I haven't started driven my rx8 in over a year. When I recently started it up the engine light comes on. people have told me I need to get a tune up right away and will probably need new spark plugs. Is this true and what else might I want to do to nurse it back to health?

 

check the coils and spark plug wires as well. Did you happen to had stabil to the gas tank

 

no I didin't but I didn't leave it with much gas in it

 

It's a 04 with 38K is it still under warrenty?

 

The plugs are recommended replacement at 37K(most change earlier) and it would be a good time to replace coils and wires too(parts total $250-$300+ an hour). The engine has a eight year one hundred thousand mile warranty.

 

what are the coils and wires?

 

The ignition coils and spark plug wires loacted on the drivers side almost right below the throttle body.

 

You don't know what coils and wires are? For real?

Anyway, you say you got a CEL, so you need to go have that read and see what the code is.
Quite a few Autozones will do it for free, if you have one nearby.
It is however most likely that you need to at least change the plugs......possibly the coils and wires as well as has already been stated.
Wires = Spark plug wire....does that help you?
Coils = What provide the high voltage to the spark plugs, they can be found on the opposite end of the spark plug wires from the spark plugs themselves.

I guess at this point, I would

1.) Fill up with some good quality gas.
2.) Unhook the battery for 15 minutes
3.) Hook the battery back up.
4.) Disconnecting the battery will make you have to do at least one reset.....which would be........
a.) turn the key to the one position, but do not start the car.
b.) Turn the wheel all the way to the left(It will be hard to do).
c.) Then turn the wheel all the way to the right(Still will be hard), but this will turn off the DCS/TCS light caused by unhooking the battery.
d.) Turn the key to off and wait about 15 seconds.
e.) Start the car and go for a spirited drive and see if the CEL comes back on.
5.) If CEL never did dhut off, or comes back on, then you need to go have the code read.

Then we can go from there, but spark plugs are a sure bet at this point.