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Hi folks, handling on my FD is improved since replacing the coilovers and tyres but the old girl still wants to kill me at high speed. Nobody so far can find the reason

Given it is is so extensively modified I'm trying to locate what the corner weights might be for the car when she was stock to help with the suspension rework. 

She started life as an FD JDM Touring auto and aside from this http://www.fd3s.net/corner_balancing.html I have failed to find anything specific to my car.  Can any of you fine folks help?



RDRR

Thanks a lot guys.  @Casey - I will be in touch!
R

Hi all
I thought I would resurrect this post, firstly to give an update and secondly to once again ask for help!

So Tim at RX Motors did indeed manage to source several 2nd hand parts, fit them and get the climate control working.  But after a short while on long runs it would once again become unresponsive - basically keeping blower levels, heating etc at the same level regardless of what was done to the dials.  Now even when starting there is nothing until an aggressive left-right-left twist on the blower control.  Sometimes even this does not work resulting in zero heat in the cold and no demisting, and a brilliant car that cannot be relied on in our UK weather.  So back to square 1   

Just to be clear the system I have is rare and only fitted to JDM touring versions I believe.  The circuit board is showing signs of corrosion on several of the legs of the main chip on the PCB - much like the one that Tim previously replaced.  (Will attach photos if I can work out how!)

So options...

1. I could get the PCB worked on by, say a micro electronics expert but he won't be able to test it easily and could prob only just refloat the solder on the legs. Chance of success is probably low I would say.

2. I would obviously like to source another PCB, maybe I will try Tim again. But again another 2nd hand part and one which is notorious for failure so I would prob just be set to fail again in the near future.  It is also compounded by the fact that I can't seem to identify the part number of the PCB, or any sites/orgs in Japan who may be able to supply (surely they must have loads in circulation over there!). Any thoughts on this people?

3. Retrofit the whole standard system in place of the dodgy auto climate control that I have in my motor.  Parts are not obviously interchangeable with non-auto climate control versions although I believe the blower motor may be the same.  As ever detailed and correct information is very hard to come by but I think a full dash-out wiring and harness replacement and retrofit of the manual heating (i.e. hot/cold rather than temp) is required.

Thoughts, information, advice as ever greatly appreciated!

Hi all, so the saga of the brakes has taken time but is sorted so I thought I'd do the decent thing and report back (so annoying when you read a thread without a conclusion ain't it?).
A couple of specialists tested everything and everything came up working with no indication of problems. Eventually Chris at RE:WORX swapped out the ABS pump with a good used one he had and hey presto ABS is back as good as ever.  It's weird because with the old pump all the solenoids and other items tested fine.
Double shout out to Chris @ RE:WORX Portsmouth in the UK!
R

Yes ABS light system check on start up is fine ...ie. light comes on then goes off.  Is there a way to test the abs sensors btw?

The problem has been there for several months, potentially longer and maybe I only noticed when the ABS itself failed (ie. might have been masking the balance problem). Car gets used minimum once every couple of weeks, although has never done that many miles.  Only works done over the last year are to exhaust and electrical and dashboard things like replacing failed gauges, HVAC, central locking/immobiliser, and varex active exhaust back box.

Is it both front that lock or just 1? Over the years i have some strange brake results from perished oem brake hoses. 1 bursting on mot test and x2 collaspse internally...1 causing a serious bind and other no flow atall. Not much help but replacing components sometimes the only way to find faults.


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Hi thanks for the response!
Yes it is both fronts locking generally, although depending on road conditions and being super-gentle one can be made to lock on it's own.
Thanks re the view on the pipes. I was thinking that the problem was fluid distribution related maybe abs pump proportioning valve or something else.

Sorry to hear you have an issue.

Starting with the basics first to establish the brake system is OK,

Do you have a long pedal that goes down a long way before doing anything ?

Does the pedal pump up higher?.

Do you know if any one disc that is hotter than the other.

I have to ask if the brake pads are OK and not worn down low.

Because if these are Extreme pads then they are very very old as these were discontinued years ago

Hi thanks for the response!
Pedal feel/position is unchanged... not running long/soft and not pumping up.  No sign of excessive heat/binding on any corner either.
Pads were indeed very old and have just been changed to Ferodo 2500s as a precaution but no change in the issues...in fact my tuner could not even take the pads through their bed in process due to the dramatic locking.

Hi all!
My 1994 RX7 FD3S has developed a major problem with the ABS and brake balance...

[1] ABS: Feels like there is no ABS whatsoever, although actually I think I may be getting an fraction of a second of initial pulse then nothing other than locking brakes. ABS warning light has I believe illuminated just once at my tuner, though I have never seen it.
[2] Brake balance: Basically the fronts lock up really really easily with just a moderate tickle of the brake pedal.
I'm now wondering whether the car has had the balance problem for some time and that this has just been masked by the ABS, but either way the car is essentially undrivable.
Car has a stock brake setup other than Mintex Extreme pads all round.  My tuner and I have so far failed to find the fault(s) 



Any ideas as to what will have caused this and how we can diagnose the specific problems?

Hi all, thanks again for the assistance.  Tim has sorted it... great to drive the car with a heater again 

Thanks all - I've made contact with Tim and got a plan!  I'll post an update when we have it sorted.

Thanks Clive... both for the warm welcome and the info 

Hi all
I recently fell for an immaculate 1994 fd body RX7.  The car is a Japanese import and started life as an auto (now with a 400+ bhp V8 and a 6 speed manual drivetrain...but that's another story...).  The car came as standard with what appears to be the very rare automatic climate control with aircon (identified by the AUTO button on the dashboard next to the OFF button. 

The whole HVAC system has become non-functional and appears to be unfixable - we have even had all the joints on the circuit boards re-floated, and no parts seem to be available for this super-rare system, new or 2nd hand.  The only way forward seems to be to retrofit the standard manual HVAC controls into the car that the vast majority of all RX7 FDs in the UK have.  Where to get the parts though?  Being new to the Mazda/Japanese scene I need some advice...can you help?  We think we need the following...

1. Heater blower box (may not be needed if its the same as in my car)
2. Dash loom
3. Heater switch pack with dash panel

Any advice will be greatly received!

Roy

PS. Full details of the monster build to follow!