The other day I was driving home from College. I was driving on manual mode (my 8 is a 4-speed semi auto). At the lights I press on the gas and change to 2nd gear at 4.5k rpms... and suddenly my 8 shuts off and my Engine light starts flashing. I pulled over to the side with the momentum I had. Turned off my 8 for couple of mins and tried starting it back.

My 8 would turn on but would sound like a go kart… it would struggle to stay on between (1k - 500 rpms) my 8 was vibrating extravagantly and after couple of seconds it would die. Tried to start it a couple more times but came across same situation and wasn't able to drive it. So I left it there overnight (my house was 30 miles away)

The next day, I got an auto zone employee to diagnose the problem with the diagnostic computer. He told me one of the spark plugs, or more than one spark plug is misfiring. So I got it towed home and checked my sparks, and they looked fine, and I barely replaced them back in January. I checked em, cleaned em, put them back in and tried to start the car and it performed the same… vibrating but this time it didn't die by itself and I found out something shocking when I bent over to look under the car and I saw my catalytic converter was glowing red (like a hot rod). What might have caused this?


I’m thinking about replacing my Spark plug wires which I never did, or maybe my O2 sensor. Please, I need any suggestions that may help me resolve this issue. Has anyone gone thru the same situation? My 8 has 93,000 miles on the body and my engine has close to 24,000 miles. My 8 is parked right now and isn't drivable . Thanks in advance.

 

If the cat is glowing red, it's gone. replace it.

 

Like supergoat said if its glowing its ur cat...u need to replace it, should be fine after that..you could do a search on here and might find someone that had the same issue..jus replace it

 

sounds like your cat went out, if you spark plugs are fine, you might wanna replace your wires AND coils too...on top of that replace your cat

 

^+1

 

If you're getting a code for a misfire, I'd start with coils and wires first, and agree that you'll probably need a new cat.

 

That almost sounds like something that happen to me once. Turned onto the highway, shifted into second, gunned it, heard a loud pop. I lost all power, so i pulled over and it was idling extremely rough. It would stay on for about 2 mins. I had to towed to a dealership and they said that one of my plugs blew out, they recommended me getting new plugs, coils etc.

 

Thanks for the advice fellas. I towed my 8 to the dealer today... they are doing to do a diagnosis and then I will take it from there.

 

If they suggest you need a new Cat. Those arent cheap and I'm assuming you are out of warranty, I think they are like $1300!! Time for a midpipe!!! Good luck with your problem though.

 

Omfgosh... I'm so pissed. I just got a call from the dealership. They're saying my engine lost compression and has to be replaced. I'm a crazy rotary fan... ever since I started driving the 8 since 3 yrs ago. I love everything about it... Fascinated on how it works.

I thought I'd never ask this but here it goes... I'm starting to question their reliability! Guys whats up with rotaries? And their reliability? I’m seriously starting to question them now. I had my 1st engine replaced at 69,000 and I hit 93k right now and my engine is gone... (This is my second engine). I thought my first engine was gone due to my brother neglecting regular/major maintenance here and there … like not keeping the oil tip top (which might have caused metal to metal contact) but ****... I started driving the 8 after it had its 1st engine replaced (2nd engine) and I've done all the research I can... using rx8club as my main source about rotaries to keep it in top notch quality and expecting it last for a long time. Doing regular maintenance... changing oil every 2,500 miles keeping my oil clean the same way it went in (keeping my oil tip top in the process). Keeping update with major maintenance. Doing good warm ups... before driving. Driving it like a baby (every now and then taking it to the limit to spill the carbon out)... and this is the payback my engine gives me back? **** I don't even know what to say... Am I just unlikely with lemon engines? Or are rotaries unreliable ever since the Rx8 was introduced? Back in 03.

 

I don't want to comment on the engines reliability as that is something else but I'd say you're lucky this happened now at 93k instead of 8k miles down the road since I assume the motor is being replaced under warranty?
Also you definitely need a new cat if it was glowing.

 

Yes under warranty... luckily. I dont even know what to do after I get my new engine replaced. I'm debating on the reliability... down the road. I can't even sell it or trade it for a decent price... I'm screwed.

 

i think rotorys can be more reliable if they put more money and research into them. i think the rx7s were even worse lol. this is why people don't buy them lol. anyways you should be happy to get a brand engine

 

then you should have known that they aren't that reliable. usually the people that say they are havent [yet] have their engine crap out yet, have the money to do reliability mods, or are just so damn ignorant, and dont face the facts because of how much a fanboy they are. not to mention, they probably dont daily drive the rx8 they own, like we do, so that may prolong their engine until further down the road.

 

Atruerx8racer when you say you "baby" your rx8 and only take it to the limit every now and then, how often is that? If your only doing that once a week maybe that was one of the issues? Autos also cant get up to the same rpm as a manual but I think 7.5k should be able to do it just fine.

 

regardless any car made should be able to handle daily driving. with proper care of course.

 

Just take care of it once you replaced the engine. If you love your car as much as i do, then don't worry about it. Keep it until you truly have to sell it.

 

The real problem imho was the long overdue maintenance. When did he last replace the coils at 93k miles? When did he notice the choked catalyzer? Were the injectors ever cleaned? Premix?
These are often parts of the puzzle when it comes to losing compression.

 

Dude I put about 70 miles a day during the week. Its my dd. I hope your not calling me ignorant... cuz I know about as much as you or maybe even more. I've done proper maintenance... by double checking with my good friend who is a mechanic at the mazda dealership. My maintenance we're all up to date. My next major maintenance was due in 7k miles at 100k miles.

 

What I mean by babying it is revving it once every 2 days to redline 7,200-7,500 rpms.

 

You should define what good maintenance is for you.

 

I had my coils replaced at 69,000 with the new engine. As for the cat that was replaced aswell sometime before 60,000 miles (covered under warranty) I dont even know how it went out but the dealer said they had to replace it. As for the Injectors, I use an additive every 6 months (BG 44k) to keep them clean..

 

Spark plugs? An engine going south at 24000miles is definitely not normal but some remanufactured mazda engines come like crap out of the factory.
Before you edited your first post i thought you were still on the first engine, that's why i went for the maintenance schedule, if it's a 24k miles old unit then it could easily be bad luck or some ancillary like the MAF going south.

 

im not saying that, what i was saying is that, since we daily drive our 8s there is likely more wear and tear than one that sits as a garage queen.

 

this...