Drumm09

Hi everyone,

I am in the process to buying a 2008 Mazda RX-8 40th Anniversary Special, and
have a few questions I hope some of the RX-8’s fans can answer or help me with:

The first obvious one would be about the gas mileage. I drive about 30miles a
day , approximately 300 miles a week.

1. How much money you think I would be dumping in the car for gas on a weekly
basis? I know that would vary a lot depending on the current price of oil, but I
would appreciate it I could get a rough estimate.


2. Unfortunately (or fortunately in this case) the RX-8 would be my only car, so
I will use it as a daily driver. How well does the car do in the winter
months?? I live in Baltimore, MD and our winters haven’t been that bad in
recent years. Any tips or suggestions for the winter months for those folks
that use the car year round?

4. How does the car do as a Daily Driver?

4. Finally, any issues or things I should be aware of -or any tips your could
share.

Thank you all. Hopefully I will be joining the Rotary club very soon with my
own RX8.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

A Toyota Corrolla gets 40 mpg, my RX-8 gets 20mpg BUT it's exactly 3.8 times more fun to drive!


S

EdwardsB

since when do we have 10 day weeks

you will need to get a set of winter tires

and its (total mileage / mpg's) x ($/gal) = cash for gas...you can use a calculator if you want.

XlYesterdaYlX

The MPG on this car is pretty bad overall, city driving i get 12-13MPG. I gas every 2 weeks or so. I don't drive that much, a full tank is about...60$ and i'm in cali,

i remember baltimore having their gas a lot cheaper. But since you travel so much...You'll probably end up paying more than i do.

As for the winter months, dont know much about that but nothing snow tires can't fix. Just remember to not to turn off the car cold or it might flood

chrism

copied from brillo

RX8 - FAQ for New Owners

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(note: this needs to be moved into the FAQ section and made a sticky)

So you just bought your first RX8, or you bought a used one, and you have a rotary engine you not familiar with. First off, relax, its really not that different, but here are the little things you’ll want to do / know to make sure you enjoy the car and it lives a long and happy life.

The following is a brief summary of the rx8club.com forums collective wisdom after nearly 95,000 threads and 1.7 million posts. It is not totally comprehensive, but will cover most of the major issues for first time rotary RX8 owners. Most of the recall issues only apply to cars built before the 2006 model year, but double check you car just in case.

1. Occasional Aggressive driving is good – First off its fun, second, it helps prevent carbon buildup in the engine and intake system. Make sure you rev to at least 7500rpm to make sure all the intake valves open. You don’t need to redline every start, but once a day is fun and good for the car.

Oh, and please don’t attempt the 7000rpm clutch dump launches the magazines did to get their 0-60mph numbers. This is not the aggressive driving that is mentioned above. Its suicide for your clutch and transmission.

2. Make sure your car has the latest PCM flash and recalls – Below are the major recalls that seem to have affected most people. Most are simple and can be done by the dealer in a day.
a) PCM (Powertrain Control Module) Flash – The RX8 has a very complex computer driving the engine that has gone through several firmware upgrades. Make sure your on the latest PCM flash from the dealer.
b) In the summer of 2006, a major emissions related recall was conducted on 2004-2006 RX8’s related to catalytic converter, and in some cases engine failures. For most people, the recall simply involved a PCM update, some owners had faulty catalytic converters replaced, and some owners had engines replaced. If you own a used vehicle, make sure recall 4206F was performed.
c) Ignition Coils – older cars had coils that overheated and would misfire, its easily to tell by flipping a coil over and looking for a burn spot on the back side of the coils. Mazda redesigned the coils in 2006.
d) Starter and Battery – the original 04/05 RX8’s had a weak starter and battery that could contribute to flooding. Hard starts are the main symptoms, and the dealer can install an upgraded starter battery package to fix the issues.
e) Upgraded Spark plugs – along with the starter, the leading spark plugs went through a redesign in the 2005 to help with flooding issues. These improved plugs should be the only leading plugs you buy. (part #NGK RE7C-L)
f) Rough Idle – the Engine mounts and mount brackets were redesigned in 2005 to alleviate rough idle issues. Heat from the exhaust manifold can also damage the passenger side engine mount. Check with you dealer about an upgrade if this is an issue.

3. Use only OEM spark plugs – The RX8 and RX7 use special unique NGK plugs designed for rotary engines. The plugs should be replaced about every 25,000 miles, which is sooner than most piston engines.

4. Whats the deal with flooding? - Flooding is the term for the engine not starting due to excess fuel into the combustion chamber from a cold start and shutdown. Rotary’s, and most other cars, run rich at warm-up and then gradually lean out as the engine warms to operating temp. Starting a cold engine and immediately shutting it down before its warmed up can lead to excess fuel being left in the combustion chamber which makes the engine struggle to light off. The simple solution to not flooding is to properly warm the car up (coolant temp needle to the half way point) before shutting the engine off. Flooding tends to happen when people move their car to wash, repair or service something then immediately shut the engine down. The stronger starter and resigned plugs listed above have helped to alleviate this issue, but just make a practice of warming the car up before shutting it off.

5. Check the oil level every other fillup or twice a month – The rotary engine injects oil to lubricate the apex seals in the engine, so it naturally burns oil, especially the harder you drive. Most owners keep a quart of oil in the car at all times and check the oil twice a month.

6. Hitting the track? Toss in a little premix – If you going to drive the car especially hard for extended periods of time, it is wise to add 4/6oz of two stroke oil to the fuel for extra seal lubrication. Its not required, but it’s a good safety measure to protect the engine

That’s really it folks, there are of course other specific issues, but the above covers 90+% of the issues and problems associated with the RX8. Hopefully this provides a framework to better understand your car and the forums. Additional technical service bulletins and recall information can be found at
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...ins_index.html
__________________

04RX8man

^ there you go everyting u need

fahrfegneugen

A lot of people have an RX-8 as their only car, but I would recommend you get another junker for certain things. Otherwise, it makes the day go by better, knowing that at 5:00 you get to drive an RX8 home

oh and you wont need coffee in the morning anymore

ken-x8

The FAQ doesn't quite cover everything...

The 8 is great as a daily driver. Much more fun than a sensible car.

Echoing EdwardsB - gas cost is easy to figure. Just divide your 300 miles by 15 or 16, then multiply by current premium prices.

Amplifying his "need winter tires" recommendation, get a set of Blizzaks on 17 inch wheels. Check out Tire Rack's packages. I think they also have a page explaining why the second set of tires isn't really an extra expenditure.

Ken

Drumm09

Thank you so much guys. I appreciate your answer, suggestions and input on the 8 as a DD, Gas consumption and winter driving.

Drumm09

I do have one more questions I forgot to ask previously in my post.

Concerning the oil, how often does one have to add a quart of oil to the car? Do most owners add a quart about, say, once a month?

And adding oil does not mean you have to take it to the garage for an oil/filter change? You just add the oil in that car?

How often you recommend to change the oil and filter in the 8? Once every 3k miles?

And on a completely different note, why are 8’s so cheaper these days? Looks like I can get a HECK of a deal on a 2008 8 these days?

Is it because dealers are trying to move out their 08 inventory or because of the 8’s well known thirst for gasoline?

Thanks again

greg985

1. check your oild every other ftime you fill up with gas. If its low you may have to add a little bit.
2. To add the oil all you have to do is open your hood, un screw the oil cap and add oil as needed.
3. I change my oil every 3k miles.
4. You may find them 04-08 for a little cheaper b/c the new 09s are out