got the car to stay running, but....
 

today, i put in some new plugs and wires. seems the po had put both trailing plugs in front and both leading in back.
with some adjustment, i got the car to hold about 1k idle but choppy. car has a new tps, plugs and wires. I adjusted with a jumper and the tps lights.
the car has at least one exhaust leak, but as i can't yet get it into the garage due to space, i cannot yet pinpoint exactly where, but it seems to be near the cat flange.

and my bigger problem is that i cannot get the auto trans to shift into any gear. i can hear the shifter moving something below into place, but it refuses to go into any gear. the fluid level is fine.

any ideas on either would be greatly appreciated.

5 speed swap buddy, those automatics are problematic.

i'd prefer not to do a 5 speed, since I've only driven a stick once, and it's stop and go with hills to get to work. I didn't do well at all with either, especially with hills.

Give it a week and you will be fine I learned to drive stick on my 7 I was driving to work within 2 days it just takes awhile to get used to.

well, the idea is to get the car going as-is
if i have to put the time, effort, custom work and cash into it, it's going to be for a piston swap.
i cant justify the total in on a 5 speed swap that i dont want. for the time and effort that i would have to have a shop do, i'd have to come out with a beefy engine, which my n/a isn't.
i was hoping to get the car running as-is. i got the engine to run, not steady, but it can stay running on its own now. if i can get the trans to work, i'd be happy for quite a while.
there has to be someone with more knowledge on the auto other then swapping it for a stick.

and off the transmission, would my exhaust leak possibly be the reason for the poor 1k idle? as said earlier, a choppy 1k was the best i could do, which is a step up from no gas=no run.

not sure about how it works in rotaries, but in a piston engine exhaust leaks can cause lots of probs. poor gas mileage, loss of power, idles rough. so i would assume that it could be a cause. how long ws it sitting? it could be built up a bit, causing the rough idle. let it run and once you get it moving redline it a few times and see if it burns that crap out and smoothes out.

Just do some basic service to it. Replace the fuel filter, change your fluids etc. I'm not sure about your trans, but there's probably someone on here who knows about it.

well autos run on a few things, fluid, valvebodies, TCU, and some electronic controls (solenoids) if you hear the linkage moving then it is probably internal teh trans or the TCU.

sounds like there could be a connection or wiring harness loose. other thing to check would be teh trans control unit...

just make sure that the shifter you hear is tight, it could be just sliding on the shifter linkage. not exactly sure how this trans is designed so this may not apply.

got the car over the pit.
the flywheel lower cover is missing.
on the drivers side, there is a vacuum/pressure switch/solenoid/control, with what appears to be a solenoid directly behind it, this has a faulty wire.
i can move the shifter without the brakes on.
a mechanic friend hopped into the pit while it was running and said it sounds like the torque converter is grinding.

looks like i've got no easy way to get this car up.