nsnell19

Guys, I need your help PLEASE! Something is seriously wrong with my 2004 RX8. Here's what happened tonight:

I'm driving along in 2nd gear, slow to a stop, put it in first at the light, then go to accelerate in first to get through the light and my car made this horrible low groaning sound and would not accelerate past a crawl. It felt like it does when you have it in too high of a gear and you're trying to get some speed after being at a stop. But the sound was unlike anything I'd ever heard. I pull to the side, and turn off the car and restart it. It starts up fine. I put it in first, it goes in but then when i go to accelerate out it makes that sound again and barely moves forward.

I wait it out for a bit trying to decide if I should call AAA, when I decided to try it again. This time it worked. I'm about 6 miles from home, so I decide to try to make it back. I get within 2 blocks of my apt and I'm cruising in 2nd gear and all of a sudden the engine makes that deep groaning/grinding/struggling noise (but didn't stall or feel like it was going to stall) while IN GEAR. I push a bit more on the gas and it struggled some more but then it seems like it caught and sounded normal again but a split second later it went back to the low groan. It was rough sounding/feeling too. I manage to get to a red zone in front of my apt and the engine light starts flashing so I stopped and shut off the car to avoid doing any more damage. I pushed it to the curb and there she sits.

I can have AAA tow it to a Mazda dealer or other car repair faciilty in the morning. But I wanted to get your opinions. Is this the clutch or is it the engine? I took my car in during 2006 for the recall and they gave my RX8 a green light that it wasn't affected. I'm so distraught right now! It's never done this before! And I take great care of my car!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Prolly not clutch - my exp is when a clutch goes the engine revs freely and you just don't go anywhere (slipping the clutch).

Maybe tranny?

nsnell19

Thanks for the response! The engine was revving fine, but when it was in gear and I was pressing on the gas it made that noise...not the typical loud grinding when you dont' press the clutch in enough when shifting, but a low growling sound. And it was running rough and it wouldn't accelerate no matter how hard I pressed on the gas.

Still a tranny issue you think?

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Maybe; does it idle fine?

The first sign of engine problems is usually tied to a rough idle.

You know when you hit the gas and the clutch is not all the way in? That is what a burnt clutch drives like. If the tranny is messed up you can get all kinds of weird metal on metal noises.

nsnell19

yes, it idles fine. Or it used to! LOL

One thing I noticed but ignored was every now and then when I'd accelerate hard it would kind of hesitate off and on...almost like I was pressing and releasing the gas in intervals. I thought maybe it was my imagination cuz it didn't do it all the time.

The sound it was making wasn't as rough or hard as it does when you try to hit the gas when the car isn't in gear. It was like the car was in gear but the car wasn't responding as if it was in gear. It was the WEIRDEST thing. I'm so irritated!

Is the tranny cheaper to fix or is the clutch? There are only 43000 miles on it. I use it for city driving, and I work and live really close so I don't put a lot of miles on it.

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Tranny is unfortunately a lot more than a clutch to fix.... sorry bro.

If you go outside put it in neutral and start the car - it will sit there and idle fine? If so then it is tranny prolly.

If the car is NOT idle-ing in neutral then it may be engine related.

nsnell19

Oh that's not good news...I wish I knew a bit more about rotary engines so I could figure out what the deal is. I hate waiting.

I haven't gone out to start it, but earlier when I turned off the engine and then started it, it would idle fine. When it was in N I could hit the gas to rev the engine and it was fine. It was only when I popped it into a gear that it started to do that weird noise, rough riding/ struggling/ non accelerating thing.

Geez...I hope whatever it the problem will be fixed soon, won't be expensive and will be easy to fix. Does it have to go to a Mazda dealer or any authorized Mazda repair shop? I'm out of warranty anyway.

Thanks again for your help!

Kane

iTrader: (1)

There are a lot of folks in socal that can probably help out with a good shop.

Try the regional forums.

Calling SOCAL folks....

nsnell19

Kane, thanks for your help!

I had it towed to the dealer this morning and got a call that 2 coils have gone bad which is why I had no power while in gear. They can't test the tranny or anything else until they can actually drive the car, so we have to replace the coils first. The guy at the dealership always hooks me up...maybe cuz I'm a chick and I'm always nice to them, but he's a really great guy to work with at that dealership regardless.

Hopefully I'll get good news in a bit.....

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Coils would be WAY better news than tranny.

I have never heard of one idling well with bad coils.... so who knows.

Keep us informed.

Mazurfer

Seen a few threads like that lately Kane.

Seems to be catchy!

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Ahhhhh - I caught a case of the coil-HIV..... worse than cat aids.

Well, if it is coils she is money - no worries.

Esp if you are up all night thinking about what a new tranny will cost - EEK

shaunv74

Make sure they check your plugs. If your coils were bad your plugs may be fouled. They should replace them for you if they're fouled.

If the tranny is fine but you're still having no power they should check the cat. I've seen bad coils lead to a failed cat. converter. Of course they'd have to unbolt and visually inspect it which will sound like work to them but that is the only way to be sure.

nsnell19

You guys are awesome, thanks!

I have great news! It was just the coils. The car is fine now, there's tons of power and no other issues...tranny and clutch checked out fine- no slippage. I asked if they checked the plugs too and they are good. Just had them changed at 36K and I'm only at 43K now. I'm golden for quite a few more miles!

Hopefully that is the only problem! But it would explain why I could get into gear, but then lose all power and not accelerate while in a gear. I get to pick up my car tomorrow! Woot!

Mazurfer

Good news fo sho.................lot better than a tranny huh?

Make sure you read what Shuan wrote anyways....................he was spot on.

nsnell19

I asked my dealership to check the plugs too (per Shaun's suggestion) and they said everything checks out fine. I just picked her up this morning and she runs GREAT! She even starts faster (was taking kind of a long time to start before, and I took it in to check it out a few months ago and they found nothing wrong. Maybe it was the start of the coils wearing out). The power is back to where is was before and better! Now I know what to look for if I run into power issues again...damn coils!

But I'll take that over a clutch or tranny ANY day!

Kane

iTrader: (1)

Good to hear. Another happy rotary on the road.