Sabbra_Cadabra

I posted this in the 2nd Gen section already, but was told i would have better luck here. I apologize for the repost if you've seen this already.

Hello. First of all, i'm new to the boards and very new to the RX-7 life. I am in the United States Air Force stationed at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. I just purchased a 1992 Mazda RX-7 for $3,000. I've got insurane, the JCI isn't due for 2 years, and i'm having some issues.

First of all, i did make an effort to check the FAQ before making this post and most of the questions seemed to only apply to 91's or less.

Here are my issues:

1. I've noticed that when i start my car, and it begins to idle, after about 30 seconds to a minute the idling will start to feel bumpy. It feels like it's "chugging", or skipping. I feel a very slight jerk when this happens, and it's usually on and off. The guy i bought the car from said he talked to previous RX-7 owners and they told him it has something to do with the way the fuel is injected to the motor, and that it is common among RX-7s. However, i'm firmly sure that this isn't the case, and i'm interested to know what could be wrong and what i need to do to fix it.

2. When i accelerate to about 50 KPH, i start to feel alot of vibration in the car. It's pretty smooth vibration, but very hard feeling. It doesn't fluctuate too much, but i hear it more when i accelerate faster. The previous owner again said it was the way the suspension rode. That it was set very rigid. I'm wondering again what some other causes of this could be.

3. The stereo seems to have been interconnected/wired with the starter on the car, and occasionally the car won't start with the radio on. As soon as i pull off the face, the car will start, but if the face is on while the car is running, the power to the deck fluctuates between on and off, and often stops working completely. Also, when the car is idling, and the stereo isn't working, it always takes a little bit of me pumping the gas peddle to get it working. Some other things in the car seem to be affecting the stereo as well, such as me turning on headlights or rolling down my window. This past day it has been good, as i have been able to start the car with the stereo on and the stereo hasn't cut out while driving, but i know it is going to be a recurring problem unless i fix it. What is the quickest way to go about rewiring and fixing this situation.

Also, some people are telling me that although the car is a 1992, it has the 3rd Generation body style. I'm curious as to what the truth is. The car was manufactured here in Japan, and is a right side(of course) drive twin turbo. It has about 88,000 Kilometers on it, and aside of those problems listed above runs fine otherwise.

Any help, analysis or input would be much appreciated.

joastarlet

if it look like this its a 3. gen:


if it lokks like this its a 2. gen:

Sabbra_Cadabra

It's definately the 1st picture. Almost exactly, except it is black and has a sunroof.

nickpapagiorgio

Were you checking the FAQ section in the second gen section or third gen section? Make sure to check the FAQ section in this section, not just the second gen section.

Sabbra_Cadabra

I've looked over the Faq, and didn't see anything pertaining to my questions.

oorx7

iTrader: (2)

Did you have a compresion check done on the car before you purchased it?

I would check your motor mounts. Mainly the passengers in your case, But you should check both. This might be the cause of the vibrations. You should be able to see if they are torn or not.

As far as the stereo goes. I would check all the grounds on the car. There also might be a bad wire behind the stereo, sounds like it is a after market head unit.

Lastly the production dates for the 3rd gen Rx-7 started in 92. The build date on my 7 is in 92 but is baged as a 93.

Hope that helps, and welcome to the board.

Mazda99Nikon

1. If the engine runs fine above idle it could be signs of a problem with an internal seal, but I would check out out some simpler stuff, first. I assume you've changed plugs and inspected your spark plug wires? What about o2 sensor? That's a simple issue. When was the fuel filter changed last? All of the above could cause eratic idle, from my experience. Basic maintenance stuff, which you should probably do any way. If that fails, do a search for idle under the 3rd gen section. There are some other more complicated issues that you can rule out if you have a service manual and some simple tools and a multimeter. You can download the manual. Failing that, get a compresion test.

2. Ride issues should be approached simply, again. Have you had the wheels balanced? Vibrations are typically caused by balance problems or alignment issues. A front end alignment is seldom money wasted if you haven't had it done since you bought it.

3. Radio issue. Here's a simple one too. Start from the most basic situation. Just disconnect the radio from power source to begin with. Track it back from the back of the radio. If the wierd electrical problems disappear, you know you are on the right track. I'd probably try to reroute that power connection back to the fuse block and see what happens after that.

Get the picture? Start with the simple obvious stuff, first.

DCrosby

Rattteling / Vibration can mean a broken Power Plant Frame... (It's the thing that holds the drive shaft / tranny in place between the motor and the rear differential.... Good news is, you're in Japan, parts and expertiese should be easy to find, the language barrier might be a whole nother problem find someone on base that knows the area, and have him go around to shops you find to check out which are reputable... also check in the regional section of this forum under Japan etc...

WaLieN

Vibration at speed can also be due to a mis-balanced tire. Before you start with your PPF, motor mounts, etc., check to see if the tires are in balance.

Sabbra_Cadabra

Gotcha. I will go around and have the tires checked and mess with the wiring myself. Also, i'm not sure if the previous owner changed spark plugs or fuel filters, but that was one of my guesses. It could very well be that. I can call him and ask him about it.

Someone else mentioned that the alignment could be off, so i may take it to the auto body shop this weekend and have alignment checked. Although, when the car was JCI'd, the guy said they checked the bottom of the car, driveshaft and all and said there weren't any problems with the frame etc.


Other than those problems, the rest of the issues i have with the car are fairly minor. Those were the big three that i wanted to have addressed. The car is in beautiful condition otherwise.

On average, how much would a stateside quote for this issue normally cost me, should it manage to end up being that? I ask because i'd like to get an idea of how serious of an issue it is. :P Likewise, should the motor mounts be torn, how serious would the issue be, and on average how much does it usually run to repair?

Sabbra_Cadabra

Anybody?

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Broken PPF: I'd budget about $80 to buy a good used replacement part, and about 2hours to install it myself. (30min if it's a shop with a lift and air tools). You'd have to ask the shop about whether they are willing to install a used part. I would think most wouldn't care, but I never assume that stuff.

3rd gens were produced beginning in late 91. The ones imported to the US arrived during 92, and they sold as 1993 model year cars. It's just this stupid thing US automakers do - give you access to next year's model cars early - as if consumers respond to that differently or something.

In Japan and other countries (Austrailia and NZ I think) the year of the car is the year it was produced or sold - so those (same) cars are called 92s or even 91s.

Dave

Prôdigy2nd

iTrader: (3)

if they are produced later than i think june of one year they are considered the "next years model" and they usally hit the dealers round sep (as stated) but i have never heard of FD being built as 1991's 92's yes and quite a few, but 1991's i would beg to differ although i am known to be wrong on some stuff, sweet car man now just get picks of it up. In 2007 i am planing to import a 1992 FD into Canada for my personal pleasure/frustration, since i know Rotaries cause lots of both..... i just don't wanna wait :P i wanna waste my money right now, but this year i'm going to get a 1991 FC either the NA or TII. Hope everything goes good for you there. have fun with it.


Prôdigy

Tenacious

you could be low on gas too >< I would check the fuel system while I'm at it too. Just take your car to some crazy japanese guy who rebuilds turbo's while he's sleeping.

Sabbra_Cadabra

It's definately not low on gas. I put in 3/4's of a tank last night. Some other guys suggested fuel injector problems, or spark plug problems. I'm going to take it into the auto hobby shop and have them look it over and get an assessment of the problem.

agustin lopez

iTrader: (5)

i dont know much a bout rx7 but i do about cars and i can tell u that people r going to tell u a hundred diffrent things that can be wrong with it. it happened with my honda i asked alot of people and i ended up buying a new distributor, and spark plugs at the end it still wouldnt turn on so i called a mechanic and it turned out the engine was flooded. so just take it to the mechanic if u dont know... then again i would do the same ur doing to get to know the car. lol