my rx8 has starting probs 8 times failed it 18 months old had a new catilistic converter as old 1 died on me had to new engine managment chips . this car does long jurnyies it bin a problem . the assistance cover enginers couldnt get it going 4 times

 

my rx8 has starting probs 8 times failed. it 18 months old had a new catilistic converter as old 1 died on me .had to new engine managment chips . this car does long jurnyies it bin a problem . the assistance cover enginers couldnt get it going 4 times

 

I have had my RX8 into the dealership three times in the past week (towed in on a flat bed) after call stalling out in hot weather, in the middle of a very busy intersection once while turning left!! Bummer. They changed the plugs and have now sent the chip back to California after reflashing it five times.

 

sounds like a bigger issue than flooding. hope they get it worked out.

 

roxi where do you live?

 

Michigan

 

Hope so too. It has been happening since February when engine started making noises almost like ticking. Deceleration problems started then and now at 19,000 miles I can't even drive the vehicle. I'm terrified I will get killed.

 

it was hot in february in Michigan?

 

Nope, cold, cold, cold. After warming up car, upon acceleration, engine made noises in first and second. Took the car in two different times and they said they couldn't duplicate the problem. That's when it started decelerating and it continually got worse until it started stalling. Engine just quits........

 

clogged cat. they dont always throw a cel. i have posted pics on here of one that is completly trashed but no cel. did you car ever have a flood prior to Feb that you know of?

 

none at all. I have read of many problems happening around 18,000??? I have driven the car for two years without a hitch.

 

get someone to drop the CAT and have a look inside

 

I'll call the dealership to see if they checked it. What's all the conversation about recalling all the engines on 2004, 2005? Do the dealerships have the notice?

 

there is no such recall.

 

Thanks. Will await Flash to return from CA. Would love to have situation fixed so I can drive the car! Don't feel comfortable after being stranded three times so far due to stalling with oncoming traffic and coming from behind at the same time. Can't restart so I just sit and pray.......

 

I flooded mine yesterday for the first time in ~45 000 kilometres (~ 27000 miles). I've been working from home this last week and hadn't driven in for a couple of days. Then I made the mistake of reversing it from my garage to move something on a very cold morning (just above freezing) and then turning the car off. It would not start a few hours later, and the roadside assistance people could not get it started either. Flooded.

However, my local dealer replaced the plugs (which were due in 5000 kays for the next service anyway), and gave me a 600CCA battery and an upgraded starter motor all under warranty. Very happy. Worth flooding it just for all the new kit. The new starter motor is great, and the new plugs also make the car seem a lot more responsive (not that it was sluggish before).

 

Where do I find the pic?

 

There seemed to full disclosure about this issue before I purchased mine. Actually there were several very specific disclosures about special operating instructions.

I really like these features, I believe the "extra work" operating procedures goes with territory of a true performance vehicle. I dont think they are threre to enhance sales.

I was amazed in my pre-purchase web research to find such a large, passionate and dedicated group of RX8 owners. I really enjoy my car every time I drive it, as you all know.

 

I forgot to let my 8 warm up one day, and moved it in the driveway for less than 30 seconds and turned it off. A week later, when I went to start it, it would not. My brother and I set out to get it running...so, here is what we did:

We hit the web for answers, and found nothing...(this was about a year ago) So we tried popping the clutch, a few times...failure.

Next we went to the dealer and bought the new plugs. ($160 NGKs...) We pulled the fuse for the gas pump, took out the plugs and turned it over to blow the gas out of the motor. After replacing the plugs, it still wouldn't work...

Then, we hit the web again in a collaborative effort to find something helpful. And there it was, a service bulletain explaining the problem. (I'll see if I can get a link later on, I have it printed out in my glove box)

If you hold the accelerator to the floor, the RX-8 will NOT spray more fuel into the motor...it chokes. Turn it over for about 10 seconds like that, and then try to start it normally. ...repeat until it starts, and let it warm up this time. I seriously doubt the plugs needed changed at all...the dealers know about this, and they just don't tell you.

Conclusion: If your RX-8 won't start, DO NOT TOW IT ANYWHERE, try this FIRST!!!

 

We knew that trick, and tried it. Didn't work. The car was too flooded. Even too truck batteries would not make it turn over. Anyway, getting it towed to the dealer got me free plugs and a new free battery and a new free starter motor.

 

There's a DIY that talks about the tech trick of squirting some washer fluid into the manifold service ports. Apparently some of the older Rotaries actually had a small resevoir and a button on the dash to let you do this.

I haven't tried it, but got some tubing in my trunk, just in case.

 

It was Starting Fluid, not Washer fluid. Although it was housed in a container similar to a washer fluid reservoir. Early models had a button and later they made it automatic.

However, it was to deal with cold weather condensation in the carburetor and not engine flooding of an FI engine.

 

Mine was towed to the dealer today because it would not start. I was out of town and 5 days ago my roommate moved it so the driveway could be cleaned. It has 18000 miles on it. Now that I returned from my trip it will not start. I tried every trick mentioned on the web and the Mazda service guy tried a few more. Once it seemed to almost start and coughed up a bunch of smoke from exhaust. Seems to me like this is a high price to pay for moving your car 5 feet.

Does anyone know if a turbo timer would work in this car. Perhaps it is time for a call to HKS. Seems like Mazda should have built in a function to do what after-market turbo timers already do. How many of these will they repair under warranty before deciding that it is not enough to state in manual "never turn off cold engine" .... sometimes it simply cannot be avoided.

 

You describe a classic RX-8 flood. The "Product Update" DVD says for short trips let the car run until it reaches operating temp or for 5 minutes, then 3K for 10 sec, let got to idle and shut off. It is unclear if all this is "required" to avoid flooding from a short trip.

Regardless, I would think it unlikely that a turbo-timer would solve a problem with a Mazda recommended "solution" this complex (IMHO).

 

There's a DIY someone put a turbo timer in. Of course if you have a manual, you're going to have to wait 30 seconds before parking it in gear.

This won't necessarily fix the problem.

What you want to do is install a fuel cutoff to starve the engine. I've seen old RX-7s with this mod. The fuel pump is wired through a switch that can be flipped on or off.