dothackRAVE

Hey guys, I'm new here, and I have just settled to get myself an RX-8. The seller's already agreed to sell it to me, and now its just a matter of paying up.

I need some general maintenance tips for the RX8. I'm from a country with just four seasons -- summer, summer, summer and El Nino, so I've never had to prepare a car for winter or drive one around in snow. Winter's coming up..., and I've read that salt in the snow can cause damage to a car. I really don't want to do such a thing to the RX8. What do I need to prepare the car for? How do I do a "cold startup" on the RX8? I've heard of the cold causing cars to not start. I'm also worried about the oil for the Renesis freezing over.

Aside from that, what are some other general maintenance tips?

636

I have to top off my oil every 4k or so. But then again i change my oil every 3k miles so yeah.. I dont think i ever found myself with low oil , as i constantly change it. For tips on cold weather im not really sure. I live in california so we get no snow here . Ummm , make sure you get all your recalls done , btw what kind of deal is it? Like how much , what package/color etc.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

if you had just read up to the stickys.. i know it is hard...

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-faq-9/

beers

mikeferz42

cold start up? don't worry, the rx8 isn't carbureted. since you said you live in a climate that doesn't experience cold weather, you shouldn't worry about your oil "freezing over." even at that, as long as you use the right "W" for the rx8, i.e. 5w20, as the manual recommends, you shouldn't experience any problems.

1. you should check oil level every other fill up.
2. after starting the car, don't turn it off right away. wait untill the temp gauge reads a little bit below half.
3. like the post above, take it to dealer for recalls.

TomAssBender

great added value

dothackRAVE

I'm actually buying the car second hand from a private dealer, for around $20,000 (with Mazdaspeed exhaust).

Some of you may have misunderstood. I'm from a country in the tropics, but I've moved to Indiana, USA for further studies (Purdue University). We get cold here. VERY cold. The last winter had blizzards and class cancellations because it was so bad, it's painful to even walk. Many things froze over, and I'm afraid the oil in the RX8 will freeze when I get it.

So, cold startups?

Oh yeah, I read the stickies. Didn't tell me much though...

swoope

iTrader: (5)

your oil will not freeze. and read your owners manual while you are at it...

beers

dothackRAVE

Yeah, gonna read the manual the instant I get my hands on the car, which should be in less than a month! I can't wait!

swoope

iTrader: (5)

you can find it online. mazda usa... you will have to jump through some hoops..

or if you pm me you email i can send it to you.. it is 11mb




beers

dothackRAVE

My email's john1988@gmail.com. I don't mind making this public because my spam filters are trustworthy enough.

Rems31

Since there are many users where winter is one of the four seasons, you can pretty much be assured that this car can be driven in the winter. Salt is corrosive and is damaging to any car. It's a good idea to get a car wash once in a while during the winter months.
For me only once did I have to crank it 3 times for the car to start in the winter. All the other times, she started fine. Speaking of the cold, don't turn off the car cold (ie before it reaches operating temp) to prevent flooding the engine. Get winter tires.

Oh, winter isn't coming up anytime soon so you have lots of time to research your winter driving concerns.

Bad_Bob

I drop the insurance on 8 for the winter months. I will buy a 500 junk and drive that for the winter. Well that is the plan

alfy28

Welcome to the club, i wish i can give you tip for winter weather. But texas just stays hot. oh one thing is i hear Veilside kits are good for snow plowing. (sorry veilside kit owners, i just had to )

dothackRAVE

Lol at Veilside. I was actually thinking of getting a body kit for the 8, but they're too expensive for me at the moment. The most I'll do is probably install the strakes, and that's it.

Thanks for the info on winter. It's a beautiful car. I'm just worried about damaging it.

dmc27

winter didn't hurt mine too much - tho you ABSOLUTELY need winter tires. Salt & sand will beat it up some when compared to those lucky enough to not have salt & sand on the roads. If you can afford a beater - go for it. If you can't you'll just have to "suffer" driving the 8 through the winter months.

Shini

Stealership told me I only had to do an oil change every 7,500 miles, not 3,000. Not sure if it's true or not but I've just been doing it around every 5,000 or so...

laythor

I've yet to hear someone say "damn, I changed the oil too often in that car"

dmc27

IIRC - the manual calls for oil changes every 5k.

every 3k for me.

dbright007

Pretty much what they said.
When you get settled in Indiana, find a good local Mazda service place, and just have them check all your fluids for winter, and get some winter tires.
And don't shut it off cold. If you are gonna start it, let it get warmed up before you turn it off. Plenty of 8's in Canada which is alot colder than you are gonna get.

Mobile

Everything you need to know is in your owners manual that came with the car. Check your oil level regularly, and rev the motor to 3K before shutting of the car when your engine is cold.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

owners manual sent..

beers

dothackRAVE

Thanks swoope for the manual.

Thanks guys for all your advice. I'm practically hopping around as I count down the days to getting my hands on it!

swoope

iTrader: (5)

lots of stupid has been prevented by reading the manual.. you are ahead of the curve..

beers

dothackRAVE

The manual is loooooooonggggg. It'll take some time before I even finish it. @_@

mikeferz42

lol just read the parts you don't already know, i.e. homelink, which took me a couple of minutes to figure out. pay attention to the maintenance section. i copied it down to the notepad on my phone...just a little tip that might help.