Hi all

First, I'm French and I apologize for my bad technical English.
Also, I am not very good in mechanical things - my father, who owns the 88'rx7, is a mecanincian but just can't find the problem.

Years ago, while he was driving, the engine burned : oil was flowing on a hot part of the engine (echappment pump, something of that kind).

Obviously, many wires melted.

Still, the car kept on starting for a couple of years.

In 1998 yet, one morning, it would never start.
Apparently, petrol (or gas, as you say in America), did not reach the engine.
My father, far from being stupid and ignorant, checked the pump, the starter, durits, the tank, even the gas ; everything was ok.

2 years ago, as he hadn't done anything, it just started, and it would keep on starting for 3 months.
Since then, same problem.

As all the mechanical stuff are OK, he concluded that there was a problem in the electronical circuit.
He bought the RX7 electronic manual, but it isn't clear.
Wires are different coloured, but the manual is in BW (amongst other things).

And he's not a king in electronics.

Does someone have an idea of the problem ?

Thank you for replying

 

You said you had an engine bay fire? Where in the engine bay was the fire? Passenger side by chance?>

 

there's an air pump in the engine, used to bring gazes to the muffler, right ?
Actually, petrol (not oil) was flowing on this pump.
After 60 miles, this pump was really hot, and the petrol drops got into a small fire.
My father realized it was burning very early, and he got time to set the fire off very quickly. Yet, many things burned, including wires.

I don't remember which side was the fire.

anyway, my father had fixed it all since the car had worked for 2 years after that.

The link between the fire and the breakdown is a supposition only...

 

On all cars this age, the wire insulation becomes hard.
The heat from the small fire also hardened the wire insulation.
I suspect that the engine wiring harness is failing and should either be repaired or replaced.

Also this motor has oil injection like a 2-stroke motor.
The oil lines for the metering oil pump are also probably damaged.

 

^^^ which is kind of where I was going..