Replacing GReddy turbo couplers
The hoses that ship with the GReddy turbo kit are of extremely poor quality. They might not break for a few months, but sooner or later they will. Here's what mine looked like after about half a month. Upgraded hoses: Here's a parts list from the Greddy install manual: ... Read More »
Recirculate BOV
Here's the result of getting a recirculate bung welded onto my turbo kit just after the MAF. This prevents the car from bogging when I shift due to the car expecting more air than it actually gets (Since the BOV released it) Newly installed: ... Read More »
Keeping your rims clean
I noticed I couldn't get the dust off my brake calipers because they had embedded into it. I bought castrol's purple spray bottle called 'all wheel cleaner' which melted all the brake dust off, rims, pads, rotors, everything, almost instantly. Then spray off with water. I also put zaino on the in... Read More »
RX8 AC reset
AC RESET: 1. Make sure the car is off AND the HVAC fan is off AND the A/C on/off button is off. 2. Press and hold the front defroster (on the left) AND air source (recirc/fresh air) buttons 3. Continue pressing the buttons in step 2 and turn the key to ACC for 3 seconds 4. Continue pressing th... Read More »
DSC's dirty little secret
The RX-8 has DSC enabled by default. Mazda put in a disable button that you can depress for 2 seconds to disable some of DSC's features. What isn't in the manual is a secret mode that can be activated by holding down on DSC even longer than 2 seconds. You'll know when it activates because an ... Read More »
RX8 dash lights have two color options at night
Your RX-8 from factory will show white gauges in daylight, and a subdued red at night. On the left side of the steering wheel is a dash light brightness knob. Putting it up to the very highest setting, will make a clicking noise, and enable the white gauges even when the headlights are on. &... Read More »
Your RX-8's rear mirror is double hinged
The RX-8 factory rear mirror usually gets in the way when trying to make a right-hand turn. The mirror really is a safety hazard. Many people are unaware that the mirror is in fact double hinged. Even after explaining that it's double hinged, many people I've spoken with still don't understand ho... Read More »
RX8 hard wiring wideband gauge
I've got two gauges wired in, one is the greddy boost gauge, the other is aem's wideband. I looked over the wires and both black and red wires to each gauge are linked to the exact same wire... yet the aem wideband is always on, even when the car is off and the key is removed. meanwhile greddy boost... Read More »
The hidden RX-8 navigation menus
All codes are activated by clicking the MENU button on your center console. You will get the choice of "Select Destination" or "Setup Menu". Choose "Setup Menu" Then select "System Information" Then select "Version" Th... Read More »
RX8 Shock Sensor Install Help
The instructions that ship with the RX-8 shock sensor are difficult to read/understand because the diagrams are easily misread. I've made modifications to the instructions to show more clearly what is going on... Here is a closer look at the brown wire section. The photo to the left ... Read More »
RX8 Air Horn Upgrade
Thompson-automotive sells an upgraded air horn for Miatas, which can also be installed on the RX-8 (with a few minor changes). Here's a link to thompson's website: http://www.thompson-automotive.com/Air_Horn.html The horn is rated at 139 db. Loud stuff. Here's what it sounds like. With s... Read More »
Custom Cold Air Intake for GReddy Turbo
The Greddy turbo kit comes with a worthless foam filter that sucks in hot engine bay air. I've seen coolant temps at 190 degrees, and intake temps around 140 degrees while driving at a 70 mph speed. If we were to relocate the intake to the outside of the bumper, we would have access to much cooler a... Read More »
Oil Catch Can
I've been meaning to buy an oil catch can, but didn't want to spend $200+ on a name brand can. Nor did I want to buy a $20 cheapie on eBay. I can't take any credit for this DIY, but I found a ton of people online using this method, so I figured I'd try it out myself. First you need an air comp... Read More »
RX8 radar detector hardwire install
Everyone eventually gets tired of the cigarette adapter power source for their radar detector. You then end up getting the Solo S2 wireless so you don't have to deal with wires. The problem with wireless units is that battery saving is high on the priority list, and the way to do that is by putting ... Read More »
Throttle body coolant bypass
Many cars run engine coolant through the throttle body in order to warm it up so the throttle body doesn't get filled with ice due to a mix of cold temps, humidity, and condensation. This is done because car manufacturers cannot design a car to work for "most" people, they are expected to ... Read More »
Sohn OMP adapter
The Sohn adapter is basically a metal slab with a few holes in it, and a nozzle that can connect to a hose. The point of this adapter, is to stop using engine oil to lubricate the apex seals in your rotary engine. This is a good thing because: 1. Your engine will no longer burn oil from th... Read More »