So, Im away at college and I got this email from my dad today:

Some news on your car. A couple of days ago, I was walking by it and heard a very faint beep-beep. Later I noticed the driver's door was ajar, as was the hood. Then as I went to the door, I could tell the noise ( the beep) was coming from within the car. So I climbed in and looked around, like as if someone had gotten in. There was no sign of forced entry on either door locks. When I went to put the key in the ignition, it would not go in but halfway, as if someone had tried to jimmy it. However, even with the key in, the ignition would turn, and I tried to start it, but the battery was dead. Mom mentioned she had heard this faint beeping a few days earlier, but thought it was coming from construction up on the hill above us.
So I charged the battery, but it would still not start. Then I realized the key was in the intermediate point on the ignition switch, rather than in the fully turned off position, where one can withdraw the key. When I turned it to that point, the key goes in all the was, no problem. But the car still will not fire. The battery is well charged too. Now I'm not absolutely 100% positive that maybe I left the door not tightly closed the last time I used it. But I'm 98% sure, especially if the hood was ajar too. But by close inspection, I can't see anything that looks like it was tampered with, but it just won't start. I also tried to start it with the accelerator all the way to the floor (like it was flooded), but that didn't work either. It does sputter a bit, but doesn't catch. I may remove the plugs, make sure they aren't fuel soaked, and try again, that's the only thing I can think of. It'll be running when you get home, but right now it's a mystery. Whenever I have run it, every week or two, at ALWAYS FIRES INSTANTLY, so it's a mystery. I may call a mazda service department too, before I pull the plugs. I hate to have it towed somewhere, but that may be the only choice. There is no where close by either.

Ok, it would seem that someone tried to steal my car, but why the hell wont it start? any ideas?

 

i assume you have a alarm on your car, so try putting the key in the door and turning it unlock 2 times. This is a security thing on alarms which kills the ignition so that no one could force start your car. cant start a car with a stopped ignition. this 2 time thing was how it was in my supra, so idk about your 7. good luck

 

Welcome to the world of RX-7's...

A good theif can steal our cars pretty quick.... the lock in the halfway position is the BIG clue....

Probably wouldn't start for the theif as well, so he got under the hood to see if you pulled the EGI fuse..

Tell your dad to check all the fuses in the box under the hood and under the dash...

Then Try the door lock thing as described above...

If all else fails, have him disconnect the positive of the battery, hit the brakes to clear the system, reconnect the battery and try again.

I would suggest putting a fuel pump cutoff switch in your car in a hidden spot... sounds like someone has your car marked...

 

i say we sit outside your house and wait for the jerk to come back.....and then ....well you can fill in that part

 

Well, the wierd thing is that there is a alarm speaker under my hood but other than that no evidence of an alarm system (I just got this car a few months ago so I dont know too much about it yet), but I'll have my dad check out all that stuff anyways. Thanks for the tips. I like Krazy's idea in particular, I would love to bash that thief's head in with his own maglite.

 

your dads pretty cool if he knows how to unflood the car