Last night I took my car up to 7k or so on the highway, it seemed a little sluggish, and then afterwards it just felt down on power at points. It still seemed to be boosting properly though. It was idling really low and when I pulled into my neighborhood it stalled, I shifted into 2nd, it restarted and I contuned. It idled, but low, when I had it sitting at home. It seemed louder then usual. Tonight I started it back up again. It seemed to drive ok, but loud with a high idle, I drove it for about 10miles. It got louder and louder and stalled a couple more times, it seems that the engine was shaking and a lot of noise was coming from the engine compartment and from under the car. It seems like something is inbalanced. I let it sit for 4hrs or so. The coolant buzzer went off for a few seconds but stopped. I drove it a couple of blocks but it got worse and worse so I parked it. The car is a '93 with 108,800 on the original engine, turbos, clutch and trans as far as I know. I have a dp, pf intercooler, custom intake, Power FC tuned at KD, Blitz cat back. I had my compression checked at KD about a year ago, it was low: rear 6.9 and front 6.2 with some variation between the faces. I just assumed that my compression would get to the point that the car would start to stall, not go vilently like this. Any ideas on exactly what is causing this???? Anyone have a similar experience??? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

Just some more info. I didn't smell fuel, or notice black smoke or anything, just loud shaking engine, low idle, and stalling.

 

check your map sensor. The hose might have popped off

 

check your compresion again it could be a crack in your apex seal.

 

Map sensor? Man that has got to be the most tiring universal answer thrown out on this board.

jf,

Hate it to break it to you, but sounds like it's time for a rebuild. The coolant buzzer going off and loud noises + shaking is NOT a good sign.

You have a PFC, what's the vaccum showing?

Have you opened the hood yet?

 

What about White smoke !? It might be a water jacket that's bad since.. the coolant buzzer... but either way yes... sounds like it needs srious work...

 

primary injectors might be goin bad. I had simlilar problems at high rpms. Try driving in second gear at about 1,000 rpms... does it drive rough?? It should be pretty smooth if all ur injectors are workin their duty.

 

I popped the hood but it was dark, no flashlight, so I couldn't see anything.

I didn't think it was the map sensor because no black smoke, fuel smell, or backfiring.

If I let it idle it will stall, if I rev it much above 2k rpms it sounds like it is going to blow up.

When I drove it for the last 10 blocks or so it just got louder and louder, was rougher & rougher, and was losing more and more power and it sounded like it wouldn't make it to higher rpms.

 

Oh, no white smoke either that I could see. Just loud *** shaking and now power.

 

it's dead...time for a compression check. 109K miles-what a great run!

 

Yeah, I definately suspect it is time for a new engine. It's just that this doesn't sound like the normal engine failure I hear about. I'm just wondering why it is so violent and what is causing it???

 

This is the same description I hear from everyone I have talked to who has lost a seal.

If you have lost a seal, one rotor is not functioning properly. So your car is now running on one and a third instead of two- something it was not designed to do. Fuel and spark are still happening on the bad rotor and 2 out of 3 of the combustion explosions (if they even happen) are no longer contained by the engine. Uncombusted fuel is likely being dropped into your exhaust manifold/downpipe/cat and combusting there. Every combustion will likely keep causing more damage. Compression test your only definite answer.

109k was great - hopefully you had time to pay it off. Sounds like you are close to KDR - lucky you. Look at it as an opportunity to make some long awaited changes to your car.

Taking the bright side cuz the dark one sucks,

Shawn

 

Just when you thought the Map Sensor was the "most tiring uneversal answer..." then someone pulls the second most tiring universal answer "Hate it to break it to you, but sounds like it's time for a rebuild..."

Like they said, check you MS first then have your compression checked. Good luck dude.

 

[QUOTE]Just when you thought the Map Sensor was the "most tiring uneversal answer..." then someone pulls the second most tiring universal answer "Hate it to break it to you, but sounds like it's time for a rebuild...


Like they said, check you MS first then have your compression checked. Good luck dude. [QUOTE]

Thank you sir, at least someone doesnt think the oh holy answer of map sensor, isnt a bad idea. It does point to a blown motor due to the miles and symptoms. But every car is different, you never know untill you check it. if U just pass it up, do all this **** and come back to it to find it off. Your going to kick yourself in the ***.

Check the hose for small leaks too. IT doesnt hurt, but yeah, get the compression checked too

 

Rotaries never die with a wimper, but rather a bang. It's the way it is.

 

You know, I was just thinking... in my almost 2 years on this forum, I can't recall a single time when a map sensor hose has actually popped off.

 

I disagre... ! The Apex seal wold have to have come completely loose from the grove and made it into the exhaust for that to be the cause at low RPM, at higher RPM. the air doesn't have enough time to sneak past the apex seal, and therefore makes descent power even if not like before... A blown seal will wrok better at higher RPM, if cracked... I know that from my own car...

-DC

 

Do a search then, you'll come up with plenty of hits.

USually when the map sensor is the case, the person discovers it quickly, and the thread then ends quickly as the problem is solved.



This is true in most cases , but not all. Ask Sleep R1, his car slowley lost compression to the point where the motor would flood out from lack of compression . Thats a dead engine without a bang.

 

apnea,

Too bad that second most common answer is usually the right one.

The MS is almost never an issue.

 

My brother blew an apex seal in his tII before and it threw black smoke & would stall, but nothing like this. My whole engine and front end of the car shakes, if I take it above 2k it feels like it is going to blow up. Could it be an accessory? Water pump, etc that is self destructing and so out of balance that it is shaking the engine like hell and causing enough drag to stall it??? I don't know. I will have to try to take a look at it today. I am buying a house and tons of other crap right now too, figures it couldn't wait a couple of months.

 

Well, I took a better look under the hood in the daylight. Everything looks fine. It is not the map sensor.

 

If you are getting the "paint shaker" effect, the engine is pretty much done.

 

Here's my 2 cents,

Though it may not be worth either of them:

It sounds like, from your description, there is a possibility that your car is not completely gone yet.

There may be some aspect of maintainence that was overlooked, or a defect. Any problem in a rotary, be it small or large, can and will magnify itself.

I'm not trying to give you false hope, but I've been through plenty of wierd happenings, with a rotary, whose -features- would quickly draw you to bad conclusions. ( Collapsed seals, fuel pumps, fuel adjustments, exhaust leaks, distributor caps, plugs, etc. ; and most were unexpected given the car and circumstance.)

Bottom line, get a ROTARY mechanic to look at the car. Even if you have to put it on a roll back; do that before you -junk- the engine. Keep in mind some mechanics who work with rotaries sometimes will not work on a third gen. If that's what you find in your area, just explain the situation and make sure they're still uninterested.

With 107k there are many things that could be worn out or going bad, besides your engine. BUT don't deny the fact that the engine may be ready to go.

-C

 

I think he popped his engine.

Sounds like the first time I KABOOMed.

and I am willing to bet that it's the rear rotor.

 

Mine did at the track. At that time I was running efini y-pipe and no cat + catback. I hadn't had the Profec yet and after spinning on the track my FD idled horribly, wouldn't like to start and UIM was shaking badly. It didn't make any power under boost. I could still get it up to 80mph or more.

Guess what ? I found a disconnected MAP sensor
And I was sure my engine was toast because I was playing it stupid...