2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
Sponsored by:

Poltergheist Mazda

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-22-03, 11:49 AM
  #1  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
skyypilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Unhappy Poltergheist Mazda

My car is possessed. For a couple of days, it would start on one rotor and then after 20 seconds it would pick up the other. It ran well when hot. I was sure I had blown an apex seal. I did a compression test, by the book, and it was fine. After I put the plugs in the car ran fine, for a day. The next day it ran okay, but the idle was very rough, but not all the time, sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Yesterday I started it and it sounded like the engine timing was 30° retarded and it was smokey and rough but after a few throttle blips it cleaned up a bit. I took it around the block, thrashed it mercilessly, and it ran perfect when I got back and had a silky smooth idle. I should mention that I changed the plugs a month or so ago and I am POSITIVE everything is hooked up correctly...

What the hell is going on?? Could it be my oxygen sensor? The manual does not list this as a cause for any engine problems BTW. Would the TPS do this? I am certain the next time I start it there will be some completely different scenario so please give me your opinions before I set the thing on fire!
Old 04-22-03, 12:23 PM
  #2  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
jcina7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: east brunswick, NJ
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
check timing, maybe crank angle sensor, i know you said it, but check spark plug wires arent crossed, check tps, it will drive car nuts if its wrong, and it the first thing i check with a faulty running car. lastly, what abot fuel? maybe that side's fuel injector is sticking? is it old w/ high miles? the tps and crank sensor are simple 2 minute inspections.

no, not o2 sensor, that only works at crusing speed, you can unplug it and you wouldn't really notice a difference.
Old 04-22-03, 12:24 PM
  #3  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
jcina7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: east brunswick, NJ
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
check timing, maybe crank angle sensor, i know you said it, but check spark plug wires arent crossed, check tps, it will drive car nuts if its wrong, and it the first thing i check with a faulty running car. lastly, what abot fuel? maybe that side's fuel injector is sticking? is it old w/ high miles? the tps and crank sensor are simple 2 minute inspections.

no, not o2 sensor, that only works at crusing speed, you can unplug it and you wouldn't really notice a difference.

maybe AFM is taking a ****? that will also drive your car nuts if its bad
Old 04-22-03, 12:31 PM
  #4  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
jcina7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: east brunswick, NJ
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
oops, double post. dman slow cpu
Old 04-22-03, 12:33 PM
  #5  
Rotary Freak

 
Fingers's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 2,788
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Could it be possible that it's the coolant jacket? Happened to me! same symptoms. perfect compression. it all depends where it is broken.
Old 04-22-03, 12:41 PM
  #6  
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
jcina7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: east brunswick, NJ
Posts: 148
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
by coolant jacket, do you mean coolant is being introduced into the cumbustion chamber? if so then he could take his car to a local radatior shop or inspection place and tect the coolant for hydrocarbons. otherwise, i dont think there's any way to tell the coolant jacket is bad without engine removal and dissassembly
Old 04-22-03, 01:45 PM
  #7  
SCCA Rookie

 
Barwick's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Sterling Heights, MI
Posts: 1,936
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
maybe a stuck apex seal at first, I dunno..

and my O2 sensor isn't even sending a signal to the ECU and I run 13.7 @ 104 in my '90 TurboII.. so that's probably not the problem.
Old 04-22-03, 08:10 PM
  #8  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
skyypilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Timing is spot on. I thought about the injector, but intermittent failure? I don't think so. I will check the TPS and AFM. Thanks for the 411 on the O2 sensor....
Old 04-22-03, 08:50 PM
  #9  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
skyypilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
^
Old 04-22-03, 08:57 PM
  #10  
Super Raterhater

iTrader: (6)
 
SonicRaT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: NY, MA, MI, OR, TX, and now LA or AZ!
Posts: 10,624
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
It's a bad coolant seal, it's probably leaking coolant into the champer which is preventig it from starting up (happened to my friends vert) on the rear rotor, and after a few minutes it fires up on that rotor and runs like a champ, he put a good 5,000 miles on it like that until it finally ate an apex seal If you want to save yourself some money during the rebuild, do it now, else, drive it till she dies!
Old 04-23-03, 07:03 AM
  #11  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
skyypilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I hope you are wrong! I just need to get one more year out of the rotary....just one more....I got the aluminum V-8 but I need everything else still to do the swap!!
Old 04-23-03, 11:52 AM
  #12  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
skyypilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I should add that the car has 23K on a rebuild, and has run flawlessly since it was put in. Hard for me to believe the coolant seal is already gone....
Old 05-02-03, 06:46 AM
  #13  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
skyypilot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Put the three extra grounds on the car, it runs like NEW. Thanks to the RX-7 Gods!!!
Old 05-02-03, 08:50 PM
  #14  
WTF

iTrader: (1)
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 752
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i knew my coolant jackets and seals were fuct cause i had oil in my rad....that couldnt be good....lol
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Sandro
3rd Gen General Discussion
24
12-30-17 03:35 PM



Quick Reply: Poltergheist Mazda



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:16 PM.