A very good point from one our most upstanding members. Gr8 advice m8!

Lock probably thinks he is an upstanding member, but this is not a Marquee contest

 

Mine has never failed to start also - it's just a tip I didn't spot for some time from the little 3 or 4 page guide you get with the car.

 

I get the oily smell only when I have the aircon on from start-up if engine is cold. If I wait until engine is warm and then turn on aircon then no problem. This is difficult given current brass monkey weather in Melbourne.

Great thread Takka

 

Maybe not one of the top ten things that new owners should know....but the gear **** is not aluminium as I thought, but plated plastic!

And the plating does wear off (so I'm told!). Some guys have had it wear off after a few thousand km's. So go easy on your ****, or replace it with an aftermarket jobbie and refit the original before resale!

Regards, Gomez.

 

LOL!

 

I am wanting to buy a RX8 and have a few questions. I live in NZ so i am guessing the models we have here are similar spec cars as in Aus.

Whats the leg room like? I am 6 2" and the only time i sat in one there were no keys and i presumed the rack would not go back, it was not in line with the passanger seat and felt a bit short. Does it go back any further?

Ive noticed that the American part of this site has a million and one threads on gas mileage. Is it really that bad or have a lot of them not owned a rotary before? I have owned a RX4 coupe with a pretty standard 13b so i am familiar with rotaries a bit and realise they use gas but they are not teriable. If you floor it is gonna use gas!

What are they like as a daily driver? Is the clutch nice and easy if you are cought in traffic? Is it not too tyring a car to drive in traffic. I had a R33 skyline that i found quite heavy in my daily city comute.

And lastly is a 'flash' an upgrade to your computer?

thanks for your help.

 

Rotary Fan,

Welcome to our little patch.

The seat goes heaps back. I'm 6' 1 1/2", and I drive with my seat forward of the rearmost position. Except in my "cloth pack" I don't lug around the unneccessary weight of that electric seat mumbo jumbo. j/k

I have had 3 other adults in my car with me driving. Mileage is OK. Don't listen to some of the whingers. Lots of them just got out of a civic or similar. And lots of them are young and inexperienced. My car generally sees 500km out of a tankfull, but it is pretty dry by then - I usually put 60 litres in, and it only holds 61 or 62.

They are a beatiful car as a daily driver. They are not a pig to drive, clutch is light. My daily commute is a 70km round trip with a mix of highway cruising (or traffic jams) and city traffic.

Yes - a "flash" is a software update to the cars Powertrain Control Module (PCM). Generally, a good competent service department will check during a service if an update is available via the WDS system that plugs into the cars ODBII connector under the dash.

I hope that answers your questions.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Thanks for the info Hymee, They sound like a great car! I can't wait to have a rotary again, they are like an addiction. Unfortunately i have to wait untill early next year, just waiting for the used price to come down a bit hear. Plus we have quite a big market of used Japanese imports in New Zealand, we start seeing them here about 2 years after the release date of the car. Untill then i will have to do with the model i just got for fathers day from my daughter (my wife really because my daughter is only 6 months old). I'm usually not into models but this one is pretty cool it is a 1/18th die cast scale model and incredibally detailed down to the moving sun visors, removable engine cover and even has the fleck in the red paint. Thanks again for your help and good luck with your supercharger project!

 

Hi,

Agree with Hymee, I'm 6'1" and fit ok, ditto on the gas. BP Ultiimate is the best in NZ, you can't get Shell Optimax.

Enjoy your toy!

Mike
(Aucklander)

 

If you search here, you will see my data on fuel economy over 30,000ks. Yes, it likes a drink, but so does any car with equivalent performance especially if you use it :p

While I live in Canberra, I usually commute weekly to Sydney and drive in traffic there. It's excellent as a tourer and fine in traffic -- great steering, clutch and gears, IMHO

 

which button to push again for the dash light to change color?

 

Welcome stasis. Assuming you are rhd, it's the little rheostat thumbwheel on the dash to the right of the ignition key -- above the coin tray.

 

To make it absolutely clear dial the thumbwheel to the max while having the headlight on. If it is red, try to dial it up beyond a "click", then it will change to white. If you are in while with headlight on, dial the thumbwheel down beyond a "click", then it changes to red.

 

thanks timbo, thanks Taka. Yea mine is rhd. from Japan imported in by mazda indonesia. the only thing that it doesnt have is the bose sound system and a spare wheel and crusiee control :o . Dunno why though. But it has 2 oil coollers and a moonroof :D . Im planning to get a spare wheel for it since u guys said after using the kit the tyres cannot be repaired. I wonder wheter the spare tyres from mazda used by its fleet are all the same? probably have to ask the dealer. BTW how much for the rotary crest and where can i get it?

 

Help .....Taka, Hymee...i need a genius!!!!!

OK I admit to defeat!!

I managed to buy Mazda Oil, figured out the dashlight all by myself, I even found the centre consul cd/power outlet........and the stupid coin bin...why they didn't put the boot button a bit higher i'll never understand......but

IS THERE A BOOT LAMP?

Can't find it in the manual or by fiddlling around in the back (to quote Roy and HG)!!!

Do i need to install a candle?

M

 

Hmm -- yep -- comes on automatically when you open the boot (with either key, key fob or internal boot release). Sounds like a case for ..... Bulb Replacement Man :D

Also, another for the list. There is a switch to immobilise the boot release inside the glovebox. Means you can leave stuff in the boot while the car is getting serviced, valet parking etc.

 

Cheers Timbo,

Sound like a torch and some more fiddling......

 

Second Timbo's diagnosis. If changing the W5W does not work then check the wire. The fuse should be the same one as the tail light but I cannot understand the bloodly electric map so I can't help you :p

 

If you remove the space saver spare you'll see the light! Then throw the thing in the shed and forget about it..... :D

Gomez.

 

Hey now i really feel up the shallow end of the gene pool.

Remove small plastic cover, pick up bulb reinsert bulb....light!!!....burning finger!!!!l Doh!!!

Well not much light....back to the candle......wish I'd never started this now!!

 

Gomez... if I can burn my finger putting a bulb back in, imagine what damage I'm going to do lobbing a wheel around........I'm using the back off slowly maintinaing eye contact then running....I'm happy with a little light for now!

 

Hahahaha.... :D

 

I reckon you should have asked Maestro to do the job....

 

Okay...this one just out of the top ten, I recall Sco and L&L mentioning this in other threads.

For those of us with climate control aircond only (incl all Australian RX-8's), there is a little domed sunlight sensor on top of the dash on the passengers side of the car. Do not obscure this sensors view out of the windscreen, as your aircond performance will be degraded when you want it most....in full sun. (Aussies, see page 6-15 of your Owners Manual.)

I had to move my rego label, the dealer put it right over the sensor.

Gomez.

 

Gomez,

How much clearance are you recommanding. Mine is 3 inches from the bottom and can still be in the shade depends on the location of the sun. We can put it on the left rear window but I have tint (not dark though). What do I do then?