From the motordrivelive thread :
Doesnt Mazda recomend checking the oil every fill up?

 

They probably do recommend checking it every fill up. However, I think that is too much and will be checking mine every 1000 miles or so.

Also, I don't think removing the cover will be a big deal. Wish I had checked it a little more closely when I saw it.

Maybe I can have another look when I see the car again at the Motorexpo next week.

Shahpor

 

Slightly (well totally) off topic: did anyone take a close look at the Dodge Viper that was at Millbrook? It had curious thermometer sized tubes full of oil sticking out of the headlamps (inside the glass). They had graduations on the tubes so appeared to be to indicate levels. Anyone know what they're for?

 

I am afraid I spent too much time amazed by the rest of the exterior to notice the lights. :D

Got to say, was an amazing car, wish there were more cars like it.

Shahpor

 

Anyway, to try and steer this thread back on topic, did anyone read the article a few months back about the S2000 owner and his blown engine.

Before you start wondering what this has to do with the thread, the problem was that the engine had run out of oil and destroyed itself.

Honda refused to change the engine under warranty because the owners manual states that the oil should be check at every fill up.

Eventually, Honda were made to see sense and agreed to do the work. Lucky for the owner as the replacement engine would have cost the best part of £10,000.

Personally I think it is unreasonable to expect owners to check the oil that frequently. For me that would be every 3 or 4 days!

I sincerly hope this is not the case.

Shahpor

 

Well like it or not the Renesis is a rotary and will therefore drink more oil than a piston engine. Every refuel sounds a bit much though...

 

Exactly.

My Alfa currently burn oil and I check it every 1000 miles. It usually doesn't need topping up every 1000 miles, but I check it anyway.

Now I know the Rotary probably burns more oil, but I still think that every fill up is excessive.

Shahpor

 

The TVR drinks a fair bit of oil. TVR recommend you check the oil level DAILY (!!!). Extremely excessive IMO. I find that it uses just under a litre every 1000 miles or so.

However, this is a handbuilt, high-performance engine. I doubt a rotary would be *that* bad?


-andy-

 

Traditionally a rotary will use more oil - I used to check mine every week (as I do with all my cars actually...).

But that was the old RX - one of the significant points about Renesis is the exhaust port is no longer on the rotor housing , so therefore the oil is not lost everytime the rotor sweeps past. Theory says this will mean less lubrication required and less oil loss !

Common sense here I think chaps. Yes every fill up is excessive , but every car says you should do this....
Depends how much you love your car I suppose. I know people who go from one service to the next without even lifting the bonnet...

 

Don't most cars have a low oil warning light? If it can't be relied on then they should find a more reliable detector - especially if it uses a lot of oil!

 

I owned a 1st gen RX-7 with the 12A engine and it had a low oil warning light and buzzer and a low oil pressure light as well. I changed the oil and filter every 3000 miles and never in the 3 years I had the car did the oil level went too low. The renesis is supposed to burn a very small amount of oil something like 1qt every 10,000 miles, so I don't see much of a problem there.

 

Must say I rely on the oil warning light. I know I should check water, oil and tyre pressure weekly but bit lazy in that area.

rael.

 

I am going to sound a bit thick here, but will the Oil Pressure guauge on the instrument panel not give some indication on the level of oil in the system?

Or should I just shut up?

Chris

 

Yep. (when it loses pressure cornering ! )

I vote for using the stick-thingy though....

 

Well, as the last post says, if it looses pressure when cornering... but that's definitely NOT good... oil pressure will be lost if the pickup is not submerged and hence there is either oil pressure or there isn't... suffice to say that if the oil pressure warning light comes on because your oil level is too low then you're doing real damage to your engine every second it's running.

That said, I once had to help a guy out who had stopped at a garage because his oil light came on and in an attempt to ensure that it didn't happen again, he filled it to the brim... right to the top of the cam covers....

The car moved for about 100 yards and then siezed with hydraulic lock!!! Oil was coming out of the air intakes for goodness sake!!

I was quite startled to find that after I drained the oil back to level, and turned the engine with the plugs removed to clear the cylinders... the damn thing fired back up again... it smoked like a chimney for about a week, but was fine otherwise... Hmmm... DON'T DO THAT!!!

 

when i was in the marine corps back in '87 i was guarding a navy base in southern california and my sergeant di the exact same thing. he went to gas up his patrol vehicle and then called in saying the vehicle wouldn't start. another marine and i went out to see what we could do. it turned out he had checked the oil and saw that it was low and kept adding oil until he could see it in the cam covers. he said he thought that was how you did it. this guy was like 28 years old!. we didn't even attempt to clear it up we just pushed over to the motor pool (it was late at night) and left it with a note so they would know what happened and who did it.:D

 

Once the light is on, i deam it as TOO LATE! pull over and shut the engine off your f'ed! Check it once a week while you wash it

Currently I NEVER check my oil. I change it every 6K Km's as recommended. It's never needed a drop at that interval!