hello, i am fairly new to the forums as an actual member, but i joined because my car seems to be reaching its end.

i will put down here everything that is "wrong" with my car, and i would like to hear about similar issues, what can be done to fix them, who can fix them near the miami florida area, and how much parts would be.

first things first:

The car is an 04, 116k miles, 1.3l rx8, non sports edition (no sunroof) . regular oil changes, all the good stuff, but i can not tell you when was the last time the car was properly inspected for other issues or checked generally.

1: A:
engine: the car after a long or short drive, does not matter as long as its hot, will not turn on quickly unless i crank it for about 2 - 3 minutes with small pauses in between(sometimes more). When it does begin to start, it makes the WEIRDEST clanking noises like metal hitting metal type of noises as it cranks up. sometimes it stays cranking fo ever, but slowly picks up and turns on after a while. the sparks were replaced about 8 months ago, the starter has never been changed. thats all i know about this issue so far. NO FAUL ODORS COME OUT, just the smell of burning oil and burnt radiator fluid. the only thing i have noticed that makes this issue lessen down is the fact that after driving if i wait about 2 minutes before turning off my car, it will turn on quicker then if i dont, but will still make the clanking noise. this happens only when the vehicle is hot, when its cold, it starts quick after 4 -6 seconds of cranking the engine.

B:
The car picks up at high rpms without a problem, but at low rpms, right before passing 3-4k, it kind of stalls or loses power, then picks up like 210 HORSES! anyone know why it might do this? its weak in low rpms, but does not increase speed normally, it accelerates, slows down, then takes off.

2: suspension: i need some advice on my suspension, any bump that i go over, the car sounds like its falling apart, specially with weight in the car. WHEN I TURN, something makes a weird clanking sound when the tire is turned all the way right or left, but goes away after minutes of driving. it hits hard, then stays quiet. every bump i feel it in the back of my head, what can be done to access this issue or how much is a proper fix.

3: powersteering: THE powersteering in my car has been the biggest misison of life. it keeps coming ON and OFF, so it works for about a week, stops working for about 2 weeks, i unplug all the plugs, and most times, not all the times, it comes back for about a week after unplugging everything and putting it back to normal. in other words, it keeps working and not working for some reason that i dont know. any help with this will be greatly appreciated. i read the ways to fix it in these forums, but is there any way to know for sure what it is, because it cant be that bad if it keeps coming on after being unplugged and "messed" with.

4: last thing i need help with is: where can i find cheap parts for my car near the miami area , FL? parts i need are:
1) front bumper.
2) passenger side mirror plastic cover (grey)
3) side skirt passanger side.

I know its a lot of things i am asking for, but please take the time to help me out seeing as i have been dealing with these problems for a long time and need a solution to either continue driving my car, or selling it. how much would i be spending to make the car tip top shape, who can help me?

Thanks in advance.

 

sounds like your motor is shot. get a compression test to verify.

suspension could be a lot of things. blown shock, broken endlink ect...

the power steering harness probably needs to be cleaned. search and you will find threads on it.

gl

 

if youre near pembroke pines i'll take a look at it for you but youre probably better off crashing it into someone who failed to yeild your right of way (too damn often here) and getting a new car

 

i am guessing shot means its busted?

AS matter of fact i live by the miami gardens exit, one before pembroke pines. i would like to have someone knowledgble take a look at it, it might have something thats simple to fix and i am just over thinking about the issues.... get back to me to see if we can talk more about it and possible take a look at the car. pm me

 

#1 is almost certainly a dead engine

 

the car drives on a daily basis anywhere from 15-40 miles...and it drives fine, it just gives me the problems when i start the car, and when i try to start it after i turn it off and its still hot. i dont know anything about these cars mechanically, but if its dead, it can still work?

 

Yes.

Rotary engines are not piston engines. When a piston engine fails it's usually catastrophic and immediately terminal.

When a piston engine "fails" it just means low compression. The technical point at which a rotary engine fails is still well above the point at which it won't run. In fact, you can remove the seals from the engine completely, score no compression at all, and the engine can actually still run at sufficiently high RPM.

"Failing" via low compression is a thematic failing more than a technical one, where the performance of the engine in power, efficiency, and emissions has dropped too far below the original specs.

Yes, you can still drive on it, but the starting is going to get harder and harder and harder until you can't at all. You can mask this with a clean and strong ignition and/or with a faster and faster starter speed. It will just mask the problem though. The lower the compression gets, the faster it's going to lose compression as the hot exhaust gasses from the combustion blow by the seals and eat through the housing and what remains of the seals.

 

yea i kind of understand. do you know who and how much will be able to check my car and fix it for me? in the miami fl area.

 

If I were you my first step would be definitely get a compression test, before I do anything else. If nothing else than for peace of mind.

You could do a self compression test, the kits aren't too expensive and definitely worth it if you plan on having a rotary for a long time. My rx8 has 117k miles on it and I've been looking into getting one myself.