Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Welcome dddrew.
1st- If you're going to look for an RX8, go with at least an '06.
2nd- Most of us drive winter beaters, but some do drive with winter tires on their 8.
3rd- We'll be glad to meet with you one day so you can test drive one and we can fill you in on what to expect if you go the RX8 route.
Its not bad, but this car is something you have to baby and treat a certain way.
Expect gas mileage to be low and oil consumption to be high.
Doesn't have the greatest torque, but its a blast to drive at high speeds around curves (which is what the RX8 was really designed to do).

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

welcome dddrew.

My folks and my gf live out in North Ridgeville so if you want to go out for a spin some day when I'm out there let me know. Also, on occasion, some of the other guys race out at the Lorain Ford Plant on Sunday's with the Corvette Club. Next events out there are 8/8 and 8/22...check back closer to the event to see if someone will be there or not.

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

btw...do 15's fit on the manual 8?

dddrew.

Yeah i just realized that the 15's might not fit on that stock suspension. They both share the same bolt pattern though .

Anyways i plan on test driving one tomorrow morning. What's wrong with the 2005 (you henced that i should go 06 or newer)? I can't afford anything newer than the 05 if i get a rx8. Anyways its still up in the air but if i like the way it looks and performs tomorrow we might have a winner. I really like this GTI i tested as well but the dealership won't negotiate and i can't afford to pay $14,990 + taxes / doc fees. I was trying to get $14,900 out the door. Someone locally is selling a blue RX8 for $14,750.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false
(not necessarily local, but you get the idea)
im gonna test drive a red 2005 rx8 tomorrow at the dealership where i bought my current mazda. its about 10 minutes away.

holy... is this real?

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

Changes were made internal to the engine operation that make the 06 and later models less likely to experience engine failure. There isn't necessarily anything wrong with getting an 05...its just peace of mind that the chance of failure was lowered. Since it is a private seller ask them if they used any type of premix and if so how much and for how long.

Stig

WOW - thanks guys lots to read tonight! I just scanned all the posts but we've got some family over for the night so I can't get through everything at the moment. If anyone in still interested in stopping by tomorrow gimme a PM and I'll give you the address.

quick92rs

Does anybody have the factory wheel key laying around. I just wanna get the factory locks off and dont really wanna pay 40 bucks for something I'm gonna use once. Also do any of the akron area guys hit up superfly? I saw one other 8 out there last week but thats it.

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Funny you ask that quick92rs... I lost my key a couple weeks ago.
I bought a set from this guy for $11:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/01-02...item2eadc8b87a

I then drove to the dealer and borrowed their key.
I saw their key set and there are 24 different keys.
So the chances of someone here having the same key is small... but possible.

Stig

First big shout out to DeViLbOi et al for swinging by with his 'good O2 sensor wrench' AND pointing out that I neglected to put the rear gasket on the Super Cat when I installed it. I'm sure there has been and exhaust leak back there....I'm an idiot...so that my have been part of the problem for sure.

Jon - thanks for the detailed diagnostic advice as usual!

Today: it started with the Super Cat just fine and ran with out throwing any codes. Let it cool off and swapped the OEM gutted CAT (with the gasket) and it fired right up went for a drive with DeViLbOi and all was fine.

Let it set for 30 minutes...won't fire up. Cranks but nothing. Going to let it cool off and check the plugs.

Just txted with DeViLbOi and Steve are leaning towards the front O2 sensor. I'm thinking of replacing both O2 sensors and putting the Super Cat back on with the gasket is the next step.....

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Not being able to warm start is leaning me a different direction than the O2 sensor.
I recall on Steve's car his STFT was 20.4% with slight gas, which anything above 16% is lean (I believe 20.4% was considered a "fuel cut-off").
If it were the O2 sensor, it should have given you problems from the beginning and during your drive... but anything is possible...
Not sure if Steve still has a FO2S from the donor, but if that doesn't solve your problem, we may be looking at compression.

quick92rs

I just wanna get these god forsaken locks off. I wanted to rotate my tires before superfly

Stig

Welcome! I'll sell you mine with a set snow tires for less than 15k....once i get it running again...

I've been driving mine year round and don't have any problems in snow - I have a second set of wheels with studded snow tires and have NEVER gotten stuck in any winter weather.

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Then go to the dealer and borrow their's like I did.
It'll be much quicker than trying to find one of us that has that same key.

quick92rs

dealer is closed today though. If nothing else i'll just use an extractor tomorrow at work.

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Or use a socket to TIGHTLY hammer onto the lock.

Stig

I have the FO2S from the donor on there now.

The compression would be worse once it is warmed up?

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

Yes... this is why we do a compression test on a warm motor.

Stig

if it is compression am I F$#ked? I'm at 120k and no warrantee of any kind.

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

My schedule is pretty full the next few weekends, but I can probably squeeze you in next weekend (except Saturday since that is when we're going to the PA meet).
Maybe Thurs or Fri afternoon?

Sorry I couldn't make it today, you picked the one day I had plans.
Of course the last three days I had NOTHING to do, but I got the house and my room cleaned (yup... I was bored).

Stig

No worries. I really gotta get this thing running in the next few days.

Let me know when ever your free and we can do a compression test. Would the compression just "go" like this - running fine to not starting in a matter of a few days?

I don't know how many miles the donor FO2S had on it but the more I think about it...the car ran with a bad sensor before i swapped them out. Maybe not at 100% but nothing like this.

So....tonight I'm going to put the Super Cat back on, with the gasket this time and see what I can figure out. Even if it does run I'm afraid to drive it anywhere for fear of being stranded again. AAA isn't going to keep rescuing me for free. I'm thinking if it starts in the morning of just taking it up to Fred Vincent (closest Mazda dealer to my house) and paying for the whole dealer diagnostic to see what is going on.

If I just knew what was wrong I could most likely fix it, short of an engine rebuild

OK back out to the garage

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

The techs at the dealer will likely make you purchase new plugs and coils first, then charge you for a compression test.
Its your car so you do what you want... we can do the compression test for you, or you can take it to the dealer and have them charge you for it.

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

First...the Front O2 sensor wasn't my thought...I was just passing along what Brian said without seeing it. After we talked later he changed his opinion of what might be wrong.

Jon - Things to note about Stig's car.

1) It idled fine from cold but once it was warm it would be fine and then stutter and be good for another 5 mins or so before it would stutter again.

2) On the inside of the SuperCat there was a long scratch after the cat that went through the bend. Front screen was clean and whole.

3) The rear section after the bend on the outside of his SuperCat was discolored. From cat through the second bend is still a nice chrome while after the second bend it is brown.

4) With the gutted cat on the car. You might understand this smell description a bit better but there was a strong smell of burning dust. Stig said his gutted cat was only off the car for about a month so it shouldn't have been dust. Any other thoughts here?

5) While we were out driving, the car never backfired which seemed weird with the amount of times my car backfires but my car is odd about that.

So on to the discussion after lunch. I updated Brian that Stig's car wasn't running again and only appears to have the problem while hot. I also let him know that while his car won't start he has no CEL or pending CEL. Brian brought up a good point about how Stig has so many miles and on a normal piston car you could experience similar problems on higher mileage cars because of valve or crank sensors. Brian is thinking that maybe the eShaft sensor is going and suggested we see if Steve might have one off the blown engine we could swap in.

Stig

Sorry DeViLbOi i didn't word that quite right - I know you were passing info along

Can the eShaft sensor get dirty and need to be cleaned?

Jon316G

iTrader: (1)

1) Just because the "front side" of the cat's comb is clean, doesn't mean the cat is OK.
Remember... this is the side that gets the most direct heat, so it'll look "cleaner".
The front-most comb area isn't always the first to go.

2) Since the e-shaft sensor controls the ignition timing, troubleshooting for consistent spark might have suggested this as a possibility.
Its just an inductive coil so most of the time its not the sensor itself that goes bad, but metal flakes landing on top of the sensor producing false readings (because the sensor is angled upward).
Simply wiping off the sensor would be better than swapping it.

DeViLbOi

iTrader: (1)

1) Yup...I understand...and Brian was sayin it isn't the best cat anyways and that it is known to cause some CELs as if it were just a midpipe. Comment was more about the strange scratch though...was trying to say that it wasn't a seal that caused it...could be part of the honeycomb though I guess. Just seemed like a weird thing to have in the middle of the pipe. Stig...if the pipe is still off the car...can you try and get a pict of that scratch?

2) Yea...don't know nothin about that sensor. I wish we had sat down and went over the donor engine a bit more now. I still couldn't ask intelligent questions though and I know how much asking for a brain dump is impossible.

Stig - How old are the coils? Are they OEM coils? When did you start to premix? How much premix are you using and how often are you using it?