Found this in the May 2005 Automobile Mag. Looks like they are having a few issues with their Long Term RX-8. Its strange how some people are having multiple issues and some (Me included) have never had a non start problem.
Mine is one of the first RX-8's sold in the US and I had been running on the original flash up until November. I have even started and quickly turned off the engine on occasion with no ill effects. This bad press is not good.

 

What is the deal with this hard start thing? I live in New Orleans and we don't get many cold mornings, but I have never had a hard start-never. I got the DVD from Mazda which covered start-up stuff but to me it was just a curiosity. I never had this problem with my '93 R1. From what they seem to elude to this problem is associated with the rotary. Are they pushing the throttle on start-up? Even my wife knows not to do that to a fuel injected anything.

 

I havenever had a flood problem with my FD or my RX8--go figure.

 

I've never had a flood issue with my RX8 up here in the colder weather. I will also start it up to shufflle cars in the driveway and then shut it back down.

 

They should talk to some of the Canadiens.

 

Well, I am Canadian, and drove it all winter long. Never had a problem.

 

Already been posted

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/automobile-mag-4-seasons-logbook-57679/

 

I guess Im lucky I live in cali
no problems in almost two years for me

 

I have had to get my car towed out of my driveway 3 times already, all during the winter

 

I sold mine!

 

Guess he didn't get the latest flash D:D

 

I turned mine around in the carport and left it for a month and it would not start. It went to a dealer under warranty. The dealer said they had had some 3 or 5 - 8's in for the same problem. I wrote to Mazda North America in Irvine, CA, attn the CEO, and got a nice reply with a DVD titled RX-8 Product Update which included a section on how to start your car if you "flooded" it by not letting it warm up. It also said that I should go to my dealer for an updated page for my owner manual on how to deal with a "flooded" engine.

After seeing the Automobile Mag Four Seasons report I made a copy and sent it to Irvine suggesting that they might want to be aware of the ongoing test and might want to do some "damage control".

Clearly, Mazda is well aware of what I have seen referred to as a "quirk" with the rotary engine. What puzzles me is: my dad had an RX-7 in the '80's and I don't recall his ever having any such problems with the car not starting because it had not warmed up fully.

 

Elude-2 : to escape the perception, understanding, or grasp of <subtlety simply eludes them> <victory continued to elude us>

Allude-: to make indirect reference; broadly : REFER

But that's neither here nor there, we understood...
:D

 

I live in northern ohio, I keep my car garaged in the winter but I would go out and let it run for a half-hour or so, every other week just to keep things nice and oiled and to charge the battery. I remember starting my 8 no problem even when it was down in the single digit temps. I've never had a problem starting my car. (Although there has been a few times when I thought that it wasn't going to start because it took longer than usual, but it has always started.)

Probably the case in this long term test, the drivers were grannying the car. I catch myself doing it too. It's so easy to just shift into the next gear around 4 or 5k RPMS, and it will do it with no bog down what so ever. If you continue to not take the car up into the higher RPM's like it was intended. You are going to have flooding issues. If I could guess, I would think that is what the problem is they have here.

 

Ran the car all winter...even in -35c weather (-31f)...no problems. I know that most of the Calgary owners did fine.

 

Just an FYI for those who have had experience w/ 1st Gen RX-7's.. most of those setup for colder climates would inject a bit of anti-freeze with the fuel on startup. That might contribute to the "Easier start" folks remember.

 

Just had my first oil change yesterday at the dealership. While hanging around I took the opportunity to talk with the service manager about the flooding issue. He said they've had several cars come in on the hook. He also said it seems to be people who are not "aware of what they are driving" (his words) and that it's often the same people coming in with the same story (start-stop-start-flood). If you do have to turn it off cold, give it a good rev as you cut the ignition and let the motor spin until it stops.

On a related note - I walked around the lot and counted 26 brand new RX-8s sitting around. And I'd bet there were a few I missed. That seems like a lot of expensive inventory. I live in Knoxville, TN and there are two local Mazda dealers so I'd bet there are at least 50 new RX-8s here in town. I hope these things are selling well enough to keep the model alive for at least a few more years.