Well I have to talk about this, because I am very disapointed with my RX-8 2004. With around 5000 KM (Quebec driver) on the car, I have went to the mazda garage 5 times in the last four months.

October 2004
Frist (1) time: Major braking/direction problem, went to the garage, checked it out no solutions except potential replacement of brakes.
Second (2) time: Went back with more braking problems, full front brake change (distortions in the two disks) after about 2000 KM.

December 2004
Third (3) time: The car died on me after a cold start. Started (20 30 seconds) but died (not a flood), did an oil change a some verifications. seemed OK...

January 2005
Fourth (4) time: The car started well (-10 degrees celcius), the check engine bacame amber and I was limited to exactly 3000 rpm. Went back to the garage and they changed the throttle body.
Fifth (5) time: This morning (Jan 21st) the car started perfectly and then died again after around 20 to 30 seconds. They are working on it right now at the garage, still no news, so I guess I will have to wait for news monday morning.

Potential conclusion at this point
This car is wonderfull, but if you live in nordic cities don't buy it. Sorry guys, but it seems that everyone is ok with cold temperatures but me on this bulletin. But at the mazda garage, they told me that they get an RX-8 in every week with starting problems, intake problems, noise problems...

Personnaly, I think my relationship with my RX-8 is over, I have asked mazda to cancel my contract and I am waiting for some additional news.

Finally, i have heard of add-ons to help the RX-8 start better in cold weather (circulators, etc.) what do you guys recommend?

Comments, anyone, please ?

 

I haven't had the problems you are experiencing except for the "check engine" light.
It came on about a month ago when it was really cold(I live in northern IN). I had let the car warm up and when I pulled out and got on it , it just cut out and the engine light came on. I just coasted for a minute and it went off. It hasn't come on since and we have had some COLD weather(-9). I have come to the conclusion that the rotory engine simply does not like cold weather but once it hits regular operating temps it runs fine. There are a couple of "flashes"to the ECU Mazda has their service dept. doing. Have they done this to your 8?

 

I live in Calgary and it gets frickin' cold here too. Been driving it all winter with no problems so far. Not even a problem starting after it's been outside in -30 degree weather all day.

Sorry to hear about your luck; sound like maybe you just got a lemon.

 

I also have experienced no problems....My battery sounded a bit weak on some really cold starts -30 but other than that it has been flawless in the winter.

 

i'm sorry you're having issues with your car. i haven't had one problem with mine, but mine only has 3k miles on the clock. my dealer gave me a coupon for a free oil change, but i declined and will do it myself. i can't think of another car i'd want and the "8" is still a blast to drive.

yamajj

 

I've only had mine about two weeks (951 miles) but have had no cold start problems. We've had about 6 or 7 days below 0 deg. F (-15C) for a high temp. in these two weeks. I've had no problems at all starting or staying running. I have had the cold-start-rev-to-3000 rpm thing a few times, and the idle never goes below 800rpm. The idle in cold weather is almost always 1000 rpm.

It sounds like your car has something specifically wrong, not that the design of the engine is bad. I wonder if the dealer is partly at fault - they said they have "an RX-8 in every week" with these problems, but haven't been able to figure out what's wrong. Try a different dealer, and ask them first if they have "lots of problem RX-8s" coming in for service.

 

I'm finding that cold starting is 100% BETTER on regular (87 octane) fuel than Premium (91-93 Octane) fuel. The regular is more volatile, and therefore atomizes more easily in cold start situations.

Where I've noticed hard-er (emphasis on the "er" - it's ALWAYS started for me and has NEVER flooded) starting is then the car was thoroughly warmed, and then partially cooled - in that scenario, the engine is too warm for the ECU to call for the full cold-start procedure, but it's obvious that the engine is still too COOL for the warm start procedure to give it a quick start.

In that situation, the engine would crank for at least 10 seconds before you'd get any firing and then would start roughly before becoming even.

Switching to 87 Octane fuel cured that.

I live in Chicago. We're plenty cold here and haven't had a single problem including in sub-zero weather. EVERY car is reluctant to start (slow/labored crank) when cold soaked to that temperature!

Stew

 

I have a 2005 M/T picked up October 15, 2004

I have had trouble free operation currently at 7000km. Cold does seem to effect Rotary engines ( RX8 version I have never owned one previous ) differently than I'm used to with piston type engines.

My first encounter with an extremely cold start produced surging < RPM up and down rapidly > no higher than 2600rpm however. By depressing the clutch I was abble to stop that strange surge, it warmed at a constant 2000rpm there after.

Strange little beast and I am completely amazed at it's character coming through, even had the dual smoke rings this morning. Very cool car, seems to need the same attitude you would show a nervous horse = calm easy going lets go kick some *** < speed/ manouvering.

It is possible the techs at the dealer you are going to may be learning the RX8 as shown bt the comment " these RX8's are always coming in with cold start problems " any tech department worth it's certificates would not admit that they would solve the problem. Check if ther is an experienced Rotary specific tech on payroll there. If not go elseware to solve the probs.


Best of luck to not give up to easy!

The cars worth it.

 

I'm in FL so I can't say I understand real cold temp's but it did get like 35 here the other day...really it did...

Anyway, from what I have read it does seem that the rotary does not like the extream colder temp's. I wonder if one solution would be to add a engine block heater type of thing like they do on normal Piston engines? That would make things better and maybe an oil warmer too to help things out....write to Mazda and see what they tell you.

Like people have told you, take it to another dealer and if possible try another 8 because there is a chance you got a bad one.

Good luck with your cold start problems and your 8!!!

 

I also live in Calgary, and have had no problems. I got that bulletin the other day from Mazda about the cold start problem, but I'll wait until the next oil change before getting that flash upgrade.

 

A couple of people have told me to try another dealer. From what I hear, not only from you guys but from other people I have talked to today, it seems my dealer is learning as they go on this one..... I have found another dealer around 30 minutes away from my place, called them and they told me to bring it up there for verifications. They have the proper Mazda technicians to help me.

This is worth a shot before canceling my contract...

 

Try getting the hotter plug for the Leading position, NGK RE6A-L. That can help with the starting, my dad put them in ours and I haven't had any problems so far in northern MN down to - 40 F. I don't drive a lot in the winter but it starts and runs fine when I do.

 

question? I live in Portsmouth NH, it was -5 here the past few days. So when I start my car it starts OK then when it's been really cold(last few days) when I release the clutch the idle will go from 1,500 to 2,500 back and fourth- I let the clutch out and the idle stabalizes. I row through the gears for a minute or two then let clutch out and idle's at same rpm?? I'm thinkin the gear case lube is sooo cold it's stressing the cold engine when clutch out, causeing it to vary rpm till i get the gear case lube warmed up---just a theroy and wondering if anyone else had samething?

 

Sorry to hear about the troubles you've been having deijmaster, but I must wholeheartedly disagree (politely).

I live in Edmonton and have been driving my RX-8 almost daily since summer. It's be been a wonderful experience even the the -20 C to -30 C PLUS wind chill WEEK we just had.

I've only had one time where I had problems starting, and that was when I had flooded the engine while it was still cold and shut it off (had to go inside for something). Took a little work but it started again.

I did get an engine light come on for what turned out to be a "malfunctioning" clutch switch. The switch failed while it was around -25 C out, so it's more likely the lubricant was too cold and the swith froze in place.

I would agree with khtm, you may have a lemon, maybe Montreal got a batch of lemons... it happens when you make things in assembly line fashion.

I too have engine surge problems with the clutch engaged just after starting, I was hoping the cold engine update I got would fix that but no such luck.

Considering this car doesn't have a block heater, it preforms AWESOME in cold weather!

StewC625, thanks for the Regular fuel tip, I might try that next time I fuel up.

I do agree that there needs to be some warm solutions for the RX-8 (like a block heater). I don't expect them soon though. Getting Japanese Engineers to understand what a Canadian winter is like getting the people in the southern states to understand the vast majoraty of Canadian don't live in Igloos.

 

Uh, I'm not sure what YOUR perception is of people who live in the southern states, but no one I know thinks Canadians live in igloos. Collateral matter, but I get so tired of these retarded comments that people who live in the South are unintelligent.

 

Well the more I read the thread, the more it makes me think that I could potentially be the one partially responsible for what is happening... Guys I have a question for you all that live in very cold climat like me:

When parking an RX-8 in cold weather, are you guys mostly:
1) outside (home) outside (office) parkers
2) inside (home) outside (office) parkers
3) outside (home) inside (office) parkers
4) inside (home) inside (office) parkers

I know this sounds weird but in my situation I am mostly am an outside (home) inside (office) parker. I "usually" leave my RX-8 outside at home (-10 to -30 celcius) and inside at the office (11 to 15 celcius) during the day. Could this be the reason or partly the reason why I am living this situation (condensation problems, injection vapors, etc.)????

Anyone?

 

I haven't had any problems. I had my 8 parked outside at home when we had a two week stretch that it was below zero degree F and it started just fine. Parked outside at work and it was fine also. From early Decmember until yesterday it has been parked in the garage and hasn't been driven. The side streets are finally driveable, so I will be driving it again until it snows again (hopefully we are done for the winter but probably not). I don't anticiapate any problems caused by being in the garage at home and outside at work. I don't think that it is anything that you are doing. It sounds to me that you just got a lemon. But then again, I am not an expert in these things.

 

I drove two first gen RX-7's and now an RX-8 through New England winters with no more starting difficulties than any other car. I too suspect a lemon and/or an incompetent service department.

Stew625's regular fuel tip makes perfect sense. Brilliant! And don't forget the dry gas.

 

I have a question for you deijmaster: is your RX-8 a 6 speed or an automatic?

 

My RX-8 is a 6 speed manual. I have just talked with my dealer today and the mecanics are talking with the Toronto Engineers and still they have found nothing yet. They can't fix the problem. I am in discussion with Mazda to change my RX-8 for a new one because it only has 5000 KM on it at the moment.