TJRX8

Not an RX8 That's why he's "freking" out.

Chadr

My take on the air conditioning thing from someone in PA. I honestly haven't used the AC much since I got the car on Thursday because it wasn't really needed and I like the open air driving more then AC on.

Today was a different story though as it was 90+ with 99% humidity out. I turned the air on today and at first thought that people were right that it was weak but what it appears to be is that because of the massive rev range of the engine it is "geared" to opperate best at a higher RPM.

I don't have data to back this up except my experience but at an idle the air felt weak and the temp of the air wasn't great but as soon as I was move along at 3000+ RPM it got chilly on the higher settings (3 and 4) and was completly acceptable at the 2 setting. This is mid-day with the sun blasting straight into the car. I expect that some of the differences in opinion on the AC relate to different cars and different climates. In the brutal sun of the AZ desert it might not cut the mustard but for the very hot, very humid day here in PA it was just fine for me.

I haven't had the car long enough to make judgements about most stuff and since the engine isn't broken in yet I have not even begun to rev it. From just the little usage I have had I can say the engine is very versatile and responsive over a wide rev range. It is deceptively fast because of the long flat torque area rather then a traditional torque curve.

I am bugged but certain little things that I got used to in the German cars like auto-dimming side view mirrors, true climate control (although this doesn't bother me much), a telescoping wheel (would be VERY nice to get the perfect seat position), the size of the remote fob and key, etc.

All of this stuff is little niggle stuff that I haven't grown used to yet and probably won't bother me in even a few weeks. The key and remote is the only thing I will likely even look to do anything about.

Just my 2 cents.

ggreen29

I've got no problem with the ac, though its pretty temperate around here. The ventilation as a whole is great. Again I had to check today to see if the ac was on because the air coming through the vents was mild, just like the outside temp!

As for the foot vents, they were good. At fan setting of one with dash & foot vents, I could feel the foot vent air with my hands when they were by my legs, though not my legs themselves. At a setting of three, I could feel it with my legs.

Kap

Claremont Mazda in California, but I think I'm noticing a lot of Mazda/Kia combo dealerships.

civic to 8

hey those ppl that own the 8, when u drive it how does the digital speedometer work. Is it like i've seen on those limos, its kinda changes every half a second, or is it smoth just like a handle(non digital)?

An8inLAS

I took delivery of my RX-8 on 7/17. Silver w/6sp, loaded but no nav system. Over the weekend I drove almost 300 miles. This morning the car would not shift into 6th gear. All other gears shifted smoothly including reverse.
The dealer (Courtesy Mazda (good guys)) "adjusted" the shifter and now all is well. I was wondering if anyone else with a manual transmission has had any problems?
P.S. I also feel the a/c is weak with the engine below 3000 rpm. When driving around town the air constantly gets cool then warm as the compressor cycles on and off. Once on the highway with the engine hummin' the air temp is consistant and much cooler.

ml2316

i haven't been to this group in awhile, but last time i was here p00man was considered a troll. btw, i read through this whole thread and i did not find one other person complaining about the car. that was a big waste of my time.

jtimbck2

It's good to hear that the A/C seems to work better at higher engine rpms...that's what this car is all about -- rev it up!

takahashi j

iTrader: (2)

Yesterday I went to go test drive a silver 6spd around 7pm. It was about 80 degrees outside but with the humidity it "felt like" (says the weather man) 90 degrees. Before the sales rep took the car out of the lot, I fumbled around with the A/C for a bit. I noticed that during idle, the dash vents produce mildly cool air. I also noticed that when I switch to the dash/floor vents the floor vents tend to be the strongest, the two vents near the center console (below the "nav") are the second strongest, and the vents to the left of the driver and the right of the passenger are the weakest (by far). Since I tried to keep the RPMS low, I didnt see much of a change in temp. In addition, the sales rep was allowed to take the car on the highways, so I couldnt test the A/C on the highway. Anyone see a big difference on the highway? I hope so, for all us down south...

Kawi

I have to concur with Chadr on how the A/C works. I picked up my titanium 6 sp GT on Sat. When idling you have to turn the air up to 3 or 4 to feel enough cooling on you. But when you're driving normally, say 3500-5000 RPM, the A/C is fine and I could turn it down to either 2 or 1 depending on the exterior temp. FYI: I'm in Atlanta, and it was in the mid 90's the day I picked it up.

What I haven't seen anyone mention is that the best cooling during non-rainy weather is to turn on the recirc. Then you're cooling, cooler air than outside. Not to mention there's slightly extra force from the vents when the recirc is on. So I really haven't had anything to complain about where the A/C is concerned.

rxeightr

For a digital -- I like it, and believe it will very easy to get used to as time goes on. At first I thought I would not care for it -- but I might actually prefer it over a dial, as I know exactly what speed I'm going.

mostron8

It changes with each MPH.

B-Nez

We discussed this A/C issue in another thread, so I'll go ahead and echo my remarks. An A/C compressor is like any other compressor or pump. It is designed for maximum efficiency at certain speeds. Since the rotary has such a wide rpm range, (and higher power peaks) it is likely that the compressor is slightly underdriven compared to that in a piston engine. While we are breaking in the cars at low rpms, I would expect the A/C to not be running at max efficiency. See what it's like after you break it in, and start driving throughout the entire rpm range. I'd almost bet you'll see much cooler A/C temps. Also, city vs. highway always makes a difference, as the amount of time you spend idling or at low rpms far outweighs the amount of time the compressor spends "at speed" while in the city/traffic. Even shifting gears causes the compressor to slow down, as compared to cruising in one gear on the highway - running the compressor at a constant speed. Give it a chance.

Cylo

I will reiterate what was stated in the AC thread ... the AC shuts off at 65% up the RPM range. So once broken in, I am willing to bet that this issue will be more prevelant. I like it as is, but people will complain more later.

eccles

no, it cuts off at 65% throttle opening, not 65% of maximum rpm.

Pam

484 miles so far and not going over 4500 rpms with 90+ temps and over 60% humidity. The A/C is fine and the car is fantastic.

Cylo

OMG, that must take some serious restraint... after my first 100 miles I hat to take that baby to 7 grand to see what it's got.

the_best_sarek

I live in Quebec (Canada) and this is not true... When we got 2 weeks at 120F (45 C in case I do a bad translation of the units) I would like to have my A/C working well.

Boozehound

Nevermind the underdrive that may be inherient in the compressor due to optimal drive speed - why is the AC cycling off during highway driving - 6th gear, 75 mph, 3750 rpm, fan speed (which should be irrelevant) at 2, full cold, and recirc on? I can see maybe the system cycling itself if there's a problem with evaporator temperature, or freon level, but why should it cut off during what I would consider optimal conditions when user defined 'demand' is high?