Rx8-2004

Howdy, I just bought myself my first car, (I’m not counting the 1926 model T i bought when i was 14) and it is a 2004 RX-8. It has its share of problems but overall seems like a decent car, I’d love some advice on fixing and maintaining it! It has a tick that is pretty noticeable when it is cold, and the previous owner said that it is a cheap header on it. It is throwing an o2 sensor code. It has an occasional miss that feels electrical and I’ve ordered some spark wires and coils. The spark plugs were recently changed. Even with the problems, It is an amazing car, and definitely love the rotary! I’ve been getting around 20 mpg average and running 93 gas. All tips and advice and solutions to problems are welcome, as well as good upgrades! It already has a oil upgrade with a separate place for the oil for the combustion chamber. Ideas on whether i should get coil overs, sway bars, fuel additives, or anything else are great, thanks!

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Welcome to the club. You'll want to read through all of rx8help.com to get the beginner questions out of the way. It's info condensed from this forum.
Which 02 code is it? You'll want to make sure the cat isn't clogged, that will kill your engine. Of course, if you don't have a cat, that explains the code.

Rx8-2004

P0031 is the code, and it does have a cat, I can’t find a straight answer on wether it is good to remove it for the engine?

Loki

iTrader: (1)

That code says your front O2 or the wiring to it is broken. Definitely want to fix that.

Removing the cat: you can... But these cars stink without it. I personally don't find it worth it. As long as it's in good shape it's not hurting the engine. I would check it given that the car is new to you.

Rx8-2004

how do I check the cat

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Take it down and look inside. The honeycomb should be intact and not clogged

Rx8-2004

Thanks, Loki, i will look, guess it can’t be too bad to pull it. Does it give it a noticeable amount of power increase or performance increase with a cat delete? Also, is a turbo a good idea or will it wear the eingine out fast? Im currently looking through forum posts for some more answers.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

I don't think you'll feel a difference from cat delete. A couple of horsepower, maybe. It's more of a reliability fix for folks who've had the cat fail or don't want to risk it.

Turbo is doable, you can read Brettus's posts, just don't expect miracles. The engine is maxed out in NA form from the factory and even with boost you start hitting design limits pretty quickly. Unlike the older RX7s there is no 700hp version of this

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Welcome.

​​​​​Fellow 2004 owner since 2012.
Another '04 long gone.
Let me say to you now, the cat delete is a good idea for peace of mind.

Misfires kill cats,
Bad cats kill engines.

These Renesis Wankels are fragile, but if you know what to look out for, they're just as dependable as most vehicles, but with some very important things to avoid that you can get away with on a piston engine, like overheating.

On a piston engine, maybe it'll cost you a head job.
On a Renesis, it could mean a blown engine.

My advice, just drive it like any other car for now, do the recommended maintenance, get familiar with it, and learn about it.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new RX-8! As a rotary owner since the 90's, I can offer some easy information that has helped me and will help you. Maintaining the car properly is the key to longevity, and this applies two fold to a car with a rotary engine. Get on a strict maintenance schedule and repair what's needed as issues arise.

These cars are 20 years old now (some 21 years old with a 2003 build date) and will require maintenance and repair. This is normal and the RX-8 can be an incredible car and a reliable car if properly maintained.