Here are the cliff notes and back story.....I bought my 8 in july. It's a 2004 velocity red mica 'GT' with the two tone black/red interior. It had just over 37K miles however when the previous owner traded it in (to a non Mazda dealer), someone apparently made the decision to put the new engine in that Mazda was recalling. The local Mazda dealer put that new 2011 engine in. When the engine was in and it was ready, I went to look at her for the very first time in person. I fell in love instantly! When I bought it, this new engine had less than 5 miles on it. About a week and a half later my oil light came on. It would flash on and off periodically while driving. We had already done the research on it and knew that the 8 uses a lot of oil and all that. My fiancé checked it. It wasn't low. Over the next few months the light still would intermittently come on and off. We did our regular checks & added oil when it was needed. I got the first oil change at the end of December. We noted the milky junk that is very common I learned. Got in the car afterwards and the light was on like it usually does...even after the change. The last 2 weeks, the oil light has been staying on without going off, even after the car is warmed up or has been 'opened up' on the interstate to get her blood running. Oil has been checked and the level is fine. Anyone have a similar issue? I'm currently at the local Mazda dealer having them check it out to see why the light is staying on. I've googled it but not really found much. Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

 

Well, you new 2011 engine is not a 2011 engine first off. It's a reman, but let's get by that one.....that's just and FYI.

Also not sure why you would ever drive away in the first place knowing the engine oil light wasn't operating correctly, but let's get by that one as well. Could have been an original issue when they put the reman enginesure sounds like it!


Anyway, I will do some quick searches and see what I come up with........I know I have heard of it before and it could just be the sensor in the oil pan, but check back in a few moments.

 

Is the connector on the oilpan clipped in all the way?

 

^......good point....it could just be dirty connections.

Also, There was a problem with the oil pan in early RX-8s that caused the oil level light to come on at inappropriate times. Have them look up the TSB and see if your car is in that range. See attached. I'm sure it probably not, but may lead them down the right path?


Are you 100% sure you have not been overfilling it? This can actually cause it as well.
I'm assuming you all know the correct way to check the oil????? Warm but on a level surface and after 5 minutes of being turned off so it all drains back in the pan?

 

It's apparent that the sensor has failed and that is the reason. The oil pan has to be removed to replace it.

I have never heard of it coming on for an excess fill level. When I first started racing the RX8 many years ago I ran 1 qt over the max level and it never came on. It also never sucked oil in the intake relative to the comment in the hose thread.

 

First off...I didn't drive away with the engine light on...I'm not an idiot.
The light came on a week and a half later after I had already bought it, like I had originally stated. Second, I was told it was new not reman, just stated what I was told. I will look into this just to know for future reference, but that's beside the point. Thanks for your help

 

The final result was the 'oil sensor connector was broken'. The mechanic replaced it stating it likely happened when the engine was replaced and thus didn't charge me anything. Win! Merry Christmas to me! I just wanted to get some ideas so I knew what to possibly expect. I'm not very trusting of mechanics in general given I'm a younger female & I have had a few instances with mechanics trying to pull one over on me on my other car prior to my RX-8

 

Yes, we are aware how to check the oil and no it hasn't been overfilled. We don't fill all the way to the fill line, always slightly under just in case.

 

my oil light comes on during crusing speeds on the freeway, and it goes away after i restart the car. I'm pretty sure its a bad oil pan/sensor, my rx8 was made in 11/03. I always make sure theres enough oil in the engine and 2stroke container. Also I have gauges to help me monitor my oil. I'm waiting on my engine warranty to expire before I buy an oil pan (bought in 2/05 by first owner), the remans should come with the updated pan i'm assuming. Til then I just put a sticker on that oil light .

I've had oil drip down the intake with my stock oem filter after doing some autocrossing, and alot of the oil got stuck on the acordian pipe and turn to sludge. Ever since then I put an oil catch can and it does catch oil, only when I track my car, but daily driving theres barely any oil. Theres a kit you can buy from mazda that reroutes some vaccum hoses and a new pcv, but it cost $300... lol I'm happy with my DIY catch

 

Yep, most likely the sensor.
We know your thoughts on the rest of the subject matter, however I have seen the blow back into the intake firsthand(although not my car). In terms of overfill, it may be more of a case of people filling too fast or being sloppy and it running down that tube? Not really sure.
I too find it hard to believe it would come on due to overfill, but I have read cases where it appears to have been just that. I will admit that I wasn't there to see this firsthand however. I can come up with no real concrete explaination as to why or how this would happen.