Hard8

I was test driving a new leftover 2004 RX8, and I noticed a sort of oily smell, not overwhelming, but noticable. It was constant in the sense that it didn't worsen when I revved it up more or anything. Anyway the salesperson said that this was normal for the first 500 miles or so, the engine coating burning off or something like that. The car had about 200 miles on it. I didnt notice the smell on a new 2005 RX8 I looked at with 10 miles on it.

What I want to know is if the salesperson is probably right, or is this unusual, did anyone else in the forum notice this when they first got their RX8, and did the smell go away with time? I really like the car, color and options I want, good price etc., but I just want to feel comfortable that the smell will likely not be permanent.

Gambit

I had a smell when I first got the car...really only noticeable right when I started it up, and for about 5-10 mins after...it did go away after about 500-1000 miles though...salesman is probably telling you the truth

Go48

My policy is to NOT believe anything a salesperson tells me unless I can verify from an independent source. Guess that's why you are not comfortable with his/her statment?

Anyway, I don't specifically recall an oil burning smell when my car was new with 4 miles on it. Smells, yes. IMO, the car has a continuing peculiar smell anyway, which I have attributed to the very rich air-fuel mixture at cold startup. (Check out the tail pipes and you will see gobs of black carbon material from the incompletely burned A/F/oil mixture. ) Take the cover off the engine and with a flashlight have a look around, particularly around the oil filler pipe. Perhaps some oil was spilled on the engine when adding oil or there may be an oil leak and that's what you smell burning off. When looking, check out the joints between the individual engine housings.

Keep in mind, you will have a generous warranty and anything minor or major will be covered in any case.

RX8 JET

I have the problem, may be not the same smell as described but it smells like "burning brakes / oily" smell. It happened after a reflashing episode. It is still not fixed even though it was retuned to the original flash as well as reflashed just recently (which I think is the "N" flash).
I have contacted the GM of the dealership with promises of his guys calling back. I bet you can guess at how many calls I got since that promise.
It's not greater than 1 I can tell you.....

Just beware.....

Hard8

Well I don't want to pay $4000 more for an '05 if this is a temporary smell on this particular '04 that will go away. The only thing I'm worried about is that it I might never be able to make it go away if I buy it. I mean, if it's not something that will burn off or whatever after 500 miles or so, I hope there's something wrong that's minor and can be fixed under warranty. I'm just hoping not many people with RX-8s have a persistent oily type smell that they can't seem to get rid of no matter what.

Gambit

I would go with the 04...I was kinda worried about the smell myself in the beginning, but then I saw a thread about it here saying it would go away, and I hadn't really thought about it for a long time, but I haven't smelled it for a few months, and I got hte car in Oct of 04.

I don't know what the smell is though...

jowettw

maybe the dealer used the car to get lunch and thrashed it a lot ... ?

caribbean_spice_boy_73

ha ha jowettw.. you are wrong for saying that.. I just got my car back after two weeks for a paint job...I took the car in with 1/2 tank got it back on empty.. damm I should of seen my car anywhere on the road......

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

go run it at 8000 rpm for 30 minutes and then see if it smells

Buffalo66

Well I bought the car anyway. You know the interesting thing is that the smell is most noticable when I first get in the car in the morning even before starting it up. Then I think I just get use to it and dont notice it hardly at all. Its not really that noticable, but actually kind of like a faint smell of spilt gas. My concern is that it doesnt seem to be the typical new engine type of smell that will go away after the first 500-600 miles, because I would think that smell would start AFTER the car has been running (right?), not when I first get in it.

Gomez

The smell you refer to is Cosmolene. It's a corrosion inhibitor applied prior to shipment. Smells a bit like your following an old RD250 two stroke (if you're old enough to remember them!). This is one case where the salesman is correct....the smell will go away after the first 500 miles. Keep the aircond on recirc if it bothers you......

Gomez.