bennieboy777

Hey all,

I'm definitely interested in buying a new car soon, and the RX-8 is very high on my list of possibilities. I just have a few questions I would like to get answered by people who actually know what they're talking about with this car. I've done my homework on this car and I know quite a bit about it, but a lot of people are posting different things all over the internet so I couldn't get a straight story anywhere.

Anyway I just have a few questions about the RX-8 that would be awesome if any knowledgeable owners on here could answer:

1. How much oil does it burn? (on average, because I know it depends on how you drive it). I've heard anything from "Add a quart every 2 fill ups" or "Top it off every 2 months or so"

2. Are they really so hard to maintain? I know you have to warm up the engine before going hard on it, don't start it up and shut it down right away, redline it frequently to clear it up, put premium gas in it, watch the oil levels, only use non-synthetic oils, etc. If there are any other quirks about it, please post them :P

3. Are there any significant mechanical changes between any of the years of RX-8's? I found a 2004 RX-8 with about 75k miles on it for 10 grand, but then theres a 2010 one with 20k miles on it for 20 grand. I prefer a newer one, but will the 2004 be in pretty bad mechanical shape with how many miles are on it?

4. Is it as bad on gas as they say? I hear most people with a newer RX-8 get around 20 mpg driving around town. I've also heard people getting steady 16 no matter what they do. How many miles do you get out of a tank? And how much does it cost to refill it after that many miles?

That's all the questions I can think of off the top of my head. I'll post more as they come to me. Thanks for any and all responses!

cornholio135

iTrader: (2)

If you would have just looked at the top of the section you just posted in there is a thread with answers to all of your questions... not many people around here are gonna spoon feed you...

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

EricB

iTrader: (7)

with the amount of shitty info is out there, i would try to find as much info as possible on rx8club. All of these things have been answered time and time again but i will try to answer for you.

1. I add oil every week or two, not gallons obviously, just top it off.
2. *I always let me engine run until the dummy temp needle hits the middle, if you have to drive it without letting it warm up, keep the revs under 3k.
*starting it up cold an turning it off can easily flood the engine which can be a pain in the *** to remedy, though the more you do it, the more you know what you are doing and faster you do this.. I saw an owner of a FD who flooded his car and deflooded it within 10 min.
*premium gas is a must, why would anyone put regular gas into a car is beyond me.
*always watch oil and coolant levels, its safe practice to check every fillup just incase something stops working you can catch it in time, running on low coolant or oil until the light comes on will mean its possible that it has already damaged your engine, the fix is: dont be a lazy bum, just pop the hood and check every couple of days.
*the debate over non synth and synth still exists, there are no conclusions, but the general concensious is to not run 5W20(what mazda recommends)

3. oh geez, there are so many, i could go on and on about the changes, but ill sum it up briefly as im sure others will tell you to just search. The majority of engine problems people have were due to the bad ecu flashes by mazda in 2004 and 2005, even if the ecu was flashed to fix the previous bad flashes, the damage was done. People will disagree with me here, but if i were to buy a rx8 i would avoid an 04/05.

as far as the difference between S1 and S2 rx8s you will have to search on that one, i dont feel like typing out all the changes. I will add however... if you feel like modding your car, even simple upgrades like exhausts can become a pain in the ***, with only a few options existing, if you buy a S1 exhaust for the newer 2009-2011 rx8 you will have to weld new hangers or modify the existing ones. The S2 cant be tuned with the cobb ap and i dont think they are planning to release a version that will allow s2 cars to be tuned with it. Like i said, pain in the ***.

4. shut up, im really sick of hearing this. its a sports car, it may be cheap, but its still a sports car. I think its around $60 to fill the tank with premium (NJ). the S2's i believe have a larger tank.

do a better search... let me help you. Read all of these, all the way through. If you dont and buy the car(we see it all the time) dont complain when something happens. There shouldnt be ANY surprise when buying a rx8. If you havnt done an overwhelming amount of research then you arent ready. I spent atleast 20-30 hours+ reading faqs and threads before i bought my car.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...rx-8-a-233937/

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-faq-9/r...owners-116484/

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-faq-9/r...e-posting-959/

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-faq-9/f...our-car-15505/

https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-te...s-i-ii-161665/

https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-te...ver-s1-188306/

tza0001

iTrader: (2)

There is not a definite answer on this question. All you have to do is check and act accordingly.

Please read this thread:
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

Yes there are. I will not analyze them. You may look on this forum and find them. If I was you I would look for a post 2006 car. It does not mean though that early models are not ok. I have an 04 with almost 80,000 miles and never had any issues with it (knock on wood). It depends on the maintenance the previous owner(s) has done and what the new owner would do on the car. Cars are not destructive

As they say??? Opinions are subjective. You buy a sports car so what do you expect? Further, it is a rotor engine which is complete different than piston engines. If you are worried about fuel consumption stay away from the rx-8. I get 16 mpg in city driving and about 19 mpg in highway. Considering that my car is not stock I am very happy with these numbers.

Friendly advice: Do not rush yourself buying an rx-8. Spend sometime on this forum and educate yourself about this car. Here you can find all the answers you are looking for. You may find it easier when you look for information to use Google. Put your question in Google's search engine and quote at the end :rx8club

Finally, have an eye on the for sale section of the forum. There are some good cars and good deals going on. At least you will get a car that has been treated properly from someone who knows a few things about rotaries.

monchie

Doing a research about a vehicle that your planning to get is a good thing. When I bought my rx8, I don't even know its a rotary engine. I thought it was a piston engine like everybody else. Anyways, just research on this site and you'll find a lot of information about the rx8. Update us if you decided to get an rx8, good luck.

Corso

My input:

$10K for an '04 w/ 75K miles is robbery.

Regarding fuel economy; what you drive now will determine whether you perceive the RX8 as good, not great or terrible. Me, my daily driver is a full size 4x4 pick-up with a V8. My last 'fun' car was a CTS-V. So to me, the mileage the RX8 gets is pretty decent. If your daily driver now is a car pulling down 30mpg, then yeah, the fuel consumption of the RX8 will be unpleasant.

bennieboy777

Thanks for all the quick replies! I didn't go into great detail about how much I actually knew about the rotary engine before posting, but I knew a good amount about it. I've heard the horror stories, I've read BS from people who didn't know how to maintain the car, and I've heard stories from people who take care of it saying it's the best car in the world. I came here to get more precise answers from more intelligent owners. I drive a 98 honda civic right now. I fill up once every 2 weeks and it costs 25 bucks. So it's going to be a big change going from that to the RX-8's fuel economy. But like previously stated, it's a sports car, I'm not in it to be efficient.

Also, I'm definitely interested in the 2004 one I talked about. It has 69,000 miles on it actually, but it is still 10 grand, and it's black (the color I want). I'm probably going to go to the dealership and ask them a bunch of questions about it, see if the engine was ever replaced/rebuilt and if so what year it was done, make sure everything is up to date (ecu flashes, etc). If it turns out it has 69,000 miles on it with the engine rebuilt in 2008 and everything is up to date, I'm probably going to be driving home in an RX-8

77mjd

Have you shopped for a used car lately? Used car prices are very high right now.

kjb

I bought mine on eBay a little over two years ago. Everything checked out, so I went after it. With proper maintenance, it's been solid and dependable. I recently replaced the coils with the BHR ignition after a front rotor misfire. That's it, and that was to be expected.

The gas mileage isn't much worse than the V6 Audi TT I used to own and the RX-8 is a lot more entertaining to drive...and I do love that sound track from the engine.

For the type of car it is, there really isn't anything comparable. It's quick enough, handles like a cat on velcro and has back seats.

One thing to consider with a 2004 is that the engine warranty is probably expired or will very soon. If the engine goes, you're probably going to have to pay for a replacement.

Razz1

The Rotory doesn't burn oil any different than any other car. It is a myth.

The car uses oil to lubricate the Apex seals. That's a big difference.

You don't need to add oil every week or two and you don't have to let the temp needle reach mid way before you drive.

You don't need to check the oil at every fill up or the coolant.

All you need to do is check the oil every 500 miles until you find out the consumption of the car.

Once you know that, then you check it at that mileage.

The only exception is if you drive it like you stole it for a good period of time. Then check it.

Edit: I'd like to here the story as to why you call yourself Beanie Boy 777, just for the fun of it.

EricB

iTrader: (7)

it doesnt hurt to check at shorter intervals.

what happens if you check the oil every 500 miles, something goes seriously awry at 200 miles and you are running on little to no oil, the oil light comes on and you are in the middle of no where with no oil in the car.

or if the low oil light malfunctions and doesnt come up on the cluster.

I would suggest checking it at the end of every week, or two. I daily my car so its better to be safe than sorry.

but yes, whenever you are pushing it make sure to check fluids.


----

I bought my rx8 at a dealer for 18.5k, its an 08 with 29k miles on it. Granted it was the special edition, so it was higher in price.. but i still would stay away from 04s and 05s.. JUST to be safe.. you never know if the previous owner neglected to get the updated flash when it came out, then you are left with having to rebuild the motor.

I would suggest trying to buy one off the forums here, i recently saw an 08 40th anny like mine go for sale and sell at 16k and it only had 18k on it.

people who sell on this forum mean that they signed up for the forum and hopefully should have read the faqs and they took care of their car. theres always exceptions, but this route i think is safer since you know the history of the car from the previous owner, unlike walking blindly into a dealer.

also black isnt hard to find.. its not like you are looking for a shinka or something. they made black rx8s from 2004-2011..

bennieboy777

I just fully read all of those links that were posted above, and I'm a bit wary of getting this car now. My Honda civic has 272,000 miles on it right now (still running strong) and it burns oil. So I add oil every 1,000 miles so I'm already into that routine. But when people said I needed to check coils, spark plugs, coolant, etc all the time, it made me think I might not be able to handle taking care of this car. But the way you're describing it, it doesn't sound very much different from regular car maintenance at all.

Also, my name in real life is Ben, and people online from other forums called me bennie, so I made the name bennieboy777 and I've been using that name for years.

EricB

iTrader: (7)

its not ALL that much different...

if you cant handle popping the hood and checking the coolant/oil level then dont bother buying the car. Your lazyness is understandable coming from a honda.

the rx8 is an investment, and you have to keep up on your maintenance. not changing your coils plugs and wires can lead to misfires, which will clog your cat, which will be bad for the motor. Problems with rotaries snowball very quickly. the $400 coil plug and wire change every 30k miles turns into $400 + $1500 for an oem cat, or $400+$1500+$5000 for an engine. but you know this already since you have read the faqs.

small price to pay every 30k miles for a car that drives on rails and takes you to 9krpm.

kjb

^ True, it really isn't hard to take care of. I hadn't turned a wrench in anger in 25 years and do it all myself. I went with the BHR coils on the hope that I won't need to touch them again. Oil and filter changes aren't exactly rocket science. I haven't kept track, but I'd guess I don't need to add oil more than 1000 miles or so.

I won't say buy that car, but if you do buy it or another one, it is worth the little bit of extra effort. A friend of mine bought one on my recommendation and has put 30,000 miles on it. He loves the car. He used to own several of the nicer sports cars, Porsche, etc. and likes his 8 better. I don't know if he spends any time here, but I did point him to this forum before he bought.

It isn't for everyone, but if it's the right car for you, don't let the maintenance scare you off. It isn't that demanding and it is worth every second of the effort.

jasonrxeight

its not that much maintenance anyway. just some quirks you have to work around. I own a BMW, it needs wayyy more maintenance.
although if you can afford an S2 (2009+), get the S2. so much more reliable and you still get the engine warranty just in case the seals go pop.
as far as oil and warming up, just check the oil level like once every two weeks. the S2 burns a lot more oil than S1 yet I only need to add half quart even 700 miles so not that frequent. you can let it get to like a quart low and it will still be only halfway till the light turns on. warming up is not very needed, unless its really cold. just let it idle like a minute or two then start driving gently under 4000RPM till the gauge is in the middle.
rotary engines eat sparkplugs tho, so new set of sparkplugs every 30k and new set of coils every 60k is recommended.

Corso

It makes me chuckle how the RX8 community considers the car high maintanance, expensive to own, and thirsty for fuel. I hope these folks don't ever get into boating. Haha... You ain't seen nothing.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

it's simply a matter of relative perspective...

After all, a canoe probably has lower maintenance, ownership cost, and fuel consumption than an RX-8.

I'm sure someone at NASA would look the same way on boating. There is always an example entirely outside the context that can make everything within the context look like a mockery.

bennieboy777

Here's how I'm looking at it right now. The only black mazda rx 8 within 40 miles of me is that 2004 for 10 grand. If everything checks out with it (recent engine change, updated ecu flashes, etc) then I'm probably going to buy it. Then I'll immediately put new spark plugs and coils on it so I can be sure they are good. I can handle the oil and coolant situation. My Honda already burns oil because of how old it is, so I have to add oil to it frequently as well. But while I'm at it, is there anything else that isn't too expensive that would be a good idea to replace if I get this 2004?

New Yorker

FYI, there is no oil and coolant "situation". The 8 burns a small amount of oil BY DESIGN to help lubricate seals. Your Honda, on the other hand, is not supposed to burn oil at all. Non-rotary cars that burn oil have an oil "situation"; the RX-8 doesn't.

New Yorker

Do realize that, generally, more intelligent RX-8 owners read their owner's manual, know how to maintain their cars and know that it's important to do so. As a result, more intelligent owners generally don't have major car problems and have little reason to find their way onto a car forum like this one.

bennieboy777

One more quick question, if the compression test comes back good, but the ecu flashes are outdated, should I get the 2004? Can't I just take it to a Mazda dealer and have them flash the ecu to a more current one? Thanks again for all the replies guys!

tza0001

iTrader: (2)

^Sure you can. You just need to make sure that there is no issue with the engine due to primitive ecu setting The most important one is the MSP16

Jeff77789

i got my '05 w/ 70k miles for $6.5k

bennieboy777

Can you elaborate a little bit more? I need to go to the dealer with as much prior knowledge of possible issues and how to test for them as I can. Thanks again

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Good luck,

I bought a used 04 with about that mileage, and it has been grand. I love the car. My commute is a mix of city and highway with a dozen or so lights and stop signs. I get 22+ mpg with AC on at the moment. It varies down to 20 or so sometimes. One of the better parts is the corvette drivers wanting to know what mods have been made to the car at Drivers Ed. I make sure to point out that it has a 1.3L engine.

For an 04 there are several small things I would do after you get it that will likely make a huge difference. They are detailed in a thread in my signature called "First $100" and address cooling, starting, AC, idle, performance and fuel economy. Like it says, you can do all of them for under $100 with basic DIY skills. Something that is getting added to that thread is to get the fuel pump pressure checked. As soon as I find a good procedure, or figure out how, I will add it. Even fuel pump is not that bad, my daughter and I discovered a new way to change it at the track a month or so back. Need to post those pictures too.

PM or post to that thread if you have any questions on the First $100.

Good luck, send pictures.