Guys... Im so lost

My car only starts if you push it bit

No way to crank it to life

Seems to flood constantly

I have good compresion and even pulses.

Cleaned the sparks, and they seem ok

It runs and idles once you push it.

All vacum hoses are OK

All help will be apreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

So what exactly is the problem, does it try to start and just flood and refuse to, or does it not crank? Need a little more information. Also what model do you have, I assume a 12A.

 

i'm guessing starter or battery

 

have the same exact problem as you. solution is to change or upgrade ignition system.

wires
plugs
even coils (MSD Blaster 2)

it's flooding because it's not sparking fast enough, therefore the plugs are just getting wet faster than they can fire the fuel.

 

Do the plugs get really wet?

If the car really is flooding all the time on startup, you may be getting too much gas, perhaps due to a stuck float, or you may have weak spark. Use a voltmeter to check the voltage at the coils and the ignitors, they should be fairly close to 12V.

 

Any rotary needs a strong battery to start. Just a few amps makes a difference. Try hooking up a jump from a revving running car. If it sounds better, your problem is the battery. Check all connections for corrosion.

 

$3 can of starting fluid could help you diagnose it too. If it won't start with that its probably not cranking strong and its electrical, if it does then its a fuel or ignition issue.

 

and if you're still using the stock aluminum wire to the starter, swap it out with fresh copper, along with new terminals.. i'm not sure if it's your prob, but i got a starter for 70 bucks +core at autozone..

 

As far as the ignition goes ... you recommend the one that Rotary Performance sells? That thing looks like the ****.

 

It cranks.
You can crank it all day, even jumping wires with a running car and it wont start. Its a 12A
No way to get starting fluid down here in Argentina. Hell, its realy hard to even get any part for this car.
If the car runs after you push that means it is getting spark right?

The voltmeter shows a bit over 12 before crank and between 8 9 when trying.

I have no previous experience with rotaries... just what I read on this forum

I have removed the sparkplugs, clean them, put them again, try to start it twice, and the came out with gas and oil

 

So far I read here that could be

Rotor
Distributor cap
Igniters
Coils
Floater on the carb
Starter
Battery

It a little overwhelming... dont know where to start...
Lets try to narrow down

What would prevent her from running once pushed? (she runs if you push her, yes)

 

Yes the readings for your voltmeter are correct. That means your battery and charging system are fine.

There really is really only one difference between starting issues on a rotary and those of a piston engine. Go to the FAQ in the firstgen section and read the page about flooding, a piston engine will unflood on its own, a rotary won't. I'm guessing that if your plugs are coming out with gas then you are getting fuel and it's flooding. So since you have fuel, its probably an ignition issue.

To check that, pull out one of the leading sparkplugs and hold it to the engine block. Have someone crank the engine over and check to see if it is sparking. Thats the most basic check. If it is I don't know where to check next.

Starting fluid should be a common automotive chemical, perhaps its referred to as something else down there.

If it runs when you push start it, I think it is an issue with your wiring to the starter or the starter itself. Check the wires, and clean all of your battery and starter connections. Starters are similar on all cars, you should be able to find one, even in Argentina.

 

yes

 

well im sure glad that im not the only one that is experiencing this problem. Guess ill just sit back, relax and read this forum

 

Start by Turning on the swich and looking down the Carb. If fuel is flowing in while the switch is on, then the floats are stuck and flooding it. Taping on the top of the carb with a small something will generaly free them up.

IF that is not it.

then Change the Rotor and Distributor Cap. They may be burnt or crooded so you are not getting enought spark. You can see this problem by pulling the wires from the cap and looking for a nasty white stuff in the holes of the cap.

 

I agree look at the carb. if the engine is getting exessive fuel it can push start but not crank start.

 

I will check the carb first, after that, dizzy.

Thanks guys!

 

Here is a little update

Its 3 AM over here and I just came back from the garage

I removed the fuel pump fuse and then tested each spark one by one using as ground the chassis of the car.

I cleaned them and reinstalled.

Installed a fresh battery and reinstalled the fuse

Still does not start

If you look the carb, on the little windows to the front the gas is half way full

With the ignition ON, you do not see any fuel overflowing the floater or anything like that.

Im lost....

Im back to zero

PLEEEEASE HELP MEEEEEE

How much spark are you supposed to see?

How can you tell if a spark is no good?

 

Here is a few questions :What speed does the starter turn?Does it sound like its turning at a good speed,or slow with the new battery?.

How big is the spark on the plugs?Is it a nice big blue spark?

Does it make a cloud of fuel smoke when you have it running(when push started) ?

 

Check the Rotor button for burns and check for white crud in the Dizzy cap holes. also check for white crud on the ends of the plug wires and the coil wires.

 

the starter seems to turn at a nice speed, but again, Ive never seen another seven running

The spark seemed ok... I have no idea how big it needs to be...

 

hey man had the same problem, expect with ours, we would crank and nothing, when we stopped cranking the fuel would just dump into the barrels. take the air cleaner off and crank and let off, and have someone look don the barrels to see if its just dumping. Also have you done the "unflooding procedures" I flooded my car and no matter what i did it would not start till you unflood it.

Ron

 

I have a very similar problem, I replaced the plugs, wires, rotor, dizzy cap, AND got my compression checked all to no avail. The ignition system is fine all getting the right voltage. Im going to rebuild my carb im sure thats what it is for MY situation, there's nothing left I can think of to help you out, sorry .

 

Ok, You have had serious flooding problems in the past...... I can't believe no-one has said this yet.

When your chamber walls get washed with fuel (from the flooding) all that gas runs down into the oil and mixes. I bet if you smell your oil it will reek of gas and be a thin consistancy. This means that your oil is basically gas and oil getting re-injected into the chamber along with the fuel from the carb.

I would change my oil, filter, and then inject a little MMO into each spark plug hole and turn the motor by hand. (this will recoat the walls with a thick fluid to replace the missing oil layer on the walls of the housings)

Then try to restart the car normally. I hope this helps....

 

I'm not a guru on rotories but the symptom you are giving sounds like a lack of compression. You stated that you had good compression. Was that with a rotory compression gauge?

If it starts OK after you do what RRTEC says, that would be consistent with a compression problem. The added oil would create a better seal, increasing compression.