Help On Some Q's
01-12-05, 08:19 PM
#1
GOT WANKEL?
Thread Starter
Help On Some Q's
ok there is a 79 that i would like to purchase, but it has a few problems which i dont know the cost, severity, and fixablitity.
First, it has a new paint job and he said when he got it back the headlights would no longer open automatically and he said it was a "minor electrical problem".
Second, he also said it smoked a little at startup because of the dryness of the seals on the rotors.
I appreciate your help!
First, it has a new paint job and he said when he got it back the headlights would no longer open automatically and he said it was a "minor electrical problem".
Second, he also said it smoked a little at startup because of the dryness of the seals on the rotors.
I appreciate your help!
01-16-05, 03:59 AM
#2
Hi-
-headlights: could just be a fuse. If BOTH lights aren't coming up it likely means the light motors themselves are OK and its an electrical gremlin. Not a deal breaker. On the drivers side suspension pillar in the engine compartment is a set of 3 fusible links mounted in a small box. You'll see the loop of wire coming out the rear of each link. I recall one of these controls power to the headlight motors. maybe this is bad. It just pulls out and are just a couple of $ to replace. the main fuse box is on the left of the steering column under the dash, near your knee when sitting
-paint: hmmm. what is THAT covering up? rust especially in the rear panels right behind the rear wheels is pretty common. Might want to be sure its not full of bondo... You didn't say what they were asking for the car so you have to factor that in
-smoking a bit? ew. Most rotaries, especially if they have been sitting a while, tend to belch a little oil (dark smoke) on start up, but this should dissappate quickly. White smoke (coolant) is a different story and almost always means the water jacket has breached the rotar chambers - meaning: engine rebuild. 2 things might help to check: 1) look in radiator. See if there is an oily sheen on the water (oil/gas mixing from the combustion chambers) 2) pay the $60-$100 and get a Mazda dealer to do a compression check to test the health of the motor. Its a special tool so only a Mazda specialist will have it. Considering a rebuild is $1200+ its money well spent.
A hint when going to test drive or see a rotary. make sure the car hasn't been run and warmed up before you get there. Rotary engines with coolant leaks can hide the symptoms once the car has warmed up and burned off the coolant currently in the combustion chambers. When you go see the car (and having asked that it NOT be run before you get there), first crack the hood and make sure the block is cold. Its the initial COLD start that hints at worse things to come!!
-there are a host of generic issues anyone looking at an old car needs to be aware of and there are a ton of people here that can help, but for the RX7 the engine is _the_ big one, so be sure its running strong... otherwise it doen't really matter WHAT the rest fo the car is like
-there a re a LOT of RX7 out there to choose from so be patient. 79s were a nice year if cared for, but don't buy any RX without getting that motor checked! I don't want to turn you off RX's because of motor problems. Lots go 200K plus miles if properly cared for. Rotaries consume more oil than piston cars by design, but some owners don't know it or don't watch it so you just want to know what your getting into-
good luck
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska
-headlights: could just be a fuse. If BOTH lights aren't coming up it likely means the light motors themselves are OK and its an electrical gremlin. Not a deal breaker. On the drivers side suspension pillar in the engine compartment is a set of 3 fusible links mounted in a small box. You'll see the loop of wire coming out the rear of each link. I recall one of these controls power to the headlight motors. maybe this is bad. It just pulls out and are just a couple of $ to replace. the main fuse box is on the left of the steering column under the dash, near your knee when sitting
-paint: hmmm. what is THAT covering up? rust especially in the rear panels right behind the rear wheels is pretty common. Might want to be sure its not full of bondo... You didn't say what they were asking for the car so you have to factor that in
-smoking a bit? ew. Most rotaries, especially if they have been sitting a while, tend to belch a little oil (dark smoke) on start up, but this should dissappate quickly. White smoke (coolant) is a different story and almost always means the water jacket has breached the rotar chambers - meaning: engine rebuild. 2 things might help to check: 1) look in radiator. See if there is an oily sheen on the water (oil/gas mixing from the combustion chambers) 2) pay the $60-$100 and get a Mazda dealer to do a compression check to test the health of the motor. Its a special tool so only a Mazda specialist will have it. Considering a rebuild is $1200+ its money well spent.
A hint when going to test drive or see a rotary. make sure the car hasn't been run and warmed up before you get there. Rotary engines with coolant leaks can hide the symptoms once the car has warmed up and burned off the coolant currently in the combustion chambers. When you go see the car (and having asked that it NOT be run before you get there), first crack the hood and make sure the block is cold. Its the initial COLD start that hints at worse things to come!!
-there are a host of generic issues anyone looking at an old car needs to be aware of and there are a ton of people here that can help, but for the RX7 the engine is _the_ big one, so be sure its running strong... otherwise it doen't really matter WHAT the rest fo the car is like
-there a re a LOT of RX7 out there to choose from so be patient. 79s were a nice year if cared for, but don't buy any RX without getting that motor checked! I don't want to turn you off RX's because of motor problems. Lots go 200K plus miles if properly cared for. Rotaries consume more oil than piston cars by design, but some owners don't know it or don't watch it so you just want to know what your getting into-
good luck
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska