Hello all
I have a '88 10th aniv. with a fuel problem, the car seems to drive fine and the gas mileage is normal, 13-18, depending on how i drive and such. However there is a real bad fuel smell from inside the engine compartment, and i can smell it when i walk around the car. I was checking the archives and saw that Phirehawk said something about replacing the injector o-rings in his car cause me smelt fuel. Another thing is the low fuel light is always on now.. idk why but i was hopeing one of you would no or maybe it is related to this smell. I noticed the smell was getting really bad prolly a month or so ago, and then recently ( 2 weeks or so ago) the fuel light starting coming on and stays on, although its not to bright. i was thinking that maybe i messed up the timing when i removed the exhuast, a couple of months ago( i removed cause i was too poor to buy an exhaust kit, and left it off for about a month or so) but now its back on
any help would be great.
thank you

 

If you think its leaking fuel, don't drive (some people still do even if they have puddles forming).

Check all your fuel lines under the hood. Then check the injectors...and good call would be to go ahead and just replace all of the o-rings and see what happens.

O-rings are cheap, so there is no reason not to fix 'em up.

 

yeah i have finally made the decision to ground it for now, unless i have to drive it.... first day of real good rain here and i didnt get to go have fun. oh well.
i dont think its leaking fuel cause theres no puddles and my gas mileage hasnt been afected, but now long do you think it would take to replace the injector o-rigns?

 

Not long at all. All you have to do is take off the UIM and then you will see all your injectors there. Jumper the fuel pump test connecter on the passenger side strut tower with the key in the ON position and check for fuel leaks before you take the injectors of the fuel rails to see if you had any leaks in the first place. Since you already have your UIM off you might as well change your orings and grommets for your injectors anyway.

 

Activate your fuel pump with the car off and check for leaks.

 

Alright I'll do that tomorrow morning if I dont have to work. Then I'll replace the o-rigns as soon as they come in, on a side note should I also order new injector gromets?. I'm assuming I have to remove the injectors to replace the o-rings, so should I clean the injectors while they're out, and if so what solution should I use? Also any idea why the fuel light is now staying on?
Thank You

 

You want to change the orings and grommets. Be sure to lube them with a little oil so they dont tear when u put them in. Some people say fuel injector cleaners dont work very well. If anything send them to www.cruzinperformance.com to get them cleaned and flow tested. I think they may even give you new orings as well but not sure.

About the low gas light staying on I'm guessing the fuel level sender in the tank is malfunctioning.

 

DUDE! PD!!! OMG! Don't drive it!

I had the exact same smell, and didn't think to check the boards first...

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/engine-fire-pics-352047/

Go read though that.

(i was thinking all the above thoughts, thinking it was something minor like the injectors...when you see the pic of the PD, notice the hole in the end...that's not suposed to be there, and it was spraying gas onto the engine (the fuel smell from the engine bay) eventually, one chilly morning it decided to ignite)

 

Cruzin does one hell of a job. I got my injectors back with new o-rings and everything, all rubber parts were replaced. He also put on these real nice see-through durable pintle caps, I don't think i'll need to replace those anytime soon

He also degreased and painted them! Wicked ****, I was gonna post it on the goodguy/badguy thing, but im not until I get them in the engine and start it up

 

Totally forgot about the PD. Good call!

 

from the description i am almost 100% sure of it.



this thing, under the UIM - i'll betcha it looks like this....minus the charred/burnt-ness

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/erikthedead/thecause.jpg

 

ok yeah after reading the story i think i'll ground my car for good! untill i can check it out. but i checked out the pics and all and i'm not sure what i'm looking for, plus i'm not sure what the pd does, and why there might me a hole in it now? that wasnt there before? and the 3 different options to replace it/swap it/ put a new bolt in,sorry if this is a stupid question, but i read the above forum and didnt really figure it out.
i'm planning on taking of the UIM tomorrow providing i dont have to work and then i'll post a couple of pictures and let you guys tell me what you think since you sound like you know what you're talkign about
Thanks for all the help so far!

 

There is a place that sells banjo bolts that you can put in place of it... it fixes the problem as the dampener is not ACTUALLY needed. Pretty retarded eh?

I don't want to search the thread right now, it's in the 2nd gen Archives though...

And check Mazdatrix, they sell the PDs and have pictures of them..

Also, if you don't want to just cap it like some have done... you can upgrade to the 89-91 version which is build into the fuel rail and IS RUMORED to be safer.

It took me a lot of reading to learn this stuff, summing it up... you should probably read all the posts yourself though. Check the archive.

--Gary

 

ok just to make sure before i buy a new one(eventually i will plug it up though after i inspect it) but is there any definate way to tell that the PD is gone other then the strong smell of gas? i read that it will spit out gas onto the top of the engine, is this spuratic when its gone or does it always happen when the PD is gone, and if so are these the 2 signs that its gone for sure? sorry i just wanna try and understand this problem more and not spend money if it doesnt have to be, but for now i think i will purchase the banjo bolt and try that, once i pull it apart
Thank you!

 

I, too, have a heavy fuel smell coming from the engine bay. Also, the smell makes it into the cabin. The car is grounded until I examine the PD. And since Im there, I'll likely check the injectors too.

I read that the banjo bolt method isn't such a great idea. The PD is needed to help prevent fuel pulses when the injectors are working. I wouldn't screw around with that. I'm considering picking up an aluminum PD from Marren Fuel. Apparently this is a great replacement and is rebuildable. It's also good for high hp engines.

 

i really feel that the PD is the problem here, if you read through my engine fire thread, Kevin Landers from Rotary Resurection posts a link to his site that has a good explanation on PDs in the tech section i think.

i just really don't want people to go through the crap i'm doing right now...

Hoses...Injector wires...Injectors....new 89-91 PD thingy...more hoses.....All the vacum lines....

But the engine is a-ok =)

 

any update on the cause of your problem?

 

not yet, i started taking it apart on monday, but then it started to rain pretty hard so i had to stop, and hopefully i'll get to it today
so far all i was able to get off was the intercooler, airbox, oil filler neck, and the metal bracket that it mounts to, hopefully today i can get the throttle body, and the UIM and then i get to dismantle my parts car.... so idk if i'll get to it all today but hopefully by this weekend, 'cause i'm already missing my car

 

ok well i finally tore my parts car apart, and my TII and swaped out the PD bolt thingie
and now i have another problem....

well i found out that the pd was bad... i think.... the one on my TII had poped off the little screw on the end, i screwed it back it but didnt trust it so i put in the one from the parts car. and no more gas smell

however now i think i have a boost leak or something...

i have a stock car with a k&N filter, and a HKS SSQ BOV

its kinda idleing funny now, and when i drive it the turbo doesnt kick in full blast, or atleast when it reaches full PSI it doesnt through you back, and it makes a loud sucking/wooshing sound when spinnin up that it didnt do before. i was very carefull to put on all the hoses back in the corect order.

Also on a side note i had a 86 gxl.... auto, na, 5 Lug that i was going to get running with a blown front rotor, but now that i've gotten to it to fix my TII i'm just goign to part it out completly so if anyone needs anything i'll get it to you cheap, its faded grey exterior and burgundy/maroon interier and i have most of the parts
would prefer local pick up but will ship pm if you want something
and if this isnt the right forum to list this on please let me know where to do so
thanks for all your help guys
my car would be burning eventually if you all didnt step in and enlighten me

 

Probably a vac leak. Try spraying some starter fluid around while the engine is idling and see if it surges or smooths out.

 

ok so do i spray around the engine and listen for the idleing or do i spray the hoses and look for bubbles?

 

Just spray around the engine and listen to a change in idle. If the idle changes then you need to do some more careful searching in that particular area.

 

most of the boost leak problems like you are describing are is due it an improperly installed IC hoses, the one near the firewall can be a bitch I was having the same problem at the track and found out the hose clamp was on sideways and allowing a huge boost leak.

Back on the topic of fuel smell, I have replaced my pd with a good condition one (still has the plastic cap!!) and replaced the o-rings though i have a smell of gas as well, its not overwhelleming and doesn't increase with the throttle, I have not seen any leaks of any kind, could this smell just be a unemmissioned rotary running rich?

if not could someone show me how/where to jumper the fuel pump test switch, i have yet to test it with the UIM off.

 

The fuel pump test plug is on the passenger side strut tower. It is a yellow plug. All you need to do is get a paperclip or any conductive piece of metal and "jumper" them together while the key is in the ON position. I normally just use a piece of solder and bend it into a U shape. Let the pump run for about 10 seconds (per FSM) unless you know there is a leak immediately just pull the jumper.