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Mazda RX-8 Care & Maintenance

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Comments

  • chillynaychillynay Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 RX8 and I LOVE it. Unfortunately I live in Denver and we get a lot of snow during the winter, my car stays home and gets cold. Everytime the temperature drops to 30 or 20 degrees I have a hard time getting it started up. I am not sure why that is but once it gets warmer it's fine and it starts up with no trouble. I assume also that having good snow tires really makes a difference when driving it in snow or icy conditions, I drive it at all when it's snowing. It is absolutely fun to drive though. I do have to get rid of it this year since everone is opposed to me having an unreliable car in the winter here in Denver. One thing I don't like about it is all the maintenance and you always have to put oil in it and check that it has the correct amount. One problem I did have with it was the oil metering pump wnet out which out of pocket was about $850 dollars. Regardless I still love it, but we have to part ways soon. :(
  • seapalseapal Member Posts: 6
    I have a new 2009 rx8. i am noticing heavy black carbon buildup on the end of my exhaust tailpiles. is this common for this car? should i change the type of gas i am using. Also, i often make a 450 mile roundtrip drive for work all highway at 75 mph. the engine was down 2 quarts of oil from that trip and a few extra days. i knew the car is known for its oil thirst, but how often are you other owners adding oil on new engines and with what octane gas? thanks for all posters. :D
  • trispec2007trispec2007 Member Posts: 15
    No problem at. My 2005 RX-8 AT did the same thing from day one. That's one reason I did not buy any chrome pieces, because the carbon soot is heavy. I've burn a quart every 1000 since brand new. That's a sign that the engine is getting good circulation in the oil inside the rotary chamber. If you stop burning oil, THEN drive to Mazda immediately cause your engine will soon burn up from poor circulation oil. Burning oil is the quint essential sign of good health for a rotary, unlike a piton engines

    On the gas, I use Shell 93 Nitrogen enriched exclusively. Sometime I drive up into Maine from my place in Massachusetts. The highest octane in Maine is 91. I've noticed huge difference in those missing 2 octane points, when I am high revving after the engine is completely warmed up. The rotary engine under performs with anything less than 93. Hell, I'd love to get some 100 octane jet fuel if I could get it.

    The octane lets more of the gas get into the firing chamber without burning, so you get the full punch at the higher revving levels.
  • pleitez_rx8_pleitez_rx8_ Member Posts: 3
    Well I'm new to this forum but I have a 2004 mazda rx8. The engine hasnt given my any problems. It has 68,000 miles so far. I got the car with 58,000 about a yr ago. Well my problem is that my heater and A/C went out. i don't know why. I turn the heater on and sometimes it will work and other times it won't. It's wierd because I don't get how this happened. Any info on why it may have happened will be greatly appreciated.
  • pensfan30157pensfan30157 Member Posts: 2
    I have had this issue only a few times on my 2004 RX8. It usually happens on the first fan speed on the fan unit and all I do is turn it off and then back on and the fan then works. I just think on mine it doesnt "catch" when I turn the knob so I just do it again and then it turns right on. It is only every so often, maybe done this 5 times total the 4 years I have had the car. Hopefully this helps you out.
  • red48red48 Member Posts: 1
    Changed the oil in a 2009 R3 RX-8 for the first time along with the oil filter. The manual calls for 4.4 litres of oil with a filter change and this oil was added. The dipstick now says it is short 300 millilitres. Should I go with the 4.4L added or add another 300 ML. Thanks.
  • pleitez_rx8_pleitez_rx8_ Member Posts: 3
    Thing is that this problem started this summer and ever since has not gone away. I did not get the vehicle from dealership so i dnt know if it has warranty. I got it from an auto auction. I have owned the car for 2 yrs now. this problem just started recently. during the summer only hot air blows out. and during the winter only cold air comes out. I think its got something to do with the hot/cold knob.
  • rtdeezyrtdeezy Member Posts: 2
    I had the same issue with my RX-8, during my first year of ownership I ignorantly assumed I did not know how to correctly work it seeing that sometimes it worked and sometimes it did not. I eventually brought it to the dealer and was promptly charged $400 (including labor) to change the entire unit. Although it is not a recall issue this apparently occurs quite frequently. (As it was explained to me) when you turn the dial you should be able to feel little ridges that dictate the temperature setting however in the RX-8 the ridges wear down quite quickly leaving you without the ability to change the temperature on call. I unfortunately have not found a more economical solution as of yet. Good Luck
  • rtdeezyrtdeezy Member Posts: 2
    I will attempt to accurately answer your question, lacking the technical verbage my response might appear juvenile however the knowledge is sound. Due to the large amount of oil burned the rotary engine is considered dirty due to a lot of carbon build-up. The carbon build-up acts similar to cholesterol and an artery, revving the engine continuously provides and opportunity to prevent that carbon from building up (thats why manual is the best for this car). Owners of AT RX8 find themselves having engine problems with low mileage because the computer automatically shifts at low revs allowing build-up. I think I got all the info out
  • dtm1487dtm1487 Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2007 RX-8 AT with 53,000 miles. I was reading the discussions about what oil to use, so I checked the sticker from the last oil change (which I believe was just done by the used car dealer i purchased it from) and it says 10w 30 was used. I don't know much about the differences in oil so I was wondering if I should get it changed out now to avoid some problems or if it will be fine until my next oil change? I live in Jacksonville, FL Its freezing here now but we get pretty good heat in the summers, does anyone suggest putting in something other then the mazda recommended 5w 20 for these conditions? Thanks.
  • pleitez_rx8_pleitez_rx8_ Member Posts: 3
    Ok i have a 2004 mazda rx8 with 68,500 mi. lately I have been finding oil in my air filter compartment....any help or advice would be gladly appreciated....thanks.
  • grinningrinnin Member Posts: 13
    My RX-8 just went in to the shop with a pretty good oil leak from a corroded oil cooling line. This is the second underbody corrosion issue in the last 6 months. I had the protective heat shield fall halfway off last August. I know I live in the north with road salt etc, but I am pretty faithful at keeping the car clean with a regular wash and underbody flush through the winters. Does anyone else know anything about a propensity for corrosion with a 2004??
  • shanew8869shanew8869 Member Posts: 1
    yeah i just had to replace my oil cooler hose a little while ago. completely rotted out and leaking oil everywhere. mazda dealer wanted $400 to do it. so i bought the hose about $120 and replaced it myself. not a terrible job but takes some time. mazda knows about the problem and has issued a recall in Canada. No luck for us drivers in the states however. And as far as the heat and A/C not kicking in i recently just fixed this one as well. You need to remove the control unit with the knobs and resolder the connections at the circuit board, they just have a bad connection (on mine i could actually look through the holes, another issue Mazda knows about but does nothing to fix.
  • milm86milm86 Member Posts: 1
    I am getting my first rx-8 tomorrow any advice on what to do? Its a 04 6 speed with 56k miles.
  • mno1mno1 Member Posts: 1
    same story for my 04 RX8. Heat shield fell off last year, and now I have oil leaking from oil cooling system. Dealer says I need a new oil cooler and all lines. Will look at it myself when I get a chance this week. Meanwhile leaking about a quart every 150 miles.
  • rwhowelrwhowel Member Posts: 1
    Same story here in NJ with 2004 RX-8 with 51,000 miles. I am the first and only owner of this 8. Hot air blowing when AC is turned on. Happened two days in a row. First day it was fixed by twiddling the temp dial. No luck second day. It is in shop now for replacement - quoted cost is $650!!!! Looking to get that back when Mazda acknowledges the problem in their first year production models.
  • rotarymechanicrotarymechanic Member Posts: 1
    hi everyone i'm new but i have a problem i am a mechanic an i am doin a 2005 rx8 but the car was brought dismantled an i need a diagram for the emissions to mount back up an if anyone knows the torque specs to close the engine .let me know asap thanks
  • thecat1thecat1 Member Posts: 1
    hi i just purchased a 2004 gt with 17k. it hasnt seen a winter and was garage stored all the time. it is beautiful. In reading these forums i am suddenly afraid that the engine wont last as long as i planned. Anyway has anyone tried these performance chips out there. they claim to really boost hp and milaege as well. the gforce chip for $69 seems too good to be true. they also claim that it does not void warrantys because it just clips on somehow and doesnt alter the original equipment. look forward to hearing from someone...
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    All chips are a scam. Simple. Just a scam.

    Custom re-tuning or otherwise, is a different story.
  • bullwinkle fanbullwinkle fan Member Posts: 19
    My 04 RX8 with 58k seams to have a louder road noise ( rumble ) now than before. Had tires rotated and balanced last week but didn't help. Anyone have issues with wheelbearings or rear end noise ?
  • rotary44rotary44 Member Posts: 2
    "Once warmed up I'll keep the revs up, never going below 4K and usually between 5K and 8K. The best way to destroy a rotary is to lug it. Rotaries live to rev -- it's what the engine was designed for."

    I was just reading through, trying to get any tips on taking care of my RX8 when I came across this. I'm 17 and bought an 06 rx8 last November. I parked the car through the winter to avoid rust and everything else and brought it out around March. Before Winter I drove it several times, glad to have a fast sweet ride to care for and work on. I drove it hard and fast and it ran like a champ. The following Spring i brought it out of the garage and drove it daily.. I've put about 10k on since then.

    Over time it seems like the engine has been slowly losing power. I drove it hard, like it should be, for the first few months but then dumb judgement came to me and a began to cruise at about 3k rpms for fuel mileage. i know rotarys are one of a kind, but i never thought it'd hurt.. needless to say i was pretty p/od when i realized it didn't respond like it used to. i looked into the problem recently and figured it could be bad plugs, so i replaced them and it helped but not significantly.

    Not to add ignorance to this or the stupid teenager stereotype but i raced an AT 90 something camaro with a 350'. Smoked it, noted ending at 135 mph in just a mile. recently i raced an 04 chevy impala. i lost, feeling clueless as to what the h*** couldve happened. also, one late night after changing plugs, i took it for a cruise, taking about 2 1/2 miles to reach 135.

    Anyway after writing a novel and reading your comment, im frustrated with myself and sure that driving low rpms is the cause of my lack of power. I'm not searching for the power to race idiot drivers, i just want the power that i know belongs there. I called Mazda a few months back, wondering if they could diagnose a problem. My check engine light isn't on and apparently they can't give a diagnosis to an unknown problem without the light being on itself.

    I'm sure you weren't prepared to give me a full diagnosis but i figured you might know what could be done to get this one of a kind car running again. If you have any info or just tips, I'd probably be the happiest kid in the world. Thanks a ton,

    Wes
  • rotary44rotary44 Member Posts: 2
    figured out the problem.. ignition coils went bad
    ordering 4 new right now, let you know how it goes after installation
    fingers crossed
  • als11als11 Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2012
    Please keep your service & maintenace paperwork. Ensure that the compression is alway within tolerance, if it is low or you start to have problems with repeat trips to service, make sure they tell you exactly what is wrong and how they are going to fix it. But enjoy it, it is a nice ride....
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Did it solve the problem?

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  • broskibroski Member Posts: 1
    Mazda recommends 5W20 for North American RX8's and 5W30 everywhere else. Both are a fine choice. DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC OIL. Mazda warns against this and will decline engine warranty if you use synthetics. This is because most synthetic oils are designed to reduce oil "burn-off" and since the rotary engine uses oil injection into the combustion chambers you NEED the oil to burn-off as cleanly as possible.

    Older rotary engines had shorter life spans due mainly to apex and side seal wear, but the Renesis rotary of the RX8 should last you 200,000+ miles if properly cared for. This includes oil changes every 3000 miles. This includes preventing carbon build-up by running the engine to red-line frequently and/or taking long highway drives. This includes checking your oil levels every couple fuel tank-fulls and topping up as required. This includes warming up the motor a bit before driving and warming fully before pushing it past 4K - 6K RPM. This includes not shutting down the motor "cold" as it can cause flooding (which also thins the oils with gas). And NEVER let a rotary engine overheat. This will warp the rotor housing and bye-bye motor.

    Rebuilds are not really any more expensive than piston engines provided the rotors and housings aren't damaged or warped. A simple rebuild can cost between $500 - $1000 plus removal/installation labor. A factory rebuilt motor sells for around $2000 the last time I checked...a good option if the original motor has damage or warpage.

    I found this from a rotary mechanic....
  • adamgcadamgc Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for that informative post. I'm having the same problem, pinhole leak. Would you please tell me where you found that part, 14-7102, for $120? Thanks a lot.

    Adam
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