First purchased car in 2009: 2004 AT rx8 with 96,XXX miles on it & now has 120,XXX miles.

well I've gone through 3 engines. 1st one was flooded two weeks after i had purchased it took it to mazda and they did whatever maintence work to get it running again. story with the second one: i drove about 75 miles to a friends house (8club member) to get my coolant and tranny fluid changed. everything went fine durring the proccess. about a quarter of the way back towards home (crusing at about 75) i hear a pop kinda like a backfire look down at my gauges and the engine light is flashing and the car sounds and feels terrible, there is no powerand just starts slowing down; when i press on the throttle it just sounds like really REALLY loud pblop pblop pblop (hard to explain haha) noise, and just more and more back fires when i let off the gas. so i exited off the highway and pulled into a gas station and the car just died before even idleing, looked under the hood and everything looked intact. so i tried to start it again and barley came on after about a minute of cranking and decided to call a tow truck. my mechanic said theat there was someting with the compression ring and that the engine was shot. got a used engine from a junk yard and changed the plugs coils and wires, worked fine a little less than a year.

until the same thing happened to the 3rd engine, same loss of power and same terrible noise and feel. thankfully i did have the one year parts and labor warranty on it and didnt pay anything.

I just dont want the same thing to happen to me and be stranded on the side of the road one day with my little 2 yr old.
so, wise and knowledgable rx8club please help me. do i need a new car or any thoughts on why this happend twice and/or what i could do to prevent this?!?

any help is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Fernando

 

are you being strict with your maintenance schedules?
Are you keeping the oil topped off?
You say 3 engines. Did they replace the engine when you flooded it???
And the other times, did they replace all parts? Or just the internals/ gaskets?
Lastly, who is doing the replacement work? Regular mech or a rotary mech?

 

You bought a 2004 AT with 96,000 on it, blew the engine, and then put a junk yard engine in, blew that one, and put another junk yard engine in it? You should have done your homework.

 

yes i have been changing oil at or before every 3k? with 5w20 synthetic
topped off, just i about or at least i try.
probobly dumbest question there is but is there anything else i would need to do for maintnece other than changing oil, keeping up with coolant and tranny fluid??

i am not entirely sure what they did when i first flooded it bc two days iafter that i had left for mexico, so my father took it up to mazda and i believe they replaced the engine but i wouldn't be entirely sure. the second time my reg mechanic (friend of family) replaced entire engine block plus externals. the third time the salvage people had my car taken to one of their shops to replace the engine with another one from them.

i tried 9k but i hardly had any money and even the cheapest route took mostly all of my money. btw 9k im diggin those wheels.

 

Synthetic is not good for a rotary, it leaves a film. It also burns really quick.

 

In the end, your probably paying as much as installing a good rebuilt engine.

You have much to learn.

 

Me or him?

 

I would start with plugs/wires/coils and see if that takes care of your issue. Since you should replace them with a new engine anyway, if you go that route, it could be a quick easy win. Before ordering I would also check your wire connections, both sides, to make sure one didn't slip off as that could also cause a misfire.

I would also inspect and possibly replace your air filter if you haven't done that in the last 30K miles and clean your MAF as part of normal maintenance for that kind of mileage.

 

You

 

Wrong, wrong, and wrong. You have much learning to do. Start by reading this book.

http://www.amazon.com/Street-Rotary-.../dp/1557885494


NVmyrx8,

By starting with a junkyard motor there is only so much you can do because the damage already have been done. You never know though, maybe it was well maintained and stored properly until they put it in your car.

But the most important things are to change all fluids as needed ( coolant once a year, oil every 3,000 miles, etc) always let it warm up fully and never rev it over 3500-4000 RPM when cold. Short trips that do not allow the car to heat up fully are bad for teh engine because the contaminants in the oil never have a chance to burn off and the additives in the oil never have a chance to work.

Remember, when you change the oil you are only getting out about half of what is in the engine so your new oil is instantly getting mixed with used oil. This is why you need to change it more often or do double changes (expensive).


Then I suggest you read up on premixing and make sure you are running a good paper air filter and change it as often as possible.


I could go on but that is all.

 

Really, why is that? I was told by a mazda tech that worked on rotaries. I've heard this a lot so could you please elaborate?

 

Most Mazda techs don't know ****. I have yet to meet a dealer tech who knew much at all about rotaries. Pretty scary, yes I know.

I don't feel like explaining in detail because there is a sticky thread about it but show your Mazda Tech this and have him explain.

Dealer item.

 

Are you sure you are "burping" the coolant after draining and replacing? Get a big enough bubble in the system and you got trouble.

 

Who me? Did your respond to the right thread?

 

Ok ill read up my bad

 

thanks for all the input guys, two years with my rotary and i still have a large amount to learn. i have been guilty of driving it cold a few times here and there but for the most part.

and should i just use regular 5w20 then if i have 120,000 miles.
i would ask any lube place but since it is a rotary i didnt want to take a chance with what they had to say. hiflite yes i beleive that we did. but that still wouldn't explain it happening a second time.

i purchased plugs coils and wires and put them on the 3rd engine and after a year the same problem happened.

has anybody ever heard of this happening to a friend or another member? after the second engine blew i checked under the car and the cat was glowing orangy red. so i thought the cat was clogged up, thus the gutted cat i have now.

just so you dont get confused:
1st engine: flooded; engine replaced?

2nd engine:1 yr after engine flooded, engine blew up after changing coolant and tranny fluid while crusing; gutted cat, then replaced engine from junk yard

3rd engine: 1 yr after 2nd engine blew, 3rd engine blew up after crusing; replaced engine from warranty

 

Does it leave a film or does it burn quick?

Make up your mind, its one or the other !!!

(Just showing you that you shouldnt just repeating what others with no knowledge say!)

 

I use conventional, no problem so far.

 

Responding to the OP: " i drove about 75 miles to a friends house (8club member) to get my coolant and tranny fluid changed. everything went fine durring the proccess."

OP: https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...03&postcount=1

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...=1#post3666147

 

It's a lot to absorb, it takes time. I suggest getting the book I suggested.

Personally in Texas I would not use 5W-20 unless it was PAO synthetic and change it at least every 5,000 miles. I think a 30 weight or higher oil is best in Texas.


oh ok, I thought maybe your were responding to my thread about overheating.