I'm contemplating buying a used 04/05 RX8 w/ LP in the next few months but all these reports of flooding are seriously deterring me. I'm sold on the cars design, the interior, performance/handling and the practical yet stylish nature of the beast... but i need a car that is going to be there when i need it most. (regardless of how immaculately well i treat the thing).

I get nothing but bad impressions when thinking about the 350z (only 2 seats + no boot space + cupping issues) throw it out of the equation. And I don't really want to go down the route of the lack in style (boy racer) wrx.

Basically what i'm asking here (and forgive me if this is an old topic or something that has been brought up many times over) is should i buy a RX8 knowing (correct me if i'm wrong) i may and most likely will encounter flooding issues?



(Please say yes)

You already know what people are gonna say. You have to keep in mind, the RX8 is not a car you just hop into, check and change the oil whenever you please.and have it last like a Toyota corolla. The car does in fact need TLC, and ignoring certain things do nothing to economy cars, but can spell disaster if you expect it last with common neglect most cars get.
It doesn't sound like this is the car for you, and the flooding issue does exist, but with proper cuation can be totally avoided. If you can't handle taking more care for a car then you have int he past, then I do not recommend this car. Now let everyone tell you to get it, and brag about how greta of a car it is. I figured I'd sneak in some objectivity and " tell it like it is" first. ;)

I've never encountered the "flooding issue". :)

My RX8 has never flooded. Never. 24K miles as a daily driver to and from work and everywhere else. Flawless. No flooding.

I plan to keep my RX8 a long, long time. I may get tired of it (and decide I want a bigger car or maybe a truck) but I won't sell it. I'll just pay it off, garage it, buy something else and keep the 8 as a weekend racer. This one is a keeper. It's an absolute blast to drive.

Beside, even if it does flood you can still jump start it. Honestly - flooding is the least of your worries. I'd be more worried about blowing the engine or the tranny.

I must be blunt and say if you're worried about reliabiilty, fuel economy, ease of maintenance, etc. etc. - there are many better choices. But they're not anywhere near as fun or fast.

do a search - you will find the flooding thing is now a non-issue .
It does not need any more TLC than any other car & it will take a lot of abuse . Just add oil regulary - that is the only difference .

Don't get me wrong, I'd treat the thing with the oil nursery and TLC it sounds like it needs but if out of my control it floods and it becomes a problem (ie needed to get it towed more than once a year) i'm worried i'd start questioning the ownership of the car. I've just read too many pages of 'that flooding vote thread' and it's thrown me off mental track.


Also are there any thoughts on long term reliability of this rotary engine?

Just get the new spark plugs and battery from your Mazda dealer under warranty, never shut off your engine when it's cold, and then flooding won't be an issue anymore. Post pics once you get one.

do a search - you will find the flooding thing is now a non-issue .
It does not need any more TLC than any other car & it will take a lot of abuse . Just add oil regulary - that is the only difference .

It's a non-issue from what model? (or have they resolved it with a service / electronic update?)

Also i beg to differ re: the car not needing any more TLC than others, but i think that's all part of the RX8 love.

Buy an 05, you will save a lot of headaches getting crap like the flooding issues fixed. If you go look at the technical service bulletins that Mazda issued they are 90% for 04's. I got an 05 and haven't had any troubles with flooding etc. The first model year of any car is going to have it's problems/bugs, they need a year or so to iron them out.

Also are there any thoughts on long term reliability of this rotary engine?

That is also search-able.

There is no definitive answer because it depends on how well made your engine is from the factory, how you treat it and how much you maintain it. Also, the first RX-8s only came out in 2003. But there are plenty of N/A RX-7s that have gone 200k+ in miles. And knowing that one of Mazda's goals was reliability with the Renesis, it shouldn't be any different.

edit: and by how you treat it, I mean how much you rev it :D:

I've just read too many pages of 'that flooding vote thread' and it's thrown me off mental track.


Those that have something to squawk about usually squawk the loudest. Your not gonna see too many threads that start out..."My 8 has never flooded, yay for me"

Just follow the simple tips that raptor posted above and you'll be fine.

Will do, cheers for the advice tiggerlee (btw nice black rx8).
I'm going to be looking for the car in black.

Are there many differences between the early 05 and the October 05 released models? (not sure if the intl. release dates is the same as that in aus.)

Will do, cheers for the advice tiggerlee (btw nice black rx8).

Thanks!!

Just remember, every car has it's problems. Roofs are flying off Corvettes,Nissan's Altima's and Sentra's are catching fire, the list goes on and on.

I've had flawless (and floodless) performance since day one. Just follow the simple tips to prevent flooding and you'll do great.

As far as Aus. specs there are some differences but nothing major. There is a designated Aussie forum here if you want to check it out. http://www.rx8club.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37

Yeah, I'm here now though. ;)

My 04 has flooded three times, Twice, other people's fault, once mine. It really is no issue. I carry a small rope in the trunk. If valet parking or someone floods the car, I just tow it about one hundred yards in gear and it starts right up. I have never had it towed into Mazda. I am at 35,000 miles. I see no reason this rotary would not last as long as my previous ones. The key is to run it hard every once in a while and use premium fuel to prevent carbon buildup on the rotors.

John

On another note, Mazda did add a "de-flooding" procedure that has been effective for some.

My 2 '05's have never flooded in the year of ownership.
22,000 miles

I own a late model 05 and it has been pretty bullet proof, no problems except one which I'll cover in a minute. The 04 had many bugs(new car teething issues get a late model 05 and you will be happy. For the record the car can flood but it is greatly diminished. Long term for the rotary is still a question. There have been some engine failures in the hot climates and I have heard it is either an oil cooling issue or the engine management computer is not injecting enough oil. Mazda is pretty tight lipped about the problem. This raises another issue and that is the quality of Mazda's service. Some dealers are very good to there clients but pother are very bad and Mazda as a wholes seems pretty bad. I have heard of a number of people having a very hard time with Mazda trying to get warranty service myself included. My car is getting 11 to 12 mpg city and Mazda says it is fine live with, they did nothing but plug it into the computer. They really don't care about serving you after the sale and blame obvious problems with the vehicle on the client. This is the real issue you need to be concerned about.

So the relatively high price gap between buying a used 2004 and a 2005 is probably worth it then. Even though 2003 was the initial model and I would have excepted the major teething issues to come out in that first year.
?

im trying to convince my wife to trade in her 05 denali for an 06-07 8 lol she likes mine but shes not sure yet

So the relatively high price gap between buying a used 2004 and a 2005 is probably worth it then. Even though 2003 was the initial model and I would have excepted the major teething issues to come out in that first year.
?

The car was produced in 03 but sold as an 04 if I recall correctly.

The car was produced in 03 but sold as an 04 if I recall correctly.

you are correct as some call it the 03 some the 04 but its the same manufactured car dealers always say 04 though =D

If you don't want to flood, simply remember one thing:

NEVER TURN OFF THE ENGINE UNTIL WARM.

Problem solved.

If you don't want to flood, simply remember one thing:

NEVER TURN OFF THE ENGINE UNTIL WARM.

Problem solved.

The problem I have had is with Line service. My car may sit in a hangar for a week. The line personnel will move it while I am on a trip to accommodate other aircraft and when I come home my car won't start. I just hook up the tow rope to his car and pull start my car. No problem.

I also use synthetic oil and think that will eliminate the hot ambient temperature engine failures. (Royal Purple)


I say Buy the car. I bought my wife a C6 Vert (Corvette) which gave my cart blanch to buy, within reason any car I wanted. I have chosen to keep the RX-8 since it is about as much fun as you can have with a practical car. I put a trailer hitch on it which makes it the equivalent of a 1/2 ton pickup.

John
John

i heard to never ever use synthetic oil in the rotary

i heard to never ever use synthetic oil in the rotary


That's Mazda's official line but, many members here do with good results.

That's Mazda's official line but, many members here do with good results.

What kind of good results, nothing blowing up? Why would you even bother paying 3 -4 bucks more a quart for synthetic when it's not necessary and you burn off a quart every 1000-1500 miles anyway. Also you're just giving Mazda another reason to question you if your engine ever has a problem and goes in for warranty work. I'm MORE than happy paying 2 bucks a quart for normal penzoil after paying 5 bucks a quart for Mobil 1 in my BMW M3.

if u don't live in a cold climate zone, then u don't need to be paranoid about flooding. u can shut off the engine without flooding it, even if the temp gauage isn't at operating temperature. but, just use some good common sense and u'll be ok.

Thanks for all the comments guys. It has very much helped my decision in joining you crazy 8 loving freaks and purchase one of my own. I can't imagine many other cars have the same fan base like you guys and it goes a long way as to the potential classic status of this car.

:worship:

I have an early build 2003 released as a 2004 and I have never had any flood issues. Mazda replaced my battery, starter, & spark plugs after I told them that it would not start if it sat more than 3 days. :fingersx: Thank you Mazda. I'm at 24K miles and I still get that chit face grin every time I shift near redline. Truely, you should always do routine maintenance on all your vehicles, this one just requires a lil more attention.

So i've had a few emails with a dealer... and couldn't resist mentioning the flooding issue.
He said;

"I just had a word with my service department and they mentioned that every RX-8 that has been produced after October' 2005 has been fitted with the appropriate modified part that has taken care of the problem of the flooding issue."

I'd assume (or hope) previous models would be updated with whatever part they have fitted the newer models when serviced to help against the potential of flooding. (forgive my ignorance if this is all widely known and boring info.)

You might ask them what the "part" is that made the difference.
I would like to know.
And if he can not come up with an answer ,,,,,,,
well,, I will leave that determination to you.

There you go;

"The parts that were changed were spark plugs and a modified starter motor. Not all cars were affected from this problem and the ones that were are the ones that'll be covered under warranty. "

Basically saying it's covered regardless of the year.

I've had it for two years and drove it through both winters. No flooding here. If I need to shut it off when the engine is cold, I simply rev it at 3k RPM for 10 sec first (that's the standard cold-engine shutdown procedure... when the engine is warmed up, you can shut it off normally).