88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

I'm still new to 7s and was just wondering if it was normal for the coolant buzzer to sound for about a minute when I go to start it in the morning? I've sat and had the coolant cap on the block off when starting it, as I read in a different thread, and I got the occasional very tiny bubble about every minute so I'm pretty sure it's close to being air free. But, at the same time it was also overflowing, so is that normal as well?

I bought some Prestone premix and Prestone flushing solution and about 8 gallons of distilled water so that I can redo it all soon but I want to know what to expect.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Your radiator cap may not be working properly. It's designed to relieve pressure to the overflow tank at a specified pressure, then allow for fluid to get drawn back into the system once it cools down. If it's not allowing it to be drawn in, you'll probably have a small air pocket in there until it heats up and collapses the void.

The overflow tank is filled properly, right?

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

It is slightly low, but I don't think enough that would make that big a difference right? It's maybe a 1/2-3/4 of an inch below the line.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Naah, that should be fine. Top it off with some water just in case, but start with a new cap first. Then once everything seems good, flush it out and change the coolant if you don't know how long it's been.

raksj04

iTrader: (1)

does your Radiator still have the air bleeder? A little Phillips screw on the outboard side of the rad inlet neck?

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

Looks kinda like a plastic screw next to the rad hose? Yea, I think I remember seeing that.

AGreen, I will top it off here in a bit before I leave for school and see if that makes a difference.

raksj04

iTrader: (1)

do you have that open as you pour coolant in?

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

Turns out my old coolant that was in the overflow had left a line that I could see on the outside and in fact it was empty, so I did fill that up.
But, hopefully on an unrelated note, the car now seems to flood itself when I let it sit. I drove it the ~25 miles to school and parked it and when I went to leave it was flooded. Then after I did get it going, by pulling the fuse, and let it warm up, I was having a "spirited" drive with a friend in an IS300 for a few miles down the interstate and parked it a few blocks off the exit it did it again when I went to leave, but I only needed to hold the pedal down this time.

Raksj04, no I didn't have it open, but I haven't added any to the rad or block fill caps. When I get to flush it I'll be sure to do that.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

You assumed the level by looking at the side of the tank? That thing's 20 something years old!!! I'm surprised you could see the old crust line from the outside






Flooding you say?

Check compression.

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

Yea, I know what they say about assumptions. It wasn't really "crust" it was more like a discoloration. It was my grandfather's car and it was meticulously maintained before it was garaged for 2 1/2 years, I didn't think coolant evaporated.

I did check compression when I was bringing the car back out of storage and ended up spending about $1,000 getting it road worthy again. It came to about 85 on the front and 100 on the rear. I'm leaning more toward leaky injectors? I did clean them myself on a scratch built flow bench with some SeaFoam, although I only could get about 20psi from my setup. When I acquired the car about a month ago the primaries were stuck and the secondaries seemed to flow fine, that's why I had cleaned them and in the end decided to swap them around just in case. Turned out to be a good idea since I couldn't get above about 4k for the first few times.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Hmm.... front compression is kind of low, but shouldn't cause serious flooding issues.

Something else that causes flooding could be something in the engine management area. I've seen some ECU's that give too much of a "priming pulse" upon startup. I don't know how it was fixed, but I think Hailers has some sort of thread on it. I know on my megasquirt ecu I can adjust the priming pulse, but with a ROM ecu from the 80's you'll have to get crafty.

There's also a band-aid that's somewhat permanent from Mazdatrix. It's a fuel bleed-off kit that goes between the supply and return fuel hoses. There's a tiny orifice that lets a tiny amount of fuel to leak off to the return from the supply. It only affects anything until after shutdown and the fuel pump is turned off. Without fuel pressure, the injectors can't 1) leak by or 2) give too much of a priming pulse on startup (unless the yellow connector in the engine bay is jumpered... which it shouldn't be).

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

I haven't rechecked compression since I got it running again, I was thinking that a seal could have been sticking and giving me a low reading? I'm still in college learning things but, would you care to explain how low compression would cause a flood issue?

Also, I would prefer not to band-aid fix anything. It never did this before and I have had to just move the car out of the way of other cars in my driveway, which I do know can cause this problem as well. It all started after filling up the overflow lol. Now I wish I would've left it alone, even though I know that is potentially bad, but rad was full.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Well, to understand why low compression causes flooding, you must understand what flooding is. The oil film on the combustion chamber walls is what really seals the rotors for compression. When too much fuel gets in there, it washes the oil away leaving little to no compression. Now couple the same amount of fuel on a normal start up (ecu dumps a LOT of fuel for starting and cold idle) with low compression. So low compression will aggravate any scenario where flooding is a possibility.

Let me take my words back about the "band-aid" fix. It's more of a decent solution. A band aid fix would be a fuel pump kill switch. People always install these to combat flooding and it's stupid. The idea is that you get a switch to turn on/off the fuel pump, and you have to turn the switch off in order to stop the engine. It bleeds all fuel pressure while it's still running, preventing flooding on the subsequent start up. Take a look at the kit, it's really not a bad idea. http://www.mazdatrix.com/c-bleed.htm

If it were me, I'd just go down to a hardware store and get some brass fittings to make it myself.

Here's another scenario. Your car is in the way of someone else's, but you don't have time to warm it up all the way. Your only option is short-starting it. No problem, just rev the engine to approx 3k then turn the key off and immediately floor the throttle. I do this all the time on mine and I've not had any flooding issues in years. Of course my engine is fairly new, but flooding is a possibility on all rotaries when short-starting, even the renesis.

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

Thanks for the explanation, that explained quite a bit.

That kit looks like a good solution, I may get that once I get some money. I would go to the hardware store and grab fittings but I wouldn't know what to get for the "H" part.

I knew about the 3k trick, but I have neighbors that probably wouldn't like hearing 3k of rusted out rotary exhaust at 6am lol, hell I don't even like the sound just cruising down the interstate.

raksj04

iTrader: (1)

Mazdatrix states that is a temp fix.

I recommend getting new injectors, I would go bigger and run rtek, that was my fix when, However: My car is a turbo, I am unsure the benifit of bigger injectors on a stock ported N/A engine.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

It's obviously meant to be a "cover our asses" disclaimer. And of course it's temporary, but even then this can relieve flooding due to low compression based on the fact that there will still be a priming pulse when you turn the key on, but no (or little) fuel will go through the injectors since there will be no residual fuel pressure. The fuel pump doesn't kick on until the engine is cranking and the AFM opens slightly anyways.

Rtek and bigger injectors on an NA? Really not beneficial.

If you were to go to the hardware store, you'd want to get 2 1/8" 3-port blocks, some 5/16" barb fittings, and an 1/8" nipple to connect the 2 3-port blocks. Fill the nipple with some jb weld and drill a small hole through the jbweld. Done. If you go to an Ace hardware store you'll get more help from their salesmen

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

I haven't had the flooding issue after those two times last night, I hopped in it this morning and she fired right up and both times today at school, once on lunch break and then to leave. Maybe a fluke, or something I may have done that I was unaware of? Who knows until it happens again.

I do plan on a PFC eventually, but that's not really for power just running a double map for leaner gas and to run e85. E85 is about a dollar or so cheaper per gallon, and I'm a college student so better mpg on gas or running e85 is tops before a mild or extended port, which will happen whenever I go to rebuild.

Also, since it decided to pour rain today, it got me thinking about steam cleaning because I have heard that people restore some compression and you've said that my front seems low and I've been wanting to do it since I acquired it. I have seen many write-ups on S5s and FDs but I have yet to come across an S4 write-up and was wondering what vac line(s) would work?

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Tee in to the boost sensor, or once it's warmed up, any of the vacuum lines near the throttle body. There's also a couple of unused vacuum ports on the intake on the passenger's side. Any vacuum port will work, just use a long vacuum hose and a jug of water. Keep the idle up around 2-3k and start sucking the water in.

raksj04

iTrader: (1)

Running E85 will cost you about the same. It maybe cheaper per gallon but you have to burn more to get the same amount of energy out of it. Plus you should replace the fuel filter right after because it may clog it. It will clean out your fuel lines and it will all be caught in the filter. I learn a little about in when I was in college.
It may also eat some of your fuel seals and your injectors. The only true benefit of E85 is that it has about a 100 Octane rating.

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

I know all about e85 lol. But, I read that it was at least 105 octane... who knows exactly. Did a lot of research before I started running it in my '00 Regal cuz it was on the fast track to a turbo and stroker kit, boy did that thing haul at 35psi for how heavy it was.

AGreen, does the boost sensor feed both rotors equally? Also, I was wondering about the two small vac lines on pass side of the intake, maybe the same spot you are mentioning, if I remember right they're about between the two primary runners, too cold and just started snowing so I don't want to go check.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

I honestly don't remember... it's been a while since my convertible had the s4 NA engine in it.

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

It's all good, maybe somebody else can chime in with the answer. Or is there a vac diagram or something that would tell me what feeds where?

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

There should be one under the hood of your car.

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

Most likely, but I don't think it will tell me which vac line feeds which rotor or if there are any that feed both equally.

88_N/A_GXL

iTrader: (3)

I hate this disappearing edit button, I think it should stay for everybody's last post in a thread, but I digress.

Back on topic, I have been reading through RotaryResurrection's various tech articles and noticed on the steam cleaning one that it said to use the vac line on the S4 turbo BACV to equally distribute the water, and the BACV looks similar on both emissions removals for the turbo and non-turbo. Would the BACV vac line on the S4 turbo be the same vac line on my S4 N/A?