Changed my plugs last weekend so I thought I would post shots of what the plugs looked like:

 

Spark plug 2 & 3

 

Spark plug 4

 

Also changed the wires and pulled this out - put it back and didn't have a problem.

 

Did you see how much the gap changed? I could not tell in the pics, but what were the colors of each plug. How much of a change did it make in throttle response. What did you put in? OEM?

 

from the pics, the plugs actually don't look too bad considering the mileage on them.

 

Myspark plugs at 45,00km

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Theres no way your sparkplugs are going to last for 60,00km as per mazdas recommendation in the service manual .

Heres a photo of my 2 Leading plugs at 45,000km they are truly gone

THE TRAILING PLUGS ARE ALSO ROOTED BUT NOT AS BADLY

I have been using only shell optimax and BP ultimate

The large deposits on top and inside the plugs a grey and pink in colour

B...free
michael

 

Didn't check the gap and the plugs are gone now. I didn't notice too much of a change in the responsiveness of the car. Did an oil change at the same time and I always find the 8 loves the oil getting changed. Gas mileage is about the same too. They were the original plugs getting pulled out and OEM plugs were put in.

Sorry about the fuzziness - used my camera phone.

I actually didn't want to wait so long to change the plugs, but when I went to the dealer and asked for the 37.5 service, I only got an oil change. It was then I decided that it was time to get back into doing my own work on my car.

dag

 

So plugs have to be changed between 40-60k? That kinda sucks

This rotary is going to be the death of the RX-8 I am afraid.

 

My daughter has the RX8...the dealer is recommending that she change the spark plugs at 30000 at a cost of $226.85. For me this seems way out of line....what do they have to do? Drop the engine or something? Thanks for the replies.

 

Maintenance schedule calls for 37000 miles. I don't see how changing plugs at a cost of $125 (DIY) for a $30K car every 3 years is going to cause the death of the RX-8.

 

Plugs - $112
Wires - $50 (not sure if these need replacing every time the plugs are replaced)

For a place with a lift - shouldn't take more than 1/2 hour.

There is a good DIY in the DIY section. You can do it without lifting the car, just make sure you have a 10-12" extension bar. I started without it and cut my hand up.

Standard driving conditions recommend @ 37K, along with oil, oil filter and air filter.

dag

 

1.Well most other 30k cars don't need plugs changed till at least 60k, sometimes 100k

2. Most 30k cars you don't need to constantly monitor the oil level, again this isn't really a cost issue it is a PITA issue.

3. I can't remember the last 30k car I heard of flooding for christs sake ! It is 2005
I know some of the flooding issues may be exageratted but for it to even be an issue is silly.

4. Name a 30k car that averages 15-18 mpg sometimes worse but still only has what....220 or so HP and very little tourqe The only way to get the advertised 0-60 time is to destroy your clutch.

Those of us here may put up with all of the above but most "normal" LOL people will not. Sure the engine is lighter sits further back but I am sure they could make it handle just fine with a small 4 cylinder and FI.

I'm just saying that the rotary may be the main reason a lot of folks on THIS forum bought the car but is also the main reason the rest of America is not. If it does not sell well enough we all know what will happen.

 

I can respect your opinions on the differences between having a car with a rotary engine vs. piston. I think the RX-8 will continue to thrive as a sports enthusiast car. Mazda will never put a piston in an RX-8, only because it has other venues for performance cars with piston engines (miata, mazdaspeed 6). I was intelligent enough to research the car and understood while it has it's cons as you so well mentioned, I thought the pros of the car, especially compared to other cars in its class, favored owning the car heavily. This car isn't for "normal" people and I don't believe Mazda markets the car that way.

If you want to continue this discussion, please feel free to open a new thread, or resurrect one of the many other threads discussing the issues with the RX-8. I created this thread just to show people what my plugs looked like at 40K, since I know that many people haven't had to replace their plugs yet.

dag

 

Dag, nice response man ^^^. Thx for posting pics of the plugs. I've had my car for almost 2 years now (Oct. 29, 2003) and I'm just over the 23k mile marker. I still haven't worked up the ***** to work on my 8. It's my first rotary engine vehicle and I'm still learning all its "unique" features. I gotta say, I didn't really do the research I should've done on it but I fell in love w/ it the first time I layed eyes on it in a Magazine spread around Jan/Feb of '03. Eventually I'll start w/ the oil changes. Thx for the pics. vegas.

 

Thanks for the post Dag. I'm not a DIY'er personally but I have nearly 20kmi on her. I was wondering when the plugs need replacing so your post was very educational. I feel like the enging is 'missing' or skipping sometimes and had started thinking spark plug replacement was around the corner but apparently that's not the issue. I remember getting plugs replaced on my Miata afer 35kmi and she ran like a brand new car :D

And I have to thank you for posting such a dignified and respectful response above. It shows there really are high quality contributors here.

 

Sorry Dag, My intent was not to "highjack" the thread. I was only responding to your statement that you can't see how this kind of thing would kill the 8 but I think it will. I did research and visit this site before purchase and knew very well what I was getting into.

 

Responding to Shoafb: (1) The plugs' cost and change-out interval are trivial compared with the service costs of many comparable RWD cars. (2) There is no need to "constantly monitor the oil." I simply top mine off periodically; no problem. (3) Flooding appears to be gone with the latest flashes. (4) The mileage of the car is completely in line with other RWD performance cars. (5) The engine has low torque, yes, but it has its own sweet character that appeals to a lot of people. (6) Sales figures appear to be in line with Mazda's projections. (7) 0-60 times are not what this car is all about. If I wanted a cheap dragster I'd get a Mustang GT.

So yes, it's not a car for the (ignorant?) masses, but then again it was never meant to be; I probably wouldn't want it if it was. So I say just enjoy the car for what it is: A damn sweet ride.

 

No problem - just trying to keep the thread on topic - I knew it was just a matter of time before things escalated. I think your concern is definitely worth an intelligent debate, but in the end, I am happy with my car as long as it doesn't have anything catastrophic happen to it. Hope to pass it on to my son in 7 or so years.

dag

 

For all that are debating doing the simple maintenance for your 8, I highly encourage it, especially if you have worked on previous cars.

The oil change is a piece of cake (the first time I did it on the 8 was last weekend). The only reason I had to jack the car was because the pan that I put under the car was too tall to get under there. The plug is easy to reach with an extension bar from behind the right wheel.

The spark plugs are a bit of a pain, but definitely not too difficult. Following the DIY, you can do it by turing your wheels all the way to the right. There is a little flap inside of the left wheel that is easy to take off and you can see at least 2 of the plugs from there. It may be easier to unplug the wires from the top (depending on how long your arms are), but to take them out, you can get to them from the wheel well. It was nice not having to gap the plugs. It seemed odd to me getting to the plugs from under the car instead of on top of the car, given that this is my first rotary.

Key to both of these tasks - have the right tools.

I waited this long to do my own maintenance because of the warranty (OK - that would fall under paranoia), and because my lease has a clause in it that prohibits working on the car. I finally decided to go ahead anyways.

One more note - the state of my plugs are just that, the state of my plugs. As you can see by Lock & Load's post, your plugs may not be in that same shape. I would recommend that if you think you are having issues that you think are due to the plugs, pull them out and take a look for yourself.

dag

 

Hard 8

I'd respond but it's best kept to a new thread. It would just go back and fourth and bring this one down.

As far as a liteny of responses go.... I barely ever posts? Now I remember why.

 

"Litany" didn't refer to you, but to a lot of others. Sorry again to be so curt. I just got fed up there. I went back and toned down my outburst.

Back on thread ....

 

I took my plugs off at 8k miles to do a compression test. Both were fairly charred (rich fuel mix) but a quick brushing took care of that. I'm no where near 40k miles on the car, but I might change them out sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, I like working on cars, so it works out well.

 

I have some low profile ramps I used when changing the oil last time... The front ram just does BARELY clear. I know I remember seing 2 plugs down there...... Took me a minute to figure out where the darn engine was till I saw the plugs :o I'll just change them myself @ 30k or so.

On a related note is there a way to get the oil to completly drain from the filter while I am draining the pan? I made a pretty good mess last time, thankfully I had put down A LOT of newspaper for my first "getting used to it" oil change. I suppose I could punch a hole in the filter to allow air in? I loosened it last time but all the oil still did not drain out untill I pulled it off, then it was everywhere.

 

Shoafb-
Wrap the base of the filter mount with a disposable baby diaper- 95% of the mess will be absorbed. I also use jackstands and raise each side of the car higher than the other while draining to empty out the oil coolers.

Dag - thanks for the pics - I'm planning on doing that sometime this fall, even though I'm still under 20k. Did you stay in the same heat range with the new plugs?