While driving home today on the interstate I whiped it in the passing lane, hit the gas, and threw it in fourth gear and BAM....all of a sudden the engine just bogs down and after about 20 seconds power is restored....a little scary and embarassing to hold up traffic in the fast lane while attempting to pass someone.

So, about ten minutes later, same scenario and same 'bogging' of engine, power restored and I continue on my way.

I decide to throw it in neutral after pondering what it could be and attempt to redline it.....starts bogging and I let off the gas to see if the engine will die.....it does....I put it back in fifth gear to roll start it and power is restored.

So, I figured it wasn't my tranny at least. But, I start to think of all the red lights I have to go through on the way home and fear stalling in the road.....I do.....but not at a red light. I'm driving in sixth gear and all of a sudden all power fades and my baby wants to stop in the fast lane on the highway, halfway up an incline. Feeling embarassed again at everyone I just passed whizzing by and dodging me as I creep back down the incline and make my way towards the right shoulder.

I replaced the rear oxygen sensor last week and was really expecting to see it dangling and all beat up when I looked under my car.....nope. I shut the door and figure I'll try cranking it for ***** and giggles.....WOW it starts....I rev it, redline it, give it hell just sitting there.......seems fine.....WEIRD.....moments ago she said "This looks like a good spot."

I put 'er in gear and continue home....no problems. I check the dipstick for froth since I recently added oil....no froth here. Turned her over again....no problems.

Now for what I thought was oddest about my whole trip home.....NOT ONCE DID THE CEL COME ON.....I mean come on, if your gonna throw a fit, at least tell me why.

So, what the hell would cause something like this without throwing a CEL code. I've researched the coils and plugs....but would a failure for either's functions throw a CEL code?

Please throw a dog some bones....I really don't feel comfortable putting another 120 miles on her tomorrow after this.


2004 6-speed GT 63,000 miles - East Tennessee - Temp today @ 75

 

it sounds like your engine is going.

and you're already out of 60000 miles ...

 

Awww come on.....your not giving any effort with that answer.

The compression checked out just fine a few months ago. If it were the engine....I don't really think it would come and go and I definitely think it would throw a CEL.

The temp remained normal and the oil pressure didn't change at all during the drive.

I'm asking in what would those symptoms in which a CEL isn't thrown occur:

Bad Gas?
A coil on it's way out?
An electrical short?


I bought the car in July and am already pretty disappointed all around....averaging 16 mpg on the highway?!?!? Need a part.....expect to let it sit for a few days since no one stocks parts for it. No spare tire.

I am going to go look at a Volvo S60 R tomorrow......300 HP turbocharged AWD beast.........
I'd love to find one like this local:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...link:middle:us

This one has pretty bad *** skirts and lip:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Rare-...QQcmdZViewItem

Mazdaspeed my ***.....that Volvo is sex on wheels.....The more I'm looking at them, the more I'm regretting my RX-8 purchase.

Oh well, it was an itch I had been wanting to scratch for a few years.

 

If you like Volvo, then Rx8 is definitely not for you.

Compression check out to be ok? what was the numbers? High on the OK ? or Low on the OK ? big different.

Remember, Engine is just a piece of metal, the only way they can tell ya about a problem is when it breaks.

16 mpg on the highway ? wow, I cant even get that low. perhaps the previous owner abuse the crap out of the car.


Give a list of the complete history. Then we might be able to tell ya what might be wrong. The engine could be just fine, but we need more info.

 

Also.............you should go have the codes read anyway, it may have stored something.

 

calling swoope to the thread, this is wierd

 

Dude...this is my third rotary engine car....and won't be my last. The last one I had I put over 200,000 miles and still gave it hell the day I sold it. I'm tired of hearing about people giving the rotary engine bad press because they are afraid of a little redline.

Compression check was 7.9 and 7.8 at 3000 RPM and warm engine.

I like that Volvo becasue its got power, fuel economy, style, brembo brakes, AWD, turbo........sounds a lot like what people on this board are disappointed in Mazda for not bringing in with the 8. What are you...gay...300 hp turbo isn't appealing to you?

I realize an engine is a piece of metal...thanks for schooling me on that. An engine doesn't **** itself and then turn over 2 minutes later with it held at redline for 15 seconds afterwards.


If I had to compare what happened on today....it reminds me of VTECH limitting for low oil on my old Honda.


I hadn't thought of taking it down to the Zone and pulling the code for a 'first' instance. I almost want to drive it tomorrow and put another 120 miles of redline joy to get her to talk to me, but I don't want to get stranded either. I'll see if it stored a code and post it if needed.

 

The S60R has the best seats my *** has sat in.

 

check the cat. if it's broken up it can cause overheating and block the exhaust flow enough that you'll sometimes get powerloss while driving.

 

What do you mean 'broken up'?

 

the cat can be damaged. If the internals have been damaged, chucks of stuff can be floating around and can clog up your exhaust. It can get red hot and cause issues you're describing.

 

Your compression numbers are low.

Also, the '04s are far less susceptible to throwing a CEL than the later models.
There are several programming differences between the '04s and the later models.
'04s will not show a CEL for a failed coil, will often ignore a failed CAT and will often ignore true misfires until high RPMs.

 

^^^

everything they said.. if you have not had a car that has done it you dont know...

i hope you have not had the 4206 recall done, it is you only hope. if not is sucks to be you.

beers

 

yes it can...

temp and humidity. heat soak. lots of things come into play..

beers

 

I misquoted.

 

Water in the gas?

 

OK. Those are actually decent compression numbers. Not awesome, just slightly better than acceptable.
A lot of things can make those even better, so I would say compression is not a problem here.

 

I was about to say what ? 3K rpm ?

if you look at the service manual, it seems kinda ok, nothing bad like MM said. but its not great.

You should check your CAT. I have to replace my Cat the first 1/2 year of my car, after the replacement. never had a problem since. Yes I had *almost no power* b4

bTW : 75 per hour of labor @ a dealership ? thats freaking CHEAP ! I cant say for all but the 4 different dealership I've been to charge at LEAST 95 per hour !

 

if the heat soak test was done. and that does not usually catch it.

beers

 

I bought a scanner and there were no codes stored in memory, all monitoring systems cheked out OK too.

I put about 300 miles on her yesterday and not a single problem.

I test drove the Volvo S60 R, and wasn't impressed at all with it. I test drove some G35s and Maximas too. All in all, my RX-8 drove better than all them.

I do love my 8, and probrably aren't going to give up all the comforts of my GT.

But, I do want to know what the hell happened to my car the other day.

I also rethought my mehtods of MPG and after second thoughts I am getting around 20 MPG....which I can live with.

 

Good news......now just get some clears and you're all set!
In all seriousness, while your problem hasn't happened to me in this car, I have had it happen in other vehicles before( a different make). Sometimes you just can get an upset computer for some freakin reason and in my case, it never came back. It makes you always leery of what may lie down the road, but in your case.........I hope it never comes back!

 

Happened again....but I think it is the CAT.

It happened in 3rd gear around 7500 RPM on an on-ramp, only lasted about 1 second since I noticed it right away and laid off it.

I get home and back 'er up and rev it in neutral above 7500 PM and and let it stall out.

I wait about 20 seconds and turn her over and she starts with no hesitation whatsoever. I hold her at 3,000.....5,000.....7,000......and at redline looking for hesitation......nothing....nada.

I look under my car after revving her and at the rear oxygen sensor (the one in the CAT) and I see the CAT glowing red all around the oxygen sensor. The in hindsight I think to myself, maybe I shouldn't have redlined her with a glowing CAT.....Doh!!

I called the local Mazda tech and told him I think my CAT is bad and that I didn't think it should be glowing red.....also told him about the EPA warranty on the CAT.

So, $88 and he said he was going to run some tests on the CAT.


I don't think the engine is bad....since it starts right up and when I slowly accelerate, the problem doesn't present itself......like up to 95 in 6th.

But, what is still strange is the no record of the code, I checked again, and after the car dies you can give it hell again. It's like, if the 8 senses a problem with the CAT, it retards the engine and the only way to get power back is turning it off and back on.

Also, this has both happened the day after getting a P0456 code, which I'm not too worried about that code in general.

What kind of codes can a dealer check for that I can't? What kind of test can I expect the tech to run on the CAT? Or, what kind of test do I need to be sure the tech is going to run on my CAT this Thursday?

 

Oh, and when I get the P0456 code is was after turning the car off I would guess since the code reader says it was zero RPM at the instance. The temp of the CAT at the instance was 1500 + Degrees. I guess I would get a small vacuum leak too if I was glowing red and rapidly cooling.

Does anyone know the normal operating range of degrees for the CAT?

 

dont have the service manual with me right now, I cant say for sure but it should be around 1400 something, and shouldnt go over 1500 by too much

It shouldnt glow red, by the way (mine never did)

88 bux to have it check ? hmm .... using the computer or wut ?

 

Free-revving should NOT produce a glowing CAT.

Those symptoms are pretty consistent with a blocked CAT.