Mazda RX-8 Problems and Solutions

lhess · May 2005

to be a rotary fanatic (no offense meant on that one either), what time frame do you suggest for oil changes? I don't drive my 8 much and sometimes I might be looking at 5 or 6 months just to put 3K miles on it (bad weather months). I usually try to go no longer than 3 months for an oil change, but I know the rotary is a little different. Any advice? I want to take good care of it.

pathstar1 · May 2005

I change the oil on all my vehicles at least every 6 months, for several reasons. First, my garage is not heated, so I must ensure I do my changes when it's not -20 - been there, done that, it's not fun! I hibernate the RX-7 over winter and do so with fresh oil, and a full fuel tank. I don't think leaving corrosive used oil in over winter is a good idea. I aim for a 5000 or 6000 km change interval depending on the vehicle (the Pathfinder calls for 6000 so I use that, the others call for 5000 so I use that, unless winter occurs first ;-) . 3000 mi. is equivilent to 5000 km. The RX-8 gets changes and service according to the manual, but they are done by the dealer (free). Part of the buyback deal offered to the first purchasers.

A little more info.
1. When I wash the vehicles I also carefully wash under the hood - there isn't anything you can hurt, in my experience. Be sure to wash the battery top - just in case some acid vapour gets out. The RX-8 stock batteries don't seem to be very well made, and they tend to vent a bit. Keeping them washed should keep the corrosion of the terminals to a minimum.

2. I don't like the silicone based products that are supposed to protect the dash. It seems to me they cause more harm than good. I just use a damp cloth on the dash and instrument panel plastic to remove dust. I like the Zaino products, including the car polish (3 step system) and the leather cleaner and conditioner for the seats. Once you have the car polish on the car, bugs are easy to clean off. They just rinse off with a hose! The Zaino is the best thing you can do to make the car look great! When cleaning or polishing, move the cloth/glove fore/aft on horizontal surfaces and up/down on vertical surfaces. Any time you touch the car you scratch it, usually too fine to notice. If you make sure you use "linear" motions they are very hard to see. If you use circular motions they can be seen from any angle.

3. Check tire pressure at least once a month - and before any long highway trip. Check first thing in the morning, before the sun warms up the two tires facing it. One procedure suggested in the "tires, tires, tires" forum here, is to fill the tires about 4 PSI high on the way home, then first thing in the morning, let air out to the correct pressure.

4. I always carry an extra quart of oil with me. Use it on the next change (or between changes if necessary) and replace it with a new container. That way it will not get old. I also carry a plastic gallon container of potable water, "just in case". It can be used for drinking, coolant refill in case of boilover, "emergency cleaning" such as a dirty bird, and even in case of minor fire.

Some tips old age and lots of mistakes have taught me.

lhess · May 2005

I've never owned a rotary but I strive to take really good care of whatever I drive. There's not many people out there who can give you GOOD advice on it.

Glad you mentioned the paint care. When I bought my 8 in March, it had been setting on the lot under a bridge and, I'm assuming, it was covered with pigeon poop debris. A lot of black spots that were rough to the touch and did not come off with regular washing. I got info over in the Zaino forum and used the clay bar on it. That took most of it off, but it really needs it again and then a really good protective finish. Just as you mentioned about weather, the first half of April was beautiful and then we had about 3 weeks of snow, cold rain and blah. Not a good time to work on the car.

I wondered about washing under the hood - it's really dusty under there. Once again, with our weather starting to improve somewhat, I hope to get some of these things done for it.

Thanks again for the info. I love my 8 and have had 0 problems with it and want to keep it that way!!

secondcity · May 2005

I want to thank everyone for the great details on snow tires. Chicago's winters are unpredictable-(65 degree day in Feb, snow in April, and a wet, 35 degree day in May! ).

*I re-read all of the posts regarding winter tires and my question is... Do I need to purchase wheels/rims as well as tires too? Or, can I get by with a just a good set of tires only, (Blizzak LM-22's or LM-25's) without replacing the factory issued rims/wheels?

**Any info on bra-pricing for the RX8? Maybe I did not search the posts carefully enough, but I would like to protect the nose of the car from paint chips/bugs/etc.

I have never received so many thumbs up signs/waves/ or salutes from people driving Mercedes/BMW's/Jags--Not to many RX8's in Chicago--its nice to stand out from the rest of the crowd-especially when I paid thousands less!

lhess · May 2005

snow tires for it yet, but someone mentioned that they got smaller rims (17" maybe) to allow for snow and ice build-up in the wheel well. You'll probably get better advice from others.

trussvillemazda.com has a list of all mazda accessories. I have seen the bras listed on e-bay as well. Keep in mind, they can damage your paint as well - you need to keep them really clean where they rub against the car.

Enjoy it!!

pathstar1 · May 2005

I don't like giving tire mounter/unmounters extra chances to damage the rims. Also, tires will suffer if you keep removing them and remounting them - I suspect you would notice a greater incidence of leaks along the bead. For these reasons I recommend winter wheels to go with winter tires. We used inexpensive AR aluminum spoked wheels (as mentioned above - in 17" size to give more room for ice - using stock width and aspect ratio). I think you will find the car handles even better with 17" wheels - we did!

The 3M clear vinyl is available cut for the RX-8 - the kit includes pieces for the side mirrors. Check with detailing places such as Ming. You can see this stuff on the car (it covers the entire front up to and including a few inches of the hood), but it works very well. If anything forceful strikes the paint, such as a sharp rock, it can tear the vinyl, but the paint usually survives, and the vinyl can be removed or repaired. Most people can only see the line where it ends when it is pointed out to them. I have it on all my vehicles. Standard "bras" can damage paint, the vinyl does not and is practically invisible, so you get to enjoy the lines of the car more.

lhess · May 2005

they looked my car over and said everything was looking fine, they did add some oil at 2K miles. I asked about others having problems and they said very few of the ones they have sold have had anything major going wrong. Out of those problems, the service guy said that about 90% of the problems could have been avoided if the owner had driven the car correctly. He told me that it's best for it to really put it through it's paces once in a while - wind it out. I have obliged!!

pathstar1 · May 2005

Once "breakin" is completed, that's the way.

There are (at least) two ways the rotary is similar to a two stroke piston engine.
1. It is piston (rotor) ported, so has some similar sounds.
2. It likes to be USED. As long as you don't overheat it or run it low on oil, hard use is good for it. Keeps it cleaned out!

By hard use, I mean using the HP. I don't mean mistreating it.

fundriver2 · May 2005

I am so excited! take ownership of my 8 in two days. Please give me break in advice. My test drive was awesome. It will be in my garage at night and some days. What oil/fuel is recommended? We have mild winters and hot summers.
What is this idle start thing? Do not push the gas when starting or it will flood? I was told to drive it normal if not 'zippy' for peak performance by the salesman. I just want to baby my baby from the start. It's coming w/ 500 miles on it. Would that be a concern?
Thanks for any advice~!

Karen_S · May 2005

Congratulations!

Please be sure to share your purchase experience in Mazda RX-8: Prices Paid & Buying Experience.

chessie · May 2005

I have had my 8 since November. I bought her for looks and for speed. Both are great when the car is actually running. I love my car but at this point are ready to just have them take it back. They replace catalytic convertor, spark plugs, dip stick, talked about replacing engine. I have had my car back now for a week and a half after she refused to start and I had to have her towed (had very bad experience with road side assistance) again she is having problems. She boggs while accelerating, hesitates when starts, breaks are now squeaking, and she dies while running (once in the middle of an intersection). This is really getting crazy I have talked with two other owners in my area who did not even purchase from the same dealership and they are having the same problems. This sucks

zee2000rx8 · May 2005

Those 8 are the best car or the worst car. For now 1200k on it and I think I got a good one. I'm wondering if Mazda had a bad batch of motor and catalytic convertor.
I check on different forums and it seems to be a issue. did you check with the other 2 who had the same problem if the serial is near you. This car is so great now hope I will not have those issue.

wpavlik2 · May 2005

I'll have to agree. I think I got one of the "good" ones!
Of course, I have to wonder if the automatic 8's are more prone to engine issues than the MT.
My father-in-law swears that he would never buy a 1st year of a new car, but I'll have to say that I am not sorry I did. I LOVE MY 8!

charlies · May 2005

I have the same car (automatic)...and at about 14,000 miles I encountered the same performance problem. As I would driving, it felt as though I was losing power. When I accelerated, the RPMs reved, but no power. It does not happen all the time and seems to happen when I drive more than 10 miles.
I'm on my 3rd time at the dealership in the past 2 1/2 months, and they don't seem to KNOW what the problem is. I'm very frustrated with it - even though I love the car. I'm awaiting a response now.
After this visit I plan to take further action, as it's just too much to pay for a vehicle that I can't depend on.

ukjim · May 2005

Has anyone else had the issue with the clutch dis-engagement being very late in its travel?

I have an 04 with just under 8K miles.

I have found that the pedal has to be pushed about 75% of its travel before the clutch is fully disengaged to allow a gear change. This makes for slower shifts and more missed shifts. Is there an adjustment?

Thanks

pathstar1 · May 2005

Yes, both pedal height and travel. See your dealer.

ukjim · May 2005

Thanks pathstar:
Do I have to go to the dealer, or is this something I can attempt at home? Is it a mechnical adjustment of the pedal box, or more involved. I am somewhat mechanically inclined and prepared to tackle a reasonable project. Maybe its time to pick up a maintenance manual?

I appreciate the feedback.

pathstar1 · May 2005

It is mechanical. There are two adjustments, as I recall (don't have the manual handy). You can set the height where the pedal starts to depress the clutch and you can set the "rest height" - where the pedal sits before you touch it. You can also set the clearance for the "throwout arm" (I'm working from memory here) - this would also affect the distance the pedal travels before it starts to disengage the clutch. Be aware, if the clutch has been worn too much, the first one I mentioned cannot be effectively set, as it gets "out of range", for lack of a better term. Note also that the clutch is hydraulic. A new vehicle will probably not have issues, but eventually the system will need seals/cylinders serviced, and that usually shows up as strange pedal responses.

It should be a warrenty item, so unless you have very strange tastes for clutch operation (racer perhaps?) the dealer can fix you up.

ukjim · May 2005

Pathstar:
Thanks for the help, it sounds managable. As it turns out the car has to go in for other reasons so I will ask them to take a look at it, I will still probably have a go at it myself unless they get it right the first time.
The problem is more ergonomic in nature, the steering wheel/seat/ pedal relationship is such that given my proportions (5' 9" average build) I cannot get a really comfortable driving position. To get the clutch pedal all the way down puts me too close to the wheel.
As for racing btw, I did the 3 day Skip Barber IMSA course a few years ago at Laguna Seca and can thoroughly recommend it but would never drive my "red devil" on public road like that (although certain skills do come in handy!).

Thanks again.

elisa1 · May 2005

Has anyone experienced the problem with this same sitution? I love my rx8 I bought it in the states , and it's an automatic . I heard that the manuel ones are having problems. I drove my car all the way from California to Montreal , it was a sweet ride, and so comfortable in the car all the way here. Only once did I flodd gas in my engine , but that's because this winter I removed my car too fast and parked it somwhere else without warming up the engine despite that , no problems here. :P

zoom · May 2005

ukjim- I appreciate your problem. I'm 5' 7" and could never get comfortable. Solution - Put a I-1/2" block between the pedal proper and the alum/rubber pedal cover. Takes a little while to get used to it and other than the fact that the pedal sticks up a little further, you can't tell it from factory. Want more details, pls. e-mail me.

ukjim · May 2005

Zoom, just got back from the dealer and found they had just moved the pedal closer to the seat, not really changed the engagement point. Still it is better, and I think I can live with it.
I dont think I need to go the addition of a pedal extention but I appreciate the offer.
Obviouly the best solution would be to have a telescoping steering column but that would also add weight and cost.

For any other owners in S. NE., Vachon in S. Attleboro, MA is my dealer and so far they have been very good,

smilinbrax · May 2005

Hi there,

I have had my AT RX-8 for about a year and a half now (2004 model). I recently took it in for service because of a loud crack noise (like a firecracker) that occurred intermittently when I got it up to aout 5000 RPMs. It would also rapidly lose power until I took my foot off the acclerator and drove at lower RPMs.

The diagnosis was that the seals were not working properly, allowing gasoline to leak into other engine areas and "detonate." Mazda is now replacing the entire engine for me for free.

My car only has 50,000 miles and I'm already getting a new engine for it. Has anyone else had this problem? I did a serach and saw some info on it, but didn't see anyone actually having the problem described.

They asked what octane gasoline I was using and I assured them that the lowest was 92 octane and usually was 93. They also asked if I regularly ran my engine at high RPMs as the RX8 needs it to reduce carbon build up.

I'm worried aout this happening again at 100,000 so any info. is appreciated.

P.S. I absolutely love the car so this is really not a rant so much as a "What can I expect?" type post.

tjjjr2 · May 2005

originally posted on maintenance without reply
not really a problem per say but could be if I start using the SM GF4

Manual calls for SAE 5W-20 API SL (GF3)
June 2004 a better SAE 5W-20 API SM (GF4) was introduced

Does anyone know if using the newer SM GF4 will effect warranty?

Any help on this "problem"?

richr · May 2005

I have had a similar problem with only 22K on my RX8 automatic. The dealership says they cannot reproduce the problem and ignores my requests. I am ready to pay for a dyno check to reproduce the problem. If you have anything in writing from Mazda this would help my case my fear is that I will have to live with this problem. The problem usually happens when the engine is hot and it starts as a pinging noise and when I accelerate it becomes very loud and vibrates the car.

Thanks

Rich :lemon:

richr · May 2005

Thanks

the_big_h · May 2005

so yes, GF4 is perfectly fine for the RX-8 :-)

richr · May 2005

karen:

I live in CO and have been running snow tires, Hankook Ice Bear W300 18" 40/225, sold by Discount Tire work great around $165 each.

Rich

zee2000rx8 · May 2005

Any chance to put 16" in the winter. 15 I admit probably disc brake will not work out. Is anybody try to put 16 and it doesn't work?

redrpm · May 2005

Rich, I now have 24k on my 6-sp 8...bought in Oct 2003 and have had the problem off and on since beginning. Live in Denver and haven't found a dealership who will acknowledge the problem..and I've been to 5 of them. They can't (or won't) take the time to replicate the problem, and have simply said "Come by when it's doing that." Uh, yeah, that'll work when I'm racing to airport for a flight that leaves in 30 min!

Typically happens when warmer, but I've had it happen on colder days as well. Same symptoms as you said: begin to feel loss of power underfoot and a slightly different tenor to engine sound, give it gas...nothing, downshift...nothing...starts knocking and clattering and becomes anemic...can't get out of my own way. I've told dealers it's like I'm suddenly driving under water and it sounds like something's going to blow.

VERY frustrating as you note, and embarrassing. I love the car, but would consider selling it BUT who would buy it if it did that on their test drive. Trading it in of course would result in a financial bath. So basically stuck with a car that would be a dream for years to come...if it only ran right and up to par. I'm worried either the engine's going to completely self destruct (and they'll make it my fault and $$$) or Mazda has decided this condition is simply the owners' to bear for the early generation cars. At this point I'd pay for someone to fix what's wrong...but dealers either act ignorant of problem, or say it's up to Mazda North America to develop a fix. A year and a half later the latter hasn't come close to happening.

What city are you in? I'm interested in calling large dealerships in other parts of the country to get their take and see if they'll at least acknowledge the problem...perhaps that would carry some sway with the inept dealerships here.

Would greatly appreciate any solutions based experiences from other owners having this same problem and how they got it resolved. Or at least, knowing I'm not alone here in Denver with a terminal performance problem that dealerships simply shrug their shoulders at. My gut says Honda dealers wouldn't do that for an S2000.

thanks,
Mark

audia8q · May 2005

email me your vin number....I want to check something for you.

richr · May 2005

Mark:

Mazda finally agreed to replace my engine Mazda is being very tight lipped about the problems. I think they had a group of bad engines. You really need to talk to Mazda and not the dealership. They sid my problem had to do with carbon deposits one day prior to my 24000 check up the car stalled out 4 times and I almost had to have it towed. :lemon:

razz3 · May 2005

Sounds like the catalytic conveter is breaking apart.

Have them check that.

smilinbrax · May 2005

Here's the solution at my dealership:

Mazda agreed to replace the engine because it was pre-detonating (that's the sharp firecracker sound followed by power loss). according to my dealership, this is caused by carbon build up which breaks down the seals.

This build up can be caused by the following things:

using low octane fuel (always use premium)
not revving the motor up regularly.
not keeping up on the oil

I purchased the AT because I do alot of driving and hate shifting in traffic. apparently the AT is the problem. It tends to shift at about 3-4000 RPM's and I was told that I need to get my car to the redline point at least 2x daily to blow the carbon out of the engine. this requires you to use the sequential shifter as the AT will shift long before that.

Needless to say, I am disappointed with my RX8 right now. had I known that his was a problem, I would have purchased the manual transmission and had more horsepower. I will be talking to Mazda about this.

It's sad that I have to run my AT in manual daily or my engine will die again.

I have also been told (by a Mazda mechanic) that Mazda is not quite sure what is really causing the problem and they tear apart every engine that comes back trying to find out what it is.

Until we hear something else you might as well assume it is the carbon build up.

Jason

smilinbrax · May 2005

Here's the best way I have found to reproduce the sound.

The engine must be hot (i.e. driven for a substantial length of time), the A/C should be on and rev it to about 5-6000 RPM's when driving. It will not reproduce when in neutral at those RPM's. I live in Georgia, so it is easy to get the engine hot. you might have difficulty in colder climates, but run it hard for awhile and it should make the noise with the A/C on.

Jason

donalds · June 2005

I stated early on that even the die hards that believe the RX8 is a great car will sooner or later find out they are junk. I fought with Mazda for a year to get mine fixed, even filed a lemon law complaint, which did no good.
I finally decided to throw in the towel before the general public found out how bad they were and not have any re-sale value.
I traded it for a real sports car (Z4)
I have nothing but contempt for the car and for mazda, and will NEVER consider any of their products again.

cheezeboy · June 2005

smilinbrax - as a fellow AT owner I am saddened to hear about your problems. I have 32K miles on my 8 and I live in a warm weather location (South FL)...I have never experienced your engine detonation problem. I do, however, drive with "the paddles", just for the pure goofyness of them! I will keep a listen out for the detonation. But, after driving 5700 miles around the USA in 21 days, I would imagine that the detonation issue would have shown up already.

donalds - I am also saddened by your experience. However, like I said above, after 32K miles, the only issues I have had have been minor. I am surprised that your Lemon Law case didn't do anything - it seems that you got one. That being said, enjoy the Z4. (I have issues with your "real sports car" comment, but here is not the place to discuss!)

As I've said before, my 8 is the best damn car I've owned - power, comfort, control - all great in this car.

callmeb · June 2005

Hey cheezeboy...

Living in SouthFL myself, I've never experienced trouble with my 8 (AT) in all this heat. I've only 3K miles though and have an important question for you....Do you experience any excessive vibration or "rumbling" when idle or stopped for traffic lights? It's not extremely disturbing but definitely enough to take notice of. If you turn the AC off it seems to be even more pronounced. This is something i've experienced only after 2K miles and having been told by Mazda service that this is "normal", I have a hard time believing this simply because when i bought the car 3 months ago this sensation wasn't present. I'd really appreciate your reply because this is the first car I've ever owned that I absolutely love and want to know truthfully exactly what to expect here.
Paddle away, bro,
nice to hear your experience has been great.
-B ">

smilinbrax · June 2005

I had that problem on my first engine.

However, the new one seems to be working OK. Perhaps I'm just imagining things, but this engine does not sound the same as the original one. Do all rotaries sound the same? maybe my first was a dud.

Jason

mazdarx8er · June 2005

Yo guys,

I bought my RX 8 AT last year November, I feared no problems at all until now, I notice some "rumbling" when i shift into reverse. I have always bought best gas only from Shell or Mobil. Usually most cars shake and rumble when the back up on higher grounds, but mine keeps on rumbling more worse. It only has 6K miles on it, do u guys experience the same defects? And I think im beginning to hear some noise from the engine, when i reach 5000RPM, it sounds like lil crack, or click. I hear you guys have experienced same defects. please help me what should i do? I love my car.

CB.

cheezeboy · June 2005

to answer both of you - nope. No vibrations or rumbling. The engine/tranny has been trouble free for 32K miles.....my issues have been minor: need a brake job and I wish they could get a glue to keep the door sill plate down!......lol......

I would imagine that if the car didn't vibrate/rumble when you bought it and now it does, something is amiss. PathStar might be able to provide more insight to as what might be wrong - he is the mightiest of RX mechs!!......

I hope that your issues get resolved - the RX8 is a wonderful car to drive!

rx8craze · June 2005

Yes, I do also have some "Click" noises when going over 5000 rpm
maybe it was already there..just didnt notice it till i started to drive with
windows down. Also..sometime..i hear this tumbling and cluncking noise from
bottom of the engine....sometimes i also hear these puttering noise also seems to be comming from bottom of the engine which only happens occasionally, not always...sounds almost like the cat conv is leaking..but then if that was the case would hear this noise all the time.
I really dont feel like i have a new car when i hear all these noises...once i sytarted my RX8..forgot something @ the office and got out while the car was running..while walking way from the car..i would hear these noises comming from my baby and it just sounded like a 10 year old POS...
and for vibrations..yes my car does vibrate...funny thing is..it does not vibrate as much as before. when i first purchased the car, it ran smooth, even @ idle
after about 800 - 1200 miles or so (do not remeber exactly when it started) my girl firend pointed it out for me..asked "why is this car shaking so much"
my reply was "because it is a sports car".....acting like it is normal yet knowing that this was something of a new problem (my g/f wanted me to stick with a reliable Honda accord...v6 with 6speed....screw that!)
well, as i was saying before, it is very warm here in GA now..and my car does not vibrate as much as it use to...the shifter knob still shakes..but not the car.
all these things normal??...pathstar should have all the answers

rx8craze · June 2005

Ok...so i was just in the garage smoking...and heard a loud Ping noise from my rx-8...it has been parked there for almost 7 hours now...what the hell!?

mazda_struck · June 2005

While driving over rough ground, I hear the same clanging, slightly rolling noise from the bottom of the car that rx8craze talks about. Nothing is hanging out from under the car. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

sam13 · June 2005

cd s I burned started to skip ,now they all do ,dealed ordered a new one ,time will tell if problem will go away

smilinbrax · June 2005

That sound like the pre-detonation that my engine was doing. Search a few pages back and you will see. If it is, then they will probably have to replace the engine.

Jason

bethpaddy · June 2005

In response to your problem with your RX8 I too had a problem at 17,000 with no power and a screeching noise coming from the engine when it was hot and the air was on. I am currently waiting for a new engine to arrive at the Jim Click Mazda dealer in Tucson, AZ. There have been three vehicles with this problem just at this Mazda site. I was told that there was a computer programming issue which was taken care of by an engineer that came in from Japan. Still the problem wasn't rectified. The service manager has told me that the oil regulator pump that directs the oil to all parts of the engine has a major engineering problem. Supposedly this has been taken care of in the new engine. I was also told there are many cars in Phoenix with the same problem.

Unlike your lack of response by the many dealers you have gone to, I have been very lucky in the way that I have been treated throughout this whole situation. I have been without my car for almost a month, but at least hopefully the car will run appropriately in the end. By the way, Mazda is very aware of this problem. Maybe you can contact them directly.

lhess · June 2005

are these detonation problems happening with autos and manuals or does it tend to go one way or the other?

Also, some early 2004's seem to have problems that other 04's are not. Did Mazda make any big changes mid year? Like if you have a second half 04, you have some upgrades...?

bruce12 · June 2005

Just wanted to join in. I have my concerns after reading this forum and the problem with my RX 8. I have AT because the driving I do now is a pain (to me anyway) with manual. I've had manuals up until I purchased the 8. I've never used the paddles. My car at around 8K started to loss power and idle would drop when at a stop. RMP's would fall to 500 and car would stall. It was then very difficult to re-start. While speeding up or at cruising speed, they was no drop of power. Took car in last week and the dealership has treated me very well. They said that they found a compression problem and couldn't figure out why. They got help from a national Mazda tech. Today I've been told that I have to have a new engine for the car. Is there any reason to think that the problem with my current engine will be solved with a new one? :sick:

lhess · June 2005

I certainly don't know much about this and my 8 is not giving me problems, but the explanation given there does seem valid. May be something to ask your dealer about. Nice to hear that your dealer is treating you well. It's bad enough to have serious car problems (or even small ones) and then to feel that your dealer doesn't care. Good luck and keep everyone updated as to what solves your problems - it helps all of us!!

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