Hey guys I'm new here, just bought a 2004 RX-8 Auto..
 

Yes, I know the automatic was a TERRIBLE choice. But let's be honest here.. I really don't want to have the hassle of driving stick since I have little to no experience with it. So now that I'm part of this forum, I guess here come some of my questions..

1: To premix or NOT to premix?


2: How to increase your engine life?


3: Is Castrol GTX 5 W20 alright?

Right now I live in Chicago, the weather here is EXTREMELY cold! I'd say today was around 16 degrees.. It took a crank and a half or up to two to start my RX8 today.. I started it several times and followed the starting procedure of letting the engine warm up then revving it up to 3-4k before shutting the engine down. Every time I shut it down it actually sounds like it's still on for another 4 seconds. Unlike a piston engine that almost stops! It's hard to explain the sound.. Anyway my RX8 I just bought has 87k miles on it.. I got it for 8k flat which wasn't really the best price but it was decent. No a lot of Auto RX8's here in Chicago.. I just had to jump on it! As far as the engine goes.. I don't think it's been replaced before, looked at the carfax and no engine replacement. But who knows I could be VERY wrong with this. With the mileage on it I could only assume it's been replaces at least once. It's a pretty strong car for me.. Had fun with a little bit of snow drifting. :D

I guess I'm just looking for tips and future plans for this car! I currently LOVE it! Due to the fact the overall car is in very GREAT condition!!!!

- iSki123

First of all welcome to the club. If you have not done it yet, take some time to read this thread, it will answer your questions and it will help you learn about the car:


https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

Also, most of the Chicago owners have moved to the forum linked in my signature. Stop by if you have a chance.

^ That link is a good place to start.

There is a serial number on the engine, but it doesn't match the car's vin number. Carfax doesn't show engine changes. The engine on the AT lasts longer due to the fact it doesn't rev as high and it gets better gas mileage than the manual.

Fixed.

Fixed it better, and more completely.

BC.

Where would I be able to find this? i'm curious as to whereI can locate t just so I can chheck tomorrow!

- iSki123

Engine block front iron on drivers side under/behind alternator/removal hook area. Starts with a capital E.

no excuse, the day I bought my 8 is the first day I learn how to drive a stick, and in NYC, yeah, traffic IS an issue but I never had any issue with it.

Welcome! I'm in the Chicago area too and in the Evolv club like cdleo and alnielsen. I have an 05 auto RX-8, and I enjoy it. I originally bought the car because I wanted a 4-door sedan that would be reliable (this was before all the news about the Series I engine failures), handle well, and that I liked the looks of. Some car club friends talked me into going to a track day, and I've now modified it and use it for track days. The paddle shifters are nice for that (you can use left foot braking) and for routine driving as well, although my car is no longer my daily driver.

The others are right that the stick is ultimately more fun, but you can have lots of fun with this car too.

As far as reliability mods for the engine go, it depends on what you plan on doing with the car. I remember that Mazmart advised me to run a heavier weight oil because of signs of increased bearing wear on engines that they had rebuilt. They recommended 10w-40, although I went with 5w-40 because our winters are colder here than where they are. They also have an oil pressure regulator that you can add that should help with that. They also advised me to premix on the automatic because you tend not to get as much oiling from the OMP because of operating at lower rpms. I use Idemitsu, but there are all kinds of things that people use.

If you don't plan on tracking it, the heavier weight oil is probably about all you need. If you plan on tracking it, you need to get into some serious cooling upgrades if you want the engine to last.

It is recommended to redline it once every day that you drive it. I usually do that in first gear pulling away from a stoplight or stopsign. If I'm on the highway, I will redline it in second gear.

If the car is your daily driver, I would advise against extensively modifying the powertrain (save your money for an engine replacement). If you do, you have to be willing to accept downtime for installation and while you sort through issues that will crop up. If you are not tracking it or autocrossing it, I'd advise against modding the suspension. If you need new shocks, maybe replace them with something better than stock. But the RX-8 stock suspension is almost perfect for a road car. Just enough ground clearance (although it does look better lowered, but then you sacrifice ground clearance), and it has a good ride with great handling for the street.

A Mazda dealer should be able to tell you if the engine has been replaced, at least under warranty.