Bought non running SA, where to start?
 

Hi,
I just bought a 1980 RX-7 that isn't running. I have a slight problem with this do to it being located in a town a few hours away, and the best way to get it home is driving it.

Symptoms:
Car doesn't start
Exhaust has a little smoke, and smells strongly of gas
Car sputters a bit, but doesn't even sound like it is going to start

Possible causes:
Previous owner has adjusted the mix screw on the carb to all the way rich
Previous owner thinks the plugs are fowled

My own personal opinion is that the air to fuel mix is way off, causing it to not ignite correctly. I have never owned or worked on a carb'd car before so I could be way off. Hoping that the experts here at RX-7 Club could give me some ideas before I am forced to tow it home

I didn't consider flooding, but I really should have, seeing as my dads RX-8 this year got flooded and it seemed more serious then it was.

Is there a default setting for the mix screw on the carb so I can reset it to something sane after it has been messed with?

if i am correct hte default to at least get the car started is turn it in all the way and back out 2 and a half turns.

Make sure u have spark first, make sure u got fuel and the mix screw set, if it has no choke have someone choke it initially to try and start it

take out out spark plugs and clean them up and with it of crank it to make sure u r not flooded and leave the combustion chamber clean, do it for both rotors.

if u have a compression tester test it just for the hell of it as well

fuel and spark with the mix screw at default it should start, look inside the carb and make sure ur seeing the fuel being sprayed also check the floats, because if they are too high it will not start and flood again and again.

good luck

The RX-8 flooded? Geez marie. That's unacceptable for a new car, even if it is a rotary. There's no reason for injector leak in any 2000 or up car now. That's just crazy.

:cool:

It was driver error we believe, was the first start for the RX8 after being stored for the winter. The Mazda Dealership covered the towing and deflooding under warranty.

Update? How'd it go or did you end up getting it towed home? :confused:


:cool:

Haven't had a chance to get out to it with work taking up all my time. Probably going to just find someone to to tow it back, so I can work on it without feeling rushed

hey I'm in barrie and am about to buy my first rotary car but if you ever want someone to work on the car with. let me know I'm not too far away and would love to get some hands on with one.

Well I picked the car up today, a buddy had a car trailer so we towed it home. It was flooded and I got it running today, but the idle is all screwed up. It will not run with the choke out. and with the choke in it runs at 3k RPM. Do I have some massive vacuum leak, or is my carb screwed up?

Here is a video for you remote diagnostic pleasure.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1179628...26684420286162

the last car my buddy bought did the same thing... the owners friend played with the carb screws saying "he was tuning it properly to make more power" and it ran over 2500 revs after that. He just set it too rich, back it off a bit and you should be fine.

The idle air and fuel screws do very little with the idle. I still haven't found the vacuum leak I guess. I don't have the shutter valve or anti-afterburn valve. Any other major vacuum leak points I should be looking at?