RX-8 Reliability - Engine Data Survey
 

Welcome to what is likely the most complete data collection attempt ever on the engine of the Mazda RX-8, the RENESIS.


The survey has been restarted, I apologize to anyone who filled out the previous one, but I do not have access to the data other than a single .csv file, and it isn't a straight import due to data structure differences. If you can refill it out, I'd appreciate it. This one is here to stay, as Google isn't charging me or going anywhere. Apparently unlimited responses as well.

Engine durability and reliability is a much discussed topic, by long time, short time, and prospective owners. Even outside the RX-8 community, the reliability of the engine is discussed, though usually with no actual information or relevant data or figures.

This survey is an attempt start collecting data from owners on their engine, or engines, to really start getting down to failure rates and failure causes, what works and what doesn't.

This is not a simple survey of "have you had an engine failure", but rather a fairly long list of questions to attempt to put a value to every single possible factor that could affect engine health. I do not attempt make decisions on if something is a factor or not, but rather, if there is a question on if it affects engine health, I ask for the data so the data will tell us if it does or not.

This survey is only open to Mazda RX-8 owners, past or present, who have had a Renesis in their RX-8 at some point in time. This survey is only about the Renesis however, so if you did an engine swap to a different engine, please do not attempt to answer this survey based on that engine, only on your original Renesis.

This survey is also PER ENGINE, not just per owner. If you are still on the original engine, you respond once. If you are on your 2nd engine, you respond twice, the first response referring to the first engine in all anwers, the second response referring to the second engine in all answers. If you are on your 3rd engine, you respond 3 times, etc...

Since most responders will most likely not know engine history for any prior owners, or for later owners (in the event that you sold your 8 but stuck around because you like us), the survey will be specific to your ownership period of each engine.


I will be maintaining a list of RX8Club user IDs and email addresses, however this is the only identifying information I will ask for or keep.

I will not ask for any personal information that may identify your specific engine or car, and will not share which results match which RX8Club ID or email.

The email addresses will only be used to request updates no more frequently than once every 3 months. I have not decided on the frequency as of yet, but it will not be less than every 3 months, or more than 1 year.

If Mazda would like the data from this survey, I am more than willing to share it and discuss it with them, under the requirement that I will do everything in my power to protect the respondents from any direct reaction that may occur as a direct result of this survey. I am looking for accuracy and honesty, and don't want people to hedge their answers because they are afraid of backlash.


If something about this engine changes that you have answered above, and would require a change in any of these answers, please send in a new submission. A new submission will replace older submissions for that engine. Only the newest submission will be used. Updating with mileage occasionally will still have value, even if nothing else.


If you have additional feedback or items that I should add to any individual question or entire questions that should be added, please don't hesitate to recommend it.

I will keep the 2nd post in this thread updated with the data as frequently as reasonable and possible, but likely not updated more than once per week once the initial flurry of data is captured. During that period, I may update daily.


Spread this thread as much as possible please, the more responses we get the better. Anyone willing to put this in their signature will have my gratitude.

THIS THREAD IS NOT THE SURVEY
It is just for the data and discussion around the survey and the survey data.

Results from the first 17 responses attached in a PDF. LOTS of ways to look at this data, though it doesn't mean much yet.

Survey outline:

This is the list of questions that you will be asked in the survey:


- Engine ID
- Model Year
- Transmission type
- Engine installation month
- Engine installation year
- Engine builder
- Chassis mileage when you obtained it
- Chassis mileage when you parted with it (or current)
- Engine installed and running
- Was engine failing at time of removal
- Primary cause of the engine failure
- Date of engine removal
- Diagnosis source
- Climate
- Cold ambient temp usage
- Hot ambient temp usage
- Stop and go shift point
- Cruise shift point
- Track/Canyon shift point
- Casual shift point
- Drive Type %
- Typical mileage seen
- Highest mileage seen
- Mileage trend
- Driver care
- Decarbing
- Oil weight - Cold - Summer
- Oil weight - Hot - Summer
- Oil weight - Cold - Winter
- Oil weight - Hot - Winter
- Oil type (dino/syn)
- Oil change interval
- Oil burn rate
- Oil changed by
- Oil filter replacement rate
- Premix used
- Amount of Premix
- Cooling modifications (select all that apply list)
- Lubrication modifications (select all that apply list)
- Power modifications (select all that apply list)
- Other modifications (select all that apply list)
- Flooding occurances
- Coil failures
- Plug failures
- Cat failures
- O2 sensor failures
- Fuel pump failures
- Thermostat failures
- Water pump failures


I am NOT going to do the data entry on your engine if you do this. Please follow instructions and follow the link.

wow...

*scribed*

bout time you threw up the thread. ;)
I already submitted my survey, it's quite thorough and I'm curious to see what the data looks like once we have a larger sample

You responded in the test survey on the trial account. They moved me to a permanent free account, and porting the survey dropped the responses.

You also havent gotten a unique engine ID from me.


You too Atilla. PM or email me and get an engine ID so you can get the survey link and fill it out.

my unique id pwns your unique engine ID. ;)
I'll email you tonight and resubmit answers

RIWWP and crew. This is an amazing looking survey that has a ton of potential. Job well done!

Subscribed, and PM sent.

Link added to tease the people that missed the part to PM or email me, and what to include in the contents :)

Really, Really, Well Done Survey!! All the questions I would think of, and more. My entry went AOK, even tho' I lack Jedi powers. ;)

Hopefully there will be sufficient participation to produce a statistically significant output.

Of course RX8Club members I would think on average are better informed and better maintain their vehicles than non-members, but it will still be interesting to see the results.

Well done RIWWP and consultants!!

And I set it so you can keep re-using your engine ID(s) that I provide, but after the first submission, you will see your prior answers and can update them as needed.

Yeah, I tried to think of any possible circumstance, situtation, modification, care method,...everything...that could possibly play a part in engine life.

The data will tell us if it is a non-factor or not.

Okay, I did it for all three of my motors :) It's confusing trying to remember when each one was installed but I called Mazda and they helped me clarify some dates. Hopefully I didn't screw anything up. I was honest and I should hope everyone will be.

Calling Mazda and all huh... wasn't expecting that, but ...I can't complain. It's accurate :)



I am hoping to get another ~5-10 responses before the end of the day so I can have something to post up to hopefully generate more interest.

Mind you I have been doing interviews all day so my brain was mush by the time I did this but........The only thing that stumped me a little was on my third engine, when it asks at what mileage I started premixing, I didn't know if it meant engine miles or chassis miles. Also after selecting that I installed the BHR kit, it asks if my OEM coils have failed.

I'm not sure if any of that matters but that is all I can think of right now. Let me know if you spot any mistakes.

A clarity point. Per engine is per engine. If you have 2 RX-8s, that is 2 engines, unless one of them has had a replacement, and then it's 3, etc... :)


The only time that this line will blur I think is if someone pulls a functional engine out of 1 RX-8 and drops it into another without changing anything. That would be 2 IDs though. :)

I'll update the comment on that. All mileage references are engine miles, not chassis miles.

And yes, many add the BHR kit after the OEM coils fail, so it's still possible to have both on a given engine. The order of the questions is a non-issue.

I just looked at your responses, mind going back and adjusting the mileage to engine mileage? Or are you really at 112,000 miles on your 3rd engine? I suspect you are at 112,000 chassis miles.

I think I just screwed someone up.

I made a change to the model year question, changing it to a multiple choice instead of an open text field, and another response showed up during it.


It also looks like I may have lost the previous data on that question, and doing it again with your engineID doesn't load prior answers for a quick re-entry. Everyone has had a 2005 so far though, so I can manually add it on the download if need be.

No I have about 19,000 on the third engine and 114,100 on the chassis. So i need to adjust for the 3rd unique ID? And I have an early build (July of 2003) 2004 year RX-8.

Correct, you will need to adjust the mileage. And it looks like it doesn't re-load your prior responses when you log back in with your ID, so it means full resubmission to replace prior :(

That could be a pain for people.

No pain. But clarify:

" Approximate mileage when premix was last used

Use current mileage if premix is still in use "

miles on engine or chassis?


I answered with the actual miles on this engine.

Engine. Always engine. Sorry, I thought I added that clarification to each question point.

Okay, did my third engine again :)

K, it updated fine.

I'm cringing for when alz0rz or nycgps adds their data. :) I imagine between them we can flush out most of the rest of the issues with it.