labutler

Just bought BACK my 04 LY....thrilled to have him home after almost 2 years of being someone else's Rex.

He has a slight misfire that is "new" to me. Still has the original plugs at almost 56K miles, so we are going to start there.

However, I'm confused....

Mazda dealer says a plug job is roughly $400 ($300 for plugs and $100 for labor). Not gonna happen.

The boyfriend checked the local parts store, the price for the recommended plug was $20 each. There are 3, right?

I did search here and I'm seeing prices of $80 for plugs...use this one, this is the best....

Bottom line, I don't race it, it's not a daily driver but he will have an hour commute on the days he does go with me...I just need a smooth as possible idle (I know, they are rough by nature), smooth acceleration and that smile inducing umph when you decide to get on it....I'm not after high performance but I do want to get the best plugs for it...

What plugs do I need?

Go easy on me...I am not mechanically minded....my boyfriend is pretty good but knows nothing about a Rotary so we are gonna learn together...when I owned it previously, it needed NOTHING!!

Thanks, Lisa

PS 6 speed

invasion08

iTrader: (7)

the plugs are around 20 dollars each and there are 4 of them. With the right tools changing the spark plugs are easy. Do a search there is a great DIY thread. Also how many miles are on the ignition coils? If there around 30k or more replace them too.

usnidc

There are 4 plugs, 2 for each rotor. You will need 2 leading and 2 trailing plugs, there is a difference. Buy the NGK plugs, look at the venders on here to be sure you get the right ones.

part numbers: RE7C-L (leading) and RE9B-T (trailing) and should run you about $100 for the set.

labutler

Thanks to both of you....

The $80 makes sense now that I know I have 4 plugs...

I'm excited to get him running a little better...he seems a little sluggish from when I sold him...I don't think the car was abused (I wouldn't have bought it back under those circumstances), but I don't think they really kept up with the maintenance on an aging car...

To my knowledge, it has the original ignition coils too...we're going to replace those as well...thanks for that!!

Any other ideas or advice is appreciated....like I said I owned this car previously, but I drove it off the lot new and only put 20K miles on it during my ownership...there was just nothing that needed done.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

not too sure how much knowledge about this car that you have, but try reading at least the first page of these links
FAQ’s https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/rx-8-faq-please-read-before-posting-959/
New and Potential Owner’s, Start Here https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/new-potential-owners-start-here-202454/
Congratulations, you got an 8 https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-forum-197/congratulations-you-got-8-a-202548/
New Owner FAQ’s https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...&highlight=FAQ

Hope this helps

labutler

RX8Soldier...seems the more I learn, the less I know... I will hit those threads...as I said, my boyfriend is a pretty good car guy, he just doesn't know much about a rotary. Thanks!!

Anyone priced a stock wheel at the dealer? $733!!!!

I about crapped!!! I gotta buy one, you can bet your butt I'll get it elsewhere.

Icky Mettle

Plugs, wires, coils = easy, easy, easy. Might as well do all three and it'll only take about an hour. The one part your boyfriend might have trouble with is the air box removal if he's changing the coils as well. I wrestled with it for about an hour my first time through, but once you learn the trick you can breeze through it. There are multiple DIYs and videos on removal that can be found here, same with plug and coil installation.

PeteInLongBeach

No, they aren't. Have you ever driven any other ones? I drove dozens of them before I settled on my car, and none of them had rough idles.
If yours still seems "rough" after servicing the ignition system, I would have the motor mounts checked next.

labutler

Got the plugs changed tonight....WHAT A DIFFERENCE THAT MADE.....it idles better, runs better....we were amazed. However, the ones that came out were NASTY!!!

Thanks guys for all the help and advice...

My boyfriend (we weren't together the first time I owned this car) is a mustang guy but I think Rex is winning him over!!! He's been reading up on rotaries and I know he likes to drive it....!!

Next project is replacing a bent rim. Got 2 coming on Wed...they are from a company that remanufactures them....we're gonna see what they are like, but we have the option of returning them. I just can't make myself drop $700+ to a dealer.

Then, we are going to do ignition coils, plug wires....

I was really afraid that I had let my emotion on buying back MY car do a bad deal, but he was runnin' FINE tonight....and I'm excited about it all over again!!!

labutler

When I owned the car previously, I inquired about the rough idle at the dealership and they checked it out (I don't remember now, but I assume they checked motor mounts at the time) and said that some were rough.

And, maybe our ideas of "rough" differ...I'm talking the shifter vibrating some, not terribly. The car the first time around was 99.99% trouble free...no flooding, no hard starts...., so I always accepted that it was normal for the car.

I do have to take it in for the clutch pedal recall soon and I'm going to have them check the motor mounts to be safe....thanks!!!