salex

Been hanging out long enough to be able to post to the gen 2 site.

I'll try to be brief. Just trying to revive a 91 Vert that has just sat for most of the last 12 years. I realize that I have a long road ahead and that a lot of things may be wrong. I feel that I have been lucky and my problems are not as bad as they could be, but there are still problems and I am looking for guidance.

All my posts are below if you want a longer version of why it sat for 12 years but you can skip most of it:

https://www.rx7club.com/introduce-yo...den-al-945922/

Fuel system gummed up, got it working.

https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-r...-fine-1001220/

Seems that my CPU is at fault for a number of problems. Theft deterrence half *** working, just enough to not allow me to crank.

https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-r...acity-1003039/

Some scary stuff about changing fluids and stuff not seeming to be just right.

https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-r...ed-up-1001998/

More fluid problems and getting over them.

https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-r...nique-1001839/

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...er-pm-1004821/

Just a couple of posts on getting non-critical things fixed: Trim, window etc.

After about a month I've put about 30 miles on the vert after the above, but my problems seems to come down to my body CPU.

I took it to a radio/tv guy the other day because my soldering sucks. He replaced a few leaking capacitors and cold solder joints and I have more thing working than they did a week ago. All my idiot lights come on except for security. That is still not working (jumpered out starter cut relay). The TV guy got the belts warning to work; beeps to take key out and a few other things. Most other functions work as well as I can remember, but not consistently. Listed below are some of my observations

Air Bag flashes sometimes- sometimes it goes off and stays off.

Got a few "beep" tonight that were not consistent, but seems to be power steering beeps. Have not replaced power steering fluid yet and this a new problem as of today. After a shut down and restart, they went away. It may be starting immediately and not letting cpu's to finish the key-on cycle.

Oil pressure is reading low. After warmed up, does not seem to register (0). Taking it through the gears it will come up. Assume bad or weak sensor.

MAZDATRIX has a main CPU board labeled Horn CPU/W air bag for about 84 bucks. Does anyone know if this is a rebuilt, reengineered or just stock?

My plan is just getting it drivable for a year and see what happens. If I get over these minor cpu bugs, I've got tires, top, paint and other cosmetics to get over, but don't want to do that until I get it where I can go to the store and not worry about calling for help.

Not sure what help I'll get form this post - maybe just reassurance that the road is not that long and hard.

Steve

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about the intermittent lights or beeps at this point. It runs! Be thankful for little (ok, ENORMOUS!!!) miracles!

The air bag light would make me uncomfortable. They are old, crusty, old tech and if it goes off while you're driving it'll ruin your whole day! We pulled ours and put in an NRG wheel and a Momo adapter.

I'd go to HF or a retail auto parts store for a loaner oil pressure test kit. As you're figuring out Mazda was using a match to melt the solder and the electronics are mostly sad, including the oil pressure gauge system. Driving with low oil pressure is bad so I'd do that before driving it anymore.

Good luck!

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

Second thought... you might want to get some contact cleaner and disconnect your connectors and clean em up good.

Another thing you might want to do is Aaron Cake's Proper Grounding Procedure. Everything in the car depends on excellent grounds.

salex

I tried all 4 of our retail auto parts and not have an oil pressure test kit. Don't know what HF abbreviates? Though I'd just buy a $20 gauge, but figured I'd remove the oil pressure transmitter first, clean it etc.

I'm still stuck at that point. I wasted a couple hours trying to take out the wrong thing Was trying to remove the water temp sender which I mistook to for the oil pressure sending unit. I figured I had to remove what I thought was the water temp, but couldn't seem to find a good position to get a wrench on it. Feels like a 12 or 14 mm shaft going into the block.

I've got to wait till the engine cools down but if anyone can point to some removal procedures it may save me some time. Didn't seen anything in the SM or Haynes other then "remove".


I did clean up most of the grounds as pointed out in Aaron Cake's grounding article this morning. Seems the vert has few that are easier to get to. Didn't see any problems and didn't clear up anything. Still get intermittent air bag flashing. Sometimes shutting off the engine sounds the remove key beeps, other times it doesn't. But as you said, I want to be sure about the oil pressure before I worry about getting a new cpu or whatever.

vrracing

iTrader: (1)

Sorry, HF is "Harbor Freight" a source for cheap, mostly Chinese made tools. There is one on your aide of Birmingham.


Harbor Freight Tools
9120 Parkway East
Birmingham, AL 35206
(205) 836-3252

Their wrenches suck but for something like an oil pressure test kit they're great.

The oil pressure sender is the cad-plated mushroom on the back of the engine right next to the oil filter. You can see a picture of it on Page C-12 of the FSM. Item 8 is the plug that connects to the top of the oil pressure sender.

salex

I've whittled down the list of problems over the last week.

Got my rebuild regulator and new black plastic outside window trim and got the doors/windows back together. Have not tackled the relay fix for the switches yet.

After testing the oil pressure gauge I was convinced it was the oil pressure sender and got one from a local foreign car parts place for 50 buck. I knew I had oil pressure, or the motor would have been toast - but felt I had to prove it. Rather than a 50 mile trip to harbor freight to get a pressure test kit, I bought an $18 generic gauge. Didn't quit work since I needed BSPT fitting and the gauge had NPT. After looking for an adaptor, the car parts place just hit the fitting with a BSPT die and it worked fine.

I did find it a lot easier to work on the sender buy removing the cable guide that is on the bottom of the oil filter, right above the sender (10mm nut and move wire out of the way).

Have not ordered the new cpu yet but I've been trying to figure out the inconsistencies.

• It seems I get the flashing air bag if I start the car before the cpu finishes its passive seat belt test.
• This also seems to control if the remove key reminder warning works when you turn the key off. Sometimes I get it, other times I don't
• I never get a security light when key is turned on, but it will flash on shutdown with you move the key from aux to off
• The theft deterance system will not arm with the door locks, but I found if I open the trunk with the key (vert) and then lock it it will arm. have not tried to set it off yet.

Some of this leads me to believe I have some sensor problems (along with the cpu)

I've put about 50 miles on it the last few day and no problems other than the above inconsistencies. Well I did hear what sounded like a rolling noise at real low speed (parking) in the front wheel. I replaced the rear calipers, but the front seemed ok. Can not get any noise pushing and pulling on the wheel, but then I only heard the noise once.

I'm still crossing my finger but consider myself really lucky. I'll continue cleaning connections and stuff.

satch

iTrader: (1)

An old ignition switch loses its sensitivity w/respect to the key reminder feature. If it doesn't work then just jiggling the key a bit will set it off.