Notices
New Member Forum A place for new members to get their feet wet

RX8 won't start - no sound at all?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Rate Thread
 
Old 12-12-2013, 11:39 PM
  #1  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Energy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
RX8 won't start - no sound at all?

Hello RX8Club

I'm had an issue and hopefully you guys can help me solve it. I have an automatic 2004 RX8. I've had it for a 1.5 years now and haven't had any previous problems.

The other day I was driving to College (about a 20 minute non-stop drive) in sub freezing weather (20 degrees F) with snow on the ground.

I park the car and go to class for about 2 hours and when I go back and start up the car, it doesn't start. I put the key into the ignition and go to turn it, I don't hear anything. There was some slight clicking in the fuze box but that is it. I though it may be a battery issue, but we couldn't jump start it.

After getting it towed to a mechanic it turns out it had a flooded engine. The spark plugs had to be replaced and the engine deflooded.

Why would the engine flood if it wasn't a cold stop? Is there a deeper issue than this? Thanks for any advice guys.
Old 12-13-2013, 12:23 AM
  #2  
Triangular Bee Hive
iTrader: (3)
 
ShinkaEvo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Socal, LA
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Get a battery.
Old 12-13-2013, 08:05 AM
  #3  
Registered
 
RotoryVirgin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 155
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The engine could have flooded when you tried to start it.
Old 12-13-2013, 08:38 AM
  #4  
Registered
 
dynamho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Norwood, NJ
Posts: 1,963
Received 7 Likes on 2 Posts
Looks like battery is below threshold to turn over the starter.
It likely isn't bad connection, because you drove it 2 hours before.
It probably isn't flooding because the starter doesn't even turn over.
Old 12-13-2013, 11:12 AM
  #5  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Energy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dynamho
Looks like battery is below threshold to turn over the starter.
It likely isn't bad connection, because you drove it 2 hours before.
It probably isn't flooding because the starter doesn't even turn over.
I already had it towed and fixed. The guy said it was the spark plugs and it was flooded.

Here is my concern. I've been having a few electrical problems within the recent months. When it rains the blinkers will not work correctly and I'll have to remove the fuse until everything drys. Water is probably making it's way into that fuse box.

Could that be correlated with the start up problems I just had?

Last edited by Energy; 12-13-2013 at 12:03 PM.
Old 12-13-2013, 12:54 PM
  #6  
Registered
 
dynamho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Norwood, NJ
Posts: 1,963
Received 7 Likes on 2 Posts
Didn't you say you didn't hear anything except for clicking in the fusebox when you tried to start the car? I'm sure you can hear fuel pump priming and injectors firing if there really was flooding.

The problem seems most likely electrical given light of the new information about the wet fuses you posted.

So did the starter finally turn over?

I think if there really was flooding, it is a result of the problem, not the cause.
Old 12-13-2013, 01:18 PM
  #7  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Energy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dynamho
Didn't you say you didn't hear anything except for clicking in the fusebox when you tried to start the car? I'm sure you can hear fuel pump priming and injectors firing if there really was flooding.

The problem seems most likely electrical given light of the new information about the wet fuses you posted.

So did the starter finally turn over?

I think if there really was flooding, it is a result of the problem, not the cause.
Yeah that is what I'm worried about. Their wasn't any sound except for a very light click in the fuse box. The mechanic replaced some old spark plugs and deflooded the engine and it started up. I'm worried that it may rain and I'll be back at square one.
Old 12-13-2013, 01:54 PM
  #8  
Triangular Bee Hive
iTrader: (3)
 
ShinkaEvo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Socal, LA
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
fuse box doesn't click, most likely the starter.....it'll be more accurate if you post a video.
Even with same problem, the description will be different from each individual....
If all the mechanic did was replace the plugs, then most likely just the plugs.
When's the last time you replace it?
Plugs can go out as early as 10k, average is about 30k, fyi.
Old 12-13-2013, 01:59 PM
  #9  
Modulated Moderator
iTrader: (3)
 
dannobre's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Smallville
Posts: 13,718
Received 337 Likes on 292 Posts
There is no way a flood would manifest itself as no sound or cranking

You have an electrical problem...could be as easy as corroded battery terminals or loose connections

It is possible that a flood resulted from very low battery voltage...but no sound would not be a flood
Old 12-13-2013, 02:38 PM
  #10  
Registered
 
dynamho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Norwood, NJ
Posts: 1,963
Received 7 Likes on 2 Posts
Originally Posted by dannobre
There is no way a flood would manifest itself as no sound or cranking
That's what I was thinking. If it was just the plugs, OP would still have been able to hear the starter cranking while the plugs don't fire.

Also, OP, you tried to start the car in the cold. It's possible the mechanic started the car in warmer ambient temps. Battery provides less cranking current in colder temperatures. You might encounter the problem again when temps drop.
Old 12-13-2013, 08:03 PM
  #11  
Registered
Thread Starter
 
Energy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by dannobre
There is no way a flood would manifest itself as no sound or cranking

You have an electrical problem...could be as easy as corroded battery terminals or loose connections

It is possible that a flood resulted from very low battery voltage...but no sound would not be a flood
Originally Posted by dynamho
That's what I was thinking. If it was just the plugs, OP would still have been able to hear the starter cranking while the plugs don't fire.

Also, OP, you tried to start the car in the cold. It's possible the mechanic started the car in warmer ambient temps. Battery provides less cranking current in colder temperatures. You might encounter the problem again when temps drop.
I've been driving around all day today without a problem so far. The car has like 50k miles on it and I bought it with approx ~48k miles on it. I don't know when the sparks plugs were last replaced so I hope that was the only problem.

When I turned the key there was no sound at all. The click was not the starter clicking, it's just the relay in the fusebox.

Last edited by Energy; 12-13-2013 at 08:14 PM.
Old 12-27-2013, 10:43 AM
  #12  
New Member
 
its_drewbaugh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
having a grounding/ electrical problem of some sort. no dinging or cargo lights when i open the doors, almost like i have no electronics anymore. but when turning the key all the way on, in the run position my gauges light up. but the car wont crank over. will still run if jump starts. can anybody know the cause or any info?
Old 12-27-2013, 10:53 AM
  #13  
Registered
iTrader: (2)
 
RIWWP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 16,684
Likes: 0
Received 252 Likes on 110 Posts
One of these two, or both:
A) Your battery is dead, nearly dead, or can't hold a charge
B) Your battery connections are corroded. They need to be removed, cleaned thoroughly, and reconnected securely. (always disconnect negative first, reconnect positive first)

The items you list don't take much power, so whatever power the battery has it can send, or the current is low enough for your weak connections. The current draw for the starter is more than either the battery can produce or the connections can handle.
Old 12-27-2013, 02:50 PM
  #14  
New Member
 
its_drewbaugh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by RIWWP
One of these two, or both:
A) Your battery is dead, nearly dead, or can't hold a charge
B) Your battery connections are corroded. They need to be removed, cleaned thoroughly, and reconnected securely. (always disconnect negative first, reconnect positive first)

The items you list don't take much power, so whatever power the battery has it can send, or the current is low enough for your weak connections. The current draw for the starter is more than either the battery can produce or the connections can handle.
okay, so what is the reason behind my doors not dinging when being opened but my gauges do?
Old 12-27-2013, 02:51 PM
  #15  
Registered
iTrader: (2)
 
RIWWP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 16,684
Likes: 0
Received 252 Likes on 110 Posts
The gauges are LED lights. They draw significantly less than door chimes and the mechanism that triggers that.

These symptoms are fairly common, nothing unusual.




Fine, I split them back out:
https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...arting-250392/

Last edited by RIWWP; 01-05-2014 at 04:27 PM.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Wantingtoknow
New Member Forum
24
12-15-2016 02:25 PM
Davey's RX-8
Series I Trouble Shooting
0
07-28-2015 12:13 PM
harithac
New Member Forum
8
07-25-2015 04:21 PM
dbarber
Series I Trouble Shooting
14
07-25-2015 01:34 PM
Peanutbuttertruffle
New Member Forum
6
07-24-2015 07:49 AM



You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.

Quick Reply: RX8 won't start - no sound at all?



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:28 PM.