At a loss: Flooded Rotary content

I flooded my RX8 this weekend by ignoring the manual and my better judgement and driving it out of the garage and parking it in the driveway after only a few seconds of run time. When I hopped in the car Monday to go to work and went to start it it sputtered once then would only crank but not fire.

After work I pulled the fuel pump fuse and cranked it on and off until the battery died with no further sputters. While I re-charged the battery I pulled the plugs. They were fouled and wet with fuel. I cranked the engine without the plugs 5 or 6 times for about 10 seconds each, put them back in, replaced the fuel pump fuse and got another sputter before it died. I then pulled the plugs again, this time they were only slightly damp, but covered in little carbon bits. I cranked it a bunch again with no plugs (and no fuel pump fuse), replaced them (and the fuse) and this time it started, ran 1 second and died. By then it was dark so I gave up for the night.

My plan tonight is to remove the plugs and fuse again, crank it like crazy to try and dry it out and give it another go. What else should I try? a squirt of ATF in the housings? Starting fluid? I'm starting to get frustrated and worred.

Thanks

I wouldn't try starting fluid.

I've had it a bunch of times with flooded engines that the wet plugs were never the same afterwards. It might be worth trying to "dry them out" carefully with a blow torch (no, I don't accept any responsability if you blow yourself up) - I've done that semi-successfully in the past - but it might simply be new plug time.

Agree on the plugs. Try new ones.

I always used brake cleaner to dry the plugs.

If it fails again do a fastish towed bump start, say 25 mph.

Of course all mine were carbed

she needs an italian tuneup...

or in reality, new plugs

New plugs and a strong battery. When you have to shut it down cold kill the ignition while holding 3,000 rpm, this clears unburned fuel from the engine.

Plugs today are made cheaper. Back when most thing ran carbs and were prone to flooding the ceramics were coated, today they skip this step so most plugs once there flodded there done or will "leak" some voltage thur the ceramic thus less power to ignite.

The ATF trick worked for my brother many many times.

Thanks, I'll try new plugs tonight. $25x4= ouch!

One of the joys of magic spinning triangles.

10 seconds not enough. Wait until the white mist stops.

Did you ever do the coil update?

If its a stick car, push start it. You will spend the rest of your life killing the starter and battery. If you push start it, it will be running in about 15 seconds.

Really. I'm serious.

I had a guy that used have his towed in a couple of times a year, and less than 50" of pushing would have it running. He took to parking in a parkade, and backing in so he could just coast it down the ramp.

bgkast wrote: Thanks, I'll try new plugs tonight. $25x4= ouch!

Holy cow! Last time I bought them, they were $4.99 each at Advance! Ooops. That was for a 13BT. Guess the RX-8's are more.

I cranked it for a total of a minute or so with no plugs, in 10 second intervals. Still have the original style coils. They only have about 10,000 miles on them. I need to upgrade them and the starter...

It's a stick. I'll try tow starting it if the new plugs don't do the trick.

PUSH IT NOW. Really.

Drag it behind a truck at 30mph in second gear till it starts.

And then clear the exhaust system out in front of that neighbor's house. You know the one.

You'll get a cloud of white smoke you can walk on.

The coil update is crucial. One of my dealer-net friends was telling me about it. Weak original-spec coils were leading to a low compression situation. Replace the coils and compression comes back up.

I scoffed at that, but on the other hand, I just today experienced a similar thing. Engine was getting tired and, while not stuttering and missing, was generally feeling soft in the midrange, a typical symptom of compression going away. Replaced the distributor cap (the old one's terminals were eaten half away!) and drove it for sixty miles. Feels strong like bull again.

No joy with the new plugs, but towing it 100 feet did the trick! Thank you

bgkast wrote: No joy with the new plugs, but towing it 100 feet did the trick! Thank you

This is the part where an shiny happy person would say, "I told you so." , but I would never do that, because I'm a nice guy.

I really don't know why it works. My theory has to do with the greater inertia of the rotor throwing the apex seals harder against the rotor housing, or something. Its the speed that does it.

aussiesmg wrote: I always used brake cleaner to dry the plugs. If it fails again do a fastish towed bump start, say 25 mph. Of course all mine were carbed

If you dont want to spring for new plugs wire wheel your old ones and then clean then off with starting fluid, pop em back in quick and give her a rip, have another car nearby with the battery cables adjacent to give it a jump while you do so ensuring fast cranking speeds.

You have a yellow RX-8, so you have a 2004.

There is an ECU update for the early cars that fixes a bunch of crap that was wrong in the early tunes. One of them helps starting by cutting fuel to the engine for the first three seconds of cranking. Since you've got a 2004 model car if you have not gotten the last ECU flash, do it.

And people try to call an LS1 swap a sacrilege.

dculberson wrote: And people try to call an LS1 swap a sacrilege.

Are you trying to make trouble?!

Something else that helps with 'garage mode': windshield washer solvent. It has a high methanol content and can definitely help a flooded rotary start. Use only the cheap blue stuff, not the fancypants freaky color versions.

Was going to say that procedures to start a flooded RX8 is online someplace but looks like everything is covered here. You have a 2004 RX8 that hasn't had the engine replaced under warranty? I had the engine in my 04 RX8 replaced under warranty for flooding at 98,000 miles (warranty was for 100,000 miles). Don't know if the warranty is still in effect. And no, don't wire wheel the plugs, for reasons specified above. The later ones supposedly had most of the issues fixed. Although they will still flood, just not as easily. The redline (rev limiter) was lowered from 9200 to 9000 on the later ones also. One of the quirks of owning an RX8.