Og1250

This happened a few months ago. I hop into my 2004 Mazda Rx-8 to go pick up pizza, without letting the car warm up. Was in the pizza place for a approximately 5 minutes. Turn the key and the starter refuses to start the car, as well as coolant leak. Replace coolant ( which is still leaking as i try to start it.) And after a very long crank the car barely turns over, but is not able to keep any real power without me keeping my foot on the accelerator. Try to drive off but come to a stop engine stalls and dies.

Update: I have bought a new coolant resovoir tank, and starter so far on the road to getting my rx8 to start again. I am going to buy a new ignition harness and ignition coils and install them all before i attempt to deflood (if that is the case) or start the car with the high torque starter.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Ehh well if its turning its neither seized nor having starter problems. So youre on the right track with ignition updates.

CaymanRotary

Where is the coolant leak coming from? Did changing the bottle solve that problem? May have overheated if not running great.

Og1250

Think its the reservoir, bought an aftermarket reservoir, the strange thing is.. the mechanic told me you dont need coolant for the car to turn over, is this true?

CaymanRotary

Yea you can run the car with no coolant but it wouldn't last very long if you did haha. It could be an ignition system problem or it could be a blown seal. Did you ever do a compression test after you had these problems?

Og1250

Thanks for the reply, no honestly i have never done a compression test on the engine, i have owned this car since march of this year and april i take it to the dealership for service, mechanic tells me the aftermarket catalytic converter i installed (magnaflow direct fit) is causing the engine to run lean, i said "yikes" on top of that he says the vdi intake solenoid is stuck and will need to be replaced, ( some more elaboration on that from some of you rotary heads would be greatly appreciated), he showed me an ignition coil wire harness that had a melted connector. ( gonna replace that eventually) overall he recommended the Ye ole "get a new engine" slide. Wondering if RX-8 club has any ideas on how i can save the engine without spending $6,000 i have no idea where to acquire unless i work overtime everyday for 4 years straight.

Og1250

Update: Just found an endoscope laying around my house. Is there anyway i can check the apex seals inside the rotary housing through the spark plug ports, is there anything specific i should look for? Has anyone had any luck diagnosing their problems using an endoscope to check their rotary housings. Compression tester kit costs $300, and if something is broken like a seal, shouldn't the endoscope catch it?

UnknownJinX

You are in for a ride if you don't know this car very well...

Not having a rotary-specific compression test is a big mistake. If you can't afford one, make sure your car doesn't have any other problems, then drive the car until it's warm. Shut it off, let it sit 10~15 mins, then try starting it again. If it struggles, then it's likely your engine is done.

Any cat that is not an OEM cat or something equally expensive won't last very long. They will melt and either get blown out or worse, clog. Did the mechanic say anything about the condition of the inside of the cat?

I haven't encountered this issue, but the VDI solenoid can fail with age. You can do the work yourself if you are handy. It's supposedly not too difficult, and the part is not very expensive. You may as well replace the other two solenoids while you are there.

Honestly, this isn't a car to own if you are not in a financially stable position, so weigh your options here. The cheap price can be appealing to some, but there is a reason for that. They are great cars if you have the money, time and effort to dedicate, but if you have to work overtime to keep yourself afloat, a Corolla or a Civic will be a much wiser choice for everyone and everything involved, including the RX-8.

Well, you can try it. There is a way to turn the engine manually. Should come up with a search.

I doubt you will get very much out of it, though, unless you have a missing or shattered apex seals.

We all know the memes with apex seals, but the truth is that side seals are equally, if not more vulnerable to wear. If the engine overheated, coolant seals can be compromised as well.

Og1250

Could it be:

Coolant leak = no start. Just a shot.

When the car started leaking coolant it was 98 degrees farenheit outside.

The car had a hot start moment but finally turned over after adding coolant. (But i could NOT fix the leak in the parking lot) drove it a few feet (approx 30 ft) stopped at a sign then the car died.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

As explained above, no it could not be that. The car will still start without coolant. It will just destroy the engine quickly after.

Did it overheat while you were driving around with a leak? Where was the engine temp needle?

Given the questions you're asking, you may need someone local who knows rotaries and can examine the car. Where are you located?

CaymanRotary

The first thing you should do before anything else is to get a compression test done on your engine. Anything else is a waste of time and money. If your engine passes the test, then you know that its likely because the issue with your ignition system. Hopefully the coolant leak is just a hose or the radiator.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Also, since all this happened some time ago, what is the current situation? Does it start at all? Was the reservoir actually cracked? Is there coolant on the spark plugs?

Og1250

Just got back 20 min ago from removing all four of the spark plugs and thoroughly cleaning the carbon buildup on the tips by hand.

The spark plugs did not have any coolant on them, other than the carbon buildup at the tips of the plugs they were immaculate. Almost new looking.

I looked inside the rotary housing using an endoscope camera: i will post the pictures.

Og1250

These are the inside of all 4 spark plug housings Leading and Trailing:

Og1250

Im not sure this picture with what looks like a crack is caked carbon buildup or.....

Og1250

The coolant reservoir or the pipe is cracked, im not too sure on either. just that it leaks coolant. The thing is the car is at the shop and the shop is a few blocks down the road.


I think im gonna leave it to them to replace the starter, battery terminals, pour some POUR N'GO liquid sealant into the resorvoir.

Any tips on if this is the right direction?

UnknownJinX

I don't really think stop leak will work that well since it's more designed to work with a piston engine. Not sure if it will work in a rotary engine.

You need to find out where the leak is coming from, and if the engine is actually consuming any.

CaymanRotary

If you are using Pour n Go then you must be getting coolant into your engine. This is very bad news. You will need to rebuild or replace that engine. If the pour n go works it will only fix it temporarily at best. I think your mechanic taking you for a ride changing all these parts without even doing a compression test. You are just gonna end up with a broken car and less dollars in your pocket...

You can buy a used rotary engine with decent compression numbers for $1,500 - $2,000. The $6,000 figure comes from a Mazda reman engine. Then its just a simple engine swap and you are good to go. Honestly, in your situation, I would just sell that car and buy something more reliable. Sorry for your loss.

Og1250

Thanks for the advice CaymanRotary. I just posted the car up for sale. Will stay posted if anything new develops.

Thank you guys for the help!

CaymanRotary

While you still have the car, still try to do a compression test. It can be done with a standard tester, it just requires a bit more work and isn't as accurate. Also, inspect the overflow tank for oil. If you are leaking coolant into the engine, you should see oil mixed in with it. The idea being, if you can get the car at least working a little better, it will make it easier to get rid of. Only use that Blue Devil stuff if there actually is a leak and you have no other option. It could cause even more damage.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Please don't put any kind of stop leak in there. Find the leak and fix it.
You don't have coolant on the plugs so there is no reason to think you need stopleak. Stopleak won't fix your reservoir.


In general the best way to help yourself is stop trying solutions and narrow down the problem.

Did it overheat?
Do you have spark?
Do you have fuel?
Do you have compression?
Is the starter turning around 250 rpm?

If your mechanic doesn't usually work on rotaries, go get your car back before they break it.

I'm not exagerating in the least.

UnknownJinX

Loki is right, this mechanic seems to just be throwing parts at it. Find a better mechanic.

BTW, reman engine for a 6-port manual is about $3000+core($1000 if you don't have the old engine). Labour, clutch(may as well with the engine out) and miscellaneous parts will cost another $3k if you have someone else do it.

Red line envy

+1^. A few simple tests can change the whole outcome. And don't be afraid to search the info then go get your hands dirty. The more you do the more you'll learn. Once you get your bearings under the hood and under the car these car are fairly easy to work on. I did my whole engine swap in the driveway and it's dirt.

CaymanRotary

If it's an internal engine coolant seal there is no way to fix it without rebuilding the engine.

UnknownJinX

OP said there is no coolant on the spark plug.

Another giveaway is that if you are burning coolant, your car will puff out smoke like it has a 150+W vape.