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All very good upgrades and maintenance you listed. Some of those items will cost a lot of money to purchase though and can be difficult to source. I'm guessing you will eventually replace/rebuild the engine when it goes so those mods are definitely worth it. Keep in mind, the midpipe will make more emissions and you will fail the test if its needed where you live.
All very good upgrades and maintenance you listed. Some of those items will cost a lot of money to purchase though and can be difficult to source. I'm guessing you will eventually replace/rebuild the engine when it goes so those mods are definitely worth it. Keep in mind, the midpipe will make more emissions and you will fail the test if its needed where you live.
Thanks! No more emission testing where I live (Ontario, Canada) so that should be okay.
I believe the car is still on original ignition coils and plugs at 44,000 kms and judging by the condition of the plugs they need to be replaced. I feel it runs well but that's probably because I haven't felt what a new ignition system should run like. Haha.
All very good upgrades and maintenance you listed. Some of those items will cost a lot of money to purchase though and can be difficult to source. I'm guessing you will eventually replace/rebuild the engine when it goes so those mods are definitely worth it. Keep in mind, the midpipe will make more emissions and you will fail the test if its needed where you live.
I have been able to source all of them so far except RB Cat Back which is on back order till end of January. Re: brakes and tires, which are probably one of the biggest cost item, I got the dealer to replace them as part of road worthiness.
I know you're on the fence about stainless clutch line, I say do it. My clutch pedal feels more firm and consistent than the factory line (which was 17 years old with new brake fluid). I'd do it again, no question.
I run a Sohn and slightly higher OMP rates with Amsoil Interceptor oil. From my understanding Sabre is more for small engines (like handheld garden equipment) but is JASO FD rated so it shouldn't hurt your car. Interceptor focuses on cleaning and preventing oil burnoff, so allegedly it lubricates better. After a few hundred miles I can see a yellowish coating of oil on the rear bumper so I'm guessing the lubrication/cleaning/burn-off resistance is working. When I premixed and had higher OMP rates the oil coating on the bumper was terrible lol. Interceptor is slightly cheaper too and I don't think you can go wrong with either option, just something to think about. If you can try seeing if you get any blue oil coating on your bumper (Sabre is blue, Interceptor is yellow), I'd be curious to know.
Update: Been the running the car stock with premix and got OBD app working. The temps hit 210 when I was idling in a automated car wash after driving for 15 mins; but otherwise it was around 180-190 the entire time. I pushed it multiple times to 9k and felt good. Although I am sure it'll feel better with all new fluids, ignition system and mid-pipe.
Question: Do the temps and battery voltage look fine?
the oem intake is awesome, aem/ms are the only two that provide any increase (maybe ~1hp). the factory endlinks are a wear item and usually break if ya try to remove them so aftermarket might not be a bad idea
the oem intake is awesome, aem/ms are the only two that provide any increase (maybe ~1hp). the factory endlinks are a wear item and usually break if ya try to remove them so aftermarket might not be a bad idea
Ah. Yes. I've heard that too from multiple sources. Plus, I prefer the look of stock intake.
I don't plan to remove endlinks but do you think I should replace them on a 10 year old car with 44 kms on it?
thats only like 20k miles right? i wouldnt be worried about it now. best mods are good tires, brakes and driver experience so do some auto x or track days. oh dont forget to keep up on ignition and ditch the cat
Update: Been the running the car stock with premix and got OBD app working. The temps hit 210 when I was idling in a automated car wash after driving for 15 mins; but otherwise it was around 180-190 the entire time. I pushed it multiple times to 9k and felt good. Although I am sure it'll feel better with all new fluids, ignition system and mid-pipe.
Question: Do the temps and battery voltage look fine?
OBD Dashboard
210 is pretty hot for idling. May have an issue with your radiator fan shroud.
210 is pretty hot for idling. May have an issue with your radiator fan shroud.
This peaked when I was stuck inside a touchless car wash - haven't seen it climb that high otherwise even during hard driving. Will keep a close eye and inspect the fan shroud - is there a DIY on it just so I know what to look for?
Originally Posted by Loki
Did you say Water Wetter? Do not use Water Wetter, it makes a mess in your cooling system.
So just Mazda FL-22 and no Water Wetter? Any other coolant additive? Royal Purple?
Originally Posted by 200.mph
thats only like 20k miles right? i wouldnt be worried about it now. best mods are good tires, brakes and driver experience so do some auto x or track days. oh dont forget to keep up on ignition and ditch the cat
Yup - around 28k miles - I already put a new set of Conti DWS06, OEM brake pads + rotors. BHR ignition kit and Mid-pipe on its way.
This peaked when I was stuck inside a touchless car wash - haven't seen it climb that high otherwise even during hard driving. Will keep a close eye and inspect the fan shroud - is there a DIY on it just so I know what to look for?
If you see temperatures rising that high only during idle, it's likely the fans aren't working optimally. You may hear them come on, but they are not adequately cooling the engine while not moving. Worth investigation.
This peaked when I was stuck inside a touchless car wash - haven't seen it climb that high otherwise even during hard driving. Will keep a close eye and inspect the fan shroud - is there a DIY on it just so I know what to look for?
So just Mazda FL-22 and no Water Wetter? Any other coolant additive? Royal Purple?
Yup - around 28k miles - I already put a new set of Conti DWS06, OEM brake pads + rotors. BHR ignition kit and Mid-pipe on its way.
Water wetter may create "gunk" inside your coolant overflow bottle and possible in the entire cooling system. If you live in relative hot area you might want to consider switch to a 70/30 water/coolant mix, 100% water is not a good idea, some coolant is needed to prevent rust and lube water pump.
210 is normal at idle. The fan initially comes on at 98C which is 210f, the fan will be on high at 102c (215.6f). At idle you have no airflow but the fan, so the temp is going to climb until the fan is triggered. Anything below 104C(220F) is considered safe. However, I suggest you lower the fan activation temperature to give yourself a bit headroom. Let's say fan on high at 93C. You know you may have a problem when your temp is above 93C. If your fan turns on high at 101C as the factory, you only have 3C of headroom.
The voltage is also good. My car in hot summer only put our 13.5V but in cold winter I have seen consistent 14.8V. That said, according to shop manual, at 20C(68F), anything from 13.0V to 15.0V is considered normal.
You cant run the aem cai when its pouring down rain as it will be a direct path for water. I think taking the front bumper off to run the aem in summer is a small price to pay for the appeal and sound imo and you can 100% identify if both cooling fans are working properly without the ol' factory box in place.
I would replace the brake and clutch lines with ss. In my experience, you do not want the aged rubber hoses to ballon and burst while driving.
I would also verify if you have the tire repair kit in your trunk and if not get a spare wheel or the rx8 spare which fits perfectly and mounts in the trunk.
I also keep a small tool bag with me in the car. A few wrenches, zip ties, jumper cables, black tape, etc.
If you are giving the car a new life i'd say its better safe then sorry. With such a high redline the "if it aint broke dont fix it" may or may not appeal to some people. Cost wise.
I would also buy a rotary engine specific compression tester so you can test your compression whenever you want.
The car had been sitting for about 10 days with the OBD Bluetooth dongle plugged in. When I went to start the car today, it cranked for a few seconds and then all lights and dash turned off. When I stop cranking the dash lights come back on. This happened 2-3 times and I didn't keep going for the fear of flooding.
What do you guys think? I really hope it's the battery and not something like starter, compression, etc. It ran just fine last weekend (hot and cold start).
The car had been sitting for about 10 days with the OBD Bluetooth dongle plugged in. When I went to start the car today, it cranked for a few seconds and then all lights and dash turned off. When I stop cranking the dash lights come back on. This happened 2-3 times and I didn't keep going for the fear of flooding.
What do you guys think? I really hope it's the battery and not something like starter, compression, etc. It ran just fine last weekend (hot and cold start).
The car had been sitting for about 10 days with the OBD Bluetooth dongle plugged in. When I went to start the car today, it cranked for a few seconds and then all lights and dash turned off. When I stop cranking the dash lights come back on. This happened 2-3 times and I didn't keep going for the fear of flooding.
What do you guys think? I really hope it's the battery and not something like starter, compression, etc. It ran just fine last weekend (hot and cold start).
The OBD draws power at all times when it's plugged in. You've probably just drained your battery.
The OBD draws power at all times when it's plugged in. You've probably just drained your battery.
Originally Posted by _JB_
Charge the battery and try again.
Yup - called CAA and jump started the car. On a related note, the batter is new (NAPA branded from 08/2020) with a 550 CCA rating. However, I've read that a 650 CCA is recommended for RX8.
If my cold starts are fine, do I need to upgrade the Napa? I don't drive it when it's cold or snowing outside. Only on clear days around 30F or warmer.
Yup - called CAA and jump started the car. On a related note, the batter is new (NAPA branded from 08/2020) with a 550 CCA rating. However, I've read that a 650 CCA is recommended for RX8.
If my cold starts are fine, do I need to upgrade the Napa? I don't drive it when it's cold or snowing outside. Only on clear days around 30F or warmer.
Batteries have two ratings:
1. Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is measured at 0F
2. Cranking Amps (CA) is measured at 32F
While not optimal I think that battery will be fine at 30F. My RX8 came with a battery rated at 450 CCA and while it does crank slower on 30F mornings the car will start. Granted I have a new BHR ignition system and my car came with a new starter (not sure if its an upgraded starter).
I have a series 2 and based on the inspection results from Mazda, starter and alternate were in good condition.
I am still on original ignition system but getting BHR + plugs installed in 2 weeks time. Perhaps that will also help but start up so far has been good even with old plugs and ignition.
Update: I was able to find an Invidia Q300 Catback system for sale locally in Canada which will save me ~$400 compared to the RB which needs to be shipped from US.
I've looked around and found decent reviews for the Q300 but are there any major issues with it? I realize power gains will be minimal regardless of RB or Invidia and my focus is good sound at WOT, no drone and tinny sounds.
It is totally unbelivable how fast the 6 speed manual reaches 187 km/h in 4th and then you get the cut off like a party pooper, i just wonder what is the car really capable of without risking pushing it to the end with that slight clutch press to disable the limiter.. My 03 car had a hks gen 3 delimiter in it which was not working at all. On the other hand i do not live in autobahn land so keeping the limiter and 'respecting' the rules wouldn't do me harm i guess.
01-01-2021, 01:31 PM
