Trussville and Rosenthal both say the 05 key will not work with the 04.

Rosenthal on 9/30/04:

"They will not work on 04's. Mazda can't even get them to work. Best guess is they're on a different frequency."

Trussville on 10/01/04:

"We have been able to get the transmitter to work on the '04 but the key won't. Mazda has told us that the frequencies used are different."

 

I thought if they were reprogramed then they would be compatible???

if the 05 was just shoved into an 04 car then of course it wouldn't work but when the computerized crap was cleared it should work right???

 

I have not been following this closely, but here are two posts where Trussville and Rosenthal both say the 2005 key won't work with a 2004 RX-8:

https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...99&postcount=8
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...6&postcount=14

rx8cited

 

stupid mazda... imagine how much money they could earn if they created the key to work for the 04 model... i would buy one!

 

Its just a damn key people. Imgoing to crack up whenone of you goes out and swaps to an 05 just for the stupid key.

 

I would, but they're not available in yellow

however, if it's just a frequency issue I'm sure someone could come up with a transponder/relay :p

 

I was really surprised how big the key fob is for the 04 rx8. Almost twice as big as the one I have for my Mazda Protege5. I would have loved the 05 key fob.

Then again, it ain't that big of a deal, either.

 

Call me sour grapes, but I like the '04 key fob better. I've owned nothing but german cars for the last 6 years or so, and they all have the key and remote built in together like the '05 Mazda's. For me, having a separate key and remote is something different for a change.

 

That is probably limited on the companies they ordered it from. It should come in a set of transmitter and receiver. It is tough, I guess we have to bear with it that the 2005 RX-8 has a better key :D

I still like my rotary key though.

 

we'll know for certain in a couple of days..........