Hey so I have a 83 rx7 gsl that I have absolutely fell in love with! It is my only car and daily driver because I am only 19 and I have a fast food job. Well anyways just recently it will just lose power and kill itself. I would assume that this would be the fuel pump but I don't have much money to spare seeing as I have a fast good job. I appreciate any help you can give.

 

Old cars require maintenance and honestly they do not care how much you make or where you work!
If you like the car then you will tend to it.
That way down the road they treat you with a nice long lasting friendship...car wise..don't start kissing the bumper,that's weird!
Have you checked the fuel filter in that car since you got it or when was the last time it was replaced?..30 years without replacing is a LONG time.

 

Señor Styx is right on. Cheap fix. If it happens again in 1000 miles or less clean the tank. Easier than it sounds.

 

..hmm..More like Loco Styx...
But think of it this way,If he shoves anything from Taco Bell into the tank it will "clean it out"..quick..
It does it for me anyways..lol!..Talk about Zoom,Zoom!..

 

I am fairly new to cars as well so where would I find the fuel filter?

 

1982-1984 Mazda RX7 Fuel Filter - Fuel Delivery - Hastings 82-84 RX7 Fuel Filter - 8569-05041522 - PartsGeek

 

One ON the car and one IN the tank on the pump.
The in tank filter(sock) is a snot bag to get at,but it clogs up faster and can really play with your fuel.

 

Does it do this while you're driving or when it's reving not under load?

 

Alright so my friend who's dad works at the local parts city thinks all of my issues are because of user error and that I don't know how to start my car. Doesn't help that when his son came over to help start it it just started again. Kinda makes me feel like I don't know how to turn a key. -.-

Anyways it has been 3 days since it started and it has been running fine again! But I'm just waiting till I'm about 3 miles from home and it just dies again.

I did buy some kind of carb cleaner that you pour into a full tank of gas. (My friends dad suspects that it might be doing this because the carbs need adjusting but to start by cleaning it first)

Also I just found out from the previous owner that it had been sitting for 9 years before he bought it, put fluids in it, and turned it over. Any suggestions on how to clean EVERYTHING while it is -13F outside?

 

if you're not used to them, then yes, starting them can be a bit tricky. however, worst case scenario is that you flood them and kill the starter or battery trying - they don't usually fire, drive and then stall. now, it can happen, but my guess is that that's not what's going on here.

as you said, it's been sitting for 9 years. was that inside or outside? either way, some serious maintenance will be in order. start with a full tuneup and proceed from there. as mentioned before, you may have some major jobs ahead like a carb rebuild and tank cleaning, etc.

 

The guy before me did a lot of cleaning and drove it around for a whole year as a dd. But once again on my way home last night I was going about 60mph and I was giving it enough gas to keep it at a constant speed and it just died again. When I say died I mean the car would not go any faster and all the lights in the dash came on. I had to shift it into neutral and pull the choke and turn the key while I was driving. Like what is that about? If you have any ideas please give them idc if they sound stupid. I just can't be stranded in below zero weather. Thanks again for any support.

 

with you running at 60 MPH, on the way home, i am assuming the car was warm already??? if so, you shouldn't need the choke to start it at that point. if you do, something is terribly wrong!

off the cuff, it sounds like your fuel filter(s). maybe a failing pump. maybe both. as i said, start with a tuneup.

 

Alright I poured a can of carb cleaner into the gas tank along with a full tank of gas. Fingers crossed!

 

did you change the filter?

 

I am so sorry to say this but I have no idea what a fuel filter looks like. I'm fairly new to cars and the whole rotary engine thing doesn't help. But I would assume it is located behind the drivers seat above the wheel well. Any easy way to get to it? I kinda parked it at my job overnight. (Starting issues again)

 

Corphish, I know the pain of working a "fast food" job and having a broken car while going to school at the same time. No time and no money!
My rx7 has broken down a bunch of times but I've always fixed it because I love it! (kissing the bumper is not weird)

The key thing in your situation is that you need to be proactive and take control of the situation. Find a copy of the factory service manual and familiarize yourself with the inner workings of your car when you have time. Put money on the side to invest in your baby and also take the time to work on it. If you do that, working a fast food job won't be a problem.

As for the fuel filter, I also don't know where yours is since I don't know much about first Gen but if you Google "1983 RX7 factory service manual" you can get a free copy to help you locate the filter.

 

^ this.


go to foxed.ca and get a copy. it's free.

the fuel filter (as long as a previous owner didn't get cute) should be just ahead of the driver's side rear wheel. you can't miss it. start with the filter. all that in-tank chemical stuff won't be worth a damn if the filter is already clogged. as a matter of fact, it won't hurt to buy two when go to the store because if the tank is cruddy, it's not unheard of for the filter to clog right up again in a short while (on the order of days/weeks).

you can follow the FSM instructions on testing pump output.

but i'll say it one more time, after sitting for 9 years, you should start with a full tuneup. it may not solve every issue you have, but at least you will know you're starting with fresh parts.

 

Thanks for all the help guys! I will change the filter ASAP!

 

I changed the fuel filter and it started right up! Let's see how long this lasts before I have to change it again

 

Alright that didn't last long. Died right after it put gas in. Just won't start again. next is the fuel pump correct?

 

not necessarily. testing the pump can't hurt, but as i said, just because you changed the filter doesn't mean it won't clog up again - that's it's job. if you happen to be misfortunate enough that your tank is filthy, you may have simply stirred up a bunch of muck when you pumped new gas into the tank.

search the Gen I section for gas tank cleaning and see if it's something you want to tackle yourself or if you want to just find a shop to clean it for you and replace the filter in it.

 

I'm not sure where I read this but I remember people talking about how it would cost about the same to buy a new tank rather than cleaning the old one. If anyone knows for sure I would definitely love to know!