Hello,
I'm new here, let me tell you guys a bit about myself. I'm a car enthusiast, looking to go into auto-mechanics. I'd be taking care of any car I purchase myself. Also, I'm a senior in high school (please refrain from flaming). Inspection requirements are NJ.

I'm in the process of finding an RX-8 for purchase. One that I am looking at now is a 2004 Rx-8, 78,xxx miles.
Exterior has denting on drivers side on the door, apparently from a car door in NYC. Apart from that, exterior is flawless.

Interior is pristine as well.


Now for the reason I am coming to your guys.
The car failed inspection, due to emissions.
Exhaust looks stock, has cats.
CEL is on.
Error code P0562 is present.
Negative battery terminal has quite a bit of corrosion going under the heat wrap of the wire.
Exhaust gas smells stronger than a regular car, but nothing disastrous, no hints of burning oil.

Minor, perhaps related issues?
When I got into the car, trip-meter was at 0. seemed odd, did not ask owner.
Radio does not seem to work. Being a child of the 21st century I doubt it is due to my inability to turn radio on properly


After doing a bit of research, and consulting/running ideas past an older acquaintance who does all the work on his own '95 nissan 300zx these are the deductions I've made.

Error code has to do with charging system... incorrect voltages reaching PCM. Replacing and sealing corroded terminal/battery cable should clear the error code.

Now, could this charging system fault be causing dirty emissions, thus failing inspection?

Or do I need to replace cats and O2 sensors in order to pass inspection?




Thanks a lot in advance, any constructive input is appreciated.

 

You will want to take some time and read through this:

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...t-here-202454/

Sounds like you need a new battery, a new cat, and a revamped ignition system (plugs, wires, coils). On top of that, you will want a compression test.

Read the above thread for starters

FYI this is not the car for someone who does not have the appropriate funds for a possible engine replacement (depending on if it is a bad cat, clogged, and a bad ignition, could have done some significant harm to the engine)

 

Read through that, I fully understand what I may be getting in to.

The car runs very well, revs up and down smoothly. Has been well taken care of.
Leads me to think no serious damage has been done *yet*. Still need to find out what has been done to the car, if cats are original or have been replaced in past, how old ignition components are. Battery is one month old, Duralast brand.

 

You will most certainly want to get a compression test. That really needs to be the number one thing when purchasing a used rotary. Regardless of how you think it "feels", if you never have owned a renny before, you wont know what a "good" feel is compared to a "bad" one.

 

Understood.
Having trained mechanic look at the car, will prioritize the compression test.


Thank you very much for your input, will post back here with results.

 

Before you spend any money on a mechanic, bear in mind that a standard compression test won't cut it. You need to get a proper digital compression test done that can read both sides of each rotor's revolutions. The best place to get that done is either a Mazda stealership or, if there is one close by you, a rotary engine specialist. Also, get the VIN and call the dealer and ask them to run the VIN to see what recalls and warranty claims have been performed on the car. The next thing you should do is get a CarFax report on the car. That will tell you the history of ownership, accidents, thefts etc. No harm in being well-informed before making a big purchase like this.
Also, and very important, look at the top of the forum thread list for the new and potential owner's thread. It is chock-full of info you should be familiar with before buying.

https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...t-here-202454/

 

I just bought my 8 about a month ago. And I'm 21, so I feel you on the age thing. Fortunately, I didnt feel the need for a compression test because the engine on mine was replaced at around 35,000 and the odo had around 48,000 at the time of my purchasing. However what I did do is, before purchasing, ask the owner if he will take it in to a Mazda dealership and run their 150 point inspection, you know, like they do for used cars. It's less than $100 and its really informative. Also, ask the current owner for all their paperwork with regards to tune-ups and oil changes. Can't do anything but help you get a grip on the cars history.

Also, I can't stress it enough. Find out if the engine was replaced after the recall that was done a few years back. If not, then the warranty is for the first 100,000 miles(since its been more than 8 years since '04), you may be able to get that done at your mazda dealer.

These cars are nothing short of amazing when theyre taken care of. Best of luck with yours.

 

I imagine you've gathered this from the New/Potential Owners thread, but you'll want the ignition coils to be replaced if they haven't been. #1 cause of Renesis deaths.

Also compression test. No matter how well it was taken care of, no matter how many miles. Compression test at $100 can save you from buying $6000 of problems.