Similar to some of us with experience on the Abrams I suppose. But those engines consumed oil iirc.

I would be nice to actually see an analysis on some 5w20 with 6000 miles.

 

I do 15,000 mile oil change intervals in my Honda and use Royal Purple. Of course that car also isn't NEARLY as hard on oils as rotaries are.

 

RG,

This may bring up an entirely different issue.

Mazda does not specify what BRAND of oil each dealer puts in the bulk bin, only the weight and spec.

It would be interesting if the LV dealers used the same brand.

 

Another point of difference between the NA and Australian markets. Oz dealers to a great extent use Mazda Rotary Oil for services, supplied in five litre packs.

 

"Castrol" ?? :D

 

I just started a new thread:It's about the difference in user manual language between the Australian and US user manuals and how I believe the EPA may be the root cause of the contrast -- possibly at the expense of the health of our engines.

I think it may be relevant to this thread, but I didn't want to dilute this thread with "yet another oil discussion."

Please visit the thread and share your thoughts!

 

Yeah, that photo was of oil that arrived in Australia from the first importation batch from Japan. The oil was imported in bulk, and decantered into retail packs like the one pictured here. Whether the oil is actually Castrol, or whether Castrol just supplied the plastic, I don't know.

The later supplies from the dealer come in unbranded packs.

 

My understanding is all the Vegas dealers are owned by the same people so are in effect one company. perhaps they do all use the same oil. would make sense

 

I will go by Magic next week and ask my rep what "brand" of oil magic is using.

I had all of my oil changes done at magic (and the old courtesy before it became magic) except for my last oil change.

My last change was done by Ted Weins.....about 1000 miles before my engine blew.


Will report back.

Rob in Vegas.

 

I have one of the replaced engines, I got the car back and it ran great, but the check engine light came on. I took it back in the next day and they still have it. I hope they get the problem fixed, when it's working it is a great looking and running car. I'm now driving a chevy Colbalt. very very weak

 

Talking to a friend in Vegas...they are having huge problems with engine oil temps in the cars there. The on street ambient temps can be way over 130 degrees...and the oil temps are crazy high. Would like to see an oil analysis in some of the ruined engines.......that way maybe it will boil ( ) down to a lubrication failure.........much easier to swallow for us people without the ambient temperature problem :D

Thank God I live in a temperate climate.......the toaster oven they live in in Vegas is brutal in the Summer

 

Once again, just use Synthetic oil and all the oil problems will go away. I did with no problems in Vegas and I beat it hard for 15,000 miles.

 

I just got my car back (new engine) they put 40 miles on it and used half tank of my gas. It runs ok, still has a little engine shake. Was told that the warranty will not change, what ever is left will remain. That totally sucks......

 

It may suck, but it's in line with common practice everywhere.....

 

Actually, I disagree about it sucking. Our warranties end when they end. If we're lucky, everything big and expensive will break just before our warranties expire, and then we'd have brand new stuff to last for many years when we no longer have warranty coverage.

I realize that's kind of an absurd example, but hopefuly it proves the point.

My mom has a '99 Oldsmobile Intrigue that got a new engine and a new transmission while it was under warranty. That may be a factor why it's still running well today... (Knock on wood! )

 

well there must be soem kind of warranty on the labor and new parts(engine). if it breaks 4 motnhs from now and that is after your warrenty ends it could leave you screwed. what if it was because of poor workmanship installing it or if ther ewas a manufacturing defect int he new engine?

 

Thanks for the update Rob-
couple thoughts and questions, which possibly could help narrow down things:

Do the mileage of the affected cars vary much? of the 04s affected, is this the '2nd summer for all of them? Or are some 'newer 04s'?

I.e., if its the "it takes 2 summers theory", are there any affected 04s that this is the first summer their car is seeing as opposed to the second? (say if you took delivery in Nov or Sept)-if that is the case, that would elminate the 2 summer heat thought (however broad it was). But say one 04 has 20K plus miles in its second summer is busted, and also an 04 with say, just 9K bought last fall, that to me would make it more 'clear' that its something 04 related....as opposed to broad just heat across the board....etc.


Also, can Magic, or Mazda or anyone tell us how many rxs are sold or at least come close to teling us how many in Vegas there are total..i.e., is there any way of figuring out how many 'non affected 04' rx8s are still 'left' out there in vegas?

 

I am by no means a mechanically inclined person, but earlier in this thread the idea was floated that the problem may be connected to the design differences between the AT and MT cars. Might the fact that most ATs are running on 16" rims instead of 18" rims help contribute to the higher oil temps? Wouldn't the bottom of the oil pan be closer to the hot road surfaces, and wouldn't there be less room for adequate ventilation? Just a thought.

 

The High Temperature/High Shear viscosity for RedLine motor oil is extremely high, even in the 5w-20 variety. It's quite a bit higher than even other synthetics such as Mobile1, which I know people run. I wonder if that'd be a quick fix.

 

Another interesting question is whether this problem has affected someone who changed their own oil, i.e., not done at a Mazda dealer. Presumably, they would have used a different brand of oil than the dealer. That might eliminated the possibility that it is related to the oil weight or brand used at the dealers.

 

The size of your rims is only the inside part of the wheels. If you measure from the outside edges of the rubber I would assume the tires are the same size. Generally bigger rims = less rubber on the wheel to make them the same size.

LycosV

 

no ther eis no difference in ride height. the difference is the oone oil cooler and driven at low rpms because of where the auto tranny shifts

 

This guy knows what time it is.. :D

 

Miller Time :D LOL

 

... or, one can use 10W30 or 10W40 if it is so freakin' hot there! Oil grades work best at specific temps, and even if you lose 20% vis from Castrol 10W40, it still offers much more protection than the no lose RedLine 5W20... and it's cheaper. You'll pay for extra gas as the fuel economy is gone (I would guess, and only if you had it - I don't). But you'll still have an engine and a car.
Also, an earlier post said that the oil boils and breaks down - nah, if it boils, vis goes up and you get better protection (think higher grades). High RPMS and high temps, lots of gas in oil and air will break down the vis of the oil. This is in line with the missing cooler on the AT cars, the overal recommended 5W-20 in US (is it also in the manual for Australian cars?)
I attach a page someone posted that showed a temperature vs oil grade recommendations for RX8 in Australia - and it is mistaken, 5W20 has the higher temp lower than 5W30, so when they are on the same "arrow", the max temp there of 110F is NOT for W20 but for W30 (check other grades in that plot). Then look at 10W40 and decide for yourself what should be used for LV temperatures.......
Why the same car with the same engines has different oil grades recommended in parts of the world, without even talking of operation temperatures, is beyond my understanding... Maybe print that and ask your mechanics to explain this mystery, and how is great for engine longevity...