I have a 1988 RX-7 GTU which will sporadically not crank. I thought it was a damaged ignition switch because the car was stolen a few years ago. After replacing the fuel pump relay it does crank but now it doesn’t start. I think it’s flooded and there may be an issue with the wiring.

Browsing this RX-7 forum I found several solutions to “won’t start”. One was replacing the fuel pump relay. This FC has the symptoms of sporadically not cranking, surging while idling and stalling while idling for quite a while now. I should have researched these issues much earlier.

After watching several videos on fuel pumps, fuel pump relays and fuel pump kill switches I bought a replacement relay for about $100.00 so I wouldn’t have to deal with any wires potentially breaking. I found several relays and relay kits from $5.00 to $50.00 so I’m not sure why this RX-7~FC replacement relay sells for about $100.00 everywhere.

I removed the relay and found questionable connections to and from its plug and another plug I can’t identify. This might also explain why the car cranks now after giggling these wires. So now I’m not sure if we had a bad relay or just bad wiring to the relay or if this other plug is the issue.

Obviously the connections need to be secured but biggest the problem I’m having is that I’m not three feet tall and or I can’t swivel my head like an owl.

I have a few questions about how to fix this.

~ What is the second plug? {The 4 wire plug ~ yellow wire with red rings and black wire}
~ How can I test these fuel pump relays? {The numbers don’t match 30, 85, 86, and 87.}
~ What is the best way to connect all the wires?
~ What is the easiest way to get to the wires?
~ How do I remove the driver’s seat?

More Detail and Questions:
The BLUE wire has been cut to be sent to and from the on/off switch. The green and yellow wires go to and from the on/off switch. The crimp connections are physically loose on both ends. The green wire crimps have developed a brown burnt look on both ends. What caused this?

I found a YouTube video which shows the fuel pump relay plug using a BLACK wire/white stripe for the on/off switch instead of the BLUE. This video also shows different wirers going into different holes in the plug. Should I switch or keep the connections as they are?

I would prefer to solder the wires. It’s always very damp with temperature fluctuations where the car is parked so my guess is new crimp connections will eventually come loose as the old ones did. Without taking the dash off. Is

The relay.

Not 30, 85, 86, and 87

Both plugs. The relay is not mounted only for wire access.

Brown Crimp.

loose connections, brown crimp, yellow and green wires.

A loose connection.

the back of the relay plug.

The two wires of the mystery plug.


The blue wire.

Differint.
there an easier way to get to these wires?

 

I found a couple of YouTube videos on how to remove the seat, it was wicked easy, just four bolts. After vacuuming and putting a blanket down, I was able to lie down with my head by the pedals and my legs in the back. There's a back-breaking hump on the floor so the blanket helped a lot. I also removed a plastic tube where the heat comes out so I could get to the wires easier, but even then I could only get my left hand in up to the wrist. I could see where all the wires came from. I couldn't make them any longer or pull them down to work on them, but I could get to them more than I could with the seat in.

I jiggled, tightened and secured all the connections just to see if the car would start. Because it was probably flooded, I pushed the clutch and gas pedals all the way down and turned the key, it started. I let it run for about 15 minutes, I forget what rpm it was on. After a few minutes it dropped down to 900 rpm but it was a little unsteady and right on the edge of stalling out at times. I did step on the gas just a bit a couple of times to keep it going as I wanted the engine to run for a while before shutting it off. I thought the new relay would fix that rough idle issue. Now that it runs, it's time to fix the connections, maybe with better connections it will idle smoothly.

I prefer to solder wires, especially with it being as damp as it is here all the time, but with my face right there and no room to work, I chose to just replace all the crimps instead. I cut all the old ones off except for one which I'm was sure is solidly connected, and installed seven new crimps. It was hard to see and being upside down is a little disorienting, but the hardest part was crimping with one hand as I couldn't reach the wires with both hands at the same time. It was a slow process but all the crimps are as good and secure as a crimp can be now. I connected the crimps, plugged the plugs and tucked and tied the wires with twisty ties and went inside, it's was cold and the sun was setting.

I got up this morning and everything is covered in frost, at least a few mm, 1/4" on the windshield. There's no hurry so, I'll let it melt away before putting the seat in. If it starts again I want to take it for a drive, warm it up and burn off some carbon, zoom zoom.

I would like to waterproof the crimps, too, with something better than the little condoms that they're in. What's the best way to do this, or should I leave it the way it is?