Going to look at a SC with Blown Head Gaskets

See if you can find me a '93 RX-7 with a blown apex seal. Preferably an R1.

Thanks, Vernon
 
Well I thought it was funny.

Look for:
an abs light that won't go off after a minute, and a brake light that flashes on everytime you stab the brakes. = bad ABS

lack of maintenance, examine the plug wires if they say 1989 on them you know what.

remove the blower belt (18mm wrench) and spin the blower over, since this is an 89 there shouldn't be any play here.

see if the oil pan is resting on the subframe = bad motor mounts

peer down the oil fill spout for gunk

check the coolant condition, should be green and clear, without rust. May just be water since the HGs are blown and they may have been messing with it. If it's water, how long-rust, how cold where you are-freeze cracks

get the front wheels up and try to rock them in and out on top = upper ball-joints/control arms

Vernon
 
Doesn't look like any Super Coupe I've ever seen before. Check to make sure there's a blower under the hood while you're there!;) Looks like a base model with SC wheels and a ground effects kit installed. JMHO
 
about the ABS...

I don't want to make any waves, but just because the ABS light or brake light comes on, doesn't really mean the entire ABS is bad. If you have no ABS or BRAKE lights on after first starting the car (the should flash on for a few seconds when the key is turned on), then I would ask to see if the bulbs are in the sockets on the instrument cluster. If the brake pedal is VERY stiff, and the ABS and BRAKE lights flash everytime you hit the brake pedal, then the brake accumulator is shot. The accumulator is easy to replace. It could also be as simple as a bad accumulator pump motor relay, or the pump motor itself.

Good luck,

Phil
 
pileit1 said:
Doesn't look like any Super Coupe I've ever seen before. Check to make sure there's a blower under the hood while you're there!;) Looks like a base model with SC wheels and a ground effects kit installed. JMHO

Yea, I will. I noticed it too when I first saw it on Auto Trader
 
Uh, Phil if any one of those things you mentioned isn't working, the ABS doesn't work which was my point. If the ABS isn't working you have a accident waiting to happen even if the actual brakes are in good shape.

So I guess I should have written it that "If the brake light flashes when you stab the pedal one or more of the components in the ABS is bad but the rest is probably ok but until you diagnose and spend and repair you won't have brakes for **** in a panic stop?" See it's much easyer to say "= ABS is bad".

No big deal I just don't see the reason to try and correct a general statement that is basically a fact. Most newbies don't know enough about the ABS to pinpoint the problem.

Vernon
 
my light flashes when i push the pedal hard 2 times, I know my accumlator is bad... doesn't make the whole ABS system bad.
 
Vernon if your talking to me, then its because I got the magical ABS unit ;) just kidding but I suppose its not all the way bad, its probably just not holding as good as it should. I'll get around to replacing it.
 
Yeah, just do it asap. It'll go all the way out just when some dummy pulls right out in front of you. Believe me when that accumulator gives you won't even be able to stop. You have been warned.

Vernon
 
i was lookin at that same sc the other day. but i found a different one im trying to buy. good luck with it.
 
Vernon, I think you are taking it to the extreme....

Rab HAD symptoms but ignored them for a YEAR!! A year is a long time to let a problem get worse. I am sorry he wrecked his ride, but technically, it was his own fault!! He knew there was a problem with leaking, but did nothing to fix it!! Lights or not, there was an obvious problem!

Personally, I don't rely on my ABS to stop my car and yes, I have been in MANY close calls here in lovely and busy Charlotte, NC!

BTW, ABS brakes are a component of the brake system. ABS brakes are not meant to stop your car, you are responsible for that. So if you think and trust ABS to keep you out of a wreck, chances are you will be in another one.

Not trying to piss you off here, just stating the fact that ABS does not stop your car for you

Phil
 
Yeah your right Phil, I'll let you off the hook. I just hate being nit-picked. My whole point was how to find out if there was something amiss with the ABS without actually being able to drive it and that was all.

But seriously Phil, not trying to flame you (anymore
:rolleyes: ) the problem is that when the ABS malfuntions you literally have no brakes like Rab found out. This design is so intergrated into the mechanical end of the system that you can't separate them. It doesn't matter if you don't rely on the ABS, like I said in the other thread I don't, but if something unexpected happens and you have to stop in a hurry you can't. If I can make any point let it be this, if your ABS is malfuntioning in any way consider the car unsafe and don't drive it. If you have no choice the best thing you can do is pull the ABS fuse. Then you will still only have front brakes but at least you can lock and unlock them through the pedal.

Vernon
 
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