So many questions...
 

Hi, I am new to RX8Club and I am in the process of buying a used 2004 RX-8. I know all main things about rotaries as I've done a lot of research on them when I gained interest in the car, but there are still some questions I haven't been able to figure out on my own, and I was wondering if all the rotary fanatics here could help me. Thanks in advance!

1. I know about how you shouldn't start the car and then shut it off before it warms up, but say you've been driving it for a while and it's fully warmed up by the time you arrive somewhere and u park and shut it off, then u decide you did a bad park job and need to repark. Since the engine is warm from your recent drive would you be alright turning the car on and off briefly? Or does the rule apply, never briefly turn it on and off even if it's not a cold start?

2. The guy I'm buying from said that he doesn't know if the car is under warranty. It's got 82k miles so how could I find out if the car is under the 8 year 100,000 mile warranty?

3. The owner has never used anything but synthetic oil in the car and says it runs great, but I've read that synthetic is bad for these cars and you should use mineral oil. Obviously I can't exactly just switch types of oil but I just wanted to know if it's really as bad as I've heard?

4. I plan on seafoaming the car when I get it. I've heard that the RX-8 doesn't get a complete oil change when you change the oil. So how could I completely change all the oil after the 300 miles or so after seafoaming is up? Or should I just seafoam the tank and brake booster?

5. Do the RX-8's have a long life expectancy? I mean obviously not for those people that can't maintain it correctly their cars go out. But I'm asking if someone keeps theirs maintained and working well what kind of life expectancy should I look forward to?

6. I simply want to know, do the PROS outweigh the CONS? I've read so much about the things that could go wrong with the RX-8 and it is a bit overwhelming, but I'm confident I can maintain the car properly. But is having this car worth the gamble of things that can go wrong?

Thanks for any help you guys can give! I'm sure I have more questions but I couldn't think of them all right on the spot, but these were my main concerns.

1. As long as its warm, you can start it, move the car and turn it off. it should start with no problem otherwise you have other problems than flooding usually a failing engine or weak plugs and coils.

2. The warranty goes with the car, so it should be still effective. make sure you have the service history tho, some dealers might need to see them.

3. Ive seen people on here running synthetic for a long time with no problem at all. Mazda doesn't recommend but not forbid running synthetic.

4. Seafoaming a rotary you just get seafoam into the engine, no need to add to the oil since you dont have lifters and valves to clean. you always can double oil change like some one does on here.

5. Ive seen engine fail at 30k miles but Ive also seen engine still running strong at 100k miles. its whether hit or miss.

6. what can go wrong? its not like it breaks down all the time. proper maintenance is very important such as plugs and coils, other than that I dont see any other problems. drive it like you stole it.

^ perfect answers

You should be OK in this case. BTW, I have never had a cold flood problem.

The engine core will be under warrenty until it has 100,000 mi or the 2012 anniversary date.

The only synthetic that I have heard is bad is Mobile1. If you have a high mileage car that has only had dino, then you shouldn't switch to synthetic.

Seafoam is for the fuel system, not the oil. There is a DIY that can be found on this site. When you change the oil, only about half comes out. A few people change the oil twice at oil change time.

Some do, some don't. I've had 3 engines replaced under warranty. My oil changes were performed at the dealer until the last engine change. Others have over 100,000 miles on their cars without a problem.

I've had many problems with the car and I will not give it up. I love this car like none other in 35 yrs of driving.

warranty is assuming you are in north america

1. No problem. If already warm no special procedure required for a restart.
2. What year is the car (to help determine the 8 year part)? Best to give Mazda North American Operations (MNAO; presumably you are in this area; 800-222-5500) with your VIN and they can give you specifics, to include any TSB/MSP's performed.
3. The only reason Mazda doesn't recommend (key word recommend; not require) is that they don't have "long term study data" on same. Many use synthetic. In fact the favored Idemitsu pre-mix (2-cycle oil that optionally goes in the gas) is synthetic.
4. You can jack it up such that you're draining the oil coolers, but really don't worry about it. Just change at 3k intervals from now on and you'll be fine. I prefer Castrol 5w30 mineral oil, but there are enough oil threads already.
5. If properly maintained they can go well over 100k. The rotary engine is simpler than piston (fewer moving parts and rotating action) so reduced wear vs. a piston engine.
6. The pro's certainly do outweigh the con's for the majority here. Keep in mind that the "I have a problem" threads will always significantly overshadow, since folks without issues have no need to post in this regard.

Spirited-drive an RX-8 on tight twisty roads and you'll have all the "Pro" you need! The car feels like you strapped it on and it responds almost empathically.

edit: man there are a lot of faster typists than I and/or with higher bandwidth!!

Wow, thanks so much guys. Tons of help in a very short time. I'm glad I came here for answers.

I do have one more question I forgot to ask: is it true that if you let the RX-8 go a few days without being started then it will mess it up and you can't start it when you go back to try? I'm worried about this one cuz my RX-8 will be sitting at my grandpas house for a while until I can get it from him. Should I tell my grandpa to run it every couple days? Or is it even an issue? Thanks again guys!!

^ Not true. I leave mine for months over the Winter and it fires right up (I do have it on a battery tender, but again we're talking months of non-use in my case).

I think you may be mis-understanding the "flooding issue" that some have. In some cases, if you have an old starter and weak ignition, if you start it and shut it off prior to warm-up it may flood. But again, simply leaving it unused for a period is no issue, unless you have a marginal battery.

What's a marginal battery? And how can I know if I have one? And then would I need one of those tenders you were talking about?

Marginal meaning a weak battery. You can take it to most autoparts or battery shops and have the Capacity checked (not just the instantaneous voltage).

The rule of thumb is to use a battery tender for more than a couple months of non-use (I use it for a month or more). Battery Tender is a brand/trademark (like Thermos Bottle). There are others, but imho they're the best.

Ok thanks