i am new to rotary power, if i am going uphill and in a high gear at low rpm i thought i was hearing some pinging going on but wasnt sure because this thing sounds so foreign to me all the time, are there any "valves" per say that are pinging or does a rotary make this sort of pinging type sound just to tell you to downshift, and there is nothing to be concerned of, i only run premium and my vw vr6 never ever made a sound even remotely sounding like a ping i am concerned also what is considered normal range in the city with some rushhour stop and go mixed in. i have a little over 1000 miles on it is the range in the 200 -240 range in the city driving somewhat conservatively? lastly but not least is it normal for the shiftknob etc to have a decent amount of vibration coming through to your hand while sitting at a light etc. it seems a little excessive. there is also some sounds from tranny when you put in neutral, almost sounds like you can hear flywheel spinning a little bit whacky. please shed some light on some of these issues i feel so out of my element from driving vw vr6 for years i want to love my rx like i did my gti. i will say the rx looks and handles incredibly thanks for your help merry x-mas

 

Can you describe what the sound is like? If it sounds like two pipes being tapped together, it should just be all the power ports.

Detonation sounds like coins rattling (or 6500hz bursts if you want to get technical) in the engine bay.

 

Do not "lug" a rotary engine. Run it at 150% of what you would run a piston engine. Cruise at 3-4000 RPM. Let it rev to at least 6000 RPM once in a while. This will not hurt it. It's good to keep it reving, as it helps keep the carbon from building up in the engine. Carbon buildup will be death to a rotary.

Remember, this engine has a 9000 RPM redline.

 

Going uphill, downshift and run it at 1-2000 higher rpm than you do in normal cruising. You were probably lugging: "Uphill and in a high gear at low rpm" is a perfect recipe for that.

 

Definately agree don't go up any steep or somewhat steep hills in a high gear. Downshift, this is not good on any car. If you have ever ridden a bicycle up hill just imagine trying to do it in your largest chain ring and cog. Whew that hurts just thinking about it. And yes that little bit of noise you hear while the car is in nuetral is normal. You will probably notice that when you downshift to go up hill you will get better gas mileage since you won't have to be "on the gas" so much to get the car up the hill.

Enjoy your new baby and treat her well. Take her on a trip for the holidays so she doesn't feel left out.