Gary Crawford

Greetings, I shortet out something a couple years ago that keeps my gsl-se from running. Like a complete idiot I have thrown every part at it I could think of. My back got too painful to work on it so I let it sit. I got surgery and recovered and I am back in the hunt for a solution. I hope I have identified the culprit, but I don't know how to access it. It's up under the dash and before I dismantle the dash, I am hoping one ya'll would know the best way to get to it.

LongDuck

Welcome aboard. You've not provided enough information for us to help you with any of this; could be just a fuse, or it could be a melted wiring harness. Have a look at the following questions, and let's learn a bit more:

1) what shorted?
2) how do you know its a short?
3) what have you done to diagnose it?
4) what we're the symptoms / how was it running before?
5) how many miles are on it?
6) any other problems with it, electrically?
7) what we're you working on when all this started?

Post back and we'll see if we can provide some advice. The GSL-SE has a solid wiring system as long as you stay within the amperage limits if you use the stock harness. The biggest weakness is the headlight circuit being run through the combination switch, but even that has simple solutions if you know anything about electronics.

Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, like LongDuck said, we need more info. Do you know where you "shorted" it, or is that a guess? Many people here know your car's wiring very well. The more info you provide, the better answers you'll get.

Gary Crawford

I really don't want to go thru all that again, but since you insist I shorted one of the fusable links. I have replaces distributer, ignitors, coils. checked fuel pump relay. I have spark, I have no injector spray. Now please answer my question.

Gary Crawford

not selling it, I'll burn it first

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

Best to start with the wiring diagram and verify injector voltage from source to injector(s). it could be a lot of things from a simple relay to the ECU. I'd start with the output of the ECU.

The attachment I've included has a troubleshooting flowchart for the 13B.

Gary Crawford

ecu has been sent off and checked. all I want to do right now is to check the fuel cut off switch

LongDuck

"Now please answer my question." Trying, dude...

Not knowing any of the other stuff you said you've done, nor why you did it - the -SE gets the injector pulse signal from the Trailing Coil to the ECU via a black wire attached at one of the spare terminals on the Coil. If this black wire isn't hooked up (*or is attached to the wrong terminal), the ECU won't know that the engine is running and won't fire the Injectors. If the black wire is attached to the LEADING coil, it will run, but it won't run well, because the injector pulse timing will be off, i.e., fuel isn't arriving at the same time as air - however, this is a quick way to test both the TRAILING Coil and the Ignitor ahich runs it, by just moving that black wire spade terminal from the Trailing Coil to the same place on the Leading Coil and see if it starts and runs if it does, either your Trailing Coil is bad or your Trailing Ignitor is bad. This is also easier and faster than swapping Ignitors on the distributor. When you've diagnosed it and fixed the problem, put the black wire back where it belongs on the Trailing Coil.

Also, the -SE has 2 extra Fusible Links that other cars don't. One of these is marked "INJECTION". If that particular link is the one you shorted out, you'll need to test it or replace it, as that link carries current for the fuel injectors, and if it's blown, they won't get power to fire.

You still didn't say how you shorted things out. For example, if you hooked up the battery backwards it would be helpful to know that because a lot more things are going to be screwed up vs. you accidentally pulling a Fusible Link apart or running too much voltage across it by accident. There's no blame here. We've all done stuff that needed to be fixed, and we're just trying to help you get your -SE back on the road to where you can enjoy it again. Based on the short list of things you replaced, you seem pretty dedicated to getting it back up and running, so take a deep breath and step back and look at things objectively for a moment.

Edit to add: there is no Fuel Cutoff Switch, unless you mean the Check & Cut Relay. These rarely fail, and it's located under the passenger footwell and mounted to the same plate as the ECU, which you're familiar with. There's no Fuel Cut Switch, unless you added one.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

it's not that simple. like with any vehicle that wont run, diagnosis is a long, tedious procedure that takes time. any number of things can keep an engine from running. if u don't even know what u shorted, how can u expect any of us to point and say, "that's the problem, fix this and it will run". just doesn't work that way. u will experience lots of questions from us in order to narrow down a solution. u also may need to check this site for manuals and diagrams. hope u get is all sorted out.

Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals

Gary Crawford

Sometimes the best thing to do is give people what they ask for. I am sorry I don't have the technical expertise to go through all that. I used to be able to do all that, but Parkinsin's does horrible things. I just want to drive my car some before I can't. I suppose trying is a bad mistake, just more personal failure to deal with. Now do you understand? I am still a good driver, but troubleshooting is beyond me.

LongDuck

Where do you live, Gary? Maybe we have someone close to you that can lend a hand. Post back,

Gary Crawford

Hickory,nc I called every mechanic shop in this area and nobody knows how to work on it or is willing to try.

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

Angle Motorsports is six hours away, but they can fix it. Rotaries are all they do.

Angle Motorsports
2515 S Military Hwy, Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 438-8769

Gary Crawford

thanks for the suggestion, I can't afford to have it transported that far. Towing across town is $100. Probably the best thing that could happen is for someone to steal it one night and end the problem.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

try asking for those near u in the SE regional section. i'm sure there's someone close by that can help.

https://www.rx7club.com/se-rx-7-forum-35/

LongDuck

That's why I was asking where you live, Gary - so one of us could steal it, get it running, and then return it to your driveway late at night!

Check with the SE forum members, and I'm hoping you can find someone there familiar with the - SE. If nothing else, if they know Rx7s, have them PM me or post in this thread and I can walk them through what to look for, or get on a call.

I think we'd all like to hear that you're back in your -SE and driving, all for the price of a few pictures of you and the car. Take care, and be patient,

Gary Crawford

I got a little ambitious today and decided to test some things. I took the air flow meter out and put my ohm meter to it like the Haynes manual instructs. E2-Vs was 18, E2-Vc was 140, E2-Vb was 180 and E2-THA at 70 degrees was 1850. I opened it up and the inside looks new. some of those ohm readings were below what the manual suggests. I wouldn't call it bad, would you?

LongDuck

No, I wouldn't call it bad. The thing about Air Flow Meters on these cars is that they use the well-proven BOSCH Jetronic fuel injection system which is dead-nuts simple and reliable. Toyota used a variation of this same Air Flow Meter on the LandCruiser series prior to 1993 - and they're known as some of the most reliable vehicles out there. If it looked clean inside, no corrosion, I'd seal it back up and leave it alone - that's not likely to be your problem, as I have 249k miles on my original one, and it's never shown a hint of problems.

Where were we on this, Gary? Anything new to report about finding a South East rotary shop that you can trailer the car there and let them diagnose and get it running? It's a better investment of your time,...

Gary Crawford

Trailering it out of town will eat up all my money before it gets even looked at. If it ever runs again, I will have to be the one to do it. I have some days that I think clearer than others, so maybe I'll get lucky. I just plan on using those days to pick out components to test..... There was one guy who I was almost ready to take it too 20 miles($200 tow) but he died in a boating accident this last weekend..

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

They are 1.5 hours away.

RotorSports Racing
465 Russell Farm Rd
Kannapolis, NC 28081

LongDuck

Gary - maybe give them a call and see if they will A) come and get it, or B) send somebody out onsite to look at it for you.

Being a dedicated rotary shop, they're die hard enthusiasts just like us. They'd probably be happy to talk to you, and would love to hear the story ofmthe car, which might also help with getting it (*and you) back on the road.

This is the easy path,

Gary Crawford

I seriously doubt they will be any less expensive for transporting and doubt they need the business that badly. I spent 30 yrs selling cars and I know the business end of it. It is bad idea to send a car to a shop any distance away without them GOUGING the wallet. I understand that. Like all rotary shops, they more than likely have lots of part cars sitting around because somebody dropped it off and can't afford the price quoted and end up selling them cheap or giving them to them. I seriously do not trust people. If there was somebody else local that I know where they live, that would be different.

Gary Crawford

I am beginning to think that maybe my trouble is with the vacuum system. I say this because even though I have spark, I get no fire from fuel put into the intake. I can put either in and get some small pops, but nothing normal sounding. We have had bad storms roll through here today, but my plan if to test all the vacuum parts when the rain gets through here in a few days. This car has only 120,000 miles. I put $1800 in wheels and tires on it just before I screwed things up because I couldn't find decent 14" tires anymore, so I put 15" visions and continental extreme contacts on it. They look great...in my driveway...

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

I went back to your first thread on this in 2020. I wonder when you replace the injector connections and gromets something isn't correct?

Gary form 2020
"Greetings, I am sure somebody would know what else to try. I have had this 85 gsl-se for a long time and have tried to keep it running and stock. 127,000 miles. I started to get a little misfire at 4500 so I figured with it's age, there's probably a vacuum leak, so I went through everything and no cigar. I finally decided to replace the grommets on the fuel injectors. When I took the wire connectors off, they crumbled. I couldn't find the wire connectors anywhere so I rigged up some blade connectors. When I took the intake manifold off, I saw wire smoke(I can't smell). I didn't disconnect the battery like a dumbass. It was one of the fuse-able links. The one that operates fuel pump and other things. I fixed the link and all the lights that were suppose to come on when the key is one worked again.But when I tried to start it, I couldn't get any spark. I have had ignitors go out on me in the past, so I figured my little electrical grounding killed both igniters. I found a reconditioned alternator online that included both igniters for less than two igniters. I put it in(after learning how) and still no spark, so I figured that both coils were bad as well, still no spark. I am now wondering if the igniters that came with the distributor are bad. Please don't laugh at my stupidity, but any suggestion is welcome."

Gary Crawford

I did replace the wire connectors. I had to guess at the polarity, could that be part of my issue?