About a month ago I purchased a 2004 rx8 and I fell in love! I did everything every website told me to do to keep my car in good shape.. but it still has had problems. When it gets really hot outside (around 100 degrees) the check engine light turns on then idles BAD. But then once it cools down it stops and goes back to normal. Has anyone heard of that!? And also today when I went to to turn my car on this morning and it wont start.

I LOVE the car and want to keep it! I just don't know what to do. HELP!?

 

You likely need new ignition coils, wires and spark plugs, this is a common issue. Take a look at the thread titled "New or Potential Owners", it has a lot of good info for someone just getting into these cars.

Did you have a compression test performed before purchase, and if so what were the readings?

 

Back when it still ran, did you get the CEL code read? That usually gives a clue. If the light was flashing when it came on, that likely points to ignition problems.

Ken

 

That's what I was thinking, but I figured I would reach out to the people who would really know!
Thank you!

And no, I didn't get a compression test.

 

It wasn't flashing. It said something about idling. My uncle ran it and he's a mechanic and said it was a code he had never heard of before, but he doesn't work on rotary.

 

Did he give you the code itself? We have members here who know all the codes, even ones that Mazda might not have heard of.

Ken

 

It turns out I am needing a new engine.

 

so did you actually get a rotary specific compression test done? a flashing cel is a misfire

 

I never did get the compression test, which was my bad. I didn't know that was what I needed to do.