Tach needle flutter and missing too
07-18-08, 05:55 PM
#26
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Oil leak: If you have a beehive oilcooler, then that is probably the source of the leak. You'll be looking at replacing a couple of O-rings. You will also need to replace the rubber hoses right below the oilcooler, because they will be soft and shot due to the oil. Loose one of those hoses while you're on the road, and you'll be walking.
Oil running down the cable to the starter could possibly mess up the connection, but I would still advise you to replace the cables. I mean, it's a known issue with these cars, and if you're going to put her up in the air and remove the ends anyway, well the work is already halfway done for replacing them. Might as well do it right if you can.
Having the plug wires routed incorrectly would not cause the issues you've been seeing. It is, however, bad for the motor...
Oil running down the cable to the starter could possibly mess up the connection, but I would still advise you to replace the cables. I mean, it's a known issue with these cars, and if you're going to put her up in the air and remove the ends anyway, well the work is already halfway done for replacing them. Might as well do it right if you can.
Having the plug wires routed incorrectly would not cause the issues you've been seeing. It is, however, bad for the motor...
07-18-08, 06:21 PM
#27
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Thanks Ken..what exactly is the known issue?
You`ve probably noticed that you're not dealing with someone who is mechanically inclined. Even less so when it comes to electrical issues. The last car I actually "worked on" was a 55 Chevy in 1965...
Well it did it again today. Same symptoms.. tach flutter and the car dies. I got out ..tapped on the battery cable connectors...and it started up immediately. That's all I did..tap on the connectors...
Btw..is there somewhere here with definitions for all the abbreviations used here? I see FB..FA..etcetera used alot here. It would be cool if someone posted definitions in the FAQ so the rest of us newbs know what you're referring to...
You`ve probably noticed that you're not dealing with someone who is mechanically inclined. Even less so when it comes to electrical issues. The last car I actually "worked on" was a 55 Chevy in 1965...
Well it did it again today. Same symptoms.. tach flutter and the car dies. I got out ..tapped on the battery cable connectors...and it started up immediately. That's all I did..tap on the connectors...
Btw..is there somewhere here with definitions for all the abbreviations used here? I see FB..FA..etcetera used alot here. It would be cool if someone posted definitions in the FAQ so the rest of us newbs know what you're referring to...
07-18-08, 07:40 PM
#28
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"...replace the cables. I mean, it's a known issue with these cars,..."
Really? I'm not aware it's a KNOWN issue, though it's a potential issue because the cables are aluminum (like most cars in that era) so one would expect people in cold climates to have trouble. And I know a lot of guys routinely change cables to copper, but that's without really ascertaining if they were bad with a valid voltmeter test.
I've never had an actual cable fail on an RX-7, but I sure have cleaned a lot of cable connections, to the point that I actually wore out a wire brush!
Dino is in California where he shouldn't have a cold weather problem (in Minnesota I routinely replaced battery cables on all my cars with Arc Welding cable - the best).
I always check with a voltmeter and usually it's corrosion, and usually in the ground connection.
Next most common problem these days is low electrolyte in the battery cells. Some people test the battery, find it low and spend $50-$200 replacing it depending on how unscrupulous a mechanic is. All it really needs is distilled water. You can check it with a $4 hydrometer from the autostore. I like the one with 4 floating ***** in the tube. One time I had to add a full quart of distilled water to a battery, but after putting the 2 amp. trickle charger on it for 2 days it was good as new!
When I was a teenager pumping gas at Clarences 66 Station (2 pumps, regular at 19.9 cents and premium at 20.9) we used to routinely check the battery and add water as necessary, but nowadays nobody does that so a lot of good batteries with low electrolyte get replaced at high cost and the junkyards have a huge surplus of perfectly good batteries that they just added water to.
Really? I'm not aware it's a KNOWN issue, though it's a potential issue because the cables are aluminum (like most cars in that era) so one would expect people in cold climates to have trouble. And I know a lot of guys routinely change cables to copper, but that's without really ascertaining if they were bad with a valid voltmeter test.
I've never had an actual cable fail on an RX-7, but I sure have cleaned a lot of cable connections, to the point that I actually wore out a wire brush!
Dino is in California where he shouldn't have a cold weather problem (in Minnesota I routinely replaced battery cables on all my cars with Arc Welding cable - the best).
I always check with a voltmeter and usually it's corrosion, and usually in the ground connection.
Next most common problem these days is low electrolyte in the battery cells. Some people test the battery, find it low and spend $50-$200 replacing it depending on how unscrupulous a mechanic is. All it really needs is distilled water. You can check it with a $4 hydrometer from the autostore. I like the one with 4 floating ***** in the tube. One time I had to add a full quart of distilled water to a battery, but after putting the 2 amp. trickle charger on it for 2 days it was good as new!
When I was a teenager pumping gas at Clarences 66 Station (2 pumps, regular at 19.9 cents and premium at 20.9) we used to routinely check the battery and add water as necessary, but nowadays nobody does that so a lot of good batteries with low electrolyte get replaced at high cost and the junkyards have a huge surplus of perfectly good batteries that they just added water to.
07-18-08, 09:14 PM
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I did see a little rust on the cable connector at the ground..I`ll clean that up first. But it didn't look corroded. I just find it reflective of something (?).. that just a tap on the connectors restored the electrics..the connectors are clean and tight on the poles.
07-18-08, 09:44 PM
#30
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If you cured it with a tap on the connection, then you don't really have good clean connections.... Rust is bad, so get that crap outta there. 
07-19-08, 03:33 PM
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If you know how to use one ...yeah. Took an Electronics 101 course in junior college 35 years ago and dropped it. Not my forte. Auto electonics diagnostics is not for amateurs.. Voltmeters are probably not $4 either. If you`d like to give me a short course in how to read electronic schematics and show me some diagrams (read pictures) of what goes where..maybe I`d give it a shot.
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