I just bought a 93 R1. It's got 60k on it, 20k on a new engine and turbos. When i bought the car i new it wasn't running perfect but it wasn't overheating or leaking fluids that i could tell and i got a pretty good deal on the car. I then drove it 800 miles problem free, or at least without any new problems showing up. Then one morning i drove it to work and a few minutes after i shut the car off it was steaming. I then drove it home after work carefully and closely watching the temp gauge and it didn't get hot, but then after i shut it off again it started to steam a few minutes later. I then popped the hood. It smells like coolant steam, and then i looked at my exhaust and it was glowing red. I didn't drive the car hard at all. Now i'm scared to drive it because i don't want to damage anything. As far as teh coolant being what is steaming, it sure must not leak much because my level doesn't go down and there isn't a puddle underneath it or anything. Ever since i bought it it has idled at about 2000 rpm, and sometimes the idle will go up and down, revving on it's own. Also, the exhaust makes a popping noise. I know there is an updated or upgraded ecu that is supposed to deal with idle fluctuations, i was planning on getting that unless someone knows a better route to go

Thanks ahead for any help you can offer

 

get someone that actually knows something about the car to look at it... local rotary guru or specialist. take care of the things that you "know" are wrong with it and maybe that can clear up some of the other issues for you... read the newbie sticky, you'll learn lots or what you should do first.

get it looked at by someone that knows them, don't rely on you "i think"

 

Does it have the stock pre-cat ??. What are the engine mods?

 

There's probably not anyplace local I would trust being in Iowa. I'd offer to come down and help this weekend, but that all depends on me getting my KOYO from UPS sometime this week. Did you buy a white FD?

 

glowing could be from the stock clogged cat... are you even sure you have enough coolant in the car? 2k idle? something is deffinetly wrong...

 

pop the hood when the car is steaming to locate where it is coming from, then simply fix the leak. I would guess it is probably a coolant hose on your turbos but the only way to tell for sure is to wait for it to steam and see. BTW, the stock temp gauge sux. You need to put in an aftermarket one asap. Don't rely on the stock gauge.

Next you need to read every thing posted on the website I have linked to below. In a few days when your finished you will know more than you ever thought possible about your seven. After that you should have no problem adjusting your own idle.

Robs 3rd Gen site.

 

The idle fluctuations are TPS (throttle position sensor) adjustment issue.

The glowing red exhaust, is it stock or modded. Did you drive the car really hard before shutting it off?

The steam could be a leaking hose or radiator. If you let it go very long it will = new motor.

2000 rpm idle could be a vacuum leak, tight throttle cable or something to do with the TPS mis-adjustment.

 

Sight unseen it's really hard to tell. However, the steam and sweet smell of coolant is a tell tale sign of bad coolant seals. The glowing red "exhaust" is your downpipe or stock pre-cat, which is actually normal if you were really on it prior to stopping, But you said you were not. As the others said, get the car to someone who can properly diagnose the problems you are having. Not to sound like a jerk but this could have saved you heartache and $$$ had you asked the seller to allow you to have a pre- purchase inspection done by a mechanic or friend who has knowledge of these cars $75 -$100 is alot cheaper than a 3K rebuild . "Good deals" often connote with hidden problems. At any rate, good luck and avoid driving the car too much until you can pin point the problem(s) and have it fixed.

 

My car used to steam up like that when I didn't have enough coolant in the system, the temps were fine but when I parked it, coolent steam would come from the hood and overflow the overflow tank onto the ground. I thought I was putting enough coolant but I wasn't. I then again attempted to fill the coolant in the car again and the problem was gone. Thats just my experience with the steam, could be a number of other things.

 

haha...... another Iowa FD (in ames)

did you buy the blue one in des monies?

-yeah sounds like precat.

2k idle is rediculous- points to precat also (seller uped idle due to not idl'n properly).

FD's do well for vac leaks (due to map -if it was a FC then....... LOL )

 

A bad intake leak could also lead to high, fluctuating idle and a glowing exhaust. Steam who knows, I had a few very small leaks that werent enough to effect my level or even get on the ground but did they ever smell! My problem was some of the small hoses had the worm gear clamps on them and they werent sealing at that point. Replaced witht he stock spring clamps and no leaks or coolant smell.

 

yo man,

i got this quote from a webpage that i have found in a thread on this site..

"The water temperature gauge is also too heavily center weighted, so that even an overheat condition will show only as slightly high. This too should be replaced w/ an aftermarket gauge"

so basically your car does overheat but the temp gauge doesn't show because it is too "heavily center weighted"

the other problems you adressed(i believe) are also adressed on the webpagefound here

I know it says buying a used Rx-7 but all the the information is all still more than beneficial to the rx-7 owner who just bought a rex

 

Thanks for all of the replys guys. Yeah, being here in Iowa it doesn't really seem that there are a lot of rotary experts. As far as mods, the car has none whatsoever. I bought it in Kentucky, it's an R1. I wouldn't doubt if he messed with the idle adjustment screw because he told me it idled high and that it wasn't just the screw that was out of adjument....which tells me he must have messed with it. As far as where the steam is coming from, it looks like either the turbos or right under the upper intake, sure hope it's not leaking between housings!?! I know the coolant level is fine, i filled it at the radiator, not just the overflow. It also pressure tested fine and held pressure for 30 minutes. As far as the TPS being out of adjustment, does that just happen on it's own?? The guy I bought it from didn't seem to know anything at all. I doubt he messed with the tps. I wounldn't doubt that the cat is bad, the guy i bought it from was the original owner and he gave me all of the work history on the car and it had a airpump failure, which would mean the cat probably overheated in the past. The only reason i wouldn't think the cat is totally bad is because it doesn't seem to have a lack of power, but then again, how would i know...i've only driven one other and that was over a year ago.
thanks again for all of the help guys

 

TPS adjustment

there is input from a few people there

 

what city in kentucky did you get and and what was the guys name?

 

there is a screw under the throttle body that is used for idle.

check slack in throttle cable.

take off the elbow and make sure butterflies are coming to a close. (you'll be able to see the screw there too).

 

your stock pre-cat is clogged! 100% sure!

does the car vibrate also?

 

the easiest thing to do is go to a muffler shop and have them check it out.

they can take temps and see if it's clogged.

 

Well i'm going to order some parts for my car. I was messing around with it some the past week and found a slight vacuum leak at the gasket between the upper and lower intake plenums. So now i'm ordering some intake gaskets, i figure i'll replace as many vacuum lines as possible when i'm under there, and i was also thinking about ordering a downpipe. Who would you guys go with for the downpipe. I'm thinking of sticking with one company for most exhaust parts, i'll later do a catback system from some company but would rather use the same brand downpipe as i will use for the catback so what do you guys recommend? thanks again.

 

The M2 downpipe is one of the better fitting ones out there.