Just wanted to introduce myself. I am a original owner of 2004 RX8. My late husband and I have enjoyed trips and day driving in the Sierra Nevada's. My husband Wild Bill, was a member of this forum for many years. Its my turn to keep up on what's new and get advice on caring for this great car. I will appreciate any advice, and pardon me I know just enough to be stupid about this car..LOL. My job has been co driver and navigator.

 

welcome and sorry for your loss. theres a new members section i would suggest reading to get the basics on the car

 

Thanks, I know I have a lot to learn. Guess this is the best place to go for advice. Always find other owners know their cars best.

 

keep the ignition system in good health or you will have problems later. details on the car?

 

2004, 2.6L , 6 speed, Power, Air, heated seats, cruse, navigation system, Stacker CD player, leather, wing on back, upgraded tires/rims, 45K miles. Blue with black interior. (will post photo later) . What steps do I take to care for the system other than dealer recommended service?

 

its a 1.3l but rotaries get debated on the size displacement due to how they work. mostly keeping the ignition system in good health otherwise its like a normal car. misfires from bad plugs, wires and or coils clogs the cat converter which kills engines. i would suggest a bhr ignition set up when its time to replace them. whats the maintence history?

 

I'm very sorry for your loss. Your main problem areas are the cooling system and the ignition system. So long as there are no leaks in the coolant system and your ignition system (Coils, Plugs, Wires) are all in good shape, this car shouldn't give you too much trouble.

Another important thing to do is check the oil every second time you fill up. How I do it is when I get to the gas station I fill up (premium gas only!) and by the time I've finished filling and paying for the gas I then check the oil. You want to wait 5 minutes after turning the car off at operating temperature before you check your oil. This will allow excess oil to drain back into the pan so when you pull your dipstick out, clean it, put it back in, then take it back out, you will know exactly how much oil is in it.

You just want to make sure the oil is between the two bars and regular oil changes every 3000 miles. Use 10W40 conventional oil, never synthetic if you live in a hot environment. 5W30 for cold weather.

 

2004 Mazda RX 8 - Zoom Zoom

Thanks for the suggestions. I did take the car to Mazda yesterday, all fluids changed, system flushed, new plugs, filters. They told me I need new tires soon. Any suggestions on what's the best? They seem to recommend the same as factory issue.

 

Your car looks beautiful! You can never go wrong with a set of Michelins as I believe they are the best. Really depends on your price range.

 

That's a very beautiful example! Glad you are taking care of it.

Michelins are like Beats of tires: crème de la crème of tires, but they come at a very high cost, so the value for them, depending on what you do, can be poor.

OEM tires for this car was never good from what I have heard.

If you want some performance tires that's a good value, look into a set of Firestone Firehawk Indy 500. In 225/45/R18 size, they cost about CAN$200 each so you can probably get one under US$160 per tire. I went to Autocross with them and I am pretty happy with their capabilities. There were also a stock 15 Mustang GT and a modded 86 running them and both spoke of them highly as well. Life is a bit short, but such is the case of any performance tires with good grip.

For reference, Micheline PS4S is almost twice the price and I am sure it's not twice as good, and if I am going for the top of the class Autocross tires, I'd just grab a set of Bridgestone Pontenza RE-71R and call it a day. They wear way too quickly to be daily-friendly, though.

 

Also just noticed we have the exact same car. Yours is just blue mine is silver.

 

Very sorry for the loss if your husband. It's so nice to see that you are keeping and enjoying the car the both of you cherished!! Its a beautiful example. I think the other have really covered the meat and potatoes of keeping the car healthy. Glad yo have you here on the forum!

 

Nice GT.


I'm on my second set of Bridgestone Potenza All Seasons from Firestone.
If you find a good deal from Tire Rack or other online sites, they will work to price match.

We often get below zero temps.
If you live somewhere with below freezing temps, don't get 'summer' or 'performance' tires.
Good luck!

 

I guess it boils down to what your requirement is. I find most all-season tires are Jack of All Trades, Master of None, and that's why I don't bother with them, and why some people call them no-season. My RX-8 came with a set of them and I tossed them right out. They were even worse than the Fallen Azenis FK453(which was already kinda crap).

If you need to do winter driving, get a good set of rims from a junkyard. S1 18" rims shouldn't be hard to find, and a decent junkyard will spin them for you to show they are not bent. Then buy some good winters and forget about all-season. It looks like OP has a garage, so storage shouldn't be a concern.