psyberpixie

Hello everyone,

newbie here ..looking for a little direction >>>

Was told by mechanic my car needs an Engine Rebuild because it's loosing pressure > it's a 2004 RX8.

I live in Miami, and would like to get a second opinion.

Can somebody please recommend me a good Mechanic in the Miami Area.

I can't afford to take it to a dealer for work, the dealers Diagnostic alone is $120.

much appreciated !

RX8 <3

Psyberpixie

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

dealer compression test is the only way to know. maintence history, year, mods, miles, transmission always helps trying to troubleshoot but a comp test is the right way to know

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

You are in luck, one of the best known rotary shops in the countries is in your back yard (practically)

Contact | Pettit Racing RX7 & RX8 Parts, Service & Performance

You are correct in that you should avoid a dealer as much as possible, as they WILL cost you far more money than you need to spend.

That being said, if you can't afford a $120 compression test, you are almost certainly going to be SOL. If your engine has lost compression, you are looking at a minimum of $3,500 for a replacement engine.

And there is a fair chance that if you couldn't afford a $120 compression test, you were neglecting any one of a number of maintenance items that is critical for long term engine health.

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

i agree with riwwp. $120 is nothing if you own an rx8. best of luck but i dont imagine pettit will be much cheaper for a comp test

psyberpixie

Thank you 200.mph and RIWWP for the quick replies

I was quoted $1,800 in parts to Rebuild and $1,100 in labor. Just looking for a second opinion.

Guessing a rebuild at a Dealer would be much pricier, so didnt want to do the diagnostic there if I was not going to let them keep it and fix.

200. mph > is the Compression Test only done at Dealers ? or could other Mazda experts have the capability to do this test ?

I was also told by dealer mechanic that MazdaRx8 Engines have a lifeline of 80k miles. My car is at 90k miles.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Typically, only dealers have the proper compression test tool. However, other rotary shops have them, and in your case, Pettit definitely does.

A $1,800 cost in parts might be about right, assuming that you are only replacing a few parts. A replacement reman is $3,300 (if you have a manual, $4,500 if you have an automatic), plus core plus shipping plus labor. Typically most rebuilds end up in the $2,500-$5,000 range, making a rebuild a bit of a gamble on price. The higher your mileage, the greater the chance that the cost will be higher, as less parts will be able to be reused.

Who gave you that quote? Frankly, if it wasn't Pettit, i'd be very wary about accepting it. There are many people who think they can rebuild well enough, and it just isn't true. We see a lot of stories of people getting cheaper rebuilds and only getting an engine that lasts a few thousand miles. There is a very very short list of vendors who we would trust to do a proper rebuild. Pettit is one of them, though that price sounds too low to be from them.


And that dealer mechanic was just spouting myths. Lots of RX-8s blow far earlier, and lots last way longer. There are many many reasons for engine failure, and most engines don't simply "wear out". They fail because the owners haven't properly cared for the engine and/or parts of the engine. I lost my engine at 96k because of an ignition failure that led to a cat failure, for example. We even have a thread of people who have over 200,000 on their original engines. Even if the failure reason is just carbon wear, that is still something you CAN prevent.

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

op ill be selling my engine soon if your in the market