Iceman808

Hi all

having read the stickie re: new ownership and coolant maintenance.

I was wondering if there was a temp range the RX8 should remain within when driving normally i.e highway.? If I have a OBD2 diag tool monitoring the coolant temp what is "normal" in celsius if there is one?

Or am I just looking for spikes in temp mainly just like if the temp needle moves from it's normal position.

Just interested if anyone has any specs.

Thanks all

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

Normal operating temp on an ambient day of 80F should be between 180-200F, anything higher than 220 is dangerous and you should exceed with caution as catastrophic failure can occur around 250F. Some members have seen 220F when pushing the card hard at the track in extreme heat with no adverse affects but IMO I would not leave it there for prolonged exposure.

As long as your cooling system is operating normally you do not have to worry about this.

Iceman808

Thx great info

I read that its good to try and keep an eye on the thermostat. Is there a replacement time for it? My car has only done 40000 ks. The coolant is fl22 so 10 year life. Coolant was replaced at an engine change at 21000ks or 4 years ago.

I am worried it might fail due to age more than klms

Thx

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

I do a coolant fluch every 2 years/ 15,000 miles, but thats overkill in most peoples opinions, 5 years/ 60,000 is the general concensious.

Iceman808

And there lies my dilemma.

I am trying to avoid any possible coolant related problems. My car has an engine thats only done 20000 klms in 5 years. The coolant isfl22 so should be good for another 5 years as per ma:zda specification, but some are recommending flush at 5 years*.

Thermostat maybe original factory installed one in 2005 or was replaced when new motor went in in 2008. Not sure i did not own the car at thistime.

Do i leave it alone as is and just keep an eye on coolant temps with obd tool or change out coolant and thermostat anyway even when they maybe fine simply because they are 5 years old?

Dealer says cars cooling system was fine at last service inspection. Temps good, coolant good, thermostat working as it should.

Am i being paranoid........ That stickie iabout rx8 ownership is very good, but geez it can scare the crap out of you and you start to worry. I keep a very detailed log of my maintenance and oil and filterare changed every 6 months regardless of useage. New coil packs recently and plugs. Coolant levels fine.

Am i just wasting money on something thats not broken?

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

Yes, you are being paranoid

With that being said, Mazda says 10 years, you really should not wait more than 5. You can get a Tstat from Mazmart for 60 bucks if you want to replace it at the same time to give you some piece of mind. Its really not difficult.

Drain the Rad, drain the block, pop of the tstat housing and replace, fill it up and your good to go. Takes an hour max. You will need 3 gallons of coolant and a Tstat about 130 bucks in parts.

Iceman808

Thx for the advice.

I am in australia so will have to order a thermostat from mazmart and get it shipped over. Is it better than the oem one? I have heardthey are. If i use the mazmart one do i need to change anything else to compliment it or is it good to go as is?

I prob wont do the coolant myself, i dont have the ability to get the car off the ground.

Looks like my 8 is gunna cost me another grand this month. But shes worth it. Its in showroom condition. Like it just rolled off the production line. Prob the best example of a series 1 with leather trim in my state i reckon. Even dealership cannot beleive how prestine it is inside and out.

So, its coolant flush, thermostat, diff oil, transmission oil, air filter, oil and oil filter this, month. It had new coil packs, plugs and de carbon last month. $3000 spent in 2 months on maintenance........ouch!

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

Thats absurd, I would venture into the DIY section, you can get coils wires and plugs for about 300, and it takes 45 mins to swap them all out. A decarb is likewise.

Invest in a jack and free time, will save you a ton of money. 3000 is absurd and I can think of hundreds of things I would rather invest in for my 8. In all seriousness I would have offered to do the labor for a beer.

Also while your at the tstat, the Mazmart water pump is highly recommended as well.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I spent roughly $5,000-$6,000 on maintenance over 105,000 miles with my 8, another $2,000 or so if I count repairs. 4 ignition changes, 35-some oil changes, 3 sets of tires, 2 sets of brake pads, a few coolant flushes

For stuff that failed that I paid for that might be considered maintenance: 1 starter, 3 clutches, my entire cooling system.


$3,000 covers every single maintenance item in the new owner's thread. Just gotta shop better than that.

Iceman808

I checked my coolant temp with my OBD2 xtool and it ranges from 90 - 98 degrees C during normal driving around town. It tends to hover around the 92-93 C mark normally. It is summer here in Oz so our days are sitting around the 30 degree C mark which will of course effect the engines temp. On the really hot days here (35 c) I am sure I may see higher temp spike snow and them when sitting at the traffic lights.

According to info provided in this post, my temps are well within the ok mark. If they go above 104 C I will start to be concerned if I am not driving it hard or at a track day.