Gen3 Matinence advice
11-26-2009, 04:59 PM
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Allentown, PA
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Hi, I am new to the fourms and I am posting this to get advice about basic matinence for a gen3 rx-7. I am thinking about buying a 1994 with about 100k on the chasis and 22k on a new engine. The car is in excelent condition and has been treated very well. So I was wondering what matinence needs to be done to keep the engine/car running well. I have heard that the engines need to be oiled often or they will overheat and break. I am not a wild driver and if I buy the car it will definatly be taken care of. It will most likely be a weekend driver and I dont plan on racing it or beating it up in any way. But what I really would like to know is what kind of matinence im gonna need to do to keep the car in great condition. I have never owned a car with a rotary engine before and so im not exactly shure of everything that is involved with basic matinence. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks alot.
11-26-2009, 06:39 PM
#2
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Allentown? I have a friends up there!...and no, not the amish ones.
You maintain an FD the same as you do any other car. Most of the reliability issues come from people beating the hell out of them and half-assing the mods or exceeding the limitations of the engine. Get a downpipe, change the oil every 3000 miles, run 92+ octane gas and it'll be fine.
You maintain an FD the same as you do any other car. Most of the reliability issues come from people beating the hell out of them and half-assing the mods or exceeding the limitations of the engine. Get a downpipe, change the oil every 3000 miles, run 92+ octane gas and it'll be fine.
11-26-2009, 07:14 PM
#3
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Hoover, AL
Posts: 67
Maintenance isn't all that different than other cars with a couple of exceptions. The biggest differences in an Rx-7 and other cars will come with diagnosing and repairing problems when they arise. Also, there are some reliability modifications that should be made as well. The latter are covered in the 3rd gen FAQ section. There are some extra considerations in evaluating a car for purchase. This site has some good info on this: Buy a Used RX-7
Maintenance differences:
Oil level has to be checked every one to two weeks depending on how much you drive as the car injects and burns small amounts of oil into the engine to lubricate the rotor seals. Thus, the car can run itself low on oil if not checked regularly. Since these cars are turbos and your have a relatively large proportion of the oil left in the system when draining the pan, oil changes should probably not go much more than 3,000 miles. Thus, the 5,000 mile oil change interval than many commonly use now for most cars would not give you the best protection on an Rx-7.
Changing coolant is more crucial on an R-7 than most cars as the engine is made of multiple sections of iron and aluminum. The metals will corrode and weaken if the coolant gets old and the anti corrosion chemicals in it loose their effectiveness. Changing every couple of years should be ok, as recommended for any car using green coolant. It is just more important that it actually get done on time on an Rx-7.
Spark plugs wear out more quickly, in about 20,000 miles and are more expensive, about $45 for a full set.
Because of the turbochargers, if the car has been driven hard or at high speeds, it should be idled for 30 seconds or so before shutdown. Car cannot be reved or throttle blipped right before shutdown. If this happense you should wait 10 seconds or so before turning off the key. I don't know if everyone would consider these maintenance but since they are things that are done to aid in the longevity and have to be lived with on a daily basis, I think they fall into this category.
These are the biggest maintenance differences for an Rx-7 that come to mind.
Good luck with your purchase.
Maintenance differences:
Oil level has to be checked every one to two weeks depending on how much you drive as the car injects and burns small amounts of oil into the engine to lubricate the rotor seals. Thus, the car can run itself low on oil if not checked regularly. Since these cars are turbos and your have a relatively large proportion of the oil left in the system when draining the pan, oil changes should probably not go much more than 3,000 miles. Thus, the 5,000 mile oil change interval than many commonly use now for most cars would not give you the best protection on an Rx-7.
Changing coolant is more crucial on an R-7 than most cars as the engine is made of multiple sections of iron and aluminum. The metals will corrode and weaken if the coolant gets old and the anti corrosion chemicals in it loose their effectiveness. Changing every couple of years should be ok, as recommended for any car using green coolant. It is just more important that it actually get done on time on an Rx-7.
Spark plugs wear out more quickly, in about 20,000 miles and are more expensive, about $45 for a full set.
Because of the turbochargers, if the car has been driven hard or at high speeds, it should be idled for 30 seconds or so before shutdown. Car cannot be reved or throttle blipped right before shutdown. If this happense you should wait 10 seconds or so before turning off the key. I don't know if everyone would consider these maintenance but since they are things that are done to aid in the longevity and have to be lived with on a daily basis, I think they fall into this category.
These are the biggest maintenance differences for an Rx-7 that come to mind.
Good luck with your purchase.
11-26-2009, 09:43 PM
#4
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 5
Allentown? I have a friends up there!...and no, not the amish ones.
You maintain an FD the same as you do any other car. Most of the reliability issues come from people beating the hell out of them and half-assing the mods or exceeding the limitations of the engine. Get a downpipe, change the oil every 3000 miles, run 92+ octane gas and it'll be fine.
You maintain an FD the same as you do any other car. Most of the reliability issues come from people beating the hell out of them and half-assing the mods or exceeding the limitations of the engine. Get a downpipe, change the oil every 3000 miles, run 92+ octane gas and it'll be fine.
Yea, specificly i'm in new tripoli, theres actually a shop down the road that specializes in rx7 or atleast I think they do cuz theres always atleast ten parked outside. Maybe your friends know of it. Thanks for the advice as well.
11-26-2009, 09:44 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 5
Maintenance isn't all that different than other cars with a couple of exceptions. The biggest differences in an Rx-7 and other cars will come with diagnosing and repairing problems when they arise. Also, there are some reliability modifications that should be made as well. The latter are covered in the 3rd gen FAQ section. There are some extra considerations in evaluating a car for purchase. This site has some good info on this: Buy a Used RX-7
Maintenance differences:
Oil level has to be checked every one to two weeks depending on how much you drive as the car injects and burns small amounts of oil into the engine to lubricate the rotor seals. Thus, the car can run itself low on oil if not checked regularly. Since these cars are turbos and your have a relatively large proportion of the oil left in the system when draining the pan, oil changes should probably not go much more than 3,000 miles. Thus, the 5,000 mile oil change interval than many commonly use now for most cars would not give you the best protection on an Rx-7.
Changing coolant is more crucial on an R-7 than most cars as the engine is made of multiple sections of iron and aluminum. The metals will corrode and weaken if the coolant gets old and the anti corrosion chemicals in it loose their effectiveness. Changing every couple of years should be ok, as recommended for any car using green coolant. It is just more important that it actually get done on time on an Rx-7.
Spark plugs wear out more quickly, in about 20,000 miles and are more expensive, about $45 for a full set.
Because of the turbochargers, if the car has been driven hard or at high speeds, it should be idled for 30 seconds or so before shutdown. Car cannot be reved or throttle blipped right before shutdown. If this happense you should wait 10 seconds or so before turning off the key. I don't know if everyone would consider these maintenance but since they are things that are done to aid in the longevity and have to be lived with on a daily basis, I think they fall into this category.
These are the biggest maintenance differences for an Rx-7 that come to mind.
Good luck with your purchase.
Maintenance differences:
Oil level has to be checked every one to two weeks depending on how much you drive as the car injects and burns small amounts of oil into the engine to lubricate the rotor seals. Thus, the car can run itself low on oil if not checked regularly. Since these cars are turbos and your have a relatively large proportion of the oil left in the system when draining the pan, oil changes should probably not go much more than 3,000 miles. Thus, the 5,000 mile oil change interval than many commonly use now for most cars would not give you the best protection on an Rx-7.
Changing coolant is more crucial on an R-7 than most cars as the engine is made of multiple sections of iron and aluminum. The metals will corrode and weaken if the coolant gets old and the anti corrosion chemicals in it loose their effectiveness. Changing every couple of years should be ok, as recommended for any car using green coolant. It is just more important that it actually get done on time on an Rx-7.
Spark plugs wear out more quickly, in about 20,000 miles and are more expensive, about $45 for a full set.
Because of the turbochargers, if the car has been driven hard or at high speeds, it should be idled for 30 seconds or so before shutdown. Car cannot be reved or throttle blipped right before shutdown. If this happense you should wait 10 seconds or so before turning off the key. I don't know if everyone would consider these maintenance but since they are things that are done to aid in the longevity and have to be lived with on a daily basis, I think they fall into this category.
These are the biggest maintenance differences for an Rx-7 that come to mind.
Good luck with your purchase.
Yea, this is exactly what I ment. Thanks a bunch for the advice
11-27-2009, 05:19 AM
#6
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Mid-West
Posts: 791
It's a 15 year old car. With the sequential system, it was a bit finicky from the beginning. If it's a solid running car and you have a little mechanical experience and willing to learn, then it should be a good marriage. Buy or download a Factory Service Manual. Change out ALL fluids with new plugs so you have a good baseline for maintenance and enjoy it.
In my mind, things to consider.....
Most MAZDA techs have never even seen under the hood of an FD. And the RX8 is MUCH different. So if you intend on relying on the local MAZDA dealership to help with problems, it will quickly become VERY expensive and very frustrating. There are some respected rotary specialty shops scattered around the country, most on the coasts. Not sure which one would be closest to you but it might be something to check.
You DO NOT want to use this car for a daily driver. It's small, low, little luggage or cargo space, it doesn't get all that good of mileage and sucks on slick streets. Further, IMO relying on this car to get to work or school on time takes all the fun out of ownership. Stress levels just go up and so does buyer's remorse.
11-27-2009, 06:35 AM
#7
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: peru, IN
Posts: 1,833
if you're willing to drive across ohio to have the work done banzai's done some incredible work with my fd
banzai-racing.com
for the webpage of my build
Banzai Racing (Poor RX-7 Engine Installation)
banzai-racing.com
for the webpage of my build
Banzai Racing (Poor RX-7 Engine Installation)
11-28-2009, 10:18 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Allentown, PA
Posts: 5
if you're willing to drive across ohio to have the work done banzai's done some incredible work with my fd
banzai-racing.com
for the webpage of my build
Banzai Racing (Poor RX-7 Engine Installation)
banzai-racing.com
for the webpage of my build
Banzai Racing (Poor RX-7 Engine Installation)
Do you know of any shops located near eastern PA?
11-29-2009, 06:56 AM
#9
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: peru, IN
Posts: 1,833
11-29-2009, 09:42 PM
#10
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Join Date: Nov 2009
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Thx alot for the site.
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