20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

I have been having some troubles with my car lately and was wondering if they might be caused by a failing fuel pump.

Whenever I start it (after sitting over night in colder temps) I will have to wait a really long time for it to warm up. Sometimes though even if I do, or if I go a bit too soon, it will struggle to run. The idle will bounce between 0 and 500 rpm and lurch forward numerous times. What I also found was when I was coming to a stop shortly after driving, only about 10 min, it will do the same thing and I will have to slip it into neutral (automatic) otherwise it will just try and lurch forward alot and I cant really control it.

Also, one time, I went a bit too soon, drove it about 5 mins to car wash and shut it off. Once I was done at the car it wouldnt start till the third try, and even then I would have to give it gas for it to start, then as soon as I started reversing it really started to shake and lurch, and it almost died. Also, a yellow light on the left side of the steering wheel turned on only for a second so I couldnt see what it was. Though during the day it wont do any of this.

Also, I have noticed lately when I am accelerating and I take my foot right off the gas it will pretty much fall flat on it its face, not stall, just an immediat loss of power and its almost like stepping on the brake even though im not. My air/fuel gauge seems to read lean most of the time as well.

Could be just a really sensitive engine, but I am not too sure.

I also plan on doing the test in the service manual with the fuel pressure gauge, but I was just wondering if these symptons might help solidify that it is a bad pump.

Also, completely random, but during that test, is it nessecary to use a jumper wire where it says to?

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

How about a little background on the car? What mods are on the car? Airpump still on the car? ECU? TPS has been checked?

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

sorry bout that. Its a 93, automatic. The only mod I have on it right now is greddy dual intake. Other then that and the gauges its bone stock. Engine was rebuilt and has about 40,000 miles on it, tranny was rebuilt and has only had about a year of use. I still have the airpump and it seems to be functioning as it should (every now and then I hear the dying cow, lol).

I have not checked the tps, would that be something to consider before the fuel pump?

KaiFD3S

iTrader: (37)

When you had the engine rebuilt did you have the injectors cleaned, injectors could be clogged up too..

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

I would start with the TPS, then a compression check.

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

alright thanks, I will check the tps on sunday and let you guys know. As for the injector cleaning, I dont think it was done when the engine was rebuilt ( I didnt own the car at that time so I am not too sure). When I bought it though the compression was 110 on both.

mad_7tist

have someone put a FP gague on the car and take it for a drive it is the only way to tell.

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

well, I checked today and the tps seems to be functioning normally, but I think it is for sure a fuel issue. Long read ahead, sort of.

The symptoms seem to be getting worse. I was on my way to work the other day (early morning) and everything seemed to be normal (as in still acting up and studdering) so I pulled up to a stoplight after about 2 min of driving, and slip it into neutral so it wont die. But for some reason it didnt help and it bucked back and forth and the idle was all over the place. And then it stalled, I couldnt do anything. Try to start it, nothing. Wait 10 min, nothing. So I just left it there and took the bus to work for the day. Come back later and it starts right up, wtf?

It is running rich as all hell when this is happening ( maxing out my aem air fuel gauge, it maxes out at 10). So today I decided to see how long it would take for it to no longer do this when I went to drive. About 15 min and it was smooth as ever, and the air fuel gauge showed that the cars air fuel had leaned out and was where it should be.

Also, when it is doing this, it will first puff white smoke, then it will turn black. Not like completely black I can still see through the smoke fine. The exhaust will also pop alot, and there will be black soot all over the inside of the tips. But as soon as it warmed up and the air fuel leaned out, the exhaust was completely clear and no pops at all. On a sidenote the exhaust first smells like coolant a bit, then more like gas and oil ( no premix).

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

well, it died again on my today. Once again in the morning, just as I was pulling to my parking spot it bucked and died on me. I tried to start at an hour later, nothing. Nother hour, nothing. Couple more hours, nothing.

Deflooded, took lots of cranks before i got a sputter, but then nothing again.

Deflooded second time, sputtered after a couple cranks but then nothing. Waited a bit and cranked it, got the idle to around 1000 rpm by giving it some gas, sounded awful, and died immediately.

Then tried it again, and back to nothing again.

Definately smelled like gas when the plugs were out, and the spark plugs didnt have a distinct smell and didnt look to bad.

What the hell?

KKMpunkrock2011

iTrader: (5)

get a new fuel filter maybe? and do the rewire on the pump.

I haven't searched much but does the FD have an intake filter too like on my friend's dsm? I know that can be a problem on his car

bryant

could be fuel filter, bad or dirty injectors, map sensor.
have you changed your spark plugs lately?

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

I changed my spark plugs and fuel filter last year in june when I first got it. The spark plugs didnt seem to bad when I tried to deflood it and I didnt wanna risk ruining another set while its still flooding itself.

I will replace the fuel filter and try starting it again, possibly test the map sensor if its not too involved, right now its just sitting on a side street so I have limited tools.

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

well I got it started today, just deflooded it again. I had to very gently give it throttle to get the idle up and started, without pressing on the gas all it wanted to do was partially turn over around 200 rpm and just die.

I am thinking right now it is a coolant seal. What might be happening is overnight or for longer periods of time coolant is seeping into the engine, which is why I have to let it warm up so long or else it will stall ( so it can burn off that coolant).

When I got it started today it just smell really sweet and like gas. I will also post up some videos in a bit.

edit: maybe now I can actually get a 20b! haha, nah that wont happen for awhile.

Ohh and one thing I realized, in the fuze panel (the one that has the main big egr fuse, my b1 slot fuse was popped up, its apparently for the ignition switch, what is that?

bryant

does your car ever backfire when you turn the key to the on position?(dont start it just the on position) if so it could be bad injectors.

if your seals were bad you would be losing coolant.... are you losing coolant?

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

nope, hasnt backfired on me, it will pop a couple times after I start it when im letting it warm up.

As for coolant, my radiator is leaking a bit, but I havent let it overheat and I am constantly checking it whenever I can to be sure. So i cant say exactly where the coolant is going. But it smelt rediculously sweet once I got it started today, so Im thinking thats the coolant. Does coolant sometimes burn light black? Like it was really white and smoking but after a bit it turned black and kinda clear, and then there was no smoke once its warmed up fully.

bryant

White: Burning water/coolant (or ATF)
Blue: Burning Oil
Black: Running Rich

bryant

pulling info from different threads

FDeez

Have you tried pulling engine codes to see if the car will give you any?

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

I havent tried that yet, because I really dont have access to the equipment I would need. But I think I am just going to replace the rad, and make sure coolant is not leaking elsewhere, champagne test it, and pressure test the system, and that should give me a pretty good indication of whats happening.

I also realized that on the front rotor, the bottom plug seems to have exploded, well not exploded, Its hard to describe, I will post a picture of the plug with the videos sometime later tonight.

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

I apologize for the lateness of these pics, who knew it would be so hard to get another camera computer cord.

Anyways, I got the rad in, and I seem to only be losing a tiny bit of coolant into the engine, not much though at all. Other then that it seems to be running good, I figured out my idle problem too.

Last year when I first got it I had an idle issue so I had the spark plugs replaced and it was good for awhile then it came right back in a couple weeks. I didnt bother checking the plugs again (dont ask me why because I honestly dont know).

Now as I went to deflood it recently, I realized that the plugs on the rear rotor are absolutely fine, but on the front rotor the leading and trailing were pretty much blown up (Im exagerating but take a look):







That brown residue seems kinda like oil, and has the viscosity of tree sap. So I replaced those plugs and it idled awesome, but now its back again so I think its destroyed those front plugs again.

Im just confused though why it would be doing this.

bryant

leaking coolant in the combustion chamber after you cut the car off then trying to burn it out when you go to crank it.

those plugs dont look that bad, but you did get a shot of the wrong side and you got to think the oil filler is right above all the spark plugs and oil does come out from it sometimes.

get a pressure test on the coolant system and if you still cant find the leak i would just drive it till it needs a rebuild.

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

Alright thanks man, but could something else cause oil to leak out the spark plugs, I thought it might be oil coming from another source, but everything else seems dry and for some reason its partially gotten inside the plug boots, and the oil on each plug is distributed evenly around it, not like if it was dripping from up top where you would see some white patches of porcelain.

Im going to take a look at the new plugs I put in tommorow and see if they look about the same.

bryant

i would say the oil has to external because it would be soaked all the way up the spark plug not just at the end.
black at the end is just carbon deposits and means used good or running rich.
if it were white i would say running lean or coolant in the combustion chamber.

Have you done a compression test yet?

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

You really should consider finding a competent rotary mechanic to look at the car.

20B 3 Rotor

iTrader: (7)

I did a compression test when I first bought it, and it was 110 on both, and the engine only has about 40,000 miles. As for finding a rotary mechanic, do you think its a serious problem or just easier to troubleshoot in person, just because theres a couple local guys, but other then that its pretty dead over here for rotary specific shops.

Ohh, the other day, I forgot to add, when I started it up it sprayed a bunch of water from the exhaust, it hasnt rained, and I havent washed it for awhile, the water was pretty much clear, mixed with some black which I thought might just be exhaust soot.