Hey guys,

So I've been having a problem starting my car. The main issue is if I leave my car sitting, not driving it for a few days, and try to start it up again, it takes some extra time keeping the key in the "start" position to start the car. And, if I don't drive my car for about a week to 2 weeks, it doesn't start at all. Initially, I thought it was my battery, but I had that checked at AutoZone, and my battery and alternator are both working fine.

I am pretty much a car noob, and don't know much about cars. Could it possibly be my spark plugs/coils? I don't know what they are for or when they have been changed last.

I have 2004 MT RX8, bought it about a year ago. There's a sub in the trunk along with a custom Kenwood touchscreen stereo system installed on the car that may be part of the problem? The mechanic at AutoZone thought it could be my amp draining the battery, but he checked that and didn't see anything wrong with the wiring. The terminals on my battery were loose, and he said that could be the reason I was losing batter life. The terminals were tightened and drove fine for a few days. I left my car in the garage for about a week and a half, and now it won't start. The battery seems fine since the lights still come on and everything, but the car just won't start.

If anyone has any advice on what I should do to fix this problem, please advise. I love this car, but this is a huge issue (not being able to start the car) and may ultimately lead me to part ways with the car.

Any ideas would help,

Thanks,
Tom

 

Keep it to one thread... this is your 2nd posting of this.
Don't be annoying...

 

Sorry, I deleted the first one. I just wanted to post one in my area and one in the general thread.

 

No problem.
If you have any issues, its best to post in the Troubleshooting section.

 

maybe your starter? idk man...
depending on how many miles you have on your car, etc..
I would check your ignition coils for white burn marks and I'm sure changing out or atleast cleaning your plugs won't hurt. Check your plug wires too.

 

huge issue? really?

i think earlier models (i.e., '04s) had trouble turning over. i forget if there is a tsb for something or not. also the batteries are weaker than most cars, so that could be it. having enough juice to turn on lights, radio, etc. is one thing, but turning over is another. get a new battery or get the one you have revived, that should help.

 

Regarding 2tone's comments, yes, they did have a tsb that covered when the engine flooded, they'd replace the starter with a faster one, as well as a higher CCA battery (and new plugs, but no change there). The recommended CCA is in the 600's now (don't recall the exact number) as opposed to the 400's that came with them originally.

It sounds very similar to when my battery was dying. I could jump it, drive it just fine, turn it off, start it back up. But if I let it sit, it wouldn't start. Initial battery testing showed okay, but when it went under load, it failed.

 

My car has about 58k miles one with up-to-date TSBs done to it. Is my issue considered a flooded engine?

 

No, although a dying battery can potentially lead to engine flooding if gas is pumped into the combustion chamber and is not successfully ignited.

 

threadjack *not really I posted a starting issue there and didnt even get one post.

 

I have a 2005 RX8 and It would't start on friday. I had it towed to my Mazda dealer and they found two ignition coil packs were missfireing. They replaced them and it runs fine now. I hope this helps.

 

Update: I have not done anything since and now the lights don't even turn on when I open the door.

 

^ theres no juice in your battery if the lights dont turn on