Should I be weary to buy rx-8?

I have an 04 rx8 that has not had an issue 6spd until my wife left the truck open while i was gone for about two weeks. she tried to jump start it but flooded it. But after that none what so ever it is all about how you take care of it. mine i use the best oil and the best octane have about 48,000 on it and does not burn oil.So i say it is all in how you take care of it.
slight quick threadjack here... what is the "best" oil in those?
 
Synthetic oil is not bad for rotaries.. that is now an old fact because synthetics are SO MUCH better then they were back in the 80's and 90's

HOWEVER

I would never use royal purple in ANYTHING...

btw one other thing.. if you car burns NO OIL in 3000 miles u better take that to the dealer FAST and have the OMP checked out.. the rotary engine IS DESIGNED to burn oil in the combustion chamber in order to cool the apex seals down.. if this is NOT happening the engine will fail.. that was one of the BAD PROBLEMS with the 04' models is the OMP did not work properly and engines failed

100% serious if you burn NO OIL in 3000 miles stop driving it and have it inspected NOW!!!!

BTW if you want an 8 JUMP ON THAT DEAL NOW!!!!!
 
Now that you've gotten opinions from the guys who like to flog their RXs pretty well in racing, and such, here are some comments about the car from an old guy who just bought the RX-8 because his wife wanted one.

I did a lot of research and determined the RX-8s after 2005 are OK. In fact, Consumer Reports now flags them as recommended. The car has to have a good track record to get that recommendation. Besides, the car now has a 96K mile warranty on the engine core. That eliminates my greatest concern.

As stated, the car is a road car, not a drag car. It's not as fast in a straight line as the Miata I had. It does fairly well, though. It is pretty nimble through curves and has more than enough power to pull hills in sixth gear.

No, you do not have to flog your car to keep the carbon cleared out. You might want to redline the car some for fun; but, my car's manual says nothing about having to flog it daily to keep things perking along. Since my wife does not drive the car hard, I drive it about once a month to clear things out. I don't take it to the redline, though.

If you are considering a 350Z, you might want to see some of the reviews done between the two cars. The Z was far more powerful; but, the RX-8 was the better handling car and was far more comfortable. If you plan on using the car as a daily driver, comfort has to come into play. The RX-8 wins in that category. My son and I drove my wife's RX-8 to VA to pick up my LS6 Miata. It was a comfortable ride, all the way.

Yes, it does use oil. I check the oil in her car about once every 1K miles. I usually have to add some. I do not use synthetic oil in it.

We have never had the car's engine flood out. I've done about everything one can do wrong to make it flood. It just starts right up, every time. If it ever does flood, we have the quick chart that tells us how to unflood it.

Other than a broken sunvisor, we've had no problems. The car has less than 15K miles, though. We've had the car since December, 2006.

The gas mileage sucks. On our trip to VA, we managed an average 20mpg. It does get about 18mpg, around home. My wife knew that before we got it for her. She wanted it anyway. Now, she complains when the gas soars upwards in price. She got what she wished for.

Would I recommend the car? I've love the notion of the rotary for over 30 years. I never bought a RX-7 because they cost too much and had too many problems. The RX-8 has been just fine. I would not buy one for myself because I'm not as fond of the styling as my wife is; and, I'm not into four door cars. However, it is a nice car to drive. The shifter on her car is actually smoother than the six speed was on my Miata. It's also fun to listen to the engine spool up, which is why the rest of the guys feel it necessary to redline them, often. If I had my pick between the 350Z and the RX-8, I'd go Mazda. I'm not a fan of Nissans. I don't think the quality is there.
 
This thread may not be about racing, but I don't see how someone can appreciate a car like an RX-8 with driving it the way it was designed to drive. Driving the RX-8 up to its design limits is not an activity that belongs on any public street, so racing is the only way to fully enjoy the capabilities of this car.

Uh, ok? I love the car for what it is and what it can do, but I don't street race. The greatest thing I find with the 8 is that it's a track performer and yet comfortable as a daily driver unlike many other sports cars. I've taken many long trips in it and simply love to drive. It's accommodating, has plenty of power, all the options I could possibly want and best of all it's unique. In terms of MPG, on my last road trip I calculated 23.8 average.
 
Allow me to add this one point about "not having to flog your car"

JUST BECAUSE THE MANUAL DOES NOT SAY IT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT A PROVEN FACT

Why do u think people dump the OMP system and premix.. BECAUSE premixing is healthier for the engine and cleaner for the internals.. why does Mazda use the OMP... BECAUSE nobody is going to buy a car they have to put premix into when they fill up..

FACTS ARE FACTS... out of the MANY engines I have torn down.. from premix to non, to low mileage to high, to floggers and non floggers.. a nice healthy engine is one that has been maintained, has seen some redline (YES IT IS PROVEN THAT REDLINING THE CAR WILL BUST OUT SOME CARBON).

The main reason for carbon on a rotary engine is due to the OMP. What u are doing is spraying ENGINE OIL from the oil pan (so we are talking about dirty old oil that needs to be changed) onto the face of the rotors and the tips of the apex seals.. this engine oil makes contact and is "ignited" leaving large amounts of ash and deposits on the rotor faces. By bringing the car to redline you are creating more burn and higher4 combustion which will help to break some of that carbon loose and out.

If you have NEVER heard of an engine "carbon locking" read about it.. If you have then you know that carbon is ONE of the worse things for the rotary engine..

Another method of carbon removal is either seafoam or water treatment through the intake track into the engine.
 
Allow me to add this one point about "not having to flog your car"

JUST BECAUSE THE MANUAL DOES NOT SAY IT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT A PROVEN FACT.

Of course, *************** and I tend to disagree on things. He likes to race and spool up, as his ID suggests. I like to daily drive the car and run it up to maybe 7K, from time to time. Most shifts are upwards of 6K rpms, in the lower gears. With that, the car gets to highway speeds in a couple of gears.

I tend to follow the manual based on the experience of a company that's been in business for a very long time. Since they are the ones covering the warranty, I tend to think they'll give the proper scoop on the care of the car. They're the ones who'll fix it, if they're wrong. Amazingly, our car runs just fine with my following their lead. What you guys do to your cars is your business; but, I'm careful about how I recommend redlining cars on a regular basis to anyone, even a RX-8. It's just me, though. If folks want to follow your lead, that's none of my business. I'll just not do it.

Seems to me, if the problem of carbon buildup is so bad, I might see more reports of cars getting engine servicing in Consumer Reports. They would not recommend the car, for sure. That doesn't seem to be the case, though. Earlier engines did have problems; but, it could be that some of that is now sorted out. Minor problems were worse than average; but, that could be the flooding engines scenerio. I do know there are lot of RX-8s out there running just fine and not being run at the rpms I oftentimes see suggested here. I'd say the biggest problem with them may be where they're run. If they exist only on city streets at no more than 45mph, regularly, carbon buildup may be a problem. They never get to spool up, at all. Otherwise, I'd say they do fine without having to redline them on a regular basis. Of course, what do I know? I'm only going on our experience with my wife's RX-8. It runs nicely.
 
having come from a 03.5 mazdaspeed protege (sunlight silver) and going into my RX-8 i will honest to god 110% say that i do not regret it. there are times i miss the old go kart, but the refinement of the motor, the interier is lighyears ahead in quality and my monthly maintenance is not even 5% of what the protege cost. at the end of my MSP ownership i was spending about 200 a month to keep it going right. my RX-8 is an 04 and i have had no issues with it whatsoever even with 50,000 miles on it. another thing i love is how good it handles. you wont regret it at all.
 
Again, thanks to everyone for the input and sorry I havent posted but I was in Florida all week, but still studying up and checking in... So I have decided to go full force into buying an RX-8, and while I still lay eyes on my msp and the work i put in, seeing it on top of a tow truck for the 3rd time in the one year that I have owned it, my mind is made up.

I have been fortunate enough to find an '06 Winning Blue Rx-8 GT with 22,600 miles for $17,500 OBO, private sale. I checked it today and it passed my detailed check of body, electronics, undercarriage, suspension, ac, etc... and felt great on the test drive, passed carfax too, only stating that it was a fleet vehicle, which I assume should not matter much as that was only for the first 20k and these cars are meant to be driven hard.

I am calling a mazda dealer tomorrow for precise warranty info, and to have a mechanic give it the full circle inspection. Pending its success, I'm throwing the guy a 15k ca$h offer... Keep your fingers crossed for me!
 
fleet vehicle is actually a great sign, that means that a company purchased it for an employee's use, and paid for ALL scheduled maintenance. We had TONS of fleet account vehicles in when I worked for valvoline oil change, and we were automatically authorized to do any maintenance on the fleet's schedule (usually very similar to a manufacturer's)... didn't have to ask for the "owner's" permission or anything. Former fleet vehicles are usually GREAT bets on a well maintained car.

Again, thanks to everyone for the input and sorry I havent posted but I was in Florida all week, but still studying up and checking in... So I have decided to go full force into buying an RX-8, and while I still lay eyes on my msp and the work i put in, seeing it on top of a tow truck for the 3rd time in the one year that I have owned it, my mind is made up.

I have been fortunate enough to find an '06 Winning Blue Rx-8 GT with 22,600 miles for $17,500 OBO, private sale. I checked it today and it passed my detailed check of body, electronics, undercarriage, suspension, ac, etc... and felt great on the test drive, passed carfax too, only stating that it was a fleet vehicle, which I assume should not matter much as that was only for the first 20k and these cars are meant to be driven hard.

I am calling a mazda dealer tomorrow for precise warranty info, and to have a mechanic give it the full circle inspection. Pending its success, I'm throwing the guy a 15k ca$h offer... Keep your fingers crossed for me!
 
^^sweet, that's what I figured, just a little worried about the engine being broken in properly, but I'm sure it should be just fine. All I need to wait for is the warranty info.

But here's a question, if the warranty is still in place and transferable should I bother paying a mazda guy to look at it before I buy, since if somethings wrong it's covered anyways?
 
its always good to know exactly what you're gettin into, but if its covered, you have less to worry about. There should be a remaining warranty that should be transferable... you're doing your homework, so I'm sure you'll figure out whats gonna work.
 
I actually just got done reading ur fs thread for the car, let me know how that goes as that will be my next step, I need to fig if I should sell private with the mods or return to stock and sell to dealer and then pass on the goodies here.
 
you'll end up with a LOT more if you sell it privately... without mods. the car isn't worth any more with the mods and you'll be able to get cash for the parts... you'll get ***** at the dealer.
 
Let me put my 2 cents in..

As an rotary enthusiast and also an 8 owner, let me clearify couple of things..

1. regarding 04 vs. newer 8

Personally, there is no real change to the engine until the 09 models. So, if you are looking for 04, get an GT model as its the only model in 04 that came with dual oil coolers. 05 and on all models came with dual coolers... And on a rotary, oil is very important.. Just look at the design. Also, mazda's 8 yr/100K mile warranty, it really doesn't make much of a difference.. Especially you could pick up a good condition 04 GT for about 12-13k.

2. Pre-mix..

I'm NOT a fan of premixing (adding 2cycle into the gas tank) on 8s. Some say they have ran without an issue, but I 'think' my fuel pump/filter failure was caused by pre mix. But who knows... it could be coincidental that when I started having starting issue about 2 weeks after I started premix... Also, if you see the Renesis design, mazda put 2 oil injectors per housing vs. 13B's 2 oil injectors.. I think its bit too much to do both... and bit of a hassle to put in 2 cycle every time you fill up..

3. Synthetic...

Problem with Synthetic oil is not that its bad for the engine (moving parts). But when synthetic oil is injected into the combustion chamber. The burning property is not that well known.. I used to use mobile 1 in my RX7 and when the engine was broken down, there were some visible carb build up. Only way I would use Synthetic would be to use external 2 cycle injection (Sohn Oil Metering Adaptor).

Finally, Am I happy with my 8??

My 8s been a love and hate relationship.. I use mine as a daily and also to do track days with. Its definitely a great handling car and makes me feel like I could do anything on the road or the track. Its bit lacking power but great for beginner track and also tame enough to be a daily and had plenty of room for 4 people if you need.

What I hate is all the BS electronics. I'm a hands on guy but when I was having starting issue, I had no clue what the problem was (which ended up being a fuel pump issue, determined by mazda dealership). Also, I get these random engine light that comes on and disappear 2-3 days later..

If you are looking for something you could keep it stock, daily, and occational track, then I do recommend it... But If I had to start over.. I would get a G35.. bit more power and I actually like how G35 look.. But also its bit more expensive..
 
as much as I would looove a G35, its just not in my cards yet... i have the opportunity to buy the rx-8 outright in full, then I plan to sell the msp and pay off a credit card bill. I'll keep the loan on the msp since its a fixed rate and a low one at that.

I found out today that the rx im looking at's bumper 2 bumper expired today, weird huh? Anyways, its going in thursday morning to mazda for a full circle inspection and pending its passing grade, I will hopefully be the proud new owner of a 2006 rx-8 GT. Even though I am pretty much set and have gathered a world of info, some last opinions to push me from weary too 100% ready to own would be valued...

I am meticulous with my cars, and will do all my own fluid changes, pad changes, plugs, etc...aside from the usual, is the RX-8 a pain in the ass and expensive to maintain? (reg. scheduled maintenance, parts breaking/wearing easily [mounts, struts, bushings, etc])

I have a love/hate with my MSP, but mostly hate, I could never drive with confidence or without worrying if something was wrong and if the car was supposed to feel/sound/act like this... can i drive the RX-8 with confidence, not worrying whats going to go wrong next?

I dont plan to do much, if anything to my new ride while its still under warranty, but once time is up...how well does the RX-8 respond to modifications, and other than the engine internals, is it fairly easy to work on without the need of a mechanic?

i guess thats it people, you all really helped me out on this one, and like I said, my mind is made up for the most part, but some extra confidence always helps!

Oh, last thing, this engine flooding issue... I have read some people never had it happen, some people have often, some just do a few things to overcome it... is it all just simply allowing the car adequate time to warm up and down before shutting off?
 
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is the RX-8 a pain in the ass and expensive to maintain? (reg. scheduled maintenance, parts breaking/wearing easily [mounts, struts, bushings, etc])

can i drive the RX-8 with confidence, not worrying whats going to go wrong next?

how well does the RX-8 respond to modifications, and other than the engine internals, is it fairly easy to work on without the need of a mechanic?

Oh, last thing, this engine flooding issue... I have read some people never had it happen, some people have often, some just do a few things to overcome it... is it all just simply allowing the car adequate time to warm up and down before shutting off?

Of course, our '06 GT doesn't have enough miles on it to say much about the maintenance, other than oil changes. I'd say the RX-8 is no worse than the other Mazdas. Mazdas, in general, have a pretty good maintenance track record. Granted, the RX-8 has had it's problems; but, I think most were sorted out by the time the '06 GTs came out. I just check the oil and tires, on a regular basis. If I felt the car had really bad problems, I would never have bought one, even if my wife likes them.

When it came time to drive almost 800 miles to VA to pick up my Miata, we picked the RX-8 for the trip. It was flawless. As miles add up, we may have problems; but, we've not had any, other than a broken visor, yet. It fires up, every time, and goes. My wife loves driving it. My biggest concern is the core of the engine. For that, you have the 98K core warranty. Of course, gas mileage on premium sucks. If you do long distance driving, keep that in mind.

I can't answer to the mods question because we never do mods to our cars. I'm more concerned about how easily it is for our local mechanic to work on, when the warranty runs out. By then, we may not own it. We like the smell of a new car, from time to time. We can do a lot of driving without worrying about it, in the meantime.

As for the flooding, our Mazda dealer's service manager said the worst time for it to happen is when someone backs the car out of the garage to wash it. I guess it never has time to warm up and is in the high fuel mix stage that can flood it, at times. I've done about everything wrong and have yet to have it fail to start. If it fails, I'll just follow the directions on the card. I made sure my wife knows where the card is, as well. When I took my wife's new RX-8 in for some service work, just after we bought it, another RX-8 was being hauled in on a rollback truck. He said it was most likely flooded. For sure, it still had water droplets on the car. Most likely, it was being washed when it failed. Several things were changed, including the plugs, before the '06 RX-8 was introduced. Well, the plugs may have come later. Mine did get the new ones, I think, as part of the sales prep. That could be the clue to its starting without failure. I just know it's been a nonevent for us.

Trust me, I had many questions when I bought my wife's RX-8. I've watched the rotary cars since I was a young fellow in the '70s. I've always been leery of them because of their track records. The more I read, the more I think a lot of it has to do with the way they're driven. You need to wind them out, a little, to prevent the carbon. On the other hand, I also think that overdoing the winding out can bring on failure, as with any other engine. Normal driving at highway speeds should keep them running well. There are just too many RX-7s out there getting well over 100K miles on them without engine failures for failures to be the norm. RX-8s should be doing better, by now.
 
Listen, with any car you may or may not have issues. I did my research on the 8, found out what is what and in the end I ended up with a fantastic trouble free car. For some that may not be the case, you never know what could happen. There's nothing excessive to maintain on the 8, it's just like any other car other than it needs a little more oil now and then. All of which depends on your driving. You drive the car hard constantly, then sure, you'll need to replace things sooner. It's all common sense really.

"Personally, there is no real change to the engine until the 09 models. So, if you are looking for 04, get an GT model as its the only model in 04 that came with dual oil coolers. 05 and on all models came with dual coolers"

Not completely true. The automatic transmission version of the RX-8 has a single oil cooler and the low power engine.

/thread
 
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