RX8Buffalo

I am having my original engine replaced by Mazda at 94,000 miles, a week before the end of the 8 year/100k extended core warranty on my 2004 RX-8. The Mazda service manager I am dealing with told me that my warranty on the remanufactured engine his shop is putting in will also end after one more week when i hit the 8 year mark on the original warranty.

However, I have looked through the postings on this website and they appear to indicate that I still get a 12 month/12k miles warranty on the remanufactured engine. Is my service manager correct that I don't get a 12 months/12k miles warranty on the remanufactured engine he is putting in?

Bladecutter

If it is put in during the warranty period, then the warranty expires the moment the car's engine warranty expires. After that week is done, you are SOL if the engine blows.

BC.

Karack

you get a week warranty, no if's and's or but's. if you paid for the engine then you would get the 1yr/12k mile warranty with it.

if the engine is faulty then a week is plenty anyways to tell you if it is going to fall on it's face or not.

RX8Buffalo

OK, is there anything I should look for right away that's not completely obvious, in order to make sure I didn't get a dud? I read that the housing may be in bad shape on some of the remans for instance, is it easy to tell if that is the case, and is that the critical thing? It seems like it is a crapshoot whether you get a good replacement engine.

I know its very hard to measure, and that this site make be skewed somewhat towards people who have had problems with their engines, and so is it a reasonable estimate that about 75% of the remans from Mazda make it at least 50000 miles?

It is my understanding that you have to pay at least a portion of the replacement engine cost to get the 12,000 mile warranty, so can I offer to pay a small amount of the cost? I am paying for new parts outside of warranty that are needed (engine bolts), in any way can that help me get the the 12k warranty?

j9fd3s

anything you actually paid for, is warrantied for the 12/12 because you bought it and you own it.

since mazda paid for the engine, you do not own it, so this is why the warranty doesn't extend on the engine. i'm not explaining that very well, but its got something to do with ownership.

Karack

if the engine has difficulty starting, a flashing CEL or rough idling take it back immediately.

anything off idle will not be a good measure of if the engine is going to be good or not. rotaries with engine issues generally will idle like crap and have hot starting issues.

JamesD31

Even with my new, bought engine, I get somewhat shitty hot starts at times, especially over long periods of driving and cold weather. Though, I think my issue isn't the engine but the ECU - to bad I hate every Mazda dealership there is right now since they all scam people/me and have no place to take it to.

Karack

because most of the qualified techs still don't know any better, to reset the ESS profile, clean the intake manifolds and even check for codes leading to other problems.

j9fd3s

fixed! any tech who is smart enough to be really good is also smart enough to get a job that pays better...

RX8Buffalo

Well that's the thing, with the engine I am having replaced I didn't have any idling problems, or any hot start issues. The only symptom I have is that for the past year, no matter when it is hot or cold it always takes exactly an extra 2 seconds to start. It kind of goes click click click and then starts everytime and this started right after I got a new battery. Also, it seems like I have had a small loss of power, but this has been gradual and I didn't know whether to attribute it to just the normal aging of the car.

But it failed the compression test and they are putting a reman in. Now the reman essentially has only a 1 week warranty since my 8 year warranty is ending, and I read so many bad things, I am wanting to make sure that I actually do get a better engine. I feel like I had probably 2 years left on my old engine, now I am paying $1200 and I am not completely confident I will get 2 more years out of the reman. I am trying to get the compression test results from the dealer so I can see for myself my current engine is long gone, I should have the right to the compression test results, right?

I know there are no guarantees, but I guess i just want to know that most of these remans will last longer than two years, so that I am likely doing the right thing by putting one in.

Karack

well, like i said, if the new engine is going to have problems they will be evident up front.

JamesD31

Wait, I thought this is covered under your warrant.. what is the $1200 for??

The Mazda dealership should put the compression test results right on their report for you like they did for me. I am still confused why you are paying any money, period.

And if they are making you buy a new engine, those cost around $3400 - so are they cutting it down for you? still weird, I would look into that.

A new engine shouldn't have any problems. Like mentioned, if you break it in normal only bad problems will be shown RIGHT when you get the engine in. You can notice a BIG difference in power and start-ups, etc.

Also note, make sure your shitty Mazda dealership puts on NEW oil line gaskets. I am sure the reason mine were "leaking" (which I had to replace only half for damn $1200 right after I got my engine) was because they didn't replace the one time use gaskets.. of course they denied it but w/e.

RX8Buffalo

The engine replacement is under warranty, but I having to pay $383 for new "bolt connectors" the service manager says I need, $400 for coils, plugs, wires, and $330 for a new clutch, then whatever minor charges also may come up when they put it in. I will ask that they put NEW oil line gaskets in.

I just keep reading about all these reman problems. But I am hoping that its only like a 20% chance I get a bad one, so that it is definitely worth it to put one in. I get only one week warranty (what's left on my 8 year) on the reman, so that is a concern to me. Hopefully, this site is just skewed towards people who have had problems with remans, bacause I keep reading about them failing pretty quickly.

Karack

most of the time it is user error, or installation issues which causes the higher than average failure rate on the remans.

Bladecutter

The only way to know for certain is to take the car back after 3 days, and have the compression retested. If it scores in the 8 range, then you're golden. If it scores in the 5 range, you're screwed.

It's as simple as that.

BC.

RX8Buffalo

[QUOTE=Bladecutter;4451632]The only way to know for certain is to take the car back after 3 days, and have the compression retested. If it scores in the 8 range, then you're golden. If it scores in the 5 range, you're screwed.


Well actually as long as I have the compression retested before the warranty ends in a week, and then if there is a problem they will address it/replace it under warranty I assume. I'm hoping if I happen to get a bad remanufactured engine, I should be able to tell right away before the remaining days in the 8 year warranty end a week later.

7andan8

Personally, I think you're looking a gift horse in the mouth. A NEW motor @ 94k miles!!? You got damn lucky in my view.