SamH

Hey guys, I just got a used 2005 MT rx-8 a couple weeks back. I'm proud to be part of this club now...Anyway, It's my first MT car and so far it's been fun. Before buying the car, I did a good amount of research including lurking around these forums a lot... I've taken note not to turn off the engine soon after starting it and to regularly check oil, etc (which I do for all my cars anyway). But one topic that I'd like some advice on is redlining...
So far what I do is after at least driving the car around for 10-15 minutes minimum, I usually redline the car in 2nd. I usually find it convenient to do it on freeway entrances or 50mph streets... Is it ok to do this in 2nd? After I've hit the red-line I'll immediately shift to 4th or 5th gear...is this procedure alright? I know this all sounds like I'm scientific, but I'm not accustomed (YET... AT LEAST haha) to pushing cars to higher rpms...I've been driving really tame AT's all these past years...

Next, is a few general questions...
When taking off on first, at what speeds do you generally shift to 2nd during both casual and speedier driving? I know the harder you push on 1st, it's not gonna accelerate you much because obviously it's a very low speed gear, I'm just wondering what the sweet spot is for you guys...

Thirdly, how long do you generally warm up your cars in neutral before starting off and driving? Also, how do you drive for your first few miles? Shifting at 3.5k rpm etc? or what? Meaning, when is it safe to push it...

Oh yeah, one last unrelated thing. After buying the car, I noticed that 3 of the bolt screws with washers that secure the bottom plastic sheet (under the radiator) to the front fender piece (the one with the rotary logo in it) are missing. I'm wondering if any of you know where I buy these?

Thanks in advance guys, I really appreciate it!

G3tR3DDY2GR3DDY

iTrader: (8)

i can send you some screws if you need them. I think you pretty much got the basic info. Search around a lot there is a ton of info on these forums about everything you asked. pm me for the screws.

staticlag

keep it under 4K until about 5 minutes or so after the needle on the temp gauge reaches the middle mark.

You can redline the car in any gear.

First will give you the most acceleration because it is the lowest gear. But in order to achieve this you need to run the engine at its full potential.

So it really depends on how noisy you want the car to be and how fast you feel like taking off. For cruising and daily drive I usually shift at 3-4K because my car is so loud. Otherwise when I want power I will dish it out as needed.

G3tR3DDY2GR3DDY

iTrader: (8)

i dont wanna see this guy redlining 4th,5th, or 6th... :D

DarkBrew

Congrats on the car. It sounds like you did some research.
I like hitting redline in third while entering the highway..
Casual cruising you can shift at 4500 and cruise around 3000
Spirited driving you stay over 6000 and shift at 9000. It really changes the feel of the car!

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

i shift into second at ~14mph.

for spirited driving.. well.. you can shift when you hear the beep.

04RX8man

Sounds pretty good. Yeah the redling can happen in any gear mine is usually 2nd or 3rd sometimes i redline all three then cruise for a bit in the upper rpms. There is really no need to sit in Neutral just get in start it up but seat belt on find a good song on the cd/ipod and u r ready to go 0mph=0mpg so don't just waste gas. Welcome to the club and enjoy car.

G3tR3DDY2GR3DDY

iTrader: (8)

and how long have you had your car?? i dont think "get in, put seat belt on, find a song, and go" is a good recommendation here....

chickenwafer

iTrader: (9)

Are you kidding? You know you need to get the engine warm for proper oil circulation, right?

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

r u srs?

i've always just started my car and went. i havent had any problems..... even when its 20 degrees out.

max5roadster

One of the main concerns with spirited driving when the engine is cold has to do with the different rates at which the various metals expand. You could easily warp your housings by creating a severe heat differential. First sign is likely coolant leaking between the housings. Oil temp as mentioned is also critical.

SamH

Thanks so far for all of the replies guys. Your input has really helped. One thing which I just wanted some clarification on was the warm-up time when you start the car. I normally idle for about 2 mins or so, by that time the temp indicator is still near the C. Waiting for it to hit the middle in neutral takes forever, so it's not really necessary before I take off right? I typically continue to drive around under 4k rpm long after the temp hits the mid point...so the 2min warmup should be adequate right?

architect

Wait for the rpms to drop (usually takes about 15 seconds) and go. If you guys are sitting there until the temp gauge reached halfway then 1) you have too much time on your hands and 2) you're wasting gas.

Wind Dance

iTrader: (7)

Not exactly correct, but ehh. You'd at least want to warm it till the first line on the thermo. The oil circulation is important for lubing the housing.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

start the car. then drive the car.. keep the revs below 4k till it is warm..

the oil will circulate whether the car is moving or not...

idling just wastes fuel..

now if you are below 0. i would let it warm for a min. then drive it..


beers

the stig

you can redline any gear, but of course if you redline 5 or 6 you going way too fast.

warming up the car just keep it under 3.5RPM and i let it roll on 2nd gear on the street

swoope

iTrader: (5)

no you cannot redline the car in any gear.. unless you are on a dyno or jackstands.


beers

TRUOMEGA

i always warm up the car via remote auto start for about 5-15 min. Then i get in it, put the the key in the ignition and go. Dont have to worry bout what the rpm's should be. The manual tranny feels a bit slugish though for the first 2 min of driving. I guess that has to warm up as well and the only way to do that would be to drive the car.
As for redlining... I dont redline the car all that often although iv read neumerous times that u should to prevent carbon buildup. Ill just stick with plan A and if anything goes wrong....... well thats what warranties (sp?) r for.

Razz1

By the way... welcome to the club.

DMRH

Give this man a "Gold star".

This is exactly the reason why we should all warm the engines before we drive.

Mazda L.A head office was full of failed engines when I was there last. Most of them had coolant leaks across the engine.

"Hello crushed & warped rotor housing" Cast iron side plates are much stronger than aluminium.

If you want your engine to last...............Warm it up 1st before driving

REgards

swoope

iTrader: (5)

you can warm the engine while you drive..

btw,, the ecu will shut you down, hard if you try to beat up the engine while it is cold..

the ecu is smart..


beers

Rumboo

So what creates the heat gradient, rpm or engine load? Could you just drive for the first 5 mins at revs below 2k in lieu of warming up in idle?

JRichter

Engine load seems to warm the car up much quicker than idling in neutral. When its really cold, my car will idle up to around 2500 rpm's on it's own for a few seconds or bounce up a down a couple of times. I usually wait for it to return to a more normal idle before taking off. Then I keep it under 3k rpm's until it warms up fully.

And yes the ECU will cut your engine at like 3500 - 4000 rpm if you hammer it while it's cold.

reaper1

I normally wait about 3 or 4 min. before I take off . Just don't drive it hard, till car is properly warm . The thing is to not turn off , the car till the temp gauge is near the center ......

Good Luck and enjoy ........

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

i dont know why anyone would drive it hard before the car is warmed up. but because of this thread i let the car idle for a few minutes before i drive off.