mariohardleft

Hi, all:
I've read the newcomers thread, which includes lots of details about compression test results, but there's a twist on this one, so I hope you don't mind my asking:

I'm looking at buying a 2009 R3 with 30,000 miles on it. The dealer is asking $17,800 for it, which seems fair enough, given that the body and interior are immaculate. However, I was concerned by these compression test results :

Rotor #1 at 268 rpm: 7.4 7.3 7.4 kpa
Rotor #2 at 268 rpm: 7.5 7.5 7.4 kpa


They said "kpa," but given the numbers, they must have meant kg or bar. FWIW, I'm in Dallas, so that's about 450 feet above sea level.

Do those results seem too low to you guys? I'm hoping for interpretation for real people that a chart cannot provide. My understanding is that the numbers are OK, but they seem kind of poor relative to the car's low mileage.

Anyways, a lot of words to say this: What are your thoughts on these results?

Thanks so much for any help you all can provide!

mariohardleft

Should I put this in the Series II Troubleshooting thread? Not sure if this is in the right place.

Thanks again for your opinions on this one, everybody.

Hope it's OK that I bumped this. Gotta make a decision soon, so looking forward to your input.

Jastreb

iTrader: (1)

If those measurements are supposed to be kPa, then the units should read kPax100.

Converting to kg/cm^2:
Rotor 1: 7.5, 7.4, 7.5
Rotor 2: 7.6, 7.6, 7.5

Normalizing to 250 rpm:
Rotor 1: 7.3, 7.2, 7.3
Rotor 2: 7.4, 7.4, 7.3

I agree with you, these results seem disappointing for the mileage. The compression on Rotor 2 on this engine is what my Rotor 2 was at 99k miles, as a point of comparison.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

Have they done a recent decarb on it? I'm in Canada, and I bought a 2010 R3 with 8,000 miles on it 2 years ago for $22k Canadian. That equates to about $17,840 USD, The prices they are offering seems meh to me, especially since things are ALWAYS more expensive up here, even after exchange rate conversion.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

$17,800.00 is way too high for an 09', especially with those compression numbers.

mariohardleft

Thanks so much for the feedback, everyone.

I think I'm going to let this one pass. If the compression numbers were higher, or if the price were lower, it might make more sense.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Look around, there is a black R3 for sale in Oklahoma that is for sale for around 14k, similar mileage and the owner is looking to only sell to someone who properly understands the rotary.

mariohardleft

So I didn't realize that Mazda offers an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on the engine for this vehicle. (Found out about it on this forum!). I asked the dealership about it, and they said, "No, only the clutch is covered."
Mind you, this same dealership did the compression test when the engine was cold —*and they said that the compression test results would've been better if the engine were warm. That's exactly the opposite of what I've learned on these boards.
Really disappointed that a Mazda dealership doesn't know the warranty coverage of a Mazda vehicle.

mariohardleft

Here's what the dealership said when I showed them the information about the Mazda warranty:


The warranty was extended, but does not apply to the '09 and later models because in '09 the problem that necessitated the warranty extension was resolved with an updated engine that corrected the problem. I have checked again with the Service Department about this specific car, using its VIN number. There is no additional 100,000-mile extension available on it.

Jastreb

iTrader: (1)

The warranty extension SP-77 does not apply to Series 2 RX-8s, but the engine core is still covered for 8 years/100,000 miles under a separate warranty. I know this because I just had my engine replaced at 99k miles under warranty. Compression was slightly below spec on rotor 1. A member from Canada also had his engine replaced about 2 weeks ago.

engine core warranty is described in the warranty information booklet that came with the car, as a subset of the power train warranty. This trips dealers up because it's not listed when they do the standard VIN lookup. It takes a bit of insistence on your part and a bit of research on theirs for them to confirm the warranty coverage. I went through this with 2 different dealers.

On the topic of dealership knowledge of RX-8s, yes it is pretty dismal on the whole. service advisors are almost totally ignorant, and my feeling is there are very few dealer techs that have in-depth experience with a rotary. I think there are maybe 2 dealerships in the entire LA metro area that could be trusted with serious work in the engine beyond fluid changes. Let's face it, it has never been a high volume car and has not been sold for 3 years in the US now.

VFX001

[QUOTE=JI think there are maybe 2 dealerships in the entire LA metro area that could be trusted with serious work in the engine beyond fluid changes.[/QUOTE]

I'm in the L.A. metro area. Would you mind naming the dealerships you trust?

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

S2's are covered by the 8 year 100k, while premature engine failures are not common on the S2's a few guys have gotten news engines under the warranty.

TOPLSC7

I have a 2004 RX8 with 130K miles. I was going to sell it and took it in to Mazda and they said get a compression test and inspection. attached are the results but it does not look good. They say it is a waiting time bomb to die. The engine was replaced in Nov 2006 at 27K miles -- all that info I did not know as I am the well they claim the second owner in 2012. I erally do not know what to do and would like the advice of others.
Thanks in advance

newbiePS I think they should have written amounts in the second two areas on left side right?
And what does it mean measure cranking compression? I saw on threads. FYI 0 since I have owned it I did everything they said; did not flood it, used the right oil, changed spark plugs and coils, etc. Could it really be true? The car is done at 130K miles? RX8 Diagnostic and Compression Test July 1, 2015.pdf

gwilliams6

The car is not done, but your engine is failing. Your starter cranking speed was cranking/or normalized for 250rpm, which is the standard for proper compression test. With a failed engine your 2004 is worth $1500 to $3000 depending on the shape of the rest of the car and the market in your regional area, whether it is a manual or auto, and what trim.

Love_Hounds

Same car as OP's -> https://www.rx8club.com/series-ii-te...7/#post4702835