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)



Attachment 235550
Attachment 235551

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

Yeah im trying not to get discouraged. I appreciate all the help. I just get bummed sometimes because I still am at my house and even though it is my car, my parents kind of annoy me when I try to do diy stuff with my car because they think I'm going to break it lol, which is prolly sometimes true. So I just get nervous about doing all this testing and replacing, like if it didnt start and I made things worse and had to bring it back to the dealer =p. But you guys have given me so much help that I am getting a bit more confident. I'm going to go for replacing the coils AND the plugs. For the coils though, I am going to take off the drivers side tire to do this. I hear that theyre like right there when you take it off? I dont feel confident enough to remove the whole air filter mechanism on the top, because its the stock 1. Think it'll still be easy from there?

Anyways these are the coils I got:

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...___#fragment-3

Are those sufficient? (BWD Intermotor Ignition Coil)

^Yes, those are sufficient.
Once you get in there and start doing the work, you'll gain confidence quickly! Just remember to do 1 plug and 1 coil at a time :) Or, follow the picture below

wow you know whats kinda funny is that picture helped me out like 9999x over LOL. I kinda wondered what everything looked like without all the mess. I read some one saying that they were actually able to change the coils without removing anything it was just tricky with their hands. I have small hands so I might see if its possible somehow just to do it like that.

Then ill jack up the front and do some spark plug action. Thanks a lot for giving me the motivation :). If i still get a CEL thrown, ill bring it to mazda to check. Its kinda strange though, I got the CEL on my way back to work on a random acceleration, but I drove it really aggressively for like 30 minutes after I got home to test it, and it didnt throw 1 flashing cel at all. dunno what was going on with it. I figure the other 2 coils are probably going bad, or are about to go bad.

Btw another question I really wanted to ask. Ill make a video sooner rather than later to demonstrate what i mean but, when I leave my car at idle, it gives a "Blip" kind of sound once every 7-8 seconds or so. Kind of does a quick shake in the cabin like somethin bad flew through the exhaust pipe. Now dont get me wrong its not like the earthquake of the century inside the cabin or anything, but is that a problem? or a common occurance with this car? I dont know if thats considered a "Misfire" and can damage my engine and I need to get it checked out, or something else.

Thanks rx8 soldier for the advice :)

By the way quick question about resetting the abs. When I turned the ignition to the on position (but not starting it), I cant really turn the wheel to the left or right. Its locked. It turns a tiny bit but only if I force it and I dont want to break anything. Am I doing something wrong with that?

When I turned the car back on this morning the light went off. Is that normal? (like after 1 drive cycle, the next restart it goes out), or does that just mean its still turned off, theres just no light on the dash after a drive cycle.

Anyways, I attempted to do 3 things. I attempted to:

Change the coils,
Change the plugs,
and replace the starter.

I ran into issues. Please help me out.


First things first, the reason I couldnt do any of these things was because I just couldnt reach them... The starter seemed to be the easiest to access because it is plop right under the car, no hidden corners or anything. Questions: Aside from the bolts, what wires do I snap off?
Attachment 235410
Is it that small black clip there along with that white plastic clip? or are there other wires to disconnect? (I tried pinching and wiggling that black wire but it wouldnt seem to budge.

2nd Question: Spark plugs.

This is what I ended up with when I took off the tire. I could see the spark plugs pretty well, and was able to take off the wires. Problem? I cant fit a ratchet in there. I tried using an extension that extends way far enough but it is not a straight enough angle to where the socket fits the spark plug evenly. That whole black plastic part on the right is in the way.

Attachment 235411
And I mean that the whole plastic like wheel well that the screw is attached to is in the way. Whats the secret?

Lastly... the coils. No way I can do it without taking stuff off. Is there an easy way to do this without taking off the WHOLE air intake system (for a newb like me :) )?

Thanks guys.

Attachment 235412

1. The "blip" (every 7-8 sec) is normal.
2. Yes, after a drive cycle, the DSC light will go off (unless you have other issues)

3. Have you read through the DIY's, producing step by step instructions on how to do those things?
Starter removal

The plugs and coils are already linked, earlier in the thread.
Unfortunately, you'll have to remove the air box. It really isn't too hard. There are videos on youtube, and DIY's here that will assist with that

thanks soldier.

Yeah that starter diy looks rlly good. And yeah ill try my best with the coils eventually. Only thing is though, I remember in the DIY for the spark plugs, they said to remove the splash guard. Isnt that the small cloth thing there that is hanging in the picture? I removed that but the extension still doesnt fit straight. Does that whole plastic structure behind the wheel come out or something?

Do you have the proper tools? You need at least 1 swivel for your ratchet, to reach the rears (at least I do...)

lol for the rears i just get under the car with a small extension and get them off like that lol and for the fronts a wobble extension or a universal joint really helps (not the crappy ones that bind up, but the ones with the ball inside that turns smoothly lol) starter is really simple ive had to take it off a couple times... clutch and tranny replacement... when i first did my coils i took off my strut bar and then just the rubber tube between the airbox and throttle body and fit my hands in there just gotta be careful with the plastic elbows connected into the tubing attached to the 3 hoses because they are brittle and can crack pretty easily just a heads up lol

Is this an upgraded starter?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/260979887532...84.m1497.l2649

It says it "Replaces" the part number i already have. So I dont know if that means its the same one or not. Some one had told me that if it is 2.0 kw, its the upgraded starter. And thats what that one says.

If it is the upgraded starter, will that be ok with my stock battery? (It was just replaced with a new 1 however by my dealer).

The easiest way to access the coils is this:

Remove the black metal brace that crosses over the engine bay.
Just a couple of nuts on each side of it holds it down.
Extremely easy to remove.

Remove the black accordion tube between the airbox and the throttle body.
Two hose clamps on it, and unplug any hoses that connect to it.
Everything goes back on just one way, so you don't have to worry about screwing it up, and you already have pictures of how everything reconnects.

You can remove the air box's air filter cover door if you want at this point, but I don't think you need to. Just unhook the MAF connector, and remove it. Even easier than any other step so far.

Next up, just unplug the spark plug wire from the coil you want to replace, unplug the electrical connector from the coil, remove the nut that holds the coil down, and off it comes. Installing the new one is exactly the reverse procedure.

Tip, if you are going to replace all of them at the same time, I would recommend taping numbers 1,2,3 and 4 to the 4 spark plug wires, so you know which wire goes to which coil.

The reason for doing this is that its much easier to replace coil #4 when you already have coil #3 removed. MUCH, MUCH easier. The other three you can do one at a time without any issues.

Also, if you don't already have one, get a magnetic pick up tool.
It will make getting those little nuts that hold the coils down so much easier to retrieve when you remove them from the coil, and you can use the magnet to fish them back out of the engine bay if (when) you drop one.

Its very very easy to replace the coils on this engine.

BC.

thanks bc, Ill give it a shot when I get home.

btw... does any one ACTUALLY use the jack that came with the rx8? Ive been using that on the drivers side front to get at the spark plugs/starter. However... to get at the starter I actually have to lay underneath the car... and well, I can do it but, I get a little paranoid about the jack failing. I put my tire underneath the side but its too far back as to where I really think itd save me.

I have another jack but unfortunately I dont really have any inventive tools/supports to make it compatible with the rib on the side. so... all in all:

For the quick procedure of changing the starter, would you trust that jack (With the tire under the side)?

Or am i f****** crazy?

yes... and don't EVER do it. You can find obits of people who have tried this on cars. It's unsafe and dangerous to try. Just put your $10 jack from any parts store or walmart under there where the jack would go. No problem, no damage, live long :)

Fuuuuck, I wouldn't trust it. Just get a pair of jack stands off Amazon bud.

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=15708041

A good rule of thumb to ALWAYS remember when working on your car:

It's not a matter of IF a jack will fail, but WHEN.

I replace mine every other year, even if it's "working fine", and always keep at least 1 jack in my trunk, so worst case I still have a jack to use.

seriously, Get some jackstands. You can get them at any parts store, walmart, whatever for $25 or less.

Oh yeah, dont worry about the jackstands, I have some of them. My questions was more or less, can I sill use the oem jack to like, support the drivers side? like ugh I wish I could explain it better. I meant can I use the OEM jack to jack up the car (but use jackstands/backups underneath, etc.)

Also, for the jackstands, where are the best places to put them?

I always have used a hydraulic floor jack under front or rear center lift points (see the manual there are pictures, but they are the center front subframe and the diff case), then stick the jack stands where you'd normally put the Mazda jack, then let the car down on them and rest there, nice and solid.

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Can I do one side at a time? Or do I have to do all front, or all back. I just need to lift my drivers side up really.

If you lift front center and put a jack on the driver side front, that whole side (front and rear tire) will be up in the air when you remove the hydraulic jack.

Awesome. I think Im gonna have to try that. as far as the jack stands go, do you put anything on them so they dont damage the underside rib thing?

Also, for the hydraulic jack, I guess I could buy one but, I have the one where you have a handle coming out of the end to pump it up, no way I'm getting that under the car lol, do you use an electric one? And if so, do you use anything to put between the car and the jack, like a small 2x4 or something like that?

Also for the drivers side front will a 2ton jack suffice? I know the car is ~3k lbs but i just wanna make sure!

Ah Ha! You want the secrets.... Jack the side of the car up with the Mazda jack so you can get under with the other (mine was the floor type with the loooong handle not the little one.). Once you do that take the weight of the car with the floor jack, remove the Mazda one, replace with jack stand and let down on the stand. Presto!

haha thanks =). Ill go to home depot and look around. I guess my main concern at this point now, is knowing where to put the jack to jackup the whole front/center of the car. I hear people say "if you dont know where the specific jack point is, its risky", well let me tell you LOL, its pretty risky for me then lol.

Every1 said "rear differential spot, front frame... etc" I dont really know how to point out these specific things... its a 2005 rx8 and underneath the car theres a whole bunch of stuff. I havent been able to examine the bottom and learn what things are for myself cause im too afraid of getting crushed lol. Is there any like landmark/sure fire spot that I'll know its ok to put the jack under? (ill prolly use a small 2x4 inbetween the jack and the spot if its ok)

You need to get under, esp the front, it's hard to see and if you miss ... opps .. don't do that...trouble will insue! No 2x4...metal to metal is best.

Here's the crossmemebr pic best I could find marked w/blue.

you know what I'll do, Ill get my jacks, get home, use the OEM jack, and take a picture of the bottom. Can you circle with paint where it is plz LOL.