Today driving everything is fine for about 35 minutes of driving, then all of a sudden, it starts hesitating and no power. I look down and hte CEL (engine light) is blinking really fast. I was across the street from a mazda dealership (nice cowincidence*). I pull it in and their tech, checks it and says it is misfiring and has a lean fuel mixture. I have about 4k miles on it and no other problems. Has anyone else had this happen? Whats worse is they kept it, so now no RX-8. Sucks you pay so much for a car and it is still brand new and already in the shop.

 

"lean fuel mixture" How does that occur? does this mean you are running too low of an octane?

Please update with your results from Mazda

 

I run 92 octane. I will find out tomarrow what Mazda said.

 

Thats really strange. Maybe your o2 sensor is messed up?? Did your dealership not give you another 8 to drive around? anytime my 8 has to go in, they give me another car to keep until i get mine back. I'm lucky with my fuel living in FL and all...I get 93 octane..

 

maybe a injector failed causing the lean condition

 

Glad that you were able to get into a shop so quickly so you could preserve the integrity of the seals. That's good. I'm also happy to hear that they kept it and were interested in being sure that they fixed it. I hope that it gets fixed well for you, and sorry that it has had a problem, but I'm sure that they will work it out for you.

 

94 octane is good, i never put anything less in it

 

94 Octane! Jeez, all we have here in the Bay Area is up to 91 Octane - and even that's too expensive right now. Think it hit $2.50 a couple days ago.

 

2.50 is outragious. I am pretty lucky I was right there and they were so interested in it. They told me that this was the first one in with problems. I hope it is just a faulty injector that can be fixed asap. What gets me bummed though is my MP3 Player got here yesterday and I can't use it.

 

yeah 2.50 a gallon is outrageous. one of the main reasons i fled the state of california last year after living there all my life. that and smog checks and all the other crap a car owner has to put up with. and politics and. whoa got to stop ranting.

 

BS!! I've been in there for my CEL like 4 or 5 times. I'm taking it in next Tuesday to get the passenger airbag replaced.

 

all these probl;ems. starting to balance out with the benifits. i don't know how much i still want this car.......

 

Troy MI... you take your car to Albuquerque for service?

 

^^^ Actually we are at the same military base. That is why. Although, I think this dealership is being kinda shady.

 

Running lean has nothing to do with octane. It is your air/fuel ratio. Lean means there is not enough fuel is in the mixture, rich means too much fuel (or in my FD's case-rich means good). It is what causes detonation. I am happy you were close to a dealership. I don't know what could cause this condition in a new 8, maybe an ECU problem.

 

BTW, Lean mixture = detonation, too rich = other problems. I don't know if that was clear in my previous post.

 

They found the first problem, but that is not it they said. They said that the plugs are bad, and a few other things are bad, but they would have definite answers by Monday.

 

Good luck, a warranty is a beautiful thing.

 

I was expecting a new engine in your future, happy to hear it's not the case.

 

Yeah I know what you mean, it seems like they get mad at me whenever I go in there to get my free oil change. I've been in there three times for an oil change and everytime I go in they try to make me pay for it. Dropping my car off for new air bag and CEL today. Have you seen the other red 8 on base?