I just got back from the auto repair place and they had no idea what was wrong with my 05 RX-8. They said take it to Mazda.

Problems:

• The fan stays on for about 20 minutes after I turn off the car. I know the fan staying on is normal but I've never had it stay on for more than 5 minutes before.
• The engine temp gauge gets to 3/4 or higher. Particularlly when the car is idle or going up a hill. The air conditioner gets hot during this time.
• I've had a few coolant lights come on but the coolant was full.

These problems happen REGARDLESS of how long I drive it. Ever after I just turn it on when my car has been in the garage.

Picture of the Temp Guage after 2 minutes of idle:
imgur: the simple image sharer

Factors to take into consideration:
- I live in Las Vegas, NV and it's 105 outside

Do you think anything is wrong or are these issues typical? I've had this car for 6 years (4 in Phoenix, AZ) and I don't ever remember these things happening before.

Thank you!

 

U need to change ur coolant mix ratio to 30/70, do the math on ur own

.Make sure its bleed properly

.Also, make sure ur radiator is not clogged

When was the last time u had ur coolant flushed? And there is a different between just radiator flush and complete flush with engine block drain. Just the rad drain will remove around 60% only, with block drain it removes over 95%

If u never flush ur coolant.and change it to a 30/70 ratio in hot desert like az, im fairly sure ur rad is clogged and ur coolant is junk right now.

 

Thanks for the response.

I haven't had the coolant drained and replaced for a long time. Easily over 20k miles. Could not changing the coolant cause these issues, though?

 

20k is not a lot, but coolant goes bad on its own so u had ur car for 6 yrs, chances are its bad already, and the heat in az helps to speed up this process

.D a complete block drain and use 30/70 coolant see if it helps. For the block drain location, find my diy thread. Buy the gasket before u drain. Just like a buck or 2. Whole process should take less than an hour, assume u know what u are doing

Think about it, i do complete drain on my car at least once a year, as much as 3 times a year,i live in nyc our local temp gone as low as 15 degress and as high as 109 just a month something ago, so now i usually use 50/50. It might be a bit overkilled but i like to keep my cars that way, its a nice way to spend an afternoon like that with ice cold beer and friends, ya know

 

I appreciate your thoughts.

I'll give it a try and see if it helps.