Found a good deal on a 2004 RX-8 6 speed with 108k on craigslist. The guy was fed up trying to work on it and sold it cheap. It floods at idle but otherwise runs and drives pretty good. The only reason I bought it not knowing anything about it, is because this seems like a relatively easy fix and even if it's not, hey, $1,500 right? I've read about de-flooding...am I at least on the right track?

 

Welcome.
You need to figure out why it's flooding.
Some of the usual suspects are bad ignition components, weak battery, or bad starter, for starters.

Good luck!

 

Any RX8 with 108k, I would first change out the coils, wires and plugs (changing out all these ignition items at the same time is a must) and upgrade the 2004 weaker starter (which Mazda upgraded in 2005). And if the battery is two years or older, change that also.

If your engine is still good (with good compression numbers) , that should help tremendously.

 

Keeping the Engine at an Idle
• Ignition Coils
• Spark Plugs
• Spark Plug Wires
• Engine Compression
• E-Shaft Sensor (ESS)
• Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF)
• Front O2 sensor
• Catalytic Converter (Cat)
• Intake Vaccum