So I'm driving to work and I see an FD(obviously a new guy because I'd never seen him before). Car sounds and looks great, I'm driving on shady grove road near I-270. I try to speed up(I'm in my work van). Then all of a sudden I hear the car stuttering. and he drives as far as he can.

Apparently the guy let his car run till he had 0 gas left. I could have sworn I heard something pop. So I was like hey, its a fellow fd owner, lemme help him out. He let his car run out of gas, (he was running non-sequential twins and I noticed a vacuum hose had popped off). SO I drove him the next 3 miles to pick up 3 or so gallons of gas at a gas station, I popped his vac hose back on also. I then gave him my number, its always nice to meet another rx7 owner.

The guy then calls me about 2 hours later saying that his car starts, then just immediately dies after he filled up the tank. I'm thinking he has a blown engine, I mean I'm no mechanic but I do know the BIG no no is to run your car below a quarter tank, and ideally not below a half tank(with a stock fuel tank).

What really sucks is that I dont really know alot of fd owners in my area, and this poor guy has had his car for 4 days and probably blew his engine coming back from car inspection. But do his symptoms sound like he has a blown engine? I mean I have no way to check compression on the engine, but MAN does that suck!

I know this is kind of a useless story and I'm sorry for wasting a couple of your alls life, but I suppose this is related to an fd and I felt like sharing. Have a good one guys!(also sorry for the horrible grammar, I'm just stupid)

 

why does this sound like a blown engine? he shouldnt have been driving it that low your right about that but I wouldnt instantly go to a blown engine diagnosis. I would take see if any rotary guys in your area can come take a look at it. its probably something little.

 

Sounds like the fuel pump is burned. due to running dry. Gasoline luburicates the pump. I have a spare fuel pump and I live in Burtonsville.


Good luck to him..

 

So when I got my car it was very low on gas towed it to the body shop where it stayed for almost 2 months... When we finally started it it had a very rough idle and would shut off. I was freaked out... Went over to the gas station bought some gas brought it over filled it up and tryed agian the same thing... I was like WTF happened... turned it back off and let it sit for about 5-10 min... tryed again and it started and idled fine... My other thought would be full pump... good luck

Chris

 

Wait, what? Who said that? I think you have this part confused. It's not ideal to run a 1/4 tank of gas when you are at the track due to fuel starvation, which can be fixed using Hyperion's fuel tank surge cover or a fuel cell. SO, yes you can run your car to the freaking E line, and most definately under the half tank mark. I drove my car around 1/4 all the time...

-Jeff

 

The low gas thing (or any fuel starvation for that matter) is dangerous to the engine when you've got the engine heavily loaded. AKA under boost. The 1/4 tank issue comes up because on a track you can generate enough G's and be boosting hard to have it happen at the same time.

It's not as easy to do both simultaneously on the street. Running out of gas might be bad for the fuel pump and other reasons, but blowing the engine is not one of them.

Dave