Low compression engine
 

I own a 2004 rx8 and had recently brought it into a dealership to get a compression test done and was told that my engine is starting to fail. At this point is it just a matter of time before it's completely dead and are my only options to replace the engine or buy a new car?
Thanks

Yes

Well, its a matter if you can financially afford a new engine. And yes, those are your only two options. However, if you do decide to buy a new car, you will be stuck with the 8 or have to sell it for dirt cheap with a blown motor.

Hello, Bleh.

Did they give you the actual compression test results? You should get six numbers and an rpm value. After that, you can compare it to an easy to use chart.

Generally speaking, once the compression starts going down, there is nothing you can do. Seal wear is irreversible. Mazda used to sell Zoom Zoom engine cleaner, but it has become very hard to find. Some members have had good results with deliberately feeding water into a vacuum line, this performs a kind of steam cleaning inside the engine. Some member have reported gaining up to a full point of compression using these methods.

If the numbers are just low, the engine is usually easy to salvage. If the numbers are zero, the engine has serious internal damage, and you will need to spend big money.

Mazda will sell you a reman for about 3500 dollars, but you will need to trade in your previous engine.

What is the maintenance history of the car? Are you the original owner? Is it your daily driver? What is the condition of the catalytic convertor? When was the last time a tune up was done? Preventative maintenance can enhance the life of the car, but it will not undo prior damage.

Best of luck

How's the ignition system? See if its a few hundred dollars before you drop a couple grand.

They are emailing me the results of the test on monday so I will update it then. I bought the car at the end of 2009 with about 45,000kms on it. I don't drive to work and only use it during the evenings and on weekends to run errands. Car is up to about 103,xxxkms on it now. I have no idea what the condition of the catalytic converter is?

I'd pull the plugs and coils and see what they look like before checking the cat. Only because it's easier and the rust can be a PITA. Have you replaced the ignition system before?

I've replace the plugs and ignition coils at about 75,000kms a couple years ago? The results of my compression test are
Rotor 1: 360kPa, 360kPa, 370kPa at 250 rpm
Rotor 2: 650kPa, 660kPa, 700kPa at 250 rpm