I drove an hour this morning to work on a somewhat desolate highway so went 85 mph most of the way. Got to my destination, stopped my car, ran into the building. I was probably there for 15 minutes, came back out to the car and it wouldn't start. It tries, but just can't quite make the corner. After several attempts, it finally starts. I head back down the highway, again at 85, and stop for gas halfway home. Fill the tank, get in the car, same thing. This happened to me as well about a month ago when I had an opportunity to drive the car fast and for a long distance, and seems to happen as well when I drive the interstate and then shut the car down and try to restart soon after I stop the engine. If I let it sit for half an hour or more before I start it I'm typically okay. But for quick engine stops and starts after hard and fast driving, it's tricky. What am I doing wrong?

 

I don't think you're doing ANYTHING wrong, seems to be an issue with the car itself.
It almost sounds flooded but that typically happens when the car is turned off before warming up. (ie; backing car out of garage and into driveway to wash)

Have you ever had the spark plugs or starter replaced? What year? How many miles? Original owner?

 

Is your battery cable loose?

Do you have the latest flash?

 

sounds like low compression, specially at (extra) warm engine. Same thing happend to me..

With me the compression was OK when cold but way to low when warm, couldt be VERY hard to start but always came in the end.

Got a new enginge.

 

Yup - the next thing you'll notice is an inability to maintain cruise even on the slightest grade.
Welcome to the new engine club!

 

Could just be a failed cat

 

Sounds about right. With my bad engine, I had a tough time starting it after long drives, not short ones.

 

Why ?

I had been thru even faster speed and longer periods of time than that ....

My engine has yet to give me any problems

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY !!!!!

 

I was hoping I could drive this car cross country.

 

Thats my plan

 

I did 1183 miles in two days and then turned around and drove back.

 

Check your CAT. Open it up and look inside.

 

I'm a chick! I don't know what the heck a CAT is!!! I hope I'm not looking at having an engine replacement. I live in the middle of no where and the closest Mazda dealership is three hours away. Argh. Mine's a 2004 and about 48,000 on it, so I think I have a little bit of time before my warranty is up.

 

Means your catalytic converter is gone, you will either:

1) have to take it to the mazda dealer for warranty repair
2) buy the parts yourself and put them in at a local shop or by yourself


Where do you live?

 

if that's even the problem, its hard to tell without actually being there in person.

 

Its no problem, I drove it about 1200 miles to texas then back. No problems at all.

 

Don't you just hate forgetting the wife

 

Stuart ... THAT was funny.

I live out in western Nebraska. I can either go to Ft. Collins or Lincoln. The Ft. Collins shop is super weird so I'll probably try Lincoln next time around. Cripes. Ft. Collins folks wrap themselves in Saran wrap, de-magnetize themselves and take three immunizations before working on your car. Hey ... I'm all for the mechanics being careful, but honestly, a crime evidence tech would've had a hard time finding one iota of DNA from a mechanic anywhere in my car! I am more partial to the greasy-handed, long-haired guy that knows what he's doing than the guy that's cryo-vacced and standing behind a computer screen to tell me what's going on with my car. I just hope I don't hear the words "new engine." Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?

 

Well, new engines are good, but the time it would take for them to get it in would be a week or two.

 

By the way, since you live in Nebraska, are you coming to our April meet? https://www.rx8club.com/mw-rx-8-forum-31/nebraska-iowa-spring-meet-omaha-135544/

 

 

my 2 cents : I say you should take it to the dealer and have them run a full-diagnostic before the warranty is out. As long as it's still under warrenty, everything should be free...from check-up to repair....

 

Stat: Where is the meet? And, no, I doubt that I would come because A: I am a soccer mom and I drive my car for purpose. It is not pretty. It needs vacuumed, washed and shined up. It looks like someone has also plastered their big ol' butt at some point to the passenger side door because I see a slight indentation that needs to be repaired. I have two boys, so I would imagine it got there from one of a myriad of fights my boys pick with each other constantly; B: I'm a chick. I would imagine that at these meets there are lots of gear-head types and I wouldn't know a dipstick from a spark plug from a catalytic converter from an exhaust pipe; C: I'm in my late 40s. Seems like most that I have seen driving these little spicy, cutey-patooty RX8s are college age, so it would be like bringing your mom with you to the bar.
Soul: I think I am going to take your advice. As it turns out, I am going to be in Lincoln for a week here pretty quick, so I'm going to make an appointment first thing Monday to have it worked over. If it does in fact need a new engine, now would be the time to find that out.
Thanks you guys for all your help! This is a fun group of people with a great sense of humor and a wealth of knowledge that people like me need! Thanks TONS!

 

nope. we have quite a few 40 something ladies here. one is even running a body kitted and supercharged 8.

i'd recommend making an appointment at the mazda dealership for a compression test before the warranty runs out. its what i will do. and its what i recommend anyone to do. that way, you know if the engine is bad or not. if it is, free new engine. if its not. peace of mind. better than having the engine die at 60k miles, and then 5k for a new engine and install.

 

Here it is, nearly June, and my car sits in the driveway and won't start. Died on me getting off the interstate but was able to maintain enough speed at the supposed red light to pop it in second gear and keep it running until I reached my destination. Got back on the interstate, drove it back home, died on the off-ramp. Again, maintained just enough of a snail's pace to pop it. Warranty's up. I had taken it to a shop in Lincoln, NE while I was visiting there and when I went to pick it up, the mechanic said, "Well, I have good news and I have bad news," and started how there was something that needed to be repaired (bad news), but good news, it's a recall and it's all good. He said my warranty had expired, but didn't they increase warranty to 60,000 miles on the RX8? I didn't ask, just happy that whatever they did was the answer to my prayers. Wrong. This happened again last week, a mechanic came out with some Snap-0n rig and cleared my codes, car started. I called the shop in Lincoln to see what exactly it was that they replaced and worked on. The guy says, "Well, looks like here they fixed some recall stuff and also says here that your claim of your car quitting without retsarting is unverifiable." WHAT??!?? That mechanic left me with the impression that the recall work he had done WAS the answer to my problems. He certainly didn't tell me that my complaint could not be verified. I don't know what to do at this point. I swear, if I need a new engine or some big ticket item, I'm going to scream to the rafters. I didn't spend a gazillion on this car to have it bomb out on me at 50,000 miles. **** ... my Explorer was at 200,000 and still running strong when I dumped it. Wishin' I had that gas guzzling ho now.