HSrotary

So my rx8 won't start. At first I thought it was flooded. So i did the deflood procedure and the car started and smoke came out. Assuming that's normal becuase of the excess fuel. I drove around for like 2 hours doing some errands with occasional starting the car and turning it off from store to store. When I got home, I turned off the car and the next morning I tried turning it on, it wouldn't. I began the deflood procedure again thinking that was the problem. It turned on eventually. Ran it for like 30 mins after. Turned off the car after the drive. Tried to start it again and it wouldn't. The check engine light turned on and I got my diagnostic thing and had a misfire in "cylinder 1". It basically floods everyday and I can't avoid it. I do the 3k rev for 10 seconds thing before shutting it off and that doesn't work.

Need help on what the problem may be! Only tried this for 3 days. Didn't want to harm the car by continuing to drive it if there was a problem. Help please!! Thank you

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

CELS are misfires. Usually caused by bad coils.
It's recommended that the ignition components, coils, plugs, & wires be changed every 30k miles.
If you still have a catalytic converter it needs to be checked to be sure it's not damaged.
Bad ignition kills cats, bad cats kill engines.

HSrotary

yep still have the cat. Thanks for the input. Greatly appreciated it, hopefully thr engine components aren't damaged.

HSrotary

Could I check if the cat is clogged myself? Or does a mechanic need to do that?

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If you can safely get under it, there are
5 bolts that hold it on, and 2 cross braces.
Depending on their condition, it's pretty easy.
You look for obvious damage, cracks, or melting. Shake it to see if the back half is broken up and rattles.
If nothing is obvious, you should be OK.
Once you fix your misfires then if your cat is clogged, you'll get a CEL for it.
If not, then you're good to go.
Good luck!

HSrotary

Ok thanks man!

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If the nuts & bolts look really corroded, spray them with PB Blaster and let them soak overnight.
You'll need a 12mm socket for the crossmembers, 14, 15mm & 17 mm sockets and wrenches for the hardware.
The front flange has 3 nuts and bolts, and the back flange should have 2 nuts with springs.
The 2 spring studs are pressed into the flange, you just unscrew the 2 nuts.
Be careful with the 02 sensor, either unplug the wire or unscrew it.

HSrotary

Thanks for the walkthrough. So regardless I'm still going to get the coils and wires, is the NRG bundle good? I already have plugs waiting to be changed too. Even if something were to be bad inside the engine, it's good to have necessary parts replaced.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

NGK wires are OEM.
If you have an Advance Auto near you, they have lifetime warranty coils at a reasonable price, and you can get online discounts that can save you quite a bit more.

HSrotary

Oh ok I'll look into it.

zombieRuss

Replaced Spark Plus, Wires, And One Coil (Burnt But The Rest Of Three Coils Are Good) Power Good, Cat Changed, Fuel Pump Works. Anything Could Help.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Did you test the coils?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Change the other 3 coils? The burn marks don't mean anything.

HSrotary

So after having installed coils, plugs and wires plus a new magnaflow catalytic converter, the car started great the first time once everything was installed. Went shopping, turning car on and off again multiple times and it was fine. Until I left for 2 days and came back to my car not turning on. I'm fearing the worst...a new engine. I'm hoping it's not this because I was going to sell it but with a blown engine I wouldn't see myself getting anything out of it. Let me know if I should possibly run a compression test?

CelestialGryphon

iTrader: (1)

I mean, compression tests aren't the end all be all of these cars but they do help diagnose issues. OOC, how old is the battery?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

When you say not turning on, what does it do? Turn but not fire up? Not turn? There could be other reasons like flat battery, slow starter, fuel pump... describe the problem in more detail maybe we can narrow it down.

If it consistently fails to start and smokes after sitting for a while, you could be looking at an internal coolant leak. Check your coolant level?

HSrotary

So it turns, but just doesn't start until quite some time. It doesn't sound "flat" like it would flooded. It sounds like it wants to start pretty easily but doesn't. Yes smoke does come out after it has been started. Gas smell obviously. Thanks

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Was your old cat bad?
If so, gut it and put it back on.
Cheap cats don't work on 8s.
I had a cheap Walker for inspection and my car started acting similarly.
Put my midpipe back on and it runs like nothing ever happened.
Also check your fuel pump pressure.
If you often run the tank close to E they overheat

HSrotary

Dang, I kept forgetting to reply on the post.Ok, I'm thinking it might be something with the fuel pump. The first 10-15 seconds after the car starts, it's s sloppy, choking idle at around 2k rpm until it slowly reaches 900 smooth idle. No loss of power I can feel. I did gut the cat and it seems to have lessened the rough idle a little but still not how it use to be. Coolant levels weren't low (loki question)

soundawake

White smoke on startup can indicate a failed coolant seal. Which would explain the 15 seconds on rough idle while it clears the coolant out of the combustion chambers. I'd recommend a compression test.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the update.
You should test the fuel pump before
you buy another one.
I think there's a DIY here for it, but if you're not confident about doing it, most any reputable auto shop can do it for less than a new pump will cost you.
Also, many times rough idle issues are vacuum related.
Did you get an OBD scan for any stored or pending codes?
There are different ways you can check vacuum.
You might be able to rent a hand held vac pump from an auto parts store.
Some people use carb cleaner, but it can be dangerous.
Also some use the small handheld propane torches.
Read up on troubleshooting your specific issue, and try not to fix it by guessing and changing parts.
That can get expensive quickly.
Good luck!

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Also compression check is always a good idea if the health of the engine is in question.
He didn't say white smoke, and he stated it smelled like gas, not coolant.
Usually you'll smell the sweet coolant smell.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Does it start right up and then idle roughly?
If it takes more than a couple of seconds, it could be dumping excess fuel and struggling to burn it off.
That might explain the gas smell.
It could also foul your plugs.
A weak battery or starter can contribute to flooding issues.
Mine flooded recently due to a weak battery.
It was only 3 years old.
You can get it checked for free at an auto parts store.

Williard

iTrader: (18)

Struggles to start, when it does finally fire it idles rough for a minute or so then goes back to normal after dumping smoke.

Fires up fine HOT. I'm dealing with the same issue now actually. I found a leak on the rear most injector. I'll update if it fixes it.

Travis

HSrotary

Starts up easily throughout the day, and even over night. If i let it sit for more than 3 days, I'll have to turn over the key more times for it to start, and same as before it starts but idles rough for about 15 seconds. Engine is at 99k miles, don't know if it's on first engine or not.