CxCloud

I bought the rx7 from a used car dealership it was smoking on startup white smoke they told me it's what rotary engines do so I looked it up and seen people saying it's what they do so I believed them I take it home and baby it as I was going to take it to get oil changes and all that the next day go out in the morning it will not start I take it to their shop and they say it needs a new engine then a couple days later I am told it doesnt and that the car is fine and ready to pick up that was just carbon build up I go to shop and they pull it up its smoking from under the hood not just the tailpipe now I see cooling gushing out of the bottom of the car and they cant get it started again 2 days go by they say they replaced some valve the coolant hoses and temp gauge I pick the car up no excessive smoke and it's running however the idle is a little rough I drive it out of the lot it feels super slow getting to about 40 mph then speeds up like normal get on the freeway and get to about 70mph then absolutely no power engine did not die out but the car would not move I slowly rolled to a stop in the shoulder turned car off and looked under the hood for anything obvious seen nothing then tried to start it again would crank like it wants to start but just barely cant thought maybe it's out of gas as the gauge wasnt moving so I put a gallon in that didnt help get it towed back to shop they told me it's probably a headgasket I now have absolutely no faith in them and need to go elsewhere

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

Welcome to the board.

Sorry you got taken by those people. I guess the most important question is what do you want to do about it? In their defense, it might just be ignorance as opposed to a willful deception, but either way, I know it's no comfort to you. Again, I'm sorry for that.

I'm not versed in the law and I no longer live in Washington state, so I will not touch those issues. The issue that I will touch is it's clear that the engine is toast. Are you going to put the car back together or are you going to part ways?

CxCloud

I'm currently In the middle of fighting to get it refunded I was more concerned about what is wrong with the car like the apex seals or something and just confirming it wasnt just a gas issue or flooding that was my fault. I would love to get it up and running however its proven to be a difficult car to work on most technicians dont know how to and refer me to rotary specialist which are asking like 9 grand for a rebuild.

Molotovman

iTrader: (49)

The engine is no good and needs rebuilt. It has lost a water jacket seal and it is likely due to a cracked off piece of an iron, at this point it might have overheated so bad that many of the parts aren’t reusable but you won’t know until the engine is torn down. If I was you I’d just buy a remanufactured shortblock from Mazda and turn that one in as a core or buy an already built engine from a reputable builder who has an extra one around.

Consistent Excessive smoke is not normal for any car. The only exception is for high boost applications where people run a bunch of premix but that will not be a thick white cloud like a failing soft seal.

I’d try to return the car to the dealer, you could also see if they would have the engine replaced. Sorry for the ride they’ve taken you on.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

That's just bloody ridiculous!

Well, you said you're looking to parts ways and get a refund, and that's cool. Rotary life is not for the faint of heart, which for the record, I don't mean as an insult. I simply mean now is the time to decide whether you're in or out.

In the event you end up keeping it and want to get it running, here are some things to consider. Given your original post, my guess is the engine in it is trash because of overheating, but obviously I can't say for sure. However, you can get a running or rebuildable engine for a small fraction of your $9,000 quote. You can check places like Mazdatrix, Atkins and Pineapple for rebuild kits and worst-case-scenarios. There are people here, in your region, that can help or at least refer you to reputable resources. It's up to you. Good luck either way.