Mazda RX-8 Problems and Solutions

graphicguy

The clutch is self adjusting. What you're probably experiencing is the differences in the way the shift linkage/clutch works when cold and when it's warm.

IT is a little "notchy" when shifting from 1 to 2 when cold, but when it warms up, usually 2nd or 3rd run through the gears, it becomes real "snick-snick" and the clutch becomes very smooth.

graphicguy

Having been on the RX boards for a while now, I do think there is a substantial amount of people who, for whatever reason, have seen all the accolades, the "best car" designations, reviews against their favorite car, etc. that the RX8 has received and have tried to spread as much disinformation as possible.

I see a definite correlary between an isolated report that this or that concerning the RX8 is wrong, and it showing up here at Edmunds.

Almost like ...."aha, I told you that the RX8 wasn't as great a car as all the professional reviewers say it is..."

So, I view most posts with a healthy amount of skepticizm when someone reports issues without any detail backing up their report.

For the record...

--my RX8 had the CEL come on as reported elsewhere. Dealer replaced the EVAP, reflashed the ECU...no problems since.
--low oil light came on during some "spirited" driving. Checked the oil, and it was all there. Dealer replaced oil level sensor and did the oil pan upgrades. No problems since.
--while my MPG was pretty dismal for the first 1K miles, it got pregressively better. I'm now getting 16 MPG to 18 MPG in town driving and between 23 MPG and 24 MPG on all highway. I get about 19 MPG in mixed driving. For comparison's sake, Edmunds reports that they got between 14 MPG and 19 MPG in their long term 350Z....both are right in line with what I expected.
--mine has used no oil at all
--no squeaks, no rattles...probably one of the most solid cars I've ever owned
--I drive it like I stole it, in all temps and all types of weather (I will admit, that I don't take it out in the snow...I use my trusty, well used Civic for that duty).

carliker

rx8inaz - When I had my RX-8, I experienced random difficulty shifting into 4th gear for some reason. I don't know if that is similar to what you are experiencing in the lower gears. Otherwise, every other gear switch couldn't be smoother.

graphic - It's okay to be skeptical, but obviously someone thought we were being too skeptical. When someone says they have an RX-8 and describes a problem, I view that differently than if they say "the RX-8 has a problem and so that's why I chose a G35". I appreciate your enthusiasm about your car (and wish more people were like you), but I think you do a better job of explaining the potential problem (which you have on most occasions) than to right off that the majority of these situations are fabricated. I've learned a lot from your and other posts that I rather come here to discuss vehicles than go to the S2000 threads.

graphicguy

You're right...I'll tone it down a bit....but dang....I hate being right all the time...at least my gf says I like to think I'm always right...who am I to argue.... ;-)

carliker

Well, your gf can continue to think of you in the same way. She doesn't have to know about any of this. By the way, I should have said "write off" in my previous post, not "right off". See, everyone can be wrong once in awhile.

graphicguy

" See, everyone can be wrong once in awhile."

yes, but we should never have to admit that to our gf, wife or significant other.....;-)

mkoll

I've had my rx8 for 2 months and while I have had no real issues up to this point, I have been very conscious of the gas mileage and regularly due a quick calc each time I fill up. Several postings have suggested that the mileage will begin to increase somewhat after 1000 miles. Now, I realize that the MPG will never be great for this vehicle, and believe me gas mileage was no factor that was going to break my decision to buy the rx8, but after 1600 miles my mileage seems to be going in the other direction. I actually got the best mileage ( 16 mpg ) during the first 2 weeks of ownership. 6 or 8 tanks later I am experiencing mpg numbers at just over 13. I do not do a lot of highway driving, but I think that my driving habits are fairly consistent. What about outside temperature? It has been in the 20's in the Chicago area, as opposed to upper 60's during mid October. Premium 93 octane apparently isn't good enough.
Anyway, how much improvement can I expect. I would at least like to see the anticipated numbers, 16 to 25 mpg.
Are there any reasons not to use gasoline additives such as "Heat" with this engine during the winter?

graphicguy

Since the temps have dipped, so has my MPG. Other than the fact that I do let mine idle for a minute or two when I start it cold, I'm not driving any differently either. I can't imgagine that the cold makes it run any less efficient, I'm chalking up less MPG on the fact that during the winter months, most gas around here is reformulated. That's the only other explanation I can think of.

I'll see if the MPG goes back up come spring.

vtlc

In the coming 2 to 3 days I will be going to the Dealer where I bought my RX8 where the engine is being replaced with a remanufactured one and will try to see if I can get into a new RX8, and if they refuse again, I'll have to work up the chain. I have never done such a thing before so I am asking for any Advice that may help. How, who, when, what to say, I mean anything. I am really beginning to think that the coolant leak from the engine was there before I bought the car. And they brushed me off until it got worse after a few weeks. I was stupid enough not to check under the car after I test drove it. With only 1200 miles on it, the only satisfactory solution would be to get me into a new car or put in a brand new engine. Pleas any advice, past experiences, contacts, or ideas is greatly appreciated.

graphicguy

You can go the lemmon law route. But, you're going to have to be without use of the car for at least 30-days (depending on the state you're in). Or, the car will have to have had the same problem (leaking what I assume to be anti-freeze) at least 3 times.

I think you'd be hard pressed to prove that the leak was there before you bought it as it would be your word against there's.

Ask you dealer to set up a meeting between you and the Mazda Regional Rep and plead your case to him/her. Have all your docs in order...service receipts, dates, etc when the service people gave you the "brush-off". Tell the Mazda rep that you do not want to get a new engine, as some have pointed out, the vin#s will be different and it will affect the sale of the car somewhere down the road.

I'd consider speaking to the Mazda Regional Rep your best bet that to pursue lemon laws. The dealership doesn't have the authority to "swap cars" with you and they have no incentive to do so.

Post back and let us know how it goes with your dealer and/or Mazda Regional Rep. We'd like to know.

carliker

vtlc - graphic gave some good advice. Also, you aren't stupid for not looking under the hood. In a new vehicle, you shouldn't have to do that. I've never looked under a hood. Most of the people I see do that don't know what they are looking at anyway.

My advice to you would be to get in touch with the general manager of the dealership. If you have already talked to the sales manager, the GM is the next guy. Most sales reps. are a waste of time. I will never buy another car from anyone but a sales manager on up. To get satisfaction, that's just what you have to do (whether it's buying or like your situation). Don't be intimidated by these people. Let them know you will seek legal action if a satisfactory solution isn't found promptly. After this is done, I would at least let Mazda know about this dealership and what has happened. Perhaps a call from Mazda to the dealership will help them get moving on the problem. When I got my RX-8, the sales manager was almost begging me to fill out the survey they give to new buyers. This survey goes a long way and I know Mazda would help you take care of this situation. So, between letting them know you are thinking about taking legal steps and the fact you will be calling Mazda to complain, this dealership should be willing to get their act together. Mazda isn't responsible for your problem but they can help in getting it resolved. Good luck!

graphicguy

If the dealer wasn't diligent enough to do a pre-delivery check, which they would have noticed the leaking, I doubt they will want to pony up to the idea of taking the car back and give you a new one. I would even question their diagnosis at this point.

That's why I'd think you'd want Mazda coporate on your side. That's the first thing they're going to ask the dealership..."didn't you guys do the pre-delivery check before you delivered it?"

I agree with carliker, dealing with the sales person or probably even the sales manager isn't going to net you anything. You need to talk to the GM and maybe even the dealership's owner. Having Mazda there with you would be a big help, too.

Again, let us know how it goes.

bigmike5

Don't know what Mazda does, but with the 300M I got in 99 there was a pre-printed new car check list that the tech had to check and initial that he did or saw whatever he was supposed to. I assume it would be similar for Mazda. There would have to be a "block" for checking for leaks or inspecting seals under the car, that he would have had to check or intitial. That would be a good place to start, if you got that kind of form with your other owner's documents review it, and get ready to use it to argue negligent performance of the checks. Given the recent Mazda buy back policy, I would think you might be able to get them to take it back and start over.

graphicguy

I forgto about the list. Every car I've bought over the last 10 years or so have had that check list.

One of the things on that list was to check for fluid leaks, seals and gaskets and to check the tightness of all fluid bolts.

I would think something like that would be even more important for a vehicle like the RX8 since it ships by boat from Hiroshima and the possibility that "things" loosen on the long ride over here.

vtlc

Ok heres what happened, On Tuesday I went to the dealership and talked to the Sale Manager and asked for the General Manager. I told them that, what is happening to me will not be satisfactory and if there is nothing they can do to get me into a new car or get me a brand new engine then Im going to seek other means of satisfaction. Strange how quickly they defended themselves and said, Oh we know your frustration but we are just the ones who deal with the sales end of things, you should talk to the Service manager. Well to make a LS short, the Service Manager pointed out that they have 2 engines that came in and one was brand new and the other was remanufactured. My car was getting the brand new one and it was their mistake that I was getting a remanufactured one. The remanufactured one is for another customer, so I should not worry about my engine not being brand new. Before I walked out I asked for the ordered part# so I can do some verification myself. They showed me the computer screen that has the part#s and to which customer the orders were for so I wrote down this # (N3H3-20-200) which appeared on the same line by my name. I did some checking up on a few Mazda parts dept. up and down the valley and was told its a # for a brand new RX8 engine costing $6903.29. I also asked how can I tell the difference between a brand new and a reman, and was told that a reman will have an R or a D infront of the last 3 digits of the #. I had one of the guys gave an example and he said if the order was for a reman then it would be N3H3-20-R200. When I got home later that afternoon, I got an email from a Mazda rep. replying that they had talked to Lithia earlier today and cleared up the deal with the engine going in my car, it will be a brand new engine not a remanufactured one. So it looks like things are looking better then before. I just hope all turns out well and no other issues come up. I want to thank everyone for there efforts and time, I will post what happends next and how it turns out. Thanks again and Happy Holidays.

cheezeboy

So, as an Xmas gift to myself, I got a brand new digital pressure meter, as per GGuy's suggestion. Now, as an update, my tire pressure warning light would no longer go on and then go off after a few miles; now it would just stay on!!.....so I break open the new meter.....and check the tires....all tires were down 4lbs......seems like a small number....but, I went over to the gas station, pumped back up to normal, and TA DA!, all is well...no more warning light!...

someone here had mentioned that the sensors were sensitive....I would concur!

but now, after playing with the valve stem caps, I am thinking those after market TRI caps would be kinda cool!.....hmm....it's almost Xmas right?...5 hours....hmm...another gift to my car....LOL!!

graphicguy

Glad your dealer stepped up to the plate, given the fact it sounds like it was their fault for not "prepping" your car correctly. On the other hand, I'd still look for another dealer for service since it also sounds like they aren't prepping any of their new cars correctly (if at all) since they are having to "crate" in engines.

I'm certain Mazda can't be pleased with them.

It's amazing to me how some dealers can't or won't do the simple things (pre-delivery check list, for example) to make certain they have happy customers. To me, that's the minimum they should do.

Let us know how your dealer handles the rest of it.

cheeze...I love those digital tire pressure guages. I have one in each of my cars.

bberry2

My rx8 has 3500 miles and I live in michigan. Recently when temps went below freezing I routinely checked my oil. On the dipstick was a milky substance. I had a Previous experience with an oldsmobile that had the same milky substance on the dipstick. My dealer told me it was only condensation from the sides of the dipstick. In about 6 months, after it went out of warranty, the head gasket had to be replaced.
Does anyone have a similiar experience with their rx8? Any advice?

Thanks
BB

graphicguy

Nothing like that with mine (owned since August). I've seen what you describe before in other cars I've owned (all went well over 100K miles with nothing major happening to the engines) and it is indeed a little condensation. That'll burn off when you drive the car.

I suspect there were other issues with your Olds that caused the bad head gaskets.

pathstar1

Been watching this stuff. On previous rotarys it developed on the filler neck. On the RX-8 the filler neck is plastic, so it doesn't condense there as the plastic doesn't get cool enough inside. Only on the metal dipstick tube. It's normal for a rotary, as there isn't good "crankcase" ventilation. If you want to stop it from building up, after you shut off a hot car, remove the dipstick and leave it out until the car cools down. It will evaporate. Don't get it on your hands as it contains acid. Many new owners have been reporting it. Well known with older rotary owners as well.

gjm4

Just bought 4 snow tires and wheels for my RX8 from local high end tire/wheel shop. When they tried to take off wheels to install new ones, one of the lug nuts (on original wheels which have not been touched since the car was purchased) was put on so tight, they couldn't unscrew it. When they put more force on it with what they call a breaker bar, the lug nut broke off with part of it remaining on the wheel. At all times they used the Mazda key. They then advised me to bring the car back to the dealer since they felt that the wheel might have to be damamged to remove the remaining part of the lug nut so the wheel could be taken off.

The car is now at the dealer who has said that it may or may not be covered under the warranty since the lug nut was damaged by an outside shop and not an authorized Mazda dealer. I expect to hear back from the dealer late today. Any advice on this issue would be appreciated.

pathstar1

It was the McGard wheel lock? I bought a 4Runner with those on it, and three of four of them cracked longitudally. Discovered this when I was rotating the tires. I was lucky to get them off. Only American part on the vehicle. Needless to say, I will never leave wheel locks on any of my vehicles. Heck, you can buy removal sockets for wheel locks at Pep Boys, so what good are they?

They should be able to drill the stud enough to get the rest of the nut off without damaging the wheel (if they are any good). If it was the McGard nut that failed, that company should back up their product (I know they will replace the nuts that fail, and with a little legal persuation they should also fix any other damage and cover removal costs). Same goes if it was just a normal Mazda nut. Warranty should cover.

gjm4

The dealer has refused to cover the broken lug nut problem under warranty. They are advising that they cannot remove the broken lug nut without causing damage to the rim which may render rim unusable. They advise me to go back to the shop that broke the lug nut for removal.

I am going to consult my attorney on Monday for advice. It appears that the wheel will have to be replaced but there could also be substantial labor involved in the removal. I definitely think this should be covered by Mazda warranty.

audia8q

Since the non-mazda shop did the damage it is not covered under any warranty....if the shop who could not get the lug off had suggested that you take it back to the dealer to remove the lug and the dealer caused the problem, then they would eat it....as I see it, the shop who broke the lug should be paying.

graphicguy

Gotta agree with audia8q on this one. The shop that broke it is responsible to fix it....even if they have to "foot the bill" for Mazda to fix it.

cheezeboy

yeppers.....you guessed it....the dreaded Mr Gravel Truck deposited a nice rock in front of me. (actually, a few cars ahead of me, but then it bounced around a bit, and well, I got lucky!). Now, it did not leave a big chip in my hood, say a 16th inch round spot, but it bothers me. My question is: do the "TouchUp Paint" things work? What are my options really? Any advice is welcome!

graphicguy

Well, that sucks....I had some teen drag her butt, wearing studded jeans, over the hood of my 8. Two long scratches were the result. I can't "tend" to them until Spring, but I know how something like that will drive you crazy.

There's some stuff out there called Langka. I've never used it, but I know others that have and they swear by it....it's made exactly to treat something like you experienced.

Do a GOOGLE search to find it.

cheezeboy

GGuy - First, you "Da Man". Thanks, I found the home site (http://www.langka.com) and it looks fairly easy. Second, I am so sorry you had a teen drag her butt across your hood. However, what you are doing with a teenage girl on your hood, is your own business..... but, that would explain why you are DA MAN!!...
:-)

yosarian

Maybe I just can't remember what it was like in my previous car, or maybe there's a problem. Has anyone else noticed a noticeable delay between the time you tap the gas pedal, and the tach. jumps.

Due to the fact that the rotary engine is more dependent upon its RPM's than a standard reciprocating motion engine, this is a rather annoying and bothersome issue. I've actually stalled it once. I haven't done that this millennium.

Can anyone else confirm what I'm experiencing? I know that my description is a little vague, a fact which is hard to overcome with typed text in a little posting, but it's the only way to present to a group of RX-8 owners all at once.

Perhaps owners of multiple vehicles can try a comparison. Just a quick tap on the accelerator. Try it, and let me know if you notice a difference. Thanks.

graphicguy

Don't know about being "Da Man", but thanks anyway. About the teenaged girl on the hood of my car....I wish I could tell you something wild was happening, but I can't. I took the RX8 to the grocery. Came out and found her posing for her boyfriend on the hood. He was taking pictures (I'll let your mind wander on that...). As I hit the "unlock" on the remote, she quickly "slid" her butt off and they both took off. I guess I should feel complemented in my choice of cars to foster such behavior.

End result....I've got one long scratch (about 6 inches...gotta really look to find it, but I know it's there) and another about 1" long on the hood.

It's pretty cold here now so I won't be able to tend to it until spring.

Interestingly, I was all set to leave the RX8 in the garage most of the winter. I can't seem to let it sit there every morning, however. It wants to be driven. So, if there isn't any snow on the ground, I fire up the RX8. When there is snow, I use my "trusty" '99 Civic to drive in the slush and salt.

My friends say I pamper the RX8 too much. Little do they know how I drive it when it's out of the garage.

yosarian...I've never experienced what you describe. Mine will rev "right now" with no hesitation at any time...warm or cold. I don't rev mine past about 4K RPMs until it warms up (usually in less than a mile of driving). All-in-all...no hesitation. Matter of fact, it revs quicker, without hesitation, than any other car I've ever owned.

What you may be experiencing is the fact that the clutch takes some "getting used to". I just rev mine to about 2K-2.5K and let it out smoothly and I get smooth take offs every time. I got used to it in pretty short order (couple of days of driving).

carliker

That is unbelievable!!! I can't stress enough on how angry I would have been if that had happened to me. Let's just say I would've had to get a lawyer. I would have chased those brats down. Some people just don't have any respect for other people's things. Did you at least break the teen's camera? The scratches should come out easily unless they are really deep. From your post, that doesn't seem to be the case. Just use some rubbing compound. Afterwards, put a nice polish on to replace the uncovering of finish that the rubbing compound took off. It will look as good as new.

cheeseboy - Those gravel/cement/dump trucks are the nemesis of the "new car". Why they don't pass a law that these trucks must have a cover to protect other vehicles from flying debris I have no idea. That happened to me with my Z3 and it made me hate dump trucks for good. This seems to happen mostly on the highways. I wax my vehicle twice a year (once at the beginning of the summer and once at the end of it). This keeps common road hazards and grime as well as the sun from ruining the paint job.

rob138

I just read all 200 plus postings to this site and definitely feel a comradery with all you fellow RX-8 owners. Mine is the titanium gray six speed, no NAV system. Bought it on 10/10/03. Put 4000 miles on it so far In a nutshell, I have all ready had my oil pan replaced due to the low oil level false reading problem (it was no big deal). I have not had any other mechanical problems such as the flooding, cutting out at 6000 rpms, or getting bad mileage. I am hearing the clunking sound from the brakes when I take off after a cold start, but I do not believe it is a big concern. Shifting from one to two is sticky and sometimes downright hard. Dealer says one other customer with 6000 miles is experiencing same problem. They claim Mazda does not have a fix for this yet. Any info out there? My real problem is what sounds like a vibration noise emanating from the rear passenger side up where the rear windshield meets the body/roof of the car. Sort of a popping/static sound. Very noticeable and annoying. Been in 4 times now, but dealer cannot duplicate the problem. Windshield is not loose. The noise always goes away the day I take it in. I have noticed a pattern, though. It starts to rattle when the humidity is high. Guaranteed to rattle when it rains. I have been keeping an eye on the forecast to time it with taking it back to the dealer. Service guys have been real good and seem to be be genuinely interested in correcting it. I bought the car at a dealer far from work and home, but I have built a repoire with these guys and prefer to continue to see them until it is corrected. I have not seen a single posting on this type of problem. Any ideas? Otherwise, I love this car. It's my first sports car. Love every single thing about it. Only thing I would change is the full blown horn honk when you press your lock button twice. My Chevy Silverado would do a light honk in the same situation. Hope to hear from someone.

redrpm

Graphic, just wanted to let you know I'm taking it in for its 3,500 service tomorrow...to a totally different dealership ;-) We'll see how they do with the outstanding cutout/pinging issue. Hoping this one's the ONE! Will let you know...huge relief if so.

btw: anyone else having some rattling coming from the instrument cover? one of the dealerships told me they were waiting for a part/fastener from Mazda...it's loose enough I can move it up/down about a 1/4 inch. they said Mazda was aware of it but I haven't seen any other posts noting it.

cheezeboy

gguy - that's not the ending to the story I had in mind! ("Slowly GGuy came around the corner. His eyes gazed upon a vision of super model beauty, draped across his curvaceous car. 'I am here for you, gguy', she said seductively. 'But what about about my wife?' he asked with a slight sense of amusement in his voice. The young lovely pulled him close, answered with a kiss and whispered, 'your wife said it was ok'.")...now that's they way to get a scratch on your car!!!.....well..I am sorry either way; by rock or teenager!!

carliker - I have a feeling that it will be along time before all the trucks pay attention to the 'cover law' down here. And I even tried to avoid the truck in the first place...arrgh....

Hey, I heard/felt something today while driving. I was diving into a corner, pretty fast, sharp right. The nose dove a bit when the car did a machine-gun type noise/vibration behind the left front wheel. Was that the DSC taking effect? sounded like "buda-buda-buda-buda", real fast, maybe a sec, probably less. (And no, the sound was not the little robot from Buck Rogers! No Gil Gerard anywhere around! however, I thought I saw Erin Grey on the side of the rode with a sign that said "Need ride to GGuy's house")

carliker

Finally a reference to Buck Rogers. You know how long I waited? Now, I no longer have to read these posts but I will anyway. By the way, that little robot's name was Twinkie. Also, the woman who played opposite of Buck Rogers hosts the daytime version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire". How's that for meaningless television knowledge?

graphicguy

cheeze....yea, I kind of thought you had a "Penthouse moment" in mind when I mentioned the teen on my hood.....not hardly. You're "budda...budda" sounds exactly like the DSC kicking in. I was taking an exit ramp corner this weekend. Hit the turn a little too hard and a lot too fast. Back end started to "kick out". Next thing I know, you're "budda sound" starts and the rear end "snapped" back into line, and all was well.

redrpm...good luck at the new dealership. Something's definitely not right, that's for sure. It's either a fuel issue or a timing issue would be my bet. Don't let them give you the "run around". Too many dealers out there that won't take the time to train their techs on the RX8 in my estimation. They kind of stumble through without spending the money to train them correctly.

brake "click" is totally normal when first starting out. It's the ABS resetting itself.

rob....rattles, squeaks, etc.....I can't comment as mine is "tight as a drum". In fairness, those types of issues are the most difficult to diagnose. Sometimes, when temps change, the sounds come and go as the parts of the car expand and contract with the temperature. Plus, dealerships don't want to spend a lot of time chasing them down because they only get $XX from Mazda to find and fix. Unfortunately, this is also a tech training issue. Even with your good description of where it's coming from and what it sounds like, some techs are agraid to take anything apart to find the issue because they're afraid they won't know how to get everything back together again.

qbrozen

Erin Grey is not the daytime host of Millionaire. I think you've got them confused.

ummmmm.... something on topic... ummm.... maybe Erin Grey drives an RX8???

carliker

Really? Darn, my credibility of television knowledge is shot. To stay on topic, yes, I think both of the women drive RX-8s

Karen_S

...Erin Gray and Meredith Vieira("Millionaire" host) may not drive an RX-8, but I bet they would if they could.

qbrozen

karen wins points for knowing that hostesses name, that's for sure.

carliker

Wow!

cheezeboy

gguy - cool! That's what I thought it was, but just wanted to make sure.

sorry I stared the whole "Buck Rogers" train of thought here. I don't even own a tv to find out who Meredith Vieira is! good thing the DSC sounds nothing like "Muffit2" from BattleStar....(however any dicussion about 'Serina' is welcome!)

graphicguy

Now we know why you're the moderator here. We are awed by your wealth of knowledge...;-)

cheeze....Serina?

Boy you guys have totally lost me.......

The DSC on the RX8 really lets you fling the car around before it kicks in. When I was taking the aforementioned exit ramp way too fast, I thought I was going to "swap ends". The DSC let me "hang the tail out" a bit before it snapped me back in place. I guess subconciously, I was trying to see how far it would let me go before it put a stop to such foolishness. It let me go just far enough.

I kept thinking, wouldn't it be cool if the NAV voice came on when trying such a stunt and say..."Hey, GG...I am now entering 'stop the idiot from trashing me' mode".

carliker

How is it possible to own an RX-8 and not a television? How were you able to see the RX-8 commercials?

rob138

I was not paying attention the other day and accidentally filled my tank with regular unleaded. No change in performance at all. Does anyone know of any negative effects of using the lower octane? I live in San Antonio, TX. Not sure if gas if formulated differently in south Texas.

Also, the RX-8 manual says to change the oil every 7,500 miles (just like the old days) under normal driving conditions. Dealer insists on changing at 3,000. Any comments?

Karen_S

Oh yeah...that's me. The Queen of useless trivia. :-)

graphicguy

No harm done. The manual "recommends" high octane to get the most performance. It's not "required" however. Some even run 87 octane regularly. I bought the car for its performance, so I've always used premium.

7,500 mile oil changes are pretty standard these days regarding "normal use". Mazda recommends 5,000 mile oil changes for "servere use". That's what I go by.

I'm sure your dealer would love you if you changed it every 3,000 miles. That along with the "premium" (read more expensive) services that dealers come up with in addition to what's recommended by the manufacturer, is more of a profit for the dealer than bennefit for you, IMHO. Usually these services include things like fuel injector cleaning (today's gasolines have degergents for that required by law) and/or "battery pads" (which allegedly keeps your battery from accidently discharging on its own). Usually totally frivolous things that are really unneeded and way overpriced for what you get.

KarenS...at least you're the "Queen" of something......;-)

cheezeboy

ok..."Serina"....here is a hint for you gguy: "Dr. Quinn"......nuff said?...did not your mind go to a nice, dreamy place of days gone by with that hint?

carliker - sans tv, I saw the RX8 at the AutoShow in Miami before it came out...fell in love, but figured it was just a 'concept' and never make here. Then I was doing some software work on a corporate golf game, and the client wanted to co-brand the game. He had a contact at Mazda and we used a bunch of Mazda materials making a demo - and I was hooked....and the guys in the office said it was 'silly, unsafe car'....HA!....I laugh at them now!

So, I go in for my 1st service on Monday. I checked my VIN and I am in the numbers for the oil pan issue, but I have never had a problem with it. Has the oil pan TSB been done prior to my purchase and never told about it or do I bring it up and have them do it now? I have a feeling it was done before I bought and there was no need to tell me about! Right? Any advice is welcome.

graphicguy

AHHHH....OK....Dr Quinn....Medicine Woman....in all honesty, she didn't to much for me....but my friends say I have stange taste in women anyway (which is quite an issue with my current g/f).

If you tell your dealer that you need the oil pan update, they should take care of it with no questions asked (show them a copy of the TSB). There is a possibility that it was already taken care of though. If the dealer did the TSB before delivery, they should have record of it. IF the factory did it, then your VIN would not show up in the TSB database.

audia8q

I have received emails from mazda about the octane used on the RX-8....they are near hysterical about using premium gas in the car...I don't think one tank of regular unleaded will be a problem but I would highly suggest premium at all times.