cletus

Ok, it's actually been a little cold here in georgia for once. Went to go somewhere the other night and it was about 30 degrees out. Couldn't get it to start easily (it's usually a little tough to start when it's cold) but this time it was a bit worse (and a lot colder than it has ever been since I got the car). It caught a few times then stalled (pretty similar to normal, just a few more times than normal. The battery was getting a little drained, so I just quit and took my other car. So I went back to try to start it yesterday since it was a bit warmer out. It seems to be turning over fine, but it sounds a little different, like the engine isn't under it's normal load (like maybe no compression). Checking the battery showed me what looked about 11.5 volts (analog meter, a little tough to tell) which is a bit low, but then again, the battery terminals aren't excessively clean either would could be the loss or just the way the meter was sitting, etc. When trying to start it, the pulleys are moving which tells me atleast the output shaft is spinning, but they seem to be turning kinda slower than I would expect (never really paid attention before). Any ideas? Does this sound like maybe it is just flooded or something else? Haven't had any experience with this before. Oh yeah, it's a 12A motor.

Thanks people.

Barwick

When I tried to crank the race car motor after replacement to move some oil through it, it turned real slow when I hooked it up to a "starter" plugged into the wall (big beastly battery charger/booster). When I put a real battery in, it cranked a lot faster, seemed like the charter didn't put out enough amps (the volts were the same on both). Might want to try charging the battery or just get a new battery.

jimmyv13

It gets mighty cold up here in Michigan, but my 12A starts everytime(except once in below zero temp). It will crank very slow, but it will catch eventually. I have to pump the pedal 5 times b4 turning the key and pull the choke out. It may die a few times while warming up, but that's just the way it is, I guess.

yayarx7

if you put a standard volt meter on a battery if should read 12.5 + volts if its fully charged. anything around 12.3 volts or less is getting low and less than 12 needs a charge bad.

It has been my experience with many 12a cars that a hard or no starting car be caused by old corroded battery cables or a low/bad battery.

Put a charge on it and see it it'll start.

BTW this all culminates from a few years in the monkey Wards battery room.

Good luck

error402

i know my '83 GSL (12a) doesn't like the cold. my poor baby. i wish i could keep it in a garage. *sobs*

as far as i know 12a are notorious for not like the cold weather. carb 12a's are kinda hard to flood, so that souldn't be a problem. ~shrugs~

you could replace the stock starter, coils, and battery if you have the money to burn, it might help out a bit?

lol or it could just be that i don't know anything and blowing smoke out of my a$$, i'm still learning as well.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

View my recent thread inspired by the plight of all rexheds who have slow spinning starters...you gotta spin to win.

Siraniko

iTrader: (13)

GLAD to be from smogfornia. dont have to worry about that....drive it 24/7 and any day of the year.....

ladelberg

Hello also from Atlanta. It has not been cold enough here for the RX to have a problem, I have a 12A also, started right up this morning, I might start it once a week.

I would check for other things. Spinning slow is bad for rotaries. I saw someone posted a thread to that affect but if they don't spin fast enough, they don't start. Verify your choke is properly actuating, fuel is getting in and the carb is not flooded (it does happen and it will not clear itself even if you let it sit for a long time and it does not always reek of gasoline when it does), vacuum lines are properly connected because the anti afterburn valve can cause problems on startup etc.

Have you had the compression checked. Rotaries struggle to start when compression is low. What weight oil do you have in it?

Drop me an email if you want some local help. While I am new to the forum, I have been messing with rotaries for a number of years, 12As included.

cletus

Ok. Blew off the afternoon or work and messed around with the seven a little more. We tried jump starting it, but it changed nothing. I pulled the spark plugs and there were pretty wet. Since then I haven't done anything else. The plugs are still out of the engine. A little gas/oil mixture was visible in the plug holes (some trickled out). Had the smell/consisancy of gas but dark like oil, so I'm taking a stab that that was what it was. Don't really know what else is going on now. Thanks guys.

jimmyv13

Crank the engine with the plugs out to blow that **** out of the chambers. Wire brush the plugs and reinstall them. Check the wires and make sure they are installed correctly.. T- Top, L- Lower. Look on the cap to find the right wire spots.

When was your last tune up, plugs, wires, cap, rotor?

stinkfist

Where did you atlanta people come from? Do you go to our meets?

Do what jimmyv13 said and also get yourself a new set of battery cables and maybe a new battery(test it). That should cure your no start problems.

Hope to see you guys around.

Mike

Felix Wankel

I'm going to come to one of those meets, when I get one of my damn cars together...

cletus

Ok. Put the plugs back in today and no change in anything. Haven't really done anything to the electrical stuff (battery cables or anything) because the engine doesn't appear to be struggling to turn over at all. Seems to be spinning quite freely. That, and trying to jump it changed nothing. I haven't had a tune up on it yet, but the previous owner (rx7 nut, he's probably on this board somewhere) just had new wires and stuff put on. Seemed to run good for the 3 weeks I've had it until this. Unfortunately, on top of my little rotor experience, this is also my first carb. car. Oh well, thanks again guys.

And if the meets you are referring to are the ones up at the Syms place, I've actually been once, but that was before I had the rx7. Was actually looking at it that night. I was the guy stupid enough to come in a non-rotary car

stinkfist

Are you the guy that bought carls car? If so I was the guy in the black first gen that pulled up before we all left to go to dyno labs.

Did you do what Jimmyv13 said? It sounds like it's flooded. If you turn it over with the plugs out it will blow all of the fuel out of the plug holes.

Did you happen to crank it while it was cold for a short period of time and shut it off before it warmed up? This is a big no no with older engines.

If its flooded and it doesn't have good compression then it may be difficult to get started.

This is what you can do. Put a cap full of ATF in each one of the primary chambers of your carb. Hook a set of jumper cables up to your car from another car and crank and crank and crank. After a minute or two it should fire up. Beware, when the car starts there will be an enormous amont of smoke from the atf in the engine.

check this page out for more info on the subject. http://mrmazda.members.atlantic.net/...t.html#NOSTART

That site is pretty much the first gen owners bible. Read it and learn it.
This is the home page.
http://mrmazda.members.atlantic.net/main.html

Don't worry, we'll get that thing running. If it comes to it me and a buddy will come out there and help you get it running

Good luck,
Mike

FuLLsMoKe

yea, just pull out the choke. i normally have to tap the gas a little sometimes to get it going. as for the slower belts, is your RPM low? usually when the car is cold, the RPMs are a little lower or unstable...

Hope that helps...

cletus

Yeah, I'm the guy who bought carls car. Under normal days, it seems like it does have pretty good compression left in it. Basically, I went to go somewhere one night and it was chilly, and wanted to take it, got it started and it ran for about 10 seconds and died (kinda typical). But started it again and it did the same. Usually after dying once when it's real cold it's fine. I may have gotten it started yet once more before I gave up and took my other car. Didn't wanna kill the battery. But I'm guessing through all of that, it probably came out flooded. I guess I'll try the ATF fix tomorrow and see where that gets me. May pick up a battery charger too anyway and just do it that way. The car has been so much fun I wanna get it running again .

Thanks again guys. I'll let you know where I stand tomorrow.

ladelberg

Ref above Atlanta email, there are lots of folks driving 7s around, I see them all the time. But you don't want mine at a meet, it would scare people, needs a paint job pretty badly. The front quarterpanel was dented when I bought it 4 years aga and I replaced it with one from a gold 7 in very good condition but does not match the black car well. Also the roof clearcoat has peeled.

We just had a baby and two seaters just don't work so well. She runs really well though, the rest is just paint. I might get it painted if I can't sell her but really want to sell it to someone who would enjoy it more. Have a second engine I was ready to port and all, I was a real rotary head for a while, even looked at putting rotaries in other vehicles. The suspension is pretty new too. My wife wants a third gen though.

stinkfist

How much do you want for it? I have a friend thats looking.

Mike

Never mind, I found your ad on auto trader. I'll let him know

ladelberg

Thanks, I appreciate it.

cletus

Ok. Here is where we stand. We yanked the plugs, and blew the crap out of the chambers. We still could not get it to light by jumping it. We towed it up to the top of a good hill and we did get it to light while rolling down the hill, but any time you pushed the clutch in or tapped the gas, it stalled. Couldn't get it to light off a jump start after that. Battery is pretty weak after all of this. We aren't really sure where to go next. Maybe ATF, but never really been a fan of dumping something like that in an engine.

Thanks again guys. This is really irritating us.

yayarx7

I assume you are replacing or cleaning the plugs after you flood the motor each time? I tried to get one to start with no success. I tried every trick I know and it finnally fired up dragging it around behind a truck but died and just would not start on the battery. replaced the plugs and voila! Fired right up.

Hope this helps

cletus

We cleaned the plugs between each attempt, but haven't changed them. Maybe I should try new ones. What types do I need if you guys would be so kind? Thanks once more.

cletus

Welp, finally some good news. New plugs, even tried some ATF in the carb. Still couldn't seem to get it to spin fast enough to start it like that. Towed it back up to the top of yee old big hill, popped the clutch and it started but died, but we had enough room to pop it again and she lit and stayed running. Running good again, quite relieved. Battery may be a little weak after all of that, but I think I can get over that. The cloud of smoke that came out when it finally lit I think surprised the guy who happened to start following me after I started down the hill Wasn't all that much ATF in there though so it wasn't horrible. Funny though.

Thanks again for all your help guys, I really appreciate it.

ladelberg

You may want to change the oil as well if it was flooded that badly. All that gas has to go someplace and it just thins your oil out...

cletus

I'm planning on it.