So I was supposed to get my rx7 Saturday night. I went down there after work and got bad news. The neighbors battery charger didn't do a thing for the car. In fact I'm pretty sure it drained the car. So I brought my charger down to give it a go. The car was so dead it just made that clicking noise as a warning to tell me that it didnt even have the power to turn the starter motor. I switched my charger to engine start to see if I could power her up and nothing. It stopped even clicking. The battery still had enough power to runs the headlights and radio and such.

I then noticed that when we were trying to start it, the battery gauge would go up to about 14 volts but the gas gauge didn't budge. The car has been sitting for roughly 6 months and I asked if it had any gas in it before they stored it. He said, probably not. So we took my car over to Super America to get some gas.

After putting a couple gallons in, nothing. Still no crank. We decided to let the battery charge for about an hour to see if that would do any good.

It did. After we got back from watching Good Luck Chuck we gave her another try. Nothing. Then I started checking the lights jsut for good measure. Tail lights, signals, headlights, all worked. Then i tried her again and to my astonishment, sh cranked.

After some putzing we got her to keep cranking but there still wasnt quite enough power for her to start. While it was cranking, it just wouldnt kick over. It would stutter every once in a while like it would get a burst of gas. We thought maybe we needed to get some more gas in the tank. So back to Super America.

We threw probably 4 more gallons into the tank and no change. So now for my question. Does anyone know why it wouldn't fire? Its cranking, its not flooded, and as far as I could tell its got spark.

I'm going back down there Sunday to give her another try and try to figure out whats wrong. We plan on putting some starter fluid in the carb too to see if thats all she needs.

If anyone has any ideas of what this could be I would appreciate the help. Pictures of the fuel lines around the carb would be great too.

The car is a 1984 RX7 FB GS 12A automatic with 116k miles. Only $500 =D

 

it sounds like you're not getting something. Check your spark, pull your feed line and make sure you are getting fuel, and PUT A FRESH BATTERY IN. Without proper cranking power, you won't get enough RPM's to get her to start. Also, put a couple of tablespoons of MMO in each leading (lower) plug hole to help build compression. Make sure you have good spark plugs, etc. etc.

 

The battery is good now. We left it charging over night. It had enough power the next morning to crank the motor fine, just couldnt get her to fire. Seemed like we just werent getting enough gas in the motor

 

check/replace fuel filter, does it make any funny sounds when starting? if you can get it started can it stay on by pressing the gas or does it die anyway? check the rubber hose going from the bottom left side of the manifold (looking from passenger side fender) towards the back of it it's right above the exhaust so it often breaks or burns a hole through it, you'll have lots of problems trying to get her to hold idle if this is the case, or its gonna run like pure ****.

and yes, get the battery tested make sure it can hold charge. these cars are very picky when it comes to ignition power, clean your battery contacts and your grounds

 

battery, fuel fulter, grounds, check plugs and wires, let us know.

 

Well I know the battery was replaced less than a year ago. I'll get it checked but it should still be good. Just needed a charge.

Can you put of some pictures of the fuel line going into the carb?

 

You mentioned you might try starting fluid down the carb. Did you give it a try yet?

Something a little cheaper than quick-start spray is of course gas. Fill up an empty (and clean) liquid dish soap bottle with some fresh gas and put a small squirt down the carb before cranking it. If it's a no-fuel problem, that'll usually get it to fire and start to the point of almost-running. On the other hand if it's a too-much-fuel problem you're having, it'll obviously just flood it worse.

Just a forewarning - if you do this and it does start but then dies, you might feel the inclination to have an assistant keep squirting bursts of gas down the carb to keep it running as soon as it catches. We've done this with a lot of vehicles, but keep in mind a backfire can be particularly hazardous to the assistant who's holding the bottle of gas. Even if you live next door to a burn center, you probably don't want to risk it.

Finally, consider the possibility that it may be a vacuum leak which can cause it to catch, but never start. Dumping some gas down the carb can still get it to start in this case, but you'll have to bring the RPM's up pretty quick once it does start (around 3k anyway) or it'll die pretty fast. If it keeps running at the higher RPM but then dies when the RPM's go back down, look for a major vacuum leak.

 

We did try putting a little gas into the carb. It just about fired it but it just didnt seem like it was getting gas enough to fire her up. Starter fluid ought to do the trick I'm hoping though. I'm thinking we'll do an oil change, change the plugs, and crank the engine a few times while we've got the plugs out, check the fuel filter and gas lines to see if theyre actually pumping gas into the carb, put in some starter fluid and pray lol.

Does anyone have a picture of where the gas lines and fuel filter are around the carb though? Its my first carbed car and I dont wanna pull the wrong thing lol

 

Check the fuel level visible in the sight glass windows in the front and rear bowls on the carburetor. Fuel level should be even with the center line of the glass.

If no fuel is visible, you've got a blockage, or stuck needles. Or a dead fuel pump; can you hear the fuel pump running when the key is on?

 

Stick your head under the car directly behind the driver's rear tire and look toward the front of the car. You should see a plastic cylinder with hoses attached to each side. Picture is like looking through a glass floor under the driver's side storage bin. Arrows point towards rear of car. Rear driver's tire would be in upper right corner. The white plastic cylinder is the fuel filter. Gas will run out. Have appropriately sized bolts ready to block the hoses. Auto Parts store should have one (or 2 or 3). No, that's not a stock fuel pump.



Larger diameter line (hard and soft) is Fuel feed. To carb inlet, from gas tank, filter, pump.
Smaller diameter line is Fuel return line. From carb back to gas tank.

 

Thanks a bunch man! I'll take a look at all those things Sunday when I'm down there again

 

Ok, I'll be the first to suggest it. Try pull starting it. I've had to do it with several 7's that have sat for some time.

 

Dump an ounce or two of Seafoam down the carb, then try again. If it is flooded, this will get her going right away....

 

Pull start? Where the heck is there a pull start on the motor lol

I didnt even think about SeaFoam. Ill have to see if I can find a can

 

push starting?

 

Well.. pull starting is kinda like push starting except... you use a tow rope and another vehicle in front that's pulling the RX. If there's some spark and there's some gas, it works 100% of the time. Also starts the car when it's flooded, even if it's -40 outside... every time.

Problem #1 is that in this case, it's an automatic. Pull starting only works on manual transmissions, and only a few really old automatics (60's-ish).

Problem #2 is that you're not supposed to do it. Whole slew of things that can go wrong if someone doesn't know exactly what they're doing.

 

Yeah, I'd rather not break anything before I even pay for it lol