I own a Mazda RX8 2004 1.3L Rotary 6spd Manual. I perform in the car but yesterday ended up overreving it a few times by mistake. I was performing for about 10 minutes before that doing donuts and slow leaving on the wet road. I was really punishing the engine, holding down for at least 30 seconds or more at a time at 8000rmp before accidently overreving.

The engine started to smoke and heat guage went up to hot, so I stopped performing and parked (the afterrun cooling was still active and stayed on a several minutes to cool down the car).

When I check the car about 30 minutes later, the coolant level was very low and the engine had no oil (a little about empty).

Yes, I know I should have checked my oil, but I forgot and I must have burned off a lot of it during the high rev performances (I am usuing hi quality synthetic oil).

So my question is, what could have caused the engine to overheat and emit smoke? In my other Mazda which had a piston engine (MX3), when this type of thing happened (without overreving) it was because I had blown a head gasket or cracked the block, but with the Rotary engine, I am not sure what it is.

It sounds like the coolant just got very hot and fizzed out, but if so, what could have caused that. So i'm green on Rotary's and would please like some help. The engine and the car still runs very smooth today after toping up the oil and coolant.

Let me know what you guys think. Oh, by the way, I live in a small territory that has no Rotary specialists and the only Mazda dealer here screwed up all my other vehicles and I will NEVER take another vehicle to them...EVER!

Do you have a Check Engine Light (CEL) lit? Are there any error codes in the computer? You haven't given us too much information. How much oil did you have to add?
The oil in a rotary engine is used more for cooling than in a piston engine. Running low on oil could push up engine temps to cause the coolant to boil.
At this point, I would say, just run the car and see what happens.

what could have caused the engine to overheat and emit smoke ?

Maybe you should understand your car little bit more before doing those stupid donuts again ?

Firstly, thanks for your replies. Secondly, if anyone has a problem with what I do in my car, then just don't reply to my post. Keep your thoughtless and ignorant comments to yourselves.

I had to add about 1 1/2 qts of oil and the engine light is not on and never came on.

I've been performing for a long time in the RX8 and doing donuts in it, etc. I have never had this problem, though, as I never over rev and usually have in enough oil.

I suppose, as you say, as the oil is used for cooling and it was very low, could have cause the temperature to rise considerably. Any other thoughts? As I said, the engine is still running very smoothly as normal.

Also, what would I need to check the status of the computer? What type of hardware?

RX8 Prodigy

hmm, at least it sounds like you had fun doing them donuts.

Overheating is overheating if you were running low of oil and coolant.

You dont even know a car's basic. Please do yourself a favor and research it on your own.

ITs your car, not ours, no one should do your homework for you.

I'd flush out the coolant and go with a high water to coolant ratio and put a bottle of water wetter in there.

Oil has to be topped off if you're going to be performing in the car as Al mentioned, it is used for cooling.

The coolant was full but the oil was low. All of the coolant ran out when the car overheated.

Thank for your help with my research to get to know my car nycgps. Now that we have completed your lecture series on "How-to-Be-Negative-And-Not-Helpful-and-Bash-RX8Prodigy 101", we can move on to actual fulfilling information for my research about my car overheating.

Yes I know the basics, but need more info.

Thanks again, everyone who's actually helping.

RX8 Prodigy

The coolant was full but the oil was low. All of the coolant ran out when the car overheated.

Thank for your help with my research to get to know my car nycgps. Now that we have completed your lecture series on "How-to-Be-Negative-And-Not-Helpful-and-Bash-RX8Prodigy 101", we can move on to actual fulfilling information for my research about my car overheating.

Yes I know the basics, but need more info.

Thanks again, everyone who's actually helping.

RX8 Prodigy

You're very welcome, Im looking forward to see you blow your engine. Mr. Im-too-stupid-plus-lazy-to-do-my-own-homework-for-my-own-freaking-car.

yeah i would say tghe low oil cause the motor to heat up and that' about it be sure to check all fluids before "performing"

Thanks. This is what I thought, but wanted to confirm it. I was told that this forum is the best when dealing with RX8 questions. I'm new here but have already been broken in by nycgps....and I seen he's broken in a few other folks in another topic...:-)

RX8 Prodigy

haha, Ny is part of our welcoming committee. If you survive him, then we know you'll survive the rest of us. :)

welcome.


and whoever told you that this forum was the best, well... they were right.

You're very welcome, Im looking forward to see you blow your engine. Mr. Im-too-stupid-plus-lazy-to-do-my-own-homework-for-my-own-freaking-car.

Buying an rx8, 36000€ with mastercard. Blowing up the engine doing donuts, priceless.

A radiator needs air to RADIATE heat, doing donuts and stupid stuff like that won't help engine cooling.
Why don't you have fun on the track?
I don't want to sound rude, but i really love the car and motorsports in general and reading some stuff really upsets me.

fact: i haven't done a donut since i was 16 years old.

donuts!! yummy!!

i've never done donuts or burnouts... damn i must be missing out.

You mean you never did anything stupid or dumb ... thats a good thing isnt it ?

Well...I don't do many donuts...and not for long...maybe 2 or 3 turns in like 5-10 seconds....and maybe once every 1-2 months or so.

I would love to take it on the track, but we don't have a track where I live and the heavy rains has stopped all other racing...so performing last night was my only way of getting the adrenalin rush.

...well we have a track, but its the kind that gets shut down when the flashing lights appear.

Anyway, I plan to do some mods for racing...but plan to do my research first, before asking any questions :-)

RX8 Prodigy

The fact is that you stated a completely different thing on your first post.

You mean you never did anything stupid or dumb ... thats a good thing isnt it ?

haha! oh you bet it is! :)

The fact is that you stated a completely different thing on your first post.

*high five*

Overheating could cause the rotor and end housings to warp...if so it is new motor time......

Did you get coolant in the oil?

if i could do three donuts in ten mins....I guess it would be in slo-mo matrix stuff there. lol The rotary engine is an oil burner. It has injectors in the rotor housing and squrts oil to help lubricate the apexi seals. Probably that is why it got low on oil like that . Sounds like it might have been around in donuts and revved alot more than that in its previous days. The main thing that a rotary owner knows about is proper maintenance. Always keep an eye out on your fluids and other stuff.

Seems like you're punishing your engine while going at a very slow rate of speed. I don't think there was enough air going over the radiators due to the slow speed you were driving and hence the cooling system got overwhelmed. This is especially bad from an oil perspective as the oil coolers don't have fans like the radiators and so all airflow over the oil coolers are velocity dependent.

I own a Mazda RX8 2004 1.3L Rotary 6spd Manual. I perform in the car....!

... but yesterday ended up overreving it a few times by mistake. I was performing for about 10 minutes before that doing donuts and slow leaving on the wet road. I was really punishing the engine, holding down for at least 30 seconds or more at a time at 8000rmp before accidently overreving...

What do you do...work in a circus? How are you "performing" (in your small territory)... other than to be a total tool, destroying your engine thru no fault of its own, but rather thru your own gross negligence in maintenace and operation?

I'm sure sooner or later regardless what anyone here tells you...you'll need to visit a Mazda dealer for him to explain how you blew your engine. :icon_no2:

mmm dounuts my favorite...

i've never done donuts or burnouts... damn i must be missing out.

+1
i haven't done the nasty with donuts either.... though this would explain the large shelf collection of donut holes for sale this last week at the grocery store... :eyetwitch

Harrison R&D has a good scantool for data logging.

http://www.obdscan.net/

"Performing" with no monetary compensation would be the equivalent to the terms showing off and playing around :) . How long have you had your 8? reading the faqs below will help streamline your concerns, and at the same time keep the flogging to a minimum :bottom: .

minimizes recurring threads:
http://www.rx8club.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9



welcome aboard

....like I said, I was doing other things other than donuts. Anyway, all is well with the motor. The oil is topped up and the coolant is topped up.

The strange thing of it all, is that the oil light never came on. Once the oil reaches 1/2 on the dipstick and below, the oil light comes on but it didn't come on this time.

I'm going to buy a new motor anyway, so maybe I'll just try to blow this one tonight and ride my GXR.

And noooo I'm not a 16yr old nut and I'm not going to blow my engine...i'm just saying that to piss off certain people in this forum....

If I perform without money, its simply practice...learning the cars movements..etc....not just fooling around...u should like a 61 yr old grandma.

But anyway, thanks whitebeau for the link. Like I said in my 1st post "I'm Green". Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Correction:

* u sound like a 61yr old grandma

If I perform without money, its simply practice...learning the cars movements..etc....not just fooling around...

Are you in some kind of auto show? I've always been a fan of Joie Chitwood and his son. Really cool stuff. Hard on the gear, but fun to watch. Tell us more.

Ken

So a guy goes into the doctor and says "Doctor! i have this terrible recurring headache! Every time I hit myself in the head with a hammer it hurts so much!"
The doctor said "well stop hitting yourself in the head with a hammer then!"

You overheated your car because you were revving it to hard and weren't moving fast enough for the cooling system to work effectively. The cooling system in the 8 is a known weak link. Ask anyone who lives in hot dry climates. Heck, even autoxers have overheating issues from time to time.

I hope you didn't warp your rotor housings. Be more careful in the future.

The oil level light will not come on until your oil level is below the bottom of the dipstick.

I did the same dumb mistake last night... But my car died 1 sec.. And I cant seem to find out why.. only thing I can think of is that my battery some way got "unplugged"... I dont know. !???? :)

the thing our episodes got in common is that it smelled a little bit burnt oil and coolant.. and that is ofcourse understandable, but like you, I dont know if my engine got any severe damage etc... lets just hope it survived and we both learned a lesson here :)

Warranty Status: Void

What do you do...work in a circus? How are you "performing" (in your small territory)... other than to be a total tool, destroying your engine thru no fault of its own, but rather thru your own gross negligence in maintenace and operation?

I'm sure sooner or later regardless what anyone here tells you...you'll need to visit a Mazda dealer for him to explain how you blew your engine. :icon_no2:



I was just about to write the same thing...damn carnies!

i've never done donuts or burnouts... damn i must be missing out.

It would help if you had a MT

[QUOTE=RX8Prodigy;2632282]....like I said, I was doing other things other than donuts.

Like what exactly, Bear claws? Maple bars? Extra strength deusch? Really though I do a burnout or a quick circular burnout now and then, but I also check ALL my fluids once a week. Aslo when was the last time you checked your diff or tranny. Would be a shame if your next thread was titled "transmission grinding" or "strange noise from rear end"

I thgouth you werent suppose to use sythetic oil?

I thgouth you werent suppose to use sythetic oil?

uh oh...oil debate

good god.

is this still going on??? you cant over rev the motor. fuel cut off kicks in.. and a 8k rpm. you are not close..

let this thread die!

beers :beer:

You mean you never did anything stupid or dumb ... thats a good thing isnt it ?

Donuts is not stupid or dumb. That shits hard man. Ever try doing one for the first time lol :banghead:

Donuts is not stupid or dumb. That shits hard man. Ever try doing one for the first time lol :banghead:

...waadaayaaameeen...dat sheet ain't so hard....!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbs64GvGgPU

dont worry man, top everything up and just go hard,
over revving is relative to the RPM limiter,its tricky to over rev a wankel

i agree that it overheated due to the lack of airflow going through the radiotor but i also believe that the water pump was at fault , here is why...the same thing happend to me when i was in a drift event we were doing donuts and some nice burnouts when i noticed my temp gauge started to climb. i had been holding my car at 7000k to 9300 rpm for quite some time so i think wat happend was that the water pump was spinning so fast for a long period of time that it just started to airate(cant spell) the coolant causing it to build air bubbles and over heat