lessthan

After 5 years of looking, I finally found a 2009 or later Rx-8 (as advised due to redesigns). Only 80,000 miles and ran great.
Well maintained as far as I could tell. Clean all around. inside, outside and engine compartment.

Owned it for a year, drove it maybe 2000 miles.

Yesterday, I was at a stop light and when I took off I lost my clutch. Pedal was down on the floor. I was able to pull off and get it back into 1st and limp 500 yards back to home in 1st.
Had a little smoke from engine compartment, but car was NOT overheated. Smoke was white-white, not blue or grey.

Parked car on street thinking I am going to have to tow it.
Knowing the history of the rotary engine, I first checked the oil and it was above the low pip on the dipstick. A little under a third of the area between pips was wet.

Nothing leaking out and no more smoke, but that sweet burning fluid smell.

I came into house and started searching this site and saw the clutch pedal issue, went out to check mine and clutch was limp. I looked and saw what I though was a broken bit of metal, It was folded up towards the piston rod. I lightly pulled it away a little bit and determined it was not the "weld break" that was recalled. I pulled up on the pedal and stiffness returned to clutch pedal. I think it was coincidence and had nothing to do with the piece of metal.

I started the car to get a better handle on symptoms and car started. There was a high pitched whine but no marbles in a can sound. When I pressed the clutch, the whine changed. I did not try to engage into a gear, and shut the car off.

I checked the brake/clutch reservoir and the fluid is above the minimum marker and clean. slightly yellow with no dark fluid.

I am hoping this is blown master or slave cylinder. Anyone care to give me a guess? I would like to have some kind of information when I take it in to get fixed.

Does anyone have a suggested repair location in Baltimore, MD? best current option I feel is Heritage Mazda in Towson, but they have a few reviews of let's stay over zealous service. I have no experience with them yet, and they also have twice as many glowing reviews as the suspect ones. IF there is damage in the transmission / gear box, I am hoping they won't see it as an opportunity to add on repairs.

Any advice or theories or basically anything would be appreciated. Also if it does mean a full breakdown, any advice on voluntary preventive maintenance while it is cracked open.

I am just sick to my stomach. I love this car so much. It took me so long to find one.

Thanks

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

The first thing to check is for leaking fluid from the clutch master or slave cylinder. Each have Pistons with a rubber seal that hold the fluid to build hydraulic pressure. If a seal starts to fail, you will lose hydraulic pressure and will likely see a leak. Given you said the fluid in the brake master was above minimum is a good sign. However, you have to take into account brake pad wear as the clutch master is supplied hydraulic fluid from the brake master's reservoir. Brake pad wear will lower the fluid level in the reservoir as the caliper pistons are extending further out in a resting position with the pad wear.

If you suspect clutch hydraulic failure, replace the clutch master and slave cylinders together as a pair and bleed the system properly to purge it of any air. A limp pedal suggests a failed hydraulic component or broken clutch pedal so you're on the right track.

The whining sound is likely the throwout bearing. They can be heard with the clutch pedal not depressed. Once you depress the pedal,, the for is pushing the throwout bearing into the fingers on the pressure plate and the noise will change with the load on the bearing. If the noise gets louder with the clutch pedal depressed, you are looking at pilot bearing noise. A failed pilot bearing thats seized to the input shaft can cause the input shaft of the trans to be turned with the clutch pedal depressed or not depressed. Essentially like the clutch is disengaged at all times, regardless of the pedal position.

lessthan

I didn’t see anything on the ground under car, but probably wouldn’t unless I work the clutch alot there where it is parked.
I will check the cylinders and see if I can see anything.

thanks for the response. Any idea on cost of replacing both?

just a ballpark?

also should I take to a dealer or to my very honest mechanic whom I don’t know if the are familiar with rotary engine but very satisfied with their work on other cars?

just thinking if it is a blown cylinder or two that isn’t as complicated as something in the gear box

thanks for the reply. Helps my head a little!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

You can bring ut to a mechanic you trust. The clutch and trans are nothing special, don't need rotary knowledge for that. As long as he follows the manual putting everything back together, which goes for any car..

See if you can trace which fluid us leaking/burning and where.

alterego

It could be something super simple like the clutch flex hose. My stock rubber hose balloned and burst at the crimp closest to the slave that is mounted on the transmission. Clutch pedal went to the floor while driving in the same way you described.
I set up a bright light underneath the car and a camera looking down on the line through the engine bay to record video while I pressed the clutch multiple times in order to find where the leak was.

$45 for the stainless braided hose and another $50+ at harbor freight for the mity-vac bleeder so I could do it all on my own.

CaymanRotary

master cylinder leaks aren’t always apparent as the fail internally. Sound exactly like a master cylinder problem should change out the slave cylinder while you are at it.

lessthan

Decided to take the kind advice and take her to my local mechanic who has earned my trust.
Car was on the lift with trans on a stand underneath.

Luckily, the report was blown throw out bearing and that’s all!

I have never been nauseous waiting for news from a mechanic before.

thanks for the advice and grounding me when I was freaking out.
Searched classifieds for literally 5 years looking for right year, right price, and right condition.
So happy with news.

will update with cost once I know.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

hopefully your mechanic advised you to go ahead and put a new clutch in while it was apart and you agreed

CaymanRotary

Also agree to change components while transmission is out. The throw out bearing may be the issue now but to diagnose this, it requires the transmission to be out of the car. It’s a perfect time to put a new clutch and pressure plate in as well. Exedy sells the entire kit for under $500. And it’s not a big deal to do while the trans is dropped. Comes with the alignment tool as well.

lessthan

So my mechanic said he did replace the clutch assembly, so no worries there.
However there is a new problem.
History
I was at a stop light in far right lane. I eventually needed to get to far left lane, so I was going to get a good start and hopefully be able to pass the other cars and move into the leftmost lane. I let out the clutch until I felt it bite and was holding it there feathering it back and forth to maintain the bite and the correct RPMs. Light changed and I released the clutch, just like I have a million times before in a million different cars. Regardless, something went wrong and I could tell immediately. I limped about 100 yards trying to figure out what was us and pulled into a bus stop. I realized it was clutch related and restarted and drove another 200 yards home in first. I turned off the car. About 10 min later I turned on the car again, heard some clankity clank and turned it off immediately. I noticed that it took about 4 cranks of the engine before it caught and fired up but wasn't thinking about that at the time. After sitting for the weekend, when the tow truck arrived, I wanted to turn the wheel so we could push the car a little way from the curb so he could pull it up on the flatbed with ease. I started the car to engage power steering and again noticed it took 4-5 cranks before the car started. I turned the wheel and immediately shut off car. The car never had any trouble starting prior to this.

Current Symptom
My mechanic called to say the clutch was fixed and everything went great but he can't get the car started. I relayed the above story to him, saying never had an issue prior to the clutch incident. He said when the tow truck dropped the car, he started it. Again with the 4-5 cranks before catching same as me, but now the car won't start at all. He said he replaced the spark plugs, and they were dirty. He called to ask me if there was any security lock out or anything. I told him just pushing the clutch pedal down. He says it cranks like a champ but wont start.

Anything I should tell him about?

Car is garage kept and started like a champ every time. How could a throw out bearing failure cascade into a no start situation?

Thanks in advance for any help.

CaymanRotary

If you have access to a compression tester that's the best place to start. It could also be flooded, this has happened to me as mechanics think this is a normal car and constantly turn it on cold and shut it off cold. You can try the deflood procedure and see if that works. You can also do a fuel pressure test and make sure the engine is receiving fuel.

There is a chance the transmission damaged the engine itself when it failed. This would be a worst case scenario of course.

lessthan

just circled back to say I remembered the flooding issue and you beat me to it!
thanks for the quick reply.
I called my mechanic and he said he too thought it may be flooded.
I pointed him to RX8CLUB.com!

lessthan

$2100 for whole clutch assembly, 4 plugs, 2 trailing coils.