Thinking about buying a rx8.. Been reading up on them from this forum.. Seeing a lot of people saying they won't start after a short trip.. My question is.. I work 5 mins from my house, is it a bad thing to have that short of drive time?

 

No, that's a common misconception.
If the ignition components are in good shape then it's not an issue.
5 minutes is plenty of time for it to warm up as long as it's above freezing.

 

Short drives are not good for any engine. In the RX-8, if the engine is cold, it takes at least 10 minutes to the the oil up to temp even in hot weather.

 

So you're saying he shouldn't buy an 8 because it takes 10 minutes for the oil to warm up?
That's not a valid reason, imo.

So before the 10 minute threshold, what?
Is damage occurring?
If that were the case, I'd have driven nearly 10 miles before it's 'to temp' in your opinion.

 

No I'm just saying that it is a consideration that should not be taken lightly since he knows he will mainly be doing short drives and that it will lead to excessive carbon build up. And should he drive the car hard before the oil is to temp then premature engine wear is a given and on an engine that is prone to premature failure, that should be considered The Rx-8 does have a cold temp rev limit for this reason but it is based on coolant temps, not oil temps. Some newer turbocharged cars have boost limits based on the temp of the oil.

But who wants a sports car that they can never drive hard? Tough decision for sure.

 

I think he was under the assumption that, in general, a 5 minute drive would be bad.
There are still a lot of people that believe starting it up and shutting it off before it's warmed up results in flooding.
I thought that was his concern.
I don't want to discourage anyone from buying an 8 based on mistaken beliefs.

 

Yeah I mean if most of his driving is 5 minute driving then engine longevity would be a big concern. But I think you are right, he is worried about flooding and five minutes should be plenty to prevent flooding. But then again so would a good ignition kit like the BHR.