Mazda RX-8 Care & Maintenance
Share you care and maintenance routines and schedules here.
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Comments
5K service cost me $22. Took 45 min. I read "MIX" magazine.
My driving style will suite the rotary's needs, including good warm-up before I drive it hard, All the temp gauge tells you is that the water is warm -- not the engine. Minimum ten minutes' driving is required.
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.
People who complain about the RX-8's lack of torque just don't know how to drive a rotary!
With frequent oil changes, premium fuel only and the right driving style, I expect this engine to last indefinitely. At the same time avoid the flooding issue and other driver-induced issues.
does anyone have suggestions on products to clean and protect chrome wheels??
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Can someone explain a bit further what the issues are with driving with rpm's below 4K. What damage could be done? I drove a 5.0 Mustang before my RX8 and we all know how the V8's pull in low rpm so I find myself shifting maybe a little earlier sometimes as I'm been use to the chugging a Mustang for 5 years....
Love this RX8 just need to get use to 5-8K rpm shift points.
Phil
Later on, when I shifted from 4th to 3rd, the same thing happened again - engine oil warning light came on, stayed on for a few seconds, and then went out.
Has anyone experienced the same? I looked it up in the owner's manual and the owner's manual does say that the Renesis engine consumes a small amount of oil and that the owner should check the oil level frequently. Do you guys check your oil level regularly?
Thanks.
Ray
I am worried....not only did I have to fill out a 20 min "Brake Problem Form" that the dealer had to fax to some guy so that he could look at the issue, but the problem was not fixed - "Could Not Duplicate Problem" is what they put on my papers {for the record, my brakes put out a nice, soft screech EVERY time I press the brakes. It bothers me. It is there.}
THEN, I handed the TSB for the A/C issue to my service tech. He had no idea what I was talking about till I handed it to him. Then he asked if he could keep my print out. Sure, be my guest! Would you like m to print out one for all your RX8 customers?.....heehee.....anyway, not inspiring. And, that was not fixed either because, shock!, they didn't have any of the parts.
After that, I got my regular 10K service - which took 2 and half hours.......good thing I brought a PCGamer to read....
To sum up, it took too long, didn't get everything fixed and I will have to go back. However, the car runs like a dream!! I now have to deal with the thought of going some place else for the service - which runs against the loyalty part of my brain....hmmmm.....comments are welcome....
For me, working on the mechanicals is a hobby. I love the advanced mechanical stuff, hence I get a kick out of working on my RX-7 and occationally tweeking Maurice's RX-8.
In all seriousness, your comments/info are very helpfull....we here in the forum owe you a nice pie or cake or something for your help!....
:-)
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June 2004 a better SAE 5W-20 API SM (ILAC GF4) was introduced
Does anyone know if using the newer SM GF4 will effect warranty?
harder to find the SL these days
I purchased 4 new Portenzas - $225 each....from the dealer.....plus got an alignment. The rubber has made the car 'feel' like new again. I had gone 30K miles on then 1st set - including a 5700 mile trip around the USA!......my observation is that these are great tires!
The old tires had worn in a nice even pattern across all 4 tires - basically almost bald. With my South Florida location, all this rain was making for some slippery driving!
1) slight rotor problem with the back right wheel, in which the dealer 'shaved' the rotor
2) since my "tour de usa", I've warped my front two rotors!
to solve the second problem, I have to bring in car for a complete brake job - which is fine because I DID the damage driving like a nut-case!! but it's hard not too in this lovely machine!! also, I am gonna see if I can wait another month and a half before I do this - I want to send the $ to the hurricane relief fund....I can live with this for awhile!....
A little trick I use to avoid replacing those "junk" too thin rotors manufacturers give us!
I always try to take the wheels in via another car when I need work, or if I can't I loosen the lugs when I get home and re-do them with a hand torque wrench.
Dennis
What actually warps the rotor is when they torque to full value the first nut, then do the next, the next, etc. The wheel tends to not centre properly on some vehicles, and when the first nut is torqued down, it holds the wheel off-centre enough that when they torque another the wheel acts like a wedge pressing against the edge of the rotor hat. This can slightly bend the rotor hat on one side on some vehicles - not all are suseptable, explaining one reason why some vehicles are more prone to warping than others. For those that don't get into this, the rotor hat is the part that holds the brake rotor to the wheel hub. Sometimes it's one piece with the hub, sometimes it's a separate piece.
The solution, or way to avoid rotor warping from this cause, is to hand tighten all nuts first. Then use three tightening passes, first at 10% or so final torque, next at 60% or so final torque, and the last at full torque, always moving across the stud circle to do the next nut. This is what I have always done, after noticing the wheel can get offset if you torque the first one without the others tight.
I've found that generally, differential heating and poor installation are about equal in cause of warping on suseptable vehicles. Not all will warp from poor installation, and not all will warp from differential heating, though, so the #1 cause will vary from vehicle make/model to vehicle.
and if driving 90+mph on a mountain pass (at midnight), then braking hard to avoid a big owl in the middle of the road, then sitting for 5 min or so, to catch my breath, qualifies for "classic rotor warping" - I am guilty of that!
Dealership in NC told me today that Mazda is OK with them using 5w30 oil in our area. I am still a bit concerned that this is going to make my gas mileage worse. (I'll be checking even more carefully)
I have been next to other Rx's at the gas station and not heard those vehicles making this squeek.
Any thoughts?
My RX8 is a 2004 and I have had problems with transmision failure, warped rotors, and battery failure.
I believe I will be taking it somewhere else to get it changed again and put 5w20 in.
I'm rather annoyed by the whole thing.
Anyone else had this happen? I have to wonder if the folks getting the really bad gas mileage are having 5w30 put in without their knowledge?
I'm in Winston-Salem.
My question is, Are there any fuel additives (like injector cleaners...) that should be used in our cars? Are there any advantages? Is there a risk of damaging anything? And, if there is something out there, what brand, what's best and how to use it effectively?
I know Pathstar can give us a good and KNOWLEDGEABLE answer and others here can as well. Thanks!
Think about the concentration of one container in a tank of gas (recommended use). The container holds what, 100 cc? In a fuel tank that holds 65 litres!
If you are having trouble with your injectors have a service tech. perform the "official" cleaning routine - they disconnect the fuel line and use the car to pump pure cleaner through the injectors. I had this done to a Chev. Suburban (work truck) once. I didn't notice any difference then either, but it was on the GM scheduled maintenance list.
My personal opinion - if you want proper injector service have them removed and send them to one of several places that clean and test them. This shouldn't be required until they are at least 10 yrs old and the car has 100,000 mi on it. Even then, don't bother unless you are having trouble.
I'm not having problems, just wondering if there were any benefits for using these in a rotary. Thanks again!!
Guess why Mazda requires thin 5W-20 oil in the USA....Because Ford needs the extra MPG rating from EPA that only a thinner oil will give them.
The rest of the story from Mazda dealers about synthetic oil is just just the uneducated thinking they can fool the smart owners some of the time. Every one knows who is dumb acting smart and who is smart, but being polite and acting dumb in the presence of dumb...hee,hee....to bad it is true !!!
Bottom line, research into oil blends is a requirement for owning and RX-8?
Wasn't there a Mazda TSB about 30W oil causing problems not over heating but the flow of oil was reduced through the pump, therefore the apex sealing was not as good. When apex sealing isn't good more carbon builds up to block intakes.
It's become a religion. No point in arguing it, just choose a side.
Oil -filters- are another matter entirely. Use the best one you can find! Bigger is also better, as long as it's constructed well.
All I want to do is charge the battery.....or see if it can be charged....I look in manual & see nothing about procedure...I must be blind....someone please give the basics of charging the battery? I fear, with the quirks of this car; that at any point the whole thing might self implode because of its un-user friendly persona!! Nothing but trouble with it and dealer!!
If you have a very nice charger just connect it and go ahead.
Reason for the "if" is a cheaper charger will be noisy, and that electrical noise can fry electronics. Even with the key off, most of the cars electronics is still connected to the battery.
Make sure the battery is up on fluid before you start, and leave the caps on the battery to reduce the chance a stray spark when you connect or disconnect will ignite the H2 produced. Best to connect without the charger plugged in and unplug the charger before disconnecting.
I purch'd 10/03...2004 MT all options, 30K miles as of 10/06.....I love the handling and the high rev rotary....very disappointed with quality issues...emblems peeling up, finish flaking off interior accents, more recalls than I've ever had to deal with and PIA dealer visits. I don't have confidence in this car is the bottom line. It has issues every 6 months....recalls or failures...and the joy I get from the driving experience does not make up for the headaches I've encountered since purchase.
C-