Carguy1854

Two weeks ago bought this 2004 RX-8 with a 6 speed manual the engine has about 50,000 miles on it. It has two problems that I don’t think are related. When I was driving I lost power steering then it died. After jumping it it ran fine until. While driving on the highway I decided to do a pull it started accelerating fine then the engine lost power I pulled off the highway and the engine was missing bad and the CEL was flashing. I limped it home and here is it cranking on the battery charger. I cleared the CEL codes (why the light is not on) to try and reset everything but there were four for misfires. The plugs and wires were replaced at around 141,000 by the previous owner. While filling up earlier today I checked the oil and it was fine. The engine still has oil but in can smell a lot of gas now when trying to start it. I know I held the starter too long. I was not pressing the throttle.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1k6YCBP2-ZA

Is the power steering just because the battery is weak?

Is it just bad spark plugs or have the apex seals gone?

CarbonRX

Hi,
I would check for air leaks on the intake side of things, + don't forget to check the exhaust side only to the cat.
how clean is the sensors near the "crank" encentric shaft it might need cleaning.
Air flow and O2 sensors wouldn't hurt to be replaced as they wear out,(get clogged)
Cheak the positioning of the leads are they touching anything (a lead or anything metal)
What Voltage is the alt putting out? + V's of the battery in the morning? (before cranking)
How the fuel side of thing's? (pump pressure,) is the fuel old?

hope this helps
{this is just the start }

Carguy1854

The fuel is fresh, only codes were for misfire. What sensors should I look for by the eccentric shaft? The cat is gutted. I don’t think it is ignition related plugs, wires, and coils were replaced 10,000 miles ago according to maintenance records. When driving the voltage was 14-14.5. Now even with the battery on a charger nothing turns on. I’ve used that charger on dead batteries in bigger cars and they will start when connected.

Carguy1854

Second time starting after sitting for six hours. Battery says 15 volts and connected to charger. The first start it would not idle then revved up to 3500 and held for about 5 seconds. It did not sound good. The codes are for misfires

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/86Ol5Ww8aeo

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Links don't work for me.
Misfires are ignition parts, usually coils, then plugs and wires, start there.
If budget is an issue now, get a $15 HEI tester and pinpoint which coil or plug is not firing & replace it.

It's very important to not cross coils or plugs.
Tag your wires and note the 2 different plugs, T=Trailing (Top)
L=Leading (Lower)

Then you clean the MAF sensor with MAF cleaner, clean the ESS.
The little MAF screws strip out easily, be careful.
Don't try to take the ESS out, just spray the heck out of it.
Then search "20 Brake Pedal Stomp" and resetting the NVRAM.

If you can afford it, do all 4 new coils, plugs & cables.
Change every 30K miles.
Get Advance Auto lifetime coils and save the receipts.
They exchange them, no questions asked with a receipt.
Free coils for life.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If you're sure the ignition parts are good, check all cables are 'snapped' on tight and not crossed.
Be sure the wires are loomed and not bundled or arcing against the block.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

It probably should be said, dying engines with bad compression can cause misfires.

You might want to get a rotary specific compression test before you start throwing money at it that you might need for a rebuild/reman.

Sucks to hear, but if that's the original engine with that many miles, I wouldn't be shocked if it's failing.

That said, I drove mine for 2 years with a known failing engine before it wouldn't run anymore.

*Edit- Not OEM, got it.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

When you say 50k on "this engine", was it a warranty replacement?
Rebuild, reman or new?

Rebuilds & remans can fail after 50k

Carguy1854

I replaced all four plugs, wires, and coils. It is still bad. It can’t idle. If I put it in neutral to coast to a stop the motor dies. I can bump start it by popping the clutch while moving. It takes a while to catch when using the starter. It is down on power. I smelled gas and it backfired hard when driving. I checked several times and everything’s connected properly. I have a code for #2 misfire (same as before) and idle speed lower than expected. I disconnected the battery, did the brake stomp, and cleared the codes but they came back and the engine still run poorly.

What else could it be?

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

It could be bad compression.
I also said it in an earlier post.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Considering it all started after a pull, 2 scenarios come to mind: oil barfed into the intake fouled the MAF or you blew a seal. Check if there are metal flakes on the spark plugs.

Compression test should have been done before purchase, but given these problems even a regular non-rotary test would be important now

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Bump

spectre6000

I'm not saying there's not an issue with the engine, but what if it's an electrical issue? If this wasn't a rotary, I doubt the windmill being tilted at would be the engine.

The power steering is electric. Requirements on the electrical system are much higher at high RPM, and electrical faults are great at causing all kinds of misfires. Bad ground(s) is the first thing that comes to my mind. No idea where OP is located, but if the car is rusty at all...

You can rule out seals by reading plugs and checking fluids. That's free and easy. Compression test requires a tester, knowing someone local with a tester, or throwing enough money at a dealer to just go buy a tester. You could definitely have two things wrong with you, but the two have a definite connection that's worth investigating.

Carguy1854

I live in Florida and I think the car has always been in Florida. From looking at the old plugs they were definitely one cause of the misfire (I forgot which ones came from where and the coil I remember it going to the rear rotor probably wasn’t giving any current.

I’ll also ask in the swap section. If the engine is dead I would want to replace it with a Mercedes M113 engine and Mercedes 722.6 or CD009 transmission because I have experience with those engines. How would putting a V8 affect the handling and balance of the car? Any advice or tips would be great.

CarbonRX

Hi again,
As for your engine swap question, a lot of people are doing V8 swaps but it's a lot more than just a engine swap,
there are the shocks that need to be replaced with heavy wight springs to carry the wight of a V8 engine.
that brakes should be upgraded to compensate for the wight of the V8 and gearbox + other mods to mount.
the rear diff and axles will have to also be changed to larger units.
tail shaft would also have to be customized to suite new diff input and gearbox output + size.
These are just some of the things you need to work out before starting the swap.
(costs of all parts needed for swap/ V's cost of 2nd hand\new rotary engine + other rotary engines as well, options?)

I hope this helps on the swap.

Carguy1854

I started the car earlier and drove around until up to temperature. I then turned it off and tried to restart about two minutes later it cranked but would not start. I can fairly confidentially say it lost compression.

Based on what I’ve found the M113 is about 200 pounds heavier than the renesis. I found an adapter plate that Connects the M113 to the RX-8’s 6MT. Wouldn’t that prevent the position of the transmission and drive shaft from changing? I don’t care about the A/C and want to use the electric power steering. I see a lot of people who swap these using Ford 8.8 rear ends. Is the RX-8 differential not able to handle any more power? How would this affect cornering performance, feel and balance?

I’m not opposed to another rotary. How long should a new rotary last with proper maintenance?

Does know anyone in central Florida who can help rebuild/replace the rotary or help with the swap?

Thanks for any information.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Pettit is one of the prominent rotary rebuilders and are in Florida. They might also take custom swap jobs?

Hard to predict how long any given engine will last, but starting with a clean slate (as opposed to your tired, worn out big parts) is the best insurance. Some factory engines make it past 100k without great maintenance, others die early with meticulous care. It's a game of statistics, all you can do is maximize your chances.

As far as rear end, you're talking about doubling the torque output, so there are no guarantees. I'd expect the trans to fail before the diff does.