Dear Howdies,

I bought a preowned 2008 Rx8 and it has around 45k miles on it. I recently got an oil change done at Jiffly lubes and the manager informed me about rear differential fluid and transmission fluid changes @30k.

I am not sure if the previous owner has made replaced them. How can I look into it ?

Secondly, I tried getting a quote from dealer and jiffly lube and I see a huge price difference (60$ at Jiffly vs 150$ at dealer for rear differential fluid). I am not sure why there is such a huge variation in prices and can you please let me know which oils to use and would there a difference if I get it changed at Jiffy instead of dealer.

Thanks in advance

 

You can call Mazda North America customer service and find out what maintenance history they have for the car. Also, sometimes a Carfax report on the vehicle might show where the car had been serviced, especially if serviced by a Mazda dealer. I would assume if you don't turn up any records, then the fluid was not changed at 30K miles so it should be done.

Read your owner's manual for recommended fluids and maintenance schedule to be better informed, otherwise you'll likely end up an unhappy RX8 owner.

As for the price difference, dealers typically charge much more for even basic maintenance service so for something as simple as rear diff fluid change it pays to shop around.

If you are handy and have some basic tools, you can do this at home for less than $20. Do a search in the forums for a DIY.

 

Or you can search on the forums... Find what fluids are recommended, buy them and take them to a shop to perform for you if you can't do it yourself.

 

Another reason for the price difference is a dealer will hire quality mechanics while you don't exactly need to be skilled to work at a jiffy lube. All you need is to be ASE certified to work at most jiffy lubes but some will accept people without it. I had a friend that worked at one of them and he was just a regular backyard mechanic that did work on his own cars, and afaik did not have any certs at all.

You can usually get pretty cheap oil changes at a dealer if you buy them in packs of 4-6 and at least then the people have been to an automotive school. You should really avoid jiffy lubes and any place like them.

 

I always lol at the name "Jiffy Lube"

 

I always lol at your signature, it's freaking awesome man.

 

+1 lol.


To OP: I use Redline for the transmission and then royal purple for the rdifferential. I used Royal purple syncromax in the transmission for like 4 days and switched because it is WAY too thin. You hear a LOT of noise and it doesnt feel too pleasant shifting either. At least that was my experience anyways. Redline was great once I switched to it.

 

Doesn't ASE certification take some work to get and stand for something?

Getting fluids changed at a dealer rather than Jiffy Goober increases the odds of getting the right fluid, and of getting the drain plug put back on.

Ken

 

Well to be ASE certified you have to pass a test, but it depends what type of cert you are talking about. There are quite a few different things you can be ASE certified for. It is good to be ASE certified but all it really means is you understand the basic theory behind repairing and diagnosing things. If you are working at jiffy lube then you probably do not have much experience other than tests and repairing your own car maybe. There are 9 total ASE tests for cars and light trucks, and I doubt they require you to have 8 of them done and be ASE master certified to work at jiffy lube.

I am not trying to say ASE certs are bad by any means. They are a great asset to anyone who has them.

 

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and inputs. Secondly, I was wondering what oils I should be using for rear and transmission for my 2008 rx8. I peeped at other forums but the information they provided was for 2004. I was wondering if still the same ?

please do let me know.

thanks

 

2004 and 2008 models use the same transmission and differential, it's 09+ that changed. A quick search on the forums and you'll find what fluids work best. If you go with Redline fluids MT-90 for trans and 75w90 for the differential.

 

I use Eneos 75w90 front and back. No complaints so far. Shifting feels very nice and smooth. Got rid of a bit of my cold notchiness.

 

If you're able to do it yourself. It's really easy to change out the transmission and differential fluid. Search the DIY section. For fluids I use Redline.

 

thanks bro, i made a meme for a guy drag racing his rx8 the other day,

considering making a rx8 and rx8club memes thread

 

this. just did my oil/mtx/rear dif fluids last week.

had the car up on jacks and realized i didnt have a 24mm socket

anyway, i did it and it was a "teachable moment"

 

My Dealership charges me $50 or trans and $50 for diff fluid including parts and labor.

 

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions and instantaneous replies.

After reading the DYI thread, I would love to take care of the fluids myself but seems like I don't have the right tools to perform it. However, after reading I figured out to use Redline fluids MT-90 for trans and 75w90 for the differential for my 6 speed 2008 Rx-8.

Any more suggestions ? Please do let me know.