I'm guessing that all at 8's have the same issues in this kind of heat and that most owners are blissfully unaware there is even a problem . So I'll stick with the 'mod it and to hell with Mazda' theme .
Just accept that maybe Mazda didn't get it right and to try and resolve it through them is a waste of your time and energy .

 

I look at it also as to the future of the RX-8. If my "little" issue can help Mazda to improve the cars for future buyers then what I am doing is worth it. I'm sorry I'm not going to stand here and say, "Oh Well." Sorry.
Issues with Mazda's vehicles should be addressed or they will just end up failing. They need to be resolved, not shoved to the side. And I don't want that to happen.
I love my Mazda RX-8. Even if it has problems, but i am not going to kick it to the curb because something is wrong with it. HELL NO!
Like I said if what I am bringing to Mazda's attention can better the car then I am all for it.
I will sacrifice for the betterment of the future Rotary owners.


I'll get down off my soap box now.
Thank you.

 

Fair enough if that's your reasoning .
I'm not that noble .

 

Hey Easy,

Just a long shot, but has anyone at Mazda checked the integrity of your wiring harness and ECU? Could you have a faulty sensor? Seems like they've tested or replaced nearly all of the mechanical things. How about electrical? Maybe it's YOU. Have you tried just driving someone else's 8 to see if it overheats when you're behind the wheel

 

Nothing drastic just issues - Just need the two brains in the group. As usual I went farther than the current technology was ready for and am now suffering for my impatience. Overheating is just one of my problems that up until I did other mods I thought I had solved..........wrong.

 

Hopefully I can add something to this thread.

I'm from Houston and I experience this too. It's been in the 90's with HIGH humidity.

I don't have an accurate way of measuring temperatures, but in traffic jams my car goes crazy. I can mostly tell from the erratic idle and lack of power. Once the problem kicks in nothing seems to fix it.

When I autocross it doesn't seem to act up though.

My guess is light acceleration at low speeds for long periods of time just kills the car with heat.

Edit: one particular area of Houston I find myself in often is 30 minutes of gridlock. I mean barely getting enough speed to completely let off the clutch. Even when it was 70 degrees with high humidity the car was suffering and I could tell. I would like to see this problem fixed myself, after heat kills this one I wouldn't mind making sure the next doesn't die an early death!

 

Thanks HeavyMetal699, this is what I need from you people out there. I need information from anybody that is overheating. Please PM me with all the details you can think of. It will benefit everybody in the long run.

Ask every body you know with an RX-8 if they are having overheating issues. Let me know PLEASE!

 

Also, anyone chiming in should note if their temp gauge moves from its "normal" position of just slightly under the middle.
The OE gauge will begin to move up at 231°F.

 

My fans never came on until MM tuned it.

 

Well, that's because I turn them on 25° sooner!

 

I just came back from a car show so I was able to "Drive" the car .

Ambient Temp: 102
No Sun
max temp seen on AP :
While moving: 195
While stopped: 201
Avg speed: 44.3
Rpm & gear 4k to 6k in 2nd
Distance 12.7 Miles
Time in boost: Very little, no more than 100g/s

Coolant mix: 70/30 h2O/anti

I have the BHR AT Rad and I have seen very close temps that Easy posted.
Those temps were max 235 and min 201
1. During the day
2. In stop and go traffic NO AC

I know it's not an Apples to Apples comparison but it's the closest i can get.

 

^ Thanks Dave.

 

Im seeing the ridicuous temp as well. Now its kinda *usual* to see 225 degrees when its NOT even hot outside, like what 75-80 degrees ? about 50-80% Humidity.

The only way to keep it cooler is to go cruise at around 60 mph for at least 1 minute. It will slowly go down to around *around 203-199, but then if I stay at cruise, the temp for some reason will go back to around 210, depends on the throttle level I give it.

I have a question, for those who are *overheating*, Do you guys ALL have the MSP16 flash installed ?

Cuz it seems like it has something to do with this flash. Even when the FAN ON temp has been lowered.

 

Both Easy and 09Factor are AccessPORT, though Easy had the overheating before the AP as well.
Nycgaps - it sounds like you've lost a fan (or even both).

 

MM - Both of them still work tho -_- , I already checked them. fuse never burn out, and the fans did turn itself on at around 97 and 101 Celsius.

I dont know, Im kinda out of ideas -_-, let me just check them one more time today ... I might have missed something last time.

Could it be that the motors are slowly dying and not spinning *as fast* as its suppose to be ? Maybe I need to buy a voltmeter so I can test them? hmm

 

nycgps,

How many miles do you have logged on your 8? Is this the original motor? Hotter than normal operating temps (with everything else working properly) are symptomatic of a coolant seal that's starting to leak. Might want to do a pressure test on the motor to see if it's still within spec.

 

RCCAZ_1

If thats the case, that would be GAY.

my motor has 42K miles, and yes it is the original motor.

Lemme go Autozone and loan that coolant system pressure test tool back. or maybe I should go straight to Wayne and pay for the compression test.
-
Im going to recheck the fans first ... this is getting ugly -_-

 

partial throttle+ high rpms(6K) will absolutely run the temps up.
But yall's issue is much more than that. Mazda needs to step up. I think it is the a/c condenser placement---(it needs to be further away from the radiator) , the blockage behind the radiator and the angle the radiator is placed (10degree more to vertical can make a big difference)
I dont think mazmarts pump is going to make a big difference in low speed cooling---higher speeds it will for sure .
it is puzzling. i am boosted---regularly see 90-98F ambients. i am not in stop and go for a long period of time --maybe 10 minutes at the most---and i never see coolant temps over 200. usually between 180 and 190 with oil temps the same. If a 8 degree ambient increase makes this much difference then we are all riding the edge.
olddragger

 

Let's wait to see what other's say before you rent a tester from Autozone I was just offering up my .02. Hotter than normal operating temps can be symptomatic of a failing coolant seal, but it could also be other things like an improperly operating thermostat.

 

nycgps, you know about my overheating woes and it turned out to be a jammed fan.. have you physically tried spinning both fan blades and seeing if they spin freely?

 

Luckily the only time I hit traffic jams nowadays is when I get off work or head to the gym.

I literally roll the windows down and put it on full heat in the floor board with it turned to outside air. It seems to help out alot.

It's a lot cooler (temperature wise)in Houston than Phoenix and we have swamp like humidity.

Oddly enough I've talked to several of the RX-8 guys in Houston and none of them experience the same problems. I'm not sure if its because they do not get stuck in grid lock traffic like I do or if they simply don't notice it.

I've never noticed my temperature gauge moving but I never really looked, I thought it was merely a dummy gauge.

 

Of course I do ~~~ lol !

Last week I took the battery box out and I spin the fan underneath with my hand, it spins ok with no hiccups.

Forgot to try the other fan tho ... maybe I should, I mean the fan does turn on but but but .... its still ...

I was just out for about an hour of driving and when Im back home ...



*sigh* ... Its 76 degrees outside ...

If I bring it to Wayne ... I wonder if they are willing to trouble shoot my issue cuz I have Koyo Radiator, Silicone hose installed ...

 

There is your problem right there.

I got so fed up with the thing overheating despite my Koyo and HUGE fans that I tore the whole thing out and went back to stock.
That lowered my running temps about 20° and made it much harder to overheat.

 

I've read a lot about that *Koyo* is actually worst than stock. -_-

but I never knew that the FAN ON temp can have such a HUGE impact on water temperature (Racing Beat's 87 Celsius vs Stock's 97 Celsius)

I have another solution on the way ... its time to say bye bye to Koyo (Ebay da Old Koyo for 50 bux maybe, LOL!)

Hopefully I will get it by next week.

 

So the guage stays on one spot from about 180 through till 231 - wow that's a big range for "normal".
Makes me wonder if 231 is actually OK as a running temp ....

Interesting to note that at 239F Easy's guage has moved quite a bit - perhaps another 10 deg F and it would be in the red ....