RoToR23

Hi im new here, i just bought a 2004 mazda rx8, it has leather seats, sunroof, heated seats, bose, DSC. i was looking around my car and i found that the DSC is to the left of the steering wheel. I was looking around the TCS to shut it off and i could not find it. Is it possible to have DSC and not TCS?

alz0rz

iTrader: (41)

hold down the DSC button for 8 seconds.

RoToR23

Thank you so much, also my 2004 has 11k miles on it i'm not sure what oil the previous owner used, but today i went out and bought castrol gtx 5w20 i was reading through the forums and noticed this might not be too good. So i live in arizona and for 6 months or more out of the year its over 105 degrees. The winter is high 70s to 80s. The only time it ever gets cold is night and it might go to 40 to 60 degrees at night. I was wondering what would be best. Thanks!

Altair 8

that should be fine if you use castrol, i use Royal purple, no problems so far. in fact, i get more power and a tiny gas mileage increase. there is a huge discussion on this topic check it out for yourself to make your own decision...

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/cumulative-synthetic-oil-discussion-52856/

RoToR23

ok thank you. im assuming castrol gtx 5w20 is semi synthetic, as i read through the thread it seems that 5w30 would be better for 110+ temps of arizona. ill try that out with my next oil change in 2k miles.

Go48

Learn to drive the car before you shut off DCS/TC. Head for an HPDE event to learn how to drive the car without it. This car can be twitchy even with DCS/TC, so be careful.

RoToR23

my previous car was a 2000 ws6 trans am, without a doubt it was faster but i must say the rx8 is much more fun and handles amazing. Not to mention interior way higher quality. From what i gather since i live in Arizona i should use a heavier oil then 5w20 more like 5w30. Also i should replace the clutch bracket. And replace coils and spark plugs at 30k miles?

04RX8man

it sounds like this noob actually did his homework and searched first....First let me welcome you to the addiction and you seem to have it down....in your area 5w30 or possible 10w30 would b best....I used to live in PA and used 5w20 but now living in FL i use 5w30 and the engine just seems to like it more....every other country in the world suggests 5w30 so it is perfectly fine but in the summer 10w30 would have the best protection 4 u and maybe 5w30 will work for winter just your preference but for ur area a would def use 5w30 at least

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

dont turn off dsc/tc.

delhi

A very rare trait these days. Welcome rotor23.

dozer

iTrader: (3)

+1...u WILL get cocky and u WILL want to take corners harder...TRUST ME....ive seen it happen and its happend to me..

scrmnws6

LOL... Im going to say turn that thing off and go to town with it. j/k

I haven't made a purchase, but Im coming off of a WS6 as well. Thing made 405rwhp and Im sure that it will be hard to replace it with something reasonable on gas.

I was averaging about 6-7mpg at the track, city it was about 13, and highway it was 21.

SVgamer72

That is what many people get with the RX-8. Some do a bit better, but it is not the most fuel efficient sports car on the road.

RK

iTrader: (1)

I think average on track is closer to 8-10, city 16-18, pure highway 20-24. I know I get the upper limits of those with my over-all average around 18-19.

Not many people get an improved experience at the pump when they get an rx-8 but OP sounds like he's one of those lucky peeps.

RoToR23

Im going to be looking into FI soon, need a little bit more power. I saw the greddy kit, i read through some threads and saw some issues with ideling and certain RPMs. Are these kits just installed and tuned bad due to the emanage tuning? or are they just a piece of crap. Any other kits that you can bolt on and go with for under 4500?

simplyphp

No other kits under 4500, and yeah it's GReddy so its crap without the upgrades from MM. EManage also sucks, get the AP.

Rhawb

Personally, I'd just avoid FI all together. Some people have seen success, but among the people I know personally, it's been nothing more than a money pit compounded by endless headaches - and they've had theirs tuned by very reputable rotary shops. Really, you either get power or reliability, but not both.

Also, welcome! Glad to see you're doing your homework and posting valid questions. Hope you enjoy your car, now go to an autocross or HPDE!

cajunrx8

Until you get the hang of the 8 don't turn off the DSC/TCS. It is not a T/A but will snap around fast if you are not careful.
Keep it on, it is there for a good reason.