Any of you NOVA guys know how to get to the heater core and check to see where it may be leaking? I'm getting coolant leaked onto my foot when I am driving and I assume it's coming from the heater core.

 

I haven't done a heater core in an RX-7 before but yea, if you have a coolant leak inside the passenger compartment that's the only thing that can cause it. If you're going to keep driving the car, you can loop the lines where the enter/exit the firewall to stop the leak until you have time to fix it.

When this happened to me in the other car, I took out the carpet and shampooed it all to get the coolant smell out. Here's the extent of what I had to do -- thankfully I didn't have to remove the entire dash like in some cars:

 

IIRC there is a heater line through the firewall towards the driver side of the transmission tunnel and one well on the passenger side. Make sure the connection is good, it could be something as simple as that or that heater hose finally going bad and leaking into the car. Post #10 of the thread in the below link has a picture of an FC core.

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...ement-1016522/

Otherwise, be careful taking out the dash.

 

Yeah I knew I'd have to take the dash out. I started and gave up as it's a mess and didn't want to damage anything before I got some advice. The car hasn't moved in months and wasn't a bad leak in the first place when I discovered it. Just a few squirts on my foot, hot as hell though.

Thanks for the replies.

 

Do you have an FC or FD? I just removed the dash for the first time in an FD and it's a real pain. The gauge cover is prone to crack, which mine did so you have to be REAL carefull. I had an FC a long time ago and i believe they should be easier to remove

Another alternative is to bypass the heater. You may want to do this first as a temp fix and you'll find out if it's a temp fix by how long it remains

 

I have an FC. I don't really need to bypass it because the car isn't really drivable right now anyway as it's running like garbage and I have to get that straightened out as well somehow. So I can take my time with the dash. I may end up taking it to a shop and having them get it running right and fix the leak because I got a baby on the way really soon and I need to run so I can drive it when I have some free time.

 

Sounds like you have some work to make it "drivable". It's not much more effort to bypass the heater while you're doing whatever other work you need to do (certainly a lot less than pulling the dash, which a shop will charge you a pretty penny for BTW).

 

Yeah I have some work to do. I got her running a couple weeks ago and there is a bit of coolant dripping on the turbo heatshield and smoking up so I got to fix that as well. But these are the trials and tribulations we are faced with an older car.

I don't even really know how to bypass the heater. I assume I block off the coolant hose going to it. But it's in the engine bay that I do this correct?

 

I haven't owned an FC in 15 years, but generally there's two pipes the penetrate the firewall that go to the heater core (one is supply and the other is return). All you need to do is get a piece of pipe to fit in the the hoses that are attached to those heater core lines. This then bypasses the heater core.

Or, you can simply cap the hoses that go to the heater core

Searching on the subject will provide more info

 

yeah I think I have an idea how to do it. Just got to get in there and take a look and get stuff figured out. Being a complete novice with the rotary motor doesn't help, but learning is always fun.

 

Anybody have an air pump laying around for a 93 FD in the MD/DC area? Thanks

 

Sup guys. We did a spring drive this year, right?

 

Damn I like those wheels.

 

Thank you, cheapo Motegi SP7's I got off craigslist for $500. I plastidipped them koi orange a while ago but just put them back on this weekend.

 

Any of you guys have experience with ALS seals? If so, what kind of mileage can you expect out of them?

 

I have them in my car... As far as I can tell they're indestructible.

No idea on longevity though

 

yeah it's hard to find longevity reviews with rotaries owners lol...

 

Yep, we did the cruise in MD for this spring, unfortunately only one Maryland owner showed up.... on his motorcycle.

 

Well ****, I guess I wasn't monitoring enough. I've been working on my BMWs :/

 

damn did they already have it? also where are you from?

nvm i didnt see the last page somehow lol

 

Hey all...my FD "died" at the office last night. I posted on the 3rd gen section but haven't heard a reply. It's a variation of the old "click-click-start" problem I think....but mine is actually "click-no start-complete electrical shut-down." I believe it's the security system killing everything. There's a jumper wire fix for the relay. Does anyone have a picture of the relay and where exactly to put the jumper wire? I made the jumper wire and had it on for a bit before removing it a couple of years ago. That start problem was actually my clutch pedal so I removed the jumper. I kept the wire in the glove box though.

Thanks in advance.

 

sounds to me like you have a loose battery connection, that's where I would start.

 

I agree that my negative connection is a bit loose...as it's one of those quick release terminals. But it's been that way for years...and I made sure it was tight enough to at least fire up.

 

Okay...maybe it was my negative terminal connection after all. So simple. But so weird too. It's not like the connector is completely detached. So there's not enough juice to fire the ignition because it's not tight enough to ground properly...I can understand that...but why would it kill all electrical after it tries? I pop off the negative and then pop it right back on to bring the electrical system back. Turn the key. Nothing...and electrical completely shuts down again. I repeated this 4-5 times last night. Today...just once and it started.

Anyways...thanks Eage.

 

Not sure, but my negative connector is always a little loose on my bmw and when I turn the key everything energizes and then clicks off immediately. You just jueggle the connector and make sure it's seated and then you're good. Sounds similar.