Ok so going to see a super RX8 tomorrow in Dublin and as I am a girl I just know the guy is gonna try and hang me and feed me a load of bullsh*t when it comes to the details of the car.

I wont know for sure about anythin about the car until tomorrow. Its a '04 for €8,950.00.

I have been doing alot of research before even deciding for sure I want this car.. eg. engine flooding problems, redlining to help prevent carbon build up, making sure the heat shield has been replaced etc.

I am just looking for any advice really or questions I could ask this guy so he doesnt try and take me for a fool.

Thanks in advance guys

 

Actually, I would let him feed you his line of crap so you can filter out how much he really does know about the car. Ask him crazy stuff like "how many pistons does it have", etc... The less he knows about the car, the more I would stay away from it. Also, get the history on when the coils, wires, and plugs were last changed, what oil weights he used, if the cat or engine has ever been replaced, if it has the upgraded starter or not.


And will you marry me? I'm asking that to you, not telling you to ask him.
A woman driving an RX-8 that has a authentic Irish accent and intelligent enough to research a vehicle first = hands down sexiest possible combination. Call it my heritage, but I can't resist the voice of an Irish woman.

 

I like your style haha lure him into a false sense of knowledge nd then i'l WHAM him with mine!!

Also would it be advisable to get a turbo timer for it to help prevent any flooding from occurring? i have come across a few timers for the RX8 on line but i cant seem to come across any RX8's with the timers fitted! are these a bad idea for these fantabulous cars?

nd fanx a mil where abouts are you from?

 

I wouldn't worry about flooding all that much.

As long as your entire ignition system stays healthy, there is no flooding risk. Flooding only happens when you have a weak point somewhere in the ignition system on starting, and it can't provide a strong enough spark to ignite the fuel.

Once you get the 8, just keep tabs on the battery, starter, coils, plug wires, and plugs. If they are healthy, you can shut it off even dead cold and it will fire back up. If one of them is too weak to start a proper spark, then you will flood it no matter how warm it is.



And I'm over in the US. But my heritage is Irish / Scottish, and listening to that accent is like sweet sweet heaven.

 

thanks for all your advice and help. Its very much appreciated!! hopefully this guy isnt a *** and takes me somewhat seriously haha

keep your fingers crossed for me that i get this peach of a car

 

If possible get a compression test. Otherwise as RIWWP indicates flooding really isn't an issue with a healthy total ignition system and you already know about carbon buildup.

Take a look at the cleanliness of the exhaust tips. The RX-8 burns rich so it's not uncommon to have some black on the tips, but if they're clean chances are someone well maintained the vehicle overall as it's an often missed area.

Modern rust proofing is pretty good, but in your climate take a good look around/under the vehicle and especially look for any paint 'bubbling' which would indicate rust under the skin.

 

Thanks for that tip Huey52, I would never have thougt of checking that!!

 

Also for FYI they sell a "fix" spark plug (NGK RE6C-L Leading)to reduce the failure to hot start (flooding) problem. The flooding thing is a design issue that all series 1 without the newer plugs will be subject to. So it's not a big deal. The big deal as said is the compression. I would not buy a Series 1 without a fresh test and one done with the Mazda dealer tool not the piston tool that's recalculated.

 

Hey guys,

just wanted to say thanks for all your advice yesterday. Went to see this car this morning and the sales guy hadnt a clue. was amazed at how much i knew and couldnt answer any of the questions i put to him.

there was chips all over the paint work and rust on the brake discs and the underneath all round and 136k miles on the clock for a '04. Had it not been for all your advices surely this guy woulda tried to take me for a mug!

on the upside im off to see another tomorrow and better prepared!

so again guys, thanks a mil for all your help and advice

 

Surface "flash" rust on brake rotors is common and 'burns off' as soon as you apply the brakes, but as this sounds much more extensive you're better off passing it by. There is bound to be a better one out there for you, and besides, the hunt is a lot of fun in itself.

Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat! Ádh mór ort!

 

Something I didn't see posted:
Ask how much oil it burns and what kind of trips the previous owner did with the car.
Many european cars weren't reflashed so still burn little to no oil, add the frequent short trips that we do and that's why you cry when you open an engine\look at the rear bearing.
Also ask how many miles are on the plugs, nobody ever replaces them here

 

at 130k+ i would just shy away from her cause if that is the stock motor still it definitely isn't under warranty and is not worth it at all if u can locate yourself an 05 its the preferable year compared to the 04,06 of 5 was factory tuned off the failures of the 04 system and some parts were over done then settled back to just a safe running state for the 06

 

i decided not to go for this car and as you said the hunt for a good one is alot of fun!! get to test drive a load!!

goin to see a few tomorrow and at least now i definitely know what I'm talkin about and definitely gonna stick to Mazda dealers i think! at least they will have some idea about the cars!!

the more i think about the guy today the more i realised he was such a douche!! he had said at he beginning that there was nothing wrong with it but later said there had been no service done on it yet it has been there for 6 weeks!! now i know why... definitely giving it a miss!!!

 

Unfortunately this is not the case
A good thing to know is to find a mechanic that has done some work on rotaries and on the rx8 in particular and stick with him while documenting yourself on anything that is needed.
Dave (EinHeisserSchrei) is from Tipperary but may point you out to somebody in your area Another good thing is to join the national\european forums to see what the owners near you do, both to the car and community wise. Joining a meet is fun!

If the car checks with good compression and is running on the latest flash with a properly functioning catalytic converter you're good to go imho.
Also check the clutch pedal if possible.
Replace the coils, clean the MAF\IAT sensor and enjoy your ride
DON'T stick to mazda's recommended maintenance intervals (12000mi\20.000km).
Divide them at least by 2.