Hi,

I recently bought stick shift Mazda RX-8. I tried parking it in gear without using hand brake on a slope. The car was kind of shaking continuosly. However when I used parking brake, this sympton seemed to disappear.

1)Is there a problem if you park a car in gear without applying hand brakes on a slope?

2) Does rx-8 require frequent ignition coil replacements?

Thanks

 

Wait...you're PARKING on a slope without hand brake? Wtf....did i just read that correctly lol. You should probably use the hand brake , kinda the reason its there. Correct me if im wrong , i read through the post pretty quickly.

 

ALWAYS use the handbrake on this car. Always. The rotary, when turned off, doesn't have the "locking" power from the reciprocating pistons like an ordinary piston engine. The weight of the car can easily over come the compression and spin the engine if you're on a steep enough slope.

Just use the handbrake - as 636 said, it's why it's there. It's called a "Parking Brake" for that reason.

 

Why would you NOT use the hand brake???? Anytime you park you must engage the hand/parking brake! Second gear + hand brake = peace of mind!

 

I had driven in another country for a couple of years, and I had a piston engine car, and I was never told there to use parking brakes. I didnt know that rotary engines couldnt lock the cars as easily as piston engines could do when you engage the car in gear!

 

Even if I'm parked on a perfectly level surface, it's always in first gear with the parking break on.

 

My RX8 has run for about 45K miles now. The Cranking on RX8 seems a bit long. I dont know if rotary engines have a longer crank time? I am suspecting the ignition coil is becoming weaker?

 

possibly.....or battery............anybody else?

 

Yup, I had the same problem. They replaced my battery and starter(recall I think) problem solved.

 

yea, most likely the starter.

 

Where were you a few months ago when I got flamed for saying I used the parking brake but didn't put it in gear?

Good info about the rotary not really holding the way boing-boing engines do.

I've never been a fan of using a manual transmission as a parking brake. Always felt like holstering a cocked gun. I've never had a parking brake fail.

Ashwins - if you park on a hill, make sure you turn your wheels the proper way. Toward the curb if pointed downhill, away if pointed uphill. That's a legal requirement in a lot of places.

Ken

 

OK. My RX8 is a 2005 touring model with BOSE speaker system. I am not able to figure out how to insert multiple CDs in the system? Any suggestions?

 

Are you a big David Carradine fan? Always park with hand brake grasshoppa, especially on slope.

 

You need the six CD changer option. If you press the "load" button and nothing happens, you don't have it.

 

In the manual it states not to use the parking brake in freezing temperatures as it could freeze (it also says to block the rear wheels). Currently I have my car in 1st gear parked on a flat surface without the parking brake because the temps have been below freezing lately.

 

That has been said about handbrakes for years... Yes it can happen. However I've owned excluisively MTs for the last 17 years and have always parked with the handbrake in cold weather without an issue.

 

Why would you park your car somewhere that cold?

 

thanks Ike, that was the response I was looking for
... I just went outside and engaged the parking brake.

 

Reading this thread is like a lightning round of n00b jeopardy.

 

When I had my first Rx8, I parked it on a hill with the E-brake on but not in gear

...Unfortunately the E-brake didn't hold.

 

Actually if I'm on a slope, then it has always been in gear with parking brake applied and wheels turned the way they should be.....whether piston or rotory!!!
If I'm flat level, then it's just parking brake.

That was funny about the Noob jeopardy! (ha ha)

 

I'll take The Rapists for $200 Trebeck!

 

Hilarious!

I like the one with Sean Connery when he says......"I'll take Swords for $200 Alex", when it's S-words. So freakin funny!

 

don't forget to orient the front wheels in accordance to the slope.

 

LOL! This thread wins.