There was some discussion/confusion some time ago concerning whether our oil coolers vented to the side vents. I checked it out last night while installing my Racing Beat oil cooler/AC screens. The short answer is no.

There's no path for heated air from the oil coolers back to the side vents. But if you check the inside of your wheel wells, to the front you'll notice some slots. Those slots are just behind the oil coolers, and that's where heated air from the oil coolers is vented - to your wheel wells.

FYI

 

Ohh, maybe the motion of the wheel acts a little bit like a suction device...lol

 

I just happen to have a photo.

 

Hey Paul - will you please post pics of your Titanium with the screens? TIA!

 

BINGO! Yes, that's them. You can see the vents to the upper left.

Thanks Expo!

 

Sure thing. I need a new pic in my sig anyway. That pic was before the screens, strakes, clear corners and high performance fuel door.

I'll post it probably sometime this weekend, if I get a chance.

 

I'm not Paul, but maybe this will hold you until he can post his pics. RB oil cooler screens and custom made grille screen.

 

Really? Not sure why this discussion took place considering the logic behind it, why would the coolers in front of the wheels vent out behind them. Most side vents such as this on many car designs are for front brake cooling.

 

I think they were wondering if the Rx-8 design is similar to the 93-95 (3rd gen) Rx-7 in which the front oil cooler(s) vent by flowing the hot air that is flowing through the oil cooler(s) out of the air vents behind the front wheels. The design routes the hot air up over the wheels (between the wheel liner and under the fender) and out of the air vents. Looks the the Rx-8 just vents to the front wheels.

 

If i'm not mistaken, those side vents are purely show. Like Buick "ventiports" only immeasurably cooler. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me, but I can't see any path under the hood that leads to them.

 

Look again. There are holes--not very big holes--but holes nonetheless behind the vents on the inner fender inside the engine compartment. If you look carefully, you can see daylight through the vents. So technically they are providing a path for a bit of the hot air flowing through the engine compartment.