mroot0727

Hey guys i just got my 04 rx8 yesterday and i drove over 300 miles to get it and then drove it back home just fine the kid told me the thermostat needed replaced and it leaked a little bit off coolant well come today when i went to go drive it it overheated and i immediately shut it down and towed it home and i went to look under the hood and there was no mess under there but then i went to go look under the car and there was coolant all under the middle of the car and im trying to figure out why and where it would com from also im new to the whole rotary scene and posting.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

That does not sound good.
Overheating a rotary can be very damaging to the point of needing a rebuild.
You were wise to tow it home, but it wasn't a good idea to drive it knowing it needed a new thermostat, supposedly.
There are many threads on overheating.
You should also read the new owner stickies thoroughly.
Find your regional subforum and try to find a rotary mechanic, or maybe even a member may be willing to check it out.
Good luck!

mroot0727

thanks and im towing it to the mazda dealer saturday and they told me absolutely NOT TO START IT that im safe if i shut it down as it started to over heat and they are going to run a presuure test on it and go from there.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

You need to determine where exactly the leak is coming from. Check for any cracks in the radiator and hoses and check your overflow tank.
How comfortable are you with doing your own troubleshooting?

And I highly recommend that you read the "new and potential owners" and "congratulations you got an 8" stickies found in the new members subforum. Read as much as you can regarding preventative maintenance.

Nisaja

First of all, congrats on getting your new RX-8!
Second, like RX8Soldier said, you have to find out where it leaked from. After the overheat, did you still have coolant left in the coolant tank? If the thermostat was stuck closed, my bet is coolant overflowed from the coolant reservoir overflow hose. Do you see any coolant marks there? First up, I would get that thermostat replaced (if it REALLY IS the thermostat... kids lie a lot these days). It's good that the dealership is doing a coolant system pressure test. If they can't find a leak, your coolant leaked from the overflow hose. Nothing to worry about. It was just because of the thermostat.

Let us know what's going on. Good luck!

mroot0727

i could not find any coolant marks besides underneath the car and it was all along the driver side and it was pooring out

mroot0727

mroot0727

And no there was ABSOLUTELY NONE in the coolant tank

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Did your coolant level warning light come on, or did you notice the temperature gauge move?

mroot0727

I noticed the temp gauge moving

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

If the light never came on, the previous owner may have unplugged the sensor.
The floats are known to sink and trigger the light, and instead of fixing it correctly, many simply unplug it.
I believe your coolant level warning light would have come on before it even started overheating.
Be sure to check that it's connected.