Ok, well I just got my car out of the body shop today because some dink backed into me in a parking lot and dented the front right fender. I was so happy to have it back. Then I let my friend take it for a drive. Then out of the blue we were cruising along and hes like dude, is this supposed to happen? The car just like died, at first it just lost all its power and when he took his foot off the gas it would barely idle, but when pushing on the gas again it would move slowly. After pulling over and letting off the gas completely it stalled. It has plenty of gas, all the gauges read fine, no smoke. When I turn the key it sounds like it wants to start but it won't fire up. Any suggestions? PLEASE HELP! I can't wait to drive my car =(

 

Compression test my friend. IF it gallops on startup, starts and revs like a lawnmower, and has no power, it has just blown an apex seal or 3.

IF you check compression and it comes out good, then we can troubleshoot the control/injection systems and get it back running right again, but usually one doesnt go from running well one second to not at all the next unless it blows an apex.

 

i drove it for like 2 hours before my friend did and ran fine, and when my friend was driving he wasnt driving it even above like 4000 rpms, then it just died as we were going down the road... does that sound like how an apex seal usually blows?

 

For unknown reasons, the rotary usually runs its strongest right before it goes. You can get in in the morning and be like "man she's ready to rev today, unusually peppy" and that night be towing her home

Usually the blown seal happens between gear shifts, such as 2-3 or 3-4. Usually it's after you've already raised hell/won the race/whatever and are driving normally that it lets go.

 

god damn I have the worst luck. Ive already put like 5000 dollars which is all of my summer savings into the car and I have driven it a total of 4 days. First I had to wait forever to get it registered cuz the title took forever to come, then 2 days after i got it on the road it got hit and i sent it to the body shop, now the same day I get it out, this.... and its only got 76k miles on. Well maybe in like 6 months it will run =(

 

Run the compression test to know for sure. It could be something else, but comp. is the first thing to troubleshoot on a normally running rotary that just quit.

HEre is a small writeup I have done for my webpage but not yet posted:

Poor Man’s Compression test(free):

1. remove lower sparkplug and wire from front rotor.
2. remove EGI fuse from underhood fusebox to prevent fuel and spark while testing.
3. have an assistant crank the car over for you, while you listen under the hood at the compression pulses coming from this plug hole. IT is recommended to put your hand/finger right in front of the hole to feel the pulses of air.
4. There should be one strong pulse/whoosh of air per full rotation of the crank pulley. Use the timing marks on it as a reference. There should be 3 even pulses in succession, without skips or gallops.
5. IF one or more pulses are weaker or non existant, this indicates (usually) at least one blown apex seal and severe internal damage. A full rebuild will be required, and no further troubleshooting will help.
6. IF this chamber passes the compression test, replace this plug and repeat for the rear. The rear rotor blows more often then the front on 88 and prior engines, and the front rotor blows more often on 89 and later engines, for reasons unknown.
7. With both lower plugs out at one time, you can listen/feel for compression on both rotors at once. This should be a rhythmic ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch sound, like an old steam engine train, alternating front to back, once per rotor per rotation. Any skips or galloping indicate loss of compression.
8. note that this procedure can be used to test junkyard engines or engines out of the car. You will need a 19mm socket and ratchet to turn the front crank pulley bolt clockwise in quick, long strokes as possible to get a somewhat accurate reading. You will obviously not be able to turn the engine much at a time, so try to count each pulse as you go.


Compression test using a piston engine tester:

1. note battery strength. A weak battery will yield low compression results.
2. Remove both lower plugs and wires.
3. remove EGI fuse from engine fusebox.
4. have a friend floor the accelerator pedal, opening the throttle for more airflow
5. insert your tester into the leading hole
6. hold the valve on the side of the tester open
7. have your friend crank the car over for 5+ seconds.
8. observe the needle bounces. You should see 3 in succession without skips, even bounces, in roughly the 30-35psi range.
9. let out on the valve now, and let the tester reach an overall compression value for all 3 faces(highest of 3 will be displayed). 115+ is like new, 100-115 is healthy, 90-100 is getting weak(1 year or less in most cases) below 90 could blow at any moment.
10. repeat for opposite rotor. Note difference in overall compression between rotors, which should be no more than 20psi max.

Hope this helps. IF it turns out you need an engine, I can set you up with a rebuilt for $1200 plus shipping. Check out www.rotaryresurrection.com for more info.

 

but wont some blown engines still run? My frend had a slightly modified tii with blown apex and it still ran a 14.2. Check ur plugs, maybe they got **** up?

 

Sure blown engines will still sometimes run. I have driven blown engine cars around for weeks at a time. Theyre hell on gas and they make you cry--literally. Gas fumes get in the cabin. I dont see a truly blown(as in an apex seal broken or gone) running a 14 though, sorry, that's hard enough to do with all 6 apex seals working. A low compression engine, yes, a bad water seal engine, yes, but not a blown apex seal engine.

 

Ok, I will check the compression 2morrow. Wish me luck that its nothing serious =(

 

PS - about driving with a blown seal and using lots of gas. Today my car used an eigth of a tank in 20miles. That considered bad?

 

OK UPDATE: I just started my car this morning. It started fine but now idles at 2000rpms. Is this another symptom of a blown engine? please say no

 

not necessarily. A blown engine will usually nt idle *below* 2000rpm, though some will sit and shake around and run really rough but hold a 1000rpm idle.

RUN THE COMP. CHECK...

 

It is blown. I just limped it home, it backfired every time i shifted, and went very slowly, almost stalls every time I let off the gas, sounds like a lawnmower... DAMN. How much would shipping be from Boothbay Habor, Maine (04538) to your shop be? I am a poor 17 year old but maybe if I tell everyone all I want for christmas is money I could make 1200+ bucks. Or maybe my grandparents will die soon and leave me alot of money. Anyway... Thanks for the help guys.

 

Man, if you arnt going to run the comp check, at least do this real fast. Go and yank a spark plug out. and have a freind try to crank it (be sure to unplug the fuses for the fuel injection and all that jive) and listen for the "whooshes" Its ghetto, but you should hear a solid three whooshes. If you have a rotor that skips or sounds odd, its probably blown or stuck. good luck

 

Shipping here is prolly around $100-150. THis would require you to pul the engine and put it on a pallet and take to the local trucking terminal. YOu all have R & L carriers up that way? That's who I normally use, they have EXCELLENt rates adn service.

IF shipping is a problem for you, I have enough core parts to build a block outright adn send it only one way, but Ill have to charge you $200 in core charges to do that, so that's about the same as shipping it anyway.

I know you want your car and all but isnt that a little harsh?

 

Because your symptoms sound like what happened to my car when the intercooler -> intake hose popped off.

Just driving along, passed a truck, then the car just stutters, llost all power, started backfiring, wouldn't start back up properly or hold idle, only ran (and backfired constantly) at about 3000rpm, and was totally and completely fixed by putting the hose back on and screwing up the hoseclamp.

I hope this (or similar) is your problem, since I recently blew an engine myself (water seals) and it is no fun at all.

 

I hope you are right about this.. I will check it when I wake up since it is 1:30 am right now.

 

I thought you said that last night?

 

Ok I took a look at a the hoses on my car, none seem to be "popped off." Also should the big hose that goes from the IC to the part where the BOV hooks in be limp when the engine is revved? It seems like a minimal ammount of air is going through.