jwilliamsoh

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. There seems to really be a great following for this car.

I just bought a 2004 RX8 two days ago. 6 speed stock (for now). But after seeing all of the after market available for this baby from performance to body upgrades, gullwing doors.... Yeah I am going to have fun!!!! The nice thing about being 47 right now vs. say 19 or 20 and buying this car; I can afford to have a blast upgrading this baby.

Mine is canary Yellow with two tone grey interior / black highlights; sliding roof.

I know everyone here has seen a stock RX8 but I am pretty proud of my purchase; she is in great shape and runs like a brand new car; here she is.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ero4dk5mo...BEtSTRM8syOb5a

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Welcome.
It's LIGHTNING Yellow, not a tweety bird.
I have a LY GT.

jwilliamsoh

LMAO.. I didn't know what to call it. Now Lightning that sounds better.

Awesome. How many miles? I bought mine with just under 109k. I am hoping with reasonable care that it has a lot of life left in her. The engine is remarkably smooth.

Is there an expected life span known for these cars?

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

I bought mine 2 yrs ago with 18,550 miles. Around 35k now. I don't drive it when it snows until the roads are dry.
If you have not done so yet, read the new owner stickies.
Most importantly, premium gas every time, check/add oil every other fillup,
Change oil regularly, (3k is recommended), change coils, plugs, & wires every 30k.
If you don't know when they were done last, check or change it.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Oh, before you plan on sinking money into mods & such, get rotary specific compression check. Your engine could already be below spec & you might not know it.
Call MNAO with your VIN to be sure it has had the PCM reflashed & see if it's engine has been replaced already.
A lot of '04s have not made it that long on the original engine because some owners didn't know the 8 has to be maintained more rigorously than most cars.

gwilliams6

BigCajun is right, you have got to get a rotary engine specific compression test on that engine. All other plans must come secondary to that. You might have a dying engine, even if it feels ok to you, or you might have a reman or rebuilt engine in it. Many 2004's have poor compression original engines by now , or have had an engine replacement. Knowing your engine's condition and life is the most important thing for you to find out, even as you are in the midst of your euphoria over the car. BTW I have owned seven rotary RXs since 1973 and am still enjoying them at age 62. I have a 2008 40th Anniversary Edition RX8, BHR ignition, Mazdaspeed Cold Air Intake, Nippon Denso Racing Iridium Spark Plugs, Racing Beat Oil Cooler and Radiator screens. Many of my past RXs I had modified over the decades. but it starts with knowing the true health of your engine. A rotary can feel like it is fine even when the engine is in sub-par condition. Check this out first!

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...t-here-202454/


BTW Jwilliamsoh, I am also a williams and I grew up In Cleveland Oh, not far from Wickliffe ! Congrats on getting Lebron back !

jwilliamsoh

Thank you for the heads up.

jwilliamsoh

Great advice. Run something by you? Yesterday I got check engine light had it checked it was a misfire. Had the error cleared. He said I need plugs. Now today having hard time idle without stall, have to keep touching gas. Do you think this is a bad plug issue or a more pressing problem? I am sure its hard to tell with just this description but figured I would try.

gwilliams6

sounds like you need to change your plugs, coils and wires. Healthy ignition is crucial to the life and performance of your rotary engine. Don't just change one part of the ignition, you need to change coils, wires and plugs together. Coils and wires every 30,000 miles or so. Plugs every 15,000 miles depending on how hard you run the car (high rpms). OEM coils are good for 30,000 miles at best. The newer "C" coils from Mazda may last longer, but there has not been enough long-term reports on how long they last to know for sure. Many of us RX8 folks have upgraded to the BHR coils and wires, which are better performers with a hotter and higher voltage spark and built to last the life of your RX8, so no need to change them ever. Plugs will still need to be changed regularly. . The OEM NGKs are great. I happen to use the Nippon Denso racing Iridium plugs for a little more performance. It has a different heat range. Loads of threads on the forum about plugs and coil choices. So read and decide for yourself. Both plug choices are available from most national chain auto stores, though your store might not have the Nippon denso plugs on the shelf. My local Advance auto orders them for me, takes about a week to get. The NGKs are likely in stock on the shelf.

Back to the topic at hand. Poor or weak ignition parts can lead to misfires and can start a chain reaction of disaster for your engine and your cat. There are threads on the forum on how to test your plugs, coils and wires. My guess is they all need to be changed and fast. You should not drive with misfires.

jwilliamsoh

Thank you so much for your feedback. Will change today.