was out in the mazda tonight, wanted to warm it up before i made my venture home so started and left it idling for about 10 mins or so came back to my car and it was idleing like a peice of crap and running on 1 rotor, now it didnt bang or make a weird noise it just started running like this i noticed the heat light was on shortly before it cut out, managed to get it running again but still on one rotor so had to limp it home and its now sat on the drive thinking about what its done, but has anyone got any idea what could cause it, i know its due for a service which is going to be done once i get paid next friday, am just hoping it was a bit hot and will sort its self out when i come to it in the morning but if not any ideas? i can see engine rebuilt a foot tbh but just to sort it out till i can get some money together to get the rebuild done
could be fould plugs??? but if the light on the temp gauge is on then more than likely it\'s going to be what you dont want to hear!!
Jono
it wasnt the temp gauge light it was the heat light that usualy comes on when the cat is red hot
This may be "just" the cat then?
Sounds like its flooded, use to search button at the top for more info
I _almost_ flooded mine 2 days ago. Was stupid and didn\'t do my normal run up and down the road when getting the car out for a clean. When starting it up the following day it took about 5-10 seconds to fire, then all was fine apart from the CAT light flashing occasionally over the next 2.5 miles.
would that cause it to run on 1 rotor though? i mean i had to drive it about 2 or 3 miles home from where i was but it was at operating temp as i had left it running before i left so it wouldnt flood
You realy need to check the compression, Its all guess work until you do.
It could be ALOT!! of things that could cause this but the most Ovious is Apex\'s so start there and work back.
While your under the Bonnet check the Map Sender is pipes up ok and unplug it and plug it back in a few times just to make sure its got a Good conection.
Are these engines really that bad? surely everyone just panics? why would mazda release something in a 30k sports car i believe it was when new if it was going to be so fragile....
Little Ant.
I am pretty sure it will turn out to be just a fouled spark plug.
Quote from: CallyAre these engines really that bad? surely everyone just panics? why would mazda release something in a 30k sports car i believe it was when new if it was going to be so fragile....
There are lots of diffrent opinions about this but if you compair how many Fd\'s need rebuilding after 60k against how many Supra\'s then it makes the FD look very bad. But as its already been pointed out if you buy a New FD, keep it stock and look after it all its life you may get it to over 100k. Its Sad but True.
Quote from: MartinyLittle Ant.
I am pretty sure it will turn out to be just a fouled spark plug.
The thing thats a bit suspect is it didn\'t try to Fire on the 2-3 mile trip home? I have had Realy bad plugs and they go on / off for a bit then die, Also for it not to be poping and banging after the trip home sugests it may be some thing Fuel related (if it was a Rotor Down you\'d expect lots of Fuel about in the Exhaust?).
What if there is carbon build-up between the electrode and the earth ? Its happened to me before, though I must admit it was when I tried to run Racing plugs on the road.
Whats this "warming up"? - the best way to warm it up is to drive it.
I\'d agree, just drive cars lightly to warm up, it\'s bad to leave them idleing, especially when cold as there\'s quite a lot of enrichment of the map until it\'s up to temp!
Quote from: GrizzlyThe thing thats a bit suspect is it didn\'t try to Fire on the 2-3 mile trip home? I have had Realy bad plugs and they go on / off for a bit then die, Also for it not to be poping and banging after the trip home sugests it may be some thing Fuel related (if it was a Rotor Down you\'d expect lots of Fuel about in the Exhaust?).
Well, the cat light would be on because of the unburnt fuel, AFAIK the cat will stop the popping and banging as the unburnt fuel will get caught and cracked by the cat (it\'s what they\'re designed to do) so less likely to ignite in the exhaust.
Many more recent ECU\'s have a misfire detection program, they\'ll shut off the cylinders that are missing so that unburnt fuel isn\'t making it to the cat as it\'s a massive risk of an engine fire that\'d be hard to put out.
Personally I\'d check the plugs before anything else, if they got really bad, they were fouled and then kept getting fuel pumped over them for 10 minutes it could be they need to be cleaned properly!
Quote from: MartinyWhat if there is carbon build-up between the electrode and the earth ? Its happened to me before, though I must admit it was when I tried to run Racing plugs on the road.
Whats this "warming up"? - the best way to warm it up is to drive it.
Yeh anything is possable but you can see the Plugs if you do a Comp test ;)
Thing is there are two plugs per Rotor its a bit Unlikly both have done the same thing at the same time, Plus i personaly have never seen a Plug stop working totaly with no warning, But we\'ll see.
Also i forgot its still running a Cat so it possably would\'nt Pop and Bang (May just get Harder to start??)
What mods are on the car? Does it have an Aftermarket ECU?
Maybe it could be a Problem with that?? But if the Plugs look ok (oviously one pair will be wet) Comp test it and go from there. It may not be a seal but there is not much point buying Plugs and leads etc if you have a Apex down?
Who knows you may have a Stuck Apex? If it was Running rich and it was Sticking to start with it may have just Pushed it over the edge?
May be worth Investing in some thing like this?? http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33102
compresion *sounds* to be okay, it did pop and bang ALOT on the way home and it cut out pullin on to my drive when i restarted it it back fired the loudest i have ever heard it do woke the neighbours up accross the road lol
gonna take a look at spark plugs this weekend though check coil packs and other things got some new plugs to try in it to see if we can get it running. this has been the final straw though am gonna sell it once this is fixed
Ok if you have good comp then start looking at stuff like the Map Sensor.
When you took the plugs out was one wet and the Other Dry? (i.e. was one rotor not working?) or are they both clean (I.e. its a Fault with Both Rotors that feels like one is out)
Also when the Plugs where out what did they look like? Where they Black and Carboned up? Where the electrodes Burns away and Rounded off or where thet in Good order (Electrodes Square at the end and the colour of the Plug was a Dark tan?)
Are you still running your stock ecu? I ask becouse there are a few things that would cause a problem like this (Water temp sender,Air temp sender,Map sender, O2 sender etc) and if you have a stock ecu you can get the error codes off it.
You need this http://www.fd3s.net/engine_codes.html and Down load this http://www.wrex-racing.com/html/fd/...shop_manual.zip
Out of intrest, Did you Comp test it with a Proper tester or did you do the One plug out and spin it over method?
When you say it sounded ok did the front and back sound the same? And was there alot of White Smoke coming out of the Plug holes when you spun it over?
Quote from: Little_antcompresion *sounds* to be okay, it did pop and bang ALOT on the way home and it cut out pullin on to my drive when i restarted it it back fired the loudest i have ever heard it do woke the neighbours up accross the road lol
gonna take a look at spark plugs this weekend though check coil packs and other things got some new plugs to try in it to see if we can get it running. this has been the final straw though am gonna sell it once this is fixed
That defo sounds like a Ignition/Compression problem, but if your Compression is good Try putting a Plug in a Plug lead and see if you get a Spark on Both Rotors when you turn it over.
Have you had any Joy with the car?
forgot to post on here, yep its running again it was just insanely flooded, no more leaving it running on idle, just unplugged the ignition amplifier and cranked it over untill it had full comp the plugged it back in and it started straight away ran one 1 rotor for about 10 seconds then the second rotor kicked in, have come to the conclusion its that ****ty mines ecu so wanna get a stock one untill i can get a power fc.
chris i will give you a ring friday to pick that decat up. would of been tonight but got carried away with the spending and now i am skint untill friday :rollin
Unusal for it to flood that bad where driving it does\'nt clear.
Anyway good to here you got it sorted.
Yeh no problem about the Decat, just come round when ever your in the area.
i got so ****ed off with it was ready to break it for bits luckily my mate sorted it for me before i got the spanners out lol
will give you a shout end of the week :)
I\'ve got a stock ECU you can try if you want? Its of a 94 R2 if that makes any diffrence?
will find out if it will work cheers mate
can i have the mines ecu off you mate? i have a stock one but i am running a RE-amemiya intake and a cat back 4.5" i think and i want a decat so i think i need something that will provide more fuel if thats right?
why do most not like other non mazda ecus other than the apexi, is there a problem with them>?
would recomend it unless you got the money for a rebuild, mines run far too much ignition advance 20 degrees will **** **** up well fast