Just wanted to share my story with everyone here

It’s been between -36/-20 here in Calgary. (Canada) and to make a long story short the cold killed my rx-8. I charged the battier and even boosted it and no start; I just flooded the car every time I tried starting it. So after all that failed I called the dealer and booked it in, but it took 4 days to get a flat bed tow truck, every tow truck in the city was booked. (No Joke, accidents all over town) it cost $100 to get it the dealer. Once it was in the shop they changed all the spark plugs, coils, and the starter, oh and deflood the engine, and still no start. I was quoted $700 with tow for everything that was done so far. I told them to do a compression test to see if the engine was gone, and it did fail the test, so I get a new engine in January, and everything is covered under warranty, the only thing I got to pay is the new plugs and starter, around $320 plus I get a rental 09 Mazda 6. Till I get the rx-8 back. I wish that this car comes with a block heater, but if you ask I’m sure you could get one. not cheap but it might save you from problems if you live in a cold city.

 

Original owner or not? Did you warm up the vehicle fully prior to exceeding 4k rpms each and every time? Do you use the right oil weights for your climate?

 

sorry to hear that, but i guess at least you're getting a free new motor...

-36/-20?! celcius right? that's insane! i'm not aware of a block heater the mazda makes, as far as i know. i could be wrong, or maybe there's a generic aftermarket one that'll work

 

yeah give us some more info on oil, premix, gas octane, redline a day, tracked, MT, AT....

BTW they do make magnent type block heaters usually available at any local auto parts store

At least ehy are covering it under warranty

 

This is EXACTLY what I was trying to say on my 'I HATE MY RX8' post.
I am also from Calgary.. and only tried to start it once.. it was hopeless. I don't think we will get rid of this -40 weather any time soon-- I would not even try starting it when we get another cold day like that.. or like 05RX8man says get a magnet block heater. I JUST got my oil and check up done the week before. So I don't think it has anything to do with the oil..


Let's just move to California! hehe

 

I use Mobil 5/20, 91 octane gas; redline every trip, 72, xxx km, mt, 04 rx-8. 2nd owner
I did let the car run for a while when it started to snow, I did that 5 time over 6 hours time span.
The techs at Mazda told me that they are getting a few 8’s with the same problem. (not starting) not sure if it was as bad as mine. In the summer I did notice that the car was feeling a little slow and I was told to get the compression test done, so maybe the enigine was on the way out anyways, I know that 04’s have a few more issues then the newer 8’s if anyone else had issues with cold weather starts I would like to hear about it.

 

here in Illinois the temperature is around 16 degrees and my car is used to texas weather nothing lower than 30 degrees..

I turned it off after my 24 hour trip here and when i started it up it hesitated and then it gave a loud ticking noise similar to that of a piston motor than has a spun bearing and it seemed to want to die out... but once warmed up i drove it it would not rev past 7K rpms and severe power loss once u gave it a bit more gas it backfired a lot! and that seemed to fix the problem here..

I think one of the causes is that i was driving almost 500 miles in 6th gear going 30 miles maybe carbon build up?

after reving it up high and a lot of backfiring and a lot of white smoke coming out the tail pipes everything seems fine now.

 

I've had mine in Chicago with out issue for 3 winters going into my 4th. The worst you'll get is when the temp drops below 10 degrees fahrenheit the car will rev up to 4K RPM but a quick hit of the gas peddle will drop it to 2K RPMs.

I will say that the car is not designed for the cold, heater is very slow to warm up (odd seeing that a rotary runs hotter then a piston car). The other day the ABS froze up with snow, had to let it defrost in the garage before they would work again.

 

woah suprised u cant start ur car... my car started at -30 parked for 5 hours...

i live in calgary too! hahaha gotta have a meet after the winter, but luckily u get a free engine! and is it free to take the car to the dealer and take a compression test if ur car is under warranty? just incase it falls short i get a new engine too haha

i was suggested to get a OIL PAN heater from the dealers, its around 300 bucks tho (part and labor)

 

You again

 

No one should live in such harsh climate.

 

I have a somewhat similar story.

For 3 winters in Winnipeg I've parked indoors and after 1 night outside (overnight) - plugged in - the car has developed what looks to be a SSV issue when I brought the car back indoors - some very helpful posters on this forum have given me tips to trouble shoot.

The engine service light remains on after being inside for 2 days and running the car up to 7,000 RPMs several times to attempt to solve the problem.

The problem persists (engine light), so I'm told to bring it in to the dealership where I'll be extorted by the Winnipeg Mazda dealership $109 to inspect the car.

Never again will I leave the car outside in winter - it simply does not like the cold.

I'm praying the intake manifold / engine light issues above are covered under the 5 year, 100k Powertrain Warranty in Canada. I bought the car in Oct 04 and it has only 22k kilometers.

 

I often wonder why people knowingly CHOOSE to live in such places.

I understand if you are born and raised there, but you could always move away. I always wonder why northerners choose to live in their high population density, cold, pothole-ridden, blizzard-and-ice storm every year having areas, where they complain about cars not starting, having to run "winter" rims and tires, having to put their cars in storage for the winter (such things are unheard of here), instead of moving somewhere down south where the cost of living is lower and the weather is so much nicer.

My friend in Seattle tells me there is 6 inches of snow there and more coming, the airport is closed down. Yet here, it is rainy, breezy and 50-55. My son is 4.5 and has never seen more than 1/4 inch of snow in his life. The last time I drove in snow was 2002 I believe.

 

Rotary - I hear you. In Canada, the only "warm" place to live in winter is basically British Columbia / Vancouver.

If you're born in Fargo, North Dakota or Seattle, you can move to La Jolla, California or Texas to escape the cold permanently - no visa issues.

A Canadian, unless in possession of a US work visa, can't pack up and move to La Jolla or Texas. You're lucky!

 

This is not normal weather for the Pacific NW though. I've lived in the Portland area for about 10 years and I'd say that we average about 1 snow day a year and it usually melts right away. It's usually wet in the winter, but nothing the RX-8 can't handle with summer tires. We've had a week of real midwest style winter weather here and it looks like another week is coming. Sucks!

 

Even so- if you live in climate like that, you should be driving something else. Get the right tool for the job. A Subaru or something. I can't imagine living in such a climate.

 

Well, at least the 8 has plenty of heat to throw at you from the vents, once it's warmed up

I get hot just having the vents open, without the fan on.

 

I have had my car for 4 winters. It is my daily driver. It has all ways been parked outside. Here it has been to 0 F (17 C) this winter and down to -10 F (-23 C) previous times. It has never flooded or failed to start in the winter. I have had the engine replaced several times (in the summer), but I can't attribute that to cold weather problems.

 

GLOBAL COOLING!!11!!

Drive more, warm up the earth!

(dons asbestos and hides behind a tree)

 

While I'll stand beside you in Global Cooling, the start of one season is not the basis for making a claim for cooling or warming.

 

-36 deg C
in Edmonton, Canada

Parked for about 3hrs for a Christmas company party and the RX-8 started fine.
Had the rough idling for about 5mins. (not plugged in)

On a seperate note in regards to the block heater, I have KAT-24150 Block Heater Pad
(if that makes sense, I think its a oil-heater pan but not 100%sure)

 

i've started mine in -5 deg F without problems... this is the 5th winter without problems as a daily driver

 

We were -8 F (-22 C) this morning. Started right up (no block heater).

 

I think that mine just died cus the starter was really bad, according to the techs, and it sounds like the enigne was bad anyways. i know if these things were not a issue it would fire up. But i'll see what a new enigne and starter if that makes a differance.

 

My 8 failed to start tonight in a parking deck after sitting in 4 degree weather (-23 wind chill) for 5 hours.

Turned the key and a slow whir-whir-whir sound. I didn't want to flood it, so I quit. The interior lights and radio and electrical components were working.

I had to get a jump start from some guy in an Explorer, and it turned over.

Time to take it to the dealer tomorrow AM and bitch until they give me the upgraded starter and battery per the TSB.