I purchased my RX8 about three weeks ago new with 7 miles on it. I currently have about 650 miles. When I checked the coolant levels today the reservior was empty (I could put my finger inside and felt no coolant). I had checked the level about 10 days ago and it was fine. I also haven't noticed any leaks of any kind.

Any thoughts?

6sp MT, all options, Velocity Red

 

Yeah, call the dealership asap and get them on it. If you drive with no coolant that is bad news.

 

You sure it's the coolant you are checking ? If it is , like what the 93rdcurrent said , definitely bring it in.

 

Have not heard of this problem before -- get it checked out.

 

The reserviour I checked says Engine Coolant only on the top. Another note: the engine does NOT run any hotter than what seems to be normal (about 10 oclock). I'll have it checked out, thanks for the responses.

 

That's the coolant OVERFLOW tank. The engine still has coolant in it. When the engine heats up the coolant expands, and is forced into that tank. When the engine cools down, it sucks coolant from that tank.

There are three possibilities that I can think of for what you've found:
1. The coolant was never there (tank wasn't filled enough to start with).
2. There is a small hose leak (loose clamp) or a leak in the tank.
3. The engine is consuming the coolant due to a poor seal inside.

Once the dealer refills it, keep an eye on the level. If it still goes down get them to find out why.

 

RX-8 friend is right, that is the coolant reservoir tank. Look in your Owner's Manual (God forbid!) and you will see that you should inspect it with the engine warm ( I think...), and that the level should be between the marks on the SIDE OF THE TANK. That level is relatively low, to allow for expansion, which is probably why you couldn't feel the coolant with your finger.
Happy cruising!

 

There's also an "Engine Coolant Level" warning light. My 8 was a little low on coolant after delivery, so I know it does work. I added a little to the overflow tank, and haven't noticed anything unusual since.

Cheers,

 

Thanks again to everyone for the feedback. Sorry for the dumb questions, I'm pretty much an idiot when it comes to cars (I'm lucky I found the gasoline door).

 

Dont forget an air pocket that many RX8's have in the coolant system from the factory. You can sometimes hear it behind the dash as the air slips through the heater core. I was able to get some of the air out using the age old 'nose up-cap off' method, and tripped the low coolant level light the next morning. My dealer also mentioned a few of these low level lights were checked out to be air working out of the system.

 

I'm pretty sure there is a service bulletin out for that. The symptom is a gurgling, swishing noise from behind the dashboard. All the dealers should know about it by now.

 

No bulletin here....

TSB's

 

Maybe it was looking at other threads that made me think there was a bulletin out. Anyhow, this thread goes into more detail on how to fix it.

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...threadid=20371

 

This may be a stupid question, but does it take the normal green stuff?

 

Well I asked about that to the service dept. and they said there are 2 different coolants used in Mazdas.

One is dark green (ours)

the other is more standard bright green

if you look in your coolant expansion tank (down the hole) it will look dark greyish green, not that super bright prestone green.

If only a small amount is needed to bring it up to max level, DI water is all that is needed. DI water is the stuff that your dehumidifier collects...no minerals in it. You dont need to worry about raising the freezing point on the coolant if you only add a small amount.

 

Thanks Gyro. Now that I've already added the regular Prestone to the expansion tank do I need to get it out?

 

No.....its not going to hurt anything.

I'm just a little nutty when it comes to this stuff. I'm assuming you added only a small amount to bring it up to the "MAX" line.

 

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't find the max line until after I had already added it in almost to the top.

 

Ya...it is in a bad spot....very hard to read.

If it was me I would remove some of that coolant (I had a suspicion you topped it off )

The system needs some room to expand, thats why the max line is in the middle of the tank.

Also the expansion tank we have is NOT a simple overflow bottle. Its part of the pressurized circuit. You can see coolant flowing into it from the water pump. So given what it is....it more crucial to keep a void in it for the coolant to expand to.

HMMM.....I would sneak into the kitchen and steal the turkey baster and have at it.....oh and keep the dog away



*EDIT*... this is only if you filled it to the top....slightly over the max line is ok too.

 

Thanks for the time and suggestion. I actually went looking for a baster yesterday but couldn't find it (girlfriend must have stolen it again).

Anyway, I'll get some out somehow or another.

Thanks again.

 

I noticed the smell of coolant in my 8 last week. It turned out that the engine will have to be replaced. There are other examples of engine failures with the same signs. Get it checked!