I just purchased a 1990 rx7 convertible and I'm having the lovely coolant level sensor buzz...I checked and it seems levels are just fine. I am going to be performing a coolant flush on the car because I don't know when it was last fine or what quality of coolant was used... I'll also be replacing the thermostat while I'm at it because after about 20 minutes of idle the car starts to overheat. The reason I think the level sensor is dead is because the wire connecting directly on the sensor is frayed and just about pulling off. My question is, where do I find this sensor? I keep finding it for gen 1 cars, but not gen 2... any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

i believe mazdatrix and atkins sells the sensor

and do you only overheat at idle? do you still have the OEM clutch fan? you have the right ideas to flush the cooling system and replace the thermostat. FYI, only replace the thermostat with a new OEM one, most auto parts store ones don't work on the rotary

 

Thanks! I'll check there for the parts. I'm not sure about the clutch fan. I really know next to nothing about the cars past unfortunately. I drained the antifreeze today and removed the thermostat. Seemed in decent shape so it may be a replacement and that could even be my problem. I'm guessing the oem part wasn't stamped with made in the USA? Anyway... hopefully I can get my hands on some quality parts. Thanks again!

 

oem will have a "jiggle pin" its made into the ring to let coolant flow even when the tstat is closed

if you drained the freeze, you may as well flush the whole system while your atvit

also, about your sensor, if theres enough wire there, you could just put a butt connector to splice it for the time being, than change it later down the road

 

Yeah, was definitely planning on doing the flush anyway. The thermostat does not have the pin, though the aftermarket one I purchased does actually, but I'm not keeping it... the brand is failsafe and I realized if it overheats it automatically remains open and you can't close it again...

Unfortunately there is basically no wire left where it's frayed. I'm thinking about just soldering it though and covering the solder point with some rubber glue or something.

 

Performed a flush, replaced the thermostat with an OEM thermostat. I've also done an oil change, replaced the plugs and wires... the car is obviously running better. Still struggling on startup though. I checked the air filter last night, finally, and found that thing was a mess. The filter area itself seems ok, but the rest of it was a mess. Seems the rubber part may have melted? Not sure. Black tacky oil like substance was all over the box. Nothing has gotten into the engine I don't think. The air passage seemed spotless. Very odd. Here's a pic of the filter...






Very odd stuff. Anyway, ordering a replacement. Was debating on getting the K&N over an own replacement...

 

Ya,that is an odd thing but it happens.It's been documented on the Forum.

K&N is a good replacement if you want the 1 HP extra..If you just need to Replace it,period,the old Fram filters do just fine.