Ok, I have a 04 with the original engine (didnt need a new engine). After a good rev or driving for a while and coming to a stoplight, the RPMs will fall to about 500 and my car will idle rough for like a second then itll go right back up to the normal 750-800RPM range. ITs always done this but lately its been more evident and Im worried about it because my warranty goes up in 2000 miles and I have an original engine! I have no loss of power what-so-ever just a bizarre idle drop for a second when I come to a stop. Next time you guys take your cars out, I would appreciate if you observe and see if yours does this too. Thanks alot

 

oh, and my dealership says its normal! should have said that before

 

i dont think its normal, but it sounds like a vacuum problem possibly.

just complain more and say you want something done about it. Say you feel like you're getting brushed off until you're out of warranty.

 

thats exactly what happened to my car

it starts off like that, now the coils are dead..............

 

I would definitely complain - you've either got an electrical gremlin or some sort of vaccuum leak that will only get worse most likely.

If the dealer gives you the "they all do this" ****, then insist they take you for a ride in another car and show you that "it does this". That's what it took for me to get my driver's seat fixed, which creaked like an old coffin lid.

Go back, tell them that it stalled in traffic and that you think it's a safety hazard. That'll get them off the dime.

 

mine did the same thing, just put one of the screens back in the intake, preferably the one closest to the MAF

 

When I needed a new engine mine would keep going up and down until I started moving again.

If it only does it once I don't think it's anything to really worry about. My Trans Am did that when I came to a stop and it was a great car...Then again it was a piston engine? Not sure if that would make it any less normal for a rotary or not, but that's my 2 cents.

 

MNAO don't care that it's a safety issue! I already tried that. They are aware of the problems but they don't know how to fix it. The dealers & MNAO are only addressing the slow/no start issues at this time. Yeah I got screwed too on this matter!

 

mine has been doing this for quite some time now.

i'm feeling the need to change out my coils. i'm on the originals and have been doing auto-x and pca.

 

That's definitely NOT normal, and mine doesn't do it.

 

no my rx8 doesn't do that

 

Nope, on mine revs stay at about 1000-1200rpm coming to a stop with clutch in. Idles normally in neutral with clutch out at light.

 

nope, not normal, could be a bad sign too. i have an '04 also, never noticed it before -- it has always been sort of a rough idle, but at least constant at 750-800rpms -- over the summer, it started doing that -drop to 500 and then kick back up to 750- a couple times.

THEN ... it stalled at a red light, immediately cranked back over.

THEN ... it stalled again (about a month after the first time) and immediately cranked back over.

NOW ... as of friday, it had power loss in 1st and 2nd gear while driving!! flooring the car and feeling like i was driving a civic, just no power at all but it was still going. i'm taking it in tomorrow - could be coils, cat, blown engine, whatever, but what you're experiencing is the precursor for bad news.

try to keep the mileage down -- i'm at 46k so i'm close to end of warranty too, but my lease is up in january. anyway, keep mileage down and wait it out, it should get worse and hopefully it'll happen within your warranty. all of this happened within 1000 miles and about 4 months for me. up until then the car was spot on, no problems.

 

well i would say take it into the dealer, have them run a diagnosis

 

if u still have warranty, go to the dealer

mine is just a simple case of dead coils.......I don't know about you.........

but wells, the coils are 100$ so save as much as you can

 

i've heard it would probably be coils, 2nd maybe cat.

i was going to buy out the lease, now i don't think i will! is there anyway to "tell" if coils are it? I mean, say my probably is the coils, they replace them under warranty and i'm good to go, then in 5000 miles when i'm out of warranty the engine DOES go out. i guess i'd be sol.

i guess my question is, if my problem right now is bad coils, is there a chance or anyway to tell if anything else is wrong too??

side note: anyone know how much the extended warranty is and what it covers?

 

Mine will do this from time to time. More when its hot out.

 

You need to have your engine compression checked or alteast the engine vacuum. My 91 auto would do that and it was do to the engine not being lubricated enough from the Electronic OMP...sound familiar. In my case, it wasn't sealing enough and the engine would die like that. It will get to a point that the car will be hard to start and will do that more often.

I wondered what the wear effect would be on cars that had mileage before the ECU was reflashed for more oil being injected by the OMP. Car would still pass the vacuum test mazda had for the recall but a car with 25K of insufficient lubrication was equivalent to what of normal wear? 50K, 40K, etc. Luckily we've pre-mixed with my wife's RX-8 when we bought it but haven't since the reflash of her car.

 

Not normal. It may be just a small thing. Check plugs, coils, & wires.

 

well get a compression test if ur worried, I did......my compression came back good

and easy way to test coils is take them out, look at the bottom, if there are burnt marks or white spots, more than likely, its either dead or dying

all 4 of mine had white marks, and one had a huge burnt mark at the bottom..........

 

good advice guys. thanks. i'll hopefully be taking it in tomorrow. i'll let them know what's been going on and try to check the coils and get a compression test. hopefully it is just something small. i love this car! hate to get rid of it, but may need more space anyway for my business. wish i had the money to get the hatchback AND keep the 8!!

 

i live in austin, and when the drop in revs at idle started, it was summer, and it was hot (at least 90 to 95+). the recent loss in power while driving it was not hot out, that was my first real clue to get it checked out. the rough idle didn't really bother me or concern me until now.

 

Mine has started doing this from time to time as well. Only 6k on the car though. Started I think after I put my K&N V2 in. Could it be the vacuum leak? It was worrying me as well actually, but figured it was semi normal.

 

My '05 with 5K on it does something similar. Very slightly. ECU is doing its job keeping the idle correct. Other cars have done almost same thing. I'm not concerned... yet.

 

mines been doing it since ive owned it, its just been worse lately. I tried to have another compression test ran but they wanted to charge me for it. My car is going in sometime this week because im getting a new oil pump under warranty since mine is leaking like a bat out of hell