yeah, how do you check the compression yourself anyways??

 

Quick and dirty way is to use a standard piston compression tester and watch the bounces. If it bounces high, high, low, or high, low, low, or low, low, low, you've got problems. =P Highly inaccurate for finding the actual compression of the motor. Very accurate for finding out if it's blown or not.

Steve

 

Let me get this right, you'd agree he needs a *rebuild due to poor idling while using the A/C* yet, the car drives fine at hwy speed??

To throw another wrench in the pot, we don't know what his at rest idle is yet.

Pure Sephiroth makes a good point, buy a compression tester if in doubt, using sound alone, could be misinterpreted by different ears

Ok, I'm soo done.

 

I agree with the others that you should be sure of the bad compression before going any further. These engines - when run in a stock car with the FI in place and reasonably maintained - will go well beyond 100k miles without compression problems.

Also, when you were spinning the engine over with the plugs out, did you hear any odd clicking sounds coming from the engine? When my '86 13B had bad compression on one rotor, it made a tell-tale click each time the bad apex seal went around. The sound should be smooth broken only by the sound of the compression puffs coming from the plug holes. You can detect this best with a plug removed from each rotor so that the engine turns constant speed as it goes around.

 

Hey guys, a new set of NGK plugs, a new cap/rotor and a bottle of fuel injection cleaner and it's running again! It was very hard to start but when it did it ran very well but did smoke a bit then that even cleared up. It's started easily each time since without fail. I took it out on the road and it ran great, not perfect yet but a FAR cry from how it was. I ordered a new set of plug wires as they look a bit old. I even had the A/C on and it never stalled! I don't think it was ever a compression problem at all, if so then it corrected itself!

5 point whoa: You'e not by chance the mechanic down at the Mazda dealership who gave me the run around are you? I remeber him quickly offering me $600 for the car back in June, I guess he wanted to trick me?

I can't express how much I appreciate the help and I hope it really is on it's way to running smoothly again. I've driven it 4 times today anticipating it to die at any moment but it runs out better each time.

THANKS!

 

That last post attributed to westcoaststyle was actually mine. Something went haywire with the site.

Hmmm.

 

nc guy, "Congrats" that is wonderful news! Now join the NC Club, to establish really good local contacts and you're on your way! Take care... One original TarHeel to another.. '87/GXL/200,000+ miles and still going

 

Nice! Good thing you're still with your 7!
I was about to dump my 7 a few weeks ago too
But I got it fixed. runs a little better then when I got it.
Changed vacuum and such, only to find it was the Air Flow sensor thing was screwed up (S4 BTW). These parts cost so damn much...
But I'm having fun.

 

THANKS Running Deer but I'm really not into the club thing, I just enjoy it. It still runs slightly abnormal but it is getting better. I don't know if the plug wires will be of much help but it certainly wont hurt it. I think some fuel may have went bad and/or the fuel filter may need replaced so that's on the agenda for tomorrow. NAPA said my wires will be in after 10am and they have the fuel and air filters there. Is there anything I should do to it at 107,000 miles to help preserve the mechanicals? A full tune up will now be done after tomorrow and an oil change also tomorrow. Is there any recommended oil/fuel additive? I sincerely thank you and the others for all of your help.

 

ncguy, a full tuneup should cover it, including replace and/or check driveline belts, upper & lower radiator hoses, and "heater hose(s)". An occasionally fuel injector cleaner can't hurt, I hear Marvel Mystery oil is good, but no personal experience. You'll find it's best to stick exclusively with Mazda for some products, such as rad caps, and thermostat.. Never use another kind. Personally, Mazda is it for my own car. A Haynes manual, (local auto parts store) and access to a FSM is highly advisable. Both outline suggested maintenance schedules, applicable spec's, and troubleshooting sections. BTW, an option is join the Club's email list... Excellent additional learning tool... entirely up to you though...
Good luck and enjoy your car!

 

Arggggggg! I was headed to NAPA to get those parts I mentioned and thought I'd take the RX7. Wouldn't you know it, on the way back it dies, no noises no nothing, it just sputtered and stopped! It would not re-start at all, wouldn't even attempt to. I don't know? It's about to be picked up on a tow truck and be taken to my buddies place down near Myrtle Beach for him to check things out. He mentioned something about coils but who knows? I just can't believe it. I'm going to enjoy the last few days of my vacation, it's abnormaly warm here in the 80's so I'm going to enjoy it rather than get greasy doing stuff I eally have no idea about.

 

Again, are you SURE it is a 1989?

1989 cars do not have distributors, so I don't know how you changed the cap/rotor assembly.

 

scathcart: I may have put my foot in my mouth? I was merely stating what I assumed were tune up components that I'm familiar with. When I left yesterday, my buddy said he was going to get tune up parts so I gave him $50 bucks and left for the day. I was under the assumption these were the necessary tune up parts as I am familiar with. When I got back the car was in the driveway with a note to call him. I did and he told me it runs much better after the "tune up", to take it for a drive. I did, then called him back to agree it ran much better. He told me to call NAPA and order the plug wires, fuel filter and air filter so he could finish up today if he got back up here today or the weekend. That's when I posted my follow up message.

As I said, I drove the car this morning and mentioned what happended. The car is now down with him, via tow truck [$120.00!] with the title signed over to him as I've washed my hands of it. I had a bad morning and before the tow truck left [he arrived, battery was dead so I said I'll be right back] I had the title work done at the bank and sent it along with the car with a note saying it's all yours. If he fixes it he'll take care of me monetarily but if not then that's okay too, it's gone. I'd rather give it to a friend [the donation people I called will not accept non running cars] than to deal with the stress of fixing it any longer or the rigors of selling it as-is and someone coming back on me for anything.

One last time, it IS a 1989, there's no doubt about that fact. Sorry if I said something that wasn't factual but that's how I understood it.

 

Okey-dokey.