Hi all, I have a problem with my manual rx8 since 2 weeks ago and I can't find any thread regarding this problem. I'll summarize it for easier reading:


- 2 weeks ago check engine light on, no problem with car

- 1 week ago, CEL still on, I brought the car to repair centre (not mazda, there's no mazda repair centre around here, that's the problem). They roughly checked the car, no problem. They unplugged battery, wait 2 mins, plugged in again, CEL light finally off.

- 2 days ago, CEL light on again. Car is not running smoothly at low RPM (1000-2000) when I drive it, is it called bogging? My english isn't that good, sorry. I brought the car for the technician to check again. They checked the spark plugs and noticed they were very dirty, lots of residues. They cleaned it. I tried to drive the car afterwards, it felt a little bit better but still some bogging at low RPM (1000-2000). They have ordered new spark plugs but not sure when those will arrive. I also notice lost of power.



I rarely drive the car at high RPM because there's always traffic jam near where I live. Maybe that's why the built up of residue happened? The car has around 12K miles on it.

I don't have much confidence with this technician (or others in my town, a small town), as they haven't dealt with any rotary engine yet but I have no other choice. So what do you guys think I should do? There's no mazda dealer near this town. The CEL is still on and sometimes flashing for like 10 times when I drive.
Is it ok that I still drive the car while waiting for new spark plugs? It's just a little bogging when I drive the car for the first 15 mins or so, after that, it's better (but still doesn't feel that good). I don't want to do any permanent damage to my rx8. Can the problem be something else?

Any help is very much appreciated. Thanks in advance guys. I really want to fix this problem ASAP.

 

might be the spark plugs.. might be the alternator... might be ur belts.. not bein lubed up enuff... i'd start by changing the spark plugs... most people notice actually an increase in power when changing them. So that might just be it. But.... dont trust me tooo much on this... im just talkn bout cars in general... i get my 8 in a week... so i dont have hands-on experience ^o^

 

use a scan tool to pull code first. this will help you identifly the problem.
OTC got a code reader for OBD II CAN scan tools for $30.
http://www.otctools.com/products/detail.php?id=1254

 

"...bogging at low RPM (1000-2000)."

The power band for this engine starts well above that RPM range--like 3K and above. Therefore, you should not expect to have any significant power at 1000-2000 RPM. Keep the engine RPM at 3K and above and the car will run fine and it will also last longer.

 

dump the nvram.. turn the key on and pump the brake until the oil gauge moves.. then see if idle goes away. next time have them actually pull the damn code and do their jobs. you can unhook the battery yourself.

 

there is somethign wrongf with your car- thats why it lit the CEL. just looking the car over without knowing th eCODE is futile. get a reader that is CAN compatible and get us the code. definetly replace the plugs and start doing some runs in the higher rpm range a couple times a week even if its just in first gear. the flashing when your driving is probably misfire related to the dirty plugs. its essential to run in th ehigher rpms once in a while to keep the plugs clean

 

What I actually mean is not just lost of power in low RPM, but the car is also shaking quite badly at those low RPM. I didn't have this problem before the CEL was on.

 

What do you mean by "... then see if idle goes away." ?? What idle? Is it safe to do that?

 

Anyway, how much does a spark plug cost? Guy from the repair shop told me I had to change all 4 of them, and it's gonna cost something like US $150. Are those really that expensive? I mean spark plug for other cars are very cheap.

 

They are expensive, but you can buy them for much less than that at sparkplugs.com. Or try one of the dealers on this forum--Rosenthal or Trussville--for a better price than you were quoted.