Greetings to all of you who take time to share your knowledge with idiots like me who don't know the first thing about working with rotary engines. I bought a 2004 rx8 (Auto) last december from florida with 100800 miles. Not knowing anything about rotary engines n soley because I loved the way the car looked. I live in the US Virgin islands where the temperature here is a lot hotter than the mainland. To get to the point the car has been working ok although I use it at the most only once a week for like an hour drive cause the island is small n most stops are short. Recently (3mnths now) I noticed the car would be getting hot after like 20 minutes driving and then it would start to smoke. I don't drive it any more in fear that I may do something worst to the engine and since we don't have much ppl here who deal with rotary engines its almost impossible to find good help plus the dealership here won't even touch it. In no way i'm I a mechanic, i just try to help myself but I can't seem to figure out the problem. I recently flushed the coolant out the radiator and placed new 50/50 coolant in it. that did not help, I check the hoses 4 leaks n don't see any. The fan takes a while to come on but they eventually do. I noticed today as I had it running while parked, that after a few minutes of revving the coolant started to come out the reservoir through the cap & then it started to smoke. After careful examination I found a slight crack to the top of the bottle where the cap is and after touching it the piece broke off in my hand. so now i can't cover the reservoir. I guess I need a new bottle? There is no where on this island that sells it, is there a website I can purchase it from and if so what type should I get? Do u think my engine is screwed? What test can I do myself to confirm whether or not it is the engine? Thanks a million for even reading this long post.. really need help!!

 

Hi, I'm not an expert, but from what I've read here, it's very bad to let an 8 overheat. It can possibly ruin your engine.
A rotary specific compression test is a good way to check engine health.
You may want to be sure your engine is still good, but I imagine you would have to fix the overheating issue anyway if you plan on keeping it.
You need a new reservoir, search for the DIY for that, radiator nipples break easily.
You could need a new radiator anyway, some aftermarket ones may be more suited to your climate.
Possibly a bad thermostat or water pump.
You need to find a reliable shop if you are not mechanically inclined.
There are many threads here on these issues. You may want to research some before getting in too deep.
Good luck.

 

I got my coolant reservoir tank @ mazmart.. a vendor here..
Upgrade your radiator to aluminum as oem tend to break(the plastic neck) when you remove the hose..
do "aluminum radiator" search.. lot of info to read..

 

I think you are right, a bottle is the first step..

Then look at the mods in my $100 thread, specifically the cooling ones (radiator foam, fans on low).

The foam makes a big difference, the fans less so if the AC is on (with the AC on, the fans are automatically on). Problem is, with the fans on, the hot air gets pushed back around the radiator and screws up the cooling.

Good luck.

 

Check Rosenthal Arlington Mazda ( finishlineperformance.com ) for the reservoir. They're also a forum vendor with a good reputation.

The reservoir isn't just an overflow tank like on a lot of other cars. It's essentially the radiator top tank, and is part of the pressurized system. Since it's broken, it's the equivalent of driving without a radiator cap. Definitely needs to be fixed.

There's a service bulletin on the tank, describing how to replace it with reduced odds of breaking the nipple off the radiator.

Ken

 

Thanks everyone for your comments. You guys are truly a blessing. After reading many threads I checked the thermostat n it appears to be working fine cause I placed it in hot water and it responded as it should. After removing the bottle today and the hose that is connected to the top of the radiator ( the nipple) as someone mentioned it to be the name, I found that the nipple was broken. Can this be glued back or do u guys just suggest that adding a radiator to the purchase list is inevitable? Do u hav a direct website that I can purchase these parts?

 

You can't replace it individually, it's molded to the radiator. Time for a new radiator.