GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I was driving on a back road today in my relatively new RX-8 (900 miles, 10/03 build date) when I noticed some mis-firing in the higher rpms. I looked at the instrument panel and noticed the check engine light blinking. With nowhere to pull off I just backed down on the throttle & rpms, and the light went out after about 30 seconds. I drove for another 15 minutes with no problems. Hoping it was bad gas or some other anomoly, I started to push it again, and pretty soon it happened again, but more forcefully. The engine hits a wall at 7,000 rpm and the check engine light starts flashing. Keep it under 6000 rpms and all is fine.

I'll be bringing it in tomorrow, but I'm wondering if this has happened before. I thought I read a thread the other day about a valve and/or solenoid sticking in the intake tract, and that's exactly what this feels like. I searched but couldn't find the thread.

TIA,
George

ggreen29

Good luck. Post the results, please.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I had an appointment with the dealer for this afternoon, but I decided I should make sure I could reproduce the problem (which occurred three times yesterday). I took the car out on exactly the same road and drove it in the same manner. Result: no problem. So, at this point I have to just keep a watchful eye and hope it doesn't resurface.

On the plus side, I was very happy with how the car handled in the wet.

George

zoom44

goerge the car will have stored the codes that caused the light to come on. it may even have one or two in the "pending codes". you should have them see if they can pull the codes anyway. what gas are you using? had you just filled it? hi power 6mt correct? had you beeen driving for awhile or was the car cold?

akrx8

same thing happened to me today,my car has 17,000 miles and i was making a aggresive run and at hi rpms around 7500 or so the engine light started flashing and went into safe mode.never had this before but all seams o.k. now.im thinking maybe misfire or detonation from the 90 octane i was running(usually run 92)anyone have a clue what this may have been?

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I was running "super" which in these parts is, I think, 91 octane. Car was quite warm while I was doing this. I wondered if engine temp had something to do with it. Still might as the ambient temps were quite a bit lower during my second drive, along with steady rain. And yes, it is a high power 6mt.

I was reading the R&T special "magazine" they put out on the RX-8 (still have my copy ) last night and I noticed that at 7250 rpms, the secondary fresh air duct is supposed to open, along with some kind of intake tract modification that (I think) is supposed to modify the resonant frequencies to be better suited to high rpm use. I wonder if one or both of these actuators is having problems - the rpms sure match.

akrx8 sorry to hear you are seeing the problem as well, but at least I know I'm not the only one. I'll try to get the car to the dealer so they can pull the codes.

George

Raevik

I had almost the EXACT scenario just yesterday!

I was on a country road enjoying my new car (300 miles) and it's fun handling. I hit a straight away and got on it in second. I hit 7500 RPM or so, and the check engine light came on, flashing. It went away about 10 seconds later.

I was running on Citgo 87 Octane, 55 F outside or so.

The dealer has my car now, installing a spoiler. They are supposed to check the CEL log as well and let me know what codes it threw. Here's to hoping.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

how full was your gas tank. i had the same thing happen to me while making some high speed runs.

filled up tank, never happened againg.

beers

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I had just filled my tank a few minutes before. So it doesn't appear to be related to the fuel level in the tank.

George

matt2e

Hello,

Quick reaction from a Limey (Irish actually but who's counting?)

This Power Loss thing seems quite well known over here. I posted the following on the UK RX8 Owners Club website rx8ownersclub.co.uk in a thread dedicated to it.

........ I would be very interested in hearing of anyone else with this power loss occurance above 6K RPM. Happened to me yesterday .... scared me witless as I was in the middle of an overtaking procedure when the power dropped back (felt like engine braking!) .... not the rev limiter as I was well within the power band between 6500 and 8000.

I've done 900 miles now so the car is supposed to be shaken down.

Could this just be duff petrol?

Worried by this as I often have my sons in the car with me.......

Stop Press ****
Car hasn't performed at all since ... 7k is wall though haven't had the Engine warning light.

The response I received from fellow RX8'ers suggested that where this occurred a sparkplug change seemed to remedy the situation ... some rumour regarding a dodgy batch of plugs used during manufacture of the cars.

Be interested if the Dealers in the States have offered other opinions.

Cheers

Matt

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

I just had my car in for service, and there were no permanent codes stored. So they can't really tell me anything. It hasn't happened since so I am hoping it's just a sticky valve or flap that has since broken in. Mine certainly wasn't gas as it only happened on that one drive - the next day, on the same tank of gas, all was fine.

Sounds like your intake valve/flap may be permanently stuck. I would think the dealer could easily remedy the situation, if it is a consistent problem.

One more edit- I was told the hotter plugs are on national back-order here - otherwise they would have replaced them. Not sure if the references you have are relative to getting the newer, hotter plugs ore just replacing bad plugs with healthy replacements.

matt2e

Thanks for the feedback GeorgeH,

Refers to swapping bad plugs with good'uns I'm afraid .... I'll suggest the flap idea to the Dealer too though!

If there is a good thing about this situation it's that at least I can replicate the problem on demand .... wish I couldn't!

ho hum!

Matt

epitrochoid

this might be stupid, but you arent mistaking traction control for a MIL are you? it could cause the same effect, and the light flashes as you described.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

No, this is not traction control. No wheelspin involved. Dry pavement, 7,000 rpm in third gear in a straight line. It could be a malfunctioning traction control - kicking in when it doesn't need to - but the effect is a little less intrusive in my case - the car does continue to accelerate, just at a greatly reduced rate, like it's not receiving half it's needed fuel (or air).

loco4rx8

Does this happen only with sustained high RPM driving? I have mine in the upper range (at or near redline) every day with no CEL yet. But it's usually just for a few seconds as I pass a car or do a quick redline run and then let off the gas.

Just curious. I hope you guys get your problems resolved, and I hope yours stays away now, George.

epitrochoid

I only suggest that because occasionally in 2nd gear on a rough road, my TCS will kick in.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

epitrochoid, it was a good suggestion - I could see some people getting confused about the TCS.

As for the sustained high-rpm question, my malfunction occurred during some "spirited" driving on a back road. Not non-stop flogging (it's hard to do that anywhere short of a track day) but it wasn't just a quick pass, either.

I attempted to reproduce it the next day, on the same road, using the same driving style, and nothing happened. <shrug>

matt2e

Hi folks,

Well my power loss problem has been solved .... nothing to do with plugs (hot or otherwise), nothing to do with fuel inlets or anything that exotic. The reason my motor was as much use as a chocolate teapot is that the fuel had eaten my catalytic converter. Apparently the to-ing and fro-ing at the docks and pre/post shipping involves journeys of such short duration that the fuel, pumped into the cat to be burned to heat it up to cater for emission control regs, doesn't ignite and just sits there munching the ceramic honeycomb. Result the cat collapses, blocks the exhaust and exhaust gases have no where to go except back into engine - massive loss of power QED.

I know this was the case with my car because the garage didn't have a spare catalyst and took the old one out .... my car now rocks, kills squirrels and birds and I have my own hole in the ozone, but it has cured the problem big time.

For any green folks out there this will be a short-lived environmental disaster as my new Cat arrives on Thursday - I have a bowl for it's milk and everything .....

The engineer knew exactly what it was and said this DID happen from time to time so I hope this helps the RX8 brethren and brethrenesses.

Cheers

Matt

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Glad to hear they tracked it down. A plugged cat would indeed kill high rpm performance on a consistent basis.

Wish I could hear your cat-less car.

bread

Add me to the list. Mine cut out in third, around 7000 rpm. The engine faultered, wouldn't go over 7000 rpm and the engine light came on. Stopped turned off the car, checked the oil (fine). Started driving again and the same thing immediately happened around 7000 rpm. Drove slow home and will take it out again today.

matt2e

Guys,

Thanks for the responses .... Bread if it doesn't clear itself - mine didn't BTW - the next symptom was continuous degradation of power ... it became harder and harder to get above 6000.

Hope you can sort it!

Cheers

Matt

Chris in MD

Just got over 600 miles today and was looking forward to a little more operation at the higher RPMs - to date I was generally shifting at 6K or less. When I started getting on it in 3rd the engine faltered badly just above 7K RPM. I immediately backed down but noticed no other ill effects. I remembered initial post from GeorgeH, came home and read up on all your symptoms. Went right back outside for a test run. First couple times thru 3 gears to red line there was some loss of power but somewhat inconclusive - not every time. Next time I hit third and floored it the engine sputtered loudly - all indications were normal. Backed down and tried again and the next several times went smoothly thru the gears up to red line. Now I'm not sure what's wrong if anything. Maybe the secondary air duct flap was initially stuck or something. I'm definitely sensitized now to any further anomalies at hi RPM and will monitor the thread as well.

Chris in MD

ran up to red line in lower gears a couple times today en route to work. No problems. However, I will try the Texaco/Shell gas at next fillup - currently using cheapo (WaWa) 87.

elite

well i got 400 miles on mine, and Im not sooooo breakin' it in waiting until 600 miles but truthfully I dont think that would cause it. when I got the car it had 79 miles on it which i dont know how they were driven.

Ive got on it alot, not holding redline or anything but im not afraid the let it rev and have a little fun but tonight I noticed, 7k-8k a slight hesitation. No warning lights, and from 8K up its totally fine but I do feel a rougness between the 7-8k mark. Its cold tonight here, 35f.......

has anyone got a positive feedback on this other the cat issue? Im more and more wanting to take it to 7K just to see it but Im not sure if its such a good idea to keep beating on it....

I never notice it happening in 1st gear though, just 2nd and 3rd. what do you all think? my 1st fillup i used 93octane.

opinions!?

Mafia

Doesn't the owners manual call for atleast 93 octane or higher?? I don't know if 1 octane point would really make a difference because my dealer said here in Canada up to 3 octane points shouldn't matter its when i go down south is when i have to watch out.. maybe try running 95 or higher? Thats the only thing i could think of.. but good luck