Hi there, tonight i went to see an RX-7 FD3 from 1994. It was in very good condition with full rebuild only 4000 miles prior, recent service with plugs, leads etc, new clutch, new alarm fitted with immobiliser.

However when test driving it, i was cruising on the Motorway about 60mph when all of a sudden there was a loss of power, and the rear hazard lights flashed on and off?!?! pressing the accelarator resulted in no power from the engine. Eventually after a few presses on the accelarator it came back to life.

then, when i came off the motorway the car cut out completely. When i tried to start it again the engine just turnes over and over and there was alot of white smoke from the exhaust and it smelled very petrolly. I think the immobiliser also kicked in at this point, eventually it started up again and i drove it back to the sellers house with no problems.

in addition to this, the speedometer is intermittent as well, sometimes it sits at 0mph and sometimes it works, could these be tied in? Electrical issues?

I really like this car, i'd really like it however i am unsure as to the possible implications of this engine cutout and the exhaust smoke.

Could it be a relatively simple earthing issue? could it be something more sinister...

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Regards.

 

No way to know for sure over the net, but sounds like it's electrical....and related to the alarm system. I hate tracking down issues like that. I'm just not good at it and it can get expensive fast having someone do it for you. Personally I resist messing with the original wiring at all costs. Is there really a need for the aftermarket alarm where you live? If not, have the seller return EVERYTHING back to original wiring.

 

Hi there, i really appreciate your input.

Electrical issues can be hard to trace however this one seems quite major (total cut out) so perhaps it could be easy to find - earth strap maybe?

Any thought on the real smoky smoke when i was trying to start the car again?

cheers

 

I really doubt it's a grounding (earth) issue. There's enough redundency in ground/earth connections...at least I've never heard of poor grounds/earth connections causing your symtoms as described. With the flashing lights and what sounds like loss of ignition, IMHO it's more likely related to that alarm system.

As for the smoke and odor, it was likely just loaded/flooded from all the cranking. To me, that's actually a good thing. Since it did ultimately fire and belch all that out, it suggests compression is decent. If you do buy the car, check/smell the oil closely though. It will probably have some fuel dilution.

 

THanks mate