93 VR Touring. Automatic, but the price I got it for I couldn't pass it up. According the previous owner, it sat for quite awhile. It has a quirk that is kind of weird. I drove it away, stopped to get gas, turned the engine off, pumped gas, got back in car, cranks but will not start. I thought I might have agitated bad gas or something. Not compression related because I had it idling for half an hour while looking at it and shut it off, and it turned right back on without hesitation.

Heres the kicker, sometimes when you turn the key to start, it wont even engage the starter (imagine trying to start a five speed car without the clutch pushed in, same deal.) What could be the cause of that? Sometimes cycling the key and moving it from park to neutral fixes it. '

Anyway, so when it does crank, it just wont start. So I jumpered the ground and fp terminals in the diagnostic connector, started right up. No issue whatsoever. I expected it to die when I removed the fuel pump jumper, nope. Ran fine. Ran fine all the way back to NC.

Anyone have any idea what could be causing these two symptoms?

 

Could be a fuel pump on its way out. Open up the fuel tank and have a look.

Lack of cranking may be due to bad security relay. This topic has been covered many times on the forum. I will try to find a thread or two later and provide links.

 

^ I think you're referring to Goodfella's thread: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...-relay-872841/

 

I think I'm going to end up replacing that relay, found it online for ten bucks ish, so that will hopefully cure the no start. Though, it doesn't click, it just makes no noise when i try to start it sometimes and the starter doesn't engage.

As for the fuel thing, it did it again while i was driving. Got out, jumpered FP to GND on the diag terminal again, started right up, pulled the jumper wire out, and it hasn't done it since. I'm wondering what is causing that. When I jump the two terminals, I hear a distinct clicking from the relay box right nearby.

 

The fuel pumps do get issues if sat for a long time dry. They're easy to get to through the hatch to check .

 

What symptoms would a poor ground to the FP give? Easy to clean, the block is just below the latch mechanism for the rear hatch...10mm bolt.

 

As for nothing happening when you turn the key sometimes, check your actual ignition switch. I had this same exact problem when I picked up my car. Mine had been sitting for a long time as well and turning the key resulted in... nothing. Turns out the ignition switch itself was completely shot. Check my build thread for pictures of how it looked if you are curious. Should be easy enough to take out and inspect.