aaron19

This is my first post so please bear with me....

I purchased a Tit Gray AT RX-8 around the beggining of May 2004 and it currently has 2800 miles on it. I currently live in San Antonio and I am in the military. I recently found out that I will be going overseas for 1 1/2 months whcih means I have to leave my car pretty much unattended for that time. I have never had a rotary powered car and I was hoping I could have a couple of questions answered. I searched the forum for an answer to my question but no one seems to have a situation like mine:

1. If I should leave my car with somebody, how many times a week should the car be started and for how long? Would the person have to actually drive the car? I am aware of the flooding issues of the RX-8 and I have mentioned this prob to several potential caretakers but they just give me a look like I am being too paranoid. I would hate to come back to find that my car flooded the first week and has been like that for a whole month.

2. Would the battery die if I choose just to cover it up and leave it alone for the entire time? If the battery died what would be the consequences? WOuld anything have to reset by the dealer?

I thank anybody who can answer my questions. I hope that this is not a simple problem I have made into a big one. I have not contacted the dealer regarding this situation as I find so much great advice on this forum and I choose to go here first. Thank you again

legokcen

1. If you leave the car with someone, they'll drive it. The 8 is addictive! I don't think they'll be a problem with leaving it for a month and a half. If you want to leave it with a caretaker, just ask them to drive it around on a errand once a week, or drive it for 15 - 20 minutes once a week. That way it'll get driven and the battery charged without putting a lot of miles on it. If it's not in a garage, I'd suggest a car cover.

2. If the battery dies, you'll have to reset your radio stations. I don't think the dealer will have to do anything.

mqandil

Aaron
Leaving the car parked for 11/2 months will not hurt the car at all. I certainly would not give the key to anyone, then you run the risk of them flooding the engine. I also would recommend to change the oil when you get back, but I do not think it is really required, but I just baby my 8.
As for the battery I do not think it will hold for 45 days . The stock battery is too small, and I had trouble with it after leaving the car for only 10 days. Nothing will happen if it dies. You will lose your radio, and clock setting. When you jump the car you will need to re-calibrate your dsc by turning the wheel all the way to the right, and all the way to the left. That's it you are done, and ready to enjoy your baby again. You may want to consider just disconecting the battery in the first place, and that will probably keep it charged.
Do not worry about your 8, just park in a safe spot, and it will be ok when you get back.
If you are going to Iraq, be safe and take care of yourself.

Mark

swoope

iTrader: (5)

get one of these.

http://www.hondadirectlineusa.com/st...0&ID=507627938

and any one of these.

http://216.60.144.111/ecatcust/getx....&vid=448270029

wash and wax before you leave. take the keys with you.

beers
john stewart

aaron19

thanks for all your help. That i all I needed. Swoope, thanks for the links. I will probably go that route. LegoKcen I agree with you on everybody wanting to drive the 8. When i mentioned my situation I had many people too willing to shoulder the "burden" of taking care of the 8. Thanks once again.

buzzwordenabled

Wherever you're going, be sure to come back alive! My brother has already lost three friends to the war in Iraq.

rx8spiritR

yea what if the battery die???? i am worry because i will be on a trip to Asia in December......for 1 month.....I DO NOT WANT TO JUMP START MY CAR WHEN I COME BACK! is there any way i can keep the battery alive??????

hootersam

Aaron,

Don't worry about the car or the battery. I left in January for two months. When I came home, my 8 started on the first crank. I would, however, keep a quart of oil handy for your return.

MyRxBad

iTrader: (1)

If you are going to leave the car for 1 1/2 months....
Just disconnect the battery lead. Wash it and cover it and forget about it!

Don't have anyone start it as all the oil will be in the pan from sitting for a lengthy period and it'll take a while to get the oil circulating. You'll be doing more damage by constantly starting it with all the oil in the pan. Plus you are only heat cycling the engine and coolant and not the drivetrain which also is helping anything.
I stored mine for 3months when I first picked it up. Only thing I did was disconnect the battery. When I reconnected it, the car started on first crank with no problems. The only thing you will have to reset is the electric steering.
(this is shown in the owners manual)
^^^^ - This is a simple crank the steering wheel lock to lock and then the dash lights go out if you have done it correctly. ( I just can't recall which way to turn first off the top of my head).

The only thing different I would recommend is that if you are going to store your car for the winter (sorrry I didn't check your location) then I would disconnect and fully remove the battery so as not to subject it to the cold (it'll drain it). When placing the battery in your house, always put it on some wood of keep it off the floor (cement especially).

That should cover it.

aaron19

Thank you for your advice, MyRXBad. For your information I live in san antonio so the temp will be about 100 degrees in august. I might just buy a generic cover as the RX-8 cover is simply not worth the price. The cover also has the logo and I dont want to advertise that an RX-8 is being left alone for a time.

Dr. Rx

Any issues with flatspotting of the tires?

From www.tirerack.com:

Do you ever feel a ride disturbance or shimmy during the first few miles of driving after your vehicle has been parked for a few days, weeks or months? Then, after you drive a couple of miles, the ride smoothes out and feels OK. This condition is often called flatspotting because it is used to describe the tire flatspots that can occur when a vehicle is parked.

Many heavy duty, high performance, high speed rated and racing tires have a memory because they continue to remember the position in which they were last parked after they begin to be driven on again. Unfortunately, their memory can become a problem when the tires experience big swings in ambient temperature, have been parked overnight in cold temperatures, or parked for an extended period of time...because it's a lack of use that can cause tires to flatspot.

As they roll, tires go from a relaxed state to a loaded state about 800 times every mile. This constant deflection generates heat that makes the tires more flexible. But once they are parked, the spot in contact with the ground (the tire's footprint) flattens as it is pressed against the road's flat surface as the tires cool. This is what generates flatspots. And until the tires "warm up" again, the flatspot on each tire can cause a ride disturbance that will be felt for the first few miles the next time the vehicle is driven.

Flatspotting can be temporary (the tire will round out as driving warms it up) or in the most severe cases, permanent (in which the tire's memory effectively destroys its ride quality). A flatspot's severity is often a function of the tire size, internal structure, load, ambient temperature and time.

Low aspect ratio tires have less sidewall flex due to their short sidewalls and much of their load carrying capacity is absorbed by the deflection of their wide footprints.

The tread compounds and firm, nylon reinforced internal constructions used on high performance and high speed rated tires are more susceptible to flatspotting.

Heavy loads and too little air pressure in the tires (underinflation) will allow them to deflect more where they come into contact with the ground. This allows even more deflection, increasing the severity of the flatspotting.

Cold ambient temperatures make rubber compounds stiffer, increasing their tendency to flatspot.

The longer tires remain stationary, the better they remember the position in which they were last parked. Tires on vehicles stored on the ground for many months can be permanently flatspotted.

Minimizing Flatspotting

While there is no way to completely avoid tire flatspotting, knowing what to expect under different conditions will help minimize its inconvenience.

NOTE: It is important to check and reset tire inflation pressures to those recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or owners manual when taking a vehicle out of storage.

Tire flatspotting would be most noticeable when beginning to drive a vehicle that has been stored incorrectly (with the weight of the vehicle pressing down through the tires to the ground). When storing a vehicle for more than a few weeks, it is best to drive the vehicle until it is thoroughly warmed up and then immediately put it up on "blocks" after arriving at the storage location. Doing this takes the load off of the tires completely. Not doing this on a vehicle that will be parked for a few months runs the risk of permanently flatspotting the tires.


Tire flatspotting may also be noticed when beginning to drive a vehicle that has not been driven for a few days, or during the colder winter months after the vehicle has been parked overnight. However, these types of flatspots will usually disappear during the first few miles of driving.

Usually during the day, the warmer ambient temperatures and more frequent vehicle use will not allow noticeable flatspots to form. However, anytime a vehicle goes in for ride-related services (tire rotation, rebalancing, or to diagnose ride disturbances), the vehicle should be driven for 5 to 10 miles immediately before being raised in the shop to make certain that temporary flatspots are not preventing the source of the ride complaint from being isolated and corrected.

And finally, tire flatspotting will also be noticed at the beginning of each session when attending a driver’s school, track day or race. Whenever the car is returned to the paddock, the vehicle should immediately be lifted off of the ground to prevent flatspotting (this will also allow the car to feel more stable at the beginning of the next track session). This practice also allows debris to be cleaned off of the hot tires while they are inspected for any punctures and cuts. If you watch the professional race teams at an event, you'll see that they always remove the race tires immediately after stopping in the pits at the end of a session (if they plan to continue using the tires).

Dr. Rx

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