I know someobody else has heard this "the car is amazing because it was meant to be driven hard actually the harder it is driven the longer the motor lasts." A buddy of mine who use to work for a Mazda dealership told me the same. A Rx7 motor driven hard will last longer and run better. Is this Myth or Factual? Can anybody tell me if this is true? If so why?


I been wanting to post this thread for along time

 

sigh... i wish it were true.

 

I need serious reply's, has nobody heard this before?

 

Just because someone repetes something a couple times doesn't make it true.........

 

It's true, but not exactly how you're saying it. It's not that driving it hard is good. Pushing anything to the extreme means more punishment, more wear and tear, shortening lifespan etc.

BUT, what I believe you and your friend are referring to is that the rotary engine is meant to be revved high (layman terms may refer to this as "pushing it"). The stock ECU runs rich (as does pretty much any other setup if you want your engine to last lol). This means that excessive idling and usage that remains in the lower rpm range will promote carbon deposit buildup in the engine. Revving the engine high rids the engine of these carbon deposits. So driving like a wuss and always shifting at 4K rpm will actually hurt your engine. So yes, Mazda says the rotary is meant to rev high.

Also keep in mind that the engine is DESIGNED to rev high because it doesn't make much torque low end. The additional rpms are essentially to increase the engine's ability to make more power. Hence the Renesis engine's 10K redline (end). It NEEDS the higher revs in order to develop it's peak power.

 

I drive my car hard every time too. The car is still really reliable, but Gas Mileage sucks azz...

I know Birdy01 drive his car even worser, and his car still drives Amazing for this past 2 years...
But it is really up to that paticular car tho.... oh yeah, and your luck I would assume...

 

He said driven hard...


You asked a silly question like that then your not going to get serious response's. Except for FD's. However, i dont think your friends were reffering to driving how FD described it in his post. Occasional high revs i can see being healthy(Like FDNewbie Described). But Driving the car hard day in and day out is not healthy. Not only is it going to accelerate wear and tear and the motor, But the entire drivetrain.

 

Thats a retarded way to look at reliability


I would say it probly has more to do with that then anything else

 

I will have to agree with RX7Wishing on this one... this is what our forum has come to be nowadays... folks who write (and maybe talk) like this...
lemme add my

 

when i bought my car i thought when they said only drove the car one weekend a month, that was a good thing come to find out that is actually bad. very badder!

 

I had a '79 first gen that I put 400k miles on the original engine and sold it for more than I payed for it. I wasn't kind to it either. As for the FD, I don't know but I'm driving it hard now.

 

Myth

 

"redline a few times a day keeps the carbon buildup away"

 

Not myth, but as stated, "drive hard" doesn't mean burning rubber every time you get a chance. It means don't drive around for long periods of time below 2500 - 3000 RPM. You need to ensure you burn out any carbon in the combustion chambers - otherwise it will build up and either "lock" or damage the engine.

Based on exerience of local dealers, and a friend. He destroyed a TII by carboning it up over about 3 years. His replacement was driven "properly" and is still going strong (it is a 90) on the original engine - daily driver including winter!

 

i heard about the wot a couple of times to get rid of carbon but im not EXACTLY sure who said this and why..i mean it does make sense to me, i guess thats why everyone follows it..i follow it, i do wot at least twice every other trip to make sure i get rid of some carbon since i do mostly city driving (4k and below rpm)..

 

I grew up with the notion that you should "blow the carbon out" by flooring the car once in a while. I think it's just a half *** excuse to go fast.

I doubt it's relevant, but the car I bought had been decarboned by the mazda dealer at 50k miles, the back apex seal went at 69k.

 

The dealer touched the car? THERE'S your problem LOL.

 

true very true.

 

The mazda tech engine training video stated that high reving the rotary keeps the carbon from build up (or removes it)...or something like that.

pm Mantis he is the one that posted the vid.

Notice: it was high revs not WOT...

 

^^^^^^^^ That's what I was referring to when I said Mazda recommends it, and it's not driving hard per say, but revving high.

 

i've never heard it but i drive my car hard everyday, daily driver, i jus don't shift at 3k rpm, i guess i jus have a heavy foot and i don't like following peeps, i like to be in front

plus, i lov it wen i hear my turbos spool and i've never had any problems

 

I think you guys are mixing up "driving hard" to just plain "abuse." I can't see taking it to 7k constantly being a problem. Now those that are just plain peeling-out at every redlight/stop sign and boinking off of the rev limiter I consider being beyond "driving hard." But then again, everyone has a different opinion of what "driving hard" means. To some it might be taking it to 6k.. to others it might be boinking off of the rev limiter. I'll say anything above 5k is "driving hard"

 

Rev limiter? What rev limiter? The good old FB does NOT have a rev limiter at ALL She's got a cute buzzer, but that's about it

 

zoom zoom zoom

 

Thanks for alot of good input to those few. Some of you guys got to caught up in my word usage of drive "hard". To me that means not granny'd however it does not mean excessive abuse. It means before taking a turn downshifting alittle higher than would be done in a sedan basically utilizing its power and driving it as a sports car but I did not say just going crazy constantly flooring it. Anyways thanks guys! Sounds good I guess I have been taking care of my rebuild.