Okay , so ... My car that has 37,000 km on it (around 24,000miles) started taking longer to startup , just a bit longer than it used to , and when driving I noticed that if I press the pedal to between 60% and 70% the engine sound gets a bit ... Weird ? Kinda deeper tone , I have a new BHR ignition system so coils are out since it has 10,000 km on it , I premix with motul 710 , I thought it might have caused since I kinda went a bit over the ratio I normally use on one of the tanks I use 1:100 (1liter / 100 liters) I'm currently going for 1:150 , could it be a the cat ? And does the flywheel or belts have anything to do with it by any chance ?
Please help me out here im starting to worry it might be a compression issue , and btw , like once every 8 or 10 starts up it starts fast as if nothing is there , any info would be appreciated , Thanks in advanced

 

You mean I should get a modified one ?
I'm thinking it may be the wires on the BHR ignition system , they're MSI , so "MAYBE" they reached the end of their life

 

the 04s came with slow starters that cause starting issues because they don't turn the engine quickly enough. Search "Upgraded Starter" on the site and see which one you have

 

Mine is the latest months of 2008
To be precise the starting process isn't really taking long but I can tell there's a noticeable differnce , there is some struggle somewhere , I'm suspecting wither the battery or the MSD wires , they do have a life span don't they ?
I think I did somewhere around 10-15,000 km on them

 

Yeah they do wear out, or "have a lifespan" as you put it. Why don't you post a video of you starting the engine so myself and anyone else can see if something isn't normal. Longer starting times can be caused by so many things it's scary. The video would help narrow it down by letting us know if it's cranking slowly or cranking more than normal...

Is your check engine light on? Does it run normally apart from the slow starts? It could be caused by a slow starter or failing ignition components.

 

Starter, battery, or fuel pump. Search, it's the most covered topic on this site.

 

I'm currently out of the country , will be back on the 21rst , ill make sure to post a video I hope it's not the starter the modified one is too expensive , I'm guessing the BHR system won't fail too early

 

i had the battery checked 2 days ago , battery is kinda goin bad , 8 volts while starting , and i think it was 10 or 11 on idle , i think this means time for a new battery ?
you'd think Bosch would last , been a year n thats my second one =(

why would a car eat up batteries like that anyways

 

Your alternator could be overcharging and burning them up

 

i really hope not , not the right timing =(

ill have it checked asap , i heard theyre expensive , especially those modified ones , btw if you go above 9000 RPM would it damage the Alternator pumps etc ?
(my car is still on the factory limit , i never rev higher , but im planning to go up to 10,000)

 

That rev limit is there for a reason. the possible damage that could occur isn't worth the extra 500 rpm. The early 4 speed auto's had a lower rev limit (9000) than the manuals (9500) to keep from damaging the transmission. I'm not sure if the 6speed autos had the same 9k limit or not, but regardless, it's not a good idea. The manuals have that 9500 rev limit to keep from blowing the engine up. It's not worth it man

 

i was actually doing a couple of researches last night , n i agree , i had so many parts just waiting for a click , but im not so sure atm , my car has somwhere around 23,000 miles on it , i really dont wanna go through 10k rom and final drives etc

 

sorry for delay , i just came back 2 days ago , and i recorded this as soon as i woke up the next day , the car was kinda warm at the time (if it makes any difference) i know some of you might say that its not bad but my car used to start faster than this , noticeably faster , and it felt like the car had more cranking power if it makes any sense ? i think my battery is okay , im not sure , so here is the vid

RX8 Startup - Battery Check - YouTube

 

It is a 2004 manual transmission. It has about 165000 miles on it, and the oil is changed regularly.

within the past year I have replaced: plugs, wires, coils, battery, alternator, air filter, cat, both 02 sensors, and clutch. I have cleaned the ESS sensor. I tried to start it the other day and and it would not start, first really cold morning of the season. I went through the deflooding process and from the rear cylinder it blew out a lot of gas, put some oil in and re-installed the plugs but it is still doing the same thing.

When I turn the key I hear it trying but the tach does not, nor does the oil pressure needle, move like normal and it doesn't seem like it is getting fire to me. The car is currently sitting with 1/2 tank of gas.

 

Compression test time. You got all the other common points, unless one of those has failed again recently.

 

I agree with RIWWP , I think getting youre engine compression tested is a very good idea , hopefully it's not your engine

 

I know this might be a stupid suggestion which is based on absolutely nothing but if your compression is fine try resetting your car's ECU , I don't know the steps for the rx8 but I'm sure you can find it somewhere on the forum , it might sound useless and irrelevant but if your engine is fine and you've replaced all those parts it's worth a shot

 

I have reset the ECU...
the Mazda dealer told me $150 for the compression test and should it be the motor bad it would be just over $8K to have a re-manufactured engine installed. does this sound right?

 

The cost for the compression test is normal, $90 is the lowest I've seen, $250 the highest. $120-$180 is typical, so you are right in the middle on that.

The price for the engine is not. The list price for that engine is $3,300, so the dealer is basically trying to charge you $4,700 in labor and markup. You can do FAR FAR FAR better. Depending on where you are, a rebuild from a reputable rebuilder will be well under half your dealer's quote, assuming you remove and reinstall the engine yourself. Most reputable corner shops will be able to install a replacement engine for about $1,000 in labor.

 

I thought it seemed high. I am on the border of Ohio and West Virginia and i have not been able too find any re-builders close, closest is Tennessee.

And would a misfire before this happening be sign of impending doom? For the month previous I got the flashing CEL three times and i hadn't replaced the coils so i thought that was my starting issue and replaced them to no avail.

are there any shops in the PA/NY area you'd suggest?

 

There is a huge list of possible causes for misfires. One of which is compression failure. You have already got nearly all of them covered. Compression failure, a vacuum leak, a dirty MAF, or a clogged cat are the only ones left, and of those 4, only compression failure will cause starting problems.

Yes, Rotary Resurrection is probably your closest bet on a rebuild, but he is also one of the cheapest. He would even do the engine removal/reinstallation for you (for a fee), so if you limp it down to him it could even be a turn-key replacement. I'd recommend giving him a call and discussing your options.

 

$8k ??????????????????
i dont know how much is a compression test since im not in the US , but thats just crazy for an engine , you're better off getting a pettit racing engine and its way much better than stock Pettit Engines | Pettit Racing i dont know where you are or how far etc but if they're close to you think about it , on the other hand i dont think it should cost you more than $2k to rebuild it