Newbie in distress
05-10-02, 04:05 AM
#1
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Richmond, BC
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Newbie in distress
Hey guys
Just bought my 94 Touring the other day and I'd like your opinions on it's current setup.
1) Suspension: The car has Koni adjustable shocks and lowering springs. Car looks great with no wheel gap! Unfortunately that's not permitted around here and could get my car towed. If I were to reinstall the factory springs (which I got from the previous owner) would they be compatible with the Konis? I heard from someone that it may cause damage to the Konis cuz the factory springs are too soft. Is this true? Should I go with another set of aftermarket spring that don't lower the car as much? Another thing is that the shocks are set way too firm for my liking. Right now I do mostly city driving so I'd prefer them to be a tad softer. I'll stiffen them up when I go to the track this summer. What I'd like to know is how to adjust the stiffness.
2-a) Boost Controller: The previous owner had a Knight Sport EBS 3 installed to play around with the boost. This was the first thing I took out when I got the car. I know nothing about rotary engines or turbos (except the fact that they look like giant snails and make your car go fast) but I just didn't like the idea that he was occasionally cranking up the boost without any visible signs or fuel control. Do you think I was right to play it safe or was I overreacting?
2-b) To remove the boost controller I just unplugged everything from the back of the unit. Now there's a 5-pin plug and a single black hose left in the glove box. I noticed that the little black hose seems to suck air in while the engine is on. And the harder I step on the gas the harder it sucks. (get your minds out of the gutter haha) Is it safe to just leave it the way it is or should I plug it up somehow?
3) Emission: Yesterday I took it for emissions testing and it failed TWICE. The first time I drove around the city a little bit before testing and failed by a bit. The second time I took it out on the highway for 45min to heat up the cat but it failed and this time it did a lot worse!! Could this be that it's running too rich? If so how do I correct that? I realize that for our cars it's preferable to run a little more to the rich side then to risk running lean. If this is the root of my problem I'd like to be able to do a quick fix just so I can pass the emissions test. If it not the air/fuel ratio, then which sensors should I be checking?
4) Backfiring: I noticed that the car likes to backfire..... A LOT. Whether I tap the gas ever so lightly or take my foot off quickly from WOT, it would backfire. Does this support my hypothesis that the car is running too rich? It has the precat and the main cat on. The only thing that's been changed is an aftermarket muffler (could be a cat-back for all I know). Could this have anything to do with it?
5) Gauges: From what I've read/heard aftermarket boost & water temp gauges are a must have. It's also been suggested to install an air/fuel or exhaust temp gauge. Which (if any) of these should I install? What exactly is the purpose of the exhaust temp gauge?
I plan to hide all these extra gauges in the glove compartment cuz I like the clean look of the factory dash area so I don't want to clutter it up with a gazillion gauges.
6) Inspection: I got the car inspected today and the dealership said that I needed a rebuild because my compression was low AND my turbos were leaking. There aren't any oil stains on my driveway and the previous owner told me that the original turbos have been replaced under extended warranty (which just expired last summer) so the current turbos are pretty new. The compression readings are 5.1/5.4/5.5 in bank 1 and 5.2/5.3/5.3 in bank 2. They're telling me that anything below 6 needs to be rebuilt. Is it possible for the car to have bad compression yet still run smooth and strong?? Or are they just trying to feed me a bunch of BS hoping that I'd be foolish enough to pay them thousands of dollars to fix these "problems".
That's about all I can think of right now. Any response would be greatly appreciated. Also I apologize if these questions have already been asked before. I did try the search function but didn't really find what I was looking for so I thought I'd just ask. Afterall a dumb question is one that never gets asked right? Please bare with my ignorance as I'm just getting use to owning this car and trying to learn as much as I can about it. Thanks again.
Jason
Just bought my 94 Touring the other day and I'd like your opinions on it's current setup.
1) Suspension: The car has Koni adjustable shocks and lowering springs. Car looks great with no wheel gap! Unfortunately that's not permitted around here and could get my car towed. If I were to reinstall the factory springs (which I got from the previous owner) would they be compatible with the Konis? I heard from someone that it may cause damage to the Konis cuz the factory springs are too soft. Is this true? Should I go with another set of aftermarket spring that don't lower the car as much? Another thing is that the shocks are set way too firm for my liking. Right now I do mostly city driving so I'd prefer them to be a tad softer. I'll stiffen them up when I go to the track this summer. What I'd like to know is how to adjust the stiffness.
2-a) Boost Controller: The previous owner had a Knight Sport EBS 3 installed to play around with the boost. This was the first thing I took out when I got the car. I know nothing about rotary engines or turbos (except the fact that they look like giant snails and make your car go fast) but I just didn't like the idea that he was occasionally cranking up the boost without any visible signs or fuel control. Do you think I was right to play it safe or was I overreacting?
2-b) To remove the boost controller I just unplugged everything from the back of the unit. Now there's a 5-pin plug and a single black hose left in the glove box. I noticed that the little black hose seems to suck air in while the engine is on. And the harder I step on the gas the harder it sucks. (get your minds out of the gutter haha) Is it safe to just leave it the way it is or should I plug it up somehow?
3) Emission: Yesterday I took it for emissions testing and it failed TWICE. The first time I drove around the city a little bit before testing and failed by a bit. The second time I took it out on the highway for 45min to heat up the cat but it failed and this time it did a lot worse!! Could this be that it's running too rich? If so how do I correct that? I realize that for our cars it's preferable to run a little more to the rich side then to risk running lean. If this is the root of my problem I'd like to be able to do a quick fix just so I can pass the emissions test. If it not the air/fuel ratio, then which sensors should I be checking?
4) Backfiring: I noticed that the car likes to backfire..... A LOT. Whether I tap the gas ever so lightly or take my foot off quickly from WOT, it would backfire. Does this support my hypothesis that the car is running too rich? It has the precat and the main cat on. The only thing that's been changed is an aftermarket muffler (could be a cat-back for all I know). Could this have anything to do with it?
5) Gauges: From what I've read/heard aftermarket boost & water temp gauges are a must have. It's also been suggested to install an air/fuel or exhaust temp gauge. Which (if any) of these should I install? What exactly is the purpose of the exhaust temp gauge?
I plan to hide all these extra gauges in the glove compartment cuz I like the clean look of the factory dash area so I don't want to clutter it up with a gazillion gauges.
6) Inspection: I got the car inspected today and the dealership said that I needed a rebuild because my compression was low AND my turbos were leaking. There aren't any oil stains on my driveway and the previous owner told me that the original turbos have been replaced under extended warranty (which just expired last summer) so the current turbos are pretty new. The compression readings are 5.1/5.4/5.5 in bank 1 and 5.2/5.3/5.3 in bank 2. They're telling me that anything below 6 needs to be rebuilt. Is it possible for the car to have bad compression yet still run smooth and strong?? Or are they just trying to feed me a bunch of BS hoping that I'd be foolish enough to pay them thousands of dollars to fix these "problems".
That's about all I can think of right now. Any response would be greatly appreciated. Also I apologize if these questions have already been asked before. I did try the search function but didn't really find what I was looking for so I thought I'd just ask. Afterall a dumb question is one that never gets asked right? Please bare with my ignorance as I'm just getting use to owning this car and trying to learn as much as I can about it. Thanks again.
Jason
Last edited by Knifeboy; 05-10-02 at 04:11 AM.
05-10-02, 04:18 AM
#2
i think you bought the white 94 touring?
my friend was about to buy that.
keep the boost controller, set it at .7 bar (stock boost)
some of the problems you had were avoidable.
1: i think the konis you have are non adjustable.
2: keep the boost controller, set it at .7 bar (stock boost)
3: when buying a used car, you should get the owner to pass aircare for you. the car still has precat and the cat, so a running FD should pass no problems.
4: backfiring is normal
5: u need a boost guage to read what boost u are running.
6:should of checked compression before buying it.
a must for turbo cars. my friend was about to check the compression the next day , but the seller said the car was sold later that night.
my friend was about to buy that.
keep the boost controller, set it at .7 bar (stock boost)
some of the problems you had were avoidable.
1: i think the konis you have are non adjustable.
2: keep the boost controller, set it at .7 bar (stock boost)
3: when buying a used car, you should get the owner to pass aircare for you. the car still has precat and the cat, so a running FD should pass no problems.
4: backfiring is normal
5: u need a boost guage to read what boost u are running.
6:should of checked compression before buying it.
a must for turbo cars. my friend was about to check the compression the next day , but the seller said the car was sold later that night.
05-10-02, 05:58 AM
#3
Full Member
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Irvine, CA , USA
Posts: 173
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1) either replace the konis with some stock shocks and springs (check the for sale section) or you might be able to get a coil over conversion for the konis 
I know it will work for the gabs but I havn't heard of them being used for konis, but they must make something similar. The konis should have a adjustment on the top of the shock, play with it to see what settings you like best, check here for more info http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/suspension.html#SHO
2) as Pumped said keep the boost control
3)check here for hints and tips for passing emmisions http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/emissions.html
4) backfire whould indicate that you are running rich, I don't know if there was a computer upgrade but that would be the first thing to check, second there could be a rising rate fuel pressure regulator, and also might want to check and make sure the cat is intact.
5) Boost guage but I'd keep it somewhere where you can see it while your driving, if you don't want an A-pillar mount you could go with the mount that replaces the top of the steering column.
6) the numbers could be low, however the fact that they are all about the same is a good indication. If one were really off that would be bad. I would also suggest that you find a good mechanic, stay away from dealers. Plus there is no way your going to tear apart a running engine is there? Yes low compression could be caused by porting and apex seal size(3 part 2mm seals give a higher vaccume reading than 2 part 3mm seals)
Matt
I know it will work for the gabs but I havn't heard of them being used for konis, but they must make something similar. The konis should have a adjustment on the top of the shock, play with it to see what settings you like best, check here for more info http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/suspension.html#SHO2) as Pumped said keep the boost control
3)check here for hints and tips for passing emmisions http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/emissions.html
4) backfire whould indicate that you are running rich, I don't know if there was a computer upgrade but that would be the first thing to check, second there could be a rising rate fuel pressure regulator, and also might want to check and make sure the cat is intact.
5) Boost guage but I'd keep it somewhere where you can see it while your driving, if you don't want an A-pillar mount you could go with the mount that replaces the top of the steering column.
6) the numbers could be low, however the fact that they are all about the same is a good indication. If one were really off that would be bad. I would also suggest that you find a good mechanic, stay away from dealers. Plus there is no way your going to tear apart a running engine is there? Yes low compression could be caused by porting and apex seal size(3 part 2mm seals give a higher vaccume reading than 2 part 3mm seals)
Matt
05-10-02, 03:58 PM
#4
Lives on the Forum
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: San Lorenzo, California
Posts: 14,716
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes
on
8 Posts
I don't know about those compression numbers, they're pretty even. I'm guessing they did the test with the throttle closed which will give numbers in the low to mid 5s. The test should be done with the throttle full open at 250 rpm. I'm sure a re-test would show decent numbers.
05-10-02, 04:22 PM
#5
Ex fd *****
The Compression #s are LOW (new stock should be 8.4<>9) mazda reccomends rebuild for numbers below 6 IF THE ENGINE IS RUNNING POORLY, The emission test failure corresponds well with the low compression #s - what condition were plugs & plug wires? bad plugs &/or wires will cause High HC #'s as will excessive oil leaking past the side seals - bad side seals can also cause low compression. Low compression will also cause the engine to die at idle with the AC on.
Last edited by maxpesce; 05-10-02 at 04:24 PM.
05-11-02, 02:37 AM
#6
Full Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Richmond, BC
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey guys, thanks for the responses! I spoke to the previous owner and he informed me that the original turbos did leak before but they were replaced under warranty about 3yrs ago. Is it a little early for the new turbos to be leaking again? Then again the dealership that did the inspection isn't all that reliable so I'm going to get a second opinion from a rotary specialist before deciding to dump more money (which I don't have now that I've bought the car) into repairs. Could it be that maybe it's a line that feeds oil to the turbos that's leaking? Is there any way that I could confirm this myself, or does it involved taking things apart?
As for the low compression, I found out that the plugs haven't been changed recently and that the last time the car was brought in for servicing (coincidently at the same dealership that performed that inspection) they supposedly "turned down the timing" or something along that line. I'll have to get more details from the dealer. Is it dangerous to run on low compression despite the fact the the car runs great? What's the worst that could happen? I'm just hoping that I can still drive it for another year or so before I rebuild the motor. I have some extra money set aside for maintenance and tires, but not enough for a full rebuild.
Thanks again for all your help!
Jason
As for the low compression, I found out that the plugs haven't been changed recently and that the last time the car was brought in for servicing (coincidently at the same dealership that performed that inspection) they supposedly "turned down the timing" or something along that line. I'll have to get more details from the dealer. Is it dangerous to run on low compression despite the fact the the car runs great? What's the worst that could happen? I'm just hoping that I can still drive it for another year or so before I rebuild the motor. I have some extra money set aside for maintenance and tires, but not enough for a full rebuild.
Thanks again for all your help!
Jason
Last edited by Knifeboy; 05-11-02 at 02:39 AM.
Trending Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post