3rd Generation Specific Talk about 3rd gen RX-7's here.

Smoking, Running Rough, Help Please!

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Old 08-05-2003 | 07:07 PM
  #1  
Kremlar's Avatar
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Thought maybe this was worthy of a new thread.



Here's the original for reference:



https://www.nopistons.com/forums/index.php?...showtopic=23485







OK, now my nightmare just got about 10x worse.



This morning I talked to my mechanic and decided he would just clean up the oil in the area it spilled, replace my plugs, give me an oil change, finish checking my coolant, and we'll see what happens.



Well, I guess he left the cooling system under pressure overnight and this AM he disconnected, changed my oil and filter, started it up and it ran like **** and blew lots of blue/gray smoke. He says it's running 'very rich'. He swapped the plugs, said he tried replacing the air sensor, and says it's running slightly better, but basically I'm screwed now.



It starts, runs like crap, seems like it's going to stall, and blows out blue/gray smoke.



He's basically bailing on me, says he has no clue and thinks I should bring it to a dealer.



Unfortunately, there are no good rotary mechanics around me that I know of (otherwise I would be bringing it there).



Someone please tell me something good.
Old 08-05-2003 | 09:44 PM
  #2  
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Go to your BANK manager A.S.A.P and make arrangements for about

5K.....Sorry bro sound's like big trouble....Get your budy to do a comp.

test, that's what most rx7 experts are going to ask you first, and go from there



Good Luck
Old 08-05-2003 | 09:52 PM
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I'd agree on the information you've given that it's running real rich. When you say he replaced your air sensor which did you mean?



I would have a good look at your map sensor- if that is faulty or the vacuum line is blocked/leaking/not plugged in properly, you could get those symptoms.



Obviously check that the plug leads are hooked up correctly. Each coil is marked with the markings L1, L2, T1 & T2 (T&L marks are on the rotors, 1&2 refer to front and rear housings)



I'm sure some others will have some advice too. You really need a rotary mechanic to go to so that they can read the computer codes, swap things over (like the map sensor). Not much help, eh?



One final thought- has he performed a coolant pressure test just in case coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber and getting burnt (which sometimes can produce white/grey smoke?). Long shot and unlikely but worth checking while you're there. If you had seriously overheated it before when you lost all that coolant, you could have killed the coolant seals.
Old 08-05-2003 | 09:57 PM
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Get your budy to do a comp.

test, that's what most rx7 experts are going to ask you first, and go from there


Of course! That is almost always your first port of call when they don't run good.



My old S5 dropped a rotor and ran rough, smoked, wouldn't idle etc...
Old 08-05-2003 | 10:13 PM
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Do a quick poorman's compression test first. Pull the fuse for the ECU. Pull the front leading spark plug. Put your hand over the spark plug hole. Have someone start the car. You should feel 3 even whooshes. Repeat for the rear spark plug hole. If you get a total of 6 even whooshes, your probably good.
Old 08-06-2003 | 12:00 AM
  #6  
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Is the car hard to start the next morring after you shut it off? I have read that once the coolant temp gauge goes past 3/4 it is already to hot. When my water seals took a dump, the pressure would cause coolant to shoot out the over flow. #1 Compression check, #2 coolant pressure check
Old 08-06-2003 | 07:27 AM
  #7  
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Thanks for the tips...



I just got back from my mechanic, who says he didn't do anything to it and it's just a result of the previous problem, which may be true. I wasn't trying to be an ***, but he just wants to bail out and leave it running 50x worse than it was, even though I was willing to pay him for his time.



He claims he checked the MAP sensor and it was hooked up, but didn't know if it was bad. Said the car didn't show anything wrong when he hooked it up to his computer.



So basically, I told him to screw and took my car back.



I'm thinking of just shipping the thing to KD Rotary and be done with it.



I don't know, but I'm so upset right now...
Old 08-07-2003 | 07:33 AM
  #8  
-=RX-7 KID=-'s Avatar
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Where do you live?
Old 08-07-2003 | 07:43 AM
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Have you found out where the oil was leaking from? Have you taken off the intake elbow to see if it is full of oil yet? If the turbos are bad enough to be putting that much oil in the intake track, they could be the problem. It sounds like a sensor, maybe o2 or map.
Old 08-07-2003 | 09:03 AM
  #10  
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definitely not the 02 sensor. Possibly the map however.



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