P00Man

youve gotta be kidding, it better be nothing..........
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FEMALE ADVICE DICUSSION

Superfan

I took this pic at rev it up because I found it odd that the front grill is not completely perforated. In addition, Japan uses front license plates that I think would further inhibit airflow through the grill. I see myself buying a completely perforated grill when it becomes available.

santino

just as XU and Ahura have said, don't worry too much about the heat the car is producing. Rotaries do run much hotter...on my FD, the exhaust temps read around 1200 deg F when cruising on the freeway at 80ish MPH.

and the noises that you hear is just as Ahura said as well; parts and fluids cooling. as long as your coolant levels are where they should be, and the oil is not black sludge, then the car will be fine.

if there are fears stemming from the cooling problems of the FD, then people must remember that it was the turbo system that caused all the problems. the Renesis as well as older NA rotaries won't (shouldn't) encounter those types of problems that FI rotaries did.

take care

santino

RotorGeek

We could always install a turbo timer to allow the engine to cool down a bit before it is shut down

santino

that sounds like a good idea. or do the "fan mod" that many have done on the RX7club Forum. even just for piece of mind.

i would rather do the turbo timer though. hacking a new car does not sit easy with me.

santino

ml2316

and i would think cars with higher engine speeds would get hotter.

daedelgt

If you get a chance, check the thermoswitch on the thermostat to see what kind of connector it is. If it looks the same as another Mazda part, you can probably get a cooler version to make your fans turn on 20 degrees sooner (f). I did so with my FD and a Miata thermoswitch.

Another thing. Don't listen to anyone when they say having your coolant boiling is fine. It's not in any occasion. That means that part of the engine isn't being cooled right because of an air pocket, lowering the longevity.

boowana

1.) The temp guage is real so I wouldn't worry if the gauge stays in the
middle. The oil pressue guage is like the Miata, stays at a fixed location.

2.) The side vents are functional, they vent the engine compartment.

3.) All engines get their hottest after they are shut down, no different
than anything else.

4.) Mazda has had no problem with the engines running hot in tons of testing.

5.) The popping noise is probably the heat shields on the exhaust as the
first heat soak then cool.
:p

Toadman

I'd be more concerned with the high underhood temps eventually hardening the vacuum lines and hoses. Maybe just remove the plastic engine cover, especially in the summer. It's aesthetic and serves no real purpose other than to trap in heat.

KKMmaniac

It looks like Mazda has done a lot of work with underhood air flow management, (doesn't the Yamaguchi book show a diagram?) and modifying the grille area under the license plate, or removing the engine cover could have a negative affect on the cool air flowing in, and the hot air flowing out smoothly. (although I agree, the engine cover seems unnecessary)

daedelgt

It would probably be ok if you fashioned some sort of guide for the air to go straight to the radiator.

Goose

Are any other (lucky!) owners getting the same heating issues?

I have had a Golf Gti turbo for the last couple of years, and always found it strange that i never heard the fans when i got out of the car after a good run. After a while the car started cutting out, completely - including brakes! After a while (about 40mins) it would cool and i could re-start. The engine temp sensor was to blame in this case, but there are obvious serious issues with the engine temperatures getting too high.

It seems worrying to me that the engine obviously needs cooling in your case (hence the fans running) but they are only allowed to run if the ignition is on.

Have you asked your dealer if this is normal?

XUrotaryrocket

OK, I have had 3 2nd. gen non-turbo RX-7's. All of them had many, many miles on the original engines. The one thing I always noticed about them was how much heat radiated from under the hood and under the car.

THIS IS NORMAL.

Rotaries have a very good reputation in the racing world for durablity and cost-effectiveness - depite the heat. As long as your water temps are fine..... forget about what you feel coming from around the car.


Ever seen thermal imaging pics of RX-7's??? They glow white around the engine and exhaust areas.

There is nothing to worry about. This engine will be fine. If you want to worry about heat like me, buy a 3rd gen.

JTek_55

My Audi TT is the hottest running car I have ever been around. It gets so hot that in order to touch anything in the engine bay it has to sit for at least 5-6 hours after being run at normal operating temp. The engine bay is completely covered with the plastic panels so this probably has something to do with it. Also the fact that it has a turbo that boosts 12-15 psi probably doesn't help either.

Racer X-8

Any cause for concern about parking on grass, cardboard, whatever might burn from radiant heat?