i really wish i watched this video before i ruined my engine. everything you said in this simple video could have saved me 5,000 this month. my engine died due to overflooding that had to wait to be fixed causing the car to sit causing the 5w30 oil i used to bubble and ruin everything. stupid, stupid, stupid. thank you. People listen to this man; he knows what he's talking about.
the owners manual as well as my local Mazda tech said me there was no need to warm it up but you do need to rev it up to 5000+ for a few seconds (anywhere from 2 to 10 depending on how long you've run it) before shutting it off. I was also told to only use premium gas. If I've got the wrong info let me know. And I'm glad somebody finally talked about the awesome handling. It won't win any dragraces but it'll take on all comers on a winding road. Great car, Great video.
I've not had but ONE flooding issue and I've had my RX8 since Sep '03. I start and drive my car like every 4 days. Basically it's my weekend car. I have been satisfied with the rX8!!
thanks for all your comments bro... I had enough about the rx8, great car, but I was feeling unsecured about the car specially cuz I didn't get an extended warranty on it!... tonight I got me a civic Si... & trade it in the rx8!
Don't worry about the idle down as long as the engine has been reflashed you shouldn't need to do that anymore. I'm proud to say it was 4 degrees F this morning with wind chills of like -12 and the car turned over a little slow but still started and ran fine once warmed up.
Guys and gals this car, in my opinion of course, is amazing I really like the sound of the motor because it sounds like a turbine instead of a regular motor. This guy was talking about alot of the common problems or questions people have about it. I don't think this motor really ever reached it's potential but if do work on it you can get it there.
Just check oil, spark plugs, change to performance spark plug wires and get msd box and ignition along with coils, modified oil pump regulator and rebuild every 40-60 k and you'll have a perfect car
I've had an rx8 for years, bought it new in 04 and it's still the car I drive to work daily and I wouldn't even think about getting rid of it. It's just as reliable as can be expected for a 9 year old car. Sure the consumable parts cycle a little faster meaning an anual tuneup vs a 3yr tune up.... a whopping 300-500 a year. Gas mileage is bad, but not anywhere close to as bad as 12 or 13 in most cases. Mine has never been worse than 15. Mine usually stays around 17MPG.
the weather here in the 831 CA. is now like 40 F in the morning, so at 40F it takes the car like 8 to 10 min to warm up properly, then I drive to work like 10 min. & now I heard of another 5 min of idling time before shut it off... krazyyy!!
I am getting one too (I am 16 and getting one when I'm 17) and I was told and recommended that one should look for an 07+ rx8, because of the problems that MAY come with an 04-05...sometimes 06. But really, it depends on the previous owner and if the car had all its recalls issued. Good Luck, man
Got the very best warranty I could get back in Oct. 2003. 100k or 7 years which ever 1st. Best thing I ever did. Engine went out at 99,480 miles of hard driving. Warranty was out in one week. Mazda honored the warranty an put in a new engine for 100$. I love my car, love Mazda, when/if my 8 dies I will be buying another Mazda, full warranty.
@marek0086 the rotary actually injects oil into the combustion chamber to use as lubrication, this oil is burnt there (pretty much like a 2 cycle engine), when synthetic oil burns it leaves behind a light film and over time this film builds up gunking up the engine so the engine will have to be torn apart and cleaned out sooner than most rx'8's.
when i got it it had 13k miles on it . and was owned by a 44 year old and he took really good care of it... now it has almost 40k ... its my daily driver and never once has there been a problem... its the really little things that make the difference whether your rx8 will last or not.. but its not that uncommon to see rotary engines with over 100k and still running great
@jtripp06 This is the maintenance for an 04-08 model, and if you watch the video none of this is difficult to do. This video is not meant to scare people off it is simply to make them aware of what they need to do if they have the 04-08 model. My car is currently at the dealer getting the engine replaced under warranty and with 61k miles on it they said those running synthetic have been replacing their engines at around 35 to 40 thousand miles around here.
@davinpenh the BHR coils are certianly a good upgrade (i just installed em myself a few months back). It adds a bit of power and makes the timing more reliable, especially at high RPM. It won't stop the car from flooding, though, neither will the new starter and recalls. but flooding really is easy to avoid. it only takes a couple minutes for your car to be warm enough to shut down. go to RX8 club and read the first page of the "New and potential owners start here" thread. very helpful.
Well the thing is the power is there, just not where you expect it. The car wants to be driven VERY hard. The engine has high revs for a reason. So if you drive it like a car with the a lower red line you won't get what you expect. The car shows off around 7k rpm. I love this car and with the mods I put in on an NA engine is pretty nice. I am not going to beat American Muscle in a straight line, thankfully the world is curved. Hard to beat when corners are involved.
pcm reflashes have greatly improved many of these issues if you were to get into a 2004 model that has never been taken to a dealer for a reflash and act normally it would happen as described. the coldstart quickstop is not impossible the rotary injects something like 20 times the amount of fuel into the combustion chamber on a cold start as a conventional piston engine, reflashes help this but if you were to do it maybe 5 or 6 times in a row watch your car flood.
supposedly the 09 automatic has 212, but for most people out there who are buying used ones they are gonna get one between an 04 and 08 and those automatics only have like 197 hp to the crank versus the 238 manual transmission, of course these numbers vary slightly from car to car thats why the cobb access port tuning unlocks some hidden potential in some of the cars its installed on and not really so much on others
@renesisrx8 I think they can do that in europe because over there the car runs as it was designed to, they had to tweak it to make it pass emissions standards here in the states and honestly I believe that is where a lot of our engine problems come from.
Wow 4 F degrees, thats nuts & still the car was able to work! .... thanks for your comments man, you've been very helpful to me!! My mechanic also told me to burn the shit outta the car once in while, meaning that I have to get on the freeway and run it, He said " dont be afraid of hitting 120 mph with this car" but you know too many cops out there, so I have to be careful! anyway, thanks a lot brother of a different mother lol j/k. i'll post some more quest. for you later!
I don't have any of these problems,oil is a debatable subject,9 years old rx8 running on semi-synthetic 5w 30,I would run it on 0w 30 in winter,starts first time hot or cold,do let it heat up and do red line it at least once every second day when its hot,there is no difference running on premium gas,scientific tests prove so,its nothing but a gimmick by fuel suppliers ,flooding issues is not a big problem if you know what your doing.There are lots of CZcams vids on the matter.
nice i like to see when people actually know something about the rx8... i also own one... and do basically all the things you mentioned... i dont remember if you mentioned redlining it often but that is also a must... cuz of the carbon buildup...also i have found that for the summer 10w 30 non synthetic is better and ever since then ( last year ) i have been using it without any problems and i drive this car alot... i got it may 2008 and have never had any problems with it...
Its is a very good and reliable car as long as you take care of it! Yes It has small problems just like any car. People who want to buy this car should know that it is a car you must take care of. You need to understand the rotary engine and how it works.
@weidoha basically do what is mentioned in this video, its not a bad idea to add a small container of 2 cycle oil mix to the gas tank every once in a while and from time to time open it up in first or second gear (i mean take it right to redline for a second then let it drop) you will not blow your engine as long as you don't hold it there for long and the high rpm help burn carbon out of the engine and keep it running better.
I's fine as long as you look after it, the people that say bad things about it, are people that don't look after it properly. Yes it takes more effort to keep it going, but I like that.
On the starting it daily thing... the BHR Ignition upgrade kit fixes that AND the flooding issue. It's spark is wicked powerful and will burn everything in the chambers. The coil packs are from a GMC Yukon and I have yet to have an issue at 103k miles.
@360mmspider Mazda has fixed most of the problems with the older ones through recalls as well. Luckily I have never had a problem with mine. I do suggest that you add oil before that light comes on though...you don't want to run an engine until the idiot light comes on at that point your way too low, check your dipstick and you'll see when you need to add. I add oil every 300 miles.
thanks that was useful. I almost made the mistake of making that car my primary means of transportation. I really liked the car, but it would be tortured by me if got that car. I'd easily forget to do something that would cost me $7,000 no problem. you should do more videos like this.
Thank you MAZDAEYESONLY for all of the helpfull posts this is exactly why I made the video so there would be a place on youtube for others to learn more about the car.
also if its a warmer day when I am airing up the tires ill put them up to like 32 psi so when the temperature drops hopefully they don't loose enough to trigger it, it's just tough to keep those low profile tires running consistant air pressure when the temperature continually warms up and cools down.
@anphelps27 very true, you don't have to take it up to redline every gear shift but i tend to do it quite often...you won't hurt this engine even if you ride your rev limiter which kicks in at 9500 rpm. This engine is capable of running up to 14,000 rpm.
Keep it oiled, start it everyday, let it warm up before you drive it or shut off, and this guy didnt mention that you are supposed to drive this car like you stole it. Dont be afraid to rev this car to 8 9 grand from gear to gear. You wont hurt it as long as it is warmed up. Cool vid. Many probs w the rx8 is from lack of maint and ignorance of the tlc that a rotary requires. :) DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!
@mccelicagt01 those mods won't make it less drivable at all, honestly aside from sound from the exhaust you probably won't notice any difference in how the car drives after the first mods. The only thing that might change how the car runs slightly is programming from the cobb access port which will actually make it run healthier
ya some people are lucky there was a woman who joined rx8 club and had 150,000 miles on hers at the time of joining without knowing anything about the car. She did no maintenance whatsoever not even adding oil between changes. of course I don't recommend anyone try this with their vehicle but its pretty cool when it happens.
1) fit the latest 2kw starter. 2) replace the spark plugs, HT leads and coil packs every 29,000 miles. 3) fit the largest battery that will fit (like from a Ford Transit van at 1000CCA. This engine must spin at 200rpm to start. If you still have a problem with low compression then shake up and add a 400mls can of Ametech Engine Restore oil additive. Problem cured within 300 miles or 5 hours of normal driving. Add an Ametech every 29,000 miles to keep the problem under control.
Yes they have uped the engine warranty to 8 years there was actually a guy below in the comments who corrected me and I found the press release from Mazda however I believe this is simply if the Engine builds up carbon or looses compression and has to be reconditioned or replaced not for flooding. Also if you happen to need a new engine under this I would take it to a certified Mazda dealer as there is no way Mazda will refute their work.
@alonsomilon1 here is the basic maintenance cost aside from changing the fluids like you would on any other car, you will go through about 3 quarts of oil between changes all together that is less than 10 bucks, you will have to change your spark plugs and coils every 25-35 thousand miles the coils are about 160 and plugs are like 80 bucks, you can do this job yourself. The engine will have to be replaced somewhere between 60 thousand miles and 100 thousand miles 3 grand if there is no warranty
I believe the reconditioning for this engine is like 1800 here in the united states, the great majority of rx8 owners understand not to put synthetic in it there are only a few rebels who insist on it. I recommend you take it for a drive, if it is running smooth then the engine is most likely in good shape.
the recalls are normal any older 8 has been through them they help it run better, if the engine has been replaced then thats also a good thing as there are less miles on this one. 8500 sounds like it is probably right around the list price for a private owner selling it. check kelly blue book
On the subject of letting the car sit for a few days i let mine sit for 2-3 days but no longer than that. I have a S2 2010 RX8 I have never flooded it. Never rev the engine before shutting it off (this does nothing but inject more fuel) Always let it fully warm up before shutting it off. Push in the clutch at idle and then shut it off even in neutral. Hope this helps.
a recall is on a specific faulty part so if there happens to be a recall for a part on your car yes a mazda garage will perform the fix for free but recalls tend to be rare.
this is true for newer Mazda's however if you buy an older one used you may need to get one as I did since mine was a 5 year 50,000 mile warranty that expired 2 months after I bought the car again its just somethin you have to ask the dealer when buying your vehicle.
you no longer have to let the car idle down before you shut it off thanks to pcm reflashes. This does NOT happen to all or even most of the RX8's, yes it does happen to some and that is why Mazda now has a standard 8 year powertrain warranty as stated above, 100,000 km is 62,137.12 miles for those who wanted to know. Some go early some don't yes you will hear this happens to people but then those who have good engines dont post about them on the internet.
it used to be that you were supposed to let the car idle down for a couple min I think this was to help burn off excess feul my mazda techs told me due to pcm reflashes that it was no longer necessary and to just rev the engine to 3k rpm and turn off the key. On your drives just make sure the car fully warms up and every once in a while wind it out in between gears tack up the rpm to like 8k to help keep the engine from building carbon up in it and I think you will be ok.
The earlier RX-8 cars with the 4-speed transmission had 197 hp. I have a 2007 model, and it's equipped with a 6-speed auto transmission with 212 hp. I haven't learned to drive with a stick, so that's what I got. At least it has 6 speeds.
@davinpenh no, engine failures are fairly rare now. flooding is still a problem, but not as bad. just watch your oil levels and don't turn your engine off before it warms up. you'll be fine.
I deploy TAD for 3 weeks at a time, and I come back and it starts fine. I do have problems with wear and tear on the hoses. I drive safe and at most 5 miles over the speed limit.
i cant remember exactly but the most expensive would be having the engine reconditioned after the carbon builds up to an excessive amount, i believe its around either 1800 or 2800 to have it done like I said I can't remember which
@brentd86 Yeah you are right, Mazda did issue the recall where they increased the oil pressure of the engine and that has made engine failures a rare occurrence. I think using a heavier oil and synthetic might be a good idea. Mazda didn't say not to, they said that they don't know enough about the effect of synthetic oil and therefore they can't recommend it.
@xXlightstarXx My rx-8 is an 04, true there were a lot of recalls but those recalls fixed what they were supposed to. I haven't had any mechanical problems with mine yet and I have almost 60 thousand miles on it. If it is a hot summer day I will start to drive as soon as the temperature gauge starts to move and just keep the rpm under 4k until it is fully warmed up, during the winter and cold weather I let it fully warm up before I move at all.
idk about rx7's it is a rotary as well so basic maintenance should be the same I assume but I would check with some other owners in forums. Yes this engine loves higher rpm runs, i redline mine once a day without any fear of hurting the engine and know that there are programmers available that actually push the rev limiter higher as there is some unused power in the top end.
you can do whatever you like, true adding 2 stroke oil from time to time is a good idea, however i have personally known two people who used synthetic oil in their rx-8's and when their engines died early the mazda techs knew as soon as they took them apart and told them flat out never to put synthetics through these cars. i'll trust people who get paid to know these engines inside and out over a youtube poster thank you
My son has one costing us a fortune in maintenance, the catalyser went at 60000 ks; 1900 euros to replace, , the cd player has gone (wont take cd's) and its 500 euros to fix and has to go to Belguim for a month to be repaired and he will have no air during the wait. As you say they are easily flooded, we had once to have it towed to Mazda. The latest is the coolant light has been coming on for ages, they had to replace the resevoir and that cost us 300 euros extra! Need to be so rich lol
apparently the 2005 rx8 and newer had major computer tweaks so alot of these issues have been improved or resolved. they are still possible but the chances of things happening are alot slimmer
the pettit supercharger isn't going to give you the gains that a turbo will on the car but I believe it is the safest forced induction kit available for the car.
I find it funny that Mazda is forgiven for all the ridiculous pampering these engines need. Isnt it a shame we couldn't offer this same level of charity to our own (UK / US) motor industry. Its sure brave of Mazda to "break the mould" and bring out something radically different. What would happen though if you found yourself in a dodgy area of a city, stalled your rotary engine only to find it had developed the "hot start issue". You could loose your life because of this engine.
I just got an RX-8 as my first car, with 60k miles only. I'm 19 I really don't know much about cars in general but I really wanna take good care of this car. It'd be really nice if you guys gave me tips on how to maintain my car. I find this video kind of complicated, if you have a video explaining an rx8 maintenance better, feel free to send it. Thanks!
best place for information on the car is to go to the rx8club website and ask in the appropriate forum, if no one can give you an answer there I guess you will have to take it in to a garage.
My RX8 just hit the 5 year mark last month and it only had a 5 year 50,000 mile warranty on it Mazda may have upped their warranty's now but this does not affect pre-existing warrantys I got the letter from them and everything saying it was expiring...The only warranty I have on mine now is the extended one I purchased with the car so if people are buying 04's or 05's in the future they will need an extended warranty.
@marek0086 nope. it actually does inject oil directly into the combustion chamber..... it has 4 OIL INJECTORS, 2 in the lower intake manifold, and one each on the rotor housings
3-4 minutes won't even move the temperature gauge in anything under 68 degree weather itd be a better idea to do it for around 10, as of the every day starts your probably right I've only read that in reviews of the car but like I said in the video I do not intend to test this.
no worries but the funny noise when releasing the clutch is common on them ya the water in the rear lights some people have issues with it and it is deffinately a high maintenance car not for everyone, anyway enjoy your SI man and drive safe
if your just taking it easy and not trying to draw any attention and want to go as easy as you can on gas I would say about 4,000 rpm, between that and 5,000 will give you smooth gear shifts easily.
You're also right because when I flooded it I turned it on & off right back twice. like I said I was gonna wash it & didnt know about it. anyway If I would've done it just once the car would've not flooded. the car probly handles just one cold start. but the BOTTOM LINE is NEVER EVER turn it on & shut it off without letting the car warm up properly.
@7031527 yes stalling it right after a cold start can flood it, if you think you may stall it just let it warm up fully after you start it before you start driving, then if you stall it no big deal (as long as you don't stall it like 4 or 5 times in a row lol) I have never had my 04 flood on me yet.
their letter said that my warranty was expiring and that I had the option to have it extended if I bought it, it then proceeded to explain how if I did not purchase this extended warranty I would be without protection but since I had already purchased one from the dealership I didnt get it, I have had my Mazda to the dealership since and trust me the only warranty on it is the dealership one i purchased now, Trust me It is something I have looked into.
Hi, Mazda dealers have a real racket going on here. If an RX8 fails to idle when hot or wont restart I have found the fault to be the throttle back stop. When the engine is cold the stepper motor advances the throttle the engine thus runs but when hot it relies on the preset opening, if this has closed up due to wear (not in the engine) it will be a swine to start. The amount of "clod-kicker wisdom" this poor engine attracts is incredible. Just keep the oil at max and you will have no probs.
that's exactly what happened to me... I moved it on cold from the street to my garage because I was gonna wash it, then turned it off inmediately... dorkkk... you know the rest, 'flooded'... 300 bucks on new spark plugs + labor ( most expensive fuckin spark plugs set I've ever bought in my life by the way). now it's back on running like a champ.
The pros of a rotary engine no camshafts, no timing belts or chains , awesome sound, and more reliable than piston if you do the right maintenance. The cons is dodge viper like gas mileage, burns more oil than a ferrari, less torque than some v6 cars and special tools will be needed if your going to rebuild the engine yourself in the event of engine failure or run into major problems. When I get a rotary car one day I might add 1 quart of 2 stroke oil per tank of gas for extra lubrication.
@marek0086 1) I can only agree to a fraction.... the concepts a rotary applies, are way more efficient than piston engine. 2)They do not wear out faster. With proper maintenance a rotary can last 100k+ miles. My old 91 TurboII FC lasted 176k miles of daily driving duty and many road trips across the nation. 3)This is debatable. My current FD makes 150lb-ft below 2500rpm on stock gear and tire height. 4) EVERY engine burns oil, the rotary just more than most.
@marek0086 Think about it..... you pour the oil, it gets as hot as 250*F if not hotter.... the hotter it gets the thinner it becomes. an already thin Mineral or Synthetic oil will not has as much protection to various engine parts as to one that is thicker. On a rotary, it has a higher fuel dilution rate than a piston engine because of its initial cold-start fueling. this drastically thins out the oil. And the fuel dilution is already around 15% by 2k miles on a rotary.
@supryespace na at rx8 meets everyone said they burn about what I do, if you are burning less I would be sure to put in a small container of 2 cycle oil in the gas from time to time to help lubricate it.
this video needs to be updated, its also pretty much point for point from the owner's manual which is a "meh" source of information. Use premium gas, premixing is good (get a good quality two stroke oil), upgrade ignition or at least keep up on ignition maintenance, if possible replace OEM twin cat midpipe with aftermarket cat-delete (resonated)midpipe, and get a scan gauge or water/oil temp gauge, keep an eye on your engine temps. that is a start right there... this car is not for everyone.
yeah, the 2 engine I had to replace in my then new '04 auto were a pain. one was under warranty but the other was out of warranty. mazda finally ended up paying for the second new engine.
Any brand will really do I use valvoline in mine thats just the brand my father always used in his vehicles so it's the familiar brand I stick with lol, I heard to help with the flooding issue they put in a stronger battery I would think that any brand name battery that is the right size to fit in there will do, the more cold cranking amps the better. I've found that my tire light comes on when when the temperature suddenly drops really cold, since winter set in ive added air like every month.
@shle896 I'm assuming you meant to say you have an automatic transmission with the option to drive it manually with paddle shifters (standard and manual transmissions are the same thing where you depress a clutch pedal and go through the gears with a stick shift). If so no it is not going to hurt the engine to drive it in manual mode with the paddle shifters so keep on having fun with it.
@fr3sh2d3ath55 G37 is NOT all wheel drive. the G37x is. dont assume that they are all awd, when its only a specific trim level that has it. and a trim level that most dont care about.
@SBlax not really just check the mileage ask him what has been done to it while he's had it, check to see what kind of oil is being run in it and see how it runs, hopefully smooth.
the si's 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are about the same true, but lets face it the Si is so ugly compared to the rx8 and won't handle anywhere near the 8. the rx8 is just a really fun car and honestly if you think about it the maintenance isn't that bad just things to keep in mind.
ill have to look into this I would have expected to recieve a letter from Mazda informing me of this, however the dealership with the Mazda techs I take my car to who told me mine was about to expire is not the same dealership I bought the car from and they know this that's why I assumed they were giving me unbiased information, o well at least my extended warranty covers everything except cosmetic damage so my electronics and other stuff is still covered.
i really wish i watched this video before i ruined my engine. everything you said in this simple video could have saved me 5,000 this month. my engine died due to overflooding that had to wait to be fixed causing the car to sit causing the 5w30 oil i used to bubble and ruin everything. stupid, stupid, stupid. thank you. People listen to this man; he knows what he's talking about.
Thanks for making this video. Recently purchased an RX8 myself so I've been looking for tips where-ever I could.
I was planing on buying an RX-8 before this video but Im definitly going to refrence it every now and then. Thanks bro
the owners manual as well as my local Mazda tech said me there was no need to warm it up but you do need to rev it up to 5000+ for a few seconds (anywhere from 2 to 10 depending on how long you've run it) before shutting it off. I was also told to only use premium gas. If I've got the wrong info let me know.
And I'm glad somebody finally talked about the awesome handling. It won't win any dragraces but it'll take on all comers on a winding road.
Great car, Great video.
I've not had but ONE flooding issue and I've had my RX8 since Sep '03. I start and drive my car like every 4 days. Basically it's my weekend car. I have been satisfied with the rX8!!
Hey, Thanks for breaking this down for people. Good work.
thanks for the instructional video man, YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!
keep posting about the rx8!!
THANKS A LOT.
Just sold mine a few months ago, so glad to see it go. Bought a 2009 325i and beats the hell out of the RX8
These cars could last really long if you maintain them properly. Some people cant do that, and let them die young:(
thanks for all your comments bro... I had enough about the rx8, great car, but I was feeling unsecured about the car specially cuz I didn't get an extended warranty on it!... tonight I got me a civic Si... & trade it in the rx8!
Don't worry about the idle down as long as the engine has been reflashed you shouldn't need to do that anymore. I'm proud to say it was 4 degrees F this morning with wind chills of like -12 and the car turned over a little slow but still started and ran fine once warmed up.
Guys and gals this car, in my opinion of course, is amazing I really like the sound of the motor because it sounds like a turbine instead of a regular motor. This guy was talking about alot of the common problems or questions people have about it. I don't think this motor really ever reached it's potential but if do work on it you can get it there.
Just check oil, spark plugs, change to performance spark plug wires and get msd box and ignition along with coils, modified oil pump regulator and rebuild every 40-60 k and you'll have a perfect car
I've had an rx8 for years, bought it new in 04 and it's still the car I drive to work daily and I wouldn't even think about getting rid of it. It's just as reliable as can be expected for a 9 year old car. Sure the consumable parts cycle a little faster meaning an anual tuneup vs a 3yr tune up.... a whopping 300-500 a year. Gas mileage is bad, but not anywhere close to as bad as 12 or 13 in most cases. Mine has never been worse than 15. Mine usually stays around 17MPG.
the weather here in the 831 CA. is now like 40 F in the morning, so at 40F it takes the car like 8 to 10 min to warm up properly, then I drive to work like 10 min. & now I heard of another 5 min of idling time before shut it off... krazyyy!!
I am getting one too (I am 16 and getting one when I'm 17) and I was told and recommended that one should look for an 07+ rx8, because of the problems that MAY come with an 04-05...sometimes 06. But really, it depends on the previous owner and if the car had all its recalls issued. Good Luck, man
Got the very best warranty I could get back in Oct. 2003. 100k or 7 years which ever 1st. Best thing I ever did. Engine went out at 99,480 miles of hard driving. Warranty was out in one week. Mazda honored the warranty an put in a new engine for 100$. I love my car, love Mazda, when/if my 8 dies I will be buying another Mazda, full warranty.
@marek0086 the rotary actually injects oil into the combustion chamber to use as lubrication, this oil is burnt there (pretty much like a 2 cycle engine), when synthetic oil burns it leaves behind a light film and over time this film builds up gunking up the engine so the engine will have to be torn apart and cleaned out sooner than most rx'8's.
when i got it it had 13k miles on it . and was owned by a 44 year old and he took really good care of it... now it has almost 40k ... its my daily driver and never once has there been a problem... its the really little things that make the difference whether your rx8 will last or not.. but its not that uncommon to see rotary engines with over 100k and still running great
@jtripp06 This is the maintenance for an 04-08 model, and if you watch the video none of this is difficult to do. This video is not meant to scare people off it is simply to make them aware of what they need to do if they have the 04-08 model. My car is currently at the dealer getting the engine replaced under warranty and with 61k miles on it they said those running synthetic have been replacing their engines at around 35 to 40 thousand miles around here.
@davinpenh the BHR coils are certianly a good upgrade (i just installed em myself a few months back). It adds a bit of power and makes the timing more reliable, especially at high RPM.
It won't stop the car from flooding, though, neither will the new starter and recalls.
but flooding really is easy to avoid. it only takes a couple minutes for your car to be warm enough to shut down.
go to RX8 club and read the first page of the "New and potential owners start here" thread. very helpful.
I using castrol magnatec 5w30 fully synthetic,no problem so far,and is running smooth...
so far
Well the thing is the power is there, just not where you expect it. The car wants to be driven VERY hard. The engine has high revs for a reason. So if you drive it like a car with the a lower red line you won't get what you expect. The car shows off around 7k rpm. I love this car and with the mods I put in on an NA engine is pretty nice. I am not going to beat American Muscle in a straight line, thankfully the world is curved. Hard to beat when corners are involved.
pcm reflashes have greatly improved many of these issues if you were to get into a 2004 model that has never been taken to a dealer for a reflash and act normally it would happen as described. the coldstart quickstop is not impossible the rotary injects something like 20 times the amount of fuel into the combustion chamber on a cold start as a conventional piston engine, reflashes help this but if you were to do it maybe 5 or 6 times in a row watch your car flood.
supposedly the 09 automatic has 212, but for most people out there who are buying used ones they are gonna get one between an 04 and 08 and those automatics only have like 197 hp to the crank versus the 238 manual transmission, of course these numbers vary slightly from car to car thats why the cobb access port tuning unlocks some hidden potential in some of the cars its installed on and not really so much on others
just got my 8 should have searched for this video before i bought it. i love it though so thanks for the tips man.
@renesisrx8 I think they can do that in europe because over there the car runs as it was designed to, they had to tweak it to make it pass emissions standards here in the states and honestly I believe that is where a lot of our engine problems come from.
Good info, listen to this guy. I can't wait to own my rx8 this weekend. Do your homework before you own this endangered species.
Wow 4 F degrees, thats nuts & still the car was able to work! .... thanks for your comments man, you've been very helpful to me!!
My mechanic also told me to burn the shit outta the car once in while, meaning that I have to get on the freeway and run it, He said " dont be afraid of hitting 120 mph with this car" but you know too many cops out there, so I have to be careful!
anyway, thanks a lot brother of a different mother lol j/k. i'll post some more quest. for you later!
I don't have any of these problems,oil is a debatable subject,9 years old rx8 running on semi-synthetic 5w 30,I would run it on 0w 30 in winter,starts first time hot or cold,do let it heat up and do red line it at least once every second day when its hot,there is no difference running on premium gas,scientific tests prove so,its nothing but a gimmick by fuel suppliers ,flooding issues is not a big problem if you know what your doing.There are lots of CZcams vids on the matter.
nice i like to see when people actually know something about the rx8... i also own one... and do basically all the things you mentioned... i dont remember if you mentioned redlining it often but that is also a must... cuz of the carbon buildup...also i have found that for the summer 10w 30 non synthetic is better and ever since then ( last year ) i have been using it without any problems and i drive this car alot... i got it may 2008 and have never had any problems with it...
Its is a very good and reliable car as long as you take care of it! Yes It has small problems just like any car. People who want to buy this car should know that it is a car you must take care of. You need to understand the rotary engine and how it works.
@weidoha basically do what is mentioned in this video, its not a bad idea to add a small container of 2 cycle oil mix to the gas tank every once in a while and from time to time open it up in first or second gear (i mean take it right to redline for a second then let it drop) you will not blow your engine as long as you don't hold it there for long and the high rpm help burn carbon out of the engine and keep it running better.
I's fine as long as you look after it, the people that say bad things about it, are people that don't look after it properly. Yes it takes more effort to keep it going, but I like that.
It's a great car when properly cared for
On the starting it daily thing... the BHR Ignition upgrade kit fixes that AND the flooding issue. It's spark is wicked powerful and will burn everything in the chambers. The coil packs are from a GMC Yukon and I have yet to have an issue at 103k miles.
thank's bro, think this is a very honest opinion about the mazda rx-8.
great review man im actually gonna be buying a used one and im glad i found this video man its gonna help alot
@360mmspider Mazda has fixed most of the problems with the older ones through recalls as well. Luckily I have never had a problem with mine. I do suggest that you add oil before that light comes on though...you don't want to run an engine until the idiot light comes on at that point your way too low, check your dipstick and you'll see when you need to add. I add oil every 300 miles.
thanks that was useful. I almost made the mistake of making that car my primary means of transportation. I really liked the car, but it would be tortured by me if got that car. I'd easily forget to do something that would cost me $7,000 no problem. you should do more videos like this.
Thank you MAZDAEYESONLY for all of the helpfull posts this is exactly why I made the video so there would be a place on youtube for others to learn more about the car.
also if its a warmer day when I am airing up the tires ill put them up to like 32 psi so when the temperature drops hopefully they don't loose enough to trigger it, it's just tough to keep those low profile tires running consistant air pressure when the temperature continually warms up and cools down.
@anphelps27 very true, you don't have to take it up to redline every gear shift but i tend to do it quite often...you won't hurt this engine even if you ride your rev limiter which kicks in at 9500 rpm. This engine is capable of running up to 14,000 rpm.
Keep it oiled, start it everyday, let it warm up before you drive it or shut off, and this guy didnt mention that you are supposed to drive this car like you stole it. Dont be afraid to rev this car to 8 9 grand from gear to gear. You wont hurt it as long as it is warmed up. Cool vid. Many probs w the rx8 is from lack of maint and ignorance of the tlc that a rotary requires. :) DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT!
@mccelicagt01 those mods won't make it less drivable at all, honestly aside from sound from the exhaust you probably won't notice any difference in how the car drives after the first mods. The only thing that might change how the car runs slightly is programming from the cobb access port which will actually make it run healthier
ya some people are lucky there was a woman who joined rx8 club and had 150,000 miles on hers at the time of joining without knowing anything about the car. She did no maintenance whatsoever not even adding oil between changes. of course I don't recommend anyone try this with their vehicle but its pretty cool when it happens.
You dont need to start your rx7 atleast every day. I only get mine out every 2 weeks and ive had it for 14 years and never had a problem.
1) fit the latest 2kw starter. 2) replace the spark plugs, HT leads and coil packs every 29,000 miles. 3) fit the largest battery that will fit (like from a Ford Transit van at 1000CCA. This engine must spin at 200rpm to start. If you still have a problem with low compression then shake up and add a 400mls can of Ametech Engine Restore oil additive. Problem cured within 300 miles or 5 hours of normal driving. Add an Ametech every 29,000 miles to keep the problem under control.
And don't forget option 4.) trade in the POS for a car that doesn't have chronic engine problems....
Yes they have uped the engine warranty to 8 years there was actually a guy below in the comments who corrected me and I found the press release from Mazda however I believe this is simply if the Engine builds up carbon or looses compression and has to be reconditioned or replaced not for flooding. Also if you happen to need a new engine under this I would take it to a certified Mazda dealer as there is no way Mazda will refute their work.
@alonsomilon1 here is the basic maintenance cost aside from changing the fluids like you would on any other car, you will go through about 3 quarts of oil between changes all together that is less than 10 bucks, you will have to change your spark plugs and coils every 25-35 thousand miles the coils are about 160 and plugs are like 80 bucks, you can do this job yourself. The engine will have to be replaced somewhere between 60 thousand miles and 100 thousand miles 3 grand if there is no warranty
I believe the reconditioning for this engine is like 1800 here in the united states, the great majority of rx8 owners understand not to put synthetic in it there are only a few rebels who insist on it. I recommend you take it for a drive, if it is running smooth then the engine is most likely in good shape.
the recalls are normal any older 8 has been through them they help it run better, if the engine has been replaced then thats also a good thing as there are less miles on this one. 8500 sounds like it is probably right around the list price for a private owner selling it. check kelly blue book
@royalxchaos9 flooding essentially means you get too much gasoline in the engine for it to start, its "flooded" with gasoline.
On the subject of letting the car sit for a few days i let mine sit for 2-3 days but no longer than that. I have a S2 2010 RX8
I have never flooded it. Never rev the engine before shutting it off (this does nothing but inject more fuel) Always let it fully warm up before shutting it off. Push in the clutch at idle and then shut it off even in neutral.
Hope this helps.
a recall is on a specific faulty part so if there happens to be a recall for a part on your car yes a mazda garage will perform the fix for free but recalls tend to be rare.
this is true for newer Mazda's however if you buy an older one used you may need to get one as I did since mine was a 5 year 50,000 mile warranty that expired 2 months after I bought the car again its just somethin you have to ask the dealer when buying your vehicle.
you no longer have to let the car idle down before you shut it off thanks to pcm reflashes. This does NOT happen to all or even most of the RX8's, yes it does happen to some and that is why Mazda now has a standard 8 year powertrain warranty as stated above, 100,000 km is 62,137.12 miles for those who wanted to know. Some go early some don't yes you will hear this happens to people but then those who have good engines dont post about them on the internet.
it used to be that you were supposed to let the car idle down for a couple min I think this was to help burn off excess feul my mazda techs told me due to pcm reflashes that it was no longer necessary and to just rev the engine to 3k rpm and turn off the key. On your drives just make sure the car fully warms up and every once in a while wind it out in between gears tack up the rpm to like 8k to help keep the engine from building carbon up in it and I think you will be ok.
The earlier RX-8 cars with the 4-speed transmission had 197 hp. I have a 2007 model, and it's equipped with a 6-speed auto transmission with 212 hp. I haven't learned to drive with a stick, so that's what I got. At least it has 6 speeds.
@davinpenh no, engine failures are fairly rare now. flooding is still a problem, but not as bad.
just watch your oil levels and don't turn your engine off before it warms up. you'll be fine.
thnx 4 the tip im planing on owning one so im trying to get more info on it day by day
I deploy TAD for 3 weeks at a time, and I come back and it starts fine. I do have problems with wear and tear on the hoses. I drive safe and at most 5 miles over the speed limit.
i cant remember exactly but the most expensive would be having the engine reconditioned after the carbon builds up to an excessive amount, i believe its around either 1800 or 2800 to have it done like I said I can't remember which
@brentd86 Yeah you are right, Mazda did issue the recall where they increased the oil pressure of the engine and that has made engine failures a rare occurrence. I think using a heavier oil and synthetic might be a good idea. Mazda didn't say not to, they said that they don't know enough about the effect of synthetic oil and therefore they can't recommend it.
@xXlightstarXx My rx-8 is an 04, true there were a lot of recalls but those recalls fixed what they were supposed to. I haven't had any mechanical problems with mine yet and I have almost 60 thousand miles on it. If it is a hot summer day I will start to drive as soon as the temperature gauge starts to move and just keep the rpm under 4k until it is fully warmed up, during the winter and cold weather I let it fully warm up before I move at all.
idk about rx7's it is a rotary as well so basic maintenance should be the same I assume but I would check with some other owners in forums. Yes this engine loves higher rpm runs, i redline mine once a day without any fear of hurting the engine and know that there are programmers available that actually push the rev limiter higher as there is some unused power in the top end.
If you run synthetic it lubricates better. as long as you redline once a week to clear out the housings your golden. Taken from Racing Beat USA!
you can do whatever you like, true adding 2 stroke oil from time to time is a good idea, however i have personally known two people who used synthetic oil in their rx-8's and when their engines died early the mazda techs knew as soon as they took them apart and told them flat out never to put synthetics through these cars. i'll trust people who get paid to know these engines inside and out over a youtube poster thank you
My son has one costing us a fortune in maintenance, the catalyser went at 60000 ks; 1900 euros to replace, , the cd player has gone (wont take cd's) and its 500 euros to fix and has to go to Belguim for a month to be repaired and he will have no air during the wait.
As you say they are easily flooded, we had once to have it towed to Mazda.
The latest is the coolant light has been coming on for ages, they had to replace the resevoir and that cost us 300 euros extra!
Need to be so rich lol
apparently the 2005 rx8 and newer had major computer tweaks so alot of these issues have been improved or resolved. they are still possible but the chances of things happening are alot slimmer
the pettit supercharger isn't going to give you the gains that a turbo will on the car but I believe it is the safest forced induction kit available for the car.
I find it funny that Mazda is forgiven for all the ridiculous pampering these engines need. Isnt it a shame we couldn't offer this same level of charity to our own (UK / US) motor industry. Its sure brave of Mazda to "break the mould" and bring out something radically different. What would happen though if you found yourself in a dodgy area of a city, stalled your rotary engine only to find it had developed the "hot start issue". You could loose your life because of this engine.
I just got an RX-8 as my first car, with 60k miles only. I'm 19 I really don't know much about cars in general but I really wanna take good care of this car. It'd be really nice if you guys gave me tips on how to maintain my car. I find this video kind of complicated, if you have a video explaining an rx8 maintenance better, feel free to send it. Thanks!
best place for information on the car is to go to the rx8club website and ask in the appropriate forum, if no one can give you an answer there I guess you will have to take it in to a garage.
My RX8 just hit the 5 year mark last month and it only had a 5 year 50,000 mile warranty on it Mazda may have upped their warranty's now but this does not affect pre-existing warrantys I got the letter from them and everything saying it was expiring...The only warranty I have on mine now is the extended one I purchased with the car so if people are buying 04's or 05's in the future they will need an extended warranty.
@marek0086
nope.
it actually does inject oil directly into the combustion chamber..... it has 4 OIL INJECTORS, 2 in the lower intake manifold, and one each on the rotor housings
3-4 minutes won't even move the temperature gauge in anything under 68 degree weather itd be a better idea to do it for around 10, as of the every day starts your probably right I've only read that in reviews of the car but like I said in the video I do not intend to test this.
no worries but the funny noise when releasing the clutch is common on them ya the water in the rear lights some people have issues with it and it is deffinately a high maintenance car not for everyone, anyway enjoy your SI man and drive safe
if your just taking it easy and not trying to draw any attention and want to go as easy as you can on gas I would say about 4,000 rpm, between that and 5,000 will give you smooth gear shifts easily.
You're also right because when I flooded it I turned it on & off right back twice. like I said I was gonna wash it & didnt know about it. anyway If I would've done it just once the car would've not flooded. the car probly handles just one cold start. but the BOTTOM LINE is NEVER EVER turn it on & shut it off without letting the car warm up properly.
@Ajzakcina remember it only takes about 1/2 teaspoon of gasoline to start your average piston engine.
@7031527 yes stalling it right after a cold start can flood it, if you think you may stall it just let it warm up fully after you start it before you start driving, then if you stall it no big deal (as long as you don't stall it like 4 or 5 times in a row lol) I have never had my 04 flood on me yet.
their letter said that my warranty was expiring and that I had the option to have it extended if I bought it, it then proceeded to explain how if I did not purchase this extended warranty I would be without protection but since I had already purchased one from the dealership I didnt get it, I have had my Mazda to the dealership since and trust me the only warranty on it is the dealership one i purchased now, Trust me It is something I have looked into.
Hi, Mazda dealers have a real racket going on here. If an RX8 fails to idle when hot or wont restart I have found the fault to be the throttle back stop. When the engine is cold the stepper motor advances the throttle the engine thus runs but when hot it relies on the preset opening, if this has closed up due to wear (not in the engine) it will be a swine to start. The amount of "clod-kicker wisdom" this poor engine attracts is incredible. Just keep the oil at max and you will have no probs.
The RX-7 or RX-8 is a great car to own if you plan to swap a LS engine into it.
@its0a0me its your car you can do whatever you like with it but you'll find out when you have to have your engine reconditioned sooner than most.
that's exactly what happened to me... I moved it on cold from the street to my garage because I was gonna wash it, then turned it off inmediately... dorkkk... you know the rest, 'flooded'... 300 bucks on new spark plugs + labor ( most expensive fuckin spark plugs set I've ever bought in my life by the way). now it's back on running like a champ.
The pros of a rotary engine no camshafts, no timing belts or chains , awesome sound, and more reliable than piston if you do the right maintenance. The cons is dodge viper like gas mileage, burns more oil than a ferrari, less torque than some v6 cars and special tools will be needed if your going to rebuild the engine yourself in the event of engine failure or run into major problems. When I get a rotary car one day I might add 1 quart of 2 stroke oil per tank of gas for extra lubrication.
@marek0086
1) I can only agree to a fraction.... the concepts a rotary applies, are way more efficient than piston engine.
2)They do not wear out faster. With proper maintenance a rotary can last 100k+ miles. My old 91 TurboII FC lasted 176k miles of daily driving duty and many road trips across the nation.
3)This is debatable. My current FD makes 150lb-ft below 2500rpm on stock gear and tire height.
4) EVERY engine burns oil, the rotary just more than most.
@marek0086
Think about it..... you pour the oil, it gets as hot as 250*F if not hotter.... the hotter it gets the thinner it becomes. an already thin Mineral or Synthetic oil will not has as much protection to various engine parts as to one that is thicker.
On a rotary, it has a higher fuel dilution rate than a piston engine because of its initial cold-start fueling. this drastically thins out the oil. And the fuel dilution is already around 15% by 2k miles on a rotary.
@supryespace na at rx8 meets everyone said they burn about what I do, if you are burning less I would be sure to put in a small container of 2 cycle oil in the gas from time to time to help lubricate it.
In the manual and on the oil cap it specifically says "Only 5W20" so the mechanic probably was just trying to get you to pay more.
this video needs to be updated, its also pretty much point for point from the owner's manual which is a "meh" source of information. Use premium gas, premixing is good (get a good quality two stroke oil), upgrade ignition or at least keep up on ignition maintenance, if possible replace OEM twin cat midpipe with aftermarket cat-delete (resonated)midpipe, and get a scan gauge or water/oil temp gauge, keep an eye on your engine temps. that is a start right there... this car is not for everyone.
yeah, the 2 engine I had to replace in my then new '04 auto were a pain. one was under warranty but the other was out of warranty. mazda finally ended up paying for the second new engine.
Any brand will really do I use valvoline in mine thats just the brand my father always used in his vehicles so it's the familiar brand I stick with lol, I heard to help with the flooding issue they put in a stronger battery I would think that any brand name battery that is the right size to fit in there will do, the more cold cranking amps the better. I've found that my tire light comes on when when the temperature suddenly drops really cold, since winter set in ive added air like every month.
@shle896 I'm assuming you meant to say you have an automatic transmission with the option to drive it manually with paddle shifters (standard and manual transmissions are the same thing where you depress a clutch pedal and go through the gears with a stick shift). If so no it is not going to hurt the engine to drive it in manual mode with the paddle shifters so keep on having fun with it.
@fr3sh2d3ath55 G37 is NOT all wheel drive. the G37x is. dont assume that they are all awd, when its only a specific trim level that has it. and a trim level that most dont care about.
@SBlax not really just check the mileage ask him what has been done to it while he's had it, check to see what kind of oil is being run in it and see how it runs, hopefully smooth.
the si's 0-60 and 1/4 mile times are about the same true, but lets face it the Si is so ugly compared to the rx8 and won't handle anywhere near the 8. the rx8 is just a really fun car and honestly if you think about it the maintenance isn't that bad just things to keep in mind.
ill have to look into this I would have expected to recieve a letter from Mazda informing me of this, however the dealership with the Mazda techs I take my car to who told me mine was about to expire is not the same dealership I bought the car from and they know this that's why I assumed they were giving me unbiased information, o well at least my extended warranty covers everything except cosmetic damage so my electronics and other stuff is still covered.