Finally some closure and pics
 

Alright guys, thanks for all the help with the advice on fixing up the used 8 that I bought. Turns out from the vin # that it already had 2 engine replacements :O. Today was the first day also that I tried doing 0-60. I am not experienced at doing it in any way, so I just did a rolling start and then floored it in first, and floored it in second (didnt rev the RPMs or anything first to make the tires squeel). Was 8.5 seconds. I guess thats slow to you guys but I'm no street racer I guess haha (but the sound of the engine was enough for me)Anyways... here she is.

2005 RX8, Grand Touring, 78k miles. (manual transmission)



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you can do a better time than that,keep trying. Nice car,and I hope the motor hangs around a long time for you

Welcome and enjoy the ride.

Nice car and welcome.

Thanks guys.

Ugh just when I was starting to get comfortable something weird happens:wallbash:

I filled her up with premium gas last night and added the recommended amount of premix (via the idemitsu box label at least), and drove for about 40 minutes. Then came home and put her away for the night.

This morning I started the car to go to work, and I prolly let it warm up for about 3-4 minutes. (engine temp guage didnt move much though). I pulled her out of my driveway and shifted into 2nd at about 4-5k rpms, and when I let go of the clutch and tried to go in 2nd, it just chugged and chugged and chugged for like 5-6 seconds. Wouldnt gain power either. I quickly pushed in the clutch again and just kinda "Tried again", and it went away. Didnt happen the 2nd time I tried shifting or anything. Any thoughts on why that happened? I dont tend to drive the engine cold, but I have deffinitely driven it with less warmup time than that and never had an issue like that. (wasnt even that cold out this morning).

the 2056 pixel wide picture makes this thread a bit of a pain. Fix?

fixed :naughty:, now any advice on the issue? =]

1st guess, you really shifted to 4th not 2nd...result...chug..chug. How long with manual xmissions?

4 years. I didnt shift into 4th because I could see the RPMs rising to around 3-5k rpms but it was just going chug chug until I put it back in neutral. I guess I'll just see if it happens again this afternoon.

Sounds to me like the engine was simply beginning to stall. So...you either really shifted into 4th by accident, or shifted into the right gear pulling out of the driveway but didn't give it enough gas.

I assume the premix had nothing to do with it BTW. Howeveer...worse than can happen with a premix is that you fouled the spark plugs by adding too much of it. But even that is somewhat unlikely to happen.

Well, I had 1/4 tank of gas. I put 4.5-5 oz of premix in the tank, and then filled it up. Drove fine on the way home. I guess the 4th gear thing is possible but I really think I would have noticed it and been like "oh crap 4th gear", instead of "oh crap my engine is going to explode". I dunno, you guys are probably right. Thanks for the advice. Ill see how it acts this afternoon =). I know that I ask a lot of questions but for some reason I am just 100% paranoid about the health of my engine, and the 2 mazda dealers around me arent so supportive of the compression test. Anyways, thanks!

oh and also, I took the front license plate off and it looks 100x better =]

Well just daily driving today the cel came on while accelerating in 2nd gear at around 4k-5k rpms. The CEL started flashing and then went away. The dealer replaced the plugs but did not replace the coils. Ill have to wait until they get to my house to replace them. Problem is, I'm supposed to go on a road trip tomorrow :( 400 miles. Ill baby it the whole way but pray it doesnt dmg the cat.

had the code read. It was a P0301 cylender 1 misfire. blah. I thought that the dealer replacing the plugs would fix things. Guess I'll have to replace the coils/wires and see what happens. Ugh I wanna check the spark plugs too, but the problem is, I am new to DIY stuff when it comes to cars. I am so scared I'm going to "take this off" and not know how to put it back on and the car just wont run or something. Ugh.

Update: I read that a good test is to just start driving and keep a steady pace of high RPMS and see what happens. I drove in second gear for a few seconds at about 5k rpms just steady, and sure enough the cel came flashing, and then stayed on solid. man.... I wish this car didnt have so many issues. Even though it was used and had 78k miles on it, it was $13,500. Thats a pretty darn high price from what some other people tell me, and they cant even make it run.

Can you unplug a lamp from a wall socket?
If yes, then you can unplug a spark plug wire from an ignition coil

Can you unscrew a nut using a socket wrench?
Then you can remove the screw that holds down the ignition coil.

Can you go to a store and buy a gallon of milk?
Then you can go to an auto parts store or a dealer, and buy an ignition coil.

If you can't do any of these things above, then I can't figure out how you're able to use a computer and post on the internet.

Yes, it is this easy.

You might even be able to get away with switching the leading and trailing coil positions for your trip. Just unplug and unbolt both of them for the #1 rotor (hint, its the front rotor), and switch them, screw everything back down, plug them back in, and hope things run better.

Should help out a bit until you can get the replacement coils.

BC.

hey james im having the same problem wit my 8 05 AT 22k....pull my starter out this pass sunday and have my friend that rebuild starters look @ it this morning, he said every thing is good with the starter. My question to is what was the problem to being with....pulgs,coils, and batt are all changed. so im gyessing now a compression test is all that is there to be done now?

well styx i brought it back to ford and they actually told me it was my ignition coils. So they are replacing the bad ones on there. Only problem is, the other ones are probably close to dying due to no service. So I will replace them as best I can when I get it back.

Well as far as I know the starters on the 05, (based on what every 1 is telling me), is a slower starter, so even if its fine, it doesnt spin as fast as the newer ones (please correct me if im wrong every one).

But if your having issues with it after startup, yeah I've heard getting the test is key, especially with our cars because our warranty runs out sooner rather than later. Im going to get 1 done asap. only issue is mazda dealers near me dont really have the equipment so ill have to travel a bit. Anyways, goodluck bro =].

Ugh im starting to get pretty frustrated with this car... I just picked it up from the dealer who was supposed to fix it, and the check engine light started flashing again after an acceleration. It seems to always happen in the higher RPMS of 1st/2nd gear.

The dealer (ford mind you where I bought the car) said that they replaced 2 ignition coils that were bad. (They said thats what caused the original solid engine light). They also said they were only replacing 2, because only 2 were bad, and they replaced all of the spark plug wires as well. They also replaced the spark plugs initially when I got the car.

So anyways on my way back from picking up the car, it ran great. It actually felt twice as good as when I first drove the car. I felt power all throughout the higher RPMs. It was awesome... but then... the light started flashing on a speedup down the road. It wasnt even a like "stomp on the gas" type of speedup either. It just started flashing around 4-5k rpms.

Anyways, a week ago before i brought it back to the dealer, I bought a set of ignition coils. Do you think I should try and replace all 4 of them and see what happens? Or should I just stop screwing around and bring it to mazda and see if its the engine/exhaust? I do not want my CEL flashing all the time. Any thoughts from any one?

On a side note as well. When I first got the car up until a week ago, I never had the CEL flash or come on once. The only thing I changed before it started happening was adding some premix to the 93 octange gas I was putting in my engine. But I dont think I really overfilled it so I think thats coincidence. Any thoughts?

most guys here replace all 4 coils, wires, and plugs at the same time. where in ny are you? i have an old set of coils, wires and maby plugs in my garage if you want to trouble shoot

Im in upstate NY around Albany. Ill get yuh a case of beer as payment if you can help me out! haha.

I actually have the equipment (plugs, coils, etc.). Only thing that hasnt been replaced yet is the last 2 coils. I would really appreciate it if you could help me out with just showing me the ropes as far as whats what under the hood.

Does this sound like a symptom of an issue with the engine? Or moreso the ignition system?

a flashing cel is usually a sign of a misfire usually. you should also clean the maf and ess. also the 20 brake stomp is usually recomended after working on your car. all of this is covered in the diy section and is very easy.

i was hoping you were closer and would gladly help you out but thats a far drive for me and my 8 is torn apart right now waiting on parts to get here. sry. you could probably find a member closer to you that would be willing to help you out.

im assuming you still have a cat in your car right? if your 8 is misfiring it could mess up the cat and than the motor

You know what, I bet ford did not actually know to do the 20 stomp rule to reset it. I will go home, replace the other 2 coils, and then reset it. Speaking of which, should I actually just replace all 4 then? I just had 2 replaced but I'm sure the coils i bought are different so I'd have 2 different types of coils. Would that be bad?

Ill then test drive it and see what happens. Yeah it still does have a CAT but I know that it has been misfiring a lot due to whats been going on. I do not know how to clean the sensors you were just mentioning though, I can try that as well.

If that still doesnt fix the issue, I'll bring the car to mazda and see if its the engine itself that is causing the issue. Who knows, the reason the previous owner might have turned the car in is because they might have known the car was about to fall apart.

i am also having a similar problem please send me a pm if you resolve the issue im in so cal.

These are the coils I purchased. According to advanced auto parts, they will fit.

Attachment 235432

I was actually going to replace them tonight but didnt have enough daylight so i only got as far as disconnecting the battery. I reconnected it and it started shitty and sounded like it was going to die for a couple seconds and a lot of dash lights such as the abs, and "DSC off" were lit up.

Is the simple remedy for fixing that the 20 brake peddle stomp trick?

If you disconnected the battery, the DSC/ABS system needs to be reset.
Turn the iginition key to ON (but don't start the engine). Then turn the steering wheel all the way to the left, then all the way to the right. Remove the ignition key.
Turn on the ignition again and those lights should now be off.

Sounds like you're having a bad go! Don't let that discourage you!!
First, do as Tamas said to fix the DSC light.
If you have about $20, buy a coil tester and follow this DIY. And if any fail, take the 4 ignition coils you already purchased and replace them accordingly.
Then, read this