Hey guys! I'm glad I found such a great community, keep it up!

I'm looking into buying a RX-8 and a have a few questions about it:

1) I noticed that the 2004/2005 years are more problematic than all the other years above it. This being due to several reasons like the ECU software that initially came with the car wasn't optimal and caused problems therefore new software had to be reflashed being most problematic since it harmed the engine in the long term. Should I stick to 2006 and above in order to reduce risk? Also, roughly, how much less risk comes to buying the other years (with respect to the 1st gen not 2nd gen because I can't afford that lol)

2) I recently looked at a Mazda RX-8 (which can be found here) and after seeing it everything checked out to be fine (motor ran great, started up fine cold and warm, etc.) however, there was a significant amount of rust at the bottom front fender next to the door. Is this a common rust spot? And should I avoid this RX-8 for this reason or should invest into having it cut and a fresh piece welded in place? How much can I see myself spending into doing that? Both sides have this issue, one side worse than the other, it hasn't ate through the metal but the paint is fully stained of rust and its rough. This car still has its manufacturers warranty intact!

3) I noticed a few RX-8s have 3rd party warranty coverage available to them (ex. Autogard, Lubrico, etc.), is anyone familiar with it and is it worth it?

 

Firstly, try concentrating your sweat factor on the appropriate areas. You seem to be sweating the small stuff like cosmetics to the exclusion of the more critical areas, like engine health. By far, the best way to search for a new RX8 is to find one in your price range (loans included, if need be). Once you have located several units that seem to comply with that parameter, research each of the most promising candidates by taking down the VIN and contacting your local Mazda dealer to see if all warranty/recall issues are up-to-date. This check will also reveal if the engine has been replaced under warranty, a most fortuitous occurrence if it has transpired.
Next, if the seller is a dealer, check for a CarProof report and read it carefully to determine if the car has ever been crashed. Also, dealers will frequently offer optional extended warranties so your research should include the limits and costs of such warranty. If, after these checks the car still looks attractive, arrange with the dealer to get a proper rotary compression test. If he wants to sell the car, particularly at this time of year, he should agree and might even subsidize the test cost. If he refuses to allow the test, walk away as there is a distinct possibility he is concealing something you don't want to be saddled with.

If, however, everything checks out fine mechanically, THEN, you can worry about cosmetics. If appearance scares you, then you better read the following link before continuing the search as the contents might scare you more and, should that occur, the RX8 is not for you.

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

If, after reading carefully, you are still game, keep looking and collect a few potential candidates (I happen to know that that dealer has at least 2 other 8's in stock, last time I looked) and once you have a few, start researching as I outlined. If you are genuinely interested after reading that link, I know the right car for you is out there. You just have to find it logically and methodically.

Good luck

 

The only reason why I'm not worrying about compression at this time for this RX-8 in particular is simply because it is still under factory warranty. The carproof and maintenance records checked out to be great too. I called Mazda Customer Service and from what I was told it has all of its records and would be eligible for its warranty should anything happen to the engine. I have also looked at the other 2 RX-8s that the dealership has but steered away from them because both are automatics (which suck, sorry AT owners) and they don't have a factory warranty still available like this one. I also read the thread you recommended to me so don't worry I've definitely done my research!

As far as the RX-8 that I'm interested in, I would buy it if it wasn't for the rust, I'm asking owners around here what could be done about that and how much I'm looking at spending if I were to get it done professionally.

Should I stay away from 04/05 considering they are more problematic?

 

04-06RX8's are really not a lot different than the 07 you looked at except they are already out of engine warranty. All are series 1 cars although there were some minor alterations made beginning in the 06 model year but the main improvements began with the series 2's. With all series 1's, the best approach is the one I gave with an emphasis on the warranty history check. In the case of mine, the check turned up the info that the engine and throttle body were replaced making it a more viable candidate for purchase.

As far as the rust is concerned, while there may well e products out there to stop and neutralize rust, I am still of the old-school belief that rust is like automotive cancer. In my way of thinking (and some opinions may differ) the best way to eliminate rust is to replace the affected panel, thereby removing all trace of corrosion. It sounded as though the rust you spotted was on the front fender which, though possibly costly to replace, would be a relatively easy repair that you might even be able to effect yourself. If so, it would cut the labor cost considerably as all a body shop would need do is repaint the new panel.

BTW, if you are counting on being covered by the engine warranty, make sure to check the original delivery date as that will tell you when the coverage will expire.

Something to think about.

 

Awesome, thank you!

Can anyone else give me more info on the third party warranty companies and if they're worth it to cover the engine?

 

If it is any help, I bought the extended coverage for mine and the Gold Plan I got has a dollar limit of $1500. on engine claims. I would suggest checking out whichever company they offer you and see what limitations are involved at each of the different levels of coverage then bite the bullet and pay for the best they offer.

 

What company did you go with specifically Autogard? And do you know if they that plan covers blown/worn out apex seals?

 

It would be wise regardless of the warranty status of the engine to get the engine compression tested. Mazda does from time to time deny warranty claims for various reasons. You don't want to be that guy do you? That little investment up front can save you so much in money and irritation. Think about it for a second, would you really spend a couple grand on a car knowing the motor was on it's way out?

 

That's true, how much do they cost from an official Mazda dealership anyway and would sellers usually be willing to split the cost of it?

 

help for carproof... VIN : JM1FE173940137753

thanks

 

https://www.carproof.com/order

This is assuming you are Canadian. The full report cost is $51.45
Did you buy the 2004 privately? If it came from a dealer, I am surprised they didn't offer you one with the car.

 

Compression test is $100 to $200. Closer to $200 than $100 these days, from recent posts. Who pays is a matter of negotiation between buyer and seller.

Replacement engine at a dealer is in the $6000 range. Plus aggravation if you're under warranty but they deny the claim.

Ken

 

Isn't an engine rebuild cheaper and more logical to do?

 

That is a hard one to answer with a definitive response. The overall cost to rebuild is affected by numerous factors. For example, if a rotor is damaged or one of the housings is scored the cost would increase dramatically over a simple seal and gasket swap. With the dealer rebuilts, they are a standard price regardless of the condition of your old engine as all the variables are factored in when they set the price and the overages basically balance out when the cores are rebuilt as some will be relatively pristine while others will have heavy damage, Add to that the fact that Mazda is not a non-profit organization and you get their basis for the standardized engine cost.

In short, a rebuild may well work out cheaper, in the long run but it is always a crap-shoot. The best one can do is be **** about upkeep and do all in one's power to help minimize damage should seals go like regular compression tests and CAT checks to catch potential issues before they get out of hand.

 

Rebuild quality varies widely and some rebuilt rotaries have been (DOA) Dead on Arrival. Get that compression test first by a reputable Mazda dealer. If the compression numbers fail the engine, then your Mazda warranty will pay the cost of that compression test. Only 2007 or newer North American RX8's with under 100,000 miles from original sale date, or used RX8s with an extended Mazda warranty will still be covered for a failed compression engine. Otherwise at that point a failed engine fix can be a Mazda remanufactured engine or a rebuilt from various sources. If you get to that point, we have lots of advice on this forum who does good reman and rebuild work and who to stay away from . Just have anywhere from $3000-$5000 ready for a quality engine replacement job. Find the best and lowest mileage RX8s you can, get it fully checked and compression tested and we are here to guide you to make the wisest choice.

 

Depends on what's blown and whether there's a good rebuilder nearby. If you need to go a few hundred miles, just getting the car there and back will cost.

Mazda rebuilds seem to have been inconsistent. There was a member here who claimed to work at Mazda's Virginia rebuild plant. The Virginia plant was opened after some really bad work by a previous contractor. Posts by the member did not give me a warm fuzzy feeling about the quality of work in Virginia, especially when he started to brag about personal best times for assembly. There are also tales of Mazda rebuilds (overhauls?) being globbed with excess sealant, which can lead to a blown engine even if everything else was done correctly.

None of this is based on personal knowledge - just what I've learned from spending too much time reading this site. If my engine blew, I'd be in a quandary about whether to go to my local dealer or to a rebuilder several hundred miles away.

Ken

 

Why do people say to check if the motor was replaced? Is it considered to be a bad thing?

 

No, it's usually a good thing. A compression test will tell most of the story on the new engine (reman), though if it is a REALLY low mileage reman, less than 10k, then you will need to address the cooling system to ensure that the reman isn't damaging it with the excess sealant floating around. Most early reman failures are due to sealant clogging up the cooling system, leading to an overheated engine.

Don't trust the factory gauge either, it won't move until you are already 15F past the danger mark.

 

How can I check for excess sealant in the cooling system will it be visible in the cooling fluids?

 

Sometimes, yes, but the floating stuff is the stuff that isn't clogging anything. You won't see the stuff that IS clogging parts of the system.

 

So opening the system would be necessary or what?

 

It seems to me that opening up the cooling system wouldnt be necessarily 'necessary' as long as you can keep your eye on the engine temperatures. Via. Cobb Accessport, or a bluetooth OBD2 reader and some sort of app on a phone. I.E. torque pro, or some other (there are others out there. i use torque pro. dont care enough to search for more. but you get the idea). and then if it becomes problematic, or runs strangely hot or anything, open it up and see whats causing it. Actually, thinking about it now, a code reader like that would be a good idea any time you're looking at a used vehicle. from a dealership or not. either way

edit: Ive only had my RX8 since may of last year. im a new owner but ive done my fair share of research and have tried to become a part of the rx8 community since ive owned it

 

Since virtually every car owner has a smartphone in today's world, i think every car owner should have a wifi or bluetooth OBD2 adapter. Solves a whole lot of problems in one small purchase.


But yes, if you can monitor your ACTUAL temps via OBD2, you can just wait until you see it starting to act up, like taking too long to cool off, big temp swings, etc... If you don't have a way to monitor the actual coolant temps and are just trusting that you might notice the dummy needle move a bit, then do preventative maintenance and replace the cooling system between 3,000 and 5,000 miles after installing a reman from a dealer. $500 in parts is a lot cheaper than $3,500+ in parts.

 

Ahh I totally forgot about Torque! That's a good idea!