With no disrespect intended to RX7Guy,
I presently own a 1st gen, a 2nd gen and two 3rd gen RX-7s and have worked as a tech at a few Mazda dealerships.
When winter time comes around the dealers get an increase in 'no start rotary cars.' One of the causes of this is the effect that cold weather has on batteries. Modern day piston engines do not seem to be afflicted with this condition. If you go back to my previous post you should understand why that is.
I have personally flooded a brand new RX-7 prior to P.D.I.
Hopefully the increase in compression ratio and improvements to the ignition system will make a huge difference.
As noted by RXGuy (Not the same person) Mazda has given these instructions to dealerships re: cold start warmup. He did not mention that this bulletin ended by stating that this was due to the unique nature of the rotary engine.
Again this is not an epedemic. You may never experience it. Generally speaking read your owners manual and treat your car like you would any other new car. Rotaries are not that weird or different.

 

With respect, the first 20b engines didn't have any letter at all. They theoretically should have all been destroyed but we still get them here in OZ every now and then. A spec motors had the newer e-shaft in them AFAIK.

-pete

 

What does AFAIK stand for? My engine number is 503. You are correct about the first engines having no letter. I also do not believe any engine ever had a A stamped in it. They went instead to B, C, and D engines. I also have a B series in my RX-7 and a spare D series engine for my Cosmo. I was under the distinct impression that A-spec motors were infered as such due to the lack of a letter and the fact that they went straight to B. You learn something new everyday.

 

Spark plug fouling can occur on the RX8 as with the previous rotary engine. For 99% of owners it will not occur. It has occured at the dealers in the past when new the cars are being moved around to access inventory. Lot guy will start it, move 10 feet & shut it down. Do this several times cold and the plugs may foul.

 

As Far As I Know.

 

Wow! even my workmates uber-rare series 2 JC Cosmo "only" has a 'C' series. Good find.

-pete

 

My experience is as follows:

Flooding - caused by ECU going to "choke mode" (starting cold engine and keeping lots of fuel there until it warms up) - fuel builds up enough that liquid fuel exists in the rotor housing. This "washes down" any of the injected oil enough that you cannot create enough of a seal in the chamber to cause adaquate air pumping when you try to start it. Older engines with leaky injectors really make this much worse.

Solution was to let the engine warm up before shutting down - therefore ECU goes off "choke mode", and you don't have too much fuel (also, the warm engine vaporizes any fuel left). This problem occured rairly, as indicated by others (I have forgotten on many occations to let my 3rd gen. warm up and have never had it happen to me on my 3rd gen. I also had an 87 TII that had a fuel pump shutoff switch installed as it had leaky injectors - and when flooded I just had to shut down the pump to clear it - and it flooded even when warm).

Why is it talked about so much? Once you get your car, have a look at how hard it is to pull the plugs! On later RXs, (I have the third gen. FD), you can pull your back out changing them from above (I'm old ;-), and you need jack stands to do it from below. Not something you would do parked away from home.

Carbon lock - carbon builds up from the excessive oil earlier rotories had to inject - it could be burned or blasted off by reving the engine often (once or twice a day to say 6000 to 7000 RPM). Eventually, the carbon gets thick, and a piece breaks off and jams between an apex (not necessarily the seal) of a rotor and the housing. The starter wasn't powerful enough to break it out. If forced, it was 50/50 whether damage would occur, so most knowledgable mechanics would "rock" the rotor back and forth, trying to break the chunk up without excessive damage to the rotor, apex seal, or rotor housing. From the reports I've read on lists of this, it usually happened when the engine was cold.

How to operate the new RX-8? If I had one, once broken in, I would run it at 1 1/2 times the RPM I would a piston engine. I would not be afraid of runing it up close to redline at full throttle from time to time. Rotories need to be used hard because, like 2 stroke engines, they are piston ported (rotor ported), and those ports need to be kept clean. They are a 4 cycle engine (actually, better described as a continuous cycle). Just make sure you check the fluids and keep them well supplied. Remember, some of your engine oil is injected into the combusion chamber and lost, so you may use a bit more oil than say, a Honduh ;-). You usually will be changing the oil before you have to add any, but better safe than sorry.

 

When I was 16 in 1986, I was given an '80 RX-7 GS. I remember I first had the RPM to low, like you would drive any other car. Later, my dad told me to wait longer to shift, and what a difference it made! You'll find a comfortable spot around 4k or more. Under 3k, and you'll notice a sluggishness. The Rotary is so dang smooth at high RPM's. Nothing like it!

This site just makes me miss owning a Rotary....

 

Would purchasing a remote engine starter help with the warm up requirement? Any problems with using a remote starter? One more question. I taught myself to drive stick on my Corolla, and I have no idea what slipping the clutch means. Is that when I hold the clutch in while giving the car gas then letting out slowly while my RPM's are high? Thanks for the info!

 

yes that's slipping the clutch

but don't be making 4000+ clutch drops at every stop :D

2000 should be suffice for daily driving :D

 

Really, most of these issues should be covered in some detail in the owner's manual when you finally get the car. I wouldn't worry about it too much in the mean time...

 

HOLY COW! When I was 16 in 1957 my dad bought me a 1937 Dodge sedan for 25 bucks. How much did your dad pay?

 

1957? Wow! Was that 25 dollars, or 25 male deer?

 

Can you even find a used tire on a steel wheel for $25 these days?

 

ALWAYS use the parking brake when you park the car. My experience with the rotary was that even if you parked it with the transmission in first gear, the car required very little motivation to roll down slight grades if the parking brake was not set. Mine did have a light-weight flywheel that may have been the main cause of this phenomenon, but it is also true that there is relatively little (compared to a piston engine) rotational moment of inertia to keep the thing from rolling.

Just my experience...

 

here's my $0.02

i have a '87 TII, and have owned an FC for the last 5 yrs. if you're buying an auto, ignore all this shifting hooah, and trade your car in for a stick, lol

my quick tips:

1. ALWAYS have a quart of 20W-50 motor oil in your car. it could save your engine's life.

2. keep the RPM's above 3500. if they drop below this, DOWNSHIFT.

3. use driving next to a nice sports car as an excuse to downshift and run up to the redline.

4. celebrate each new tank of gas with your own personal 0-60 test, resisting the temptation to shift until you hear the buzzer, and realizing if you dont waste gas, then some V8 pissed on ford with a pimply-faced 16 yr old driver will.

as for you standard guys, here's what i do with my turbo.

if i am in a deserted area and no fast cars are around, or any people worth impressing, then i just let the clutch out till the car starts rolling, and before the engine dies, i give it some gas. this is my save the clutch method.

in the event i pull up next to a, say lexus or truck or something with power, and i dont want to be teh last off the line, i slip the clutch at 2500 rpm. i then wait till 4K to shift, after i've gotten good power but before i waste too much gas.

if i pull up next to a ricer, or a corvette or mustang, etc, i slip the clutch at 3500 or above and push it hard to 5K or above, depending on their speed.

 

also, as for smooth take offs, that should not be a problem. since rotaries dont have as much torque, an accidental drop clutch at 2K will not spin the tires.

i have a stiff FD clutch in my FC TII, and i have mastered the smooth takeoff, even at below 2K. since the designers of the 8 have put more emphasis on drivability, this clutch should be much easier and smoother. smooth take-offs will NOT be a problem, i can assure you. if they are, just practice in a parking lot late at night.

 

rx7aggie, 73JPS, Thanks for your posts! There are other good ones on previous pages! That is the info I just knew was out there, but not getting conveyed to us rotary newbies.

The parking brake info is one of several that was especially appreciated. I would have never thought of that. rx7aggie, you really put me in the driver's seat there. Good writing. Good info.

Keep the posts coming! I'm just not gonna clog the thread much with replies for every one.

I, and my fellow rotary newbies who are reading this thread will reply with questions when/if we come up with any.

THANKS!!!

 

I had an 87TII at one time also. I always warmed up the car properly before shutting it down. But it still flooded every once in a while anyway.

The solution was simple. A friend of mine installed a switch to disable the fuel pump. Therefore allowing the engine to crank with the existing fuel without extra fuel being sprayed into the engine by the injectors. Once the car got started I would immediately turn on the fuel pump and away I'd go. It didn't solve the problem of the engine actually flooding, but it made starting the car easy.

(I think I made the correct technical explanation, but if not someone else can correct me.)

 

When I was 16 in 1986, I think that 1980 RX-7 costs about 3k with 80k on it. It had had a bad "Earl Shive" paint job put on it, but it was sure a fun car. I would not give a 16 year old a car like that! I later upgraded to a loaded GSL-SE 1984. That was the best of the 1st generation RX-7.

Both cars had issues with cold weather. I carried a bottle of a starter fluid to spray in the 1980's carb (I parked it outside in the dead of a Colorado winter... it would make her crank at any temp!!). I just had to make sure not to release the key on the 1984 until she finished cranking, or else she would flood. But it didn't often happen, and you won't have these issues on the new RX-8's. Give a Rotary fuel and she'll run.

Rotary Rotary Rotary! Am I 16 again? Dang! No!

 

I thought I would resurrect this thread. The good old 7 owners I think are just getting a bit tired lately of answering the same old questions perhaps. Some good info here,especially about flooding, if you ask me. The originator of this thread really must have been a great guy! :p

 

This was a great read...thanks! I'm going to go drive my baby now.

 

I owned an 1980 RX-7 that I bought new and traded in 1984. My tips are:

1) Keep a quart of oil, funnel and rag in your trunk.
2) All Rx's will attract always woman. I met my wife that wanted to drive my car,
3) My '80 was a dangerous car when pushed to its limits. So take it easy until your sure that you understand its characteristics.

 

Yes, thanks for reposting this thread. I will be sure to do more driving the hell out my car. Forget the mpg's it really is about the fun anyway right!!!