I wanted to get everyones opinion on my 94 rx-7 with an automatic transmission. It has 73,000 miles. Any suggestions for performance would be appreciated. It seems real sluggish off the start and sometimes dies at red lights and when I stop.

Thanks,

kyle

 

Yes, it will feel really sluggish off the start....the tranny literally has a mind of its own....its own ECU that is.
Put it into 'L' and push the HOLD button. The car should be MUCH more responsive. It takes while of driving one to get an automatic trannied FD to "feel" right. You eventually find your own technique to make it best for you. I find that a blipping of the throttle, meaning short, successive jabs at it, helps bring the revs up right.
As for the stalling, you need to check the idle speed and adjust if needed. My FD doesn't like hot weather too well, anything above 85 or so and it acts funny, and will sometimes die at stoplights. This was before I found out one of my fans wasn't working.....since I have fixed that, my car is much, much better.
A downpipe really helped my car a LOT. It was literally like a different car after I installed the dp.

 

I put the gear in S and that helps to keep the rev up and when getting off the line.

The stall could be a vac leak. Does your car idle high? It could also just be old fuel filter or plugs. Has the car been well maint?

 

Thanks for the info guys. The car was well maintaned. The best kept one ive seen and ive been shopping awhile. Do the automatic trannys run as good (fast) as the manual trans?


Kyle

 

auto runs 6 sec 0-60 and 14.6 sec in quarter mile.

manual runs 4.9-5.2 0-60 and 14.0-14.2 sec in quarter mile.

90% of time, the auto is as fast as manual on the street bc most manual tranny drivers don't shift perfectly. Magazine testers drove 4-5 runs to get the above numbers in track conditions. On the street, distractions and other factors prevents perfect shifts.

 

Run as good? Meaning, perform as well? All indications are that the auto is up to .5 sec. slower 0 - 60 and 1/4 mile times.....driven by professionals. Taking into account the occasional missed shift and imperfect shift, I would say that in the REAL world, it is pretty much even....
I would say that from a rolling start, an auto tranny will OUTperform a manual....based upon my experience.

The deal is, regardless of transmission choice, the FD is a damned fast, powerful, nimble sports car.

 

What does FD stand for? Also what is the best way to significantly improve performance without sacrificing a quiet ride and daily drivability. Thanks again for the info guys.

Kyle

 

Not really. Not even close.

The auto is at a distinct disadvantage from a stop or a roll. The auto has less power to the wheels because of additional driveline losses, less optimal gearing(3.9 final w/one less gear), and an additional 60lb weight penalty.

Fastest 5-spds have gone under 13.5 in the 1/4 with 13.6-14.0 being typical. Thats a HUGE difference compared to the auto.

First mod to any auto should be to change the final drive ratio out to 4.3 so its not so severely handicapped compared to the 5spd.

 

As far as performance: One choice - High Flow Pre-Cat, high flow-main cat and Apexi' duals for more mid range, since auto's normally shift in the low/mid range (withought using the hold button).