i have read so many threads on the internet about Lemon Law lawsuits against Mazda for the RX8 what is all this

do these ppl not know how to take care of a rotary???

 

But seriously, after your 5th new engine...you know something's up.

 

5th.....

 

ppl...

 

ppl= people

 

fail thread

 

wat.

 

Didn't you just answer your own question?

Hell, I can say without a doubt that if I hadn't found this site I'd have probably killed my engine by now (or be well on my way).

Ironically, had I found this site before I got the car I woulda gotten something else, because after having owned a diesel for 3 years, I wouldn't have been in the mood for another special-needs engine right away.

But, I'm glad I did get the car, and I'm glad I found RX8club after the fact of purchase. But people who don't research before or after buying, are the most likely to spank the Wankel.

 

I do believe that some people have legit claims when it comes to engine issues. There are always going to be bad apples in any production line. I, myself, have some doubts about the massive amounts of issues in that I'm sure a good amount might have been due to neglect or ignorance of car care in general.

All I can do is go by my own personal experience. I've owned my RX8 here in Phoenix for almost 3 years now. I have 65,000 miles and still on the origional motor, clutch, and transmission with no signs of issues. I've premixed for about 30,000 miles and i have always used synthetic oil since 6,000 miles.

I've been running with the sohn adapter and accessport tuned for about 10,000 miles now as well.

Others have their own ways of caring for their rotary. This is mine.

 

I made sure I purchased my Rx-8 from a previous rotor-head... I know it's not as good as owning the car since production, but it's better than buying a rotary from a grandma...

 

i go by the manufacturers suggested care....no probs yet

 

A middle aged couple owned mine and i see from dealer svc reciepts in the glove it got all scheduled oil/maintenance but 4k miles ago at 41k miles it got towed in for no start and got de-carbed with 4 new plugs which is good i guess. It runs smooth all the way up and gets a door length on my brothers boxster by 75mph from a stop so i guess its running fine.

 

did mazda do a recall for the rx7 engines? As far as I know, they didnt... but I could be wrong. So either we have a lot more people who suck at taking care of a car... or they had legitimate issues. Mazda came out with many flashes that were admitted to fix problems with previous flashes... so it wasnt them being nice and unlocking more hp for us... they felt there was a problem that needed to be fixed... meaning it was broken before. At least that's the way I look at it

 

the problems with these engines basically started when fuel injection started for rotaries (1984 GSLSE in north america). the mechanic at work said back then, there was no "reflashes" or anything that mazda could/would do. so some of the dealers got smart and started installing fuel cut off switches under the dash, instructing their customers that if the car isnt starting, turn the switch off, crank for 30 seconds then flip the switch back on and it should fire up fine. people seemed to be fine with that. no starts stopped showing up. so years and years later, mazda incorporates it into the car from new (gas peddle all the way to the floor) and puts the information in the owners manual. also, many dealers have a print out that they give customers when they take delivery of their 8. RX8 Tips. basically outlines its need for premium, oil thirst, and cold start issues. also has a procedure for short trips. and still, people have problems. already had our third no start this cold season and its only dipped below 0deg once. the problem is people. simple. they are dumb. they think that a company owes them the world because they bought a car from them. they wont do any research and they expect sales people to tell them the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. thats just not gonna happen. you bought a sports car. they are all some what quirky. deal with it. im suprised people dont complain that they slide around too much in the snow if theres no traction control.

Greg

 

My rotary engine works fine. it did scared me couple of times tho.

Im suing Mazda for NOT giving me any rotary problems. Die !

 

Rotary engine development is about 50 years behind piston engine development. On top of that, only one company has stuck with developing the rotary engine.

That right there tells you that a rotary isn't likely to be as reliable as a piston engine. They're at the point where piston engines were around 1960: fairly decent, but not spectacularly reliable compared to, say, a 2009 economy four-banger.

Also the 2004s were basically an experiment with some radical changes in the rotary; Mazda had no real way to deal with long-term reliability issues except to put the engine in production and tweak and learn, so it's no surprise that a lot of the early engines have had problems.

On top of that, it's a performance engine for a sports car. Like all such engines it's designed to run at the edge of its performance envelope and tends to get driven harder than your average engine, increasing the odds of failure.

And then when you add on top of that the fact that the Renesis will keel over and die when treated like a piston engine, and it's no surprise that a lot of 8s have had engines replaced. We here on this board know how to take care of a rotary, but we're probably in the minority of 8 owners...I suspect a lot of people bought the car for looks without knowing jack squat about rotaries, and these are the people most likely to have bought the problematic AT version.

It's not the engine's fault: it's a good engine with a brilliant design and the evidence seems to suggest that a well-cared-for Renesis can likely hit 100k miles, which isn't spectacular compared to modern piston engines but isn't bad for an oddball performance engine. And it's not Mazda's fault either: they did a great job engineering the engine and they have continually tweaked it for improvements, plus they have done a great job standing by the engine by offering the 8 yr/100k warranty extension.

I guess my point is, this is just the way it goes with rotaries. They are behind piston engines in development and most people have no clue how to take care of one. Neither problem is Mazda's fault and I think they've done an excellent job with the Renesis, and I just love them to death for sticking with the rotary despite these kinds of issues.

 

37k miles on mine and now perfromance issues yet. Creaks, sand in the blender noises and such yeah but it runs hard if not harder than day one.

If it can last me to 80k miles then that is all I need I don't keep a car longer than 5 years probably only need 65k but I don't want to jinx it.

 

Actually that has been in the RX-7 owners manuals since at least 1986.

But look at how many people can't read the owners manual.

 

I thought S5's are the ones who had the *pedal fuel cut off* added, while S4's got jipped?

 

Nope. And the S4 had the advantage of opening the MOP full when you hold the throttle to full (when cranking or any other time) so full oil injection to help bring back the seals.

 

yeah some ppl jsut don't do their home work on the engine and treat it wrong shut it off cold etc and think it's a design prob yes the engine is not the most efficient or torquiest thing in the world but that's how it is supposed to b designed.....

 

I did a quick Google on Lawsuit RX-8 and all I've seen were forums ranters. Nothing real concrete. Try it with 350Z and you will see serious class action lawsuits against the tire feathering issues.

So your post fails troll.

 

the hold the pedal to the floor has been in the manual since the GSL-SE in 1984. Also the motors when cared for and watched over last a real long time, my 1983 RX-7 has 240k on it now, the RX-8 is just hitting 100k now. I think for the short time the rotary has been in development it has come a long way, and to think if it continues at this pace it will become the next engine of choice.

 

It won't become the next engine of choice unless some drastic improvements are made on economy and emissions...but then again the 16x is already promising a lot in that direction so who knows. I think it should already be the engine of choice for sports cars, and it's certainly proven itself in racing.

Real reason for my post: you're restoring a DeLorean? Got pics? You gonna put a rotary in it? If so that would make it about the coolest car I've ever heard of.

 

^^ well said.

think of this, since 2004. Rotor housing has gone thru 3 revision. apex seals gone thru what, 10 revision ?