Need help with 88 Mazda RX7 Turbo II
 

Hi I have a 88 Mazda rx7 turbo II with 103,000 miles and 5 speed. I bought the car and had it towed to my uncles. I replaced the water pump, belts, and battery. Everytime I get in the car push down only on the clutch and crank it the car sometime will start and when it putters at a low idle then dies. I repeat not pushing on the gas takes a little longer to start and when it does same putter but finally get itself to idle. It idles at 1500 RPMs and the rpms go up a little then drop and repeats itself. Also the car smokes white smoke out of the exhaust like crazy for the first 10 mins of warming up. If I get in the car and drive it the car gets up to about 3000 rpms then it likes shuts down or boggs down. Its very hard to drive. I drove it around the block and only got to 2nd gear but in 2nd gear also around 3000 rpms it boggs down and dont wanna go. I get it back to my uncles shut the car off and try and start it and it wont start. It will just sit there and crank and not even show like it wants to turn over. No engine light comes on... I have many people tell me its either a vacum leak, something wrong with the fuel system, not enough grounds, maybe crank angle sensor? Please if you have had this problem of know how maybe to fix it PLEASE FILL ME IN! =) Thanks!!

The same thing happend to an 88 I bought a while back. I would do these things...

1. Perform a compression check. Any irregular readings, or low compression readings... you need a rebuild.

http://rotarygod.com/index.php?title...k_Instructions

2. Before you actually stick the compression tester into the trailing plug hole, have someone crank it for a few seconds and see if coolant comes out of the hole. If it does... you have a blown coolant seal and need a rebuild.

Thats where I would start.

If it's coolant you should be able to smell the smoke and know right away. Coolant has a sweet smell to it.

Good luck!

why do you need a rebuild if you blown a coolant seal?

I was just taking his post at face value and assuming his motor is a 103k mile engine that smokes and doesnt run well or at all.

If the compression test comes out at 95 psi on all 6 chambers, truly turns out to be a bad coolant seal, and wishes to use that fix a leak crap... so be it. However you will get more life and enjoyment out of it, if the motor was rebuilt properly using new seals.

I will rephrase my original post to clarify a few things:

"2. Before you actually stick the compression tester into the trailing plug hole, have someone crank it for a few seconds and see if coolant comes out of the hole. If it does, or your exhaust has that sickly sweet smell, or your coolant smells like exhaust... you have a blown coolant seal."

Do you have any info about the car other than mileage? Is it the original motor with original mileage? Has the engine been (replaced/rebuilt) and at what mileage (did the replacement have/was the rebuild performed)?

You don't. You can drive around with all the problems you're having until the engine is completely gone. Then you will need a rebuild.

When I crank it all it smells like is gas. I also found the guy that had it before me had the 2 black spark plug wires right under each other instead one a blue on top and black on bottom. Once I get it started and let it warm up a little it likes to reeve up to 1500 rpms and it sounds like its surging. I have a 98 honda civic and mine does that too but I know for mine on my civic I need a new idle air control valve. Do you think it could be the crank angle sensor? Maybe not good enough ground? For the smoke problem my uncle told me it has a bad seal and need to use some lucas oil stopper. Where can I find the coil hook up diagram so I know that the spark plugs wires are hooked to the right coil. Thank you for your help guys!

Anyone? Please I need help fixing my rx7 =(

Verify the firing order, he may have had the wires correct, wire color doesn't matter as much as the locations of both ends of the wire.

You do not need a coil diagram. Trace the wires back to their respective coils. The colors of the spark plug wire boots were a clue something was wrong but do not get hung up on colors. If I remember right, blue on bottom and black on top.

However, this is a better way: Trace the wires back to the coils. You should have one wire going to L1 on the leading coil pack (it is near the driver's side front headlight). L1 goes to the lower hole on the front rotor (towards radiator). Then you should have the other wire from that coil pack going to the lower hole on the rear rotor. Next, you should have one wire going to the top hole on the front rotor from the trailing coil pack (T1). The trailing coil pack is near the brake master cylinder. Only one wire should remain now and it goes to the top hole on the rear rotor.

Do you think this could be causing the RX7 to hesitate when it gets around 3000 RPMs?

Where can I find the spark plug wire diagram so i know mine are hooked up right. I have looked all over the net for it.

Take a look at the Factory Service Manual (FSM) at the link below. Although if you followed what I posted, your setup would be correct.


http://www.rx7city.com/TECHCONNECT.HTM

Have you checked the Tps? if it's surging its most likely tps

crank the car with the rad cap off and if you see bubbles then you have a gone coolant seal

Thank you guys for your help. I am going to do a compression test on it today. From what it sounds the seals are on good in the engine. I might have me a parts car soon! Actually i found a mazda miata dohc motor do you think that would fit in the 13B place?

Dont do that it has less power than the 13b and it would be more work than just rebuilding a motor

yeah, you would be way better off just rebuilding it if it comes down to that. Swapping a 4 banger in it is a lose-lose situation, and it takes the fun of the 'rx' out of the car.

Well found out the 13B motor is shot! I did a compression test and it really didn't ready any pressure out of it. Was blowing the coolant out of the holes. Seals are no good. My uncle wants to take it out and put a carburated v8 in it. Sounds like fun but not sure what size to put in it.

You did take the schrader valve out of the comp. tester so it wouldnt hold the pressure? The needle spiked three times correct? What was the readings of the spikes? If coolant was coming out of the holes... it a bad coolant seal, and I feel for you on that one. Don't just give up on the rotary all together. I have had three blown rotaries in my time. The new RX7 I just bought came complete with a blown motor, and I plan on rebuilding it as well. Where in IL are you located? I am near Joliet.