1987 RX-7 GXL not cranking?
 

I was wondering what some of you guys that have messed around with these motors/cars for a while would end up checkin to see why you are getting no crank out of the motor. I am baffeled on what to do?


Thanks in advance for all the help.

Replace the starter.

starter is good, new plugs, wires are good, new battery. I go to turn the key and nothing. If you listen really close under the hood (you can hear some type of electical current).

If anyone live in Omaha, NE or close by and would be willing to help send me a PM please.

I also checked the ignition switch and Its also got power at the switch.

check the black ground wire near Engine tranny bolts on the drivers side? Good battery? check the starter wires
take a wrench and do a few light taps on the starter cyliniod
re check battery terminals
If its an AUTO push the shifter hard back into park a few times
Make sure engine turns!? Turn it by hand. make sure there is no carbon lock

Ill try the shifter thing. I need to find someone here that knows what they are doing cause I have a 1986 RX-7 (Base model) The motor is shiny and in REALLY good shape, but has a 5 Speed. I wanna swap that motor and transmission into the 87 but I would screw up so I am just trying to get the auto/motor in the 87 to work. The motor turns over by hand without the plugs in but its REALLY hard to turn.

easy. I just took my auto out. and put a 5speed in. need clutch peddle break peddle
5speed driveline. 5speed starter. clutch master. very little electrical work involced besides bypassing the auto safty start switch... and custom tranny mount

its easy for some people, but me I would rather have some help so I dont screw something up. I'd ever offer parts I dont need like seats, console, doors, windows, ECT for some help getting this car done and running.

Im not offering parts you dont need...

I said I'd offer parts from MY '86 that I am not going to use. I only need very few of the parts.

In that case ill take everything. jk Did it start yet?

I have to wait until tomorrow after I take my g/f and drop her off at her rents cause its at my brothers house and I can only work on it during the day, but ill let you guys know if it starts. Do you need any parts? If so let me know.

If you dont like to work on cars. then sell the rx7. it always needs a good eye and good working hands. With an rx7 for every week you drive it. It needs 1 hour worth of work
You might want something like a kia, Wait i cant do that to someone. maybe try honda civic.
they run forever hardly need to check the oil

Hmmmm, make sure your connections are all good. The "sound of electricity" maybe the solenoid engaging, but not the starter. Two separate pieces.

You should be able to "hot wire" the starter. Trying to remember exactly what I did....

I think I put the car in the ON position, then ground out the really small wire going to the top of the starter. it is attached using a really little flat connector. It should start.

When you put the ignition in the START position, it grounds this wire, causing the car to start. If this works, maybe there is a bad connection in the ignition.

If the engine turns by hand, and you know the starter is good. I would consider using something to check electrical connections. If you can, jacking the car up and looking at the electrical connections going to the starter.

Has the starter been replaced recently? They may have left an important wire off. There should be a really thick wire going to the starter. One thick +12V and another ground, if they use a ground separate from the engine. Then, a thinner black wire clipped to the smaller cylinder.

I just need someone who knows about them to teach me about them.

try your local board. ask someone for help..

See that BLUE shorting plug in the attached jpg? That is located under your TRAIL coil assy.

Remove the three nuts that hold the Trail coil assy in place and just lift the Trail coil up and find that BLUE shorting plug. You don't have to remove any wires from the TRail coil assy to do this.

Move the BLUE jumper to a place where you can access it when the Trail coil assy is reinstalled.

Reinstall the Trail coil assy.

Pull the BLUE shorting plug off its black connector. Set the BLUE shorting plug to the side.

Look into the BLACK connector the BLUE shorting plug was connected to. Find the LARGE black/white wire.

Now find a piece of electrical wire that will reach from that black plug to the positive post on the battery. Bare both ends of that new wire. Bare means strip the insulation off both ends so about a inch of bare wire is exposed.

Carefully stuff one end of that new wire into the socket on the black connector that has the black/white wire.

Now, with the car in neutral or in your case PARK, touch the other end of your new wire to the batterys positive post.

The starter should turn the engine over or at least engage the *flywheel*.

If it does that, then the starter is just fine and dandy. Your problem would lie b/t that BLUE shorting plug and the ignition key. Probably the Inhibitor switch.

Or just skip the above. Put the car on ramps. Transmission in neutral or PARK. No key required. Pull the small wire off the starter solenoid. Now with the shank of a screwdriver, bridge the small blade on the solenoid to the LARGE wire bolted to the starter solenoid. When you do that the starter should turn the engine. More or less proving the starter is good.

Or just get your digital meter out. Put the neg lead of the meter on a known ground. The positve lead of the meter on the small wires terminal. Meter on dcvolts. Key to START. You should see batt voltage on the meter. If so, the wiring is good from the ignition to the starter solenoid and the starter solenoid might be bad. Depends.

OR get under the car with all the wiring on the starter. Have someone put the key to start. You should at least hear the solenoid click. If the solenoid clicks, then the starter/starter solenoid is bad. Let's say it clicked when someone put the key to START. At that point, get the screwdriver out and bridge the small blade on the starter solenoid to the large wire on the starter solenoid. IF the starter now spins the engine.......let us know.

The BLUE connector suggestion above keeps you from having to get under the car and requires no other person being involved.