Won't start help
 

It started to turn over normally..then just made the cranking noise but not really turning over. Tach needle responds with the cranking so I'm told it is turning over. If this is carbon lock...what steps are recommended? I'm not very mechanically inclined so...use the KISS principle. Please help, and thanks in advance!

1885 RX7 GSL-SE

If it's turning over it's not carbon locked. There's a good thread in the FAQs on getting your 7 started. And if you have an 1885 SE, hang on to it. That's a very rare model, lol.

Nobody else?

I am noticing a gas smell on the dipstick and the plugs. Maybe the battery? Called a local dealer, and they have a de-flood procedure for $150. Is there a DIY here for that?

What’s worked for me… if flooded
1.Remove trailing plugs and turn the engine by hand (let any fuel get pushed out the trailing plugs) clean/dry both leading and trailing plugs reinstall and have someone ready with starting fluid down the carb (only a couple of sprays)
2.Cap of Sea Foam down the carb let set for a minuet


1 always works for me

I usually remove both sets of plugs and crank it over til no more gas comes out the plug holes, if it's flooded. After that, let it sit for 10 minutes (pray during those ten minutes), and then start it up.

Ok..I'm a dumb a** I know, but how do you do the sea foam into the carb procedure if you're fuel injected?

On the front of the dynamic chamber there are 4 vacuum lines. Pull one of those off, plug it, then use a spare vacuum line to suck in the Seafoam. The Dynamic Chamber is the part that has the RE-EGI cast into the top of it.

There is a deflooding procedure in the FAQs. You should read though that entire section to familiarize yourself with your 7. Also download the 85 FSM from the link in the FAQs.

To do the deflooding, you must disable the fuel pump and the ignition before cranking the engine over with the plugs removed. If you don't there's a serious danger of fire and not a pleasant experience. I found out the hard way on an 88 GTU one day. In the end I had to replace the engine harness, the brake master reservoir and patch numerous other wires. Fire lasted less than a minute.

Trochoid..I know..I read your post! By the way, I searched "deflood" in the FAQ...Nothing came up. (???)

Pulled both igniters to be safe. Just so I understand you correctly..plug the line, not the chamber right? Can you explain a little more about the "spare vacuum line" and how to suck in the Seafoam? Thanks!

Can anyone tell me how much Seafoam I should be trying to suck into the dynamic chamber in the procedure described above?

I bought new plugs after pulling the old ones (they were very carbonized and the two top plugs were soaked in gas)..cranked it several times yesterday and it seems all the gas is out of there. So I'll crank it a few more times today to be sure it's dry, and then attempt to start it with the new plugs. Hopefully the Seafoam procedure won't be necessary.

I also read somewhare that squirting a little WD40 in the plug holes couldn't hurt. Any thoughts on that?

Grab a turkey baster and shoot the Seafoam in through the top spark plug holes. Trochoid's method will work too, but this might be easier for you. Try to get a couple of ounces in there, but don't be worried about getting too much in because it won't hurt you.

Expect it to shoot lots of white smoke once it starts, that's normal with the Seafoam.

Have you verified that you still have spark? If no spark, then the Seafoam won't help you. :)


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My friend's RX is showing the same symptoms. It'll start if you've left it alone for a few hours. He was getting tested on emissions when it failed and the mechanic said that one of the ignition coils were out. That may be the case for you.

There is spark...my battery is very low, but someone is jumping me. The first time we tried to start with the new plugs it wouldn't start. I'd cranked the extra gas out of the plug holes a number of times, and it was all evaporated in there I'm sure. Still wouldn't fire up.

We just poured some Seafoam in a couple of the vacuum lines. How long should we wait before reinstalling the plugs and trying to start it again?

Sorry Kentetsu but he needs to baste the lower plug holes. The top plug hole inside the housing is so small that the Seafoam, oil, MMO or WD-40 will just run back out. The top plug holes might work if you use the spray straw that comes on some WD-40 cans and get the straw inside the housing.

As for using the vacuum method, you plug the line you pull off then buy a spare couple feet of vacuum line. The engine's own vacuum will suck the Seafoam right out of a container. Which is a brain fart on my part since you said you can't get the engine started. :wallbash:

To disable spark, simply pull the rotor our of the dizzy cap. To disable the fuel pump, pull the engine fuse under the dash.

I think I'll have to buy a squirt can...cause I can't get even a paper funnel to get any in there.

So Trochoid..there's no vacuum if I can't get it running right? We tried pouring some in several hoses running into the dynamic chamber, but there was not enough vacuum to suck it in.

Again, we just tried again to start it...it seemed like it wanted to fire and start...more so than before. Pulled the top plugs and they were soaked again.

Should we squirt some WD40 in the plug holes...wait and try again? Seems I can't get any Seafoam into the throttle body/firing chamber (?) as you would do with a carburetor. Really I don't know quite where to go from here.

Is it possible it could be the coolant sensor?

Put the vacuum line into the can of Seafoam, with the other end attached to the chamber. Then crank the motor over. You will probably produce enough vacuum just by doing that to draw the Seafoam in.

However, if all this started when you changed your spark plugs then you should go over your work. I would not be surprised to find out that you had a spark plug wire wrong, or bumped something while you were working on it. Whenever you have a problem like this, the first thing you should consider is the last thing you did to your car....

Kentetsu...it didn't happen when I changed plugs. It came outta nowhere. I changed plugs just to have new and clean plugs to try to start it again since the old ones were wet with gas and sorta carbonized.

I hadn't been driving it alot recently...but it always ran strong, but sometimes a little hard to start. My battery has been low recently though. So my buddy is here to provide a jump.

I just swapped out the coolant temp sensor and hoping that might be the culprit for the flooding prob.

Can you describe which "vacuum line" to use? Where is it??? Sorry for asking noob questions!

PS I managed to get some Seafoam in the plug holes. How long should I wait before trying to crank it again?

Finally started..don't know if it was the battery...the Seafoam, or the coolant sensor replacement, but it's running. What a cloud of smoke!!!

Thanks to all for their input!

Most likely the fouled plugs started the problem, then when it wouldn't start it flooded. If you continue to have hard starting problems or wet plugs, it may be time to send out the injectors for cleaning. Run the rest of the Seafoam through 1/4 tank or less to help clean the injectors and remove some of the carbon.

Thanks trochoid..will do.