Looking at buying a 2004 RX8
 

I am in the NC area and looking around for a new car. I found a 2004 manual RX8 for $8000 and just had the basic check done by a Mazda dealership (not where the car is being sold) and test drove it. While driving there were a couple things I noticed, the display for the radio was constantly scrambling although at times it stopped and I could see everything perfectly. Also, the AC would seem to switch to heating and could only be fixed by pressing around on the AC/mode/air current buttons a few times. The dealer said that the tires were missing there TPM and that the engine mounts were recommended to be replaced soon. The car has 99.5K miles on it at the moment and I was curious if anyone knew the cost of getting any of these fixed, the importance of them and whether it is worth it. Would rather know some more before I need to take it in and find out. Other than that the car seemed to drive great, so I'm somewhat hesitant at the moment.

Get the motor mounts fixed first, and the rest are just cosmetics. Anyway, did you have a compression test done? Just to make sure the engine is still going strong. Good luck with it.

I'm impressed Monchie.

That post was actually to be applauded. You are improving. Keep it up!

(Completely serious)



Cool4joe:
Monchie is right. You need a compression test done. That car was traded in 500 miles before the end of the warranty FOR A REASON. Make sure you know if it was just fear (the engine is really fine) or if it is because they knew it was going and didn't want to deal with it.

If the engine is failing, knock another $4,000 off the purchase price and it's acceptable. OR, purchase a full warranty when you buy it so you can get it replaced at no cost to you. Or buy that warranty even if it is a good engine, because it can be really useful for high mileage 8s. Common car-failure stuff happens too at that mileage.

The display issue is odd, never heard of that before, and for some reason I keep thinking "flood damage?" when I read that. Might just have some loose or damaged wiring behind the dash, and if there is, I would wonder what the prior owner was doing back there. Electronic gremlins can be a serious pain to chase down.

The motor mounts are self replaceable without much trouble (if you have a hydraulic jack, some basic tools, and willing to get a bit grimy). Mounts themselves range from $100-200 for the pair, depending on which you go with.

TPMS are $25? each I think. All up to you on if you need them or not.

Thanks bro, i'm getting there. ;)

There is a problem with some motor mounts, not all. They may not need to be replaced. But then, I'm not the one looking at the car.
The AC controls can be had through one of the many part outs that happen here or you can contact Mazmart. They are a rotary specialty savage dealer and a site vendor.
The TMPS tell you when the tires are going soft. With out them a light will illuminate on the dash. You can use the car without them, but they sure are handy to have. They are at least $50 each. Again, you may be able to find them here.
Lastly, on a car with that amount of mileage, you need to get that compression checked by a Mazda dealer. The engines are special and you can't perform the test with the same tools that are used on piston engines.

Thanks a lot for the info guys. I had been lurking on this site since I saw the car, here is actually what reconfirmed that The 8 was the car I wanted out of all the others. I know about the compression test, just didn't want to have any of the other issues turn out to be a problem before spending more to go do that. The TPMs I knew weren't a big deal, although the Mazda dealership tried to tell me they were $200 and they wouldn't buy a car without them, I can check my own tire pressure if need be. The engine mounts sounded like a big deal, but I know there are lots of DIY on here and if I can do them, I would prefer to learn. After looking for the display issue, it sounded like anyone else had loose wires and fixed it easily, but I couldn't tell if the AC messing up was related to that, or if resetting the ECU/getting it flashed with the MSP 13 would fix it, but again, that is liveable for me. If the compression test comes out fine when we take it to another Mazda place, not dealing with the other one after that first fiasco, then it looks like I may be getting it after all.

Oh I forgot to mention the previous owner was in Washington and the carfax said he moved to Fort Bragg, which makes me think he got shipped overseas or didn't want a car anymore after joining the military.

I think you could do better and find something with lower miles?

Buy Mine! Engine was replaced not long ago along with the clutch. Other mods are pretty new see sig :)

Just a shame you live so far away (or maybe it's me that lives far away).

If you do decide to get that particular car, I can state the AC fix is pretty easy. You just need to solder one pin and all is well. The other stuff is a bit more worrying.

Have you bought one yet?

I am in the same position as the OP...... I just moved to NC from atlanta and Im trying to trade in my MS6 for a rx8. i have been lurking the forums for about 2 years...lol...yes 2 years and have been researching like mad before I dive into a new car, engine, etc. but im finally ready. I have been looking at many and i finally found the right one, now i just have to straighten out my financing and ill be good to go. Im excited to join the world of rotaries! Good luck cool4joe I hope you find the one your looking for but not the one im looking at lol!!!! cant wait to start tinkering with that rx8 :)