Here's the story. Ever since it has got cold around here my car has slowly gotten harder to start. First it was once a week, then twice and now at least once a day i need to roll start the rx. It's getting to be a royal pain in the ***, especially when you are stranded in 15 degree temps. I need to either fix this problem or get a reliable car before I go to grad school. The problem is if i get a new car I can't afford to not sell the rx.

The battery checks out fine, starter is new, i have pulled and cleaned the plugs and cranked then engine *multiple times* to get it unflooded and it still acts pissy. Could this problem be with a cold start valve or something other than fuel and spark?

 

I could say exactly what is causing you problem because I live in C.A. and it will rarely or most likely never gets that cold. We all no that the rotary hates the cold weather.

I have heard some people that have used the MSD box don't have much or have a lot easier time trying to start there car in the cold weather. If you don't want to spend that much money you can always try using a 2nd Gen coil and using it for 2GCDFIS or 2GCDFIS with the Transistor Trick which gives you a hotter spark.

I just happen to have an extra 2nd Gen Coil and igniter if your interested, just PM me if you are interested. Good Luck

 

could be a worn out motor not making compression as well as it use to. i have this 215k car i always have to dump a little gas down the carb to get running. just once the engine starts to fire, floor it.

 

Well, nearly 200k on my motor and she cranks right up no matter the temp (and Michigan can really suck sometimes). Make sure that your timing is dead-on, otherwise you will definitely have starting issues. Also, if the plugs have ever been fouled, just cleaning them up does not always work. You may need to replace them again to get it to start so that you can check the timing. Is it getting fuel at the carb? You don't have ice in the lines do you? Never had that happen myself, but I've heard stories...

 

sorry i forgot to give some details about my car

1984 gsl-se
178k

the plugs don't seem to be fouled, they just smell like gas because of the flooding

 

I agree with low temps- they don't really affect start up any more then other non-rotary engines. 20W-50 is NOT the right oil for air temps that are going to be consistently below 30F or to the -0F range. That will make it crank slower obviously. I use 10W-40 or 30 without a problem with MN winter temps. IF its flooded, its slightly more prone to flooding with carb'd engine. My FC starts pretty consistently in cold weather. I have only flooded it less then 10 times, and it was not a cold weather when it did! It actually flooded more when it only had 110,000miles on it- now at 150,000. I add a little 2-cycle to the gas, and that seems to help actually with comrpession.

 

my buddy is having the same problem with his gsl-se... we've tryed everything to get it so it would start, what kind of oil are u using?

 

With that mileage, and the flooding, I would send out the injectors and have them cleaned and calibrated.

 

valvoline 10w30

The problem is that it only does this when it's cold. Granted that they should be cleaned and blueprinted, the injectors work fine during the warmer months.

Is it possible some gasket or o-ring somewhere is contracting in the cold weather and causing a leak, in the injectors or somewhere else, that would cause it not to start? I'm putting in new plugs and wires tomorrow to see if that helps any....

 

If it starts fine when warm, I would make sure the cold start is operating correctly, the battery and cables are good and have clean connections on both ends. A weak battery and/or corroded cables can seriously diminish cold start ability. Fresh plugs and wires are a good start too.

Btw, being in VA, you don't know what cold is. My 2nd gen starts in any weather, as long as the battery is up. That includes 15 below zero cold starts in the morning..

 

is there a cold start check procedure in the haynes manual? I guess in my time off tomorrow i will check that, change plugs and wires, and try some fuel injector cleaner for a possible quick fix for dirty injectors


touche scientist, touche

 

Have you changed the fuel filter lately?

 

*update*

I got pissed off and just replaced the plugs...this worked for a little bit, but still shakey starts. I went to start my car today and the battery was totally dead. A quick jump and it started up like a dream. I'm going to go get my battery checked/possibly get a new battery to see if thats the problem. Hopefully it's was just a combination of a semi-weak battery and dirty plugs causing the problem all along.

how would that effect the car not starting if it's getting adequate gas?

 

For a $3 part that is notorious for causing problems why argue, just change it, often...A slight blockage will cause starting and acceleration problems, especially with a weak battery and bad plugs. Start with the basics......

 

My old GSL-SE did that. Due to age, the compression on the first rotor was very low. In cold weather, it just didn't have sufficient energy to get started using the starter motor, so I had to pull it with a truck or park at the top of long hills.

I would suggest a compression test. If one or both rotors are low, a rebuild is your only option...other than long hills.

 

When you get a new battery, make sure you check the charging system at the same time; they'll do this for you at Schucks/NAPA somewhere like that.

 

no arguement, it was a serious question.


As far as the rebuild i believe that is one of the last things i want to do. I've always wanted to do a compression test to see how healthy the engine is. Is there a write up somewhere about using a piston compression tester on a rotary?

 

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/ro...lder/comp.html

 

thanks for the link for the compression test. i'll have to put that on my to do list. as far as the starting i charged my battery and it starts up fine....but it's 40 degrees outside. i guess i'll have to cross my fingers and hope it lasts during this cold snap in the next coming weeks

 

You're welcome. FWIW, 40 degrees was the cutoff on my GSL-SE for starting.