I live in Las Vegas and I'm thinking about getting a rx8 soon. Someone told me that hot weather or dry weather is bad for rotaries. Is this true?

 

i live in AZ. i'll tell you what, in a month or two, the engine will be at operating temperture before i even put the key in the ingition!

 

no

 

cool where at in vegas? i dont see too many RX8's here in Vegas. talk to Dennis at Courtesy Mazda on Sahara and tell him Kris sent you. he can set you right up!
he might forget my name right away but just let him know i drive the winning blue fully loaded RX8 and he will remember quick

 

He sold me my car to...i also have the same fully loaded winning blue rx8, tell him Doug sent you!:p

 

A rotary engine thats on and running creates its own hot and dry weather surrounding it :D
Its STILL best to keep it cool .. when you pull your ReX into the garage for parking, its best to pop open the hood to vent out heat from the engine bay.

 

First of all, fluck the referrals.

http://www.costcoauto.com/index.asp?

No hassle, they show you how much over TRUE dealer invoice, AND they show you how much more the dealer can charge for doc fees, etc.... and not a penny more!

Simple as that.

I drove my 8 new pretty hard at the end of last summer, and everything was just fine!

Most cars don't like the heat very much. Oh wait, then again, mine isn't exactly stock either, my a/f is much leaner (factory, they run really rich which means much cooler), and I've had no probs yet. My AC also works all day long, and some people are reporting hot air from the AC????

 

Interesting...I am located in the desert southwest usually running constantly between Yuma, AZ and El Centro......and from time to time on short trips (10 to 15 min)......the fan that cools off the engine ran for about 20 minutes....gets pretty hot down here......has this been a problem for anyone else....

 

I don't think the engine cares much about the heat... but I know as the driver I do. The A/C is only marginal. On these hot days we've been having here in Los Angeles I've been driving my Lexus... I can hang meat with its A/C.

 

wow, i guess everyone is off topic.....i kinda feel bad for the original poster, cuz no one is answering your question, and i don't know either....but i'm telling you my previous rx7 will over heat after hard driving in the summer. AST , coolant tank, radiator and intercooler has already been replaced, but still over heat a lot.

 

well has anyone addressed the dealerships about this?

 

I don't see the fan staying on for a while as a problem.

When you shut the car down, there is no coolant running around, and no oil running around. The internal heat is going to radiate out. IMHO, it's more of a feature of the car, and with the limited metal around to absorb heat, the best thing here is to keep a constant supply of air on the engine!

 

heat and dry weather is bad for any motor in the first place

 

This is how rumors get started.. To answer the original question/post, NO. As long as your cooling system is operating as it should(no leaks, no bubbles in coolant, no cracked end tanks etc.) you should not have an overheating issue. Nothing to address at the dealer.. Drive and be happy!

'94 PEP
'88 Circuit Turbo II
'87 Turbo II(sold)
'82 Base(sold)

 

Listen to 88gt. Why is it you have to read 11 items of BS to get to a real answer.
I live in Tucson and have been driving rotary cars for 32 years. Cooling is no more an issue than with a piston car. Keep it in good working order and you will not have problems. I drive a 95 RX7 and do not drive at high rpm for the last mile or two before shutting off the engine. That's my tip!
My engine bay gets hot because it is 105 degrees OAT and the street temp is 140 -160 F. There are also TWO turbos under the hood. Learn some basic mechanics and physics and you can extrapolate the rest. Needless to say I kinda like them Rotor cars.

 

Everyone,

I think 47samurai is on the right track. Like him, I've driven a Gen 3 in Phoenix (although not daily) for the last 4 years where temperatures can reach in excess of 110F quite often from June through August.

A few things that I KNOW help tremendously is to vary your coolant mixture. 70 percent distilled water to 30 percent coolant and a bottle of Redline Water Wetter will help keep temps lower. Also, you might consider sealing off each side of your radiator opening to ensure that as much air as possible goes THROUGH the radiator assembly. I also agree that popping the hood when you get home to let hot air out of the engine bay is a great idea.

However, unlike my car, your car is normally aspirated which is LESS of a problem. If you want to avoid detonation just avoid hammering on the throttle during the hottest times of the day. If you've been cruising down the Vegas strip for 45 minutes let the car cool down a little before jumping on the throttle.

June is usually the hottest and driest month down here (i.e., worst for detonation). Once you get into July and August things improve as the moisture of the monsoon season kicks in!

Good luck