Sorry for the late reply man. All belts are right. We've checked. They're not coming from the belts. Check the video when you're home. It's not your typical belt slipping sound.

 

You would have gotten an answer by now if we could tell what it was from a video.
You need to buy a mechanics stethoscope and figure it out for yourself.

 

Rkesh88 please get that compression test before buying. Low mileage doesn't mean as much as how the engine was maintained and driven. Even a low mileage RX8 that is eight years old can have compression issues. Better safe than sorry ,and replacing an engine.

 

Thanks Big Cajun. I'll tell my friend to get it and update you guys on our findings

 

So on my 04 rx8, i already know im missing the under engine splash shield, but what i dont know is if im missing anything else. i took a few pictures from under the car, and was wondering if anyone could help me. any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

^Not familiar enough to comment on the pictures, other than a sidenote that it's not so much a "splash shield" as a pretty important component of your cooling system. With out that pan in place, the air has a path other than thru your radiator and oil coolers.

 

Yeah I know, that's the main piece I need. Just wondering if I was missing anything else. Thanks for the info!

 

Seeing as i can't start my own thread in the right location for this, this seems to be the most appropriate place to post this question....

So i was sanding down my oil cooler lines to paint with some high temp paint to slow further corrosion, and i noticed this kink in the line. I am unsure of whether this was there before I removed it, or if it was my doing (probably me). Is this kinked enough to affect oil flow and need to be replaced, or can i still use this line?

 

You're missing the fender liner that goes behind the oil coolers. Does your car have a duct on the front of each oil cooler to direct air in? I can't tell from the pics. You need those to force air into the oil coolers. Get that undertray ASAP man. Without it, your car can overheat.

Edit: just noticed there are two triangular metal pieces on each side of the radiator area. Those don't look stock. I haven't seen them on my car.

 

As long as it's not made significantly worse during re-installation, I wouldn't worry.

 

How do you convince a buyer to get a compression test? This car is everything ive been looking for but the owner is stubborn into getting this test. Any one know any Indy shops that can do a rotary compression test in queens Ny?

 

If it passes compression test, you offer to pay half of it.

 

The decision to buy the car WITHOUT a compression test could cost you many thousands of dollars in the end. Way more than the cost of the compression test.
Here on the forum we see and hear the sad stories of folks caught up in their excitement for the car that didn't heed the advice about getting that compression test beforehand, then wind up spending big bucks to fix and/or replace a failing engine.

Why take that huge risk with your hard-earned money? An owner who refuses to get a compression test for a rotary car he is selling, may very well be hiding a problem. Do you want to buy that potential problem?

 

So I've been doing a bit of reading about fuel trims and air to fuel ratios. I can't seem to find a definitive answer to what's considered "normal". Some say anything between -10 and +10 are normal. Some say between -5 and +5 are normal. What are the "normal" STFT and LTFT values?

 

The ECU is Ok with it up to the +/- 20% range.

With good fuel system and tune they can easily stay in the +/-5% range.

OEM and a few years old...maybe slightly dirty injectors etc...I would want it to stay under +/- 10%

Not sure if that was a big help

 

Thanks for the reply Dannobre and yes it was a big help! Most of the threads I read tend to to say that anything above +10% is a vacuum leak? Nothing is certain though.

While we're on the subject, my car's STFT is within +/-4% and LTFT is 4.7% at idle, and 6.2% when flooring. I noticed that after a long drive, the LTFT was 6.2% even at idle (and when flooring). MAF was around 6.7g/s. Anything I should worry about?

 

Thank you! Those triangular pieces are, I think, what's left of the old undertray. The previous owner may have cut it, I'm not sure. Anyways, thanks for the info!

 

Anytime man. They look like they're made out of metal in the pic. If they're metal, they're not stock.

 

I took more pictures for you, not sure if they're any help, but here ya go.

 

Yeah you're clearly missing the fender liner that sits right behind the oil cooler. That could actually be a good thing haha. It'll cool the oil coolers more. Bad news is rocks and stones can damage the coolers. As to the actual oil cooler shrouds, I can't tell for sure from the pics. Do they have a sort of "frame" around them? To stop air from escaping from the sides?

http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/262085071818
That's what I'm talking about.

 

Nope there is nothing around the oil coolers. The previous owner got into a small accident and had most of the plastic shielding torn off. I guess I just need to get the vin numbers for those parts and I should be set. Thanks for your info!

 

Alright. Anytime bro. Keep us posted.

 

rxfish, i have a part out thread going. i know i have both oil coolers and lines and think i have the set of shrouds you need too if you are interested

 

are the shrouds in good condition and how much are you selling them for?

 

i found this ebay listing with the engine under cover and the oil cooler vents. would this be a reasonable price for these things?

Mazda RX 8 Splash Shield Set w Hardware 2004 2008 | eBay