Hi RX-8 Club,

New member here out in East Brunswick, New Jersey area, central NJ.

Looking to get informed on all things with my 2006 Mazda RX-8 Shinka Special Edition with 90k miles. My wife was the first owner and she was close to selling it but we got a garage now to keep it. It was sitting around for a few years in Newark. NJ. My brother-in-law only moved it a few blocks every few days but recently but put some serious money into repairing it, mainly the cat and O2 sensors that was completely gone to pass inspection. Engine was misfiring and I am reading about all the issues and it led me to this RX-8 club but currently swapping out the spark plugs and see if that helps.

Had a great local performance repair shop handle it all and anxious to get it back after the new cat, radiator, tires, front wheel alignment, and tune up with oil change. We are almost back to reviving this beauty that deserved some much needed TLC.

I have a couple questions while I am here to see if anyone had the same issues:

1 - Did anyone else's driver's side overhead visor melt from overheating?

2 - Is there an alternative to the slim FOB key so that it is a little bulkier? Over the years, the key slides out and doesn't stay put most times.

3 - I have to replace my front struts next, any recommended OEM parts?

Thank you in advance. Look forward to help each other out!

 

Welcome to the club! Please read through the new owner's sticky at the top of the forum to get a bit more comfortable with this car. I'm sure you'll get the misfire sorted out. Was a compression test ever done? You could try resetting the NVRAM/KAM to try to solve it. Commonly known as the 20 brake pedal stomp and console button fix http://www.essexrotaryspecialists.com/technical/rx-8-ecu-reset-walkthrough/ . You can try it for free and see if it helps. In regards to your questions:

1. Yes, these break and your passenger dash is probably cracked as well. You can either use a screw to put it back or get a replacement set on ebay.

2. Yes. A good automotive locksmith should set you up with whatever style key you would like.

3. I always use KYB to replace stock struts . They make great replacements that will last a long time. If you can, replace all 4 for best results. Ensure a wheel alignment is performed after installation.