my girlfriend wrecked her FC on the dragon a little while ago so it has been sitting, after the accident she had it running and the damage isnt bad. Now it wont start, she is saying its the alarm and other people have had this problem. I want to get it fixed so it can be driven and not just sit pretty in the front yard. It has new plugs and wires and everything is working pefect turns over nicely except it does need a new battery. Does anyone have any suggestions? or have heard of the alarm causing the car to be able to turn over but not start? i could understand if it killed it but then it wouldn't turn over.

 

check spark and fuel

 

already checked spark i need to check fuel will go work on that now she said the car will start when push started which is weird because its not flooded.

 

sounds like it's flooded to me, or has really low compression... do a compression test. Also , check the fuses on the driver's side strut tower to make sure none are blown

 

all fuses are good but its not getting spark fuel seems to be alright and its not flooded im gonna pull the plugs again though just to be 100% sure. someone told us its not getting spark because of the alarm i tried the green/white wire but still nothing and they mentioned something about disconnecting it from right behind the front bumper.

 

Flooded,

And the factory alarm only kills the starter, so if the engine is turning over when you turn the key to start (regardless of if it is lighting up, or not) then it is not the alarm.

 

its also not getting spark, changed out the leading coil and still no spark

 

Yeah, okay... why do you think it is not getting spark?

Needing a new battery and sitting for a while, leads to flooded very very very very very easy.

 

grounded a plug and no spark while its turning over, it has also had all the plugs wires and been deflooded about 7 times after everything was replaced. new leading coil pack, new ecu, we have been working with paul from this board on getting it running.

 

If you pull the CAS and manually turn the gear (with the key on) do you get a spark then?

FC coils almost never fail, so I would be skeptical that it would be bad coils unless the cars battery was installed backwards and you tried to start it while it was backwards.

 

i dont think its the coils either im arguing with my girlfriend i think its flooded but she is adamant that paul deflooded it about 7 times before replacing everything. i have been checking the spark on the trailing plugs and getting nothing i will have to manually turn it and see i hope i have enough light tonight ill have to go check.

i am going to pull the plugs again tomorrow but we are going to have to get a new battery she just bought this one and its dead and wont hold a charge.

 

another thing i am trying to find out is the roll over sensor, the problems started when she hit a wall at the dragon and thats what she is told is the problem but i cant find anything on here about it. the car also wont push or tow start from what she just told me

 

If it is indeed flooded, it will not start unless you have a fully charged battery.

 

ya i have had it hooked up to my rx8 all day but it wont hold a charge i think we are going to go tomorrow to pick up a new battery. i have flooded my 8 before so im pretty good at deflooding ill have to do it myself this time to make sure it is actually done because i wasnt there for the original defloodings.

 

Well, the 90 GXL unfloods just like your RX-8.

Hold the throttle all the way down, without pumping it, and crank until it starts.

But if the plugs are really wet, or the center pin is rounded on top, then you need to clean and or replace them.

 

I wouldn't worry about the trailing plugs, it'll start and run without them. test the leading plugs. And make sure they're connected to the correct spark plugs (the bottom ones)

have you done a compression test? If the engine is dead, you're just wasting your time...

are you positive it's getting fuel? are the spark plugs wet?

also, instead of getting a new battery, I would just get a battery charger... I've brought a lot of batteries back to life that people thought were dead.

 

the gf is still insisting its the alarm she said her friend had the same problem, it was running after the accident but then after a few months her alarm started acting up and going off for no reason. then one day it wouldn't start at all and she is told its the alarm and has to be unhooked from behind the bumper.

 

does it have an aftermarket alarm or the stock alarm system?

 

stock alarm system it started going off every morning then the car stopped starting

 

I don't think the stock alarm system has impact sensors... sounds like the contacts on the power locks are dirty. But as icemark said, it only cuts power to the starter, it won't cut power from the ignition.

 

Dead battery won't trigger a stock alarm.

But a dead battery will prevent a flooded car from starting. Battery's often are killed by a front end impact that breaks a cell internally, dropping the voltage (even when fully charged) down 2.1 volts for each broken cell. FC's will still crank and occasionally start (if the engine is in good condition) with as many as two cells broken. A quick test to see what the voltage is in the battery (with your handy dandy digital voltage meter that every mechanic and FC owner should have). After charging the voltage should be at 12.6 volts. If it is at 10.5 or even 8.4 volts you have at least one bad cell in the battery and it will need to be replaced.

The stock alarm flashes the Hazard lights and/or the headlights (depending on year), the stock Horn(s), and only kills the starter. There is not a siren with the stock alarm. There is not fuel kill, there is not ignition kill on the stock alarm.

So in other words: if the stock alarm is triggering (horns honking/ lights flashing) or the stock alarm is armed (orange Security light blinking once every 3 seconds) then you would not be able to crank the car. You could turn your key to the start position as many times as you want and nothing will happen if the stock alarm is triggered or armed.

Are you sure this is the stock alarm?

 

thank you for the info im sure its the stock alarm, i will be going to get a new battery soon as it was probably damaged in the accident. then i will go from there hopefully that will fix it ill pull the plugs out also and see if they are soaked so i should know if its flooded here soon. just havent had a bunch of cash or time since the baby is on the way.

thanks for the help from the people helping you are most likely right and it is flooded because it is exactly how you explain it.

 

i got a new battery some MMO and starting fluid its dark out now but i might go have a shot at it anyway im bored and who cares if i cant see. i wish i could bring her into the garage to do the work but its hard by myself lol

 

pulled the plugs out they are bone dry look like they are still brand new out of the package, so now i have a new problem...getting no fuel. im gonna go try and spray the intake and see if it will start up or attempt to start up with that then i know that is my only problem

 

anyone know how to reset the roll over sensor in the afm?