Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => Topic started by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 01:13:04 PM

Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 01:13:04 PM
Hi all,
 
May sound like a silly question but went 2 start my fd this morning and she was only running on one rotor...had to wait for it to pick up and run on both. What can cause this and is it normal?? Thanks! :3Confused
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: FDAsh on October 25, 2008, 01:28:17 PM
Spark plugs? HT leads? Damp coil?

Sounds like ignition fault if it fired and ran ok after a short while.
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 01:40:14 PM
Quote from: FDAsh;547690Spark plugs? HT leads? Damp coil?
 
Sounds like ignition fault if it fired and ran ok after a short while.

Thanks, I\'ve also been having a problem with my coolant light keep coming on. Possible water seal...got Hayward looking into this nxt week. If water is getting past the seal could this be a possible cause??
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: FDAsh on October 25, 2008, 02:56:17 PM
Did you see any white smoke when it did start up?
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 03:07:27 PM
Quote from: FDAsh;547715Did you see any white smoke when it did start up?

 
yeah, it does give out a bit of white smoke on start up. Once running tho there\'s nothing and it runs really smooth
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: Sidzrx on October 25, 2008, 04:14:26 PM
Sounds exactly like mine when the water seals went
Gradually kept getting worse
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 04:48:45 PM
We only bought the car last week. Luckily tho it is still under warranty so it should get sorted. I know the water seal is an engine out job but how much of the engine requires taking apart?? Is it worth looking at the rest of it if it\'s apart??
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 04:49:36 PM
Quote from: Sidzrx;547734Sounds exactly like mine when the water seals went
Gradually kept getting worse

Just noticed your from Gloucester. Do u own that nice red FD I keep seeing about??
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: davehg on October 25, 2008, 05:24:55 PM
hi will, the water seal requires a complete engine rebuild, the minimum cost is around 2.5K
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 05:43:17 PM
Quote from: davehg;547749hi will, the water seal requires a complete engine rebuild, the minimum cost is around 2.5K

 
Ouch!! :eek Well let\'s just hope that if that is the problem it gets covered under the warranty!! How long on average does an engine rebuild take? Thanks
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: davehg on October 25, 2008, 05:45:10 PM
they can be turned around in about 2 weeks normally.
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 05:54:39 PM
Thanks for your input guys, a great help as always :Thumbs-up
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: Sidzrx on October 25, 2008, 09:58:06 PM
Yup that be me
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 25, 2008, 10:05:24 PM
Ah would you also happen to work near the airport at the white building on the cross roads?
 
Have seen it about and looks really nice (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon10.gif)
 
 
Should meet at the airport pub some time if you want, always good to know local RX owners.(http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: BlitzBoy on October 26, 2008, 12:24:26 AM
well you can go cheaper if its just water seals, you can reuse the housing plates tips etc etc, most builders would recommend you changing apex seals as well, its if you detonate an engine is where most of the cost comes in.
Have a look on here and fduk there was a person selling a rebuilt engine for 1.5 K
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: prince_of_tokyo on October 26, 2008, 01:25:30 AM
try hotter plugs mate, 7\'s if its standard
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 26, 2008, 09:52:31 AM
Thanks I will have a look at whats fitted. (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/images/icons/icon7.gif)
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: clive on October 26, 2008, 11:41:46 AM
Real chocked to hear this so soon after purchasing the car,

Unfortunately this is the classic symptom of water seal failure,



If you get somebody else to start the car from cold cold and you stand around the back of the car with the palm of your hand a few inches from the exhaust tail pipe you will find that you get water globules on your hand and you will also smell the anti-freeze in the white smoke.

Hope fully one good thing is that where you have joined MRC you have received information quick enough to minamise damage and this is information you can pass back to the warranty company,

Armed with this information you can contact the company in the morning and investigate the warranty,

If they are unsure what your talking about, explain to them that water seal failure on a Rotary is the same as head gasket failure on a piston engine but the main difference is that the Rotary engine needs to be fully disassembled to renew the water seals,

Hope this helps but whist this will be inconvenient when the car returns you should then cover many trouble fee miles with a smile on your face every time you drive it.
Title: Running on one rotor?
Post by: willanddeb on October 26, 2008, 12:24:33 PM
Thanks Clive
 
We have pretty much decided that this is the problem but will get Carl Hayward to diagnose it as I feel the dealer will not listen to me, but I dont think he will be able to argue with a specialist.
 
It is a pain but I hope it will all be sorted with minimal fuss.
 
Thanks for your advice.
 
Will and Deb