Huskyfan23

I hear people on hear always saying "the RX8 will need to be checked every 500 miles to see if it's low on oil". My car, on the other hand, makes it between 2000 - 2500 miles without need for a quart (it isn't even that low at 2500 miles).

Can anyone else go this long without adding oil? Is there any reason why some people state that the RX8 consumes massive amounts of 5w20, but my car doesnt? Thanks for the responses.

Tamas

iTrader: (1)

It's probably the same thing like some RX-8s get extremely lousy gas mileage, others are fine or some get even consistently above 20 mpg even in city driving.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your car - mine behaves the same way and uses only very little oil just like yours.

Yes, the recent recall was already performed.

Huskyfan23

I actually drive pretty hard (80+ on the highway, and I floor it to red line at least once a day, although many times much more frequent).

If you drive like an old lady, this car is definitely not for you.

VRZOOMZOOM

Funny i was thinking about this the same day. Mine hardly burns any oil in between changes and i daily romp on it atleast once to 9K. I'm also getting ok gas mileage 18 mix of city and highway driving. Guess each rotary is built differently? Might be due to the fact their hand built??

Huskyfan23

ah, cool. I guess we got pretty lucky with our 8's.

I had the recall done as well. Come to think about it, before the recall the oil mileage was poor. After the recall, no issue with oil consumption. Weird...

hyperlitenerd

Only on a rx8 board will you see a thread, my car DOES NOT burn oil, is something wrong?

Astral

Do you mean that your oil level stays exactly the same after 2500 miles? Or do you mean that it doesn't get below the "L" line after that distance, but it does start higher?

encorez

Mine doesn't burn oil either. I don't rev it up to much, usually.

YT1300

To each their own. I've found that the oil and fuel consumption varies from time to time. Both, however, are getting better.

dying_here

at first I thought mine wasn't burningoil cause the manual says check after every 2nd fillup, and when i checked after 3rd fillup it will still relatively full. But since then so far with 9200km I've used 1.5 bottles and had my oil changed once in between.

New Yorker

Gee, I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that the RX-8 is the only car in the world with a rotary engine—an engine actually designed to consume a small amount of oil.

Razz1

checking oil every 500 miles or every other fill up is recomened because people do not know how to maintain cars anymore. By checking this often the common lay person will soon learn their oil consumption and only check it when needed.

better to error on the safe side than be sorry.

You can't buy the car drive for 5000 miles and not check your oil like piston engines.
The rotary is a different design.

BunnyGirl

I seem to go through anywhere between 3/4 to 1-1/4 quarts between oil changes (done every 3000 miles). I also get decent gas mileage, with the exception of recently when I had a few issues that turned out to be essentially a loose spark plug and water in the fuel system. I have since taken care of both and am now getting 20.xx-range, even with the crappy "winter" gas blend they have here right now. I seem to go through more oil when it is hotter weather. I still average close to a quart per 3000 miles, though.

I don't know that there is anything wrong with your car per se, just because you aren't going through your own personal oil well. It just may be one of the ones that doesn't use a lot.

Nubo

Oil consumption will vary greatly depending on the type of driving. Although it sounds dramatic, it isn't just the difference between being a "grandma" and a racecar driver. The biggest determinant for me is whether I put on mostly highway miles, or a lot of city/commuting. Stop and go traffic uses a lot more oil *per mile*. I'll usually get around 1000-1200 miles per quart with city/heavy traffic but easily get 2500-3000 miles per quart with easy freeway cruising.

dillsrotary

i think he was making a joke to begin with NY

captain mercury

just to chime in:

i find that my rx-8 burns less oil than most on here. probably put a quart in every 2000 - 2500 miles. i dont drive like a grandma...in fact i consider my style fairly aggressive. but my mileage SUCKS!

RotoRocket

iTrader: (1)

Mine burns about 1/4 of a quart of oil every 1,200 to 1,500 miles.

And I'm not only a member of the RX-8 Zero Problem Club, I'm also the President.

Astral

From what I've read earlier, a quart every 2000 miles is about normal. At least that's what mine burns and I have no problems.

XRX8X

I use about a half of quart every 2,ooo miles or so but like it has been said before some of these get good m.p.g. and like mine do not.10-16 no matter what!37,000 and running great before and after recall was done.can't worry about what i drive because it's too much fun to worry about the little stuff!

dmc27

This sounds like the norm to me. Manual recs. checking oil every other fill up - every 500 miles for the lucky ones, lol. But from what I've seen from other posts, the majority of 8s (including mine) only need ~1/2 Q per 1500 miles. Give or take . . .

And you're saying yours needs a FULL Q at 2500, right?

Huskyfan23

Ah, now THAT makes sense. I commute about 50 miles each way to work, all highway miles. That's probably the reason why I don't burn as much oil as most people do. Still, it's good to hear that I'm not the only one driving an RX8 that gets fairly decent mileage to a quart of oi.

Huskyfan23

Yeah, pretty much. I don't even check the oil levels anymore until about 2,000 miles after my oil change. When people say the 8's "maintainence" is much more than other vehicles, I completely disagree. Add one quart every 2,500 - 3,000 miles, and that's all the maintainance my car needs.

I wonder why people make such a big deal about how hard this car is to maintain.....?

dmc27

^People say lots of things. Problem is they seldom think b4 saying . . .

Winfree

As an old lady and one who drives an even older lady, (the world oldest rotar head) - us old ladies love this car! For comfort, style, ability to be entered and exited, as well as room for wheel chairs and walkers, this car can't be beat - and since we have some sweet spots where 85 mph is legal - we enjoy a little speed - only got beat once and that was by something with a souped up V8 engine, on an uphill run and I knew the road narrowed just up ahead and I didn't want the jerk to kill himself, or some one else at the lane change.

The car has used little or no oil between the usual changes and gets better milage than expected. Except for stupid newbee stuff like setting off our own alarm by poking the wrong button on the electronic door key, and having to get a dead rat out of the air conditioner, this car has been trouble free and nothing at all like we had been made to expect concerning engine trouble. I guess you either got a great engine or a bad one! It has gone thru recall and all we did it get some free points -

So even if you drive the car like a little old lady or two little old ladies (Team Granny) this car is definately for you!

Huskyfan23

Winfree,

Good for you! My grandmother (as is the same with most people over 65) barely knows how to turn on the computer, let alone use the internet. For this feat alone, congrats!!!

And I've never seen or heard of a woman over the age of 35 race, let alone beat people off the line. You're the Alma Gates of the sports car world!