okay guys, since i don't really know much about these cars...i'll like some help to as why my car is acting the way it is...i have a 1986 mazda rx-7 5spd non-turbo...just recently my car couldn't start. At first i thought it was the alternator because i thought i might be because of the battery being drained. Since it wasn't the alternator, my uncle took it to a small shop around town and have them fixed it. I'm not really sure what they fixed cause my uncle went to pick up the car and have it at his house right now. Well after they fixed it, the car can now start but it will idle for about 2-3 minutes and then die...i'll have to restart it and it will again die after a few minute at idle...i'm not really sure what's wrong with the car. i'm thinking it might be the o2 sensor because my friend's fd dies at idle too after his power fc blanks out...and it was found that, that was due to the O2 sensor being bad...before i start trying to fix anything again and wasting money i'll like to know what might be the problem...thanks for the help guys...

 

i'd be checking the TPS first.

 

what's a TPS?...i did some search but all they refer to it is "TPS" without giving me a general idea of what it is...

 

Throttle Position Sensor.

Not to be a dick, but all the acronym's and stuff are right in the FAQ at the top, check it out.

And the TPS is located at the front of the throttle body. You'll see it, it's connected to the TB. There will be an adjustment screw on it.

If you've got an ohmmeter check the resistance of it, it should be 1000 ohms at idle, I think. You gotta check the top wire and the bottom wire coming off it, the middle one is a signal voltage. If it's out of wack by say 500 ohms, turn the adjustment screw whichever way until it gets back to 1000.

It's best to do it on a hot engine, but you can't do that if it dies, right? So try to get her running by adjusting it a bit, then once she's good and hot turn her off and check it again.

You might also have a vac leak.

Good luck.

James