Finally got an FD!

[danbobnix]

Hi all,

Thought I’d introduce myself - Dan up in Blackpool.

I won my FD in a competition raffle thing in Aus - lucky boy! Shipped from Japan to me and now sat on the driveway. When it arrived I think I was a bit disappointed by the condition; very rough round the edges. Not helped by having built it up so much in my head over the past few months… but I think a lot of the imperfections and issues are to be expected with the age of these and the general aura around the cars and modifications they lend themselves to. Plus I’ve been spoiled by company cars and good grade vehicles from Japan over the years.

I’ve been having a bit of a wobble the past few days putting it up for sale and then not, then for sale again…. But decided I’m going to keep it and make it mine/sort the niggles. I’ll probably never get the chance again, so may as well make this count. Having owned a couple of RX8s in my late teens and twenties, this feels like the real deal.

First and foremost. It. Won’t. Start. So very close to firing up today. Assumed it was the battery, so bought a new one, still didn’t start. So going to borrow a battery charger and charge the one it came with, as I was reliably informed it ran getting on and off the boat; and rightly it wouldn’t have been allowed to sail on the RORO. I suspect it’s not been run enough and may have taken on too much fuel. So I have some reading and fiddling to do just to get it moving.

I’m going to apologise in advance for being a pest and needing total reassurance at every step.

Anyway, hello and thanks for having me!

 

[Tjp8]

Welcome to the forum.

Its probably flooded if its been started and stopped alot and not ran for a bit.

Copied from another forum.

Charge your battery
Pull the spark plugs .
Pull the EGI fuse.
Run the starter/crank the engine two or three times.
Clean the plugs and reinstall.
replace the EGI
With a fully charged battery try to start the car

Done this a few times to mine when i first got it.

Good luck

 

[Joeybratten]

Give us a bit more information.

Single turbo or stock twins?
What ecu?
What porting?

As above, doing a flood clear procedure is generally a good place to start.

 

[Francob]

Welcome to owning a financial disaster.

Enjoy.

 

[rob fd]

You might get away without even pulling the plugs if its not to bad. EGI fuse out, turn it over for 20 seconds with throttle fully open. Put fuse back in and start it, abit of throttle would likely help. These cars are prone to flooding if started and stopped without been warmed up.

 

[rotors7]

I've always revved the engine as I'm turning the ignition off, read it in an article somewhere.
Hope it's a useful tip
I'm sure others will add info.

 

[danbobnix]

Welcome to the forum.

Its probably flooded if its been started and stopped alot and not ran for a bit.

Copied from another forum.

Charge your battery
Pull the spark plugs .
Pull the EGI fuse.
Run the starter/crank the engine two or three times.
Clean the plugs and reinstall.
replace the EGI
With a fully charged battery try to start the car

Done this a few times to mine when i first got it.

Good luck

Thank you, done a good few goes… very nearly started this morning with my chunky jump pack!

Give us a bit more information.

Single turbo or stock twins?
What ecu?
What porting?

As above, doing a flood clear procedure is generally a good place to start.

Stock twins, stock ECU, no porting (that I’m aware of)

Think I’m on my last try before pulling the plugs

Welcome to owning a financial disaster.

Enjoy.

Feeling it already with the minor shopping list just from a walk round… without considering MOT stuff!

You might get away without even pulling the plugs if its not to bad. EGI fuse out, turn it over for 20 seconds with throttle fully open. Put fuse back in and start it, abit of throttle would likely help. These cars are prone to flooding if started and stopped without been warmed up.

Hoping so, remember doing it on my 8s years ago and it was a bit of a pain on the driveway with a very DIY toolset. I’ll try a bit of throttle when my pack is recharged. Done the EGI fuse turnover a few times and ready to try cranking to start again!

I've always revved the engine as I'm turning the ignition off, read it in an article somewhere.
Hope it's a useful tip
I'm sure others will add info.

Yeah get that fuel burnt! Thank you!


Thanks all, certainly an interesting, nice-to-have headache. Equally very frustrating!

 

[jack.am]

Buy new plugs
Take old plugs out
EGI fuse out
Crank it with no plugs, be amazed at all the fuel coating everything
New plugs in
Start

 

[Joeybratten]

Being on a stock ECU, if you foot to the floor whilst cranking it operates the oem flood clear procedure and cuts the injectors off.

 

[danbobnix]

Got some new plugs on the way try and have a go this weekend

 

[Joeybratten]

Got some new plugs on the way try and have a go this weekend

Did you get oem heat range or 4x 9s? Sometimes it can help to have the 7s in the leading

 

[JoeLanger]

How did it go? Certainly sounds flooded I'd say. If their driving it on off trailers and shutting it off cold. Probably quite bad if you've been trying to start it.

Plugs out and crank, leave them out for a day.

This is your first rite of passage

 

[danbobnix]

Well, many months later after new plugs and clearing that flood, it is running. A few other jobs sorted with her MOT booked in on Monday next week. Swapped wheels that were too big and sticking far too far out the arches - found some strips of rubber up in there when I was poking around. Rear fog done, lights/lamps swapped and working (still need to swap both main beam lamps as one is not working, doing the pair for), and got a battery holder clamp thing to fit. Should hopefully let me give it a quick run out to the booked MOT, via a bit of a detour to give it a quick blast on a bit of a more open road.

Not going to lie, given the amount of time its been sat I'm dreading it... but equally excited to hopefully get one step closer to registration. Just wish I had more time to get it to this stage and it not take 8 months!! Such is modern life.

Get these last bits out the way, then get on top of other maintenance bits/schedule stuff in so I know what I'm doing to give it the best chance of not going pop! Just can't wait to get it moving!

 

[Matt]

the MOT goes to plan and you get to enjoy the car!

 

[danbobnix]

Well, was all going so well with a pre-MOT/checks that I asked for just before the MOT and then got the call that "there is no way it will pass emissions". Did speak to them about booking in another day and trying to get everything hot after a drive and going straight into the test but feel like they wanted to wash their hands of it, so didn’t. The rest was encouraging, I.e. said it was all good otherwise. So, I’m equally optimistic.

Trying to find out from the guys who supplied the car from Aus/Japan if there are any changes to the engine and exhaust, other than the backbox and intake piping I can see.

Also tempted to try and get it in with Silver Fern (closest specialist to me), and get them to give it a quick check/once-over as well as my little list (and MOT).

The wait goes on!

 

[Temujin]

what year is the car? If prior to 95 it won’t need the fast idle test but most normal mot places will do it anyway.

Speak to the local place about getting it a mot and see what they can do to help.

 

[Francob]

Find a friendly MOT tester and you’ll be golden.

 

[danbobnix]

what year is the car? If prior to 95 it won’t need the fast idle test but most normal mot places will do it anyway.

Speak to the local place about getting it a mot and see what they can do to help.

it's a 1998 so no dice on that sadly

Find a friendly MOT tester and you’ll be golden.

Putting a few feelers out locally in the local car clubs... asking the question without asking the question

 

[MILLION]

where are you based. I know a few around reading

 

[MILLION]

ah, just read. Blackpool.