carcrazy24

i just turned 16 and was given this car
i had it running for awhile trying to learn how to drive stick. i Stalled it a couple times and now i cant even get it to start. when i turn the key i hear a little click but no sound from the engine. does anyone have any ideas what this could be? i was told to try and change the spark plugs but i cant seem to find any store's around me that carry them for this car. does any body have any laying around that they'd like to sell or know where i can buy some?

thanks

djessence

Welcome to the forum. Check the faqs/search button for alot of answers.

Now that thats out of the way, you need to get the right kind of NGK spark plugs. ! member also uses autolite 2626's with no problem. Have you tried auto parts (i think its called), napa and part source?

If they dont have it try either a motorcycle shop or like a lawnmower place. Call first. Save some driving. One of those 5 should have them or be able to get them.

Is your battery dead, or did the terminal fall off? Ive had simple thing like that happen. Stalling bucks the car and stuff falls off kinda deal. Check that first.

If its not cranking then obviously you have a problem more than the spark plugs. Likely a connection issue, but could be a starter problem (but i doubt it)

carcrazy24

it shows that im getting 12 volts from the battery. Do you know where i can find the starter?

djessence

Attached to the transmission.

Sorry i couldnt resist. You may be getting voltage across the battery but you could have bad connections. Try cleaning them off with electrical contact cleaner first, maybe even try and boost your car as well.

Starter is on drivers side at the transmission, looks like a tube. Pretty much in line with like the mirror-ish.

Download the FSM, and id consider getting a Haynes Manual as well.

openshot

this is what a new starter looks like bolted on



this is my old stock one



where in ontario do you live?

carcrazy24

i live in toronto

85rx7crazydriver

also could be the cables, i had to replace the cable from the battery to the starter a couple months after i bought my gs. the cable can look ok on the outside but on the inside the wire is just too bad to transfer the voltage.

carcrazy24

sorry im kinda new at this where can i find the FSM?

djessence

In my sig.

EDIT **** it didnt work

http://foxed.ca/foxed/index.php?page=rx7manual

Second EDIT: AHA now it works, courtesy of Sgt Fox of canada

carcrazy24

thanks

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

have you checked to make sure your cables were tight? do the warning lights dim when you hear the click?

bliffle

Battery connections are probably corroded. Go to an autostore and get a $4 terminal cleaner, which consists of a pair of wire brushes, one for the Inside Diameter (ID) of the clamp connector at the end of the cable, and the other is for the Outside Diameter (OD) of the battery terminal. At the checkout counter you can get a small packet of Battery Terminal grease to be smeared onto the connections after they are cleaned and re-clamped.

If you're really really broke you can probably do the job with some old sandpaper of moderate grit and some Vaseline.

Start by undoing the negative battery cable at the battery. You undo the negative connector first because you can't raise sparks when your wrench accidentally touches the body metal, and that's a good thing because sparks could ignite any hydrogen gas from the battery and cause an explosion.

Undo the positive connector. Careful not to break the clamp bolt which is often small and inexplicably frail, so you may have to replace the clamp, which will be more work and expense.

Clean off the ODs of the battery terminals and the IDs of the clamp connectors with your wire brush tools or sandpaper. Make sure you've got nice metal showing everywhere. Replace the positive terminal and tighten it moderately, wiggle it to make sure it's secure, then replace the negative terminal clamp. Put some grease on each connection .

rearviewmirror

I've stuck with the OE SPEC NGK's in all my cars. Always ensure you battery/electrical is tip top other the car won't start in situations where other's (non rotary) might.

And welcome to RX-7 Club. My first car @ age 16 was a 1981 Rx-7. I had no idea what a rotary engine was, and didn't really care. My little 81 was a testament to how much abuse these cars can take. No amount of off-roading or lack of maintenance would spell the end. I did wonder how I survived my teen years with that car. So good luck with the car!

hanman

Your problem is not the spark plugs. Which by the way you should be able to order at any decent auto parts store. Or, go to www.sparkplugs.com and you can get them. Use only NGK or NipponDenso. Don't use Autolites.

Your problem is most probably bad connections at the battery, like the guys above have stated. If cleaning the terminals (well) does not do it, then you need to check the battery cables, and then the starter. You can take the starter to a local auto parts store and they will test it for free.

For a quick check (it's not fool proof, but it's pretty good), have someone turn the key on with the headlights on. You stand in front of the car and watch the lights. If they dim way down, it's battery or cable related. If they don't dim at all, it's the starter.

bliffle

To test the battery, go to the autostore and get a battery hydrometer for testing the electrolytic fluid inside the battery. For $4 you can get a small cheap unit that looks like an eyedropper with a rubber bulb in one end to draw fluid into the glass tube, which contains 4 colored ***** which will float in the fluid depending on the specific gravity of the fluid which varies according to the charge state of the battery.

This is the simplest and most accurate way to test battery condition.

Open the 6 access holes on top of the battery and look inside to make sure the fluid covers the plates inside. If the car is old you may require replacing the fluid that has evaporated. That can be accomplished by simply adding distilled water and then charging the battery.

The charging process recovers needed ions from the battery plates so you don't add acid, but when you add distilled water it will reduce the average charge condition of the battery so you can't start the car.

So, before you add distilled water you must check the fluid condition with your new hydrometer. Usually, 3 ***** out of 4 will be enough to start your car. After adding distilled water, if less than 3 ***** float in any cell you must recharge the battery with a charger. You can get a 2-3 amp charger for about $10 that will recharge your battery overnight.

When you're done with it. store your hydrometer in a Ziploc bag so it doesn't spread acid all over your tools, etc. It'll probably be 5 years at least before you need it again. But you will need it again.

djessence

Just for reference, there are several members who have been using Autolite 2626's for a number of years with no problems

Kentetsu

I've seen pictures of chunks taken out of apex seals that were supposedly attributed to the use of Autolite plugs. I dunno. I've had issues with Denso plugs, which were resolved when I went back to NGK. Now, that's all I'll use or recommend.

I was going to ask if the headlights dim when you try to start the car, but Hanman beat me to it.

The battery cables on these cars are aluminum, which will eventually corrode and cause bad connections. A lot of owners have issues with these, so if possible you should probably replace them anyway. Good luck...

bliffle

No doubt the wrong sparkplug, which intrudes too far into the combustion chamber, will clip an apex seal and cause serious problems, but that problem is not restricted to Autolites. A prudent person will check any plug he uses in a rotary engine for proper length as well as proper spark gap. You must also check the hot/cold range of the center electrode porcelain insulator.

The only Autolite I know of that works properly in a rotary is the 2626 (not the 2526 or 2625 that Autolite recommends). It has an annular electrode which seems to ensure that it always fires.

Mr.Chewbacca

try turning the car on while pumping gas simutaneusely pump