Are they really that bad?
08-09-02, 12:18 PM
#1
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Are they really that bad?
I've been doing quite a bit of searching and reading a lot of the archives. Are these cars so prone to failure? There is a lot of info here in this forum, but based on what I read, some of you have a lot of problems with these cars.
I just hope that my little vert keeps on going. I do take it to get the oil changed and for tune ups, but I hope that all these 'problems' do not manifest on my car..so far so good.....I think I would be so heart broken without my car....it's so fun to drive and it's true that most people do not know of the Rx-7, I get asked questions such as, "that's a nice car, what make?" and of course I brag.......my dad had an Rx-3 a long time ago and that's all he talks about when any conversation about my car comes up.....
I just hope that my little vert keeps on going. I do take it to get the oil changed and for tune ups, but I hope that all these 'problems' do not manifest on my car..so far so good.....I think I would be so heart broken without my car....it's so fun to drive and it's true that most people do not know of the Rx-7, I get asked questions such as, "that's a nice car, what make?" and of course I brag.......my dad had an Rx-3 a long time ago and that's all he talks about when any conversation about my car comes up.....
08-09-02, 12:22 PM
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Any car is prone to problems, it all depends on how well you take care of it, and how lucky you are. Some of us can take great care of them, but are plagued by gremlins, and some of us abuse them and they run forever. Best of luck 
08-09-02, 12:44 PM
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Yes theyre prone to failure. The rotary engine, while it is a different and very neat design IMHO, is not a very good design.
However, If you treat the car good, it is possible to see turbo engines go 120k+ before the let go.
NA's are much more reliable than FI's too.
However, If you treat the car good, it is possible to see turbo engines go 120k+ before the let go.
NA's are much more reliable than FI's too.
08-09-02, 12:47 PM
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I do take care of it. Maintenance wise is sound and I do keep up with the service records.....I took it to the local Mazda dealership for a tune up, but the Servive Manager was a jerk, so they've lost my business...I wash it so much that my friend always jokes that I'll wash the paint off of it.
08-09-02, 01:06 PM
#6
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It's really simple. I don't make a big to-do about every day I get in my car, start it, and get to work with no drama. It's just like watching the news - you only hear the bad stuff or the exceptionally good stuff. Go on pretty much any other automotive forum and you'll see plenty of "how do I fix this".
The RX-7 is generally a very reliable car. That's actually one of the high praises that original owners gave the 2nd gen back in the '80s - they loved the reliability. But, any car that's 10+ years old with over 100,000 miles on it is going to have issues. Top that with a car that has a resale price averaging $3000, and you get owners who'd rather not spend a lot of money on the car - many things get neglected or just not done right.
The rotary engine has its own sets of rules to keep it happy and long-lived that are different from a piston engine. You'd be surprised how many people change their oil "whenever", don't get coolant leaks looked at, never look under the hood....Both rotary and piston engines have their weak points, but they're different weak points. Rotaries are less tolerant of overheating and are less tolerant of poor oil maintenance. Piston engines break very quickly when over-revved (as in, exceeding the redline), need regular timing belt maintenance, etc. It's just a different set of rules.
Probably the most important thing to stress is the cooling system - take care of ANY water leak, no matter how small, and get your cooling system flushed and filled ONCE A YEAR. ALWAYS fill with antifreeze and water, maybe even add some water wetter. I just tore town an engine that had its cooling needs seriously neglected. The rotor housings were corroded BADLY from the inside, compromising the water seals. There was literally dirt and gravel in the water passages. Compare this to my 10th Anniversary's original, well-maintained motor that had 110,000 miles on it with cooling passages that had NO discoloration or erosion - the owner took care of it properly.
Dale
The RX-7 is generally a very reliable car. That's actually one of the high praises that original owners gave the 2nd gen back in the '80s - they loved the reliability. But, any car that's 10+ years old with over 100,000 miles on it is going to have issues. Top that with a car that has a resale price averaging $3000, and you get owners who'd rather not spend a lot of money on the car - many things get neglected or just not done right.
The rotary engine has its own sets of rules to keep it happy and long-lived that are different from a piston engine. You'd be surprised how many people change their oil "whenever", don't get coolant leaks looked at, never look under the hood....Both rotary and piston engines have their weak points, but they're different weak points. Rotaries are less tolerant of overheating and are less tolerant of poor oil maintenance. Piston engines break very quickly when over-revved (as in, exceeding the redline), need regular timing belt maintenance, etc. It's just a different set of rules.
Probably the most important thing to stress is the cooling system - take care of ANY water leak, no matter how small, and get your cooling system flushed and filled ONCE A YEAR. ALWAYS fill with antifreeze and water, maybe even add some water wetter. I just tore town an engine that had its cooling needs seriously neglected. The rotor housings were corroded BADLY from the inside, compromising the water seals. There was literally dirt and gravel in the water passages. Compare this to my 10th Anniversary's original, well-maintained motor that had 110,000 miles on it with cooling passages that had NO discoloration or erosion - the owner took care of it properly.
Dale
08-09-02, 01:17 PM
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Thanks guys,
Although I'm a girl, I do know a little about cars in general and my Rx-7 and rotories. I hear the slightest noise and is off to my dad's house to see what's going on. I will keep this forum as my startup page on my browser from now on. There's a ton of info here....all you need is some car/metal building experience and I think one can build a better car with all this info here
Although I'm a girl, I do know a little about cars in general and my Rx-7 and rotories. I hear the slightest noise and is off to my dad's house to see what's going on. I will keep this forum as my startup page on my browser from now on. There's a ton of info here....all you need is some car/metal building experience and I think one can build a better car with all this info here
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08-09-02, 01:33 PM
#8
Rotary Enthusiast
yea i hear ya i take care of ma car, but its still giving me problems oh well. also does anyone know what it the problem is, when starting from a standstill when i let go of the clutch it sticks and doesnt come back i have to use the toe-heel method but all the other gears work fine???
08-09-02, 01:35 PM
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Keep in mind, the only time that you normally see posts is when someone is having problems.
Not too many people make a post that says: Car is running great!
You mean the clutch doesn't pop back up from the floor?
Not too many people make a post that says: Car is running great!
You mean the clutch doesn't pop back up from the floor?
08-09-02, 01:42 PM
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Originally posted by Josepi
Not too many people make a post that says: Car is running great!
You mean the clutch doesn't pop back up from the floor?
Not too many people make a post that says: Car is running great!
You mean the clutch doesn't pop back up from the floor?
That was funny......
08-09-02, 02:04 PM
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If it sticks on the floor chances are the clutch hydraulics need to be flushed/filled/bled again, and if that doesn't fix it, check the master cylinder & the slave to make sure they work properly, my damn 86 did that all the time!
08-09-02, 10:49 PM
#12
Former Moderator. RIP Icemark.
Originally posted by adamlewis
Yes theyre prone to failure. The rotary engine, while it is a different and very neat design IMHO, is not a very good design.
However, If you treat the car good, it is possible to see turbo engines go 120k+ before the let go.
NA's are much more reliable than FI's too.
Yes theyre prone to failure. The rotary engine, while it is a different and very neat design IMHO, is not a very good design.
However, If you treat the car good, it is possible to see turbo engines go 120k+ before the let go.
NA's are much more reliable than FI's too.
I have seen a lot more than a few 13BT go 120K miles.
Well, unless they use the wrong weight oil or forget car basics.
In my experience Rotary engines in stock or near stock form are considerably more reliable than most comparable HP piston engines especially if you include push rod motors or American built product.
And all FC NA cars are Fuel Injected (FI ).
so I can only assume you must have meant turbo'd or you really don't know what you are saying.
08-09-02, 11:16 PM
#13
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you need a new clutch master cylinder... the installation is pretty basic.. 2 screws in back of the firewall.. it bleeds itself basically.. u open up the valve on the slave cylinder on top of the tranny... and do it as if u were bleeding brakes..while somebody pumps the clutch pedal...DO NOT GO FOR THE REBUILT KITS
08-10-02, 12:01 AM
#14
mad scientist
Originally posted by Icemark
Too many beers?
I have seen a lot more than a few 13BT go 120K miles.
Well, unless they use the wrong weight oil or forget car basics.
In my experience Rotary engines in stock or near stock form are considerably more reliable than most comparable HP piston engines especially if you include push rod motors or American built product.
And all FC NA cars are Fuel Injected (FI ). so I can only assume you must have meant turbo'd or you really don't know what you are saying.
Too many beers?
I have seen a lot more than a few 13BT go 120K miles.
Well, unless they use the wrong weight oil or forget car basics.
In my experience Rotary engines in stock or near stock form are considerably more reliable than most comparable HP piston engines especially if you include push rod motors or American built product.
And all FC NA cars are Fuel Injected (FI ).
so I can only assume you must have meant turbo'd or you really don't know what you are saying.
Good luck with your car. They are exceptionally reliable, when taken care of. my 90 GTU has NEVER left me stranded. Its had a few little problems, but nothing where it couldnt safely get me home to fix.
What year is your car? If its an 89-91, you should take it to a competent rotary mechanic and get the OMP checked. I lost an engine to it failing on me. Its not very common, but is the leading cause for 89-91 n/a's blowing a motor.
One more tip for a long living motor. Use a quart of MMO in the oil when you change it. Its a good detergent, and leaves engines spotless inside. I use it in my car every other oil change, and have been doing that for the past 20K miles. Search for MMO if you dont know what Im talking about. There were a few threads about it in the past.
Last edited by mazdaspeed7; 08-10-02 at 12:05 AM.
08-10-02, 02:21 AM
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Originally posted by Icemark
Too many beers?
I have seen a lot more than a few 13BT go 120K miles.
Well, unless they use the wrong weight oil or forget car basics.
In my experience Rotary engines in stock or near stock form are considerably more reliable than most comparable HP piston engines especially if you include push rod motors or American built product.
And all FC NA cars are Fuel Injected (FI ). so I can only assume you must have meant turbo'd or you really don't know what you are saying.
Too many beers?
I have seen a lot more than a few 13BT go 120K miles.
Well, unless they use the wrong weight oil or forget car basics.
In my experience Rotary engines in stock or near stock form are considerably more reliable than most comparable HP piston engines especially if you include push rod motors or American built product.
And all FC NA cars are Fuel Injected (FI ).
so I can only assume you must have meant turbo'd or you really don't know what you are saying.
My ignore list is getting bigger everyday
Sorry Icemark, I dont drink.
Secondly, show me how many T2's youve seen and Ill direct you to the junkyards where the a good deal of them end up with the odometer sitting at < 120k
Like Ive said many times before, I love the rotary. But, unlike you, I have the sense to recognize that its not a motor to get if you something reliable.
Pull yourself out of that fantasy world of yours and you might be a little bit more useful to the forum.
EDIT: How ignorant do you have to be to think FI stood for fuel injection?
Especially when it was used in a sentence where NA was used five words prior...
08-10-02, 06:43 AM
#16
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Adamlewis,
the rotary engine is a brilliant design, while it isnt perfect, it has been in service for half as long as the piston engine. plus it hasnt had as much R&D as the piston. back in the 50s an engine was nearing the end of its life at 100K. after the same amount of time in the market, rotaries far exceed the piston engine. compare my car now to one in the fifties
you may say that is an unfair comparison due to technological advances in science. yet, think how little attention the rotary has gotten in comparison. i think it is a MUCH better design than the piston engine, people are just too stupid and lazy to try to understand another concept.
actually as a general rule, FI DOES stand for Fuel Injection and it is completely reasonablefor someone to assume the like. ever heard "13B FI" maybe it is written on your car somewhere or when you carfax. that sure as hell doesnt stand for forced induction... so i have a proposition... why dont you lay off..
Justin
the rotary engine is a brilliant design, while it isnt perfect, it has been in service for half as long as the piston engine. plus it hasnt had as much R&D as the piston. back in the 50s an engine was nearing the end of its life at 100K. after the same amount of time in the market, rotaries far exceed the piston engine. compare my car now to one in the fifties
you may say that is an unfair comparison due to technological advances in science. yet, think how little attention the rotary has gotten in comparison. i think it is a MUCH better design than the piston engine, people are just too stupid and lazy to try to understand another concept.
actually as a general rule, FI DOES stand for Fuel Injection and it is completely reasonablefor someone to assume the like. ever heard "13B FI" maybe it is written on your car somewhere or when you carfax. that sure as hell doesnt stand for forced induction... so i have a proposition... why dont you lay off..
Justin
08-10-02, 07:35 AM
#17
I don't want to keep this debate going, but as I've said serveral times before, my '89TII, which I purchased new is in for a new engine @ 156,000....Just plain worn out.
No mods and well taken care of..Hell, the original clutch lasted until 145,000, and only then it was a weak pp.
My Jeep Grand Cherokee has 185,000 miles and runs like new, my wife's Z-24 140,000 miles, daughters Z-24
120,000 miles, no problems.
The seals just don't last as long as rings. Sure, you'll hear about piston engines going at a realitive early age, but same holds true for rotaries.
Expensive to repair, and quality mechanics few and far between.
The only piston engines that ever gave up on me were the big block Chevy's I used for drag racing. Spun a rod brg. on 1 and put a valve through a piston on another.
And this was running hi 11's low 12's stock.
The RX-7 is wonderful piece of workmanship. The integrety of the vehicle is far superior to let's say the plastic car from the same era.
No mods and well taken care of..Hell, the original clutch lasted until 145,000, and only then it was a weak pp.
My Jeep Grand Cherokee has 185,000 miles and runs like new, my wife's Z-24 140,000 miles, daughters Z-24
120,000 miles, no problems.
The seals just don't last as long as rings. Sure, you'll hear about piston engines going at a realitive early age, but same holds true for rotaries.
Expensive to repair, and quality mechanics few and far between.
The only piston engines that ever gave up on me were the big block Chevy's I used for drag racing. Spun a rod brg. on 1 and put a valve through a piston on another.
And this was running hi 11's low 12's stock.
The RX-7 is wonderful piece of workmanship. The integrety of the vehicle is far superior to let's say the plastic car from the same era.
08-10-02, 11:51 AM
#18
Rotary Enthusiast
Originally posted by Josepi
Keep in mind, the only time that you normally see posts is when someone is having problems.
Not too many people make a post that says: Car is running great!
You mean the clutch doesn't pop back up from the floor?
Keep in mind, the only time that you normally see posts is when someone is having problems.
Not too many people make a post that says: Car is running great!
You mean the clutch doesn't pop back up from the floor?
08-10-02, 12:10 PM
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yo Mazda speed 7 your rx is almost the same as mine altho mine has a one inch squar of rust , no big deal but i have the same 90 rims , anyone know what it means if your engine stalls when you floor it on an automatic?
08-10-02, 02:14 PM
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Originally posted by adamlewis
:sigh:
My ignore list is getting bigger everyday
Sorry Icemark, I dont drink.
Secondly, show me how many T2's youve seen and Ill direct you to the junkyards where the a good deal of them end up with the odometer sitting at < 120k
Like Ive said many times before, I love the rotary. But, unlike you, I have the sense to recognize that its not a motor to get if you something reliable.
Pull yourself out of that fantasy world of yours and you might be a little bit more useful to the forum.
:sigh:
My ignore list is getting bigger everyday
Sorry Icemark, I dont drink.
Secondly, show me how many T2's youve seen and Ill direct you to the junkyards where the a good deal of them end up with the odometer sitting at < 120k
Like Ive said many times before, I love the rotary. But, unlike you, I have the sense to recognize that its not a motor to get if you something reliable.
Pull yourself out of that fantasy world of yours and you might be a little bit more useful to the forum.
08-11-02, 02:25 AM
#21
In general, if you take care of the car with routine maintenance and attention (don't neglect leaks and so forth), cars should last a good while and many miles.
Forced Induction cars or blown cars typically will have less reliability due to more parts and more stress. In other words, you have more solenoids and devices that could go bad and more heat with blowers that can stress the engine.
You'll find a person who claims long life and high miles on a motor with just about every type of car (turbo'd or N/A).
Check your clutch hose for leaks. If it isn't leaking, then I'd look at the clutch master cylinder.
J
Forced Induction cars or blown cars typically will have less reliability due to more parts and more stress. In other words, you have more solenoids and devices that could go bad and more heat with blowers that can stress the engine.
You'll find a person who claims long life and high miles on a motor with just about every type of car (turbo'd or N/A).
Check your clutch hose for leaks. If it isn't leaking, then I'd look at the clutch master cylinder.
J
08-11-02, 02:34 AM
#22
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Originally posted by RX-7Impreza
Adamlewis,
the rotary engine is a brilliant design, while it isnt perfect, it has been in service for half as long as the piston engine. plus it hasnt had as much R&D as the piston. back in the 50s an engine was nearing the end of its life at 100K. after the same amount of time in the market, rotaries far exceed the piston engine. compare my car now to one in the fifties
you may say that is an unfair comparison due to technological advances in science. yet, think how little attention the rotary has gotten in comparison. i think it is a MUCH better design than the piston engine, people are just too stupid and lazy to try to understand another concept.
actually as a general rule, FI DOES stand for Fuel Injection and it is completely reasonablefor someone to assume the like. ever heard "13B FI" maybe it is written on your car somewhere or when you carfax. that sure as hell doesnt stand for forced induction... so i have a proposition... why dont you lay off..
Justin
Adamlewis,
the rotary engine is a brilliant design, while it isnt perfect, it has been in service for half as long as the piston engine. plus it hasnt had as much R&D as the piston. back in the 50s an engine was nearing the end of its life at 100K. after the same amount of time in the market, rotaries far exceed the piston engine. compare my car now to one in the fifties
you may say that is an unfair comparison due to technological advances in science. yet, think how little attention the rotary has gotten in comparison. i think it is a MUCH better design than the piston engine, people are just too stupid and lazy to try to understand another concept.
actually as a general rule, FI DOES stand for Fuel Injection and it is completely reasonablefor someone to assume the like. ever heard "13B FI" maybe it is written on your car somewhere or when you carfax. that sure as hell doesnt stand for forced induction... so i have a proposition... why dont you lay off..
Justin
First off the rotary motor wasnt even designed with the idea of burning gasoline in mind, so saying its a great design is pretty ignorant IMO. Another indication of a poor design is the amount of heat given off. You should know that heat is just wasted energy so....
Secondly, while FI does generaly stand for Fuel Injection, dont you think it would stand for Forced Induction when used in a short setence that also mentions Natural Aspiration?
So I have a proposition...why dont you stay out of it?
08-11-02, 02:36 AM
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Originally posted by importboi22
my t2 hit 156k and the owner before me always had the boost controller set at 14psi.... for the 62k miles he owned it.
my t2 hit 156k and the owner before me always had the boost controller set at 14psi.... for the 62k miles he owned it.
After you do all that, get back to me.
Im not saying its impossible for FI rotarys to last long, Im just saying all the stats that Ive seen lean towards the opposite.
08-11-02, 03:46 AM
#24
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First off the rotary motor wasnt even designed with the idea of burning gasoline in mind, so saying its a great design is pretty ignorant IMO. Another indication of a poor design is the amount of heat given off. You should know that heat is just wasted energy so....
just because a piece of machinery does something it wasnt intended to makes it a bad design.... i find that ignorant NMO, fact. why dont you go back to the early days of the piston engine and find out how much heat it gives off. just because it isnt perfect doesnt make it an incredible design.
Secondly, while FI does generaly stand for Fuel Injection, dont you think it would stand for Forced Induction when used in a short setence that also mentions Natural Aspiration?
no because if i decided to say my car is "PITA" and meant Perfect In The Afternoon everyone would assume i meant Pain in the ***..... why?? because abbreviations are meant for a certain term and you cant go getting mad at people when they assume you meant what the abbreviation originally meant.
why dont we all just reassign abbreviations at random and then no one will have a damn clue what anyone else is talking about
So I have a proposition...why dont you stay out of it?
why??? because i have an opinion and am entitled to it, especially when another member is making an *** out of himself while being rude to another member for a completely valid assumption
08-11-02, 03:49 AM
#25
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oh here is a good one "Where i work there are lots of idiots. All idiots should die, IMO."
oh and if you thought that meant IN MY OPINION you too are an idiot. i was talking about my workplace so you sshould automatically assume i meant "IN MY OFFICE"
Dumb@ss
thanks
Justin
oh and if you thought that meant IN MY OPINION you too are an idiot. i was talking about my workplace so you sshould automatically assume i meant "IN MY OFFICE"
Dumb@ss
thanks
Justin