jimmytimmyy

Hello, an obligatory statement that I am very new to cars and especially the rx7. I recently purchased my FC and it ran well for a solid month before it began to have starting issues. It started around 2 days ago when it wouldn't start no matter how many times I tried, eventually, I let it sit for 1-2 hours and it started right back up with no trouble, however that same night I pulled into a parking lot while I waited for my friend to grab something from his car and while in neutral the RPMs climbed to 3000 and hung there before slowly dropping all the way down to the point of stalling. Once this happened it began making a horrible wheezing sound when trying to start, again I panicked and tried troubleshooting however nothing I did could fix it. After around 3 hours I came back to the parking lot and after around 5 seconds of cranking it started and ran perfectly. Just as before though once I parked it at my house and turned it off the next day it made that awful wheezing noise again and won't start. Below I have attached a video of what it sounds like when I try and start, when starting I typically pump the gas or depress the pedal to get it started however I have been told this is incorrect. If anyone needs to ask clarifying questions which might narrow down this issue I'm happy to answer.

jimmytimmyy

Update: I am pretty sure my engine is flooded but I don't know the severity, before going and taking out my sparks etc. I wanted to try the easier method of simply unplugging the EGI Comp fuse and cranking for 15 seconds with the gas pedal floored. I was following this until at around 15 seconds of cranking all noise stopped and I only heard a singular click. When I tried to crank again no sound and just a click. Have I ruined my starter?

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

welcome to the board.

here's a link to where you can get a copy of the FSM: Foxed.ca

for now, i would have to agree that you've flooded it. you should go through the de-flood procedure. i also think you may have run your battery down, so get it checked and/or charged.

the Cliff's Notes version is:
1. remove the plugs
2. clean and dry the plugs
3. clear the chambers by holding the gas pedal to the floor and cranking for a few seconds. (be sure to move the spark plug wire AWAY for the plug holes because of fire hazard! )
3. reinstall the plugs and pay close attention to where you put each plug wire.
4. do not constantly muck with the gas pedal while starting

if you find yourself going through this regularly, then maybe get your injectors checked and serviced.

as far as the incident when it was idling, then spontaneously shot up to 3000 and then stalled, i'm a bit s loss as to why. TPS? BAC? coolant temp sensor? maybe start by checking those and see if you find anything amiss.

jimmytimmyy

Hey thanks for the response, I will keep that in mind in the future however my car no longer turns over and I lack the mechanical skills to fix that so I have gotten it towed to the Gaithersburg Mazda which I have read has a rotary expert. I also read my repair manual most likely problem is a bad starter motor because I tried charging the battery but still nothing. Previous owner installed bigger sparks and injectors with plans to also install a turbo and I believe their shotty electrical work combined with this is making my car extra prone to flooding. Also my car doesn't always start without using the gas pedal a bit, should I stop doing that in the future?

DR_Knight

iTrader: (23)

Your symptoms could be a sign of leaky fuel injectors. Fuel is leaking into the rotor housings after shutdown. I had this issue with 120k miles on a s4 n/a, and would have to remove the egi fuse or disconnect the fuel pump connector and crank to get the fuel out of the rotor housing.

sometimes the spark plugs will wet to the point the plugs need to be removed and another set installed. Simply trying to use a lighter or brake cleaner on the plugs may not be enough to clean the installed plugs, so they may need to be left out to air dry, hence my recommendation for a second set of plugs.

Should send out the fuel injectors for flow testing/cleaning/flow testing. I recently had fuel injectors cleaned and tested by RC engineering who had my injectors back to me in 3 business days, and cost ~$30 usd each injector.

While servicing the injectors, might as well replace the fuel pulsation dampener, refresh the gaskets and rubber hoses and do any cleaning to manifolds, throttle body, etc.

this is not an easy task if you’re not mechanically inclined or familiar with the car, but you have to start somewhere.

DR_Knight

iTrader: (23)

this sounds like you have drained your battery, and/or resistance in the wiring won’t allow for the starter to operate. Get your battery tested, and think about replacing the cable from battery to starter.

DR_Knight

iTrader: (23)

you should be able to get a part number off of the fuel injectors to check their flow rates (cc’s). All N/A’s came with 440-460cc injectors. Anything higher than that and too much fuel is being sent into the engine, causing a rich fuel mixture all the time.

There are zero gains to running too high of of a flow rate, you’re literally losing everywhere in terms of starting performance, mpg, overall power, and possibly internal carbon buildup.

glad you made the call to have someone look at it. Just be prepared to start seeing there are not many rotary mechanics, so familiarization with the car and mechanical skills is a good skill to have to save a lot of money, as well as time diagnosing issues.

just fyi, good part suppliers are: Atkins rotary, pineapple racing, mazdatrix, racing beat, rotary aviation, goopy performance.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

you're probably going to be best served by returning the car to stock, then take it from there. at the end of the day, the stock ECU is making decisions with faulty information now and it may be the root cause of your issues. until you return the stock injectors or make it so that the car has the correct info, you will likely keep having these issues. that's my 2 cents.

from the video you posted it looks like you have an S5 engine, but i guess i should confirm, is your car an S5? i believe when you floor the pedal while cranking an S5 it cuts the injectors, so maybe that's why its helping your particular situation, but that's just a guess on my part. get your grain of salt.

zukskywalker

iTrader: (2)

thanks for the video! I haven’t heard that cranking sound in a few years and hope to hear mine in a few weeks after my gxl has sat for a few years. And it’s good to hear from a local “rotard” as I am also in DC.

please keep us informed about the rotary expert in Gaithersburg. I’ve been following the “startup after sitting” threads and will be looking for more advice. I did the banjo bolt swap a while back and swapped out the stock exhaust for an RB catback and a high flow cat. Beyond pulling the plugs and pouring a little oil in the chambers…checking for vacuum leaks… maybe adding a little premix…I’m not sure what to look out for(compression check?)(injectors?) Thanks again!