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Coupes & Convertibles Mazda RX-8 Mazda RX-8 Problems and Solutions 
1414 messages, Last post on Oct 18, 2006 at 9:17 AM
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Replying to: moadh (Aug 11, 2006 8:55 pm) To start the car, fully charge the battery. Hold the accel. pedal to the floor and crank the engine in 20 sec. bursts, with about a minute between to let the starter cool down. Keep the pedal to the floor during all of this - this keeps the PCM (computer) from injecting any more fuel. This can take 5 min. or more of work. When the engine fires release the pedal fully and let it start. Once it starts you may have to use the pedal to keep it running, as one or more plugs will probably be fouled (unless you fixed that first). Once it starts to warm up the plugs should clear. To clear a really badly flooded rotary, first pull one plug on each rotor and squirt a shot of oil in there (just a cc or so), and turn over the engine (pedal to the floor). Then replace the plugs and proceed as above. This improves the apex sealing and allows the engine to push out the excess fuel. Note that when it starts the oil will create a large cloud of smoke so don't panic. |
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Thanks a lot pathstar, uve been a great help!
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Replying to: moadh (Aug 12, 2006 7:54 pm) |
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| pathstar, my husband wants to put a twin turbo on our 2004 RX-8 six speed manual. do you see any cons or future probmatic conserns that could happen with doing this? I have heard that it really uses up a lot of gas...is it very loud to do this? is it worth the effort/cost? | |
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Replying to: nannerhut (Aug 13, 2006 12:31 pm) 1) On cold starts, the popcorn/rattle will start instantly if I put the transmission into reverse gear immediately. If I wait a minute or two before putting her in gear and for the high pitched fan noise (automatic choke mode?) to stop, the popcorn/rattle will not start until a mile down the road. 2) If I drive will the RPMs religiously held around the 3000 level, the popcorn/rattle is minimized. when I get stuck in stop and go traffic, Huntington Ave in Boston at 5:00pm, the popcorn/rattle is much more noticeable.
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Replying to: trispec (Aug 16, 2006 2:59 am) 3) If I'm driving in first gear at a constant speed at a high rev 5000, there is no popcorn/rattle, but the moment I shift to second, without letting off the gas, I'll here the popcorn/rattle for a few seconds. It's almost like there's too much gas flowing through the system and it takes a few seconds for the computer to balance things. Now if I attempt to smooth the shift shock (love that nissan add  ) by letting off the gas on the shift to second, there is little to no popcorn/rattle.
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Replying to: trispec (Aug 16, 2006 5:06 am) |
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Replying to: nannerhut (Aug 13, 2006 12:31 pm) Here's why: 1. The renesis engine in the car is a "high compression" engine. It's very difficult to get a turbo charged rotary to last when the engine is low to medium compression - it's going to be trouble with a high compression engine. So to do it properly, you'd have to lower the compression ratio (machining of the rotors - i.e. rebuild the engine for turbo use). 2. Adding turbos will presumably add a lot of HP and torque. That's why you do it. The stock transmission and differential will not hold the added torque - they can barely stand the stock power. So you will have to deal with that - different transmission and diff. 3. You will have to add a different engine computer to control the air/fuel ratio, such as a "Motec". The stock PCM just isn't designed for boost. You will have to leave the stock PCM connected to the car if you want the stock instruments, antilock brakes, and DSC to work. 4. The stock cooling system will not handle the extra heat - you will have to change the front of the car to add more airflow and will need a larger radiator. Based on experience with the 3rd gen RX-7 engine "upgrades", I suspect you will end up spending between $20,000 and $30,000 by the time you're done getting it reliable. It would take probably 2-3 years of "tinkering". Don't even think about using the car for "general use" during this time! It'll be down most of the time. Oh, and you'd better have a very good "tuner" lined up to help! Sell the RX-8 and buy a car with equivalent power to what you will end up with and it will cost less. A BMW 3 series, or Lexus IS350 come to mind. Both are heavier and don't handle as well, but that's what comes with that level of power with reliability. Or wait and see if Mazda bring back the RX-7 - if they do it would likely have the power and handling you appear to want.
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Replying to: pathstar1 (Aug 16, 2006 7:28 am) Why not just buy a second car, a 3rd gen RX-7 Twin Turbo. You can get a nice one for maybe $15,000, and it'll go as fast as you'll ever need for 1/2 the price of your modifications to an RX8. Worse yet, that RX8, once modified, will never be worth any more than a stock car, while the older RX-7 TT will hold its value. |
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Replying to: pathstar1 (Aug 16, 2006 7:28 am) Still to much for me, and I'd never take any of the risks Pathstar talks about. But having the bragging rights to even the possibility of creating a monster road burner out of my tame RX-8 is worth something to me. I'll post the visit to their shop here. Hopefully there will be pictures.
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