So sorry, AF. It sounds like he was a great guy.

My condolences.

Sorry to hear :( On the bright side it sounds like he left a pretty decent apple that didn't fall far from the tree :)

I truly appreciate all the kind comments ... thank you !!



Now on with thread :D today's update: car was flatbedded to the dealer ... gotta love AAA .... it cost me only $20 !!

The car started right up, no check engine light and the power was there but I didn't want to chance it which is why I flatbedded. I'm betting like the others it is the coils and spark plugs.

Also I can't believe I'm going to say his but the yellow is starting to grow on me.

A short course of antibiotics should clear that right up. :D

:lol::lol:

AF, if the yellow really bugs you, car wraps are getting to be very reasonable and quick. (as long as you don't mind it still being yellow under the hood)

That's a good suggestion. Cheap, temporary, you can get creative without ruining the car long term and won't kill resale.

So the dealer checked the car out and said the compression is low in #2. They said they need to replace the coils, spark plugs and wires and they want to do a good carbon cleaning on number 2 (he called it a cylinder but we all know these cars don't have cylinders) and it should hopefully bring the compression back up.

The main issue is whether to spend the dollars and hope that fixes the compression issue ... I don't know how these things work but he did say to get compression you need a spark which the car is now not getting.

He also asked when the car ran well last which is pretty much a month and a half ago when the car was being used on a regular basis.

At this point I think I'll take my chances and spend the dollars to fix it :dunno:

AF,

If the dealer did a correct compression test, he should be able to provide you the compression numbers per chamber, per rotor. Could you please ask them to provide this, and then share it with us? "Low" compression can mean a lot of things. The manual used to specify less than 600kPa (dealer might report this as 6.0) as low. A well-built new engine should be between 7.5 and 8.0 (or more!). Typically well-used rotaries may be 6.5-7.0 on the front rotor and 6.0-6.5 on the rear.

There are two main failure modes on the RENESIS as far as compression goes. One, the engine simply wears out - the apex seal springs get weak or the seals wear, or the housings wear. This will manifest as low compression across all chambers. "Cleaning" the chambers will do nothing.

Two, if the car has been sitting a long time without being driven, one or more seals (typically one) can become stuck. This is pretty rare, and really affected older rotaries more than the RENESIS. If this is the case, in some instances the seal can be un-stuck by putting some oil with high levels of detergents (typically ATF) into the chamber and letting it soak. I think this is pretty unlikely to be the case with yours based on what you've posted.

My advice (you didn't ask for it but it's free, so take that for what it's worth) is to have them do the coils and plugs and not the cleaning. Have them provide the compression numbers. This will inform you of what steps to take next. From what you've described the engine might have low compression, but it sounds like it's fine. These cars can run for many years with low compression in the rear rotor and other than a little loss in power and sometimes some hot hard-starting have no other ill effects.

Thanks for the advice .. .I really appreciate it !!

I had told the dealer to go ahead with what they wanted to do and then just called them after reading your message and they clarified that they wanted to soak the rotors in oil to I guess help something with the seals he had said :dunno:

They also gave me the compression numbers

Front 5.7 & 5.2

Rear 6.5, 6.4, 6.2

I hope I didn't make a mistake telling them to go ahead with it.