Hello all.

Rob in Vegas here. Long time no talk.

Well, my 2004 Manual Trans Rx8 just blew up it's 2nd engine.

24k miles.

I just called my local Mazda store - courtesy Mazda in Henderson.

Service tech told me "I can NOT even LOOk at your car until MID-AUGUST at the EARLIEST"

wow......unreal.....stunned.....


I waited OVER 34 days last time my engine blew to get it fixed and that WAS AFTER they had looked at the car and ordered the new engine.

Now they are telling me I have to wait 3 weeks just to have it looked at?!?!?!?


I'm done with this car.

Junk.....garbage......

I'm on the line with Mazda corp right now to demand a buyback of some sort.


Sorry guys, I REALLY REALLY wanted to like this car.

It is just junk.

Sad day......No car and out $35k at the moment.


Rob in Vegas

 

why do you think you blew your motor and why don't you take it to another dealer like Peoples or something?

what tweaks/mods were on the car? The car should still be under warranty if it is an 04 and only 25K miles

 

I will call Peoples Mazda once I am off the phone with Mazda Corp.


As far as what mods or tweaks are on my RX8?

None. Zero.

As stock as it get's.

I run ONLY premium unleaded. I have the oil changed EVERY 3k miles.

I add extra oil between oil changes as needed.

I am running 5w-20 oil.

I DO NOT race the car. I am VERY careful with this car.

The fact of the matter is, the engine CAN NOT handle the high desert temps.

End of story.

My first engine lasted 1 and 1/2 summers. Then.....gone.

Exactly the same with engine #2. Exactly.


When my first engine blew, all the fanboys here told me.....

"oh.....your just unlucky.....there is NOTHING wrong with the RX8"

"Vegas just got a bad batch of the early RX8's"

"There is no issue with the engines"

"no one else is having problems.....just Vegas and Texas....everyone else is fine."

Really????

hmmmm........So what is the story with my 2nd engine?

How many people here are on their 3rd engines???


Still nothing wrong with the engines guys??

Come on.


I really really really wanted to like this car.

Just can't

Sucks for me.....


Rob in Vegas

 

Problem= 5w-20 oil.

 

oh boy.....


here we go with the "GREAT OIL DEBATE" again.

Whatever.


That's what frickin MAZDA says to put in there dude.

Don't you think after all the blown engines that they have had to deal with that they would have changed that if it was EVEN a POSSIBLE part of the problem???


The REAL problem is that these engines GET TOO DAMN HOT and CAN NOT properly cool themselves down due to a poor design.

Poor oil cooling

Poor engine cooling

Poor air flow design.

The thing just melts dude.


Oil ain't the problem.


Rob in Vegas

 

Hey Rob in Vegas, keep us updated. Dont worry about the fanboys, if i had 2 engines blow i'd be pissed and give up too. Dont get defensive. You're making a sound choice. Let us know what happens.

 

Um Rob, we're trying to help not scrutinize you. The fact is oil can have a bit of an effect. There's more lean (for hot locations) and more thick (for colder locations).

If you didn't want help, then please stop wasting our time.

 

Shaz,

Sorry....I don't mean to come off harsh.

But, I'm just upset.


Any help or suggestions will be MUCH appreciated.



Rob in Vegas

 

I will deffinitly push to have it looked at sooner, they need to atleast give you a rental in the meantime. Sorry to hear, I would give up to. Good Luck

 

My first comment was gonna be about the oil as well. Not sure if it makes enough difference to blow the engine but I guess it might. But, another thing to consider (if you keep the car with a new engine) would be the cooling mod. Not sure if it would prevent it completely, but I'd assume it would help a little at least. good luck with the dealership and such

 

I'm assuming you got the recall/flash that increases the amount of oil injected?

Have to sympathise, and I'd be looking for an out also after 2 engine failures. Good luck with Mazda.

 

This is what sticks out to me...what does this mean? Did you ever redline the engine? Once fully warmed, these engines need to be driven like they're stolen. I'm inclined to think based on these lines that you babied it a bit too much?

Either way, after two engines and only 24K I'd be moving on also.

 

wow does that mean it is not a good idea for me to drive my 8 to vegas from the LA area?

 

Vegas will MELT your engine dude.

Stay out.

No Vegas, No Texas, No New Mexico.

Heat kills RX8 engines.


Update: My car has been towed to People's Mazda.

They "will try" and look at it monday or tuesday of next week.

Then, "if" they determine that the engine is blown (it is) I am looking at "about 14 to 15 days" to get it replaced. Again.


I have already called Mazda Corp and asked for a "buyback"

The local Mazda GM is going to contact me after the service dept has a chance to check out the car.


If we can not "agree" on a deal, then Mazda told me to "contact their mediation" dept and we go from there.


Guess we will be lettin' the lawyers bang it out.



Rob in Vegas

34 days (1st blown engine) + 1 days (2nd blown engine) with out my car.....


yuck.

 

how exactly are you defining a "blown" engine?

 

Rob,
Sorry to hear about your car. Hope it all gets resolved soon.

Regarding oil weights, you put in what the manual requires and your motors failed. End of story. Sure 5W-30 might have offered better protection in the desert heat but that is for Mazda to decide. I'd hate to think of the battle you'd be in for if you did use 5W-30. It wouldn't surprise me if Mazda tried to void your warranty based on using a heavier weight that that specified.

 

Again, I have to wonder why you think the motor is blown? Is it spewing out smoke from the tail pipes and you are down on power, is something internally making noise?

Not trying to **** you off or anything, but there are a lotta things that can go wrong and make it appear to someone that does not know a lot about rotary engines that the motor is blown. In reality it could be a bad sensor or MOP and the car is stuck in limp mode.

And if the last dealer is as clueless as it sounds, they may have not ever figured out what the real problem was, and instead threw their hands up and said that it is a bad motor. Bolted the same questionable part on the new motor, and it caused the same failure.

So, that is why I am asking. Has a compression check been done that you know for sure that it is a blown motor??? Unless you see a leaking crack down the side of the block and or a compression check has been done, you don't know if it is a bad motor or even the start of a diagnostic.

 

I don't have much to add, but I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I hope it works out for ya.

 

I have not had a compression test done yet.

That will hopefully happen by tuesday.

How do I "know" that it is "blown"?

Well, having already gone through this ONCE before, I can say I am pretty familiar with the symptoms.


I will post the compression test results as soon as I have them.


Rob in Vegas

 

well a blown rotary generally does so with a bang and a lot of smoke... then if it is still running it feels like it is completely un-balanced.

This would be radically different than just down on power or in the limp mode.

 

Nope. This mode of failure is usually a loss of power and a lumpy idle. Sometimes an uneven sound or feel. There is no smoke.

The fact is, the Renesis requires extreme care to survive the desert environment. Way more care than any owner should have to give. Certainly more than any "normal" owner like the OP could be expected to invest.
It is a double whammy that the Vegas dealers are so completely corrupt and inept.
Triple whammy that Nevada has suffered the highest failure rate.

Were I in the OP's shoes, I'd feel exactly the same and act accordingly.

The fact is - the Renesis is not ready for "prime time". It is not a motor for extreme duty of this sort and not a motor for the "every man". No one who is just looking for a sporty commuter in a hot environment is going to be happy with it in the long run.

 

Could NOT have said it better myself.


Thanks MazdaManiac.



Rob in Vegas

 

Agree with MazdaManiac, though I'd like to add that if the OP received a reman that might explain the lack of durability of his second motor.

I'm moving back to LA in a few days and in preparation I've installed the Mazsport fan mod for the heat and traffic. I also plan to flush my coolant soon and possibly replace it with pure water plus water wetter. I thought about Evans, but decided against it. However, I'm sure a normal owner would never even consider these things to combat the heat.

 

I really don't thing my 2nd motor was a "reman"

Considering that my car was less than 1 year old and had less than 12k miles on it at the time that my 1st motor blew.

My car was in the "1st batch" of blown motors.

Plus, it took over 30 days just to get the motor shipped to the dealer.

I guess you never know for sure, but I would say that my 1st replacement engine was "new"

I know my first motor was "new" and that one had no problems melting in the desert.


Rob in Vegas

 

Rob - since your car is still under warranty, is the dealer going to give you a loaner for the next three weeks? Did they give you one for those 34 days?

Good luck demanding a buyback. Between 34 days and three weeks, I think I'd be doing the same thing. Have you checked on local lemon laws?

Ken