Mazda RX8 Chapters

The RX8 (and many other new cars which comply with EURO 4 emissions) can be prone to flooding. The reason for this seems to lie with the need for the catalyser to be warmed quickly to comply with EURO 4 emissions. (Brussels again!) This means that initially the engine runs very rich increasing the risk of flooding if the engine is not allowed to warm up before switching off.
The manual gives advice on starting which will minimise the chance of problems.

Procedure:
With your key in the ignition, turned forward to second stage or until panel lights on, the recommended procedure is to depress the clutch; do not touch the accelerator at this point (as this feeds fuel); crank the starter until the engine starts, even if that means cranking the starter for up to 10 seconds at a time. The Rotary engine sounds a bit different from a piston engine when starting and can take longer to catch but it’s best to keep going with 10 second attempts. (This process can take up to 10 attempts, so be patient (as you will be there for at least 25-30 minutes, unless the engine fires up).
If this does not work after several attempts try 'Assisting' or fully depressing the accelerator and crank the engine for 10 seconds (With the Rotary Engine, by depressing the accellerator FULLY actually shuts off the fuel to the engine and helps clear fuel from the chamber - some may argue this feeds fuel and they are right when talking about a piston engine, however this is NOT a standard piston engine, it is a Rotary Engine), then try to start as above again. Alternatively removing the fuse to the fuel injection system and cranking the engine should have the same effect. If the latter method is used, remember to return the fuse as the fuel pump will not work. ( Seen that, the breakdown service had a good laugh - I had a fuel shut off switch on a MGB GT....).

After a number of attempts and failing to start, try using a starter booster battery pack if you have one, as your battery maybe weak ( a good accessory purchase for an RX8) or if you have booster leads and a kind neighbour attach the leads to the battery, ( note: attach first, Positive to Positive and Negative to Negative - Cars should NOT be touching each other at any point) this will help in the starting procedure, once the engine has started remove your leads in the same order they were attached, positive off first.

If this doesn’t work then the plugs may need to be removed to clean them, and they are not placed in a friendly location.
Following an episode of flooding the functioning of the cat should be checked as it has been known for the unburnt fuel to damage the cat.

In practice problems only seem to happen following a short move from cold e.g. moving car from garage to driveway.

Prevention: Warm-UP - Starting from Cold
The RX8 does not understand short journeys as it was born for the track, to drive fast and therefore it gets choked up with floods of tears, (Fuel) if it doesn't get a good run, (A little like the family thouroughbred). To prevent upsetting the RX8 try the following:

On starting the vehicle, initially follow the above 'Start UP Procedure', once the engine has fired up, run the engine between 2-4000 RPM only, this will warm the engine taking approximately 3-5 minutes, any higher RPM can damage a cold engine. Rule of thumb is to check your temperature guages on your dash, making sure they register at least half or just over half way. On shortening the time, you can move off after a minutue or so, as long as you keep the revs below 4000 RPM until it reaches temperature. (Remember metal conducts heat, expands and contracts, a cold engine can be damaged).
(Allow for this time or you could use a more conventional car to pop to the corner shop, even better, you could try walking as the your destination is so close, just a thought...).

Pevention: Flooding due to Rush Hour Traffic
In the first month of driving my RX8, 2.6 evolve 06 plate, I got caught up in a rush hour, after a good 25 minute run I was bumper (fender) to Bumper (fender), after eventually the RX8 stalled and I needed assistance from another driver to push the vehicle off the road. (The car is no lightweight to push on your own, so assistance is advisable). The RX8 had flooded and therefore the above procedure was used to get started, using also the battery booster. This took 25 minutes. (I also noticed the smell of the clutch plate, during the travel between bumpers there were some slight difficulty in engaging gears also - fortunately once restarted and running the gears and car generally, was back to normal).
In this situation I would advise to keep your Revs between 2000 and 3000 RPM (also keep an eye on the fuel gauge - you have to outweigh the benefits, the joys of motoring).

Prevention: Warm-Down - On Reaching Your Destination
On reaching your destination and parking up the RX8 likes some attention (to keep the thouroughbred analogy going - a carrot for its efforts). On reaching your destination with handbrake on, DON'T Switch the engine off immediately, let the engine tick over and rev the engine to burn the fuel, up to 4000 RPM and then switch of the ignition. This helps the engine seals to be lubricated with oil and burn off any access fuel within the chamber. With the rest period inbetween starting the engine the following day should be hopefully immediate.

Check you battery is up-to-date and have it tested, failing that you may have to buy a new one, this will help with starting also.

On further research via YouTube and other articles on the Internet, I have also identified another possibility for poor starting, based on the RX8 Starter Motor used in ealy production of the 04 Manual geared models and possibly later. The original stock listed as N3H1 the replacement listing is N3Z1 (There has been a recall by Mazda in the USA, however not sure about the UK or other European countries, other research required for those with automatics).

The starter Motor is located and accessible from under the vehicle, held on by two bolts