peregrinus

Okay, i just got this 2004 rx8, 6 speed a few months back, i absolutly love the car, but i'm having a slight issue.

When im driving, and i hit the brakes, they feel very slow, and clumbsy, and if i hit them harder, harder then just very soft/gradual braking, the steering wheel pulls to the right, then evens out.

I'm going to assume I probably just need to bleed the brakes/maybe change the fluid? Or could there be another issue for this. My guess is theres a bubble or something in the line to the left brake, and its causing a delay in the times the two front brakes start working, and thats why it pulls like it does?

Its like 10 degrees out and my car is covered in snow, so i cant do it now, im just going to add it to my list of stuff t odo when it warms up. any help is appreciated greatly!

are the brakes in these cars usually very quick, and strong? just seems like since ive gotten it they are slow to react etc..? im guessing its all related?

Go48

These cars come with exceptional brakes straight from the factory.

If the pedal feels spongy, you probably have air in the lines requiring a proper bleeding. If the pedal feels hard, then you may want to replace the pads and check for a frozen/sticking caliper piston while you're at it. Frozen meaning the caliper piston is not moving in and out as it should when applying and releasing the brakes.

peregrinus

it feels very spongy, and slow to react, so i assume its just air. Would that air in the lines though, also cause the right brake to work before the left, causing the undesirable pull to the right i am experiencing under moderate-> heavy braking?

EDIT: both calipers were replaced before i bought it under warranty, i just went and had the vin checked today. and as far as i can tell from a quick glance, the pads still look like they have at least 50-60% left, so pads arnt the issue, i will def check the other two things though when it warms up a little. thanks, and any more info would be appreciated


EDIT 2: by exceptional i assume you mean quick/responsive and strong?


Only other problem i am having with the car is foggy headlights, I am pretty sure its internal condensation, because it gets better/worsens randomly, is there a fix for this besides replacement ( my warranty is long expired ) at least a fix that doesnt require me to completely dissassemble my headlights.

Go48

I doubt that air would cause that, but I guess it could depend on where in the system the air is. Bleed it and see.

Have you had this problem since you got the car? If so, take it back to where the calipers were "replaced" and ask them to fix the problem, 'cause they probably created it in the first place. What reason did they give for needing to replace the calipers? Sure it wasn't the rotors? Seems unusual to replace both front calipers. I would be suspicious that they actually did that.



That's a known problem, with the early cars at least. Haven't read anything about someone correcting the problem short of replacing the whole units.

RK

iTrader: (1)

If the car is out of warranty why does OP label this as 'new rx8'. Pads at 50% means it's probably got over 30k miles. Pads, fluid, and rotors could all be culprit. If they changed the calipers w/o proper bleeding I'd bet money it needs to replace the fluid or a good bleed.

Gaskets can be replaced but the problem is mainly with the rear lights. Same concept should apply to the front lights though.

Each headlight fixture costs over $1000 so gasket would be first avenue to pursue.

peregrinus

sorry, that is slightly misleading, in my title, i meant, new to me lol, my bad, car has 60k miles.

I was wrong also, i looked at the sheet again, i mixed up two of the listings, both just say front calipers, pads. soo, they wernt replaced, my bad.

i will try bleeding them, and the 50% comment, i was saying theres at least 50%, if not 75% they are pretty new yet.

if i'm going to be bleeding them, im at 60k miles ( just rolled over last weekend ) should i just go ahead and replace the brake fluid for piece of mind, since im going to be bleeding anyway lol

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

I would check and make sure that the calipers slide properly..and lube them while you are at it..then bleed the system and see if that works.

After that then we can check with some other less likely alternatives

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

^^ I agree with dan.

sounds like a frozen slider bolt on the caliper. Take the wheel off, pop out the pad, and see if the caliper slides open / closed. There is a rubber sleeve that covers part of the bolt, when those get slight tears in them, moisture can get in and cause them to seize.

Bleeding the lines and putting in new fluids might not be a bad idea either sicne you've got 60k on the car.

peregrinus

fact still stands the the brakes overall are very soggy and sluggish, i will try what you mentioned, and see if i find anything though.

Razz1

At 60k you need to flush out the fluid

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

rx-8 brakes (when working properly) can definitely NOT be described as soggy and sluggish.

There's definitely something wrong.
Flush fluids out, put some Castrol Brake fluid in there, bleed the entire system, check the calipers, and you should be good.
OEM pads? Maybe they're aftermarket and they're junk?

peregrinus

I'm not sure of the pad type, soon as i get a nicer day i will do everything, and see what happens.

kogroc1

I have a 04 RX8 with 46000 miles on it and I had it for almost a year now. Its has aftermarket rotors and i'm thinking aftermarket pads. The problem is when goin over 50 and up when I press them I get this throbing feel out ot the padal. Any suggestion?

Go48

Yeah, sounds like your rotor(s) are "warped". That is, out of true. Have them checked and possibly resurfaced. If they have never been turned before, chances are they can be resurfaced. Otherwise, you will need to repace the rotors that are out of true.

Silver06

Sounds like your brake rotor(s) have excessive runout. ie: they are 'warped'.

If it is minor, you could ignore it. If medium, a good brake shop could try to remove material on a brake lathe to true the rotors. If it is bad, you'll need new rotors. (RX-8 rotors don't allow for much machining).

Causes are usually (a), heavy braking (like at a track) and then stopping the car without adequate cool-down laps - the rotor cools unevenly where the pads rest against it. (b), poor rotor design/materials, or (c), wildly different torque values on the wheel nuts (not really an RX-8 problem, but I've seen other cars where this was a known OEM issue).

505cuban_boi

Hi.guys im the worse mechanic ever but I went on vacation for about 15 days and when I returned the brakes on my rx8 didn't work at all. They go all the way in and don't feel any pressure meaning there's no stop. I checked the brake fluid and its at its max line. Please some help I kno I can take it to a shop but first will like to learn how to do it myself. My believe Is that the brake pump needs to be replaced but will like to get some advise. The car has 76k miles

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

cuban boi:
where are you located? in case you can't resolve it.

I would say there is either air in the lines or your master cylinder is having issues.
bleed brakes to test.
You can download a copy of the RX8 workshop manual if you do a couple google searches and it'll tell you how to do that.

report back and let us know how it went.

505cuban_boi

Im in new mexico and yeah ill try that first. Thanks ill report back on how it goes..

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If you can get your car jacked up on stands or a lift, check your calipers & brake lines for any sign of a leak.
It can be something simple like a loose line.
Even though your master looks full, it doesn't take much of a leak to allow your pedal to go to the floor. Air is compressible & once it's in your system that's the result.
Eliminate the possibility of leaks before you change anything.
Good luck!