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Mazda RX-8 Problems and Solutions
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Thanks for the reply
Wondering if everybody is waiting 1 minute with the motor idle
before turning off. Dealer never told me that but I m pretty sure
I have to do it
What about the other gear noises? Has anyone else encountered this? When shifting into first from idle, I can hear the gear drop in, probably normal. But when downshifting into 2nd or 1st while moving (or, for that matter, when in 1st or 2nd when moving and depressing the clutch while still in gear) it sounds like the clutch is still engaged, as in I can hear the transmission winding down as though I hadn't depressed the clutch (rather than just going quiet as the engine returns to idle). Is this something to worry about?
You can start worrying:
1. When you get extreme noises when you depress the clutch - this would be a faulty throughout bearing - usually a loud rumbling noise. The throughout bearing allows the clutch fork - which depresses the clutch, to press against the rotating clutch. When worn out the bearing will make lots of noise when you just slightly depress the clutch pedal, and continues making noise as the pedal goes all the way down to the floor.
2. When you do not get whining noises while shifting, instead grinding ones. This would indicate worn or broken sycro rings (3rd gen RX-7s are well known for this problem in the 3rd/5th gear sycro. assembly).
3. When you get other noises than the rumbling noise which changes as you move the clutch pedal, but only when the clutch is fully depressed - this would be the pilot bearing - it goes between the transmission input shaft and the engine eccentric shaft, and it makes noise when it is worn out and the transmission input shaft is not turning (clutch depressed, transmission in gear, engine running). The noise would change pitch when the engine is reved.
Either bearing I mentioned will either be bad from day 1 or will last longer than the clutch. They are changed by your mechanic when the clutch is replaced (if he's smart).
I have to compare the RX-8 to my 3rd gen RX-7 as I drive both, and there are two very noticeable differences. First, the idle on the RX-8 is quite rough. I have to constantly convince myself the trailing plugs are fine (fouled or worn out trailing plugs often show up as rough idle). Second, the RX-7 is "in your face" re accelleration. The RX-8 is sneaky. It seems to be accellerating slowly, and the next thing you know, you're 20-30 Km/hr over the limit! When you rev above 6000 RPM there is a nice kick in accelleration. This is why the manual trans. car is "better" - in my opinion. The auto doesn't have this kick, as the ports are not there because the auto trans. can't take the RPMs where the ports function (6000 to 8500 RPM).
Oh, I guess there is a third very noticable difference. The RX-8 has a much nicer transmission. As I said elsewhere, I think it's the nicest and easiest manual I've ever used! My RX-7 transmission is a "clunker" by comparison. ;-)
the dealer replaced the calipers with what they called "updated calipers"
the noise went away for a month or so..and now it is back...took it back to dealer and the tech told me that mazda is still working on a lot of bugs on this car, and the squeeking noise on the break is that there is lose space between the pads and the caliper...can anyone tell me if this is true or not??
-transmission
-overall, this is great trans...and it is my first manual..
the question i have is that..during rush hour..when im in first gear..when i start moving and apply the clutch..sometimes it makes clunking noise..
i read pathstars note and seems trans makes these type of noise when it has problems...but mine makes once in a while..potential problem??
-last thing is..when im shifting..sometimes it seems that the gears are about to grind whenever im shifting into third...i do not get this from any other gears..only third. feels about to grind as in..it is kinda noisy compared to fourth and up..and it also seems it takes least effort to push the gear into third than any other gears
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besides these and few others...i love this car!..I cannot think of any other car i would of purchased for the amount i paid
-well...i do feel the nice kick..but do feel it over 7000 rpm
i am concerned that possible issue with intake port timing?
i read few month back about review on 04 rx-8 by..forgot which mag, but states the one that they were test driving had stuck 5th and 6th ports..
also...i dont feel the kick all the time..sometime i dont feel much difference in power while going upto 9000 rpm...is this based on outside air temp and humidity??
and also..if indeed there is issue with ports or any other issues that needs to be address...will the check engine light come on?? or does it only come on on certain problems??
The exact area that you get a power push depends more on the engine fuel map than the port transition - the ports may switch just fine but Mazda played around with the map up to the "M" flash to improve fuel economy, so we may have lost some of the kick. Our re-tuned car got it back (with a lot of tuning work), and we forget what "stock" is like ;-) . I'll have to turn off the piggyback fuel computer one day soon to see.
I've only found two manufacturers making 5W20 (the "W" is important - it means the oil viscosity was measured at water freezing and boiling temps., not at some arbitrary temps.). I haven't seen any difference between them.
I have been reading this forum for some time now, and i am seriously interested in buying 6speed manual RX8, but i saw that it has many little problems.
So what are your main thoughts, Should i buy it or not ???
All the best.
Autoweek magazine stated their long term RX-8 test car had some quirks and bugs that got worked out...but they still loved the car tremendously. The rotary is a little different than a traditional piston engine...if you remember this the car is pretty good.
If it's new, have you tried contacting Mazda to get things resolved? And, how is the dealer treating you?
I love this car. it is a great performer. I have had the catalytic converter replaced.... That was right out of the show room. I also have a freind that has had his RX 8's converter changed as well. The dealer we are dealing with has been very good.
There does seem to be an issue with the catalytic converter though.
I have only 1000 KM on the car, and I only drive it on weekends or for fun during the week.
Again I really love driveing this car.
My baby is back in the shop today. One of my transponder keys was faulty, so they ordered a new one. Guess what? Apparently Mazda do not provide replacement keys for the RX-8. Instead, the dealer got an entire "lock set": 2 new transponder keys, 1 new service key, and door/trunk locks and presumably a new ignition-key interface (dunno what that's called). So instead of spending 10 minutes recoding the keys, they now have to replace all the locks. Bizarre.
Also had my first panic moment recently. Some moron in front of me on a freeway on-ramp drove over a wood plank and sent it hurtling towards my car, taking out my passenger-side wing mirror. Note to others: if this happens to you, pray you retain the plastic color-coded cover. Mine flew off and I had to drive back to the on-ramp in the rain to look for it. The difference between replacing the entire mirror assembly, or just the glass for 10% of the cost.
One other thing, the car has been in twice for some severe driver seat noise. I'm not a small guy, but I've never had a problem like this before. Whenever I enter or exit the car, or take corners with any speed, various parts of the seat emit a loud creaking noise. They fixed it once, for about 3 days, and then it came back. Anyone else have this problem?
One thing to keep in mind...we all get mad when we have a car that is trouble-prone and we end up making a BUTT of ourselves in the showroom or the service department. Yes, I'm guilty as well. You need to call or drop by sometime when you can actually discuss the problems and negotiate a solution. Chances are, you're not gonna get 100% of what you want and neither is your dealer. What do you want them to do to fix it? I'm not trying to be sarcastic, I just put myself in your shoes and I'm not sure what I would even be expecting the dealer to do at this point.
I traded in my second RX8 because of the power seat. The thing broke twice, Mazda fixed it but said they would not do it again.
I am a big guy, however, the dealer saw me when I purchased the car and never mentioned the seat would not work with a big guy.
I purchased a new rx with the manual seat and have not had the same problem.
The side of my power seat actually separated. Not sure why they cannot keep it together. I have owned every gen of RX7 and never had these problems...by the way I was the same size then.
Seems ridiculous to change out locks when you can program the keys. Not sure Mazda has this service thing worked out as far as RX8's go.
Flooding service bulletin
In my case the engine light came on shortly after picking up the car from the dealer.
We brought the car in... The diagnostics pointed to the CC. They ordered the part and installed it within the week.
The car runs great now.
We do have some miner issues.
The dealer is going to replace the passenger side head light lens (it has a film on the inside of the lens ).They are also replacing the window seal on the rear pass. door... (it was not properly installed at the plant)
I have owned several Mazda's over the years.
Believe me when I say Mazda's have always been the most trouble free cars I have ever owned.
I work for one of "the big three" ,I drive my employers cars. (I have 3). they are always in the shop for something.
I gave my nephew my old 88 MX6 it has over 350,000 KM on it. The car still runs strong. The only things I ever did to that car were exhaust, brakes and tires.
We have had an RX2, RX4,RX5 wagon, Cosmo, GLC, RX7, MX6 and the RX8.
All great cars......exept the RX2 in snow!!!! Real Bad!!!!
Sorry about the rant.. but Mazda has always been a great innovative car company.
Incidentally, I don't know if it's worth asking this since most of you here seem to be from the US, but how long does your dealer generally keep your car when you take it in? Mine's now in for the second time since I bought it, and both times they've ended up keeping it overnight (in spite of assurances to the contrary when I drop it off). To make matters worse, I have to kick up a fuss to get a loaner (yesterday the salesperson who sold me the car actually gave me HER company car because they didn't have a loaner available). Seems stupid to me.
Also, I am buying from an out of state dealer since its $5000 less. Will I have more trouble getting things repaired by a local dealer under warranty if I have any problems?
Generally my service is excellent. Car is repaired same day. If a part is needed and the car is kept overnight, I get a loaner.
I am in the US. My dealer really worked to get my business in New Hampshire. I had previously bought from a Mass. dealer.
HAVE A RX8 AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I'VE HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE NOW 9 TIMES AND A NEW ENGINE. THEY JUST REPLACED MY BRAKE PADS YESTERDAY, BUT IT STILL SQUEAKS WHILE BACKING UP. I WILL DO ALL IN MY POWER TO TELL PEOPLE TO STAY AWAY !!!!! GO TO THE LEMON LAW LAWYER ON LINE AND TELL THEM YOUR PROBLEMS AND THEY MIGHT TAKE THE CASE. IT WON'T COST YOU ANYTHING EITHER WAY. I'M HOPING THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME.
" GOOD LUCK " PROBLEMS
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
My experience is that a milky appearance is due to an emulsification oil and water ( ever make mayonnaise?) and to do that requires vigorous beating, and/or high temperatures, as in an engine.
I can understand condensation building up on the dipstick but that would just be droplets of water and I would think that something else would have to happen to make the emulsification.
If the condensation is running back into the oil in sufficient quantities to make it milky isn't that affecting the lubricating properties of the oil?
I am going to take the car in but I dont want it torn apart for no reason. Can someone please explain the "milky oil" beside just condensation?
I am getting nervous because in a normal reciprocating engine this emulsified oil would point to something like a blown head gasket.
Has Mazda issued a statement that the "milky oil" does not affect the warranty.
Sorry for the long posting but I am very confused about this issue,
It is still a great car tho and I would recommend it to anyone reading this who is thinking of buying one.
Vince
Good Luck !
The milky oily substance on the dipstick IS normal. Rotary engines have had this from day one. It is milky because both oil and water condense in the tube, and that allows them to mix well. They condense there because the tube is the coldest part of the running engine. If you insulated or heated the tube you would not get the condensation there.
Why do rotaries get this while piston engines don't? It has to do with poor internal ventilation - the rotary doesn't pull a vacuum in the oil holding cavity (crankcase in a piston engine) while running, so the air and vapour there can't be easily sucked out. In other words, the "crankcase ventilation valve" doesn't work very well in this type of engine.
You can get rid of this stuff very easily. When you shut off the hot engine for the night, remove the oil filler cap, and perhaps the dipstick as well. If in a garage, leave the hood open, and if outdoors, leave the oil filler cap on the dash - to remind yourself to replace them before you start the engine the next day. Be careful not to get this stuff on your hands - it's acidic. I do this with my RX-7 and it keeps it from building up by allowing the water and acid to evaporate into the air. Once a month should suffice.
I am taking it in today and am going to look at the oil to see what color it is.
I think any one would agree however that you shouldn't have to go through the trouble of opening the hood at the end of every day, and if this is such a common issue why doesn't Mazda put it into the manual to relieve the concern of the average guy that takes the car into a non-Mazda shop for an oil change only to be told they have a potential problem with the engine.
A rhetorical question but valid.
I am convinced, I watched the oil drain out of the sump and it was a consistant, dark brown color, not a trace of "milk" in it,
I have a new dip stick and liner on order, and I can now sleep at night!
I hate to ask questions that others already have, but I wanted a clarification. I studied the tips for starting a flooded engine, but my question has to deal with "normal" starting. Does the accelerator still need to be depressed for any/all starts? Or only in cases of flooding. I have not encountered a flooding problem yet-but I just wanted to be clear on normal starting procedures.
As for the method I outlined and use to eliminate the water vapour (whitish gunk), I think you missed the part where I said "once a month". On my RX-7 I do it once a week, but it's getting old, and probably has a lot more condensation due to the twin turbo power enhancement (it produces 300+ HP - a scary car to drive)!
The water vapour gets into the oil in the rotor area, as the rotor is "filled" with oil, for cooling the rotor and lubricating the eccentric shaft, and any leakage past the combustion seals will encounter oil. This is also how gasoline gets into the oil, and the main reason we change the oil religiously ;-) .