RX-7 Help

[-APEX-]

my friend she came to me with this question and i could'nt figure it out so maybe some one on beyond could help me well heres the story my frind she jus got an 89 RX-7 dx or gx i think but yea any way its been sitting in her back yard for a year plus so she goes to start it and it wont go so she calls me over i ocme chek it out and the batt was good the starter was like brand new so i was thinking the wireing came loose along the line cause i could'nt figure it out cause they put a re-built rotary in it and its only got like 150,000 kms on it so if some one could help me out that would be great

[CelicaST-162]

Ok, was there any clicking noise from the starter, how do you know the battery was good?Try boosting it too, anyways try to listen if there's any sound coming from the starter, if so tap the starter gently with a hammer then hopefully itll work!

[-APEX-]

yea well it was a new batt and i did'nt put it in backwars i was thinking there was something not connected right like here dad wired the starter in and i think he might have done a crappy job

[Eric Happy Meal]

hyow new is the battery? was it like you just put it in?

[-APEX-]

it was like put in a few months prior to that before she got i from her dad or uncel but if the batt was dead you would still get a clikng noise at least right she told me she'd need to call a rotary specialist from calgary and iwas like well yea possibly but lets look it over to make sure its not jus a loose wire and then youd waste someones time

[Eric Happy Meal]

if the battery is dead there would be no clicking whatsoever.

[Eric Happy Meal]

o, and im assuming you dont have a battery checker dealy, so check the water level inside the battery, if thats low you need a new one.

[Maxt]

Apex, the rx-7 is no different than any other car when it comes to the starting electrical system, get a haynes manual and basically follow the description it gives to check the battery starter etc etc, the haynes has a generic section on this, so it doesn't even have to be the manual for the Rx-7..
And if that water is low, you don't need to buy a new battery, you even top the water in maintenance free batteries....:rolleyes:
The only thing different is the fact the motor has to spin at , at least 250 rpm to start... So make sure the battery is fully charged, but in all seriousness,it sounds like you should let someone else look at it, the detail in your first post is not enough to decipher the problem, nor does it sound like you know what you are looking for, I am not being mean, just calling it as I see it..Maxt

[Eric Happy Meal]

well when the water in it gets low it usually means that the battery is at the end of its life, and even after topping the water off it still wont hold a charge.

[CanadianFC]

It's really hard to read your post, you should consider investing some time in punctuation.

But anyways. If it's a GX or GXL there should be a voltage meter indash - it is the bottom left guage. Turn the key to the number 2 position(the position rigth before you turn it to start it) and check if you are seeing any voltage.

If you don't then it is one of two things, you batt is dead and you have to boost the car, or two your battery cables are not connected properly, if this is the case your main fuse might have blown. This is the middle fuse in the engine compartment, it is held down by a screw.

If the voltage meter does move, you should see at least 12(any less you will need a boost), when you turn the key, you should see the needle go down to 8. If this is the case and you don't hear the starter turning but only clicking, most likely the starter is stuck or dead. If you don't see the needle move then the starter trigger is not connected.

This is assuming all the wiring harness is done correctly and no other problems exist.

[-APEX-]

k thanks cause i'm pretty sure it's got something to do with the eletricical wirering. I dont't know what else could be the problem so i'm gonna get a mechanic to look at it if i can't get it. Then if i he says i need a rotary specialist i'll be towing an rx7 to calgary

[Boostn]

Rotary/RX7 expert in Calgary = RX7 Specialties, they're supposed to be good.

http://www.rotaryengine.ca/

[-APEX-]

thanks maybe this can awnser some of my questions

[redline_13000]

battery is weak. Happened to me i put a new one in and started no problem.

[Maxt]

Originally posted by Eric Happy Meal
well when the water in it gets low it usually means that the battery is at the end of its life, and even after topping the water off it still wont hold a charge.
Are you a mechanic at Canadian tire??? Be a good place for you...Maxt

[Eric Happy Meal]

well i had to deal with that yesterday, after trying to charge my battery for 20 minutes without the battery getting any more of a charge, i figured itd be a good assumption that the battery was no more.

[Maxt]

It takes more than 20 minutes to charge a battery there sunshine...Unless you are using a mondo 50 amp charger..
Some of those little 1 ampers and stuff take 24 hours to charge the battery..
They more or less hid the service caps on battery, as first of all its a great way to sell batteries by decreasing the life of them my calling them maintenance free, second of all, 2 out of every 3 people are mechanically challenged, and people did stupid things around open batteries, like smoking, arc ground clips, or getting acid in their eyes.. The batteries are all servicable, it just takes a bit to get the caps off, just make sure you use distilled or demineralized water, hard water, like Calgary's will tend to nuetralize the electrolyte....Maxt

[Eric Happy Meal]

we used distilled water. and im not sure how many amps the charger was, but it was one of those ones where you have to drag it around on wheels. and is that 24 hour charging just enough to get the engine to crank over while still connected, or completely charging it?

[CanadianFC]

Or go get an Optima Gell Cell.