To Sell...or To Repair?
 

Hi Folks,

I've been a member of the club since 2005 when I bought my RX-8 new. I still remember how excited I was and how much fun visiting this forum (at work when I wasn't supposed to) was! I have a 6-sp manual with the sport package. It has 70k miles and this is my 2nd engine. Thankfully I got an extended warranty, and the first was replaced at 44k miles. I follow all maintenance and get regular oil changes, make sure to redline it, etc. But not having such great engine luck.

Obviously there's no 100% right or wrong here, but I was hoping to get some advice. I brought my car in to the shop because the check engine light was going on and off. Dealership found the following:

* Engine losing compression. 1 rotor below 7, the other just above. So, it is considered a failing engine. $6500 for "new engine, short block replacement."
* Cat w/Gaskets - $1675
* Ignition coil, plugs & wires - $900
* Coolant tank - $325
* Drive belts - $100
* Wheel alignment - $100 (...not. I'll just go to discount tire for free, thanks)
* Radiator - $966
* Rear brake pad and machine rotors - $200
* Brake fluid flush - $100
* Sales tax - $600

Total repair bill is almost $11k! However, my extended warranty will cover $4650 of that.

So, I could
(a) Pay for the new engine, look elsewhere for the other parts and see if I can get it cheaper.
(b) Get a USED (70,000 mile) engine. This would save me about $2k. The extended warranty said they would pay for a used engine. Which is kind of BS, because a 70,000 mile engine is NOT the same as a 26,000 mile engine (current engine), but that's what I'm looking at, and I'm not going to win a fight with them.

Is it worth getting the new engine? What about the rest of the repairs? I love the car, but I'm not sure putting this much money into the car is a smart move.

Thanks!

Not to be a prick, but it sounds like you should stop taking your car to whatever dealer or service shops you have been. It is highly unlikely that a properly maintained engine is crapping out three times in 70k miles. It's certainly possible you have terrible luck, but i have heard too many horror stories from incompetent or otherwise dishonest dealer mechanics dealing with rotaries.

Start doing your own maintenance work and troubleshooting, it will save you thousands of dollars in the long run and make you more connected to your vehicle.
Ignition coils, plugs and wires are an easy self install and only cost 300-375 out of pocket if you do it yourself. 900 is a fucking joke.
Coolant tank, 325?!
Radiator 1000???!!!!!!! Sigh...

Pretty much everything on that invoice is an overinflated slap to the face.

If your engine really is gone again, it's completely up to you whether or not to keep putting money into it. None of us can answer that for you. But rotaries are not a smart car to own if you are not inclined or capable of doing routine maintenance or troubleshooting on your own.

Sorry to be brash but you are getting fucked by your mechanics/dealers....

If you are willing to pay that much for overpriced nonsense, check out rotary resurrection. I believe they have a profile on here, they are in TN i think, but the drive/towing arrangements and engine rebuild will still come in lower than what that dealer is trying to gouge you for. Seriously. At that price, just buy a running rx8... yikes...

This whole circus act of 'barely failing' compression tests warranting new engines is absurd. Lets say your compression figures are technically 'failing' but your car still starts and runs fine day in and day out? Are you trying to maintain absolute peak performance because you plan on racing your car? If not, why bother? I have heard of people being told all kinds of crap about how they need new engines only to have the shady dealer or buyers turn around and put new ignition components or even just an upgraded starter and have it running just fine. But guess what? The fault is with the owners who dont know any better and dont take the time to learn.

Point being, a "failing" engine doesnt mean a non running, or even a non reliable engine. Is it performing to its potential, no. But you can still get plenty of life and enjoyment out of it in many cases.

You need to be smarter about what you want out of the car, and why you are willing to spend all this money without even having all the facts

Also, you can go in and get your oil changed every 3000 miles, but if you arent inspecting and topping it off yourself in between, then you are running your motor dry, and its no wonder you're on your third motor.. these cars need constant attention, they are for DIYers.

Definitely, and I don't see your post as brash or insensitive. Just straight up. I'd love to learn more about how to do my own repairs. I'm an electrical engineer do i I think I could do it. The things that have held me back are time, and I always assumed you needed a big cachet of tools. I have a multimeter, a soldering iron, and a wrench! That's about it.

Anyway, agreed about the dealier ripping me off. The only reason I take it there is, for the rotary engine, who else can I trust? It's a specialty engine, so I don't know who else in town knows how to work on it. TN repair sounds interesting, but it's my only car. I'd have to find some other transportation in the meantime for sure.

For all I know the engine is fine and the sensor is broken...

What is the state of your car right now? It runs fine but you have a check engine light, so you took it in and they say you need to pay them 11 grand??!

We need more details to be helpful.

Please understand i am trying to be constructive but this kind of shady mechanic bullshit gets me really mad.

Edit: I am no professional either, but i have always strived to do the work i can on my own cars since i was a teenager. It makes owning and driving them so much more intimate and worthwhile, not to mention the savings and pride of accomplishment.

Guess what? This forum is one of, if not the most Information rich sources about Rx8s in the world, and youre already a member. So youre halfway there!! Look some stuff up, learn, wrench, enjoy!


Go get your check engine code checked at an autozone or oreilys or something. Its free. See exactly what code it is throwing and go from there. I can almost guarantee you your car is going to be just fine.

Also, keep us updated as to your findings, as well as the name of this Dealership so that noone ever goes through them again. The only way to stop the corruption is to spend your money elsewhere, somewhere honest ;)

Further to what Dokuji recommends, there are also many people in your area with a lot of knowledge with the renesis engine. Check up SARX (San Antonio RX) guys on facebook. 9krmprx8 is a member here. He'll sort you out.

If you've owned the car that long, I'd say do what you can to get it running again. But logically. Good luck

+1^
I enjoy working on my 8, and the guys here have taught me a lot about the Renesis.

Dealerships are notorious for ripping people off.
This forum is your best resource, and if you have any mechanical aptitude at all, there are loads of DIY threads on here that can help you do anything you need to do.

Close to 4 years since I bought mine, 56k miles, 38k is what I put on it.
A lot of things on it are very easy to work on.

I would do a lot more on it if I was younger, but rolling around under a car on jackstands is not as easy as it used to be.:(

Awesome. That's so refreshing to hear! Thanks, thanks. My dad just passed away a few weeks ago, right after I took my car in to be checked out. So as I've been out of town handling the aftermath of that (I had no idea how much work this would be), I've also been trying to handle all of this. And a project is past due at work as a result too. So my mind is a bit scattered. I'm not really willing to put down that sort of money, but haven't had time to deal with this along with everything else. That's where this club has been helpful, because my decision making ability right now, man it just feels difficult sometimes to decide what to eat for lunch, let alone these repairs! Today's been rough (Father's Day), but at least I'm not having to let go of my car as well. Too much change all at once, I think.

I'll try to answer the posts above.
* Engine felt like it was running fine to me. Right, I don't need to win races, just enjoy the car (and get to work reliably).
* However, I have noticed the exhaust smells too rich. After some research on this site last night, that sounds like a symptom of the ignition coils gone bad. Definitely need to replace those.
* I certainly wonder if the cat really needs replacing.
* Yes, I do check and add oil every other fill-up or so, as needed (it's less often than I thought it would be when I bought the car, actually). I don't wait for oil changes!

Anything I should ask my dealer for in particular? I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Thanks again all! Love this club. :rock:

Sorry about your Dad.
Mine passed almost 30 years ago, and it's still hard on Father's Day.

About your 8;
First, I would ask that they provide a written service report with the compression numbers, a detailed list of the codes they found, and any other pertinant info.

The CEL is usually misfires, with coils being the usual suspect.
Bad coils can ruin the cat, and that can trigger another code, and eventually damage the engine.
That may be the smell, unburned fuel being dumped into the cat.

However, if it was not a longstanding issue, the cat could still be good.
It's possible it could just need a good tuneup.

If it's running fine, and the CEL was your only issue, then I think you should tell them you need to think about it, and bring it home.

You can get the OBD scanned for free at many auto parts stores.
You can also get apps for smartphones that allow you to read and clear codes yourself, as well as monitor your engine and systems.
All you need is a Bluetooth dongle, about $30, and about $5 for the app.
I have Torque for Android.

GOOD LUCK!

*EDIT* You mentioned tools, for most maintenance work on 8s, a simple basic metric set of sockets and wrenches will suffice.
There are a couple of threads about tools, but you can buy them as you need them.
A 3/8 ratchet, extension, spark plug socket, and 10mm socket is about all you need to do the ignition components.(coils, plugs, wires.)
If they haven't been changed the last 30k, it's time.

Nahhh, stay away from that guy, he's a dick. :mdrmed: :spam: :rl:

I assume you're joking?

Sounds like typical stealership rip-off prices. I would get what you can out of your warranty (since you paid for it) but as a whole, you are likely better off to diagnose issues on your own at this point.

Also, when your engine was replaced was it rebuilt, replaced with a rebuild/reman or a brand new engine? You can not expect "new" compression results with a rebuild/reman that utilized used rotor housings. I learned this with mine. It will hot start in a second, and it's failing according to Mazda... It was rebuilt by a respected rotary builder and it behaves extremely healthy.. it has all new OEM seals, etc... but used housings. This is very typical. Compression readings are relative. Lower compression in a rebuild is technically different than lower compression in a worn engine. Real-world behavior is most valuable. So don't stress immediately.

I would start with getting the codes read, replace/repair whatever is causing the car to be unhappy, and go from there. Don't jump to worst case scenario (like the dealer appears to be doing).

^Good info.

I applied to become a member of the SARX club :) Hopefully, I can get in touch with someone before the weekend. I'd be happy to drive down this weekend if someone could help show me the ropes. Although, I won't have any parts to work with yet. I'm confident I could replace ignition coils myself (in about 10x the amount of time it should take). Replacing a catalytic converter?? Now that sounds daunting.

As far as the engine goes, I *could* get a brand new engine for about $2k after the extended warranty pays their part. Does that sound like a good idea? The warranty won't last much longer, so probably now's my chance.

TL;DR. How can I help you?

^This is the 9K you are looking for... :suspect:

Mazda Rx-8 Factory shop manual and electrical manual for sale at a good price, interested only. I paid 380$ CAD at Mazda dealer for both manuals. For more info contact Denis at vortexfuel@outlook.com.

The shop manual is available online for free. Or, if you want a hard copy of the PDFs, you can buy a CD for $10 of eBay. Take your spam elsewhere. This forum does not allow such nonsense.

Interesting thread bump, however. I wonder what happened with this car?

I'm gonna keep my eye on this...be careful about appearing to spam threads. It will get you banned.