1988 MAZDA RX7 Fuel System, Gasoline Problems

THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPER FAILED AND GASOLINE WAS LEAKING ONTO THE TOP OF THE ENGINE.

Mileage: 135,000

1988 MAZDA RX7 GXL PULSATION DAMPENER ON THE INJECTOR RAIL HAS STARTED SPRAYING FUEL ONTO MY ENGINE DUE TO ITS AGE.. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE AND A MISTAKE BY MAZDA THAT THEY NEED TO FIX! I ALMOST LOST MY CAR TODAY HAD THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IT LET OUT ONTO THE ENGINE WERE TO OF GOTTEN DOWN TO THE EXHAUST AND IGNITED . ( CHANGED BAD FUEL FILTER ) THE NEW AMOUNT OF PRESSURE GETTING INTO THE LINE MAY OF CAUSED THIS.. BUT THE PART IS MADE OF RUBBER AND AGAIN IS KNOWN TO BREAK. THERE WAS NO FIRE BUT ADVISED TO NO LONGER DRIVE THE CAR TILL THE ISSUE IS FIXED. *TR

Mileage: 200,000

MAZDA RX7 DEFECT 86-91. MAZDA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ONGOING ISSUE BUT WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL. THE PULSATION DAMPER ON ALL MAZDA RX7'S FROM 1986-1991 IS PRONE TO FAILURE. THE DEVICE LITERALLY COMES APART ALLOWING FUEL TO LEAK OUT. EVENTUALLY ENOUGH FUEL LEAKS OUT AND ONTO THE HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING A VEHICLE FIRE. I HAVE NOW BEEN INVOLVED WITH TWO OF THESE INCIDENCES. THE FIRST ONE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE ON MY 1986 RX7, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT BEFORE TOTAL DEVASTATION. THE RESULT OF THE FIRE WAS ABOUT $1500.00 WORTH OF REPAIRS. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT THE FIRE WAS THE RESULT OF A FUEL LEAK FROM THE PULSATION DAMPER. I NOW OWN A 1988 RX7 CONVERTIBLE AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN I BEGAN TO SMELL FUEL INSIDE THE CAR REALLY STRONG, SO STRONG IN FACT THAT I THOUGHT THAT THE FUEL TANK MUST BE LEAKING. I IMMEDIATELY PARKED THE CAR AND STARTED TO GIVE IT THE ONCE OVER NEVER THINKING THAT WITH THE SMELL BEING SOO STRONG THAT IT COULD BE COMING FROM THE PULSATION DAMPER. I CHECKED THE GAS TANK AND EVERY HOSE ON IT, NOT A DROP OF FUEL, AS A LAST RESORT I FIGURED I BETTER CHECK THE PULSATION DAMPER AND SURE ENOUGH FUEL WAS POURING OUT OF IT. I THINK THAT IF MY CAR HAD NOT BEEN A CONVERTIBLE I WOULD HAVE NOT NOTICED IT UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE AND HAD ANOTHER FIRE. NOW EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO FIRE IT IS STILL GOING TO COST AROUND $500.00 TO REPAIR BECAUSE THE PART IS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE FUEL INJECTION ASSEMBLY WHICH HAS TO BE COMPLETELY REMOVED IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE PULSATION DAMPER. I BELIEVE MAZDA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR, THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS/DEADLY SITUATION AND WILL DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

Mileage: 134,000

I PURCHASED A 1988 MAZDA RX-7 GXL A FEW WEEKS. TWO DAYS AGO I BEGIN TO SMELL GAS IN THE CABIN. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BAY I HAVE FOUND THE PULSATION DAMPER ON THE FUEL RAIL IS LEAKING. I'VE BEEN RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART AND HAVE HAD CONCERN ABOUT HOW I'VE FOUND MORE ARTICLES ON THE CONSISTENT FAILURE OF THIS PART AND ITS POTENTIAL TO LEAD TO FIRE. THE COST OF THIS PART IS $137 AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY MAZDA HAS MADE THE PART I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS PART WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN WITHIN THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS FAIR TO THE CONSUMER AS THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A MAINTENANCE REQUIRED PART AND SURELY MAZDA HAS NEVER ADVERTISED THIS PART AS SUCH. *TR

(1) NO LEADING EVENTS (2)PULSATION DAMPER FAILED/BROKEN: LOW COMPRESSION IN THE FRONT ROTOR; LOW POWER OVER ALL; CONSTANT SMELL OF RAW/UNBURNT FUEL; INCREASED POWER LOSS AT 3650 R.P.M. LASTING UNTIL WELL AFTER 4500 R.P.M.(SECONDARY FUEL INJECTORS FIRING); 133 MILE TO 16.9 GALLONS OF FUEL (7.86 MILES TO A GALLON); PROBLEM IDENTIFIED BEFORE FIRE BROKE OUT; ZERO DAMAGE (EXCEPT LEAKING PULSATION DAMPER) (3) REPLACED PULSATION DAMPER WITH "BANJO BOLT"; PULSATION DAMPER REMOVED FROM SYSTEM. *JB

I RECENTLY NOTICED A FUEL SMELL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY 88 RX7. FOUND IT TO BE THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPENER, A COMMONLY FAILING COMPONENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, BEING A LITTLE PLASTIC CAP THAT HOLDS BACK THE FUEL FROM LEAKING DIRECTLY ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I KNOW OF NUMEROUS FIRES CAUSED BY THIS OFTEN RESULTING IN A FULL ENGINE VEHICLE BURN OUT. I HAVE REPLACED THE SYSTEM WITH STRAIGHT FUEL LINES WHICH, BAD FOR THE ENGINE IS THE PRICE I WILL PAY TO KEEP FROM HAVING A ENGINE FIRE. I ALSO NOW FEEL FORCED TO KEEP A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE CAR IN EASY REACH AT ALL TIMES. *JB

Mileage: 92,000

I RECENTLY NOTICED A FUEL SMELL IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY 88 RX7. FOUND IT TO BE THE FUEL PULSATION DAMPENER, A COMMONLY FAILING COMPONENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM, BEING A LITTLE PLASTIC CAP THAT HOLDS BACK THE FUEL FROM LEAKING DIRECTLY ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. I KNOW OF NUMEROUS FIRES CAUSED BY THIS OFTEN RESULTING IN A FULL ENGINE VEHICLE BURN OUT. I HAVE REPLACED THE SYSTEM WITH STRAIGHT FUEL LINES WHICH, BAD FOR THE ENGINE IS THE PRICE I WILL PAY TO KEEP FROM HAVING A ENGINE FIRE. I ALSO NOW FEEL FORCED TO KEEP A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN THE CAR IN EASY REACH AT ALL TIMES. *JB

Mileage: 92,000

THE PULSATION DAMPER ON MY MAZDA RX7 1988 GXL SCREW WORKED ITS WAY OUT AND I WAS GETTING FUEL SPILL ALL OVER MY ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HAD I NOT NOTICED THE FUEL SMELL AND FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS THEN MY CAR MAY HAVE BURNED IT SELF UP IN AN UNDER THE HOOD FIRE. *LA

Mileage: 188,000

THE PULSATION DAMPER HAS BEEN LEAKING FOR A WHILE, BUT WAS NOT DETECTED UNTIL VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PH

I WAS PROCEEDING TO THE PEP BOYS TO GET THE FUEL LEAK IN THE PULSATION DAMPENER FIXED WHEN THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. IT WAS PUT OUT WITHOUT THE CAR BURNING TO THE GROUND. DT

THE PULSATION DAMPER RUBBER SEAL RUPTURED DUE TO BAD PLACEMENT AND DESIGN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING FUEL RIGHT OVER THE EXTREMELY HOT MANIFOLD AND SPARKED A SMALL ENGIN FIRE. IN THE PROCESS OF EXTINQUISHING THE FIRE, MY RIGHT HAD WAS BURNED. I WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE QUICKLY ENOUGH SO THE DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THEN STOPPED AT LIGHT, ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A FUEL LEAK IN THE FUEL INJECTION RETURN HOSE. *AK