b4yp

Hey, all. So I've had the 8 (2005 6MT GT) for about a half-month now and decided to check the oil to make sure it was at the proper levels. Good news was that it was full so I didn't need to add anything.

Other news was that when I pulled the dipstick out, it smelled noticeably of gasoline. I popped off the filler cap and I couldn't smell anything like that but the cap itself did smell a bit like gas.

I searched the forums and on google and the impression that I get is that this is caused by the car not being completely warmed up when it's shut down. The oil wasn't foamy at all so I don't think it was a flooding issue, just a cold start/stop issue.

I did just get it back from the place where I bought it (not a dealer, yeah I know) because the climate control needed replacing and it's under their warranty so it was replaced for free. Guessing they moved it around a few times and didn't properly warm it up and cool it down. I'm assuming that this is why it's smelling like this.

Beyond that, the engine starts fine, idles smoothly, accelerates well, etc. Per a few recommendations, from other threads, i let the car warm up completely, redlined it a couple of times then let it cool down, checked the oil again. Not sure if it smelled less. Possibly.

Anyhow, I guess my question is -- if I drive it normally and continue to let it warm up/cool down properly as well as checking the oil twice a month, is this nothing to worry about? Or should I get the oil changed right now just to avoid future issues? (FWIW, the oil that is in there now only has about 500 miles on it). I'm getting the impression that I don't have anything to worry about, but wanted to be sure.

Thanks in advance for your help and sorry if this is a newbie question.

Kaiser bun

iTrader: (2)

Did you check the oil at a gas station? lol maybe there was some gas on the ground next to you.

b4yp

Nope. It was in my driveway. :P Car had been sitting there for about an hour prior. No gas on the driveway. The dipstick itself smelled like gas. I had it about an inch from my nose.

I guess that's another question, since I hadn't seen it answered anywhere. I know with a piston engine you're supposed to let it it sit for a bit prior to checking the oil to get an accurate reading, is it the same for a rotary?

b4yp

Did a bunch more research. I'm pretty convinced that it's because of the cold start/stop that were done for the repairs. As far as whether or not I should get the oil changed, it seems like other threads are pretty mixed. Some say yes, some say don't worry about it. The color and the viscosity of the oil seem fine so I think I might just leave it. It's not my full-time driver so I doubt I'll put a ton of miles on it before the next oil change anyhow.

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (3)

Despite what some "respected" members of this forum might tell you, all rotaries including the rx8 are somewhat prone to fuel dilution in the oil supply due to the design of the engine. You have fuel being sprayed in from the side ports. Naturally some of this fuel will cling to the iron wall surface, the bottom of the intake port runners, and the sides of the rotors. Over time some of this finds its way past the oil control rings and gets picked up by the oil supply, and slowly you get fuel dilution into the oil.

It is less pronounced in a piston engine because the fuel is being sprayed in at the top of the cylinder and it's unlikely you'll get very much unburned fuel penetrating the piston rings/cylinder bore closer to the bottom of the chamber.

This is why rotary engine builders generally recommend lower oil change intervals than piston engines, because as fuel dilutes the oil it becomes thin and does not lubricate as well.

That, and the fact that rotaries tax their oil supply more than piston engines in general, with the rotary oil supply not only handling lubrication duty but also 30-40% of cooling duty due to the engine design. More heat means the oil breaks down sooner, meaning it needs to be changed sooner.

jasonrxeight

dont warm up too long. when the temperature gauge start to move you can start slowly driving.
what I do is I just wait till the needle moves above the cold liine into the range, I start driving keeping the rpm under 3500 until its at the middle then I can start using higher rpms.

b4yp

Fascinating, and very good information. Thanks for that!

Reading all of this information on the forums I think can get overwhelming after a bit. I think I've read pretty much every little thing that can go wrong with the car and I'm being hyper-sensitive to everything until I know what's "normal". Most of my questions have been answered by simple forum/Google searches. Some are a little less cut-and-dry.

Anyhow, again, thanks for the info!

b4yp

Oh, and @jasonrxeight - Yeah, that's what I've been doing. I've seen quite a few threads about idling and the general consensus seems to be what you said. That way it warms up all of the components at the same time, rather then just the motor.. better for the engine.. etc.

I can pretty much guarantee that the people at the garage did NOT do that, which is why I'm fairly sure that's what the issue is. I'm feeling a good bit better now. Just want to make sure to keep up with the maintenance as best as I can. I'm really aware of what goes on with my cars. My Lancer still runs like new. The mechanic at the dealer is always commenting on how well its been maintained. I want to keep that trend up with the 8 as well.

Thanks for the reply!

jasonrxeight

yep, by doing that you warming up the engine quickly and more evenly which closes the gaps between the seals. also oil could circulate faster giving better seal. more importantly, warming up the transmission and diff.

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (3)

If it is the dead of winter and it is 20 degrees outside, then sure, warm the car up for 3 or 4 minutes before you take off. In the middle of summer your engine and fluids are already at 70-90 degrees, so if you want to think of it this way, you're already partially warmed up. Just hop in and go, staying below 3500-4000 for the first few minutes.

No need to be paranoid about it.

jasonrxeight

haha yea. good thing S2 has this variable red line lights I just wait till the first bar disappear then start driving.

b4yp

Sounds reasonable. Not sure how much winter driving I'll be doing but good information to have.

FWIW, variable red line lights sounds pretty awesome. I'm jealous!

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (3)

Damned series II elitist ******.