this is my first ever experience with a rotary engine so i dont know to much about it and i have not had the car to long so i have only seen it in cold weather...

are the rx-8's just always hard to start or is it just the weather? because mine cranks for proabably a good 5-8 seconds before it kicks... is this unusual or should i have it looked at?

 

Do you have an 04? Is it the original battery/starter? If so, then yes, have it looked at. I bought an optima yellow top and mine starts a little better, but still not as quick as some other cars. 5-8 seconds is too long though, mine takes 2-3.

 

Living in Florida, I do not know how the 8 would react to cold weather. Though the last couple of days here it has dipped down to the lower 30s in the AM. I have found that when I turn on the ignition, I'll hear (what I believe) is the fuel pump. I always wait until it finishes, then I move the ignition to the start position. The car usually starts after a couple of seconds in the start position. I just read through the owner's manual and it does not say weather or not this is correct, but I have not experienced any of the problems that you described.

 

my 8 starts in usually less than 1 second. the most would be 2-3 seconds.

 

if you have any older model, there was a tsb on hard starts. i took my 04 in and told them i was having trouble starting it and they replaced the battery, plugs, and starter. now it starts really fast with much more gusto.

 

Same here, but the more than 1 second has only been once....and it dips down to the 20's usually here.

 

Hot or sub-freezing cold, mine always fires right up in a second or two. No exceptions. Just like an ordinary car.

 

12A with a carb, that is hard to start


The 8 is easy

 

IDK if I would say "hard" to start yeah when it's cold it does take a little longer to start up I am not driving mine this winter but last winter if it was below 20 it took awhile but usually 2-3 4 seconds at max......I think u r ok but if it is an 04 have it looked at.....

 

Take it to the dealer and complain. Print out the TSB. Tell them you want the new starter.

 

How can you tell if you have the updated starter or not? I've asked for it and they blamed slow starts on "bad gas" (the car's, not mine). If I don't have it I'd like to get it before the warranty is out.

Edit: From the TSB by the way:

Is the VIN at or below JM1FE173*** ** 150745?
- NO – Starter replacement is not necessary, go to STEP 11 in REPAIR PROCEDURE “A”.
- YES – Go to STEP 2.

So if your VIN is higher than 150745 you've already got the updated starter from the factory.

 

I have an 06 and it always starts up in the cold but you can tell it doesn't like it.

 

Mine, on occasions, will take 3-4 seconds at the most but always starts just when the fear of it not starting begins to set in.

 

same here, it usually starts in like 2 seconds, maybe 3.... but then there's sometimes where I'll end up holding it there for about 5-7 seconds maybe and it doesnt sound like it wants to, but it's trying... finally does.

Would the fact I have the RB intake + nitrous get in the way of the TSB? it's a tight fit for the blue tube + the billow with the nozzle there. If that does have to be moved for the TSB then I'll wait till the BHR spacer is out and take it in after that.

 

just think if you had a lamborghini some of those take 4 secs to start