Help! My car won't start!

 

First off, DON'T PANIC! There are a number of things that could be wrong, many of which are simple and straightforward.

For a car to start, it has to be cranking, making compression, and getting fuel and spark. With those 4 things, a motor will run - might not run well, but it will run. So, let's go down the list.

Cranking - You turn the key, the car won't crank over.

First thing to check is the battery. Try turning on your headlights - if they pop up quickly and are bright, the battery is usually OK. If it cranks slowly or not at all, but the battery is good, it could be the starter. RX-7 starters last about 120,000 miles. If it does seem to be the battery, make sure the battery terminals are clean and in good shape. Might be due for a new starter or battery.

Compression - the motor turns over, but will NOT catch. Flooding problems.

This is the infamous flooding problem - a weak link in the rotary engine. There are MANY things which can cause flooding, from worn motors to weak spark plugs to misadjusted throttle position sensors. Flooding is caused when there's too much gas in the motor, which washes the oil film off the inside of the motor, lowering compression. So, to remedy this, you have to get the gas out, or get more oil in.

Common flooding occurances:

- Starting the car cold, backing it out of the driveway, then shutting it off before it warms up

- When the car is warm - going shopping, in the store for 10 minutes, return and the car won't start.

It's a fact of life with a 2nd gen. But, there's many easy ways to fix the problem.

First, if you try and start the car and it floods, turn the car off, wait a second or two, floor the gas pedal, and try to start the car. Sometimes this will work.

If this doesn't do it, look under the dash on the driver's side. There's a yellow relay next to the steering column on the right side. This is a fuel pump relay - unplug it. Floor the gas and try and start the car. It will probably start, then die. Plug the relay back in and it will then start. If you get good at this, when the car does start, just plug the relay back in and the car will keep running.

If you can't find the relay, or its dark and you don't have light under the dash, pop the hood. Near the battery is a fuse box - it's mounted on the driver's side shock tower. Remove the cover and, with the car off, pull the EGI fuse. Get in the car, floor it, and crank for 5 seconds. Turn the car OFF, get out, replace the fuse. Floor it and try to start - it should fire right up.

If mild flooding like this happens a lot, you can install a fuel pump switch. Get a simple 2-position toggle switch from a parts store and some wire. Remember that yellow relay under the dash? Cut the CENTER wire, FARTHEST from the "button" on the connector you push to unplug it. Attach a piece of wire to each cut end, and run these 2 wires to your switch. With the switch on, the car will run fine. Flip the switch off, and the fuel pump turns off. If the motor floods, floor it, flip the switch, crank, and flip the switch back when it starts - super easy to do.

If the "easy" fixes don't do it, you will have to get some oil in the motor. I would also recommend new spark plugs when you do this procedure.

Get some motor oil and something you can squirt it with. Remove the 2 bottom spark plugs on the engine. Squirt a tablespoon or so of oil in each hole - better if you can get a tube you can stick in the hole to feed oil into the motor. Replace the spark plugs. Get in the car, floor it, and crank it - you might also want to use your fuel pump switch if you have one. The car should fire up - KEEP IT RUNNING! It will take a bit for all the stuff to burn off inside the motor, and the car might not want to idle immediately. The car WILL have smoke coming from the tailpipe - don't be scared! Just keep it running!

Also, there's always push-starting the car. Get some friends and an empty street. Hop in the car and turn the key to the On position. Push in the clutch and put the car in 2nd gear. Get your friends to start pushing - once you get some speed up, pop the clutch and be ready with the gas pedal to keep the car running. This is a worst-case scenario, but push-starting works very well :).

Other common problems

The 2nd gen RX-7 uses an airflow meter fuel injection system. All air coming into the engine is measured by the airflow meter as it passes through the airbox. If there's an air leak between the airflow meter and the motor, the car will be tricky to start, may idle rough, or may not idle at all.

Finding vacuum leaks can be an art. It's tricky! Start by doing a visual inspection under the hood - look for popped off hoses and vacuum lines. On TurboII's, look at the rubber duct that goes from the airflow meter to the turbo inlet. It's very common for this hose to crack where it meets the turbo, causing a vacuum leak. If you don't see anything obvious, get a can of starting fluid from an auto parts store. If you can get the car running, have a friend hold the gas pedal to keep it running at 1500-2000 RPM or so. Gently spray starting fluid anywhere you think there could be a leak - the engine will rev up when it sucks the fluid in. Be careful - starting fluid is flammable! Avoid spraying it on hot exhausts and the like.

Another common problem, especially after working on the car, is the timing. 9 times out of 10, after an engine rebuild, if it doesn't start right up, the timing is off. Make sure to insert the crank angle sensor according to the Haynes and/or shop manual, and make sure the plug wires are on right. If the plug wires are installed on the wrong plugs, the timing will be off, and the car won't start.

Good luck!