takeing the car to the shop for oil change, what should i tell them?
 

so, i am taking my 8 to the shop for oil change the first time, is there anything i should tell them besides using 5w20 oil and its a rotary engine??

Please give us some info on your car and where you live. You might need heavier weight oil here is what my manual says.

"Engine oil viscosity, or thickness, has an
effect on fuel economy and cold-weather
operation (starting and oil flow).
Low-viscosity engine oils can provide
improved fuel economy and cold-weather
performance.
But high-temperature weather conditions
require higher-viscosity engine oils for
satisfactory lubrication."

I got a 04 rx8 with 6mt, 76,000 miles on it. I live in Atlanta georgia. Thanks

they dont even need to know it's a rotary... at least they shouldn't. Just tell them you want an oil change and what oil you want them to use... a lot of people are using thicker oil than what is mentioned in the manual because it would seem that the thicker oil holds up better for the rotaries. I use 10w30.

Tell them you need an oil change and would like a reminder sticker for next time.

hey try using 5W30... your car can take it in the climate you live in. Also no worries about them flooding it because the engine will already be warm when you drop it off

ok, so everybody is telling me differently. 5w20 or 10w30 or 5w30? i am a little confused now:banghead:

5w30 FTMFW!!

Castrol GTX is my choice but we'll keep this thread clear of that clutter

I would use 5w-30 now b/c you are past the hottest months. Next year when it starts to get hot again you can move up to 10w-30. Thats what I am doing, I live in Louisiana btw

remember non-synthetic though...

5w-30.

castrol gtx.

or 10w-30.

or 10w-40.

just not 5w-20.

Welcome to rx8club. We have a better chance of agreeing on the one true religion than agreeing on the best grade of oil.

Outside of North America Mazda recommends 5w30. In North America they recommend 5w20. The nice statement that Old Rotor quoted does not appear in the newer owners manuals. Instead, there's a statement about how 5w20 saves energy.

Add to that the strong opinions held by some that car makers have always recommended oils that are too thin, and the range of recommendations makes sense.

Despite all that, for your climate the sole correct answer is 5w30. ;)

Ken

Use 5w30.

Good brand, Synthetic or not (notice some Synthetics out there are not really true Synthetic oil, so do ur homework if u want to go that route)

I would go with the 5-30wt this time of year. You are at the mileage that the third set of spark plugs would be put in. Do you know what has been done to the car so far?

sounds like 5w30 is the way to go for me. I am changing the spark plugs, wires and coils this weekend.
thanks for all the helpful info, that's why i love this site.

I use 5w20, worked fine for 5 years now ;)

if YOU yourself are changing the plugs, coils and wires this weekend, why not do the oil yourself as well? let it drain while you're doing everything else and refill it when you're all done.

personally, i don't trust anyone to put the correct oil in my car except for myself. not even the dealer, who are ironically the worst about it.

I was just home this past weekend and got the same thing done to my car. I got 5w-20, non-synthetic in mine (car is in Philadelphia, PA). Mine drove well the day after and will be mostly garaged for the winter.

With that said, I do run 5w-30 in the summer months though as the temperature greatly increases in the NE.

Make sure your car is CLEAN when you take it in... mechanics are less likely to scratch or mess it up in any way... they tend to take better care of cares that are clean and shiny

2nd that for Atlanta area.

Change your own oil, this is my golden rule.

I took my car to one oil place they put 10w-40 synthetic in it when I told them non synthetic and a different weight.

I took it home went to Kragens bought the oil and did it myself on the sidewalk in less time than it took the other guy with a rack.

Tell the tech to use a glove or tool when removing the filter"OUCH"!

wow this post is helpful.

5w20, 5w30, 5w40 are all fine - Just stay away from cheap 10w30, buy a good name brand oil.

I use 0w30......

S