JaredP

Hello this is a great site, Just made this video the other day.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

What is the CEL?

There are so many things that will make the idle hunt like that.....that I wouldn't get so sure you need a new engine just yet

One of the most common hunting idle issues is the neutral safety switch...it acts just like that

JaredP

Are you talking about the light on the left side? I thought that was an angry electric power steering rack. Sometimes it turns off and I have power steering.

JaredP

I measured compression warm @ 60psi with a standard gauge watching the sweep, well below the 120psi sepc I found on this site somewhere.

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Reset the Steering.....all the way left...then right...then restart. That will get rid of the steering error

Does it start when it is warm?

Does it do the hunting with your foot on the clutch?

JaredP

Awesome, thanks for the tip on the steering reset!
It will start warm, starter seems old some times makes a horrible noise, however I feel I have bigger fish to fry with the engine not running well so I was putting that off for now.

Warm driving it will die when I push the clutch in or am slowing down in gear. I feel it come back to life when I tip back into the throttle in gear coasting.

It will not idle warm at all.

wcs

iTrader: (2)

I'm not convinced that's it low compression either.

Get a proper compression test done.

Legot

iTrader: (1)

There's allot that you haven't checked that would make running so unstable.

JaredP

I'm all for getting a proper compression test. However I have zero faith in my local dealer. And the next closest is an hour away. I would rather exhaust other ways of diagnosing it before paying for a tow or driving it as is. I'm open to suggestions, Jared

JaredP

Little update I ran the scan tool on my car today after work no codes. No change in engine behavior with the clutch in.

JaredP

Going to try sea-foam later this week.

Link for my reference DIY: Mazda Zoom Power Engine Cleaner (Engine Cleaning, Seaform) - RX8Club.com

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

save some $ and just use distilled water in the lim ports while its warmed up and running

JaredP

I'll spend the $10 on sea-foam but thanks for tip.

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

how are you planning on seafoaming it? water while its running works just fine

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

200's recommendation was because 2 years ago I tested that method and proved it did literally nothing. You need the engine running for seafoam to do anything, and if you use it like that, might as well use distilled water since it's $1 for a gallon vs seafoam's $15 for 8oz.

Seafoam does NOT strip carbon when it just sits there. You can even test it yourself by dropping a set of used plugs in a jar with seafoam in it. Forget waiting an hour. Wait for several days if you want to... almost no carbon will have been removed.


See my thread on testing it, including borescoped pics before/after, here: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...r-pics-241867/

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Welcome...

I suggest the items in the congrats thread below before digging into the decarbon process. Give it a chance to run right before you start feeding water or seafoam into it. You may be fine. Then, if you are interested in the compression, you need to pair the gauge with RPM and altitude to tell something. There is a calculator posted here someplace.

Just a thought.

JaredP

Well, before I read any of these reply's I went a head and used sea foam in my mind I didn't mind paying extra for something designed to go into an engine (ignorance on my part, whatever I felt better about it) . It made a huge difference! It starts warm much easier. Doesn't hunt as much, it will still die sometimes at warm idle. I did get a CEL now I plan on bringing the scan tool home from work and scanning it. I had to stop early last night and pull the wheels as a buddy had an opening to put my new (old date code z2) tires on.

RIWWP- After skimming the thread you posted I understand why water has been suggested. The 8oz in your testing did not do much. However in my driveway there was a night and day difference. Maybe something else got cleaned up on my car?

04Green- I have new plugs, coils, wires air filter, premixed fresh fuel, oil and filter changed. MAF cleaned, new battery I am sure there are somethings I am forgetting. I have seen your thread and bought a grounding kit because of it. Yet to install that.

04Green

iTrader: (1)

@ JaredP

Sounds like you ran the list. Well done. Glad the seafoam worked too.

JaredP

It seemed to be happier with the seafoam in it. A few hours later after all of the seafoam cleaned out it was doing some hunting and would die if not throttled to keep rpm's up. I am going to work on it a bit today. Also need to get this power steering figured out. As of recently it is not working maybe 8/10 starts it will not function. Updates later, Thanks again guys.

JaredP

Got the connections cleaned up on the power steering, no problems so far. I did do the sea foam one more time with no change in engine behavior. I am going to try and clean the SSV today. Also the air bag light came on yesterday. It flashes twice then pauses then twice again then a long pause and repeats a few times then stays constant. I'll have to look into that but it seems I have bigger fish to fry.

JaredP

"Cleaned" the intake valves today. Removed UIM sprayed throttle body cleaner and soaked up as much as I could with a rag. The with compressed air blew more carbon out. I then tested the vacuum actuators with a mighty vac, they work and feel great. Washed the secondary runner tube (black horse shoe looking part) then reassembled. Pulled the plugs and added two stroke oil to the each housing, spun it over for a few seconds with the plugs out to keep things lubed.
It still dies at stops, does not hunt nearly as much.


Side note I did install the grounding kit yesterday and noticed no difference other than the gawd awful (ricer) look it gave my engine bay. Took that crap off.

JaredP

Does anyone have any further suggestions? I may trust it enough to take it out of town to get a compression test.
Would a cobb access port be the best (only way) to raise the idle? It seems that is my main issue.

wcs

iTrader: (2)

The Cobb AP is just a flasher you need to d/l and use the Access Tuner Race software to adjust idle ranges.

I wouldn't recommend this, all you're doing is hiding the problem.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Just go get a rotary compression test...

JaredP

I was planning on covering up the problem with high idle. Just becoming frustrated with it I really enjoy driving it, just running out of options.

I guess I will have to do that. Anyone in the central Wisconsin area that can recommend a rotary friendly dealer?