Ok, I have new dumb questions.

1.- When talking about suspensions, shocks, etc; what does "pre-loaded" mean?

2.- When new springs are installed on the OEM shocks, is there room for adjustment or do they just lower the car a set amount and that's it? (I bought my 8 used, with lowering springs on OEM shocks, I was wondering if it can be lifted just a tad (half an inch) without getting new springs).

Are all S1 cats interchangeable?

yes sir

really stupid question but here we go.......... What uses more gas? 4th gear at 2000-2100 RPM or 3rd gear 3000 RPM? Those 2 gears are just an example. Basically what uses more gas higher gear at lower RPM or the oppossite?

not necessarily...some midpipes have to be used with their particular exhaust like TurboXS

lower rpm is better for fuel economy generally but trying to run at 2000 is not a good idea for the renesis as it will labour badly . Anything over aboout 2500rpm seems to be where it is comfortable .

How much gas you use is dependent on a lot more than just what gear you are in.

I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion, but it is all based on load...

too much load and you are killing the engine and using much MORE gas because of that

too little load and then a big portion of your load it to overcome the internal friction of your transmission and motor. At idle, your load is like 20% ... that's ALL friction!

For NA (*This is an oversimplification*) You can think of load in terms of how much air is entering into your engine .... 100% possible air entering at the given rpm = 100% load... therefore, load is directly related to how much you are pressing the gas pedal

Ideally you want to have your load at around 60% -75% for best MPG at all times

High revs, low load = bad mpg due to friction losses

low revs, high load (85%+) = bad mpg due to MORE fuel being used to offset detonation etc...

For best mpg on a flat surface at cruise, you want to keep ur rpms in the 2250 - 3250 range ... with my experience, but DONT stomp on it ... if you are steadily accelerating, higher rpms are preferred due to increased load

.... others, feel free to expand

thank you
i ment oem cats but thanks @slvrstreak

How long do our shocks last?...under normal everyday "spirited" driving conditions and not a lot of pot holes or bad driving conditions...I realize it varies...so just a ball park idea???

:40oz:here goes. has it ever been attempted to duct air from the a/c into the intake? What would cold a/c air do in the summer?

The energy it takes to cool air from the AC would not equal the power you would make with the AC on. In other words, it would be a waste of energy. I think the Ford F-150 Lightning did something like that, in that it would store cooled air, and use it on command. Granted, it was a 5 minute charge for a 30 second burst.... Really only good for a 1/4 mile.


You can't forget pumping loss. Efficiency is based off of load, yes. The higher load, the more efficient the engine is working. If you could have a car running at max load with the throttle all the way open, you would get awesome mileage. However, pumping loss is a big factor as well. When the engine has to suck against a closed throttle body, it takes a good amount of power to generate that vacuum. Diesels don't have a throttle body, so they have good efficiency due to lack of pumping loss.


To put it simply, you want to keep RPMS as low as you can, with the throttle as open as possible.

How do you know when your O2 sensor is bad? As in, how do you know when it's time to replace it?

which o2 sensor? Rear or front?

Rear: you will get a CEL P0420 I think

Front: you will get shit for economy, and also possibly a CEL


True, I didn't wanna get that detailed and decided to talk in "layman's terms"

Where can I buy an ECU to make my top speed bar full?

My dumb question: about how much will installing the Racing Beat Gauge Panel kit lower the resale value of my car (since it won't be bone stock anymore)?

not sure if serious as you have over 2k posts ... but I'll answer anyway

you can REVERSE the install really easily and bring it back to stock (except for where you run your wires - not visible anyway)

it looks stock

With the way I've seen people's wiring harnesses tucked away after engine swaps (at stealerships), I don't think a rb pod with have an appreciable effect on the price of the car....

you can always take it out if people complain

the buyer may even think it is a good thing ...

^ Thanks! (Over 2k posts, but that's over 7 long years, so I'm not as knowledgeable as I should be)

I don't understand the question?
What is the top speed bar?

Do u mean the speed governor?
Don't think we have one, do we?

Should i get AEM or Mazdaspeed CAI ??? I know its the same shit and that MS is more. But would you guys buy the MS just cause of the name brand for more money or just get AEM ?? Kind of leaning towards MS cause "Mazdaspeed :)" But im not sure lol

its ur money ... at the end of the day it is still a pipe and a filter ... you decide ... I can't tell you how to spend your money

IMO even the AEM is overpriced by at least 200 bucks

Well, since you can't get the MS version any more, I guess the choice is pretty easy.

BTW - if the AEM is "overpriced" by $200, I'd love to see the intake that you recommend that is as good as the AEM but only costs $100.

I have found a few sites that still sell the MS intake lol. But I guess ill go with AEM, itt should have pretty muuch the exactt same sound I'm assuming

I don't have one to recommend ... why are you attacking me ... NO FLAME thread ... ?

For what it is (sections of pipe with a few holes, and a filter) , I think it is overpriced ... you can argue R&D, yes ... maybe a was a bit excessive with the $200, but it is still overpriced, as are about 80% of the after market products for the rx8 ... some more, some less

i started the car with out the maf sensor hooked up and the the other plug thats on the same line (green one). and it caused the traction control light, the cel, and battery lights all to come on. i remembered that i forgot to reconnect them and reconnected. but the cel light stayed on.

i have two questions? will disconnecting the battery reset the cel or is there another way to reset it?

ok scratch that, cel is out after disconnenting the battery, but now the loss of traction light is on and the dsc light is flashing any idea why