are_ex_ate

hey guys. i have an 04 rx8 with 39xxx miles on it. my electrical fan stays on EVERY time I turn off the engine no matter the ambient temp outside. it would stay on for about 5 or 10 min and shuts off. again, EVERY time i shut off the engine... anyways it started to get worse. the other day i noticed my temperature gauge would fluctuate. it doesn't go up much. only about 1 or 2 nicks. normally it would stay in the middle of the gauge, but now it goes up a couple notches and goes back down to the middle of the gauge. its nothing drastic but i still don't think its normal. any suggestions? is it thermostat or water pump or other? thanks

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

The fan staying on means that your coolant temp is over the trigger threshhold when you shut off the car, so that's working at intended. Your temp gauge moving AT ALL from where it normally sits is bad though, as it won't start moving until you have cross the critical temp stage.


As for why you are overheating, it could be anything from radiator cap failure, a coolant leak, air in the system, radiator blockage, thermostat failure, etc...

are_ex_ate

is there any way to narrow down what the culprit is? do you recommend doing anything before taking it to a mechanic? thanks

04Green

iTrader: (1)

Recommendation,

Follow the cooling stuff behind the First $100 Thread in my signature. The rest of it does not hurt as well. And, make sure there is coolant. If the gauge moves, even a little, it is hot. The list is what I did to keep mine cool in Florida, as well as fix some other things. If still doing it after that, might be something else.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

The factory coolant temp guage doesn't even move until 230F-240F. Those temps alone can be an engine killer so do not play around, get this addressed ASAP. Your car only has 39,000 miles on it but is 8 years old. If i were you I would flush the coolant, replace the water pump with the updated factory one, replace the thermostat, and replace the radiator cap. Then when that is all done do a cooling system pressure test. Make sure you properly bleed air from the system.

M A Z D A

Engine ----> Cooling system --------> Engine Coolant Replacement.

are_ex_ate

damn.. more money. i just dropped 500 bucks for springs/shocks, and now this happens. thanks for the tips guys.

^9k since im at it, i was thinking about the REmedy t-stat from mazmart. water pump is too expensive so im gonna go oem with that. but what is this updated factory one you're referring to? should i order through the dealership and get ripped off or is there one online? partsgeek.com has like 4 brands. is it the Gates pump with gasket?

Mazda RX8 Water Pump - Water Pumps - Gates GMB A1 Cardone Beck Arnley - 2004 2005 04 05 - PartsGeek.com

thanks and sorry for asking all these questions.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

It's far cheaper than paying for a rebuild Honestly I have the Mazmart water pump and thermostat and I saw no difference really so if you are short on money, don't bother. The water pumps for the S1 had a change on the impeller, all remans are shipped with this new part #. I'm not sure if the aftermarket pumps have a different impeller design or not.

are_ex_ate

haha i don't even want to think about the rebuild fee.

thanks for the heads up on the mazmart pump and thermostat. i guess i'm off to the dealer parts department then and go oem.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

That's just my opinion, many love that water pump and thermostat like it was their own child Same goes for the AFE SS, I just don't get the hype.

But if you want to save money just go through RockAuto Auto Parts

are_ex_ate

just an update. it was the thermostat that went bad. just put in a new oem one and it works great now.

thanks for the help guys