Bought it with 13k, mint, anniversary edition. Knew of the oil usage, checking every 2 weeks, Castrol 5-20. Needed new engine at 45k. Now at 56k, needs 3rd engine, loss of compression. Only wife drives it and was told by tech to run it to redlines often, which she did, paddle shifting. This was on #2 engine. Didn't do much good. This is my 50th car and love the looks it gets. She's been pulled over by local cops, not for speeding, to check out the car and flirt of corse. At odds at what to do, the car rocks but I don't want her to be broken down on the side the road. It's like I'm forced to sell it, what a pisser
. Lost in North Carolina... Stu

 

Good evening, Stu

Sorry to hear about your engine troubles. It is a known problem with the car. It is good to hear that your wife is red lining the car, the autos were rarely given a good workout, and that can shorten the engine's life considerably.

Were the other two engines replaced by Mazda? Were they warranty? Is it still covered under the engine warranty extension? (See here https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-discuss...rranty-147287/)

When was the last time you changed out spark plugs and wires? Is the cat converter intact? How much oil is it consuming when you check it?

Thanks
Chris

 

Hi Chris,
We bought an extended warranty 72/70,000 miles because I never by a car without doing my homework. I never by on lust.
The ext warranty paid for both engines, dought the wires but possible. Never hit 60k so never had to do the plugs. Had a backup set in glove box but a tech stole them.
Oil usage, #1,a quart every 3k. #2, much better at a half quart every 3k,sometimes less. Spec said change every 6k but it never got a chance to get dirty. I'll check out your 80k/8 year warranty, that would give me more reason to keep it. She's only got 5k to pay it off and everyone loves the no car payment. Chris, I'm trying to recall a your questions. Sorry, kissing a tree at 85 has letter me somewhat challenged.
Plug wires, unsure if the warranty covered those. The service adviser said the to a full swap. I should have asked him if they were. I knew the solenoids were.
Oh yeah, the cat, it's been replaced at second engine swap.
If I could only talked them into replacing that stupid cracked right dash panel. There's a TSB on it but since it doesn't interfere with the air bag, it's cosmetic, a joke. Everyone here has the same issue.
QUOTE=jadedpoet;4733620]Bought it with 13k, mint, anniversary edition. Knew of the oil usage, checking every 2 weeks, Castrol 5-20. Needed new engine at 45k. Now at 56k, needs 3rd engine, loss of compression. Only wife drives it and was told by tech to run it to redlines often, which she did, paddle shifting. This was on #2 engine. Didn't do much good. This is my 50th car and love the looks it gets. She's been pulled over by local cops, not for speeding, to check out the car and flirt of corse. At odds at what to do, the car rocks but I don't want her to be broken down on the side the road. It's like I'm forced to sell it, what a pisser
. Lost in North Carolina... Stu[/QUOTE]

 

Stu

Glad to hear you weren't paying out of pocket.

We recommend replacing ignition coils, spark plugs and wires every 20k. They just don't hold up that long. Faulty ignition components could lead to decreased engine life.

Please ask your Mazda dealer about the engine warranty. All engines are covered for 8 years, 100k miles, by Mazda! Unfortunately, Mazda uses re-manufactured engines. These are used engines, torn apart, with some parts replaced, some parts left in place. It's kind of a crap shoot. It is not uncommon for these motors to not last. Mazda also reuses all accessories on these motors, so it is unlikely that they replaced your ignition components.

Will your third party extended warranty cover an engine replacement from someone other than the dealer? Perhaps a higher quality motor will last longer.

 

Sorry to hear the bad news. I've had my '05 for over 10 years old now and it's as reliable car as any car I've ever owned. And I've owned quite a few! Hope things work out for you and your wife.

 

Great question on the aftermarket warranty and choice of engine. They had to send out their rep to determine catastrophic failure. Last one replaced got all new solenoids and such, all new but I'm ge6a call first of the week so I'll know if replacing engine or not. If so, I'll ask if it's a reman. I'd assume so. My paperwork is at the dealership so I can't read the details. Thanks for bringing up a great point. Stu

 

Wow, from what I've read, you are the exception. May I ask how you drive it? Auto or stick, oil used and usage? Thanks for your positive feedback. Stu
QUOTE=New Yorker;4733683]Sorry to hear the bad news. I've had my '05 for over 10 years old now and it's as reliable car as any car I've ever owned. And I've owned quite a few! Hope things work out for you and your wife.[/QUOTE]

 

Well, bear in mind the key phrase here is "based on what you read"; RX-8 owners with no engine problems have little reason to find their way to this forum and post "my car is reliable". So reading this - or any other car forum - will give you the false impression that nearly any model car is far more unreliable than it is in reality.

I'm the original owner of an '05 MT with 34K miles. (It's not a daily driver; pretty much weekend use only.) Compression scores all in the 9's! Mostly highway driving, not a lot of stop-and-go. I redline it a couple of times each trip. I always let the engine warm up a few minutes first drive before pulling away. Oil is checked every other fill-up and changed every 4-6 months. Non-synthetic Castrol or Valvoline 5W-20 only.

 

34,000 miles in ten years. GTFO, post up in 15 years when you reach 100k,

 

Hi Chris,
Cars still at dealership. Motor was supposedly put in yesterday and finished today. I got a strange call from service rep that they're supposed to rev the engine after install before shutting it off. He tells me it made a squealing noise from tranny and asked me if it ever did that to us before. I told him it's never made any noises, ever. So, he says they need to replace my (perfectly good) tranny. Something strange is going on here, any ideas?
[/QUOTE]

 

They should diagnose the squealing noise first, it's easy to say "change the trans" when warranty is paying. I'm noy even sure what could squeel in an auto trans.

 

Spoke to a veteran Mazda tech. He said engine, flex plate and Trans need to be aligned perfectly and they're not. So sure, dealer just says, hey, let's put in a rebuilt Trans when mine is perfectly fine. The tech said the rx-8 Trans is a rock solid unit. He's never replaced one, ever. I just wish his dealership was closer than the one my car is at.

 

Here is the other one and the hole is bigger than the last one. So what kind of collant should i use to prevent this and yes i also know this is from the guy before me not using good coolant