Hey all, first time rotary and mazda owner here! Picked up on 04 six speed manual with 94k miles on the body and 41k on the motor replaced by mazda under warranty. I came from driving a 2000 bmw 323ci which I sold in order to buy an rx8. What a world of difference in performance and fun. My 8's body isn't in as good of shape as the bimmer, but its about to hit the paint booth next week anyway I've driven quite a few sports cars and I have to say the rx8 is easily the most fun car to drive I have ever been in. I'm glad to be part of the family now!

 

Welcome and think about getting a rotary specific compression test for your replaced motor. It is worth it to know its condition. Also check on the following maintenance items. This is the RX8 club's list, which is more comprehensive and proactive than Mazda's RX8 maintenance schedule.

30,000 miles:
- Replace Ignition coils
- Replace Plug wires
- Replace Spark plugs
- Clean MAF (mass air flow sensor)
- Clean ESS (e-shaft sensor)
- Reset ESS profile
- Clean power steering connections
- Clean battery terminals and clamps
- Replace transmission fluid
- Replace coolant (Mazda FL-22 is highly recommended)
- Replace air filter
- Replace brake fluid (fluid in the brake lines AND the clutch line)
~$300 USD in parts if you shop smartly.


every 60,000:
...all 30,000, plus...
- Clean all chassis electrical grounding points
- Replace accessory belts
- Clean OMP lines
- Replace rear differential fluid
- Replace thermostat
- Clean / Straighten AC condenser fins
- Clean / Straighten oil cooler fins
- Inspect catalytic converter
- Clean / Inspect intake valving
- Consider / inspect all points in 90,000+ as well, many items fail early
~$130 USD in parts if you shop smartly.

90,000:
...all 30,000, plus any 60,000 not yet done, plus...
- Replace coolant bottle
- Replace radiator hoses
- Replace radiator
- Replace front O2 sensor
- Replace motor mounts
- Inspect clutch pedal assembly for flex / weld breaks
~$900 USD in parts if you shop smartly.
At 100k, anything original in the cooling system is really suspect and failure prone. It represents the biggest threat to your engine.
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Thank you for all of that info! I have replaced all the fluids recently except for the brake line fluid, diff fluid, and powering steering fluid. I've also yet to clean any sensors but I do know I need an o2 sensor as my check engine came on and the OBD port says o2 sensor. I've not looked into replacing any coolant system parts yet but I will now. I've been making sure to let the car warm before driving it and I make sure to drive it at higher rpms (4500 at 35mph in second gear) as I read that it was good for the engine for it to be driven at higher rpms. As far as compression tests go, where can I take it for that? I've reset the ESS, did that when I changed the battery. I'd also like to make the 2kw starer upgrade and upgrade my ignition (which is new, plugs and all, but still oem) to the ls2 ignition kit from racing beat.

 

Welcome,

sounds like you are well on the way. I believe there are DIYs for all of the work outlined above, that alone will save you thousands. I suggest checking out the Congrats thread in my sig. It is a list of things that I did with my 04 that made is a very reliable ride.

Again, welcome.

 

Congrats and wElcome to the forum.

We don't have Steering fluid, just check the connections and clean them.
Also make sure you get the compression test and thoroughly read the new/potential owner's thread.

Cheers,