Car dies...
 

I got in the car this afternoon and car wouldn't start as the battery was death..

After installing a new battery the car started fine. Drove about 4-5 miles and all the sudden, car dies. I was able to start it back up, drove down the street and as soon as I engage the clutch, put in neutral, the idle goes super low and engine dies.

I was able to drive the car home but I had to keep the idle high in order to keep the car alive. I don't understand way changing the battery would do this...

Anyone have any ideas?

your alternator might be dead or faulty

the new battery might die soon.

Did you ever get the charging system checked after changing everything at the Gap?

I'll take the alternator and see whats up..

But when I did start the car and idle at 800RPM, it was making 13.8V.

if it's pushing 13.8 it should be ok. i know advance or autozone can check the whole of the charging system on the car, but since it is dying when the rpms drop driving the car there isn't much of an option.

Ok.. Now I got the car started and drove for about 10 mins. Car NOW seems fine!! i just don't understand what the problem is... Everytime, its something new...

Maybe it was just a loose connection on the battery/alt from playing with it at the gap...

I would still have the alt checked to be sure.

I'm still leaning towards fuel filter, lol...

The only time my car (FC) ever just went dead on me, I had a bad connection at the battery. Basically the terminal connector would randomly fail on me (corrosion I guess) and my car would die. I'm not sure why though since I've seen cars run just on the alternator with no battery, but :dunno: . Just something that may help.

Yesterday, I took off from work early and did some testing and checking..

All the connection seems to be ok and I also checked the VFAD. Everything seems to be OK.

So, I started the car and the car started and died as the idle came back down. So, I started up again and kept the RPM up and it stayed alive.. I kept the idle up for about 30 secs and it idled back down..

I then shut the car off and did the ecu reset. I started the car and it started fine and idled perfect!!

So, this is where I stand today..

This morning... I started the car, it started, and died as RPM went from 3k to 1k.. and dead.

I started the car again and it started fine!!! I drove it to work and everything seemed ok..

I just don't understand??

PHIL

Those symptoms rule out the relevance to my problem.

Yay for RX-8s? :dunno:

Is the computer throwing any codes after it does this?

I wonder if the problems you were having with the alt putting out 24v might have had an impact on the ECU.

I would assume 24v could be very damaging. I know on FC's, anything over 15volts can damage things, and 24v would likely blow the ECU, much less injure it.

YOU CANNOT HAVE THE ALTERNATOR TESTED AT ADVANCE OR ANY AUTO PARTS STORE.

Their equipment cannot simulate the circuit within the RX-8's ECU to get an accurate test.

By the way, the 24V thing at DGRR wasn't true...

Later that night, I couldn't believe that the alternator was producing that kind of volt so I decided to check another FE... Sure enough, the other FE was producing the same voltage. I then guessed that the volt meter was off.. Next day volt meter was tested and sure enough, it was bad.

My volt meter suggest that the car is producing enough voltage.. My guess now is that 8 is sucking up power and when voltage drops its putting the car in the limp mode (my previous problem). My current problem, I'm guessing maybe the ECU had to learn?? I'm just keep an eye out and see... I guess if I make it hope ok, then I'm good.

Oh, does anyone have any info about changing out Fuel Filters?? I'm just going to go ahead and do that just in case..