I have owned my 81 rx7 for almost 2 years now. When I bought it I had all these dreams of what I was going to do with it cause it is in very good condition and it only had about 70,000 miles on it. Now it has got right around 100,000 and I am starting to run into some problems that I have no clue where to start on. I am a poor college student and don't have a lot of money to be dumping into my car, but I would love to keep this car up and running cause I love RX-7s and this one has been pretty good for the most part

The first problem I am having is the engine will not stay running after it has sat for awhile(about half a day or so depending on how cold it is) and it is really bad in the mornings. It usually starts up fine, but once I put it into gear(yes I am one of the unlucky souls with an automatic) the enging just dies. I am not a real genious when it comes to these cars, but I have done most of the work on it myselft and have a pretty good general knowledge of the car. I have recently rebuilt the carburetor, so I don't think that it has much to do with it.

If anyone has any suggestions of what might be going on or if you have experienced similar problems let me know.

 

sounds like it does not like to be cold, most 12a's do not. When was the last time you did a good tune up? Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, etc.?

 

Over the last 8 months I have replaced the plugs, wires, cap and rotor. It also seems to have the problem not only when it is cold, but even if it is warm outside and I am just starting it for the first time in the morning or if it has sat for awhile during the day. It is does not take as long to get running when it is warm, but it still happens.

When I first bought the car, I bought the chilton manual for mazda's 78-89 and was very disappointed in it. Then I bought the hayne's manual and have never opened the chilton's manual since. Just to let anyone know who does not know this already, the chilton's manual is worthless. They try to cover way to many models of mazdas and way to large of a time frame and the book is long and has very little about the rx-7s.

 

I also forgot to mention that this problem has not been happening the whole time I have had the car, it just seemed to start doing it one day.

 

Check to make sure the choke is operating correctly. Lube the linkage, make sure it is working smoothly.
hanman

 

Just for general tune-ups.

Do you still have a stock exhaust? Basically, I'm asking if you still have your cats on you car.

Have you done a ATF treatment to it yet? It might not hurt.

This is what you need.
1. New set of spark plugs (I like NGK also keep the ones you have now because you still need to use them)
2. Some ATF (automatic transmission fluid)
3. About 12 hours to kill.

Take a spark plug out and pour some ATF on to the each of the rotor facings/each chamber. The more the merrier I say Which, also means you have to turn the engine by hand. Do this for each rotor. After getting ATF into the engine, let it sit for about 12 hours.

Make sure no one is parked behind you, and you probably should do this during the night. Saying there will be a huge amounts of smoke is a understatement. Step on the gas a little to get the initial ATF out of the engine. Let it run for a bit to warm up and then drive it pretty hard on the highway to get all the ATF out.

Then let it set to cool down when you put the new spark plugs in.

 

Everything in my car is stock except for that I have a carburetor from an '85 in my '81. I also currently do not have a muffler on the car. Mine broke off and I have not had a chance or the money to get a new one yet. I am currently trying to decide whether to take out the "rat's nest", I just keep breaking those plactic pieces anyways when working around the carburetor.

What does putting ATF fluid on your rotors do for them? It sounds like a process that is fairly simple just a little time consuming, but if it is going to help out a lot, I am willing to try.

TJ

 

It basically gets all the carbon build up inside of the engine out.

Yes it's simple and very effective.

 

Also, might try checking around for a vacuum leak