xSuzuka

Hey, my name is Kainoa. I just got a 2005 Mazda RX-8 as a first car and early birthday present.

I got it about 3 days ago and whoever owned it last kept in really good shape. There has been ECU error codes also. The car has about 114k miles on it.

I've been looking around some of the threads about general maintenance so I can keep the car in good shape like the last owner.

I'm clueless on what oil I should use though. The guy who dropped off the car said I should use synthetic oil while the Mazda Drivers Guide says I should use non-synthetic 5W-20. I've had friends say I should use synthetic while some say conventional..

If you got any tips, I'd be glad to hear them.

MANIACman

Congrats Congrats Congrats!

I don't know the answers but I'm looking for them also. I'm a new owner of a 2004 with 128k miles. I was told by one guy that synthetic oil in the RX8 would ruin the engine. I'm trying to understand if adding 2 cycle oil to the gas is a good idea or not. *So far I've added a bit on my first fill up. I don't think it can hurt but what do I know? Answer little to nothing.

How? I have driven it roughly 100 miles. Got the Idiot Light as well. In my case an O2 Sensor (Aft end) is reporting bad. I bought a really cheapo Bluetooth Code reader (And use my cellphone to read the codes) I've gotten missfires on one rotor so I'm fairly freaked out about that.

Believing that Clean is the new cool I've been pretty busy. My car wasn't super well taken care of. A coke or something sticky was everywhere. Lucky me I have a steam cleaner and was willing to take the interior apart to get at it. I hand washed and waxed the car. I found the front end was hanging loose??? I picked up some plastic body part fasteners from ACE Hardware and the front end feels "rigid" *How dumb is that?

I did the Radio Mod where you burn a silent CD and tack in a cable to allow you to play music from your cellphone. Lots of work but I had to pull everything out anyway to get at the petrified Cola.

I fixed the sunshade (Drivers side) it was cracked and opening up. The previous owner drilled a hole and tried to tie wrap it together (Sooo tacky looking) Now the passenger side one is popping apart. SIGH.

Water was getting into the trunk. I unscrewed the tray for tools (Which are missing) to use as a drain. Had the trunk repainted the spoiler was the source of the water. *Had to fix that because the heads on some of the bolts was broken.

AC seems to be weak. I picked up a recharge kit. I'm still doing some research to see how to do that. I haven't gotten through the owners manual 100% There is a LOT to read and this is a different sort of car where (I think) you really do want to learn everything.

This probably sounds like a rant. Its not meant to be. I love this car and just want it to be perfect. I see a lot of effort into making it faster but to be frank I'm perfectly happy screaming along with things being stock. I'm paranoid about Black cars (And trucks) thinking they exist only to speed by me all the time. I'm happy to report that the last black truck (With some dick revving his engine at a traffic light) did NOT speed past me. *A first since I now have the RX8. Yea! Hooray!

Colon Terminus

The oil issue has been discussed over and over on this forum. The consensus is that it doesn't matter what oil you use (don't put gear oil in your engine) as long as it is changed on a regular basis, most people say 3,000 miles, and topped up every second fill-up or so. I use 10W30 synthetic.


Welcome to the club. There are lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here willing to help you in any way they can.


Read everything in this thread:
RX8Club.com - Announcements in Forum : New Member Forum

MANIACman

Thanks Man... Thats a relief and it makes perfect sense. How? why would synthetic blow up an engine? Not changing it or letting it get low? THAT I get. Kaboomsville. I checked the pressure on my AC and it was a little bit low so I added enough R134 to get it into mid range and its freezing my face off. Score!

The thread about adding an input to the stock radio worked like a charm and now I've got one of my Refurbatron (.com) phones working as the cars MP3 archive and GPS system. Very cool that you guys roll the sleeves up and come up wit this stuff.

Question: Do you add any 2 cycle oil to the fuel? I see a lot of posts about doing it but so far my reading of the owners manual is mute on it.

Colon Terminus

I don't premix, though many club members do. Surely it can't hurt.
I do however use the Sohn adaptor: Epitroch

It makes so much sense to directly inject readily combustible 2-cycle oil into the combustion chamber than the potentially dirty 4-cycle engine oil.

Mysticstylezrx8

I just bought my 2005 rx8 a month ago and it has just started having issues. I replaced the battery because it was bad thing it would fix the problem. The issue seems to be after I drive for a little while. When I get to a red light or have to stop it drops idle and acts like it wants to choke out. As I was pulling into work this morning it completely shut off on me and wouldn't start back up. This same issue happened two days ago and I got a jump from some one and it started right up. With me putting a new battery in yesterday I'm starting to think that's not the problem. My car has a rough idle, it kinda takes a second to turn over when I start and it sometimes feels like I'm loosing compression. I'm at a loss right now this is the first one I have owned and I have always wanted on, now I'm stuck trying to figure out this new type of engine to me. I need all the help I can get

wcs

iTrader: (2)

Hi welcome.
You should try not to hijack other peoples thread with your own problems. The new members forum area allows all new ppl to create new threads.
Create a new thread title with an appropriate title.

Your issues are quite common however the resolution is often varied.
Normally we start with Coils and Plugs information how old are they/last changed.
And compression.

You should start your own thread, which will help contain the help that you receive to a single point of reference.

MANIACman

I'm also a new guy and want to say hi and welcome to the new guy thread. I know it says I started here in Nov but the car was parked in my garage for the winter and I've put maybe 150 miles on it.

Are you getting the check engine light? - I hate icons *Whats wrong with a text display that says something specific?) Some of the local parts places will run a diagnostic to check what code is coming up that would probably help a lot to know what the car thinks is wrong. *I picked up a Bluetooth Car idiot light comm thing that works with my smart phone (or laptop) If you search for OBDII Bluetooth you will find a slew of cheapo readers. I use one of my older refurbatron(.com) phones to monitor that and provide the MP3s to my modified radio. Is your AC working? Mine was low and when the compressor clicked on it was dragging the idle down. I added a little coolant and it idles much better and its colder.

I dream of a dash without "universal" icons. Instead of a picture of a building a light that says "LOW COOLANT!" Instead of a picture of an engine which can mean anything from loose gas cap to front o2 Sensor failure a text message that tells me what is going on so I know if I should shut off the car roll to a stop and hire a tow truck or get out and screw on the gas cap tighter.

MANIACman

Ok! Super cool. That is the way I would much rather do it. I never cared for adding 2 cycle oil to lawn mowers (ala chemistry set mixing) because I was always worried about putting in enough and often ended up with too much / sucking huge clouds of blue smoke. These guys that did this really do a nice job of making this look right and not a Kludge.

Thanks for the great link!

xSuzuka

Thanks for the welcome and tip about the oil



Still learning stick shift. First time driving it was pretty fun, I got the hang of it real quick. I plan on doing my license test in about 2 weeks. I'm a little rough with the RX-8. Taking off, I let off the clutch to quick kinda and have trouble but after a few more days with it, I'll get the hang of it. I don't know if I should do it with the RX-8 or my Dads 05 Acura TL. I've been mainly driving his TL around learning and feel pretty comfortable with it so I'll probably just use it for the test.

My dad and I decided to take out my RX-8 to go grocery shopping and the car stalled out in the parking lot right before we got to park and didn't wanna turn over so we pushed it into a parking space and waited for a while and tried again and he shut off the engine about 10 seconds after he started it..
I heard that was bad because it could flood the engine, right?

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Welcome everyone.

In a nutshell, several have posted issues that may be solved by things in the Congrats thread, and others are looking for data that may be in the new users thread. I did not see those posted here, so feel free to use the links in my signature.

Again, welcome.

MANIACman

Doing searches for answers to questions is 99% of what I do on any forum. That said I appreciate the 1 on 1 time with someone that we got on this new thread. I know the oil thing has been beaten to death but the reason I brought up the question is that a search brings up a wide variety of "expert" answers that contradict each other. The direct answer I got on this thread makes perfect sense to me and I'm glad I asked. Don't get me wrong I keep finding great stuff on this forum and unlike so many other forums its not filled with endless links that go nowhere.

So far by searching Ive found and fixed my power steering *Did you spill antifreeze on the grey connectors? problem. I got the low down on rear O2 sensors that go bad. How to "unflood" the car. Some great under the hood pix (From one of your threads I think) that clued me in where some parts are supposed to go and for whatever reason the previous owner who did an engine swap left dangling. The one problem I have with the bose sound system was fixed by an amazing thread by someone who took the radio out of the dash and showed exactly how to tap in a cable for MP3 players. I'm sure this will continue on and on. Anyway please don't be too critical about the posts with questions that have been answered someplace. I see this thread more of "I got an RX8 I'm new and want to connect up / share experiences" type of thing. This car and this forum are old news to you guys. This is weeks to months old to us. Think of us as the people at the Kids table during Christmas.

MANIACman

This is your first car!? Wow. Congratulations and belated happy birthday! Learning stick is often embarrassing. Itis either letting the engine die or jerking to a start. If your dad is ok with it I would learn on his car. Try giving it gas a touch more then you were and remember to slowly let the clutch out. It will make you look like an old lady but practice it this way and you will avoid stalling in an intersection.

The picture of your grey RX8 is amazing. What a beautiful car.

I've driven stick on other cars *most recent a CJ8 Jeep. The throw (how far you move the stick shift to shift) is amazingly short compared to the Jeep so its a little weird. The problem I have is 6 speed versus 4 or 5 speed (On a honda accord - my least favorite car)

Its difficult to get used to the red line be 9k RPMs. If I did that on anything else I ever drove it would be explosion time for the engine. Anyhow I've gone over the manual again and have gotten over my panic that I'm going to slam it into reverse (You have to press down hard to get to reverse) when I'm going 75 MPH down the highway. In an old Mercury my buddy Bob did that to prove Reverse wouldn't engage when you were going down the highway. Guess what? Bob was wrong. His car jumped up and the transmissions blew up all over the highway.

My wife bought two little steam cleaners (Like the size of a tea pot) they have rug brushes etc so I'm going to really clean up the inside of the car. *I used the straight steam to clean out the petrified cola that collected under the center console of the car. I don't think I have OCD but that HAD to get cleaned up or everything would have felt sticky forever.

The sun visor on the drivers side was cracked open and jury rigged with a tie wrap *That was another (I must be OCD) MUST list fix thing. I used some plastic glue and held it together with C clamps. Its looks "right" now. The passenger side just did the same thing so today THAT gets fixed. I found a great link about jacking up the car without screwing it up so maybe today or tomorrow I replace the O2 sensor and check the Cat Converter with my $10 laser Temp gadget to see if its working right. *Missfires - want to avoid driving it until thats resolved.

I found out that the plastic wheel well panels were being held in with one plastic press nut. WTF! When the guy did the engine swap he must have been in a big hurry. SIGH

xSuzuka

Yep, first car! And thanks, turned 19 lol.

The car is treating me nice. I love it. Only problem I have is the clutch pedal pushes in really far and I'm only like 5'3 so I need to sit pretty close to the wheel lmao.
I'm getting a little better with shifting and taking off. I've been shifting around lower RPMs instead of around 6-7k. Not sure if that is bad or not though. I feel like I should go higher or by feel but not sure. Kinda got my dad on my *** when I shift around higher RPMs lool.

gwilliams6

xSuzuka, don't know if you read through new owners thread far enough to see this, but you would be advised to follow up on these maintenance items, or check records and see if these were addressed, especially with your mileage. Welcome !

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

RX8 Club’s recommended maintenance schedule, more comprehensive and proactive than Mazda’s 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.

MANIACman

I'm glad I'm not the only one! I have my seat rolled forward too... I'm only a little bit taller. I imagine its a little like getting into the cockpit of a fighter plane. I had to park it again. Had some serious fear of jacking it up and breaking something so I took it to a shop thats worked on all our cars for years. I told the guy what I was doing and he had a shop guy do it in a half hour. He said that its probably good I came in they had to heat it up to loosen up the defective sensor. So, I drove around and no light. The idle seemed correct then I drove around and the damn thing is blinking (Misfires) and I feel a little dejected. I'm worried its a killer problem that will **** up my engine so its parked again. I'm pondering what to do next. I've read some of the threads about the cat converter getting screwed up with an o2 sensor croaks and I just can't put out that kind of dough now. Or its plugs or? I'm a little bit depressed.

So I guess for a while longer its park it and drive the old truck... Maybe I should have bought the Blue one.... <SIGH>

Colon Terminus

This engine NEEDS to rev to say healthy. At least once per week you should take it to redline. You're not doing it a favor by babying it. It loves to rev, It wants to rev, it needs to rev. Drive it like you stole it! I redline mine at least once per drive cycle, puts a grin on my face.

Colon Terminus

Misfires are almost always caused by an ignition problem. When was the last time the coils/wires/plugs were changed. These three items are changed as a unit, every 25K miles or so. It's critically important to keep the ignition in good shape; a failing ignition with misfires kills the catalytic converter which in turn kills the engine. Bad news all around.

Here's the clubs recommended maintenance schedule. I didn't write this, I stole it:

RX8 Club’s recommended maintenance schedule, more comprehensive and proactive than Mazda’s 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.