Virgin RX8 OK?
 

A few weeks ago I purchased my first Mazda RX8, a used 2005 GT with 54k miles on it. Overall in better than "good" cond inside & out, IMO.

I did at least some homework on it before and knew a few things to look out for (bad idle, rough start, low power, unusual engine noises etc.) and this car seemed like the best handling & "healthiest" of all the used ones I checked out. The seller (a former Rx7 owner, I might add) had all maint. records (coils & wires are still original) and said they never had any flooding or engine problems of any kind and that it had never been to the dealer for repairs or recalls. (an auto report reveled nothing major, title transfers & reg renewals, pretty clean overall.)

When I took the car to smog for title transfer it passed with better than avg readings. However, gas mileage seems to vary greatly, as I've gotten from 12 to 16.5mpg. I did purchase new coils, plugs & wires as I read these items are pretty much considered consumables in RX8's. I haven't installed them yet, though.

My question is, since the vehicle is pretty much a stock 2005, should I be concerned about the OMP system not lubricating enough or any other problems that were otherwise fixed with an ECU flash or some other repair? The car seems to run great, but I've never driven a "new" one so have no real basis for comparison. Manufacture date, according to the report was October 05', maybe it came with all the tweaks from the factory?

And I've only had to add about a quart since I've owned it, the level was just a tick above the low mark when I bought it.

Yes. Take it to a dealer and have MSP16 done. That's a freebie, even if you're out of warranty. Among other things, it improves the OMP programming.

Ken

Any pics? Anyway, it seems like the previous owner pampered it and from reading your post, it seems like the car is in good condition. Congrats and enjoy it, good luck.

I'm taking it to the dealer next week to do an oil change. I figure I may as well establish some rapport with the local stealership in case I ever need warranty work on the engine. I'll definately ask about MSP16 while I'm there, thanks.

And the former owner(s) definitely had everything on this car, from the complete owners manual & quick reference card down to the original window sticker listing all the standard & added equipment.

Here's a pic from my droid:
Attachment 242314
Never thought I could fall in love with a car, but damn she is fun to drive and just feels right!

Nice. Looks good and congrats.

If I were buying a used 8, that's the 8 I'd want. From an owner overly meticulous about his car. Good job.

It would be a good idea to print out a copy, then ask the service writer "Has this been done?"

Sorry to make you search, but there should be a pdf in one of the stickies on this site, or among the RX-8 bulletins at finishlinepeformance.com.

Rapport with the dealer is definitely a good thing.

Ken

Nice find and good color choice!

Congrats! And yeah, this car IS so much fun. I sometimes find it hard to describe to someone who's never driven one, why they "feel so right." ;)

Well, decided to check back in with my experience so far with my new to me RX8. And as my daily driver shes running great so far! I decided to change the oil myself a couple weeks ago, I figured I'd get familiar with the inside of my RX8 (plus the dealer was too busy to take mine in that day).

I've also been premixing with MMO since the 2nd tank and I've noticed a steady improvement in throttle response from when I first started driving it. I figured the MMO was slowly cleaning out carbon deposits, so I decided to try a more direct approach and used the mazda zoom cleaner today. I followed the instructions in this thread (https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-mazda-zoom-power-engine-cleaner-engine-cleaning-seaform-142852/). Went without a hitch, but I noticed my car didn't produce as much smoke as expected, given the videos I've seen I expected my exhaust to become a smoke machine, but it was hardly noticeable, however the smell was pretty strong.

The CEL did come on, and I drove until it turned off. I figured there was a chance of this happening. The engine definitely has a different "feel" to it -an improvement in response & acceleration. I also noticed it seems to idle just a bit smoother and a little bit lower than before, but doesn't stumble. If it idles for over 30 secs, the needle drops almost to 500rpms.

I plan on doing the plugs, coils & wires next week. From a basic overview of the outside, coils & wires look original, not sure about plugs yet.

Did my coils, wires & plugs on Sat. Took much longer than expected because I accidentally broke the insulator on the new trailing plug :(. Good thing O'Reilly parts was able to get one in the same day for $20, the dealer wanted $60 for one!

And all my coils had varying degrees of white spots on them, not sure if that is a 100% indicator of them weakening, as I've read different things about that.

One thing is for certain, there is a noticeable seat of the pants feeling with slightly quicker starts & smoother idle (I thought it was improved enough with the decarb). I think my RX8 is pretty close to tip top as it can be at this point, engine wise.

Shes nearing the 55k mark and I think I'll be doing Eneos trans & diff fluid for the next routine maint. Opinions this brand of fluid for an RX8? I hear great things...

I would have encouraged you to change those plugs and coils asap. 25k-30k miles is the norm for oem plugs/coils. Have you looked at the BHR coil pack? If not- blackhaloracing dot com. Read reviews on these boards to figure an opinion :)

Also, I'm not sure about eneos trans/diff, but I myself (and many others here) use redline. Just a thought!

Lastly, looks like you did your research with this car, and I applaud you for that! I'm sure many others, as well. Congrats and welcome to the addiction!! ;)

Congrats on your new virgin ;)

I second the use of Redline oil for the transmission. Haven't used it in my RX-8 yet, but I have in other cars/trucks before with positive results. My 13 y/o Toyota truck started shifting more smoothly - especially during the winter - after I started using that oil.

Anyway, good luck !!

I appreciate all the info :) I just had one question, and it may sound stupid, but, where are zerk fittings on the RX8 chassis, and how many does it have? I cant seem to find any info on this. :dunno:

I'd be surprised if any car these days has zerk fittings. The last car I owned that had them was a 1974 Hornet. And it did not come with them - factory lube was good for the first 30,000 miles, after which zerks were installed.

Far cry from my 1958 Alfa, which had something like 17 of them.

Ken

My Tacoma didn't have any (that I could find), but wasn't sure about the RX8, as I haven't really had a chance to examine the entire chassis.

Funny thing also, my TPMS light came on, I didn't even know my RX8 had it (figured it was optional.) I feel neglectful for not checking tire pressure earlier, as all four were in the low 20 psi range. :o: