MauiMazda2

PLEASE LEAVE MSG WITH WHEN INSTALLED AND HOW FAR IT WENT AS WELL AS VOTING. This will give a better data set.

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I have seen lot of talk about these engines failing soon and would be interested to get a feel of what the typical life is.

PLEASE vote if you have have had a REMANUFACTURED engine (good news as well as bad) so I can get an up to date feel of how they did.

Ideally pls post info here. At the beginning of the post so I can get a more useful data set. Please only post that info once only.

What I need is simply:

1) When did it go in

2) How many miles had it done when it failed (or how many miles has it don and it is still going strong)

If I get enough info I will collate it and send in to Mazda and/or one of the motoring mags.

Thanks in advance

Steve

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Dude, there is a lot of info on this already. Lot's of polls and some other related threads as well. A recent article I found from 2011 about the Mazda reman plant in VA stated that they had rebuilt 5,000 Renesis engines in 2010. But again, there are many variables to the failures so you will never get any accurate data. Heck RIWWP even had a nice legit survey going years back.

Anyway, My first Mazda reman went in at 22,000 miles (original died from a loss of compression), my second went in at 96,000 miles and lasted 30,000 miles (it died from coolant seal failure). The current engine is not a Mazda reman.

MauiMazda2

Hi, I could not see anything recent and I am interested in how the engines behaved over time - ie are the ones installed now better/worse than two years ago say.

Of course i relaise that all sorts of things will affect the outcome but with a decent data set - say around 50 responses this COULD/MAY provide some useful nfo - it may not but....

So would you care to enter your first reman in the details and WHEN that was.

Thanks

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

No, this is dumb.

MauiMazda2

ok!

New Yorker

My '05 has the engine it came with, like pretty much any other car.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Yeah, how many miles are on that engine fruity?

MauiMazda2

LOL really - I am about to be on my THIRD on an '05 and I think lots of people here are on their third and some I suspect on the fourth.

It is an interesting question though - how many people's '05s have kept going until today and what mileage.

I will lay good money that there are a fair number. But also a fair number of people with turkeys.

What really pisses me off is that the replacement engines seem to be such poor quality. Not really any excuse for that. But I think I have whinged on enough about that :-(

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (3)

He's trying to see if he can get enough data to form the basis of a strongly worded complaint to mazda corporate, or perhaps even legal action.

That said, mazda remans seem to be as questionable as a higher mileage original engine, if not worse. I literally rebuild as many, if not more, remans than I do original engines. It does always seem to be the coolant seal aspect that fails with remans.

Truth be told, the coolant seals simply sit in a groove and as long as you don't twist them or let them slip out of the groove during assembly, and I never see either of these issues with the remans. I cannot really say why the coolant seals are having so many issues in remans as opposed to original engines did (not) at lower mileages. The only thing I can think of is perhaps they are getting them wet or oily during assembly and they are not able to bond to the flat sealing surface of the irons then like they are supposed to.

ken-x8

Maybe they didn't use enough sealant.

Back when SleepyZ (the guy who said he worked at Mazda's refurb plant) was posting here, he boasted of assembling an engine in 20 minutes. I've always wondered if that time meant he was good at it or just slapping one together without paying attention.

Ken

nogoer

I bet dollars to donuts that this guy was like me, thinks his engine is fine when its really not.

9K i know we both went back and forth about that article but i wonder how many they would do if compression tests were free or mandatory during warranty periods and many people like myself found out rotors were bad and had the engine replaced. If i hadn't just had mine compression tested i would still be ignorant of my failed and dying engine and probably claiming im all good on my original.

For me on the cusp of a trade in or reman replace i think it scares me more right now to think about what might happen if i replace my engine than what might happen if i just keep driving it.

Felix_Wankel_fan88

I bought the car at 74K miles and had the dealership do a compression test, they claimed compression was good. i should have asked for the compression test results or a copy of the test.

nogoer

Did they do it for free? if not why would you walk away without getting the results from service you paid for?

You might still be able to call them back or call mazda NA and get the service records. If they actually did the test then it should be in the system. If they were blowing smoke then it wont be in the system and you got hosed. There wont be any record of it to even go back and dispute over and the only reason they would say it was done and fine but they didnt is if they were hiding the fact they already knew it wasnt.

hirpm

I bought an 05 with 87577 miles from a small car lot, took it to Mazda for oil change, was informed they installed a reman at 87570, it was driven 7 miles to auto auction where small lot bought it, they didn't know the engine was a reman!
I hope its a good one, but after reading the doom n gloom, I'm getting paranoid!

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (3)

I just bought an 04 from insurance auction to part out, totaled hit in the rear with only 52k miles. Turns out it already had a reman in it. Service history on the car shows that the reman only has 2300 miles on it. Whoever owned that car just had no luck whatsoever.

Usually the remans last 15, 20, 30k miles before they develop a coolant seal problem, so odds are you will be fine for a few years.

hirpm

Damn, I had no idea such a seemingly great car could be such a lemon, I hate to say this, but perhaps I should unload it while its still running!

hirpm

I have driven it 200 miles, still breaking it in. I sure hope all you guys aren't typical of these cars, particularly the reman, unlike probably a majority of you, my car will be my daily driver. Looks like I need to start a "reman engine fund" for the next one. Jeez, are these things designed in 1944? They should be better than this!

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like you need to go back to a honda civic or ford taurus then.

Ray Al

25000km (15000miles) since the reman was installed in mine... no issues, doesn't take much oil (always premixing with Klotz motorcycle oil)... runs great!
Bad news is: will go to sleep for the winter in mid-november!...
I'll miss the ride sooo bad!

j9fd3s

my first Rx8 had 96xxx miles on it, and the original engine was tired, Mazda did an engine under warranty, i sold the car, but its still going strong after a year.

my third Rx8 had 76k on it, and came with a receipt from a "racing" shop that said it had a bad engine, 4 coils and a major service later, and it was completely fine. sold that one

my second came from far away, and i have no service history except the warranty printout, the first engine went about 25k, second engine went about 20k and the third engine has about 50k on it now, and its tired, but i think i hurt it driving it back with dead coils. the other tell tale on this car is that the clutch wore out @90k, you would think after 3 engines and 90,000 someone would have at least bought a clutch disc, but no. i think the original owner spent $0 on maintenance, and then ran it into a ditch. ALL the mechanical work done was done wrong, for instance they replaced the right rear suspension, but didn't align the car... they also had the powerplant frame adjusted so that the engine was sitting on the body, which i think was the reason they sold it.

so #2 was a complete dog when i bought it, but after a really good cleaning (i scrubbed the interior in the kitchen sink), some adjustments, a clutch, alignment, and a major service, and the car has been totally fine.

someday i will get to pull the engine apart, but it looks to be later rather than sooner...

hirpm

Well I certainly understand the dedication, loyalty, passion for this car, mine is like brand new, and I love the damn thing.
I guess I need to stay away from all the doomsday threads and hope for the best

Arky8

Have an 04 and I'm on my third. First was replaced because of the stall/no-start recall at about 33k. Second lasted about 15k due to an oil leak that MNA said can not be fixed at the dealer. Third is still going at 77k although I now have a persistent CEL and some lack of power. Since it is now out of warranty not sure another engine swap is affordable.

magicstick

iTrader: (1)

I'm at 6.5K miles, the car last compression tested at 105 front and rear, and inspected a lucky 7 racing, they told me the car is running strong. but being a 07, I have about 1 year and 9 month on the warranty.

I want the engine to fail, if it fails, I'll get a new one and I'll keep the car for a long long time. ....any idea when it might go out for a 2007?

I heard 07 last longer than 04-06 engine...is that true?

1.3_LittersOfFurry

iTrader: (4)

IMHO, It's all in the luck of the draw when it comes to remans from Mazda..
For mine, According to Mazda;
@19k (05) the original engine died
@47k (08) the 2nd engine bit the dust

@89k (11) I bought the car and had a compression test, it was average (sorry don't recall the numbers)
@115k (13) She still going, compression is right at min spec. Starts fine, runs good. Power feels a bit low, mpgs are about the same since I bought it 13-16 city, 18-22 hwy depending on how I drive and if I'm using the a/c.

Matrx8

iTrader: (2)

Bought my 04 with 60K on it, still going strong at 76K. As far as I know, it was never replaced/rebuilt/anything like that