how to read the new dipstick here

Hmm...says 2005 only.

RosenthalMazda says it works in a 2004 RX-8 and this 2005 dipstick is the only one available ...... they don't make the 2004 dipstick anymore :D.

so will this be a warranty thing? For an 04?

No, it's just an improvement ....... but they only cost ~$13 from Rosenthal Mazda.

OK, well that's not too bad. Thanks!

I find it kinda funny that we're buying oil dipsticks from Mazda. I bet somebody in Mazda corporate is laughing their ass off right now. :p

Yeah, I am too. Other than oneupsmanship, what's to gain? Oh, I forgot, I GOTTA have one because it's there. :D :D :D

I bet they're really rolling on the floor with all the $200+ 2005 fobs being sold to 2004 owners :D.

LOL! That's a good one! :)

Dirty, Gunky Oil
 

Last month, I noticed yellow gunk all up and down my dip stick. I had the oild changed and had them flush the oil system. Its back again. The oil itself doesn't look old or dark, but the gunk is back. Anyone else had this problem? What's up with this?

yellow gunk or more of a beige color?

more than likely it's just lube so the dipstick doesnt stick

I know mine is covered in it.....freaked me out at first as I'm sure it did you but AFAIK it's supposed to be there

its neither- that is the foam from the cooler temps in the dipstick tube.
has been heavily discussed.

Yeah, there are at least a hundred threads on this meaningless phenomena. Do a few searches if you really want to know what it is.

FYI folks, I was not charged for the modification and new dipstick.

I went in and reported a milky, frothy substance when checking my oil.

The dealership contacted Mazda, mods shipped overnight, no charge to me, done deal. Mazda even paid for the rental while the part was being shipped.

Now that's a dealership one could love. :) They didn't HAVE to do that.

Good to see someone reporting a positive dealer experience. Although I am sure the dealer gets reimbursed virtually in full for their troubles.

I would say that it is a good thing that they simply dropped a sleeve in the dipstick tube instead of something a little more extensive. Why risk a tech screwing something else up just to modify the dipstick tube? Too much risk for what you are trying to gain IMO.

Frothy substance on the dipstick??
 

I checked my oil last night. The oil level was fine, but above the oil level on the dipstick there was sort of a frothy brownish liquid. Im just wondering what this is? Also my car is up in another 1000km for its next oil change, should i tell them to only put around half the oil in?? as some stays in the oil coolers? i dont want another over filled car.

Frothy stuff: This is a combination of oil and condensation in an emulsion. It is a relatively common phenomena in cold weather for some of the RX-8 owners. Not a big deal, it's only in the dipstick tube and not something to worry about. Take the time to search for and read the many, many threads in this forum that concern this "problem".

Oil Change: It appears that you are confused. The total oil capacity of the motor/oil lines/cooler(s) is around 7 qts. When the oil is drained from the oil pan, only about 4-5 qts. will run out of the engine. So 4-5 qts. of the new oil is added to replace the oil that was drained from the pan. Therefore, you end up with about 7 qts. with a 60-70% mix of new and old oil respectively. The person changing the oil should base the amount of new oil to add on the readings on the dipstick, not on anything in print that has a finite figure for the number of qts. required for an oil change. In other words, the number of qts. of new oil to be added will vary depending on how oil is drained.


BTW, the amount of oil drained from the pan can vary depending on how the oil is drained. If the car is level when the oil is drained, the amount will be closer to the lower number. If the drivers side of the car is elevated with respect to the passenger side while the oil is draining, the amount will be closer to the higher number. Of course, these numbers are approximate and assume that the filter was drained into the pan before replacement.

THANK GOODNESS for this forum!!! I just returned from a long trip and during my last stop for fuel, I noticed milky crap all over the dipstick. Being a rotary newbie, and piston veteran, I of course thought I had a blown head gasket. But wait....there are no heads on the rotary engine. The car ran fine, but I just knew this was really bad. So....I rushed home, dropped off the wife and kids (can't do THAT in a 350Z, OR a 911!!!) and took my baby STRAIGHT to the dealer. They put me in a POS Honda and told me they would look into the creamy oil issue. When I got home, I logged in here to see if any others have had this issue. I must say "THANK YOU!!!" to all that have posted on this topic. I will be able to sleep tonight! :cool:

awesome thanks for the help. The only reason i ask for the oil cahnge thing, is last time they over filled it...

KartRacer, where did you get your oil changed. I've a feeling mine was overfilled too 'cause when I checked it about 1500kms after the oil change (I usually add a quart every 1500 kms), it still showed full. Mine was done at Scarboro Mazda. Just curious. BTW , I'm getting the frothy substance showing on the dipstick too, just in the last few weeks or so.

the frothy stuff shows up when the outside temps drop.

mazda service people it seems tend to overfill a little bit. some out of a misplaced sense "since it burns oil ill add a little extra so the customer doesnt have to worry soom" and some because they mistakenly put in the "recommended" amount for an oil change instead of measuring the amount needed.

Glad to help. There really is no excuse for overfilling. There are few maintenance procedures that are simpler or more straightforward than changing the oil. Drain the oil, remove the filter, reinstall the drain plug and a new filter, add new oil.

Where some go wrong is in adding a set number of gts of oil. Best to first add a qt less than what is specified in the manual, check the dipstick, add a little more, check the dipstick. When the oil is at the upper mark on the dipstick, return the dipstick to the tube, screw the oil filler cap back on, start the car and let it run for a few minutes (with the RX-8, more than a few minutes might be in order :) ). Shut off the car, let it set for 5-10 minutes, check the oil and add more if necessary to bring the level up to the top mark.

Unfortunately, many grease monkeys don't do that. They're rushed, incompetent or just careless--whatever. That's why I change oil and do minor maintenance on all my vehicles myself. You may want to consider doing your own oil changes. It's not difficult. There is an excellent DIY in the Tech Section that walks you through the entire process.

oil foaming problem
 

I got my rx8 in november and just barely put in 2k miles on it and I've been noticing when I check the oil that its foaming and the dipstick is covered with it making it impossible for an accurate reading and I've had never changed or added oil .... I'm thinking of changing the oil w/ filter myself.... i know the filter is going to be a k&n perfomance gold but I'm not sure about the oil .... I'm deciding
either castrol gtx or royal purple but also I'm worried about using synthetic....
my biggest concern is that if the foaming put any damge to the engine and how to know if it did.....also does anyone know how to put in bulbs for the fog lights
mines don't work anymore so i need to replace them.