JackBauerDrivesAn8

Hello, all, my pleasure to join. I'm 22 from KC, MO and couldn't resist buying such a unique auto. I'm here to learn, having no prior rotary experience. I did own an '86 IROC, radical 11.5:1 383 stroker, T-56, 373 rear, ZR-1s, the works! And the SBC is my first love, but seeing the RX-8 GT on display I couldn't help myself. So finally after almost 6 weeks of negotiating with the dealer (whom I met in a bar), I agreed on a stingy purchase price of $18,000 for the '04. Odo just turned over 20,000 miles, totally loaded with navigation, spoiler, lights, and 18s, but I now want to make this last. The only bad thing is that it's an automatic. Was the only one on the lot.

I've researched these over the past year, and the problems are well documented. Oil consumption and bad gas mileage are irrelevant to my concerns at this point. Both are normal in most every 8 assembled. My concerns are with the reliability of the engine itself. Bar none, the car is one of the most beautiful common cars I have seen, but if it doesn't last it ain't worth a damn.

I'm just looking for some advice on how to prolong the life of it. It is absolutely thrilling to drive, and i want it to make it at least 50,000 miles LOL. But there are so many horror stories floating around it gets quite depressing. So any "tricks of the trade" would be greatly appreciated; what works and what doesn't. Also, I'm leaning toward using a thicker oil, hoping to help leaking to the cat; wish I could cut the SOB off!

lata!

NoTears316

I don't know what the norm is in KC, but I feel you overpaid. The mileage is low, but it is an AT.

Follow the maintenance schedule in your owner's manual. Here is a list of service bulletins in case something does happen... http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/bulletins.html

StewC625

Oil consumption isn't a problem - it does that by design.

Enjoy your car, although dude ... an AT???? Ouch.

CarAndDriver

You didn't really want an AT, but you bought an AT anyways? And then an 04 AT?

Sorry, but that is the model most likely to have problems. Tales of those all over the board. If you paid 18K, that was too much if it was before taxes/fees.

Tips rev it daily, use 5w-30 if u want, and a fuel additive like Lube Control FP60 or Schaeffers to keep the gunk out. Good luck!

ken-x8

50,000 miles is nothing. Even if you meant 50,000 on top of the 20,000 already on the car, it's nothing. You could almost do that with no maintenance.

Change the oil regularly. Don't go nuts with heavier than recommended: if you have an aversion to 5w20, then go 5w30. As with any car, follow the "severe service" maintenance schedule in the owner's manual. If you don't have the manual, sign up in the owner's section of Mazda USA's web site and download it.

Make sure you rev the engine to red line every now and then. Daily is preferred. It will do both the engine and your soul a lot of good.

Ken

Old Rotor

I have 30K on my 04-AT, its been great never failed me. I had to get the AT but all the others were MT. Best to use mid grade or prem gas. Consider a premix of 4-6oz of oil in every tank. I have put over 520K on rotary engines and Mazda wants the Rotary to live on. The 13b engine has doubled in HP since it came out and the gasmilage has increased too. Cant wait til it gets DI soon.

JackBauerDrivesAn8

50,000 was a very sarcastic thrown out number, obviously. It just seems about a million owners have loads of frustration without even reaching 10K. With respect to the '04 models. And I wasn't happy about $18K, but it's hard to complain when the Mazda dealer down the highway had a blue '04 AT, no navigate, no sunroof (which I love on this car), nor spoiler, 7K more miles for $19,000. And the Carmax had 2 '04s AT & MT, one with 21K miles for $21K (w/navig. no spoiler), and the manual with 30K miles for $20K (no navig, no spoiler). To me it was an obvious choice which one to buy. And I couldn't justify buying a grey one regardless. Yellow, blue, and maybe black only please.

Stingray

I have seen rx7's that are turboed go 150K before rebuilds....reliability really isn't a problem as long as you add oil and change oil ect....take care of the car and it will take care of you

CarAndDriver

Caveat emptor.