Idiot Questions..
 

So im not going to pretend like i know anything about cars besides what i read on this site. I really don't know jack shit and im slowly gaining knowledge thanks to you guys. Im a java/android guru but i cant change my own damn oil smh. I paid mazda 200 the other day just to change my coils, plugs, and ignition wires that i purchased myself smh.

Here are idiot questions:

How does the coolant overflow tank work? Does it need to be topped off once a week because i noticed mine does at least once a week. (Maybe a leak) Does it hold the coolant in the overflow tank until the radiator needs more? When i top it off is it supposed to be leaking; i assumed maybe its leaking the excess fluid because i put to much. I definitely saw coolant on the ground leaking from under4 after i topped it off on a 20 min drive. Please forgive my ignorance i really did search and i found a bunch of threads about leaks etc but nothing that i needed answered <_<

if you saw the car's coolant on the ground and it's not spillover from filling, you'll have to locate the leak and address it. the leak could disable the power steering.

what does your owner's manual say about it?

i know a decent amount about cars but i am new to rotarys. keep an eye on your engine temp. fix the leak. iv heard from people on this site and others that an overheated rotary engine is not a happy day.

How full are you filling the coolant bottle? All the way to the top? I hope not.

why not start reading the user manual before asking questions?
no one blames people that do not know cars, but we surely dont like those who do not do their homework just asking for a quick answer.
back to the topic.
are you exceeding the correct coolant level? because if you do it will overflow hence the overflow tank name.
there are lines on the passenger side indicating the correct level of coolant.
if its overfilled, coolant will come out from the tube near the cap on the top right.
in some cases, overflown coolant gets on the PS connectors causing PS malfunction.

$200 to install parts you already bought? Probably still beats the over $900 (including parts) the dealer tried to charge me for the same service.

Droid guru? Can't you write an app for that?

Like others have already said:
1. How much coolant are you putting in the coolant tank. There is a line on the side of the tank that says MAX.

2. How much does the coolant level drop? Is the "low coolant" light coming up on the dash?

Unfortunately my 8own didn't come with one so internet is my only reliable source. Im sure they have one available online somewhere but i haven't downloaded it yet. Thanks for responses guys.

Also i am filling it all the way to the top.

I wish i could have installed them myself though. Yeah i like to think im a decent coder. A friend and i are working on an rpg game hoping to get it in the android market by jan 2012!

that is your problem you're not supposed to fill all the way up. there will be a full mark on the side of the container about half way up. that is it. when you fill it all the way up,and the engine temp comes up to temp, it is spilling over the top

Dont feel bad, the first time I filled mine, I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and filled it to the top. Next thing I knew, there was coolant spraying all over the engine...lesson learned. One thing you might want to do it reroute, with a longer hose, the overflow tanks hose that drips out to the right about 2 inches. Like mentioned before, it can drip onto the power steering connectors and give you hell with your power steering.

Also, this was posted by MX6_2_RX8 once in a thread, its a download for the owners manual :)


It is right on the Mazda site. You need to register (free) to get the link but once you have it you don't need to log in to view it.
Go to www.mazdausa.com and click on the owners tab:
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...ersHome.action

Then you can view the OM for the cars you own, for instance:
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/...004_owners.pdf

once in a thread.. i have posted the manual pdf to people 5 times in the last week and a half

you dont even need to register just go to this page
http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/disp...earHome.action

and select model and year

Makes perfect sense why i saw all the coolant spilling on the ground at my first stop. The other guy has the perfect word *facepalm* lol.

Thanks for the link zoom. Ive owned my 04 since 2007 and its a shame ive never read the owners manual for my car once.

LOL, you've had your car for almost 5 years, and you never knew anything about it?

Yup lol. Well I had common sense, but I didnt know anything about the rotary until I found this site in 2010; I lurked for a while before joining. Before I found the 8 club I always changed my oil every 2k mi and only ran 93 octane. All my lessons learned came from VERY expensive dealer visits. I got the car at 30k, it has 75k and I got my first reman 1000 miles ago. Never really had any other issues since most recalls were done before I purchased it. Just a cat replacement and clutch pedal assembly. I tell you what though, I didn't do any research before buying this car and I found out the hard way but I wouldn't trade it for the world. 7k left and it will officially be mine.

I did maybe one evening of research before buying mine. Enough to read some favorable reviews and learn about flooding. I found this site after I bought my 8. I'm glad I did not find this site before - it might have scared me off.

I would not trade, either.

Ken

you should run 93 gas but changing oil per 2k mile is excessive.:suspect:

Yeah looking back at it now it was definitely excessive but i change every 3500 now. I had no owners manual and all the dealer said was "the rotary burns a shit ton of oil" which it does but no need to change every 2k lol. Since im in texas i bumped the 5w-20 to 5w-30 conventional since its hot as shit out here. Once i hit 100k (extended warranty exp) im running royal purple!! Since we've been off topic for a while lol ill say the only thing i wish the 8 had was acceleration..

I haven't experience flooding yet and i hope i never do.