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Mazda RX-8 Problems and Solutions

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Comments

  • rx8red1rx8red1 Member Posts: 7
    Bad news guys this dumbass smashed my back quarter panel on my rx8 early this morning when i was going to work...good thing it he has insurance and he is paying for it....bad thing is i have to look at it ever time before i get in my car until i get it fixed next week

    but anyways has anyone added a sub and amp to the factory system because i thought about doing it but i wasn't sure if you could pull enough volts of the front speakers to actually get the sub to sound good?
  • rxgirlrxgirl Member Posts: 1
    Brakes first squeaky - now rotors are not running round anymore with 50% brakepads remaining!!!.
    Mazda refuses to put new rotors in on their expense, suggests to machine the old ones, which will make the problem just worse, because the thinner rotors will warp even easier.

    Car is 80% driven by a gentle lady, so no explanation for the rotor problems.
    If anyone has similar issues, or can give some advice: PLEASE POST

    RXgirl
  • rx8red1rx8red1 Member Posts: 7
    do you drive your 8 on any dirt or gravel roads? have you had alot of rain lately? both of these could cause breaks to squeak...also mazda should just replace your rotors if your still under warrenty i would imagine
  • flatpickflatpick Member Posts: 43
    I got mine Oct 03..I haven't had any starting problems, but the fuel pressure build up..etc make's sense. :surprise:
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Ugh. That's awful. Back in 1987 my RX-7 got hit in the back quarter panel. Good news, it should be an easy fix and should drive just like new when repaired. Is the plastic bumper cover going to need replacing?
  • suziquesuzique Member Posts: 2
    I am new to this forum and looking for some advice. I purchased a beautiful 04 rx-8 automatic (used) in late September and started having issues. First the check engine light came on right from the dealership, which the manager insisted it was from not properly closing the gas cap. The bad thing was that his employees put the gas into the car. He told me to then take it to the Mazda dealership to have it checked under warranty. No problem, since Mazda would check the car out to find out if I purchased a lemon. They did the whole check and reset the "computer". Deemed it just fine. The following week I noticed the engine idling low and feeling as if it was bogging down. I took it back in and they did a few more tests and checked the engine mounts and whatnot. They told me that a problem with the 04's was the fact that they were manufactured with only one oil cooler and mine needed a second one. Fine, I said, just make it run like it should. It was gone for a week. When I got it back with the second oil cooler installed, the manager of Mazda told me the next step would be a engine rebuild from the manunfacturer and would take about a month, if not more. I don't know if that was a scare tactic, but it didn't work.. I brought it back a few days later and made him sit in my car with the engine running to see and feel what I was talking about. He then told me he knew what was wrong and it needed a new engine. One month later my car is back and seems to be cured. I was told however that my car needed to keep the RPM's up between 4-6000. That is fine with me, but can anyone suggest how I can accomplish this with an automatic??? I can put it in manual and switch gears, but I don't think that a wise solution. Please tell me what I can do to preserve this engine. I love my little red rocket and plan to keep it for a long time!
    Thanks, Suzique
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    Many auto owners shift manually. Just don't operate the engine for long periods below 2500 RPM and you'll be fine. What I'm saying is don't drive for hours with the RPM below 2500. It doesn't hurt it to run the engine at low RPM, just don't keep it there. If the engine actually had a problem, it wasn't caused by running it too slowly - at least not this soon. Running it too slowly will let carbon build up inside the engine, and that will lead to problems after a few years (2-4 if you really "lug" it). Your engine problem, (if it really was the engine), was probably a fault in assembly right from the factory. There have been a few like that.

    Feel free to play with the shifter paddles. Rotary engines like to rev.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Thought I'd ask about this engine knocking I have in my RX-8 AT with 3000 plus miles. Seems to have been there since I bought it. Goes away above 3000 RPM mostly. I always use 93 Octane Super Gas from Shell.

    Is the knocking normal? Will it always be there below 3000 RPM? Is this related to carbon build up? Can I put an additive in to fix the knocking? If I don't attempt to fix the knocking, i.e. drive below 3000RPM or gas additive, will I face an ever increasing knocking problem?

    Thanks.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    First, you are unlikely to have carbon buildup with that few miles. The fuel you are using should be better than needed to prevent knock or pre-ignition.

    Second, I doubt what you are hearing is knocking. The RX-8 has an extremely sensitive and effective knock prevention system (much better than previous rotaries), using a microphone attached to the engine. If it detects knock (or pre-ignition) it immediatly retards the ignition and takes other drastic action. You will see the MIL light come on (check engine light). It keeps the engine in this "protect" mode for 20 sec. or so. If you have noticed a drastic power drop for 20 sec. or so then you are experiencing knock, otherwise there is something else you are hearing.

    I suggest finding a dealer who knows their stuff to diagnose the sounds you are hearing. It may be normal or it may be something out of spec.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    The check engine light has never come on accept at engine start test phase. Also have not noticed ANY loss of power.

    It's a crackling noise with a random pattern. Now I'm beginning to worry that it's a bearing.

    One other symptom that I didn't connect until just now is a halting vibration that happens. After driving for twenty minutes or so, when full turning left or right from a dead stop there is a halting vibration coming from the rear wheels I think.

    I originally thought this vibration was the Lim Slip Dif working. I can produce the halting in slow motion when I pull into my drive way by creeping into the parking space with the steering wheel cranked full to the left. The halting is like something braking and then releasing and it makes a little bit of a squeak noise.

    OTOH the crackling noise that I first thought was knocking does seem to come from the engine area or front of the car. The halting vibration seems to come from the rear wheels, so I never put the two items together.

    The halting vibration, when it occurs, seems to leave a clutch burning smell in the rear of the car. The smell has gotten less and less noticeable however and I have only noticed the smell after driving hard or after driving on a long trip.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    That "halting vibration" could be the DSC operating the rear brakes to stop the inside wheel from spinning. It could also be the rear diff., though it wouldn't produce any smell. It may be a combination of the two.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Have not seen the DSC light blinking. Does Lim Slip Diff work on a mechanical level with heat playing a part?

    Well I'll give the "halting vibration" a testing in the winter. DSC and Lim slip Diff should get a working out in the snow and ice, although I was hoping to keep the RX-8 out of the really bad stuff. Then again, Boston's Mayor Manino live's in my neighborhood, so snow removable receives prompt attention usually.

    Thanks Pathstar
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    The limited slip is a mechanical device with no electronics in the loop. It is subject to temperature in that the diff. oil is very thick when cold and not so thick when hot. Diffs. do run at fairly high temps. once warmed up, but only when they are handling a lot of power.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    pathstar1 said "Diffs. do run at fairly high temps. once warmed up, but only when they are handling a lot of power."

    OK, then the vibration in the rear must be the LSD cutting in. I was driving this morning and hit a wet patch while in a traffic rotary uphill, turning, and accelerating. The backend started to slide, the DSC light flicked on, and she straighten right up instantly. There was absolutely no vibration. Lots of fun that was.

    Then I was at a stop sign shortly after that DSC event, turning hard right and accelerating. The vibration as if from the inside rear was fair intense and no DSC light. Then I smelled a faint clutch burn.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    If it is the LSD it should smooth out as you get miles on it. Like any mechanical device it has to "wear in" or self machine the internals. I still don't know where the clutch smell is coming from. The LSD is sealed (except for a small vent valve on top) and the clutch plates in LSDs are immersed in oil so no smell there. I suspect it's the rear brakes (DSC). If you want to verify further, turn off the DSC (hold in the button as per the owners manual), then try it. If you then get no smell then the smell is from the brakes being activated by the DSC. It may be it operates so fast the lamp doesn't have a chance to light. I presume you are "goosing it" when this happens.

    You can turn the DSC back on manually, or it will automatically come back on the next time you start the car.

    BTW, even turning the DSC off this way it isn't really all the way off, just being told to "relax" by the PCM.

    Also, the above "self machining" produces a lot of metal "bits" in the transmission and diff. oil. It's a good idea to have the oil in them changed after about 20,000 mi. I like to use "Royal Purple" - it's synthetic so should reduce frictional losses and it works well with LSDs (no additional additive needed).
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Actually, I think it is getting smoother, but the halting vibration is still there when I do a semi-fast take off. I never floor it, but it's a nice strong take off.

    I'll try turning off the DSC to see if the clutch burn smell goes away completely.

    At 20K miles I'll look up this conversation for the Royal Purple brand. Thanks.
  • suziquesuzique Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the reply, I'll keep it revved as much as possible. Have you ever heard of a problem like mine? I just don't want to find out in a few months that I've purchased a lemon.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    As I said earlier, there were a few engines that were assembled incorrectly or the parts were machined incorrectly. It's not common, but we hear from the owners (as we should!). My friend was one. His has been fine ever since the engine was changed. Once the engine is replaced they have been happy. You will find the rotary engine will last a long time (previous normally asperated - non-turbo rotaries went well over 200,000 mi.). Just make sure you keep an eye on the oil level (check every two or three fillups) and don't let the coolant get low and you'll be fine. The engine injects oil from the sump into the intake (part of the design) so it does go down slowly. Most find adding a quart after 3000 mi. is normal. Some are able to go all the way to oil change time.

    While there have been RX-8s with problems, it's not common, and they are usually fixed and don't recurr.
  • flatpickflatpick Member Posts: 43
    Some sort of vacumn leak around fuel cap is causing my yellow engine icon to display....these new fangled cars! :P
  • flipper897flipper897 Member Posts: 10
    I have now owned my RX-8 for 5 months (bought new in June, 6-speed manual) & I am amazed by the number of posts reporting problems.

    Maybe I'm the exception - I hope not - but I've never gotten less than 18 mpg (mostly around-town driving), and a consistent 23 mpg on the highway. No brake squeal, no power lag, haven't needed to add oil yet (granted the car only has 1200 miles on it), nothing to gripe about (my other car is a Lexus ES & that car made me picky since they're bulletproof) but I can honestly say I've experienced no problems.

    At various message boards I've seen it posted a number of times that the problems are more prevalent on 2003-2004 models. I'm no mechanical expert but I've read that there have been a number of modifications to the 2005s to improve gas mileage, reliability, etc. I tend to shift around 3500-4000 rpm and always use super unleaded gas.

    OK, one gripe - I wish Mazda would have made the back seats fold down for easy access to the trunk. But - that's it, and I hope things improve for all those who have has problems because I'd hate to see Mazda discontinue production of the car - I love it! Velocity red, Grand Touring Package, rear spoiler, chrome wheels make me smile just to look at it.

    Better luck with your cars everyone! Flip
  • northfootnorthfoot Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2005 6 speed. I took it in today for snow tires (Bridgestone Blizzaks -- I live in Pennsylvania). I also had an oil change. The service people at the dealership replaced the oil with 10w30 grade. They told me that there has been a factory notice that with the higher engine revs and temperatures, that they were having problems with the rotor seals with the 5w20 grade oil that had been recommended in the manual. Has anyone else heard this?
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    What were the Blizzaks running you. I'm thinking about a set.

    By higher revs, I'm guessing this is the manual 6 speed, versus the auto.
  • northfootnorthfoot Member Posts: 7
    It is the manual. The Blizzaks were ~$230 apiece (ridiculously expensive), but if they get me through the winter, they are worth it, as I have no other car to drive. BTW, I love this car.
  • rotorrocketrotorrocket Member Posts: 3
    I'm in New York City metro area, going into my third winter with the Blizzaks. I pass by 4wheel, all-wheel etc. that are stuck in the snowbanks because they skidded off the road when going around a curve or while braking. All wheel drive might help you get up your driveway or some hills, but it doesn't prevent the skidding mentioned above. Use real snow tires on all four wheels, common sense, and if the snow isn't higher than the underside of the car, you should be ok
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    I'm thinking about some Avon all season performance over the strict snow tire like the Blizzaks($198each). Tirerack.com has the Avon 225/24 18 for $135 each for ultra high performance. The Tirerack guys said using any winter performance tire in anything but winter weather wears them out really fast.

    It's not like I'm gonna race'm in the snow if I get the Avon all season, but I would not like to constantly be changing tires for the seasons.
  • rotorrocketrotorrocket Member Posts: 3
    I believe that you're in the Boston area so you can get some nasty snow. I assume that your RX-8 came with the summer only Bridgestone hi performance tires. If you are not replacing your summer tires with the all-season Avons as your only year-round tire, I still suggest that you purchase the Blizzaks, Dunlops, Michlein etc. true winter tires on the least expensive wheels that the Tire Rack sells, approx. $130 ea. The Tire Rack does an excellent job of mounting, balancing and safely shipping the tires and wheels right to your door. I've dealt with them 5 times already in this fashion. My Blizzaks don't appear to be wearing out anytime soon, are quiet and handle pretty darn well. Having the two different sets of tires mounted on their own wheels makes changing tires a snap and assure you of the best opportunity of not getting stuck in snow and ice.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    A bit more info on Boston and snow. We can get wicked, 30" to 50" inches accumulation. But the snow clearing on the roads is legendary. Also Boston's mayor lives in my town so clearing out our direction is extra diligent. They've always jumped on the street in front of my house for the last 15 years clearing non-stop during the storms. There's also city snow equipment depot two blocks away.

    We would never have to drive on very much snow if any so thats why the all season tires are under consideration. There's also a front wheel drive with traction control second car that's for the really bad days.
  • northfootnorthfoot Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone else been informed to go to a heavier grade of oil? My Mazda dealer informed me that rotary heat and high revolutions necessitate this change from 5w20 to 10w30.
  • flatpickflatpick Member Posts: 43
    I haven't heard anything about Mazda recommending 10w30...I just had an oil change 11/14 at Mazda, they put in 5w20...

    Am I the only one who feels like their dealer is flying by the seat of their pants with RX8?
  • wpavlik2wpavlik2 Member Posts: 32
    My Mazda dealer actually used 5w30 last time I had the oil changed and made the comment that Mazda said it was "appropriate for our climate" I have noticed a small drop in gas milage. I even contacted Mazda about this, and they emailed me back saying that it was OK for my area of the country. ( North Carolina, USA.)
    I have wondered about my dealership at times. I guess the upside of using the dealership for oil changes is that they have coupons available for $15 bucks for an oil change.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Went to Maine for turkey day. After a night of low teens (F) temps on Friday morning started my RX-8 AT 2005 and within 15 seconds noticed that the radiator (check engine coolant) light had light up.

    Rather than kill the cold engine, risking a restart problem, I waited till the water temp started to rise. The radiator light went out within a minute. The coolant level is full. Also noticed, that the manual says to wait a bit after engine start before putting the car in gear.

    Is the cold weather engine start doing extra special processing that waits on engine temp coming up to certain levels before completing the complete engine check sequence?
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    No, the PCM doesn't wait just because it's cold out. The cause is likely that coolant, like many materials, shrinks when cold. It probably was a little low and when it warmed up it expanded to cover the sensor. You may be able to add some coolant - that is, it may actually be slightly low, just not low enough to trigger the sensor at "warmer" temps.
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    I agree, ANY all season tire is going to cause you to suffer loss of max grip in the dry and wet AND will not perform nearly as well as a dedicated snow tire.

    Several years ago I started putting dedicated snows on during the winter on spare wheels and would NOT go back to all season tires. I get max wet and dry grip in non-winter and max snow/ice grip in the winter.

    When I was down to driving either an M5, S2000, or T100 pickup a few years back I decided to buy a well used Subaru Legacy AWD/ABS wagon. I put winter tread tires on it (Graspic ice-grip this time) and it is a MOUNTAIN GOAT going up the hills. The other cars (now an RX-8 rather than the M5) stay safe at home.

    If you can't get cheap steel wheels for the snow tires, then get a winter beater. Even a cheap FWD car w/4 snows will be much better than an 8 on snows. AWD is just that much better.

    Dennis
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    If you want to paste the text below into an Excel spread sheet, the data for these performance vs all season tires will layout nicely. This is how I chose the Avons.

    cut -----------------

    BRAND

    Bridgestone Bridgestone Michelin Michelin Pirelli Pirelli Yokohama Dunlop Dunlop Kumho Yokohama Avon Michelin
    Potenza RE050A Potenza S-03 Pole Position Pilot Sport Pilot Sport PZero Nero PZero Rosso Asimmetrico ADVAN Neova AD07 Direzza DZ101 SP Sport 8090 ECSTA SPT AVS ES100 Tech M550 A/S Pilot HX MXM4
    Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall

    Size:225/45YR18 Size:225/45YR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45ZR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45YR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45YR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45VR18

    PRICE $211.00 $223.00 $207.00 $232.00 $215.00 $212.00 $245.00 $129.00 $238.00 $99.00 $156.00 $136.00 $219.00
    PERFORMANCE Max Performance Summer Max Performance Summer Max Performance Summer Max Performance Summer Max Performance Summer Max Performance Summer Max Performance Summer Ultra High Performance Summer Ultra High Performance Summer Ultra High Performance Summer Ultra High Performance Summer Ultra High Performance All-Season Grand Touring All-Season
    CATEGORY
    SPEED RATING YR YR WR ZR WR YR WR WR WR YR WR WR VR
    TREADLIFE WARRANTY None None None None None None None None None None None None None
    HANDLING RATING 9.4 9 8.9 8.9 8.6 8.5 N/A 8 N/A N/A 8.3 8.5 6.6
    DRY TRACTION 9.4 9.2 9.1 9.1 8.9 8.8 N/A 8.5 N/A N/A 8.6 8.9 7.1
    WET TRACTION 8.5 8.7 8.1 8.1 8.3 7.6 N/A 7.5 N/A N/A 7.8 8.9 5.8
    SNOW TRACTION N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 7.8 4.4
    RIDE COMFORT 8.4 7.8 7.7 7.7 8.1 7.3 N/A 8.5 N/A N/A 7.4 8.8 6.7
    NOISE COMFORT 8.3 7.6 7.3 7.3 8 7.2 N/A 8.1 N/A N/A 7 8.8 6.4
    WEAR 7.2 6.6 6.7 6.7 7.3 5 N/A 8 N/A N/A 6.6 8.8 6.2
    TREADWEAR RATING 140 220 220 220 220 220 180 300 280 320 280 360 300
    TRACTION RATING A AA AA AA AA AA AA A AA AA AA AA A
    TEMPERATURE RATING A A A A A A A A A A A A A
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Here are the Winter tire vs All season comparisons. Just copy the text below and paste into Excel.

    cut----------------
    BRAND

    Bridgestone Bridgestone Continental Dunlop Pirelli Avon Michelin
    Blizzak LM-22 Blizzak LM-25 ContiWinterContact TS790 V Winter Sport M3 Winter 240 SnowSport Tech M550 A/S Pilot HX MXM4
    Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall Blackwall

    Size:225/45VR18
    Size:225/45VR18 Size:225/45VR18 Load Rating: XL Size:225/45VR18 Size:225/45VR18 Size:225/45WR18 Size:225/45VR18
    Load Rating: XL Load Rating: XL

    PRICE 223 198 198 178 198 136 219
    PERFORMANCE Performance Winter Performance Winter Performance Winter Performance Winter Performance Winter Ultra High Performance All-Season Grand Touring All-Season
    CATEGORY
    SPEED RATING VR VR VR VR VR WR VR
    TREADLIFE WARRANTY None None None None None None None
    HANDLING RATING 7.8 N/A N/A 8.1 8 8.5 6.6
    DRY TRACTION 8.1 N/A N/A 8.3 8.2 8.9 7.1
    WET TRACTION 8.3 N/A N/A 8.7 8.4 8.9 5.8
    SNOW TRACTION 8.9 N/A N/A 9.2 8.5 7.8 4.4
    RIDE COMFORT 8.1 N/A N/A 8.5 8.2 8.8 6.7
    NOISE COMFORT 7.6 N/A N/A 8.2 8 8.8 6.4
    WEAR 7.8 N/A N/A 8.4 8.1 8.8 6.2
    TREADWEAR RATING NONE NONE NONE NONE .ONE 360 300
    TRACTION RATING NONE NONE NONE NONE N/A AA A
    TEMPERATURE RATING NONE NONE NONE NONE N/A A A
  • secrtsqurlsecrtsqurl Member Posts: 3
    I couldnt imagine having my RX8 and having to deal with snow. I live in Northern California where the lowest temperature is still over 35 degrees. :)

    As for the guy with the fuel door prob..... I had it to after I installed an aftermarket door. If not adjusted correctly the door causes the gas cap to open and thus the light. Believe it or not, mine was fixed by tightening the gas cap to the point where it is paralell to the ground. Havent had a prob since!....
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Looking strictly at the numbers the Avon's appear to provide 90% of the snow traction and 90% of the performance traction for 60% of the price of the two extreme snow and performance tire lines.

    Driving on city streets of Boston, it's the year round use, particularly related to the 140 vs 360 tread wear rating of of the performance vs all season tires and the price differential that I'm after. Boston streets do tear up tires quicker than normal.

    I know a Boston driver who's G35 coupe goes through the performance tires like they were made of jello. He does the swap for winter tires and rims, swap for fall and spring with all season tires and then the swap for summer performance. His performance tires just seemed to melt away. The winter tires lost tread next fastest, but the all seasons didn't have any tread loss at all.
  • grinningrinnin Member Posts: 13
    I too live in the Boston area and am seeking a cost effective way of driving in the winter. I went the tire rack Avon all-season route. Last winter I kept the Bridgestone OEM tires on and kept it garaged on the messy days. (We have a second front-drive sedan vehicle in the family) Trispec is right, the road clearing in our area is pretty darn good. I'll post again in awhile when I see how the traction works out. The Bridgestones were USELESS in 1/4" of snow. (Not necessarily a criticism b/c that's how they are designed - just a piece of info for others) On my previous car (1992 Acura legend) I had dedicated Blizzaks on 15" rims, and they were great in the snow. 16" pirellis in the summer. The budget is a little tight right now with me in grad school, so another complete set of tires and rims isn't a great idea, and $100 twice a year for dismounting remounting and balancing snow/summer tires on the same rims seems expensive too. The Avons are my compromise solution. The forecast is mentioning snow showers Sun./Mon. so we'll see.
  • modockmodock Member Posts: 55
    I am in the same position as far as money situation and tires that suck in the snow. I just have a Mazda3 not an RX-8. I have been going throught the same quandry. I live in Denver and there are only 2 to 5 days a year where there is actually snow covering the roads. What I have been concidering is these things called Spikes Spiders. They are similar to chains but go on and off in about a minute. I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of them or used them. They run around $350 for the ones that fit my car and about the same for the ones that fit the RX-8.

    I was just wondering if anyone out there has used them before. Thanks
  • dwynnedwynne Member Posts: 4,018
    You are too funny, trispec :D

    You looked at the user reviews of the tires to think you are getting a good tire - bad move. Right on the TireRack page are the TR TESTS on the track, so you were close but missed it.

    If you look here and here you can compare the track numbers. The TR test "track" is really short and small, so the numbers do not tend to vary as much as the would if they did longer and better tests. Dry stopping from 50mph is 10' longer, slower slalom and lap times - much slower in the wet.

    So compared to OEM tires the all season tires are what I would consider "much worse" wet and dry.

    TR does not have any similar tests of dedicated snow tires VS all season (that I have seen), but Consumer Reports did a while back and found dedicate snow tires to be head and shoulders above any all season tires in snow and ice grip.

    All season tires are a compromise - you give up both wet and dry handling VS high performance summer tires, yet do not net snow tire grip in the winter. If you can only afford 1 set of tires and have to drive in the snow, then you have to suffer the rest of the time. Otherwise, you are a LOT better off to get tires dedicated to the task at hand.

    High performance (and winter) tires can wear pretty quickly. Like the old "Pink Pearl" erasers, soft rubber does a better job, but goes away quicker. Sure, you could put some 60k or 100k tread life tires on your car, but when you need to stop quick or turn quick those hard tires could cause you to be in a wreck where grippier rubber would save you.

    Just in the dry braking from 50mph for OEM VS all season showed a 10' difference, if you need to stop to avoid hitting a chid that just ran in front of you the all season tires would take 10' longer to stop - and if the child was within that 10' area that makes a HUGE difference in what happens.

    Dennis
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Yep, saw all that stuff, plus did comparisons of a much larger sample of winter and summer performance tires.

    1) I NEVER drive over 50mph except on the highway and mostly I'm just driving 35mph in the city. So the differences in the performance, winter, and all season are even closer.

    2) Avon Tech's have slush and hydro planing channeling tread which is the main problem I fear. The performance summer tires completely failed on me while in slush at 35mph.

    3) Nearing 50 years old, as I am, my reaction times would never even come close to the performance range numbers anyway. The recognition of the emergency braking or steering event in my brain, coupled with the twitch speed of my muscles pretty much nuetralizes any advantage that the performance summer or winter traction tires might give me.

    Hell, I'm just happy to be on the road still alive, with a little bit of a smile on my face as I continue to delude myself with the fun of driving my RX-8 AT at 35 mph. Yeepee.

    BTW, I just installed my Avon Tech's. They are much quieter and softer. I threw the summer performance tires down in the basement to rubber rot. Maybe I'll put them out on the street for the trash man next summer. I would have put them up on eBay, but the number of folks out there trying to bust me over the damn tire thing has scared me off online permanently. Good-bye all.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Well folks, my RX-8 AT with it's new Avon Tech 550 A/S tires just pulled through one of the worst sudden winter storms that I've ever driven through here in Boston. In the span of one hour an inch of sleet and six inches of wet heavy snow slammed us.

    I was stuck in one of Boston's horrible city wide traffic jams. So much snow and sleet came down so fast that the windshield wipers jammed solid four times. I had to jump out in traffic to break the build-up from around the wipers.

    The Avon Tech's handled the roads with packed snow without any slips or spins. On the deep slush no slip or spin. On hills with unpacked snow I had to turn off the DSC and spin my way up.

    In my RX-8 AT I used the paddle shifter in 2nd gear to take off nice and slow. In the unpacked snow, when the car was bottoming out I just tried to keep plowing forward. One important note: YOU CAN NOT TURN THE DSC OFF UNLESS YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS FIRST, THEN TURN OFF DSC, THEN TAKE OFF. Turning off the DSC while the gas peddle is depressed leaves the DSC engaged.

    Around Boston College's hills on Commonwealth Ave. the Avon's handled the after math of the storm on unplowed streets. Slush snow was banging the bottom of the car constantly. Not a single issue keeping control of the rear end or steering through neighborhoods.

    In my book, Avon Tech 550 all season tires can handle the worst kind of New England winter weather in Boston.
  • rx8notgoodrx8notgood Member Posts: 2
    Hi all

    It is now December. I spent a good part of September in and out of the Denver Mazda dealer and no joy - they claimed that it never got hot enough for my power loss to be replicated.... They did say the car was wimpy in automatic and that they thought it was ok in tip-troic mode....

    My question tonight is simple - Did anyone actually get a cure or a fix for the loss of power?

    Any ecommendations re where to buy tires for the RX8 in Denver/Colorado Springs?
  • tiltmode43tiltmode43 Member Posts: 3
    Alright, I attempted a search but came up short. I am a seventeen year old student attending high school in southern california. One more year of high school and I'm off to college. I currently own a stock Honda Civic and have had it about a year. I would be purchasing a mid-later 05 6speed...

    My questions may be a little vague but any help at all would be greatly appreciated:
    1) Reliability - seeing that I have owned a reliable Honda for the past year I would hope the RX8 would not be a complete let down. I understand the oil checking and what not but what about reported problems? Have some of these problems been fixed in the later 05 models? I do not want a car that will constantly need to be in the shop - thats the last thing I want on my mind while in college.
    2) Performance - It seems to me that many of the problems many people speak of are due to cold weather and whatnot. In California the weather is more or less tame - will the car perform better in my sunny socal weather? I currently make an 8 min (approximately) drive to and back from school Mon-Fri. Is this short driving not recommended because the rx8 should have about 10 minutes to heat up before shut off so it will be less likely to flood? Remember this is SoCal weather so for the most part it will warm up faster.

    ANY help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The stylish/innovative "4-door" design combined with the rotary engine just pulled me in towards the rx8 and I have fallen in love. If the problems scare me away I may be more swayed towards the Acura RSX or something along those lines. I am working/worked hard for my money and do not want to be in loaner vehicles all the time...
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Going from a Civic to an RX-8 is going to be like going from a Piper Cub to a jet. But the jet's gonna need a lot more fuel. If you are sure you can psychologically deal with paying three times more for fuel then go for it. If concern over the fuel payments is any concern, the fun of the RX-8 could be spoiled for you.

    On the maintenance issues, JUST MAKE SURE YOU GET A GROUP 2 2005 or later. Group 2 2005 RX-8 models have all the recall items fixed at the factor already.

    California dreaming I am, as Boston is a frozen winter urban scene, but I can still drive to the neighborhood McDonalds for breakfast, LESS THAN A MILE AWAY, and by using the rev to 3000 RPM for 10 seconds shut off procedure, I've NEVER had a problem starting my RX-8. I don't have a garage, and the temps are 10-20 degrees F.
  • pathstar1pathstar1 Member Posts: 1,015
    The dealers have been told in no uncertain terms _ALL_ recall items must be done on all RX-8s before they are sold, so this shouldn't be an issue.

    The RX-8 is reliable. You should be ok with your eight minute commute. As trispec said, be prepared to pay/use more fuel. If you want to play you have to pay. ;) The car has lower torque than many are used to, so be sure to take a test drive to ensure you're good with that.

    Be aware the RX-8 is one of the most integrated electronic vehicles on the market. Most things on the car are monitored/controlled by the PCM, the car's computer. So messing with it (mods.) gets complicated. Particularly, the audio system is difficult to "enhance", so be sure you get what you want from the dealer.
  • windingrdwindingrd Member Posts: 2
    Dennis

    Interesting that you drive both an RX-8 and an S2000. These are two of the cars I am considering for my next car in addition to a MX-5. Could you comment on the pros and cons of an S2000 versus an RX-8 in your opinion? Any thoughts on this would help me with my decision.
  • tiltmode43tiltmode43 Member Posts: 3
    trispec/pathstar1
    Thanks for the input, I was dreading my question being passed up. Well, for starters my mpg would be about half as much as I get now meaning I would have to fill up about twice as much as I do now with 91/92 octane. No problem, you don't get a rotary engine for nothing ;) Mods don't mean much, on my civic I didn't do much but with the rx8 I'd pretty much leave it stock, I wouldn't want to tamper with anything. If I wanted low end torque, I would purchase the saturn Ion Redline or Cobalt SS. Friday night red light drags are of no importance. So, for the most part, any rx8 purchased from a mazda dealer would have all of the recalls fixed? If I bought it from a different dealer and brought it to Mazda would they replace the parts no questions or claim "no wear" therefore no new parts. I guess that question is circumstantial on the dealership but what do you guys think...
  • mazda_struckmazda_struck Member Posts: 2
    I had an interesting experience driving up a steep hill in Boston after a recent snowstorm that put a lot of slush on the road. The TCS in my 2004 RX8 would kick in, reduce power output and keep the car from moving ahead. So here is what I did. Turn the TCS off, press down the accelerator, let the rear tires spin and clear the snow out. Immediately after, turn TCS back on, and the traction control enables the rear tires to grip and climb. If stuck again, repeat. It works! I dont know if this helps but thought I would share with people who have to face uphill climbs. BTW I have Blizzaks.
  • trispectrispec Member Posts: 305
    Nice. I was over in Hyde Park in Boston with hills of unpacked snow to go over into my neighborhood. I first tried to hit the hills with some speed. The DSC/TCS would slow the spin and power down till it was stuck at which point I'd turn the DSC/TCS off and spin my way to the top hill.

    My new Avon Tech 550 all seasons probably were spinning more than your Bizzaks, but I got over all the snow and sleet. On the packed stuff I had no slips or spins, but in my RX-8 AT I can start nice and slow in 2nd gear. Hardly any torque hitting the backend.
This discussion has been closed.