Lvis

RX8: Oil System: Complete Gauge Panel Kit - 04-08 RX-8 -
/\ should do the job

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yes, those are gauges and stuff to wire them up.

I'm still not sure what you are asking.

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

under most scenarios, once your oil has reached operating temperature it hovers in the same basic range as your water temperature. One does not rise or fall without the other.

So, watch your water temperature at the very least. If it's at 240F then it's pretty safe to assume your oil is !@$!@$ hot too.

Lvis

sorry i wasnt more clear, Its said that u shouldnt shut the car off or drive it hard until its warmed up. I just wanted t know if theres a way to tell when its fully warmed up without waiting and guessing

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

you can start getting heavy on the throttle once your water temperature gauge approaches its midpoint.

after a couple minutes oil temperature will get where it needs to be and then you can whomp on it.

The reason why I make a distinction between heavy and whomp is because your oil pressure may be a little higher than it should be for that couple of minutes it's lagging behind water temperature... nothing to sweat bullets over... just something to recognize.

poacherinthezoo

When I turn my 2009 R3 off after a long drive (trips longer than about 30 miles), as the car cools, there is a very strange noise that is very faint, but definitely there. This weird noise goes away after ~1-3 minutes - seems to take longer to go away after longer/hotter drives, I can't locate where it's coming from but my best guess is under the car, it's not the fans in the front, I've checked those since I know they automatically turn on at 220 F. I can't think of how to best describe it but it sounds like someone far away is cutting down a tree - that 2 cycle high rev/ high pitch of the chain saw motor (although it doesn't change pitch/change how fast its rev'ing). Is this just some component cooling off or an indication of something? Or have I just officially lost my mind and am hearing things?

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

New Question:

I was zipping around town when I realized at idle my gauges read my oil pressure at 7 (PSI?) standing still in neutral at one traffic light. After I accelerated and what not it kicked back up and every other stop that I generally make, it settles at around 15 which i considered the norm.

Is this an indication of an issue or some sort of fluke you think? I'm currently monitoring it more closely.

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

Contemplation came to me the other day, wanted a group senses.

what gear do you dyno your 8 in? Im not familiar with the setup or what variations this would have on results although i would expect anything less that 1:1 would result in more WHP and and more that 1:1 would be less WHP.

5th is 1:1 on S1 at least, not sure on S2 but I assume the same.

wcs

iTrader: (2)

Mmmm ^^^ interesting

Yes all my dyno's have been in 4th.

I know RIWWP will have something to say about this, he's got a bit of a thorn in the side with dyno's in general.

He could have a whole Dyno thread on how they work if he wanted too

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

I guess some people would remember that.

Given how the engine that I was dyno'ing that started that was replaced less than 20,000 miles later due to low compression, probably from a coolant seal failure, I no longer have much of a basis to stand on there.

Yes, I still think that the dyno operator can fudge the numbers, even if unintentionally.

The gear difference on the dyno is largely a matter of which dyno and how that dyno is set up. I've never completely subscribed to the "1:1" gear as the best choice. It's 'a' choice, and it may be the accepted standard, but you still have the rear gear. For example, my MSM's 1:1 is 5th, but the rear diff is 4.1 When I swap out my rear gear for a 3.63, I still dyno in 5th because of the 1:1. Zero consideration given to the rear diff gear changes. Yes, you plug in the diff gear ratio as part of the calc, but then you could, in theory, do the same for the transmission gears.

I'm not objecting to using 1:1 transmission gear for the dyno, I'm just objecting to all the reasons people use for why it should be that one. I have yet to see, hear, or find any reason that couldn't also be applied to any other gear.

My 8 dyno'ed at the same whp peak in 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Same day, same dyno. I paid for 9 pulls that day.

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

I am in total agreeance with you RIWWP, see attached dyno's I had done 8 months ago, while my car was stock. Although it did show an increase using 4th to 5th gear pulls the numbers in general are unrealistic for a stock.

Chrishoky

iTrader: (9)

Stupid question here.

Where can I find the screws/pins that hold the fender liners to the front bumper area and inside the fender? I ordered what I thought was the correct thing from Mazdatrix and it clearly is not the same thing. Ideas?

Skyhawk

Newbie needs RX-8 info, advice and answers.

I recently joined the RX-8 Club and need some help from you experts. On April 1, ’13, I purchased a 2005 Mazda RX-8 with 105,000 miles from a friend who owns a car lot. At 77, I’m still a bit of a car nut. I previously owned MGs, Triumphs and Austin Healys but know nothing about an RX-8. The vehicle was repossessed and would not start when Lee got it back. He sent it to his local service garage (not a Mazda dlr & no Mazda experience) who said it needed a new engine because they could not get it started and a compression check only showed 40 psi. I doubt that the proper compression check was done on the rotary engine since they also have no experience in that area.

Don’t have an Owners or Repair Manual. After reading a lot of RX-8 Club FAQs and other comments, I checked all fluid levels, filled it with Shell 93 octane mixed with one pint of SeaFoam and fully charged the battery. The engine turned over freely, but would not start. I then started a series of activating the starter for three to five seconds about five or six times followed by a 10 to 15 second steady spin. After approximately seven of these starting exercises, the engine started with lots of exhaust smoke; I assume from latent oil. The smoke eventually cleared up; the engine ran smoothly and idled without any problem. I did have a red low coolant indicator showing but the temp gauge stayed just below the center of range. I drove it around the car lot for about ten minutes and then shut it off. I visually checked the coolant level and it was fine. After waiting about five minutes, I went to start it again. It would not start.

The next morning, I got in the car and did the same series of starter activations and it started right up on about a ten second steady spin. The red low coolant indicator was still lit even when the coolant temp had not yet heated up. I then took the car out on the road for about a 15 mile run not wanting to get too far away in case I had problems. The car accelerated without any hesitation and the engine ran fairly smooth without any noticeable problem; probably got rid of some carbon build up. By the time I had driven about ten miles, the engine seemed to be running more smoothly than before. The coolant temp gauge rose to just below center range and stayed there during the entire drive. When I got back to the car lot, I turned it off and tried to start it again. It cranked and sounded like it was going to start but it didn’t.

The following day, I started the car without any problem but still had the low coolant light illuminated red right from the start before the coolant temp gauge had moved off zero; coolant level was still good. I decided on a longer test drive on the interstate. I drove almost 60 miles without any problems at varying speeds up to 90 mph, 50 % of the time at approximately 75mph. I feel confident I could easily have exceeded 100mph and then some. The red low coolant light remained on and the coolant temp gauge remained steady at just below center range. Acceleration was smooth and quick without any hesitation. Five or six minutes after I shut down from the test drive I now started the engine without any problem. My next test drive will be for 100 miles or more with an external temp gauge to monitor coolant temps rather than relying on the OEM temp gauge. I don’t believe I have a coolant temp or coolant flow problem but one can never be sure.

One thing I noticed after shutting down from my test drives is that the fans were not on. That seems unusual because on other fan equipped vehicles, the fan/s are normally operating for several minutes after engine shutdown. I checked the fan fuse and it was good. I’ll have to do a physical check of the fan motors to insure they are operable. I read in one of the Club comments that the fans can be programmed to come on at different temps.

So here are the questions I have for you experienced RX-8 drivers/enthusiasts/mechanics:

Q1. Will Mazda US provide any information on specific engine history; i.e. rebuilt/replaced? I would like to have a more complete history of the status of this engine.

Q2. Will a Mazda (Renesis Rotary) engine with only ?40 psi? compression perform this well?

Q3. Anyone have any ideas on why the low coolant warning light remains on? I thought it might have something to do with the fans not operating. I also thought that might be the reason the car would not start after being run and shut down – fans didn’t come on to cool the engine down to ambient.

Q4. Is there a way to check fans operation while driving down the road?

Q5. What is the best way to check out the proper functioning of the fans?

Q6. How do you program the fans to come on at different (lower) temperatures?

Q7. What brand/make of external temp gauge seems to work best for the RX-8?

Q8. Can an external temp gauge be wired directly to the currently installed OEM coolant temp sensor? Or, does it have to be hooked up differently since I believe that the output from the coolant temp sensor is routed through the PCM and then to the Instrument Cluster Temp Gauge?

Any and all comments are appreciated! h2sj@att.net

Paco664

i can help with the coolant light problem....

they are notorious for the sensor in the resevoir being poop.... mine does the same thing... it has plenty coolant but the light stays on... = bad sensor....

the rest will be answered by more knowledgable members...

Chrishoky

iTrader: (9)

As stated prevously the coolant light stays on probably because of a bad sensor in your coolant bottle. Its a very common problem for the rx8. Also, I believe you can program the fans to kick on at lower temps with a Cobb Accessport, but dont quote me on that. Sounds to me like your engine has low compression. Typically an engine that wont start after warmed up has low compression. I would take it to a dealer to have a proper rotary compression test done. You may be able to contact Mazda with your VIN number and they may give you the service history that they have available, this of course would only be the records of maintenance done through a dealership but it wouldnt hurt to try.
Other members will be able to comment more on other issues.

catchb52

Unfortunately, it sounds like a trip to a dealer with a good RX mechanic is in order. Diagnosing rotary engines is nothing like what your used to. I own two MG's. 67 GT And a 50 TD. Never had a problem in those I can't fix, but the rotary 8s a whole new learning curve. BTW,
I am 61.

ShellDude

iTrader: (12)

Holy cow, you're going to give RIWWP a run for his money (and I mean that in an encouraging way).

A1. Yes ... any work Mazda has performed is accessible to you via VIN

A2. Depends on the conditions and calculations used to arrive at 40 psi

A3. Coolant light is on likely due to the sensor going bad in reservoir... very common problem and documented here (you just need to search a little to find it)

A4. Fans are pointless driving down the road... I'd rather they be off as they become nothing more than obstructions. Its best to check them at idle. There are two... smaller fan comes on around 200F and the big one around 210f.

A5. See A4

A6. Buy a Cobb AccessPORT or MazdaEdit + OpenPort 2.0

A7. They're all the same, basically. You'll likely want a sandwich plate. RacingBeat makes a nice one (I use it)

A8. I wouldn't advise this... you'd need to calibrate to the voltages and I can't think of any gauges off the top of my head that have ADC adjustment.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

Q1: call mazda with your vin#. They should be able to tell you if it was replaced under warranty.

Q2: I dont really understand this 1. Mazda uses a specific tool to measure engine compression. You should have it tested there and request specific results printed out.

Q3: Answered

Q4: I believe usually the fans kick on at idle mostly when there is no cool air flowing through to cool the engine. With water temperature sensors/gauge you would be able to tell when they come on.

Q5: Again you can check to see how efficiently the water temp comes down when they kick on. You could also listen to them to make sure they sound ok. Not really sure of much outside of that but other people probably could give more info.

Q6: not sure, pretty sure there is a way though.

Q7: External temperature? Not sure. But Racing beat and prosport both offer good mechanical/digital gauges for other purposes.

Q8: I would run everything seperately.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

The answers here have you on the right path, though for more clarification on Q8:
The OEM coolant temperature sensor does actually send complete information to the ECU. The ECU then will send the cluster gauge information for ~-40f up through about 160f, where it will stop the gauge from moving any further until you cross ~240f (I believe that's the point). Mazda did this to keep dumb consumers from thinking they had a problem when the gauge would move around slightly in the ~160-240f range. This is the same reason that the oil pressure gauge is a complete dummy gauge.

If you want to see your exact coolant temps, you don't need to purchase another gauge, although you certainly could. Another option is to get an OBD2 data reader, or a bluetooth OBD2 adapter to pair with your smartphone or tablet and associated app. I use this latter method, via my tablet and my phone and the Android app Torque. It will show the digital coolant temp number along with numerous other data feeds from the engine.

Some people prefer a 2nd mechanical gauge.


Other than that, your symptoms seem to indicate low compression in the engine, though 40psi is far too low. The testing RPM is critical to knowing what a number means however, as well as the individual compression of each of the 6 rotor faces. If using an analog gauge, you have to go through numerous tricks to get a "good" read, and even then it's easy to screw it up. For example, I'm aware of one guy that had a ~3ft rubber hose between the tester plug and the gauge, which that would fill with air during compression, and effectively crippled his compression readings. Just bad testing though, his compression was actually fine.

Doing a solid test at the dealership is the best way, unless you have access to someone else with a rotary engine compression tester that can do it properly.

poacherinthezoo

Would it be total overkill to do the mazda zoom cleaning procedure even though I know my compression numbers as of 25k miles (30k miles on the car right now - got the compression test done when I got the car), and they were all good (in the mid-to-low 8's all around)? Since the car is a 2009 can the procedure even be done? I've yet to see a thread where someone with a series 2 car does it.

jamesf

iTrader: (1)

I believe the S2s do not have the intake nipples where you would normally spray in the zoom cleaner.

Regardless, I think most would advise against this. Doing a zoom cleaning means really drying the crap out of the chambers at first, and pumping in small amounts of oil is advised upon startup. Why risk it. If you're properly maintaining your car that's all you can do.

Lvis

whats omp stand for exactly

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Oil Metering Pump

Chrishoky

iTrader: (9)

Can anybody help with my previously asked dumb question?

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

Those things are freaking expensive if you buy original Mazda parts . Some parts stores sell similar ones that will do the job but they aren't that cheap either . Another option is to go to a wrecker and ask for a handful.