Hey everyone! So I just bought me a white 05 RX-8 Shinka Edition on Wednesday, I got it at a pretty good deal with 49,000 miles. I also decided to get the warranty for the vehicle as well. This is the first time I buy a car and decide to join the forums pertaining to the car. I'm loving the car, but with it being rotary, I know it relies on more attention.

I have a few questions to ask you experts if you guys could help me out on some things that I have noticed over the past days.

1. Okay so my buddy noticed this first before me, I guess with the music being loud and all. I notice that when I accelerate in 1st gear slowly or even reverse, I can hear on the bottom it sounds like metal grinding or glass breaking...not sure what it could be? I don't hear it at all when I'm in 2nd to 3rd, and so forth.

2. When I'm at a light or something and the car is idling, when I'm in neutral, when I shift into 1st, I hear a low clicking sound, is that to let me know I'm shifting? Only happens in 1st. I hear a beep sound when I hit 9,000 rpm too, but figured that is normal?

3. 2 days after I bought the car, I noticed the engine check light came on, I figured this could be either the gas cap or the oil, so I tighten the gas cap, and I put 5w-30 Mobil Oil in the car, not synthetic. I didn't top it off, just a bit. Then the next day the engine light went off, and it's still off to this day, was it the oil?

4. Tire Pressure light came on when I was at the dealership, the guy filled up the tires and it went away, later on in the day it came back on, he told me due to weather it'll come on and off. Is this true? When I went to Shell for them to fill it up for me, they topped it off at 40 on all 4 tires, is this the right amount for each tire? And then today the tire pressure light came on again today, then went off.

5. I noticed it pulls a bit to the right, I figured this is alignment, should I align the front or the back of the car? Or rotate all tires and align everything?

6. Last thing is, there is an aftermarket radio in the car, it's a Pioneer, but I notice that the time is wrong and it says "Geary's RX-8" I realized that I can't change this without the original radio on there. Do you think the dealership could change that for me?

This is what I came up with, was wondering if you guys could tell me if some of these things are normal, or if I need to take it to the dealership to have them look at it? Or if something needs to be changed soon in the future. Thanks guys I greatly appreciate it!

 

Engine light doesn't come on for oil. That's the oil light
Get the code scanned to see what it was. Soon.

Probably the front, but align everything.

Need more info for the grinding sound. Could be normal tranny sound, could be something less good. The clank shifting into 1st is normal, so is the beep.

 

Hey Loki! Thanks for the fast response bro, guess I can cross out #2...lol Yeah it's just weird on the grinding sound, it sounds like glass breaking or metal grinding, I feel like I have something stuck under my exhaust...lmao and it only sounds for about 1-2 seconds when accelerating then it goes away. And ahhhh so I guess it was the gas cap then...lmao

Where is the oil pressure suppose to be at on my car? It's a little be above half right now

 

Breaking glass/scrapping metal/warning buzzers /warning lights and the car clearly
saying it belongs to Geary. Did you just steal this car (just kidding) LoL.

Sorry dude just to funny. You have lots of reading to do

 

Hehehe MAYBE Hahaha nah, read up on the forums? I'm reading through the topics, brushing up on knowledge

 

Just a note, if it's a 2005 (verify on the VIN) and it is white, it is not a Shinka. All 2005 Shinka special editions were Black Cherry Mica, a dark reddish purple mica. 2006 Shinkas could be a number of colors, including white.

This could be transmission gears grinding, diff gears grinding, clutch chatter, flywheel imbalanced, rotors lightly brushing the pads, etc... could be just about anything. that rotates and isn't rotating smoothly. OR could even be just exhaust flow turbulence in your exhaust.

9k beep is normal and intentional. Some people go to great lengths trying to turn it off. The low clicking noise -could- be just the actual transmission gears, but this really isn't descriptive enough to be sure. You can hear many of our electrical relays and a few of the switches. You hear lots more with a rotary than with piston cars.

Oil level will never cause a check engine light, unless your oil gets so low as to start having severe engine damage and something else then goes wrong enough to throw the code. The check engine light was probably the gas cap, it's somewhat chronic on our cars. However, it could be a number of other codes as well, as many of our codes can clear themselves if it doesn't see the problem any more. The gas cap is just the most likely here given your actions.

40 is going to be too high. Yes, the weather can affect the tire's pressure. Cold air is denser than warm air, and since you aren't transfering that air to and from the tire, it will expand as it heats up. So typically after sitting at night it will be several PSI lower than normal city/highway driving, and it will climb when you drive it. The weather doesn't affect the sensors themselves, but the system is looking for appropriate pressure, it will light up too low AND too high. 40psi is too high. The exact points change a bit from car to car, but generally it looks for 32psi, with a tolerance of 3-4psi to either side. So ~28-36 is the normal range, though it could still come on at 29 and/or 35, depending on your actual sensors. In the winter, the wide temperature swings can make it a bit harder to get solid, but the 'best' way is to set the pressures at about 30psi first thing in the morning on cold tires, it won't warm up high enough to trigger the high pressure warning. Drive on them before setting the pressures, then try setting it right at 32psi.

Only rotate if you need to because of tread depth. You want the deepest tread in the back. Yes, pulling to one side is almost always an alignment. If it pulls right any harder when you are on the brakes, then it's the front. If not or marginal, then align all 4. Don't just pick factory alignments if you want some free performance. Lots of alignment threads and suggestions on here. Give the shop your specs before handing over the keys.

With an aftermarket radio, the dealer can't do much. Probably has a Metra kit, but could be a few other things. Check out the audio subforum for info on how to change it.



3 threads in my signature may be useful to you, either now or in the future.

 

Well I'm glad you have humor, there's lots of funny **** that happens here!!
Listen to RIWWP he wise and knows all.
He's the God Father

 

I'll definitely check that out, I have read about the Black Cherry Mica...maybe it's an 06? It does have the Bose Premium sound and the side skirt & front lip. I guess as for the grinding of the metal I hear on the bottom, I'll take it to the dealership and ask them.

So what is the main psi for the tires? 32 all around? I'm guessing it's lighting up because it's too high since I just had them filled up. And free performance alignment? Where can I get that at any place that offers regular alignment? I'll check the threads.

And I'll check the audio sub-forum and ask around there as well. Thanks RIWWP for the answers. And I'll check out the links in your signature too!

EDIT: So I just read your first thread about the New Owners, it's a good read. Saw the common engine check light question...lol Anyways one last thing I had to ask, my clutch, when I go to press down on it to shift gears, it's not loose, it's stiff, but not too stiff, I just need to apply a bit of pressure, is this normal? Or is it suppose to be loose? Thank you!

 

If you aren't sure of the year of your RX-8, get the VIN and run it through an online decoder. One of the digits corresponds to the year. That will be a solid confirmation.

Bose is only nearly every RX-8 out there (it might not have been on the base, not sure about that). The appearance package is optional for all trims, and is not standard on any.

The WWP Shinka for 2006 also had Sand Leather interior. I think every 2005 WWP with leather had black leather. The cloth was a couple options I think. The Shinka should also have 'Shinka' plates in various places around the car, although it's possible that a prior owner either removed these and/or added them, so it's not a for-sure.

It's hard for us to trust the dealer here. I'd lay odds that they will just tell you "it's normal", even if it isn't. A better option is to find a local owner to you and have them listen. Or take some audio of it and post here.

32 is the target PSI for the RX-8's TPMS.

The alignment isn't "free", I just mean that if you need to fix your alignment anyway, you can get it aligned to a better performing alignment without paying extra for 2 alignments. Just getting it set right in the first place. Like the difference between buying an older 100w bulb vs a near compact florescent 100w for the same price that is better light and less power. Same with the alignment. If you are getting one done anyway, why not have it set to an alignment that will improve the handling of your car?

 

I just ran it through an online decoder and it says 05 RX-8 Shinka? I'm going to assume that the owner painted the car white? I just went outside to check my car and I have the leather handbrake, heated seat buttons, and leather bucket seats. Hey RIWWP, one last thing, could you read the edit I made in my prior post? About the clutch being a bit stiff? That is probably the only thing left I have to ask...you pretty much answered everything. Thanks in advance for being helpful my dude.

 

Every 2004 and 2005 VIN decoder will say it's a Shinka. It's a flaw they have. I was suggesting it for the year. 2005 and white confirms that it is not a Shinka. Since you have Leather and heated seats, you have a Grand Touring. 3rd Party lookups for 2004s and 2005s do not report the Sport, Touring, and Grand Touring packages since they were option packages for those two years. Mazda changed these to Trims in 2006, so 3rd party lookups will actually see the difference between them (like Blue Book lookup). Easy answer to check the authenticity of the paint is to check in the engine bay. If all the frame metal in there is while, then it really was white. The door sticker should have a White Water Pearl paint code as well.

You pretty much have a twin of mine it sounds like. 2005 WWP GT MT with AP (acronym overload is White Water Pearl Grand Touring Manual Transmission with Appearance Package). Good choice!

The RX-8s clutch stiffness is all over the board. Some are really stiff, some are really light. There isn't much rhyme or reason to why. Only theories are that there are different clutch assembly spring strengths for unknown factory reasons. Mine is nearly as hard as some race clutches, the lightest I drove was lighter than the clutch in a Corolla that I had. Stock to stock.

 

Nice same car! Haha now I know who to come too!

And well if the clutch is all over the board and it's alright, then we good! Thanks bro for all your help!