Hi guys,
Got my RX7 today. I bought it off a guy who it cut out on the motorway and he gave up trying to get it working and needed the money.
The engine cranks over fine, compression sounds fine. It stinks of fuel, I pulled the plugs out and they were covered in fuel as expected.
Checked the spark on the top two leads and there is no spark at all and it doesnt sound like there is any spark on the other two either.
I have checked all the fuses under the engine bay and they all seem to look fine, a couple looked a bit suspect so i swapped them with cleaner ones from ABS etc for testing and still no spark.
Also the check engine light doesnt come on, on the dash, should it? I have checked the fuse in the drivers foot well which i think is the ecu one and it is fine, swapped it with another just to make sure and made no difference.
Has anyone got any ideas and also what to look at next?
Any help greatly appreciated!
I also noticed the check engine light doesnt come on when you turn the key to on, should it? It could be that the bulb has gone
Reading this I wonder if the car has an immobiliser that's kicked in ?
Well it does have a Clifford alarm fitted and previous owners have made a right mess of the wiring for other things.
I did think it may have something to do with the immobiliser but know absolutely nothing about alarms. Anyway I can disable it or bypass?
Sounds like you got yourself a bargain. What ecu is in it? Can you read electrical drawings? Could be immobilser circuit for spark which can be wired out or ecu /wiring fault. Ill look at drawings later as just got off a very long plane journey and rather jet lagged.
Quote from: boosted on March 21, 2015, 10:09:10 AM
Sounds like you got yourself a bargain. What ecu is in it? Can you read electrical drawings? Could be immobilser circuit for spark which can be wired out or ecu /wiring fault. Ill look at drawings later as just got off a very long plane journey and rather jet lagged.
I bought it with a rebuild in mind although it already had one at 12k but I I think once this spark issue is sorted she will be running so yeah a good bargain I think!
Not looked at many but I might be able to work it out, thanks mate.
As quickie id find the alarm circuit box and check all edge connectors etc and any fuses locally on it. If my memory serves me correct prob spliced into engcont fuse.
http://automotivewiringdiagrams.net/engine-control-fuel-control-and-ignition-of-1994-mazda-rx-7-wiring-diagram
Quote from: boosted on March 21, 2015, 10:17:45 AM
As quickie id find the alarm circuit box and check all edge connectors etc and any fuses locally on it. If my memory serves me correct prob spliced into engcont fuse.
Will take a look. Weirdly there is a wire with a spade connector hanging under the dash that looks like it comes from the key but can't find where the hell it would go
may be summit simple can you find a home for the spade ? where abouts are you?
Quote from: boosted on March 21, 2015, 01:09:54 PM
may be summit simple can you find a home for the spade ? where abouts are you?
No i have had a good look and cant find it anywhere.
I have checked the fuses on the Clifford and they are all fine. The car seems to disarm and arm fine and the immobiliser led stops flashing when i press the button.
I took apart the backup battery siren box and the pcb in that is completely knackered and the cables for the siren have been cut too.
Where is the engine cont fuse you mention?
I'm in Swanley, Kent by the way.
I've managed to get spark. One of the wires on the ignition amp had been cut and resoldered badly at some point in the cars life and it looked like the solder had gone brittle. There was also hardly any of the wire in the solder. Re done that and checked all leads for spark and its there and looks nice and blue.
Deflooded the engine and put plugs back in, cranked the engine and after a few cranks it nearly started and was running very lumpy and shaky for a few seconds and then cut out. It keeps doing this now when i crank it and i get a bit of white smoke out the exhaust as well.
Any ideas?
Put some oil in the bottom plug holes and got it running but had to keep the pedal down to keep it on, loads of white smoke (nearly killed myself!) and the smoke mostly cleared but as the revs dropped it wanted to cut out. Had it running for about 5 minutes and let it try and idle but it cut out.
I am out of ideas now. Can anyone help? :'(
Hi mate, thats good news rules out alarm atmo couldve been internal relay for immobilser circuit as these can burn contacts. Did you verify spark on both leading and trailing? and are you getting check light now? Does arm/ disarm bring on red ign light on dash?
Id now be checking voltages at ignitor etc. plug connectors cleaned with electrical contact cleaner.
pull fuse pump fuse and verify spark on all plugs. do a full deflood new plugs if you got any or blow lamp old ( sparky end in blue flame for 5 secs) verify plugs in correctly. check nice chuffs with sparks out on each rotor. can do both at same time but put sparks back in each rotor and you can compare sounds from 1 rotor to other.
hangin with jetlag now ill be back tomoz.
I checked for spark on all leads. The only way i could do it was using a lead from another car and plugging it into the rx7 lead then plugging a spark plug in the other end. Could see spark on each one. One of them was flickering between yellow and blue a bit. Is there any other way to do it other than having two people?
I have got brand new magencor leads to try but havent got any gaskets so dont really want to take the throttle body off at the moment and the big ali intake hose attached to that has a silicone gasket, although thinking about it, it will only make my idle a bit higher wont it?
I am not getting a check light no, but i am getting the 'Heat' light come on now when disarming the alarm, do these actually have a check light? Mines a 1995
After i did get it running i tried deflooding and getting it running again, it trys but just wont get there, i will upload a video. The plugs i put in were new. When i took the rears out they were black and fouled, the fronts were nice and clean... Any ideas?
Thanks for all your help so far.
Sounds like missing on rear rotor then....check for nice strong puffs on rear rotor.....heat light on strange? Torch onto dash lights will show you warning lamps presents.
Id take off the tb and worry about gaskets later tbh. Nice to get them magnecor leads on with the new sparks and you can check over them coils. Good luck.
There's nice strong even sounding puffs when cranking without plugs.
Will check lamps tomorrow.
Will give the leads a go tomorrow.
cool sounds positive then....looks like you got yourself a bargain then ! good luck.
Just had the throttle body off and checked spark again.
The two leading coil packs are only giving a faint yellow spark so that probably explains why the engine isnt starting!
Could it just be a coincidence that both of those are not working as they are seperate to the trailing, and it be the ignition amp that has gone?
Has anyone near Swanley, got some coilpacks and ignition amp i can borrow for testing?
Are there any uprated coilpacks and ignition amp I can buy?
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rx7club.com%2F3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16%2Fhow-fds-ignition-system-works-simplified-wiring-diagram-964089%2F&ei=Zb4OVdqzD5Ow7AagooCICQ&usg=AFQjCNEZmZ0d1qHDd3gjlLRTE6k52F6UtA&sig2=rhmxTH23QoR77SteczKS3g
found this mate...
Reading that id be checking you got a full 12V supply to the coils as the ignitor is doing its job. leading or trailing poor spark?
Quote from: boosted on March 22, 2015, 01:14:26 PM
Reading that id be checking you got a full 12V supply to the coils as the ignitor is doing its job. leading or trailing poor spark?
Thanks for that link mate.
Its both the leading coilpacks that are giving crap spark, the trailing run off the same one and that seems fine.
Actually think i might have got that the wrong way round!
The single leads packs are the ones that are crap anyway!
That confused me as well i thought the trailing was wasted spark. Good write up and can check the 12 v and ground on that ignitor. ebay has an ignitor for 40 pounds and coil packs as well.
Quote from: boosted on March 22, 2015, 01:49:52 PM
That confused me as well i thought the trailing was wasted spark. Good write up and can check the 12 v and ground on that ignitor. ebay has an ignitor for 40 pounds and coil packs as well.
Sorry mate!
Could you pm me the links?
This could be a longshot, but check wirings fron trickerwheel (crank angle sensor, or something like that)
I think its getting wrong signal from some reason...
Quote from: re japi on March 22, 2015, 04:55:11 PM
This could be a longshot, but check wirings fron trickerwheel (crank angle sensor, or something like that)
I think its getting wrong signal from some reason...
I checked the cas wires on Friday and they looked fine...
Will do in abit been asleep ready for night shift eerrgghh!
cant pm you bud you need to a full club member to send and receive pms..... i found the info in rx7club website. searched under rx7 fd ignition.
I meant for the ebay links :)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAZDA-RX7-FD-IGNITION-IGNITOR-JIMMYS-/201292823340?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2eddfcbb2c
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MAZDA-RX7-FD-SET-OF-IGNITION-COILS-COIL-PACK-JIMMYS-/201301923663?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2ede87974f
a couple of coil packs on there and Jimmys also has a coil pack loom if yours has been cut about.
...when its fixed are you gonna let me have it cheap? :)) :P 8) ;) :)
Thanks mate. I messaged him and he sold me a two trailing for £75 as they are the ones that seem to be weaker.
I ended up doing the wire mod with a switched relay to the coilpacks, ignitor, and condensor so they get a feed straight from the battery instead of the tired old wiring loom. The spark does seem to be alot better now. But got the others coilpacks just incase.
I'm going to put it back to together tonight and hopefully the bugger will start haha!
If I cant get it running and get sick of it I will let you know haha!
coolio fingers crossed! :) and dont forget a piccy of it!
Quote from: boosted on March 25, 2015, 12:01:38 PM
coolio fingers crossed! :) and dont forget a piccy of it!
Everything is crossed at the moment!
Will get some pics up once she is out of the garage and cleaned up, she is in a bit of a state at the moment!
Got the car back together and tried starting it and it sounded like it wanted to go but couldnt get it started.
Stuck some oil in the spark plug holes and it started straight away. We kept it running for about 10minutes. All the smoke cleared and we had to keep it above 3k to keep it on, as it warmed up we could get the revs down to about 1500 but had to hold it there.
Eventually we tried to let it idle but it just bogged down and cut out. When we rev'd it, it sounded like it was missing badly.
When we tried to start it again after that big flames were coming out the back and it just wouldnt catch...
Also noticed the oil pressure gauge isnt working, the light comes on when your first turn the key though...
Any ideas? Hoping it isnt fatal!
I think its time for a compression test bud. Essex rotary close to you? Dont know if he does mobile testing....get them all important comp numbers and go from there.
Quote from: boosted on March 26, 2015, 05:31:05 PM
I think its time for a compression test bud. Essex rotary close to you? Dont know if he does mobile testing....get them all important comp numbers and go from there.
Starting to think the same :(
I have a compression tester just cant remember where it is :(