a second car and are mechanically capable, you can work through some of these issues with time and money. If this is your primary car, I highly suggest you sell it immediate, even at a loss, and buy a Honda.

Evil Aviator

I have some questions:

1. What happens if you try to start the car without touching the gas pedal at all? (By the way, your dad is right, this is the proper procedure for starting the car).

2. Why do you need to learn how to drive a manual transmission?

3. When the car "jerks back and forth", does it happen when the engine rpm increases, or when the vehicle speed increases?

This could actually be normal, lol. It would take a good mechanic to know if there is a problem with this.

^ This. The original warranty on the car was 3 years or 36,000 miles. It was never intended to be on the road at this age. Any car this old is going to require a LOT of maintenance.

Agreed

RXSpeed16

iTrader: (41)

Sounds like your friend passed a few problems onto you, but $1100 for a running car is a pretty good buy for my neck of the woods.
You're going to have to be/find someone mechanically inclined to work on the car eventually, but it is manageable.

1. Flooring the throttle: No, that is not a normal characteristic. The engine does want more air at startup, but that is usually controlled by the Bypass Air Control (BAC) valve. It may have been removed during a poorly executed emissions removal or other incorrectly done modification. It will take some detective work between the emissions systems, BAC, throttle hard stop, and idle speed controller to get it to work again.

2. Bucking: Again, not normal, but probably not too serious. Could be as simple as the trailing plug wires are reversed. Also, check the timing and throttle position sensor.

Raw gas smell could be a leaking pulsation dampener, which is a known failure point and could potentially cause of a fire. You should look into that immediately.
If it is just smelly exhaust, yes that is kinda standard. It could be caused by any leaks from the exhaust ahead of the converter (if it even still has one) or the body gaskets around tail lights and hatch are letting exhaust get back into the car.

satch

iTrader: (1)

Raw gas smell could also be because the charcoal canister was removed.

rx7rally

Ya he is a moron. My dad called him and wants him to tell us what are the problems on this car he just keep saying the car has no problem is his knowledge....bur hes been driving that all his school years......

rx7rally

If I start the car without giving it throttle it would just keep cranking and my dad has to open the hood and take this relay out and I have to crank it for a while then put the relay back and start it with giving throttle.(my dad did explain this to me but I forgot what he said)
I want to drive manual cuz I think its cool and I want to do rally racing with my cousin.

The car jerk back and forth when rpm increase .

TerryD

What your dad is doing is the deflood procedure, remove injectors fuse and crank to clear the chamber, reinstall fuse and see if it starts.
Any kind of maintenance done to the car? Examine sparkplug condition?

Evil Aviator

It could have been deflooding, but that would be speculation without knowing exactly what he did.

OK, I was just wondering because almost no cars have manual transmissions anymore. If you end up selling this RX-7, I recommend that you buy a car that typically competes in rally racing. The RX-7 is more common in road racing, drag racing, and drifting.

The engine may be running lean. If so, it could be a problem with the fuel pump, fuel injectors, or the electrical connection going to them. If your dad can't figure it out, I recommend taking the car to a mechanic.

The below website has free manuals online. The 1988 FSM will work for your car.
Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals

Also, see this website for electrical grounding procedures:
Proper RX-7 Grounding Procedures