try resetting the NVRAM (with car on ACC, pump the brakes 20 times in 8 sec. Turn car on. Watch oil gauge sweep fully)

 

Need a bit more information to go on. How does it die? Does it stumble and shudder slowly off? Does it abruptly shut off?

Could be MAF, E-shaft sensor, ignition (coils, plugs, and/or wires) as the main culprits, a few other possibilities out there as well, but rarer.

 

tried resetting the NVRAM and it didn't cause the oil gauge to sweep.



when i turn the key the engine revs to about 2100 then attempts to idle at about 900 will shudder and revv to 1500 and attempt to settle again at 900 then stumble and stall out.

 

Sounds like a spark problem. Either something is interferring with the ignition trigger or with the ignition itself. Fuel, the other side of the pie, is a possibility, but typically fuel delivery failures are high load / high RPM / high heat related.

How old is the ignition?


If you didn't see the oil gauge sweep, then it didn't reset, the sweep is indicating it's all reset. Don't count to 20 when you stomp on the pedal, just get it as quick as you can. All you need to do is fluctuate on each side of the switch for the brake light. Down far enough to light them off enough to shut them off, repeat. Just keep fluttering it across that line with your eyes on the oil pressure gauge. Everyone says "20", because it's about that. I've seen it take more and seen it take less. I think it's a set amount, but the ECU doesn't actually always pick up every "trip" of the sensor or something.

 

i went out and pumped the $&@% out of the brake petal and i could see the tail lights lighting up, but still no sweep.

the ignition is maybe a year and half old. it was my fathers car previously and kept it in great conditon and it had a new engine new clutch/throw out bearing and ingnition installed maybe 4 months before i got it from him (so i kinda lucked out there)

 

make sure the cars on accessory?
And heres a response to the insurance q..... my insurance company lists the 8 as a performance sports car. I have a 85 rx7 and an 04 rx8 both full coverage and Im 21 years old and I pay 140 a month.... not bad for such a young driver...... clean driving record knock on wood

 

ok, i got it to reset.

unfortunatly no cigar.

 

ok, so i recently cleaned the MAF and the throttle body, and i still can get it to run for more than about 30 or 40 seconds at a time.

any ideas?

 

The only other thing I can think of at this point is a vacuum leak or engine compression loss.

A vacuum leak could be messing up the A/F ratio enough that it can't hold an idle.

If it's compression, low rpm = lower compression for the rotary engine. As RPM climbs, the compression gets better. You can run a rotary without apex seals if you keep the RPM high enough. Compression loss typically gets worse as the engine warms up, and for you (if it's a compression problem), it's probably falling off compression to the point of being unable to hold RPM on it's own, stumbling down, which further drops compression and it stalls.



You have ruled out all the other possibilities.

 

Hi all hows the form? Literally about to buy an RX-8 in the next couple of days. Been on a test drive, spoken to a few other owners and reports have been good enough. The negative comments have all came from people who have never owned one...

Anyway, its a 2005 with only 27000 miles on it, full Mazda service history up until about 23000 miles if i remember correctly. It seems to of been well looked after.

 

Sounds good with the low mileage!
Welcome to the addiction and a huge +1 for posting and reading in this thread.

 

Thanks! yeah thats what I thought, hopefully theres plenty of life in her!

 

Also, to the UK owners...Tesco do this Oil http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Produ.../?id=252431418

Would it be suitable for the RX8? Im aware this might spark a debate, but a simple yes or no answer will prob do.

Thanks!

 

This thread was of great help to me! great write up and great help i understand these thing much more now and feel better about my new purchase

 

Engine oil is engine oil. Some "heavy duty" oils for diesel engines have components which can harm catalytic converters, but not all, and if you don't have a cat on, then it's a non-issue as well.

Even the cheapest oil is perfectly fine, at least for 500-1,000 miles. The price point on engine oil is usually connected to how long you can go between changes. Grabbing any generic brand oil and changing it every 1,000-1,500 miles is no worse than top quality name brand oil that costs 5 times as much and is changed every 3,000-4,000 miles.

I've switched between grades and weights and brands LOTS over the life of my 8, largely based on what is available at the small shop around the corner, what the seasonal temps are going to be in the next month or two, etc...

Wonderful

 

thanks for the tips on oil! picked the car up this evening, had a massive grin since! i'll put pics in the appropriate place asap

 

So ive had my 8 for a month, my power steering had to be replaced, got it back now my airbag light is on....curious if anyone else has had this problem

 

This was a great write up. Thanks for all the information. It was instrumental in my decision to purchase my 8. I purchased a red 07 GT with 40k miles. Its been two days and I still have the huge grin on my face. I'm changing all the fluids this weekend, along with the coils, plugs and wires. Best thing I learned is to be proactive in my 8 maintenance.

 

Thank you so much for this post... started off just liking the looks.. found this site.. read more about the engine.. loved the uniqueness... found one for sale of everything i wanted.. read this post.. paid for a pre-car inspection and specifically asked for an compression test... 04 car only had 47k miles and results came back failed compression test.. i believe he said it was in the low 6000, and standard should be 8000's... Dealer is doing a carbon cleaning and a retest this time at the owners expense and i will find out today if my future car gets a new engine!! Without this post i would of just bought the car with the nearly expired warranty. And not found out the engine was bad until it failed down the road. TY for saving me time and money! Cant wait to get my new 8 with a zero mile engine

 

Good afternoon everyone,

First I must say this website is awesome and has really solidified my decision to purchase an RX-8 however before doing so I have a question.

I live in an area that receives a decent amount of snow and is notorious for it's icy roads. My last concern with the RX-8 is performance in the snow. Mind you I have driven a lot in the snow but only with all wheel drive cars and am curious to know if it's overkill purchasing studded tires for the rear in addition to snow tires in the front. I am fortunate to live in a state where studded tires are legal.

~RobotJim

 

Answering the snow question is really simple. It was even answered on the first page


If you try snow driving with Summer tires on, you will crash. Hopefully without hurting anyone.

If you try snow driving with all-seasons, it will be nervous going, but passable if you drive with lots of care.

If you try snow driving with winter tires, it is a blast, rock solid traction, and your only two real risks (within reason) are other people around you and snow deep enough that your bumper turns into a snow plow.


I'm going into my 5th New England winter daily driving my 8 without any concern at all.


Get a 2nd set of wheels and put snow tires on them. 17" is the smallest diameter the Sport brakes (by far the most common for the 8) will fit, but you have cheap options for wheels from other Mazda models. Namely the 6, Speed3, 5, and CX-7 for starters.

 

Since I'll be getting a new engine.

And I don't see a post about, "How to break in rotary?" May I ask for guidance?

Thanks..

And the ritual question,
Synthetic? vs. Non-Synthetic? I used to use Mobil 1 Super 5000, -- was being told that's the closest to non-synthetic... I can see that mobil has come out with Mobil 1 High Milage (based on the mobil 1 Super 5000), what it claims to do is to allow less oil consumption... anyone tried it b4?

 

A) Google Break-in procedures. There are several different ways, no one agrees on any one of them, and plenty of people say a break-in is unnecessary. This is a case of "you have to decide what the right option for your engine is". All we can do is point you to the arguments about it.

B) What type, weight, and brand of oil is entirely up to you. I've used just about every oil weight, brand, and type out there, and I can feel a slight difference between various weights, heavy duty diesel oil soot is a bit more yellow-ish on the rear bumper, and different ones cost different amounts. I can't speak to what protects better, because that is a religious war I stay out of. Again, we can only point you to the arguments for you to make up your own mind.

C) Why would you want to reduce oil consumption? Even if you wanted to, getting an oil that "helps oil consumption" isn't going to do jack crap because oil is being injected into your engine deliberately. Without that injection your engine won't last very long unless you have take other steps to provide lubrication in a different manner. If you don't see a quart of oil burned at least every 1,500 miles, you need to get your oil inecjtors and lines cleaned out ASAP. 1 quart every 1,000 miles is the good normal. I prefer closer to 1 per 800 miles. Piston engines that burn oil are burning it because of a flaw or weak point or gap within the engine that is letting oil into the combustion chamber. Rotaries burn it because of a complicated and expensive system that purposefully injects it through installed lines and injectors. If you want to stop oil injection, a simpler way is to just disconnect the OMP or block off the oil lines, and then your car will enter limp mode because it sees something terribly wrong.


Am I getting this point across to you yet?

 

1) I think I'll follow the RB break-in (Maybe edit your posts and link it at front? just suggesting.. E.g. Some break-in Engine suggestions--sub-titled)

2) Hmmmmm... Then perhaps, I'll still follow what I've been using and told that Mobil 1 Super 5000 closest to non-synthetic oil.

3) Thanks!! and I think I read the label wrong for the Mobil 1 High Milage... it's lesser "Fuel" consumption.... marketing gimmick

Thanks!!

 

I'm about to buy an 8, what should I expect from the engine? Do I need to treat it differently from a piston engine? What oil should I use? Is the Rotary engine good or bad? How do I search? What is the airspeed vorticity of an unladen swallow?

Sorry..... Newbie flashback!

I actually wanted to say that I just read EVERY ONE of the 465 previous posts, as well as hundreds of other posts (FAQ, etc) here in the last week or so and I am so grateful for the knowledge I have acquired here!

Case in point, I saw "compression test" mentioned so many times I actually called it out during sex! I just found an 04 with 44k miles and dealer serviced every 3k miles, but I got a Compression test first anyway... guess what? It Failed..... 5 months left on the warranty and I am getting a new engine put in for free (well, $1000 for a new starter, plugs, wires, etc, but the Owner is even going to split that with me.

So, this thread alone made it possible to get this car for $9,000 with a brand new engine! and I know just what to expect and how to deal with it all. And the "red line a day" statement just makes me smile! (gotta get it to 9k rpm in 4th now :-P)

Thanks for all the information!!!!!!!!!!