FyVe

iTrader: (1)

WTF IS HAPPENING!!! this car is pissing me off so bad... i mean SOOO BAD. I've never had such an awesome looking unreliable piece of **** in my life.
After I blew an apex seal because I'm retarded...
I'm having this issue now where the idle is completely low as hell and the car even shuts off while driving and the AC is on... between gears itll just drop so low it shuts off.
THAT can be contributed to the IACV... which wasnt bad before the rebuild so theres no possible way its bad now. is there any way to adjust the idle?

Now before that... here's the issue... the car wont turn on!!
After sitting for 1-2 days the engine seizes up. My starter is gonna die from trying so damn hard. It feels sometimes like it fires for a full rotation and just dies again... I turn and crank it over and over and it just will not turn on.
In conclusion every 2 days where i dont use the car I have to open the intake seperation and throw ATF in there... spray a lot of regular ATF straight into the engine and let it sit for like 10 mins then try another 10 mins to start it and more ATF etc etc until it starts. I can't have a car like this. I LOVE this car but i'm so close to driving it into the canal across the street you guys have no idea..
help?

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

So you lost compression and you're wondering why it has trouble idling and starting? Those problems are both caused by low compression. You need to rebuild or replace the engine.

RTRx7

iTrader: (2)

Is this a serious question? You have no compression and you wonder why your car runs like ****?

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

I'm not thinking like I lost compression... cuz when it turns on it turns on and stays on. how can it not have compression? Nothings blown... I'm thinking the side seals are stuck or something?
What i've been told anyways is that the side seals sometimes stick and cause no compression...

It's been like this since the rebuild how is it possible theres no compression...
Sometimes i even feel like ONE rotor housing turns on and then as it heats up the other side starts to fire, because it runs SUPER rough exactly how it ran when i blew an apex seal, and it backfires like crazy just in idle it sputters and backfires, then suddenly you kinda feel something go back to normal and the engine is running like a dream again in no time...

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

Ohhh wait wait... no I didnt mean after i blew an apex seal like NOW... this was before, the engine's been rebuilt after it... maybe i caused confusion on the top post. ignore me im not feeling like myself lately.

Willy92

Take it back to who built it, you have ALL the signs of low compression Low Idle, hard starting unless you use atf in the combustion chambers,backfiring,etc.

g14novak

iTrader: (1)

Lets check all the bases.

1. Doesn't start without ATF.
2. Once warm, can't idle & dies
3. When starting, it's making compression strokes, but not enough to kick it over

Yup, thats low compression all right.


Try resetting the timing once just for good measure. Otherwise, go ahead and start pulling your engine.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

a compression test can't hurt. if everything seems fine after that, then i'd agree with g14novak, the timing is probably way off.

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

im praying it's the timing. the engine HAS to have good compression because it runs fine and even on hot re-starts it starts fine. it happens after it sits for like 2-3 days.. im thinking even as far as fouled spark plugs? timing way off way too much gas... grrrr this damn car has been nothing but issues it seems like even a damn mazda tech can't build the engine correctly?

RTRx7

iTrader: (2)

Mazda techs aren't always all that....

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

i know this must be frustrating for you, especially since it doesn't sound like you do much of the work yourself (and i don't mean that in a judgmental or derogatory way). however, it's simple. the more you can confirm and know to be true, the closer you will be to finding the root of your problem.

get the compression checked if you haven't already done so. post your numbers or find some other reference to see where your engine's results are. if the engine checks out fine for compression, then you can move on pinpointing something else.

just because a Mazda tech did it really doesn't mean squat. personally, i have no faith in Mazda techs. your best interest and theirs seldom intersect. that aside (and to be fair) it's not necessarily his/her fault. there could be a number of reasons why a new rebuild could crap out, for example all the seals were not replaced with new items because they spec'd within limits.

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

true... i guess that's what i have to do then... compression test and waste my damn money and time when the guy that built my engine seems to have made the mistake. I'm gonna talk to him he probably has to stuff to run the compression test...

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

by any chance, is your car modified? if so, what's been done to it?

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

yes single 60-1 precision turbo, pettit racing ECU (no clue what exactly is done to the ECU), and just rebuilt engine that was running fine before and just after rebuild and only when i let the car sit for over 48 hours it seems to seize up and wont start without ATF in the engine.

twinsinside

iTrader: (34)

If you're not sure take the car to a rotary specialist shop like Petit. Have them diagnose the car for you. It's the only way you're going to know whats up with your car especially since its obviously been modded.

If you think the plugs are fouled you can just jack it up and get at them easily from under the car, they're a pain from the top.

I hope you haven't been taking it to the mazda dealer I'm sure there are a few good ones out there but the majority do more harm than good.

Good luck This car can be a pain in the rear and is the first car to ever make me do most of the work myself. I find it's been more rewarding to do it myself and has taught me a lot.

hondahater

iTrader: (2)

Lots of good rotary shops in Florida from kilo racing, to wwr, to chrisspeed (who's on this forum), etc.. etc.. etc.. The only people who like rotaries more than the Australians and Japanese are the Puerto Ricans and you have them all right there in your own neighborhood

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

True true... I think i havent had the time but next weekend i believe i'm gonna do a general checkup of the outside of the engine... replace plugs, fuel filter, etc... a mild tune-up...
I'm starting to think the Pettit ECU is just completely unprogrammed or acting up..
It doesnt make sense... i started it up with ATF yesterday, drove around, it starts up perfectly now.. i mean at least it did earlier today. Tomorrow morning i'm guessing it'll still start. This wouldnt happen if it had low compression, there wouldnt be the inconsistency in startups.. and plus it runs fine and hot re-starts are perfectly fine... still no clue what's going on lol..

question: what kinda spark plugs should i use? I usually use NGK platinum iridium but im not sure if this car's ok with those?

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

well yesterday i turned the car on for like 10 mins and it ran fine, today not so lucky, as i tried to start it to pull into the garage to check the plugs, etc... the car wouldnt start lucky me.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

what size injectors?

is the Pettit unit a standalone or some sort of piggyback or reprogrammed stock ECU?

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

There was a Apexi Neo plugged in too but the guy that redid the engine disconnected all the wires (which i wish were on a harness cuz they're all just hanging there by the ECU...) so it'll run just on the pettit ECU. Stock injectors as far as i'm aware...
Probably was a reprogrammed ECU.

Ok here's something else strange... The Oil pressure gauge is marking the highest reading possible now all of a sudden, no reason behind that at all a few days ago it was fine now when the key is turned it goes all the way up.... wtf!!

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

60-1
stock injectors
a "somewhat" questionable ECU, but surely questionable state of tune

your wastegate setup?

wow ...

did you set the car up like this or did you buy it with most of that stuff and just change a few things?

i still advise you to have the compression checked. you probably don't want to hear it, but personally i think you should park the thing and just use the coming days to check out a good shop (with people that know what they're doing) and just have them go over the car diagnose it and lay out EXACTLY what it will take to fix it.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

i'm not sure if you've ever read THIS, but i think you probably should. the whole thread is very informative and useful, but i think post #6 should be of particular interest to you and your plight.

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

thanks for the help guys.
Nah i bought the car like this but with the mild boost setup and pettit's claim that the ECU runs 14psi on stock injectors just fine i didnt see an issue... until i blew the apex seal the first time and i wasnt even close to the redline... then as i start disecting the car it seems everything was set up to LOOK great but realistically the car is in awesome shape inside and out, however if you take a closer look it seems someone ghetto-rigged almost every aspect of the car... bolts and screws are different and/or missing, the inside panels are all a little loose or missing clips once u take them out.. things slowly started deteriorating and im not too happy about it... im gonna fix everything up the way it needs to be and more than likely sell the car.

FyVe

iTrader: (1)

Well i finally got some time to do some things to the car, i ended up repainting all the panels and doing some misc. cleanup/rewiring/fixing loose stuff...
and then i got around to the engine. First thing i checked were the spark plugs, and luckily that was the last thing i checked. Plugs were beyond fouled and could be attributed to the reason the car wouldnt start. after buying new plugs i installed and the car turned on within like 2-3 attempts. Good stuff!! Easy fix... now my problem is with the AC on the idle going so low the car shuts off sometimes between gears and the rpms drop soooo fast ... only with the AC on... maybe IACV?

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Nope. Throttle body mechanical settings are probably to blame. That affects idle quality. Could also be the TPS sensor that might be out of adjustment. You check the TPS after going through and adjusting throttle body settings. This isn't hard to do but requires some knowledge.

If you want to research doing it yourself, read through the 3rd gen FAQ
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=68640
and check out the Archives for threads w/ pic and links.

Or take it to a professional.