danatkins8605

hey guys i just got my 8 and i'm wondering if you can fit 17's on it cause i wanna squeeze a lil extra mpg and they don't make fuelmax tires for 18's any ideas or advice i'm only getting 16 mpg overall

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

17's will fit. Can we get some info on your 8 like yr, mileage, and any maintenance done?

chino0314

iTrader: (12)

i have 17s

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

What type of driving are you doing, you driving it hard with high revs or like grandma? Also mostly city or highway or 50/50? I average 18-20 mpg

Razz1

The autos come with 16" wheels.

RotaryP7

Where do you live by? Never seen your 8.

danatkins8605

i just bought the thing sunday from a local used car dealer it's only been ran hard once and that was a 40 mile trip to another town to do the loan work but it usually gets putted around occassional blast between lights i'm trying to figure out which fuel does best i got 15 on 93 octane, 18 on 87 and i'm trying 89 now it's an 04 6spd. i dont think it has the new ecu flash do they really help

Bigbacon

iTrader: (4)

depends on the trim.

get the ECU flashes done asap if it doesn't have them.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

I think you bought the wrong car if you want good gas mileage. It's not really possible. As you can see my MPG is all over the place depending on how she is feeling that week

danatkins8605

yea but i've been reading you guys getting like 20's as long as i'm 18 or over i'm happy i mean i came from an f150 lightning so i'm used to crap mpg
and bigbacon where did you get the engine cover done i love it

Solidtrance

iTrader: (2)

Congratulations on the new car. You have a lot of learning to do (this is in your best intrest). If you don't have experience with an 8 you need to get smart on this car fast, because there are a lot of do and don't that you should know, that will improve the lifespan of your car (mostly engine).

As for your questions, here my take. 18-20 mpg is about what you can expect for a properly running RX8. The performance decrease that you will see with the fuel max tires will make getting those tires not worth it. With that said, running a good set of 17's can and has been done with great results.

You should make sure that the car is up to date on its ECU flashes. I would not recomend running regular, or ever mid grade fuel, however there are some here who have. Something to think about is the ignition system on our car needs frequent replacment (plugs and coils every 30K mi is a good rule of thumb).

And finally, remember that e red line a day keeps the engine running well. Just be sure to warm it up first. Do some reading here, post up your milage if you have any more questions (as it will help with the answers) and have fun with your new car.

If you take care of it, you can have a blast with it. On the other hand this car can quickly become a nightmare if it is not maintained correctly. Heres are a few threads to get you started.

Cumulative Gas Mileage Thread

Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) and Recalls for RX-8

J, K, L, and M Flash Explanations

RX8 - FAQ for New Owners

danatkins8605

it's a got a bit over 101k
correct me if i'm wrong but tsb's and recalls are paid for by dealer/mazda right

cjkim

recalls yes
tsbs... generally no if you're not under warranty.

I used to get about 19-21 mpg on the rx8. now enjoying 26-27 mpg

danatkins8605

ok so which tsb should i worry about with and 04

Huey52

iTrader: (2)

^ you should be sure to get MSP16 (Lack of Power_ PCM_01-013-08-1925) which is still a freebie (call Mazda NA if your dealer objects). This "program" upped the OMP apex seal oil injection rate to better assure lubrication and thereby maintain compression over time.

If you already have some loss of power due to compression you may want to get a decarb (Lack of Power DECarb 01-014-08-1924g) but it's cost bearing unless a compression check yields significant lack, which would be grounds for a new (reman) engine if you're still within the 8/100k drivetrain warranty.

Finishlineperformance.com kindly hosts all the MSP/TSB's so take a look for your particular issues, if any.

That's all I'm willing to input for you since you gave us no info other than '04.

Solidtrance

iTrader: (2)

What Huey and others (myself included) are suggesting is this. You don't need us to answer your questions. You need to go find the answers yourself. It will make you a more informed owner, and with this car you need to be informed. Its a great car, but you need to know what you are doing or else you are rolling the dice with a number of potential issues. Read the stickies, search, find as much info as you can. At the end of the day its your car and you are the one that will end up at the side of the road with a big repair bill if you don't take proper care of it. Good luck.

danatkins8605

K then maybe 1 of you of gentleman can point me in the way so I can search this forum without pulling up 500,000 threads with just the words tsb or recall in them

YaXMaNGTO

Did anybody actually read the opening post?

He wants to put Goodyear FuelMax tires on his car... 65,000 mile low rolling resistance tires on a high performance sports car.

And for what? A 4% average decrease in fuel costs.

LET'S DO THE MATH!!!

If you drive 10,000 miles per year, and you get 16mpg average, your car consumes 625 gallons of gas per year. Going off a price $3 a gallon for super unleaded, you spend $1875 in gas per year. What's 4% of $1875?

$75

So to save $75 per year, you're going to go out and buy new 17" rims and put crap all-season low-rolling-resistance tires that don't grip for ****. Gut your car of its amazing handling prowess for what?

$75

Way to go. Massive fail.

PotatoSoup

Agreed. This is actually one of the more bizarre things I've read on the forum...putting fuel-economy oriented tires on an RX-8.

You should have posted this before you purchased. There are hundreds of people here who would have strongly discouraged you from buying an RX-8. You and the car are not going to have a happy relationship. I can tell things just don't "click".

danatkins8605

well like i stated it was a theory i've never used said tires didnt really look at the specs on them i was just wondering if 17's would fit because 17 inch tires are cheaper anyway and i can actually find them around my area without ordering them.

Solidtrance

iTrader: (2)

Here you go. DIY: how to use the search function of the rx8club.com forum . This is not a joke. read the DIY, it will help you.

danatkins8605

ok thank you that's the kind of help i've been looking for lol