rjacobs

OK, I am about to purchase in the next two weeks or so and have a few questions. What all should I ask the dealer about the car recall wise? What is the current ECU Flash number? Air bag recall? Tranny Damper? Those are the three recalls that I have seen mentioned on here the most. I want to make sure I get everything taken care of before I drive off the lot and I am going to make sure I get it in writing that they are all done. Also, this may have been posted already, but would it be a good idea to change the oil every thousand miles for like the first 3 thousand or so miles? I have never had a rotary before, but have broken in new pistons and know that this will be totally different. I cant really think of anymore questions that that for right now, but im sure I will.

Magic8

Could ask dealer about the recall issues. I don't for a fact if they taken care of those issues before you drive of the lot. Don't give them your money until you are completely satsfied with your purchase.

Manual says every 5000 miles for harsh conditions. Dealer changed my oil and put 5000 miles as my next oil change interval. I am sticking to 5000 miles. BTW its 7500 miles if you drive mostly highway.

Rotary is really nice engine. It will have foamy stuff on dipstick, oil may smell like gas and you will need to add oil more often. Gas mileage may be shocking depending on how you drive. The dealer should warning about flooding, my dealer did.

You are buying a new car with a 4 year/50,000mile warranty, any problems you encounter should be covered uinder warranty.


Enjoy your new purchase

Hope that helps

rjacobs

Well I drive a grand cherokee now so the gas mileage wont really be an issue, I just want something that is faster and handles awesome. My dad had a vette and I miss how it handled, hell I had a honda civic before the jeep and miss the way it handled. I do love my jeep for what it does which is be comfortable and seat 5 or more people and drive well in snow, but like I said it does not handle well nor is it fast.

flatso

dealer is suppose to fix the cars before selling. So I do not think you need to worry about the recall issue...but it never hurts to ask.

Velocity-8

oh man, you're in for a treat!

rjacobs

what do you mean in for a treat, handling wise?

Elara

Have you driven the car? If you are looking for great handling, you're going to like the 8, he means.

Crichton

Definitely go take a test drive. I know I would get one when I first saw them before they were out. Then when I test drove one, that sealed the deal as far as making the RX-8 my next car. I absolutely love it. I got mine from Lou Fusz Mazda on Lindbergh because I live just a couple minutes away.

rjacobs

I did not get to test drive one the other day because the demo was out for the day or something b.s. like that. I am not going to deal with the dealer here by my school in K.C. and only went to look. I am going to deal with a dealer in St. Louis, probably Frank Bomm. in St. Charles since right now they have the exact car I want. I can get S-Plan pricing which is why I am wanting to get this car. I will definitly drive one in the next week or so.

Berni

Yeah they do i just got mine (see sig) and under the hood are two sticker to identify which "job orders" (I forget what it actually says). the dealer also verified it was done. just ask them. call them right now.

Velocity-8

You're gonna LOVE the handling, sounds, road manners and overalll driving experience. Plus it's SMOOOOOOTH. :D

MEGAREDS

Things I'd do if I were you, just off the top of my head...

If you are taller than 6', I'd be sure to give the front seat a long test sit. There are many tall owners who can sit comforatbly... for me, though, I could not be any taller than I am (6'1") and be comfortable. The Base and Sport packages have more headroom.

The RX-8 TSBs can be found at this thread from Rosenthal Mazda. I think I'd ask your dealer to swap out the engine cover gromits if you have the old ones in your new car... dealers generally won't do it for you just because you ask after the sale... and the old ones tend to fall out.

Check to make sure you have your floor mat post on the driver's side. It's a post that secures the driver's-side mat. Some people reported not getting one...

Order a Zaino kit for the car's first wax. Very satisfying to Zaino the new car...

Register at www.mazdausa.com and download the pdf of the owner's manual...

Pick up a quart of 5W-20 motor oil, some rags and a container to carry in the trunk...

Consider ordering clear corners; nice, easy, fast, fun install...

Good luck...

EDIT: Forgot one important thing... read Gordon's winter tire thread. The OEM tires are terrible in cold conditions. Not just bad...terrible as in dangerous. I tend to be very conservative, but don't recommend driving the RX-8 in temperatures below 40F on the stock tires... don't let the dealer tell you otherwise. Read the posts...

AltecLansing

hey, i have heard they are not supose to sell RX8 in these couple of weeks...

rjacobs

I am only 5'9" so that should be no problem on the front seats. Are the grommets a TSB or what should I specifically ask for? Does the car come with floormats or are the optional? I know the all weather ones are, but does it come with regular floor mats?

MEGAREDS

Carpeted floor mats are standard; ask them to throw in the all-weather ones if you think they'll go for it, but with the S-plan, you may find they're not in the mood to negotiate anything extra... the S-plan, last time I checked, was a very good deal. I shopped around and negotiated very hard, but I couldn't beat it in late October. Things are a bit different now with the new model year coming quickly... you should still do your homework on what the cars are selling for so you know in advance whether you are getting an okay or terrific deal. It is theoretically possible you could negotiate a better deal without it... ask around on this forum. This is your best source of info with the exception, perhaps, of your owners manual!

There is a TSB on the grommits... it's hardly a big problem. I still have my originals and if you were to ever lose one, they'd replace it... I was just thinking of things you might get out of the way when it is easy to do so. If I were to ask for the new grommits, my dealer would say no. If I removed one or two and took the car in, they'd replace them. That's just the way it is...

If you have an older VIN #, it is possible that your car is a candidate for an improved oil pan. Check the TSB and compare your VIN. I don't know which oil pan I have, but it only seems to be a problem for those who drive high speeds on long trips, and then it may only be an instrument error.

The snow tires is really the big thing. In St. Louis, you won't need them as much as those of us in Chicago, but there will be days that you have to have them to drive safely. You need either winter tires or winter rims/wheels (the less-expensive-in-the- long-term option I went for), or a plan for getting around without your car on cold, wet days. Check out www.tirerack.com for what things cost... Tire Rack will ship right to a local installer if you need to go that way. Since you probably have avoided the worst of this season, you can put it off if you are very careful, but winter will come again... please give it careful thought. There are posts recounting how some owners have gotten themselves stuck on flat streets! The traction control will not fix a lack of friction between the tires and the ground.

Also, be sure you understand how to avoid flooding the car and how to recover from a flood. The dealer will walk you through this at delivery. It's not difficult, but think about the places you could screw it up... car washes come to mind... showing the car to friends and backing it out of the driveway, etc. Anytime you drive the car a few feet and shut it down cold is a problem. Just don't do it is the best way to avoid the problem. Ask the dealer if the "hotter plugs" are available and whether you can get them if you want them. The hotter plugs are recommended in colder climates, but I'm not sure they're a good thing in warm weather. You might look for a thread in the tech section about them... I decided not to bother, but some people have them and say the car runs well with them and they are suggested for reducing the liklihood of flooding.

The RX-8 is a terrific car. I think almost all of us are happy with it, with the exceptions being a few who can't seem to get adequate mileage... I'd be pretty miserable if I were getting 12mpg, as some are reporting. I'd expect real-world to get 15-17mpg, 19-20mpg highway, slightly better if you work at it, which you won't want to do