So about two weeks ago Im coming home from work and the car starts stumbling real bad and sounds like its running on only one rotor. This was at a stoplight , so I turn it off turn it back on and it runs fine. Drove it all the way home with no issues. My wife takes it to the store real quick , or thought she was. She turned on the car and it was acting like its running on only one rotor again. She freaked out, and came to get me. We leave the car that night then the next day I was going to look at it.

So the next morning I checked the plugs. They were horrible as expected, so I replaced them and replaced the O2 sensor ( the front one had been bad ) while I was working on it. I get it all back together thinking ok now I can start driving this thing because I fixed the O2 sensor. I figured the stumbling was due to the bad plugs.

Except now it wont start at all. Before this it would start, but fall all over itself. So I replaced everything back to original. The O2 sensor first, with no luck. Then double checked the plugs then finally put the old ones back in. Still no start, it will crank all day long but not start. I know its getting fuel because it will flood out all day long. I know its getting spark because my buddy shocked the hell out of himself checking it. I thought it might be the CAT but I took it off and looked at it, it looked fine. That and there was none of the symptoms and the CEL had no code for it.

I have deflodded the engine over and over again, then as soon as I put it all together again and try to start it, it floods out again like its not getting any spark. Except it is getting spark it has new plugs and the coils are at the most a year old.

The only thing I can think of now is it either has horrible carbon build up ( which wouldn't surprise me ) or the ECU is not letting it start. I would think it had bad compression, thus no start.But an engine actually blowing from easy driving doesn't seem right.

So that's where Ive been for the last two weeks. I have searched and found everything so far but now I need ideas. I really don't want to take it to the dealer.

 

how many miles are on the car?

 

The car is a 2004 RX-8 with 74,000 miles. The coils are at most one year old. Never had a history of flooding issues except when the coils started going bad. I am not sure of the starter but I havent ever had an issue with it.

Oh and I also checked the fuel sock too. That ring was not as easy as people on here make it out to be either. I cracked mine and had to buy a new one. Ray at MAlloy Mazda is the man!

 

hmmm since your coils are good, spark plugs good, you have no choice but to take it in....remember the engine core has a 100k mile warranty, if indeed you compression is low mazda owes you a new engine

 

Is there a way to decarbon an engine that wont start. I am familiar with the ways to clean it but the car needs to be running.

 

possible MAF problem since the car won't start, possibly mis-routed plug wires. To decarb you dont need a running car, at least if you do it as per mazda's tsb i dunno about the aftermarket products.

in fact doing a decarb procedure is a way to start a severely flooded car.

kevin.