Mindtrip

My 8 has around 2,800 miles on it and the last 2 days i have gotten in the car when going to classes the oil light has come on, but after like 20 sec's turns off. Is this another common problem like the TPS and DSC?

cgrx

What year is your car ?
READ - http://www.finishlineperformance.com.../01_027_03.htm

Check and add oil immediately if that doesn't apply

Mindtrip

Well I think I figured out the problem....My oil is low as ****!

Anyone have good suggestion on what oil to use to fill it up?

SharkDiver

castrol 5/w20..NO Synthedic oil ever ever ever..
check your oil every other time you fill your tank.

Go48

You also might want to read the friggin manual!!! Had you done that, you wouldn't have put your engine in jeopardy. I hope you didn't drive it too long before adding the oil. Manual says stop immediately and check the oil when the low oil light comes on.

cgrx

WERD


I'd walk to the auto store

NomisR

Surprised the sales person didn't go over this with you already. Mine did even though he already knew I know about it, he still did anyways. Also, always keep a bottle of oil in your car, never know when you'll need it.

Mindtrip

Ok I went to buy some oil today and all they had was 5/30w. I had no other choice because i needed my car so i went ahead and got it. I know with my WRX this wouldnt be a problem but is this ok with having rotary?

Go48

The brief answer is no. However, most major auto parts stores carry name brands (Castrol and Pennzoil, for example) of 5w20 oil and you're better off going with the Mazda recommendations IMO. Try Advance Auto, Pep Boys, Auto Zone and the like next time.

mzdoggmann

What's the best motor oil out there in your opinion, anybody, that's optimal for this (Renesis rotary) engine...
Since should expect to fill in a lot of oil over the engine's life, including routine oil changes, and given the nature of this engine, probably think choose and stick w/ one brand and type.
Castol 5W20 for high performance engines seem to be the common brand mentioned in these threads..
Everyone agree, or suggest any other for regular use??

Mindtrip

Thanks Go48. Ill probably get the right oil put in when i take it for a full oil change.

Go48

Unfortunately, you will not find one single correct answer to your question on this forum. Everyone has an opinion on this very controversial subject, especially with respect to the use of dino vs. synthetics. There are hundreds of posts in this forum dealing with this very topic and you should read some of them and draw your own conclusions.

Mazda says that they don't recommend the use of synthetics because they have not done long-term testing on the effects of them on the Renesis. That doesn't mean that there is something wrong with using synthetics, rather it means that Mazda does not have a handle on the use of them in this engine. (Although I find it hard to believe that Mazda has not done research on the use of synthetics in rotary engines in general over the life of the rotary.)

Like I said, do a search on oil, read the postings and make up your own mind. I use either Castrol or Pennzoil 5W20 because I don't see the cost-benefit of using a synthetic. Besides, I expect to put about 6K miles/year on the car and I change the oil regularly--not more than every 3K miles.

army_rx8

i've used sysnthetic oil in my 8 for the last 31,000 miles...no issues here..if anythign she runs better than most...royal purple all the way. by the way teh manuel (at leat mine) doesn't say anythign about not using synthetic oil in the 8...it just list the recomended oil which is w20 and API approved sae 30...or whatever it is (i forget)..as long as teh oil you get meets these standards it won't cause a problem. just my .02 take it for what you want. haha and for god's sake don't let your car get so low on oil the low oil light comes on. fastest way tomess up your car is to let her run out of oil/really low on oil. hehe shame on you...now go to your room:p

Go48

See the highlighted paragraph in the attached brochure.

mzdoggmann

Thanks for the info!!! I was planning on using Casto 5W 20 for high performance engines. anyone else use this regularly on theirs??

SharkDiver

You should never use synthetic oil,the 8 burns oil when it runs. You must not of read that much on the oil in this forum because everyone here knows that.From what I read here Castrol is the most common used oil and you can find it most anywhere.
FYI=keep a quart in your trunk and check your oil at every other fillup.
Shark

Go48

You're welcome. I currently have Castrol 5W20 in the car but plan on changing to Pennzoil 5W20 for the next oil change. With the Castrol, I think I detect a faint odor of gasoline in the oil, so I want to try the Pennzoils to see if what I'm smelling is actually gasoline or just the odor of the Castrol after being subjected to the heat of the engine. Of course, it is apparently not uncommon to have a bit of gasoline in the oil, but I want to do the test anyway.

SharkDiver

My dip stick smells like gas all the time and there is allways so much of that foam crap on it its hard to check the oil level,But I guess this is normal for some reeason.
shark

mzdoggmann

Roger that... reading from the Manuals and other threads, the oil pressure gauge on the dashboard is apparently an idiot gauge...
Dipstick reading is the only real way to check levels.. says it's 1.8 QTS from the L (low) to F (full) lines. So seems like most people are averaging adding 1 QT in between 3,000 mile oil changes.

robertdot

1) I've been using 5w30 since I got the car over a year ago. No problems here.
2) People have been using synthetic oil with no ill effects for YEARS. For warranty purposes (aka just in case purposes), stick to mineral oil. After your warranty, run synth if you want. If it was going to hurt anything, it already would have.

SharkDiver is right that it does BURN oil but there is absolutely no consensus in this forum on whether or not one ought to use synthetic.

MI_FamilyMan

Don't worry so much about what brand oil you are putting in there. Just make sure you check the levels regularly and that you follow manufacturer recommendations for your vehicle!!! It is just a minor inconvenience, but will pay off tenfold... take care of your 8!