Back in the rotary world: RX-8

I tried to contact that guy in Atlanta before it ever even made it to the GRM forums. No response.

I'm willing to spend money for an S2 or an immaculate 2008. It isn't exactly Grassroots, but having bought a trash-wagon RX-8 that I've spent more time wrenching on vs. driving has not been fun.

The GTI Fahrenheit that was at the lot was far more fun to drive than the auto RX-8 was, too. The manual transmission in the RX-8 is (to me)the difference between worth having and garbage. You can't drive slow car fast if it won't even try to go fast. The DSG was the next best thing to psychic in sport mode- that is an automatic transmission I can get behind.

Oh, Irony.

I had the car running fairly well, so I put it up for sale. I'm not getting much interest, so I've been driving it once a week or so to keep it mobile.

Apparently I should have just let it sit. Steering rack number three has died. I replaced the control module, the wiring harness and it is still throwing a code. I've heard that if you replace the control module you have to take it to the dealer to get it mated to the car/calibrated/something, but I didn't turn up anything specific.

The hot start problem popped back up. The compression was alright on the engine I put in, so I am hoping that a bit of redline therapy/decarbonation might help.

However, I went to drive it earlier today and it won't start AT ALL. The starter (pretty much brand new) isn't even clicking. The battery has a full charge, but it is acting like it is dead- no, a bit worse, because when I turn the key to the accessory position the electronics come on, but when I click to start it acts like it is trying to start for a moment then I lose all power. Turning the key back to "off" repeats the process. I think I have a short/ground problem, but I parked the car on my grass the last time I drove it and have no way of getting under it at the moment.

I was hoping to get the money I spent on the Miata I just bought (another thread) back out of the RX-8, but I think I have to be realistic and just dump it and the parts car for whatever I can get.

Ill give you 500 and a grilled cheese sandwich!

Could it be a bad main battery ground? Sure sounds like it.

I'll pay $501 and a turkey sandwich..

I agree, sounds like a bad ground. I bet it was iffy earlier and your starter wasn't getting full power, hence the hot start issues.

515 and a double cheeseburger with bacon.

Do the starters on tgese ground to the block like a traditional American v8? Could it be crap built up there?

Conclusion?

The conclusion was I should have saved more pennies and gotten a 2009 or later car. I knew that going in, but I wanted another rotary NOW!

You are rotarded, sorry it sucks. I have the same affliction. :(

Yep. I now have an S4 TII donor car (sans engine) and an S5 GXL with two spare S5 engines to get my fix.

When the thing gets flooded I've heard you have to clean the MAF if you're getting poor running, but no click on start not sure about that. That's what they did after I accidentally flooded my 05. Even after the deflooding procedure to get it started it ran like E36 M3 until they cleaned it out.

As to what was wrong, the engine was alright, but I got tried of chasing down electrical problems. There were so many that I wonder if this was a flood car that somehow never got tagged as such.