Mazda RX8 Diary

Diary Introduction

Welcome to my newer vehicle the MAZDA RX8 evolve, with a vehicle shape and glitter you may consider as a 'marmite' variety' - You either love it or you hate it! I love it! This diary will (pardon the pun), evolve from day to day and month to month depending on the maintenance needs of this small thoroughbred sports car. (See history for engine specifications and gallery for interior and exterior views).

Purchase date: 13th December 2015 - Location: Trader - Tamworth, Staffordshire, UK.

As I was without a car, I was looking through the ads of Auto trader, Gum tree and eBay looking for a run-a-round, really trying to find an indestructible, no maintenance and everlasting vehicle that was pretty and mint showroom condition with looks to kill, with an excellent paint job to-boot!

I did see a little car that I couldn’t take my mind off and I looked at some reviews and even a featured Top Gear report suggesting the Mazda RX8 was a good and unusual car. Many were advertised for Manchester, Liverpool, Ireland, London, these distances from the West Midlands was out of the question as finance was low. (The Government and public transport services has made sure of that, the cost of collecting one was running close to the purchase prices of these vehicles, ridiculous and perhaps a little exaggerated, but you get my drift!)

By taking my time, over many days I saw a trader's ad for Tamworth and thought it might be worth going over to see the vehicle, a blue 1300 RX8 and the ad also suggested the trader had a number of RX8's he was willing to sell, so I decided to contact him, he was very helpful, (as most traders are initially), I proceeded to explain my predicament of having to use public transport and my visit would be late afternoon. He suggested I contacted him and he would meet me at the railway station, (What a courteous man) I agreed and immediately started out as there was a need to bus it to the bank, bus it into Birmingham, catch a train from Birmingham to Tamworth, over all costing around £20 (a lot in my book, to see a car I may not buy. And what is it with return tickets? Outward ticket say, £8.50 and for a return an extra £0.10, you are stuffed for the full price of a return ticket if you don't ask when purchasing a ticket, not very customer friendly, it was fortunate that I did ask or my travel costs would have been much higher and fortunately I didn't need it, it is always best to stay on the side of caution though. ....).

Once I had arrived in Tamworth it was around 3:00 pm (Started out around 11: 30am, don't forget I was having to walk in-between stops and there were some distances having to be covered). Now I was in Tamworth I proceeded to get out both my mobile phones to contact the trader, yes the batteries were both flat, no problem, telephone kiosk, searched for the trader's number, found it on note paper and for some strange reason it was incomplete. I had a choice. Go and find a newsagents selling Auto trader or contact my brother in Norfolk to check on the internet. I chose the latter and eventually after spending near a fiver on the kiosk call, managed to contact the trader.

After waiting a good half hour he arrived and pulled up in a copper red RX8 evolve, a beautiful looking motor, heater and radio working, headlights also working as the light was starting to go. After about ten to fifteen minutes’ drive, (seemed like an hour) we rolled up outside a gated house, it seemed; and I later found out it was an old converted barn, originally designed to store a large truck, that is no more.

On the stone drive it was RX8 heaven. Different colours blue, black silver-grey, red and fair few cars of different ages, I was allowed to view them on my own for a few minutes and listened to a silver-grey start-up just before the traders quick departure, hopping on one foot then the other for some strange reason we can guess. The exhaust sounded like a sports car with a straight through pipe, a dream. On very close inspection, bearing in mind the light was failing, I felt under the sills, and was a little disappointed as bits of it fell away in my hands, glancing all around there were blemishes and rust spots on some of the panels. The one I came to see, the interior was a little on the shabby side and I continued to look at the others.

The trader was a likable fella and during our journey we built up that all important relationship and I asked him outright, "out of all of them, which one did he like the best? He replied "the copper red!" Without a blink or hesitation, from what I had seen, I was also in agreement and struck the deal, he even threw in the cost of my journey after a little banter and we shook hands to cement the deal.

We can always miss something when we purchase a second-hand vehicle and we know before purchase that there will be a need for some finance, required to bring the new purchase up to personal standards, to what ends? Well that is to be seen, hence this publication.

So what shocks, so far?   Let’s start with the engine - 1.3L rotary engine. But insurance may consider it a 2.6L.

The displacement ratings of a rotary is a bit of a misnomer as you cannot rate them the same as a piston engine. The actual "full" displacement of a 13B is 3.9L, but that is from 1 full rotation of the 2 rotors. But! 1 full rotation of the rotors turns the crankshaft (or properly called an "eccentric" shaft on a rotary) 3 times.

Since a piston engine rates its displacement based on 1 rotation of the crank, Mazda follows suit and rates the rotary by 1 crank revolution... so 1/3 of 3.9L is 1.3L.

From a power output perspective it's really a 2.6L as you get twice as many "power-strokes" from a rotary than from a piston engine. This is why rotary engines are so powerful compared to its size.
So, there are two engine sizes (not counting the custom versions), the lower 13L and the higher in my case 2.6L, the evolve is the 2.6cc with a Wankel Rotary engine - the shock is the £500 road tax, (Government rip off!) The lower rated engine is £295 road tax. [Note: Traders should know the road tax category, my trader should have known this with seven or eight RX8's parked on the driveway, so the moral here, is don't trust any motor trader, they are just there to make money and shift the vehicle, most of their words or silence is a skill to part you with your money]. Comprehensive insurance for me was, give or take an extra tenner based on age and previous car ownership history, however it may be more the following year. Mileage around 25 miles to a gallon, spare parts are quite reasonably priced looking at the ads from scrapyards and eBay, most likely due to the outlay to have the vehicle on the road and Central Government are very quick to make a sting on the poor motorist, I digress. (See engine specifications for more detailed breakdown according to other reviews). The other thing one needs to be aware of, the Rotary engine loves it oil, petrol in fact all fluids, so it is imperative to check the fluids weekly without fail to keep the engine maintained and fully functional. (Remember this is a 'sports' car).

RX8 Flooding (Common Problem) Hot and Cold Starts

I hit on this subject quite a lot within this publication as I do believe it is very important for the new RX8 driver to understand as well as a reminder to those that have had them awhile, however if you have kept one on the road for over twelve months, I class you as the converted). So what are the other negatives with this vehicle? Poor hot and cold starts, in other words poor starting, especially if the engine gets flooded. I found this travelling from Solihull to Sutton Coldfield during rush hour around New Oscot area. (You know, where they built a new Tesco’s' and the crossroads at College Road.) A kind man helped me to push the vehicle off the road, the RX8 is no lightweight.   I tried starting the vehicle as per instruction and bearing in mind new to this vehicle. (See YouTube videos:
Note: This is a very big problem with vehicles before 2006 or those that have not been address by Mazda’s recall to address this problem). With later models the problem does occasionally occur, like mine, but not too frequently, as one see's a pig fly by - rule of thumb is based on driving style. Adjust accordingly, this is not just an everyday car, it is a thoroughbred sports car and the Revs need to be raised in traffic and be careful not to burn your clutch or starter motor out during the starting procedures.

Procedures for a Flooded Engine (also mentioned in the workshop pages, with more details DP1).

1. with foot full down on the clutch pedal, (DO NOT put your foot anywhere near the accelerator - at this point - almost goes against nature, doesn't it!)
2. Turn the engine over for 10 second periods and let go of the ignition key each time, allowing a pause in-between.

Another tip, if all the above fails, at this point it is ok to put your foot fully down on the accelerator and keep it depressed during starting, do NOT pump, (by all accounts with the foot fully down, this cuts the fuel supply - this is totally opposite to what one would think and what I was taught, growing up with cars, but this is correct for this type of engine - With most engines like the piston engines, the pumping of the pedal will inject fuel into the chambers and this, we don't want at this stage). With the Rotary the opposite happens, a fully depressed accelerator will cut off fuel supply. Eventually the engine will start after about 10 to 12 tries, that if the battery hasn't gone flat. (See other methods of starting in Workshop section).

Other methods include, removing fuse 20, (Fuse box under the bonnet or Hood) this fuse controls the fuel pump, there is also a resistor in the same fuse box and labelled accordingly - (check manual in publications 5 to 20 minutes later I was concerned with the battery and the starting motor burning out and remembered I had placed a battery booster in the boot or trunk and decided to use it to help me start the engine. This I would recommend anyone driving an RX8 to carry one fully charged at all times. The RX8 started to my relief, (otherwise a long walk home or at least a very long wait).
I put the flooding down to low Revs within traffic bumper-to-bumper crawling and this is not good for any sports car and advise you to keep your Revs between 2000 to 3000 rpm. Yes it does use more fuel and yes it is a headache, however on the positive note the RX8 is a good head turner with the 'Vroom Vroom', hell! Who cares, it sounds great! It is a great car to drive! (That's when it is moving of course). The car has personality just like their owners, loving the open roads!

20th December 2015 - I don't like stripping my previous cars from its accessories, however it is a must to save expense later and there is no point in duplicating or giving good stuff away. The drivers Webcam, steering lock, a new smelly scent tree, and the tools needed to replenish the new vehicle, by replacing the tools that have gone missing or have been taken out by the trader or previous owner(s).
If weather is reasonable, it is advisable to explore the exterior and interior, by cleaning and polishing them, always a good way to get to know your vehicle and to get to know how things work and a good opportunity to notice what may need attention, jobs for the warmer weather. After a wash and polish between rain showers I had a good coat of polish on the paintwork, (for protection and to make it look good) just waiting for the weather to improve before inspecting under the vehicle, there is a little apprehension....

The RX8 does NOT come with a spare wheel, unless you buy it as an optional extra from the dealership, instead it comes with a puncture repair kit with a few small tyre tools and a can of tyre sealant, some kits have the tyre inflator that works off the battery, the original kits can be found on eBay for around the £35-75 mark or cheaper. Other kits, (not original) can be found cheaper, I found one for a clearance price of £15.
I personally feel more at ease with a spare wheel, full size and will look for one if the price is right. So what is the reason for no spare wheel? Most current cars only have kits or emergency 3/4 size spares, this is to save on costs within manufacturing, weight within the car, small boot/trunk, bearing in mind the wheels are 18", due to the economic climate or just plain greed, you can pick your reason.

07th January 2016 - Tyre Repair Kit
The weather has been abysmal, constant rain and a little on the cold side. During these periods, best to stay in the warm, however not been idle, updating the website and identifying jobs for when the weather gets warmer. I have been waiting for the delivery of the Tyre repair kit and puncture repair kit and they are pending. There is a personal need to tackle the radio with a new lead to be able to take an iPod. The 6 stack CD can only play so many tracks with limit to choice and is a little behind the times, I have now received the lead through the post and it is ready for installation. The other item I have purchased is the GPS tracker, the prices have dramatically come down in price and they are readily available from eBay, there will be a feature on this in the next few days, and these jobs of installing will be done together. There has been talk about there being an OBDII socket in the RX8, and I am still looking for that on the odd time I venture out and there has been conflicting information concerning its location via the forums, so I will be searching for that and letting you know exactly where it is at least for this 06 model. I am also looking at rear reverse sensors and reverse camera, some of the items have been stripped out of my other vehicle, (with conflicting colour schemes, some use may come from some of the components) I no longer use the other vehicle and this will eventually go for sale after reinstalling the stock items. So watch this space.....note, some items have been added to the Workshop, these consist mainly of diagnosing common problems and going through some of the possible solutions, other items added within the tools section, also various purchases mainly because they were missing when the RX8 was purchased i.e. Tyre repair kit etc. Still looking for a cheap spare wheel and may take some time, hence the kit.

09th January 2016   - Condensation in Tail light
Today the weather had improved, so I ventured out to check out the RX8 and noticed condensation in the back O/S, (driver’s side) tail light, reading through a number of forums and views of some of the YouTube videos, I discovered that this is a common problem with this model. This was my first job, to detach and dismantle the light unit. The light unit is held on mainly by 2 bolts (10mm), however you do need to prise open around 5 push-in plastic studs on two of the carpet panels and unscrew a further two bolts as the unit has what can be described as a shield plate, reasonably straight forward. I also observed the wire connectors connecting to the bulb, can be detached independently from each of the bulb holders, this means you don't need to take the bulb holders out, this makes the job easier, especially when reinstalling the unit..
On inspection, there was a small amount of water within the unit, probably only a thimble full, unfortunately this was enough to cause a large amount of condensation.. Checking the rubber gasket, it didn't seem too bad and no real need to replace it at this point. The gasket had just come away from the socket points in some parts of the unit.
By using a hair dryer (yes, I do have one, weird really, as I don't have much hair, joking aside, I purchased it for this type of job where a heat gun or hair dryer is needed and best for carrying out such jobs indoors).
There is no really access to the unit other than through the bulb apertures, by sealing all the holes with a thick cloth, except one hole where the heat can enter the unit, the directed heat will heat up the unit and eventually dry it out. (One tip, drain all of the water out first; otherwise you will be there for weeks). Patience is important as it will take a good half hour to an hour to dry the unit. I decided to glue the gasket onto the unit (The gasket normally uses a sticky pad and this had dried out over time. I also glued around the unit externally, just in case there were minute micro fractures within the casing to be on the safe side.
Before reinstalling, the unit, it is always a good idea to clean and dry the bodywork around the light unit aperture and then reinstall it in reverse order as it was taken out. This is where the detachable connectors are useful as the reconnecting of plugs can be a little on the tight side, (especially if you have stubby fingers) on the extreme right of the unit as you view from the rear to front of the vehicle. I also experienced the bulb popping out of the sockets and falling into the unit a few times, requiring me to disconnect and reconnect the plugs a number of times, before bolting up the unit. I will give it a couple of days to see if it has cured the problem. The lights worked fine after completing this job.

26th January 2016 - A local drive to the main shopping centre, with the car performing nicely average distance around the nine mile mark. On return, (again outside my apartment) I decided to turn the vehicle around within a side road or a three point turn within the junction, and there we have it, an engine stall and flood. Always in a place where it is the most inconvenient to yourself and others. After about 10 minutes following a hot engine restart procedure and with a battery booster connected to the battery, it just didn't want to know. I presume a neighbour (with a BMW), offered to give me a push to the side of the road, (The RX8 does not get any lighter in weight, when pushing, even worse when raining and in the dark). After about 25-30 minutes with failed attempts, eventually with a foot down on the clutch, the engine cranked up and I was able to manoeuvre to a parking space near my apartment, (I had missed my window of opportunity and someone else had parked in my regular space).
This has made me decide on purchasing a new high torque starter motor (See Workshop - Starter Motors), as the written hype suggests that is can eliminate hot or cold starting problems, unfortunately this will probably take a while based on current funding. In the meantime, I will expect further problems of this nature. This can be so frustrating.
27th January 2016 - My LCD bulbs have arrived, I have waited for the various types of bulbs to arrive from Hong Kong. The order from the UK was slower on delivery and were twice the cost and to rub salt into the wound all four did not work. (Still waiting for the replacements) The Hong Kong orders were of quantities of 10 and they all work..... I proceeded to fit them... (See workshop and video).
11th February 2016 - May delivery of a new starter motor, AAP 5328 (Part Number: QS5328N) Super uprated high torque 14 tooth starter motor that fits the Mazda RX8, from Andy's Auto parts based in Greater Manchester, (Post Code: OL1 1TA Tel:0161 628 6199) arrived early morning, (always send vehicle details when ordering a part to make sure it is compatible, it is now easy for the trader to check your vehicle registration to get details of your vehicle via computer- this allows them to send you the correct part without excuses to dumping old stock - do this even though your advert may suggest it the correct part for your vehicle, as sometimes adverts can be misprinted or old). On inspection it looked smaller than I expected, however it was ready for fitting. The morning is a little on the frosty side and over a cup of tea, I contemplated fitting it, knowing after the read-up that this was going to transform my negative experience into a positive one and turn my RX8 into my dream car, with no-more hot start problems..... [D1a] (Watch this space)....
Another useful note: When purchasing off eBay or Amazon etc., always check the feedback comments concerning the product you are buying. This gives you an insight of how the product performs and goes towards seeing if your trader is worthy of their reputation. With this starter motor the comments all seemed positive - rule of thumb: common sense, caution concerning trader's self-promotion, your safeguard is to take a screen shot of these comments, pay by PayPal (as they allow up to £500 for undelivered or faulty goods - disputes). And yes! I am a cynic, unfortunately based on experience, I am less trusting, especially in the UK today concerning purchases and corruption and whereby profit rules, I again, digress).

Ok, the job was pending, the RX8 went onto the two portable ramps and I just about squeezed under the vehicle, (the car seemed low :)) to check out the starter motor, at times like these, you wish that you had checked before making a purchase. It looked like the trader had already bought a new Starter motor before selling the vehicle to me, it was still shiny. It had already been replaced with the exact model starter I had bought, same dealership too! B@? ...’s. So the question was, "What was causing the engine to flood "? With the bonnet open, I had also considered putting a K&N Filter in place of the bulky stock filter and proceeded to explore the feasibility of this by stripping down the stock filter. To cut a long story short, the K&N filter upset the engine timing causing regular backfiring with peak and trough engine revs. With more time with altering the timing and possibly resetting the ECU, the process could have been 'married up'. However one needs the inclination and patience with warmer weather and at this point there wasn't any. With the original stock filter back in place, I explored the oil breather pipes and noticed one pipe just lying across the engine, not that noticeable unless you were looking for it or like me, stumble across it. I found the plastic hollow insert plug had broken off above the MAF section, I don't think the pipe was the correct angle either and will need to be replaced for the correct one some time. (The misangled pipe is probably the cause of the break in the plug housing, due to the wrong force being applied).
I did manage to find what can be described as a hollow metal connecting rod (like the 'T' or 'L' connectors that one uses for the windscreen washer bottle tubes - in this case a metal one that joins two ends). Pushed into the existing hole of the pipe and the other end into the housing and this job was done, for now. I had not really accomplished much today and solving the hot flooding and starting, well the jury was still out on this one. Time will tell if the oil pipe, (initially I thought was a breather pipe) is the main culprit for the hot start problem.

It seems this time, the starter motor may not be the answer, for that dream car but having the uprated Starter Motor does contribute to better starting so, worth the initial purchase. My problem now is selling the one I have just purchased.! The Joys of Motoring...

This reminds me of owning a horse ....80% of mucking out and 20% of transportation and Fun!

05th March 2016 - I hadn't used the RX8 for nearly a week, and ended up taking my mother's dog to the vet to have its claws cut, this required me to do a number of short stop and start trips. On the fourth one and not really unexpected, I ended up with a hot start, the proverbial annoying 30 minute wait, before starting up the engine. A great little car ruined by an engine not fit for purpose. I vowed to myself, on winning the lottery I would have a customised piston engine installed as well as a full renovation inside and out.

It looks like I will have to try the 'Restore' Ametech Solution at £26 for 400ml and see if this reduces the hot starts. (See index for further information).

11th March 2016 - My order of Restore came through from eBay and I treated the engine and topped up the oil, to hopefully improve the hot start problem. From the instruction it requires a few hundred miles travel to really see any effect and will probably take some time, especially if only doing local runs, we will see.

23rd March 2016 - I decided to take the car for a run and went out into the country, as it was a promising day weatherwise. Half an hour later, I was catching the bus home to get a spare battery and jump leads. My advise would be to carry a spare battery and jump leads as trying to start the vehicle on a hot start or flooding will drain your battery. Even more so if you haven't driven the vehicle for a week or so. To cut a long story short, from 9:30 am, I eventually arrived home with the RX8 at around 5:00 pm and placed the original battery on charge for a couple of days as well as a couple of power packs, just to be on the safe side. The 'Recover' solution is still working through the system and I will probably need to give the RX8 a good run, (at least 500-1000 miles) with safeguards in place. Be warned, great looking car and performs well when working however, has proved to be very high maintenance, this is most likely the reason so many perfect body shells and engines are going to the scrapyard. In my opinion the Rotary Engine needs to be changed to a conventional piston styled engine, this will improve fuel economy, CO2 emissions, (tax classification), this should eliminate the cold and hot start problems and improve the reliability of the vehicle. One needs to also point out, by replacing the engine will also require a new electrical loom configuration to meet the needs of the stock dash clock cluster and possibly a battery situated in the rear boot, (trunk) as space will be limited under the bonnet, (hood). I would change the engine in less of a heartbeat, if I had the funds to do it, a pipe dream and an imaginery lottery win, another one down to experience.

22nd May 2016 - The RX8 has now been SORNED and garagaged and the BMW is coming out of Moth Balls, even though I loved driving the RX8, it has proved too unreliable for today's bumper to bumper traffic roads. The RX8 is more suited to the speed track where by traffic free.

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Garaged - Parked-up for just over twelve months!
Garaged - Parked-up for just over twelve months!
Garaged - Parked-up for just over twelve months!
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01st March 2018 - After a long time and the Mazda RX8 being parked up in my neighbours garage for just over twelve months, my garage was cleared out over a number of weekends and the RX8 transferred back to my garage. I had concluded it would be too costly to bring this vehicle up to my required spec. A new engine or at least reconditioned, or a donor straight 6 with a new configuration electrical loom, totally out of my ball park at this present time.

14th April 2018 - It just left one option! To take a loss and regain my garage space for a more reliable vehicle. After a brief discussion with my son, he seemed very enthusiastic, enough to want to take the vehicle, for a project or to sell. As quick as the last word out of my mouth, he was at my door, with trade plates. With transfer of documents and my heart wrenched out of my chest and with tears, tyres checked, battery connected, ignition on, (this was 8pm in the evening and dark) the RX started first time. He was expecting to drive the RX8 over 100 miles.... I thought, 'Good Luck' to that. It was 8pm and I told him he would most likely get back; just after 12pm and off he went. I had expected to receive a telephone call, but none! He only broke down once at a garage, he muttered that twenty pounds of fuel went in about twenty minutes! However after 10 minutes, he was back on his way. (The off-road and garaged experience for the RX must have placed it's yearning for the road, as those that own an RX8 only well know; it will take around an half-hour wait for the fuel and vapour to be at a level for a restart. The RX8 just loves the open roads and the run was obviously what it needed to clean out the carbon. My son arrived back to his house around 11ish. Not bad going.

16th May 2018 - Or there-abouts, I received a Skype Message from my son concerning the RX8, he found an oil pipe leaking heavily and we put it down to the possible cause of the car regularly stalling. This pipe was a nightmare of a design: