So I have an 89 FC NA 234,000 miles (98,000 on rebuild) and just the other day I redlined it while driving like I do frequently and *pop* goes the regular backfire and shortly after I pull up to a red light and the car is SHAKING like a *****.
I try driving it back home and the check engine light goes on and off and my performance is like halved (50 mph top speed) and it backfires at like 3 grand and doesn't idle.
I checked the spark plugs and the front plugs were burnt out and were leaking bad so I replaced those and the rear rotor's plugs too and it didn't help at all.
The car's running real rough and I don't know enough about rotary engines to know what the hell it is.
I figure the guys on this site know what they're doing.
By the way the gas tank has about a gallon of 87 octane, a gallon of E85, 6 gallons of 91 octane and 2 gallons of 111 octane leaded race fuel. (don't ask, my stupid friend put all that in)
I don't know if rotary engines or their components just don't like leaded fuel or high octanes or whatever but I'm stumped.
I hear the apex seals go on these but have never lived through one going. .. are these the symptoms of blown seals? And if so, anyone want a car?? (no, i absolutely cannot afford a rebuild)
Thanks,
Zack

 

First of all, that is a stupid mixture of fuel in the tank. If you read the great big letters on the cluster, you'll see "Unleaded Fuel Only". Leaded fuel is banned in the US because 1) it's toxic and 2) it destroys catalytic converters. If the car has a cat (or 2 or 3), it's probably now plugged. All an NA RX7 needs is 87 octane. Higher octane fuels do not add power.

Check engine codes: http://www.johnr.com/cpucodes.html. If the MOP has died, you'll be in limp mode, which basically means next to no power and a rev-limiter. If the MOP goes, a portion of the ECU usually gets burned up at the same time.

You can also check compression on the engine to see if a seal is blown. Do an advanced search on "compression test" in the tech sections.

 

I know, I didn't put the fuel in there...I left it unattended for 1 second and my friend decided he wanted to play race car driver in my car.
Ok thanks rotaryrocket88, I will try the things on that link.

 

Ok so I did the CPU Troubleshooting and came back with 2 errors.

15 - Oxygen Sensor - Feedback cancelled
17 - Feedback System (poss O2 sensor) - Feedback cancelled

Are these issues that could be causing the troubles or are they just minor things that clogged up from the lead?

 

The car will run w/out a working 02 sensor, but mileage will suffer. The sensor is only used during cruising. But it wouldn't lead to driveability problems/power loss. I'd pull the cat(s) and see if the look plugged.

 

Is there a precat? I know I don't have a primary cat

 

Note that leaded fuel, while eventually terminal to cat's (and O2 sensors), doesn't actually plug them.

Your problem sounds unrelated to the ECU codes. What do you mean by "the plugs were leaking bad"?

 

When I removed the front rotor's spark plugs, they were missing their washers and were covered in black goo and the spark end's metal was all burnt looking and white and powdery. But I replaced them with shiny new spark plugs and it didn't run any better

 

It'd be so sad if I had to garage it...I am leaving in a week to go back to college in Indiana and it definitely wouldn't get there from Michigan :'( Looks like I'll be calling someone for a ride.