"According to an advisory that comes with the car, you also should take precautions to keep the RX-8's spark plugs from fouling and the engine from running rough. For instance, if you drive a short distance—say, out of the garage out into the driveway—you're supposed to turn the ignition to start for 10 seconds with the pedal on the floor, then let the engine idle for 10 seconds. Once you've moved the car, you're supposed let the engine idle for five minutes, rev it up to 3,000 rpm, then let it idle again before shutting it off. "

From:

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/co...031_135488.htm

Thinking of getting an Rx-8....

Thanks!

 

if you floor the gas for 10 seconds while its cold, you will damage your engine, so thats false.
But if you start it, its better not to stop it til it gets to operating temperature. Or else you run the risk of flooding

 

the author of the article has the idea but the specifics he is sort of messing up.

holding the pedal to the floor while cranking cuts off the fuel- this allows the engine to spin with out injecting fuel. if the car was already flooded you do this to try to clear the flood. thats the only time you do that.

but you should never just staret the car move it a few feet and shut it down cold or it could, and probably would, flood. so the best thing to do is go for a drive befor ewashing the car so the engine gets to normal operating temp. if you really dont want to do that then take the engine to 3000rpm for about 10 seconds then shut the car off while its still at 3k. this should prevent any flooding

 

That article really sucked bad.

 

"take the engine to 3000rpm for about 10 seconds then shut the car off while its still at 3k"

I thought you were supposed to let it come back down to idle before shutting it off?

 

<cough: repost!>

 

I've owned an 8 for two days and I'M tired of this question! If you have to move it out of the garage, down the driveway, whatever - throw it in neutral and roll it. If you have to start it (go up a driveway, e.g.) just let it run until your temp gauge gets a few notches above "C."

If you flood it, floor the gas pedal and try repeated cranks of the key lasting about 10-15 seconds each for a couple minutes and see if it starts. If it does, let it come to full temp before shutting it down again.

 

You missed the important part - rev to 3k, then turn off the car while doing WOT so it spins the fuel out.

I still have my doubts on this process, since I flooded once after following this procedure. Now I have the updated starter and batt, so my chances are going to be a bit lower should this happen again.

 

the author was a moron.

Lets see some of the gems...

 

nowhere does mazda say to wot it after the time at 3k.

 

Yeah, you def. dont want WOT, just 3k.

 

You didn't read what I said.

Turn off the car then WOT. You'll hear a difference in sound as the fuel is being spun out.

Not that it matters much, since you'll eventually flood following this process anyway.

 

haha. damn that high pitch whine. sounds like some sort of newfangled performance vehicle.

 

The gearing does bother me, in defense of the author. I wish second and fourth were both slightly shorter. That would help 0-60 time, 1/4-mile time, and would be useful at the track. There are few road courses where this car would come close to topping out 4th gear, even if it were a little shorter.

 

Another gem . . .

"The disadvantage of the interior is its tight cockpit-like feel."

 

This is possibly the worst RX-8 article I have ever read. The journalist didn't know what he was talking about. For that matter, he doesn't even appear to know much about cars in general. Idiot.

 

No, then the engine would be adding gas into the chambers while idling. You are supposed to turn it off above 3K just as the engine is started to wind down.

 

Isn't the 8s throttle electronic? If that is so then wouldn't WOT with the ignitoin off do nothing?

 

author was barely a half a tard!

 

That review was in Business Week.

I have this vision that there is an investment message board somewhere having a similar discussion over a stock market article in Road and Track.

Ken

 

Actually the discussion over the Road and Track article is on this forum.
Apparently Road and Track agreed with Business Week that the RX8 was not one of the 12 best under $30K cars.

 

Not choosing it is one thing. Writing an article with complete misinformation is another.