New Owner here

[4bit]

Hiya folks,

Just got a 42k miles 2006 Black RX-8, fixed a couple of issues with it in order to get it to pass the MOT and looking to get more info on these cars as well as getting some advice on mechanics et cetera. The first things I need to address would be changing the rear bumper and the car stereo, adding some audio insulation and an amplifier.

I just love the sound and the way it feels on the road so far. I think for its age I got lucky with a rather low mileage model with at least 20k miles more to go before an engine rebuild.

Looking forward to being part of this forum.
4bit

[Ollie]

Welcome! Did you get a compression test before buying it? The engine could go a lot further than 20k. The myth of "rebuild every X miles" is well, a myth. You could do with completing your profile for location etc incase you require help in the future!

[New Duke]

When you can be sure to join us as a meet or track day

[acegeezer]

Rebuild time is b*****.. some cars are 100k plus.. there is no "time" for a rebuild .. definitely not mileage related

I just sold my R3 that I purchased with lower than expected compression figures, just 15k on the clock 6 years ago.. when sold it was high 6's and lower 7's with 70k mileage.
You really need to get a compression test as soon as, in fact you ought to have done it before parting with any money .. I hope you read this beforehand too.. app.php/buyers-guide

Please fill out your profile properly too with your location, so we know where you are if help needed.. it will then appear in the LHS column every time you post, like the rest of us

[Paul_13]

Welcome.

Post up some pics or start a build thread

[Shagrington]

Hi and 4bit. As said above, did you (or the seller) get a compression test done? If not and it was a private sale then getting one done now will just give you an idea of the health of the engine and whether you have nothing to worry about on that front or should you start to save up for a rebuild (some might say to start saving up regardless ).
Most important thing with the mileage your car has is to make sure the ignition system is in good order. The original coils were only good for 25-30k miles, so evidence they have been changed recently and replaced with new coils from a known source (ie Mazda Rotary Parts or one of the specialists listed in the FAQ section) would be ideal - cheap coils from eBay or anywhere else are very likely to be suspect and may even do more harm than good. Here is more info on that viewtopic.php?f=25&t=36282

Have a good read through whatever else in the FAQ section you didn't already read and then (and just ignore me if you know all this already) here are my best tips for keeping it all running sweetly:

1. To start up turn the key to position 2, wait for most of the lights on the dash to go out (I watch the airbag light by the glove box), press the clutch to the floor (optional, but reduces drag), turn the key to start and do not touch the throttle until it has started. You can drive off straight away, just keep the revs down for a bit (see #4 below).

2. Never turn off the engine before it has reached at least somewhere towards normal operating temperature (should only take a minute or two, but best to go for a short drive if just swapping cars round on the drive etc). Switching off cold risks flooding, which is a real with a rotary engine. Mazda recommend rev to 4k and hold it for 8-10 seconds switching off while still revving if you have no option but to switch off cold (it is not necessary to do this in any other circumstance).

3. Check the oil level regularly (use the dipstick - the oil gauge tells you nothing other than that you have or don't have pressure) and top up if necessary with semi synthetic 5w30 (most people and specialists are advising to use 10w40 now though) ... small amounts at a time, no more than ½ a litre then check the level again before adding more as you don't want to overfill it.

4. Use all the revs once the engine is nice and warm (don't sit idling to warm up, start up and drive but keep it below about 4k until the needle on the water temperature gauge is pointing straight up, then give it another 10 minutes for the oil to warm up too before really thrashing it ) and hit the beep often. Best acceleration is from 4k revs up - to pull away you really need to rev to 2k - you can let the revs drop after lifting the clutch if you are in traffic, cruising steadily at 3½k revs and changing down to go up hills or accelerate gets you the best mpg ... which still won't be great.

5. Join the club for discounts on all sorts of things (you will very quickly get the cost of membership back - and then some), loads more info in the members only sections (including access to all the workshop and technical manuals), local meets (if you can't find one exactly local it is a good excuse for a drive if you come to one a bit further away), a sexy keyring just for joining and more.

[4bit]

Thank you very much for all the info, everyone! I did read about some of the points mentioned but not all of them and it's always good to be remembered about these things. A membership is definitely in the cards next week.

I tried getting a compression test done however none of the garages in the area could do it and I was under a bit of a time constraint. I'll look into that and the coil situation and as I live about 30m away from them I was thinking of using Essex Rotary to do an initial check and maybe a bit of work on the car. I found a nice bumper that I'll probably have installed on Monday as long as I find a replacement buzzer for the parking sensors that should be pretty standard.

I had a question regarding the colour of the rear bumper - are there 2 shades of black for the 2006 model I have?

I haven't really had a look on the forum yet for reviews of mechanics in my area (mea culpa) but that'll happen once I fly back. Right now the car is resting in a garage by the airport.

I'm on a phone right now so I don't really see a way to upload pics but they are coming soon.

[Nickp47]

Your car will be Brilliant Black, there was also Sparkling Black available then but it was exclusive to Kuro models.

[4bit]

Brilliant Black - understood, thanks. The bumper I was supposed to get was sold meanwhile, sadly

[acegeezer]

The R3 was Sparkling Black

[GreySilver Beast]

Hi & to the RX-8OC

<<<<<< Please put your Location in your Profile Box, it will help us to know where you are, if required any help in the future

Please check out the EVENTS SECTION's for anything coming up soon in your area

Events Team

[Honkytonk]

Welcome! Having Essex rotary so close is great. Lots of people struggle with not having specialists nearby so you're off to a good start with them!

Once you've had a checkover of the ignition, compression etc., and presuming it hasn't already been affected, it'd be worth getting ahead of the rust and getting it undersealed asap. That's starting to become a bigger killer of 8's than engines now.

And Brilliant black is the best colour

[Shagrington]

Essex Rotary is about 20 miles from me and it means dealing with the traffic associated with going through the Dartford Tunnel to get there but is always worth the effort.

[4bit]

Thanks for the positive replies, I'll book an appointment with them.

[Later edit] ok so I've had the rear bumper, spark plugs, coils and leads changed and started adding pre-mix before refueling. Still haven't managed to get a full service scheduled yet. Hopefully next week.