Hello everyone. Basic Tips?
11-18-2007, 09:11 AM
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Hello everyone. Basic Tips?
Hello,
I recently bought my first RX. I got a 2004 RX8 GT fully loaded. Had 40,000 miles on it and is in great condition. I must say I am loving this car quite a bit. But I am new to rotary engine, and wondered if there is a thread, or if anyone can list me any tidbits or facts that are good for new owners to know. I know about not turning off the car while the engine is still cold to avoid the flooding. But does it affect it if you start driving and the engine is cold, and then heats up while driving, or is does it only affect if you shut off the engine when you are still cold?
Also I notice that sometimes when the engine shifts gears it will kind of "jump" and shake a car a little. Is that normal?
Anyways, thanks in advance for any advice. I look forward to enjoying this car for a long time, and will probably buy another one brand new when I am ready to get a new car.
I recently bought my first RX. I got a 2004 RX8 GT fully loaded. Had 40,000 miles on it and is in great condition. I must say I am loving this car quite a bit. But I am new to rotary engine, and wondered if there is a thread, or if anyone can list me any tidbits or facts that are good for new owners to know. I know about not turning off the car while the engine is still cold to avoid the flooding. But does it affect it if you start driving and the engine is cold, and then heats up while driving, or is does it only affect if you shut off the engine when you are still cold?
Also I notice that sometimes when the engine shifts gears it will kind of "jump" and shake a car a little. Is that normal?
Anyways, thanks in advance for any advice. I look forward to enjoying this car for a long time, and will probably buy another one brand new when I am ready to get a new car.
11-18-2007, 09:57 AM
#6
Welcome to the RX-8! A lot of your questions are answered in the FAQ: https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/rx8-faq-new-owners-116484/
Regarding your question about flooding, all you have to remember is to not turn it off when the engine is stone cold, which just means don't start it first thing in the morning to move it 10 feet in the driveway and then shut it down. Once the engine is warm, you've got nothing to worry about. Doesn't matter if it warms from driving a few minutes, or just sitting in the driveway and idling for a few minutes. And, of course, once the engine's warm, it stays warm for awhile… so if you drive to the mall and park for an hour or so, it's still "warm" when you return, and can be started and then immediately turned off with no worries.
Regarding your question about flooding, all you have to remember is to not turn it off when the engine is stone cold, which just means don't start it first thing in the morning to move it 10 feet in the driveway and then shut it down. Once the engine is warm, you've got nothing to worry about. Doesn't matter if it warms from driving a few minutes, or just sitting in the driveway and idling for a few minutes. And, of course, once the engine's warm, it stays warm for awhile… so if you drive to the mall and park for an hour or so, it's still "warm" when you return, and can be started and then immediately turned off with no worries.
11-18-2007, 10:57 AM
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Hey Sushi, where you located?
Most people here let the car warm up a few minutes and don't rev higher than 3-4K for a while until it's fully warmed up. Should be no problem after that.
Good luck and welcome to da club.
Most people here let the car warm up a few minutes and don't rev higher than 3-4K for a while until it's fully warmed up. Should be no problem after that.
Good luck and welcome to da club.
11-18-2007, 10:57 AM
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11-18-2007, 01:05 PM
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Welcome to the RX-8! A lot of your questions are answered in the FAQ: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=116484
Regarding your question about flooding, all you have to remember is to not turn it off when the engine is stone cold, which just means don't start it first thing in the morning to move it 10 feet in the driveway and then shut it down. Once the engine is warm, you've got nothing to worry about. Doesn't matter if it warms from driving a few minutes, or just sitting in the driveway and idling for a few minutes. And, of course, once the engine's warm, it stays warm for awhile… so if you drive to the mall and park for an hour or so, it's still "warm" when you return, and can be started and then immediately turned off with no worries.
Regarding your question about flooding, all you have to remember is to not turn it off when the engine is stone cold, which just means don't start it first thing in the morning to move it 10 feet in the driveway and then shut it down. Once the engine is warm, you've got nothing to worry about. Doesn't matter if it warms from driving a few minutes, or just sitting in the driveway and idling for a few minutes. And, of course, once the engine's warm, it stays warm for awhile… so if you drive to the mall and park for an hour or so, it's still "warm" when you return, and can be started and then immediately turned off with no worries.
Hey Sushi, where you located?
Most people here let the car warm up a few minutes and don't rev higher than 3-4K for a while until it's fully warmed up. Should be no problem after that.
Good luck and welcome to da club.
Most people here let the car warm up a few minutes and don't rev higher than 3-4K for a while until it's fully warmed up. Should be no problem after that.
Good luck and welcome to da club.
and 4me2 thanks for the links that had some good info. Thanks for all the help guys, Just trying to get to know more about the engine and what not, as this is different from what I am used to.
11-18-2007, 01:17 PM
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Sorry to jump in on someone else's thread... I'm new to rotaries too. My 07 6spd GT w/2000 miles has a loud whine (gear/transmission???) when coasting 65 to 75 mph (car in 6th, foot off the gas). Is that whine normal???
11-19-2007, 10:12 AM
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I don't think a whine under that condition is normal, but I can't offer a guess as to cause. Maybe other members have experienced it and will comment, or can offer suggestions.
11-19-2007, 12:07 PM
#13
Insanely Yellow
Here's what I'd give you as a quick top 10 things to know:
1) Oil - it consumes oil by design - nothing wrong with that. Check your oil at every other fill up, or do like I do and spend an hour puttering around the garage every other weekend, and adjust the tire pressures, check the oil, give it a wash, etc. A little RX-8 love time.
2) While it says "premium recommended" you can safely burn '87 in most climates and areas. If you feel guilty, pop the extra cost.
3) Change the oil every 5000 miles at least, more frequently if you'd like to. Pay attention to the maintenance schedule in the book and do those items.
4) Beware, Mazda dealers charge through the nose for everything, and they will try to sell you extra crap during scheduled maintenance stops. Don't let them do it.
5) You can safely upsize the tires to 245/40-18s - they are fatter, fill the wheel wells more, and look **** hot.
6) The summer tires work like crap when the temp falls below 45F. All-season performance radials are an acceptable compromise. Snow tires are a must if you commute in snow.
7) Visit your redline often to keep you happy and keep the buzzer from getting lonely.
8) Keep your car shiny and sparkling clean for best crowd pleasing.
9) Watch out for idiots in Civics who will rev on you.
10) This car is NOT a straight-line speed car - don't get disappointed when you realize that LOTS of cars can beat you at the strip.
Enjoy - post pics when you can!
And search and read:
- The little things
and all the other stickies in all the other forums - DIY - Show & Shine, and more.
Here's a few other goodies - let's call them "unique features":
1) Drive by wire throttle with adaptive learning - the engine computer "reads" your driving habits and can flatten or steepen the throttle response curve to match. Drive hard for a few days and find "new" horsepower (it's always there, just visiting at different times). Baby it and it becomes a rental car ... weird.
2) The weird Bose adaptive radio will boost the volume automatically while you drive - you'l turn it down and minute later you say to yourself "I swear I just turned the radio down".
3) The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) will flash a warning on the dash when any tire is about 4 to 5 lbs down on pressure from the factory setpoint which is 32 PSI. If you get a TPMS warning, stop, do a walk around to make sure you don't have a tire going down, once you're sure, head to a gas station and fill the tire.
4) Never but NEVER use the fix-a-flat kit. It ruins the tire and clogs the TPMS.
5) Feel free to experiment with driving with the DSC off, but understand that there is a stern little Japanese guy hiding the in the works with his finger on the "I think not!" button when it's enabled, and it WILL save your ***! It saved mine once today when I hit a patch of oily pavement in the rain.
6) Don't bother trying to understand or explain the abject ergonomic failure represented by the sunvisors. Just accept that every hot supermodel has a knarly wart somewhere ...
7) Did I mention that the summer tires that come stock on it suck? Oh, yeah, I did. Well it bears mentioning again. If you stick with summers, at least upgrade to a better tire. If you live in a climate where the temp visits sub-40 ranges then consider all-season high performance radials - visit TireRack.com for good reccos, but can heartily reccommend the Pirelli PZero-Nero M+S.
8) You can buy used snows on eBay if you want to go that way. But if you don't use Mazda wheels with TPMS sensors, the light will be on all the time.
9) You can't make love in an RX8. I tried. Doesn't work. Either that or my wife and I both need to lose 7" in height and 75 lbs each (Ok, I could stand to lose 40 lbs ...).
10) Find twisty roads and drive them. Smile.
1) Oil - it consumes oil by design - nothing wrong with that. Check your oil at every other fill up, or do like I do and spend an hour puttering around the garage every other weekend, and adjust the tire pressures, check the oil, give it a wash, etc. A little RX-8 love time.
2) While it says "premium recommended" you can safely burn '87 in most climates and areas. If you feel guilty, pop the extra cost.
3) Change the oil every 5000 miles at least, more frequently if you'd like to. Pay attention to the maintenance schedule in the book and do those items.
4) Beware, Mazda dealers charge through the nose for everything, and they will try to sell you extra crap during scheduled maintenance stops. Don't let them do it.
5) You can safely upsize the tires to 245/40-18s - they are fatter, fill the wheel wells more, and look **** hot.
6) The summer tires work like crap when the temp falls below 45F. All-season performance radials are an acceptable compromise. Snow tires are a must if you commute in snow.
7) Visit your redline often to keep you happy and keep the buzzer from getting lonely.
8) Keep your car shiny and sparkling clean for best crowd pleasing.
9) Watch out for idiots in Civics who will rev on you.
10) This car is NOT a straight-line speed car - don't get disappointed when you realize that LOTS of cars can beat you at the strip.
Enjoy - post pics when you can!
And search and read:
- The little things
and all the other stickies in all the other forums - DIY - Show & Shine, and more.
Here's a few other goodies - let's call them "unique features":
1) Drive by wire throttle with adaptive learning - the engine computer "reads" your driving habits and can flatten or steepen the throttle response curve to match. Drive hard for a few days and find "new" horsepower (it's always there, just visiting at different times). Baby it and it becomes a rental car ... weird.
2) The weird Bose adaptive radio will boost the volume automatically while you drive - you'l turn it down and minute later you say to yourself "I swear I just turned the radio down".
3) The Tire Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) will flash a warning on the dash when any tire is about 4 to 5 lbs down on pressure from the factory setpoint which is 32 PSI. If you get a TPMS warning, stop, do a walk around to make sure you don't have a tire going down, once you're sure, head to a gas station and fill the tire.
4) Never but NEVER use the fix-a-flat kit. It ruins the tire and clogs the TPMS.
5) Feel free to experiment with driving with the DSC off, but understand that there is a stern little Japanese guy hiding the in the works with his finger on the "I think not!" button when it's enabled, and it WILL save your ***! It saved mine once today when I hit a patch of oily pavement in the rain.
6) Don't bother trying to understand or explain the abject ergonomic failure represented by the sunvisors. Just accept that every hot supermodel has a knarly wart somewhere ...
7) Did I mention that the summer tires that come stock on it suck? Oh, yeah, I did. Well it bears mentioning again. If you stick with summers, at least upgrade to a better tire. If you live in a climate where the temp visits sub-40 ranges then consider all-season high performance radials - visit TireRack.com for good reccos, but can heartily reccommend the Pirelli PZero-Nero M+S.
8) You can buy used snows on eBay if you want to go that way. But if you don't use Mazda wheels with TPMS sensors, the light will be on all the time.
9) You can't make love in an RX8. I tried. Doesn't work. Either that or my wife and I both need to lose 7" in height and 75 lbs each (Ok, I could stand to lose 40 lbs ...).
10) Find twisty roads and drive them. Smile.
11-19-2007, 07:10 PM
#17
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Anyway, if it is ALC, hold down the little **** on the bottom right on the dash, I think it's the tuning button for stations, cycle through til you see ALC, then turn that down to 0 and it won't crank up the tunes as you drive along.
Last edited by Shini; 11-19-2007 at 07:13 PM.
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