Actually in replacing my battery this weekend - that TSB and the Mazda Series II workshop manual are correct. Placement of the battery in the battery box (roughly centered) allows for more air flow. The only thing missing is a small rubber pad on the bottom of the battery. Honda/Acura have had a small supplied rubber pad that is small in circumference than the battery itself that the battery sat on in the battery box area. This allowed for more vibrational isolation and gave air flow around a portion of the under battery area. I never knew the battery box had a vent flow plenum - make sense because the engine compartment is a toaster oven.

 

I would say no if only the point about the DSC having to be reset. As well as all the presets on the radio and.... Seems like I'm forgetting something.

Anyway for what its worth I wanted to say how much I appreciate all the help I got. I only know now how little I knew when I bought my RX-8.

Thats because I wrenched on a Plymouth Duster a bajillion years ago. I swapped an engine and thought "I ARE A GENIUS! - DUH!!!" sheesh. More accurately I was dumber then a rock. So dumb as to not even know how dumb I was.

Thanks to a TON of help my car is running properly and I know a "little" bit...

The battery is supposed to be up on some pads for air to circulate under the battery??? The vibration thing I get but air? For real? I sure as hell didn't know that. How high are the pads supposed to be? Or is someone just saying that to expose how eager I am to prove my own stupidity? again......

 

Some batteries are shorter even though they are the proper size.

The MotoMaster Eliminator Ultra AGM battery I have in my 8 right now is a bit shorter than the OEM lead-acid, for example. It comes with a removable plastic stand to compensate for that.

The OEM battery I removed didn't have any pads/stand at the bottom.