Well this seems to be the best place to ask this...

I start my engine and let it run until I hear "something" sound like it is spinning down/turning off. Once it does this I will drive off, about 60 seconds after the start. I am not sure what this "something" is. It only happens when the engine is cold. If I start the car after I ran it for awhile this will not happen. Also when this "something" turns off I get a surge in power; if the headlights are on they will get brighter then go back to where they were.

Question is, what is this "something" that is doing that?

 

I always let the Idle settle down before i drive. and if its cold, below 50F, i let the car properly warm up

 

always try to let it warm up, many times haven't had the luxury of 3-5 extra minutes. Haven't noticed any different behaivior either way.

 

I'm not sure where this belief comes from. I start the car, let the idle stabilize and then off I go keeping the RPMs down until the engine warms to normal operating temp. I can't speak for sub-zero climates but for the Northeastern US this works fine. This is my 4th rotary over 35 years.

I think the "5 minute wait" comes from the Mazda warnings about not shutting the engine off cold (idle for 5 minutes, rev to 3K for 10 seconds, return to idle and then turn it off).

 

Warm ups are a waste of time, and gas. That's it. If you want to redline the second you get on the road, find, let it warm up - but thats just stupid.

I open the garage door, turn the car on, back it out, close the door, and off I go. I keep the revs under 4000 until its fully warmed.

Someone mentioned our cars don't run rich at idle..thats totally false. The car runs EXTREMELY rich at idle, especially when cold. The EMS leans out the mixture the warmer the car gets. The richer the idle, the smoother a rotary engine will idle. Learned that with Megasquirt.

Moral of the story: Don't waste your time warming up your car. Just don't slam on it until its warm.

/thread

 

Given the idle and power loss discussions, this seems like the appropriate place to post this question --

A few months ago, I started my car in the cold (about 30 degrees) and pulled out of my apartment complex without letting the car warm up. As I pulled out into the street, I saw an oncoming car I had (somehow) missed and gunned the engine to avoid a collision. As the engine revved in first gear to 5500 rpm, I experienced a sudden loss of power. Luckily, I avoided the collision before the power loss hit. Once the car warmed up, everything seemed fine.

I tried to repeat the conditions, and anytime the engine was gunned from a cold start, there was power loss aropund 5500 rpm. I figured that something must be wrong with the engine and took it into the dealer. After extensive discussion with Mazda, they told me that the RX8 is a "sensitive" car and must be warmed up before hard driving. They claim the power loss is normal due to a fuel cutout and that continued high revs from a cold start will ruin the catalytic converter.

I don't know what to think -- I don't normally drive hard from a cold start, but it seems like a safety issue to me. Any thoughts --

 

Agollahalli, I had that similar situation myself when I gunned it right after a cold start. I even remember when I bought my 8, the dealer recommended I let it "warm up" before any hard driving. I guess otherwise, like it's said in the other posts here, let it warm up for a minute or so then keep it below 3500 until the needle reaches the middle. Install a remote start man! not only does it rock, and the cool points behind it, it also lets you warm up the car for a good 5 min. without sitting there, but lets you cool down the car with the ac on, or when its cold, having the heater on.

 

Yes, it's a safety issue...safety for your engine!!! You should never gun it from a cold start, by doing so your begging for a new motor!

 

it's a built-in 'safe mode' in the ECU that protects the engine from excessive overrevving (and causing IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE) while the engine is still cold. BMW has a similar system in their cars

you shouldn't be gunning your engine while completely cold to start with anyway, baaaaad RX-8 owner, baaaaaaad

 

Thanks for the information -- I'll play it safe from here on out ....

 

This is what I do too... at home. Smoke 'n go! At work I have to let it run a little longer when its cold out, as I hit the highway right away and it does NOT like that when not fully warm... so I have my smoke, then get in the car and wait a few more minutes.