Hi,

I bought a Rx-8 2004 MT there is 3 month and this week end I saw some white smoke exit from my exhaust. So, it seems like I burn my prestone. I verify the oil gage and there is some white/brown oil on the stick. I ask to a friend of mine and he thinks that it is my head engine gasket or maybe worse my complete engine.

I also know a guy at work who has problem with its RX-8 2004. This car seems to be a complete lemon car.

I will go to the dealer monday morning with the towing and I will see what happens. My old chevrolet cavalier 89 was more reliable that this expensive sport car.

 

Is your coolant level dropping? (always measure level when the engine is fully warmed up.
How much 'white smoke' did you see.
What was the engine temperature at the time you saw the 'smoke'?
The stuff on the dipstick has been talked about a lot and can be fixed by the dealer under a tsb.

 

Yes, the RX-8 is the complete lemon car. You're lucky it even starts up. And you don't have to tell us about the '89 Chevy Cavalier—they should have a picture of one next to the word "reliability" in the dictionary. The Yugo is also good.

 

I verify the coolant level and there is still on the bowl. I can't saw if there is less than before. The bowl is at a place that it is very difficult to see the level of coolant. For the white smoke, I will say a lot, but a lot could be different for every body. But enought to see it very very easily. For the engine temperture, I don't know. I stop the engine and I do not try to start it again. I think I will towing the car on the dealer instead of starting the engine again.

 

Also, I went on the dealer to replace my old oil there is only two weeks. So, if they don't see anything special on my old oil, I suppose that the problem just appears recently.

 

bad to ear that

 

Sometimes, when the weather grows cool (we call that 'winter') the car gives off a kind of white smoke (we call that 'steam') that is easily confused with huge clouds of vaporized anti-freeze.

The old oil didn't seem special because there was nothing wrong with your car.

....but don't let any of this dissuade you that your '8 is "....a complete lemon car."

Enjoy the rest of your (hopefully brief) ownership....

S

 

Yeah, I think your friend is right aout the head gasket. You should get that checked. Also have them do a valve adjustment and check your pistin rings because you could be getting some bad blow by.

 

The rx8 isn't a lemon. It's plenty reliable and i would say even more so then a piston engine.

Every car will have a mechanical issue or 2, sometimes more. Buying a used car is often difficult because people don't take car of their cars. They expect cars to take care of themselves.

Reading some books and finding out how cars work is the best thing you can do for a car. Then you understand the mechanics of it and can take care of it properly.

Used sports cars usually have the previous owner burn the **** out of it before they sell it, and soemtimes test drivers will do the same.

but who knows, could be nothing at all to be worried about.

 

I understand that when it's cooler outside, it could create a kind of white steam. But it was more that just a little white smoke. I compare with my girlfriend toyota corolla 94 and with my father in law honda accord 2002 and no white steam exit from they exaust in comparaison with my RX-8. But why did I have now brown/white "broue" (I don't know that word in english) on my oil stick. Also, I saw a poll on engine problem on that site and it seems that there is a lot of owner who have problems with their engine.

Sorry for my bad english

 

Do you know a good web site who explains in details the mechanical of the Rx-8. I would like to understand more how it works. For now, I'm relatively a newbie with that type of mechanic.

 

Don't apologize for bad english, most people born and raised here don't speak it properly either.

More than likely something is wrong but you can only find out by doing a compression check. Take it to the dealer or a rotary specific shop and have them check it. And don't worry about starting it because if teh seals are gone then starting it again shouldn't do much more damage. But, if you hear any grinding or any knocking turn the car off.

 

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine.htm

 

even better, a visual.

http://www.rotaryengineillustrated.c...ions/index.php

 

thank you very much

 

No problem.

 

I found the word in english for broue, thjis is foam

 

Another test for you to do would be, remove the radiator overflow tank cap. Check inside for what might look like bubbles/foam. Do this while the car is running. Have someeone run the engine rpm's up a bit 2000 or so. BE CAREFUL WHEN REMOVING THE CAP WHEN IT'S HOT.
If you see that then you have rotor housing seal issues.
The brown goo on your dipstick has been a normal occurrence with the early models.

 

The brown goo on your dipstick has been a normal occurrence with the early models. ------ what do you mean by normal....what is the reason of that brown goo on the dipstick?

 

Foam on dipstick sticky from the issues and problems sub forum.
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ad.php?t=49652

Technical service bulletins
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/technical-service-bulletins-tsbs-recalls-rx-8-a-14453/

 

I read a little bit the links that you send me. So, this is maybe normal for the milky foam on my dipstick but I'm still concern by the white steam exit of my exhaust. So,I will go to the dealer monday. Also, It makes me laungh a litte bit when mazda said that milky oil on the dipstick is a "common" and "normal" thing for that kind of vehicle. This is not becasue they are not able to fix it or doesn't really know the reason of it that it means that it is a normal thing. My point of view. I found that mazda often said that it is normal for that kind of vehicle. Samething for the floading problem of RX-8.

 

Good news!!! I called the dealer this morning.

Easy_E1/DarkBrew: You were right for the foam on the dipstick.

For the white steam exit of my muffler, the dealer said that it is probably normal because a rotatif engine emit more steam when you start it at cold temperature and this steam should dissaperar after you run your engine a little bit. A try it today and it was right. I went to the job (30 minutes running the car) and no steam at all when I arrive at the job. So, I think my engine is fine.

I will anyway take a look all the week to be sure that my prestone bowl stay at the same level.

thanks you for all your quick answers guys.

 

Nothing wrong w/ 2004's

You bought a used car.

It can happen on any used car.

Most of use never had a problem w/2004's and many of us still take it to the track.

 

I read the Technical service bulletins and I called my dealer to ask him if I can have the ventilation kit. Apparently, I needed to ask it before my base waranty of 60000km/3years. Does someone can confirm that it is true?

By the way, the dealer say me that they are not oblige to send to owner a letter when it it a service note...

 

1) White foam on the dipstick is harmless and no reason to fix it at all. the fix is worse than the problem and can cause more issues.

2) Steam exiting the tailpipe is normal in weather below 50 degrees F, before the engine warms up, and at all operating temps when the ambient temperature is below 25 degrees F.

Good luck finding that head gasket. Have them adjust your piston rings while they are in there.