Chill! Don't let all the scary posts here fool you; most RX-8 owners have only one engine: the Renesis it came with. You just have to remember to NOT neglect simple, easy-to-do routine maintenance: checking oil level, regular oil changes, rev it a lot (that one is FUN), etc.

Mine happens to be a weekend car, but I'd have no hesitation buying a new one (if that was possible) as a daily driver. None whatsoever.

 

Take a deep breath and relax for a minute. The RX8 is a great and reliable car. Complainers are always the ones that get the attention because everyone else doesn't feel the need to look up a website and yell, "nothing went wrong".

My 2004 is my daily driver and has been since I bought it 9 years ago. I took it to the track the very first summer and had it on dynos tuning on it for more power the first few years I had it. How many other cars can you wring the snot out of on a daily bases for years without any problems? I guarantee you don't redline that Taurus every day. The RX8 just begs to be driven hard and is smooth as silk doing it.

Take care of it and it will be fine.

 

I have a 2004 with 124619 miles and it is my daily. I never have issues. I just drive it like you are supposed to. This car is extremely reliable. The same thing that we are required to do to these cars is also required of piston engine cars. Piston engines can just withstand the abuse as the rotary is like a woman, it's sensitive and does not like it.

I think you guys really need to check your habits toward your cars before you just flame the car. I have several buddies in town that drive this car daily and never see any issues.

 

My 2004 just passed 44,000 loving miles

 

86,000 miles here, 30+ track days, no real issues besides replacing the ignition coils.

 

I’m at 170,000 on my original engine never had a rebuild just as an engine replacement parts and regular maintenance.

I flooded the engine out about 160,000 when I got it and had to take it to a mechanic the mechanic also ran a compression test and it showed to be doing way better than any other ate at 170,000, but then again I’ve never seen another RX eight at 170+

I really hope this reply doesn’t jinx me,

I’ll be knocking on wood to avoid blowing a seal out or anything for the next week or so

 

Driving style? Maintenance intervals? Any habits you keep up with?

 

I have a 2004 with ~114k miles right now. Plan on taking this engine as long as I can, then getting a new tranny when I get the engine rebuilt.

 

it is the original engine

 

188,000 on my 2004… original engine. Original owner, daily driver up to around 170k. Hasn’t been driven as much over the last 5 years. Kept everything stock. Kept up w/ regular maintenance. Would love to see 200k.

 

It's not an RX8, but I knew a guy with an FC RX7 that had 250K on the original engine (last talked to him 6 years ago). He bought it second hand with reasonably low miles (40k or something like that), was told it was the original engine, and had no reason to doubt it. I had no reason to doubt him. He knew how to keep an engine happy, and did so, and it was very good to him. No idea what he or that car are up to these days. Guy pretty much chain smoked unfiltered Marlboro reds, and was in his mid-60s. It'd be interesting to know if either of them are around any more.

 

I'd personally would never buy an rx8 out of engine warranty. I'd go with anything above 50k is fair game for needing a engine rebuild. Mine went 53k, still ran but was throwing engine codes left and right.

 

There's no code for engine compression though, so whatever codes you had, they would not be solved by a rebuild. Could have been easy fixes ..

I'm at 143,000km now, if I make it to 160,000km/100,000mi on the original keg, I'll consider my original engine to have done its duty.

 

Idk, dealership couldn't figured it out after more than a few tries, so I just told em to do a compression test, came back with low and got warrantied.

 

Not an 04 but the one I just picked up is a 07 and has 98,000 miles and still passes compression but barely.
I drive about 80k a year I would love to buy a clean body car and start with a fresh motor and see if all the tricks of keeping the temps down and running the best oils would make it last and how long. Just would be a fun experiment.

 

@Snox801 that would be a commitment more serious than marriage

I'm at 100k km motor has been thru nitrous and is currently turbocharged.

I should do a compression test and see where I'm at.
I have a tester, I think I'm just afraid 😳

 

I love doing. That stuff just wish I had more time and money for fun stuff like that.
I’m impressed with yours.

 

The truth doesn’t just cut through skin, and flesh, and sinew, down to the very bone. No, the truth pierces the very heart and soul of a person. The truth hurts, it’s very hard to face beyond what can be borne by most, it’s painful beyond what a weak or insincere person can endure. It’s the very reason why people either deny the truth or outright profess the opposite of it. .

So the saying, “men chose darkness because their deeds are evil”, the evil being referenced is not that of the physical, fleshly world. It’s the spiritual evil of a man’s inability to face and accept the truth about their self, about the creation, and about the order of things established by, and clearly within the sight of, the Creator. Not only that, but it’s right in front of their very own eyes to both see and know, also sounding within their very own ears to hear and perceive.

They think of a lie; they only consider receiving it from someone else to them, or them giving it to someone else. They never consider the actual lie that condemns their very soul; that is, the lie they tell to their self that denies them of the truth. Which is all too common these days to anyone even remotely paying attention to what’s going on around them.

For who can reason with their self to possibly show and lead them from the lie they deceive their self with to instead come go the truth? A person who deceives their self is totally and completely lost beyond all hope of redemption, except it be revealed to them by a power greater than they are.

So you’re afraid of the compression results of your Renesis engine that you just hyped up without actually knowing with any degree of certainty?

I tell you with all certainly my neighbor and friend, and with all sincerity, love, and caring; you have a much greater result to fear than that.
.

 

I had compression down on both mine my 10 with 13k had great compression.
My 07 was lower but passed one rotor other was just below. After some decarbon both barely pass but pass. I like to know where I’m at. I plan to run this engine till late fall then pull and have chips rebuild it for me.
I agree it is what it is no sense hiding from it unless you want plausible deny ability for a sale.
Which is why I always insist on a compression test before buying or buy assuming it needs a motor and if it passes that’s a bonus for me.

 

Got off my *** yesterday and did a compression test.
It's a fail, no question.
Altitude 1452ft.

Rotor 1






Rotor 2

 

139k miles on my 2004 Mazda RX8 which I just picked it up last week so hopefully, it'll last. From what I can tell it is the original engine I am just waiting for Mazda to get back to me to confirm it. As of now it runs good and starts up easy but I need to do a compression test to get an idea of the life left in it.

 

I'm in the same boat. It starts fine and I have 123k on it. I only put about 1500 miles on it a year, so I'm not too concerned about the compression being low. Original engine. Best of luck! If the rotor housings are gone, I might be forced to do the dreaded LS swap as it would be cheaper, rebuilds aren't cheap.

I can get a low mileage 4.8 LS with LS6 cams, intake manifold, and other goodies for sub $1k and pay a shop $4k to drop it in and wire it up or have a rebuild of the renesis for $5500+ depending on what's needed. I hope your engine lasts many more miles.

 

If you see yellow paint marks on the eccentric shaft pulley bolt or and bolts on the engine it's a rebuild from Mazda reman.

 

actually good that you mention that, I did see a yellow paint mark somewhere on the engine, if I recall correctly a bit below the alternator to the right. Near the motor lift point. Could that mean it’s not the original engine?

 

I rebuilt them for 5 years at mazda reman, we were required to mark every single bolt after we torqued them with a yellow paint marker. But don't worry, mazda Japan sent their rotary line lead to train us back then. Early on they were about 90% new again, just reusing bolts and the shaft. But yeah, yellow paint on the rear hosing, oil pan bolts, eccentric shaft pulley bolt and flywheel nut were required. If the oil pan has yellow dots on its bolts its rebuilt.