Addressing a starting issue
04-10-13, 09:36 PM
#26
I hope something here helps. No matter what the cause if you are going to be working on the car yourself I would invest in an inexpensive fuel pressure gauge, compression tester, and an inline spark tester. All can be had for around $100 total and can save you quite a bit of money vs guessing.
It might be time consuming jumping from system to system but it completely narrows it down.
04-10-13, 10:32 PM
#27
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It is all still guessing until you test a few things. Next time it wont start you should pull a spark plug after the first attempt at cranking and see if it wet with fuel. Also I would go to an auto store and get an inline spark tester, very inexpensive less than $25, and confirm spark. If neither of those are the culprit I would move on to checking fuel pressure and compression test. There are a few things that could be.
I hope something here helps. No matter what the cause if you are going to be working on the car yourself I would invest in an inexpensive fuel pressure gauge, compression tester, and an inline spark tester. All can be had for around $100 total and can save you quite a bit of money vs guessing.
I hope something here helps. No matter what the cause if you are going to be working on the car yourself I would invest in an inexpensive fuel pressure gauge, compression tester, and an inline spark tester. All can be had for around $100 total and can save you quite a bit of money vs guessing.
04-11-13, 06:22 PM
#28
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Could you believe that Canadian Tire doesn't sell spark plugs for the S5? I doubt for any RX-7 in general either. Well this sucks. If I do find the source of my problem it means I'd have to order parts online or be lucky that a junkyard has them.
05-04-13, 05:42 PM
#29
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OKAY! SO...
I drove around the block two times. Yes, that's a "hard drive" for me. I'm afraid the car might poop out on me while driving, because usually when I come back and drive up the drive way it dies all of a sudden. Any reason that may be?
Well, the car did reach normal operating temperature. Like I said, when I got back and drove it up my drive way, it died on me. I tried cranking it again, it wouldn't start.
I tried the easy unflooding procedure 4x's and it didn't work. I went to the complex method, pulling the plugs (which weren't wet at all), etc..., and dropping 1 oz. of ATF in L1/L2. It worked!
So, it was flooding. Excuse my ignorance! I just thought that if the engine were flooded, it wouldn't start at all unless I were to manually unflood it. But as stated in an earlier post of mine, it would start on a new day, regardless. Which made me think it wasn't a flooding issue.
After it was unflooded, I let it reach operating temp. again before I shut it off. Then after that, I decided to crank it again just to be sure it would start up... It didn't.
Now... I'm leaning towards diagnosing the fuel pump. Would I be going in the right direction?
Maybe I flooded it again? Do I need to clean the fuel injectors before proceeding? The engine doesn't need a rebuild, it was rebuilt just before it was stored for the winter.
I drove around the block two times. Yes, that's a "hard drive" for me. I'm afraid the car might poop out on me while driving, because usually when I come back and drive up the drive way it dies all of a sudden. Any reason that may be?
Well, the car did reach normal operating temperature. Like I said, when I got back and drove it up my drive way, it died on me. I tried cranking it again, it wouldn't start.
I tried the easy unflooding procedure 4x's and it didn't work. I went to the complex method, pulling the plugs (which weren't wet at all), etc..., and dropping 1 oz. of ATF in L1/L2. It worked!
So, it was flooding. Excuse my ignorance! I just thought that if the engine were flooded, it wouldn't start at all unless I were to manually unflood it. But as stated in an earlier post of mine, it would start on a new day, regardless. Which made me think it wasn't a flooding issue.
After it was unflooded, I let it reach operating temp. again before I shut it off. Then after that, I decided to crank it again just to be sure it would start up... It didn't.
Now... I'm leaning towards diagnosing the fuel pump. Would I be going in the right direction?
Maybe I flooded it again? Do I need to clean the fuel injectors before proceeding? The engine doesn't need a rebuild, it was rebuilt just before it was stored for the winter.
Last edited by rotarycal; 05-04-13 at 05:57 PM.
05-04-13, 09:18 PM
#31
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I shall do a compression test this week. I don't know exactly how, so I'll read up on it first!
05-04-13, 10:11 PM
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Pull the trailing plugs out take out the btn fuse so there's no ignition just starter put the tester in and get ur psi anything above 80 should be fine also check the bac valve it has a white plug on the backside of the top intake
05-06-13, 10:17 AM
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I did the poor man's compression test. I felt 3 huge air pulses from the front rotor, which is a good sign so far.
As for the rear rotor, I can't really give an accurate statement. I'm not too sure how well the pulses should feel. On my finger, the pulses felt as if you're giving your palm 3 strong huffs (as if you were trying to smell your own breath). It wasn't nearly as strong as the front rotor, which I understand is normal, yeah? But both rotors had 3 pulses in succession.
None of the pulses were weak, they all felt even.
Is this a good enough analysis, or should I go and do a real compression test just to be more accurate?
As for the rear rotor, I can't really give an accurate statement. I'm not too sure how well the pulses should feel. On my finger, the pulses felt as if you're giving your palm 3 strong huffs (as if you were trying to smell your own breath). It wasn't nearly as strong as the front rotor, which I understand is normal, yeah? But both rotors had 3 pulses in succession.
None of the pulses were weak, they all felt even.
Is this a good enough analysis, or should I go and do a real compression test just to be more accurate?
05-09-13, 07:10 AM
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Both rotors should have the same compression,so sounds like you have low compression on 1 rotor.
Do a real compression test.
If the car wont start pour half a capful of engine oil into each rotor thru the plug holes.
The oil will temporarily build compression until it starts and burns it all out.(probably what the ATF did)
If you keep stopping and starting and putting around the block the engine will eventually carbon up and lose compression.
If compression test confirms low compression search for terms like decarboning and try that.Then take the car for a decent run give it a thrash for a couple of weeks.
If compression is still down after that you will be up for a rebuild.
Do a real compression test.
If the car wont start pour half a capful of engine oil into each rotor thru the plug holes.
The oil will temporarily build compression until it starts and burns it all out.(probably what the ATF did)
If you keep stopping and starting and putting around the block the engine will eventually carbon up and lose compression.
If compression test confirms low compression search for terms like decarboning and try that.Then take the car for a decent run give it a thrash for a couple of weeks.
If compression is still down after that you will be up for a rebuild.
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