hey im a new member to this forum. My name is Jason and on the 12/23/08 my parents got me a blue automatic 04 rx8 as an xmas/bday present since bday is on jan. 15. I have many questions to ask.

The car has always used premuim gas, what if i use regular will this affect the car in any way?

I just took the car yesterday to the dealer to get my AC pannel fixed or something like that and now the little computer that shows me what the temp and raido station is and all that is showing up as symbols and wierd text and it goes back to normal at times, what do u think is wrong?

I got the car at the mazda dealer at 29k miles and it was certified by mazda does this mean my car has had all the recalls and its up for a new strong life time.

I like to rev my engine while in park to get the motor warm in the mornings so i can start heading some where is that good?

When i went to buy the car the lady who made all the bills and stuff told me the car was under a 7 year (100,000) mile warranty, shouldnt i have the new 8 year one?

What should I ask before my 90 day dealer warrenty goes out?

Any other information i should know would be highly appretiated.

Sorry for my spelling









happy to be a new member hope fully i dont regret buying this car.

 

the problem is automatic. You wont get the true feel of the car that way. Enjoy anyway.

 

always use 93 octane and never rev above 4k~5k until your engine is at operating temperature.

 

dont rev it while its cold.

 

Congratulations and welcome!!!

gas- it depends on your car. Some cars run just fine and acutally make more power with regular 87 octane gas. Try it and see if you notice any loss of power, if you do then switch back to premium.

AC panel- did the previous owner install any stereo equipment? This could be a common indicator of a hasty stereo install/unintall. Look for holes drilled in the area around the upper left of the brake pedal to indicate any possible power wires that may have been routed. Another common place for this is behind the windshield washer tank.

mazda certified- most likely it has had all the recalls. I believe there is a site around here or somewhere where you can type in you VIN and it lets you know the recalls performed on the vehicle.

rev engine- best not to rev the engine too much, espically over 5K, this type of engine gets hot rather fast and you could risk burning out your cat

warranty- if its an 04 it most likely was part of the initial recall where a special warranty extension was issued for that model year that only affects the power train. Because some oiling problems existed in that year. OR This may be a dealer warranty they are taking about that came with the used car. It should be worthwhile to note though that warrantys are usually only valid to the original first purchaser so any warrantys that were valid to the first buyer are probably not valid to you.

First thing you should get checked is the AC panel is the dealer is giving you 90 days. From the sound of this statement I truly think that unless your parents got some sort of extended warranty than after 90 days thats pretty much it unless the engine, driveshaft, or differential happens to blow.

People around here are generally pretty kind but a lot of these questions are pretty old-hat, try using the search feature on the upper right. A lot of times your questions will be easily answered

 

Its my first car ever so idk how any other car feels lol. Dont want to sound dumb but what is 93 octane does that mean regular or premuim, sorry i feel so dumb.
BTW thanks for the advise on not reving my car i would rev it all the time to get the engine warm wont be doing that any more. :P

 

93 octane = premium
89 octane = ethanol blend
87 octane = "regular"

Yeah try the regular 87 octane, I mean if your car doesnt like it you will immediately notice it has less pep. If it does then switch back to 93 octane "premium"

My car is one of those that runs better on 87. I dynoed 207hp with 87 octane

 

totally unnecessary feedback. The OP will enjoy his auto and have a sense of pride in ownership he's probably never experienced before... right up until the point where he street races and totals it.

 

thanks Static lag. I now feel alot more confident.

 

Check out this thread for new rx8 owners

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...car+drinks+oil

 

lol I didnt get the car for street racing, but because its just the most awesome car a teenager can have, Love how much power it has even if its auto.

 

lol i still enjoy my auto...

 

Thx static that link was most useful, awnsered alot.

 

Yeah just make sure u check the oil every few changes and it should be fine, i like to use castrol gtx 10w30 it should use about a whole quart every 2000 miles, its part of the normal operation of the engine. Watch it like a hawk.

 

lol you really haven't driven many cars have you?

Grats on the 8 looks really clean. Hope your auto lasts awhile.

 

Congrats man. Yeah the auto is plenty of power for someone's first car. Besides auto or not I woulda have killed for something that sweet in HS. I had a 1962 ford falcon in 1998 for my first car. Was a heap and got it for $400.

 

HELL YEAH, welcome to the addiction....for a first car you made out like a bandit!, damn my first car was a 1990 240sx automatic...

 

i want to buy an exuast, but i want one that isnt too loud and sounds like a 200k car lol.. any suggestions? BTW thanks for all support people ima have so much fun in this car. Its so fun to drive it.

 

the exhaust from racing beat is nice

 

OBX is pretty quiet!

 

Get turbo xs with mid-pipe... quiet as all get out.

 

It can be surprisingly refreshing at first though!

I like the Greddy and Tanabe exhausts, but both are moderately loud. The Racing Beat is quieter, but probably more "exotic". There are really so many that you ought to listen to them on youtube and/or in-person to get a feel for what you like.

 

Gratz on the purchase, really nice pictures.

The information other people have given is really useful. One thing I didn't see mentioned though is the red-line motto. The 8 needs to be redlined at least occasionally to help clear out carbon. This doesn't mean redline at idle or in neutral, it means a full-throttle redline in-gear. High revs build a ton of heat, so you need that air-flow from movement as well. This also doesn't mean it has to be a high gear, First or second gear works just fine, and keeps you within legal speed limits. This is GOOD for the car, unlike a piston engine.

The 8 isn't a straightline stop-light-to-stop-light car. It may feel that way, but it isn't. The fact that you have an auto makes it even less a stop-light-to-stop-light car. Don't give in to urges or challenges to street race. This isn't the car for it, it will get you banned here, and more importantly, it is dangerous, illegal, and kills people. Enjoy the car for what it is, an extremely well-handling road course car with a unique look, and unique engine.

And the best tip of all, when you have a question, don't be afraid to ask if you have searched first. You aren't the first new owner, and asking common questions that can be found easily by searching will get you flamed. When you can't find an answer, make your posts/questions as clear and precise as possible, with as much supporting information as you can, and you will gain respect here.

 

very nice 8! winning blue is a very nice color. the best advice i can give you is keep on on the maitenance and take care of the car. follow the reccomended maitenance procedeures and most of all, enjoy the car. it really wont sink in how awesome of a car this is for a few days. in my opinion, there's nothing like an RX-8 on the road today. i thought i loved my RX-7's but this RX-8 really wins my heart.

the advice given here is very good advice. make sure you learn your car in and out. you'll thank yourself later.