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Engine Recall

Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:07 PM
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Engine Recall

Seems there was a reason for that synthetic oil TSB after all folks.

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/mazda-expects-recall-rx-8s-97039/

The news is spreading fast:

http://www.rx8web.com/showthread.php...519#post118519
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 06:35 PM
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Dave

Glad you posted this before me , i would have once again been accussed of stiring

Its hard to believe that a car that won Engine of the year award 3 years running could have these problems .

Wonder if it effects OZ CARS ?

Michael
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 08:36 PM
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I wouldn't assume this issue will affect us here.

The US cars have had local engine issues for quite a while now. You need to understand the differences between the US and Australian spec vehicles. They run 5w-20 oil. They have to, their EPA demands it. They demand it because a 5w-20 oil will cause less frictional loss. Less frictional loss means less fuel consumption. Less fuel consumption means cleaner air in Los Angeles....

They have different PCM flashes to us. Their cat converters must last for an incredible 100,000 miles (US EPA mandate....ADR 37-00 requires our cats to last half that [80,000 kms]). This means Mazda have to control the exhaust temperatures to save the cat from too high a temperature. The easiest way to do that is to pour more fuel into the engine. This results in (you guessed it) high emissions and poor economy. There is a very fine balancing act Mazda has to accomplish to satisfy the customer and the EPA.

Many of the problem engines have come from the hot dry states like Nevada. They see temperatures in summer of 40degC for weeks on end. We don't get that here.

We haven't seen engines failures of this type happen here. I don't think we'll get this recall, but it's a wait and see I suppose.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 08:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
I wouldn't assume this issue will affect us here.

The US cars have had local engine issues for quite a while now. You need to understand the differences between the US and Australian spec vehicles. They run 5w-20 oil. They have to, their EPA demands it. They demand it because a 5w-20 oil will cause less frictional loss. Less frictional loss means less fuel consumption. Less fuel consumption means cleaner air in Los Angeles....

They have different PCM flashes to us. Their cat converters must last for an incredible 100,000 miles (US EPA mandate....ADR 37-00 requires our cats to last half that [80,000 kms]). This means Mazda have to control the exhaust temperatures to save the cat from too high a temperature. The easiest way to do that is to pour more fuel into the engine. This results in (you guessed it) high emissions and poor economy. There is a very fine balancing act Mazda has to accomplish to satisfy the customer and the EPA.

Many of the problem engines have come from the hot dry states like Nevada. They see temperatures in summer of 40degC for weeks on end. We don't get that here.

We haven't seen engines failures of this type happen here. I don't think we'll get this recall, but it's a wait and see I suppose.
great post gomez,

mind if i copy it to the other thread... it would help the usa people understand the constraints...

btw, in fla also... i know you are aware that i have the issue.

beers
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 09:03 PM
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Originally Posted by swoope
great post gomez,

mind if i copy it to the other thread... it would help the usa people understand the constraints...
Sure...no worries.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 09:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
Sure...no worries.
good,

i did it here and on the web.... that will help some of the ill informed...

beers
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 09:32 PM
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Good post Mez.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 09:55 PM
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Yeah, thanks 'Mez.

Wasn't trying to scaremonger - just giving people a heads up in case they were interested.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 10:16 PM
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Hi Rev. If you hadn't started this thread, I would've.... .

4100 RX-8's have been sold here since release. The US dealers have sold something like 60,000.

You can see from these figures that we are looking at a small sample, statistically speaking. It's fact that the US will see a greater number of failures. The thing is, I have yet to see ANY Australian based failures of this type reported on this forum.

I can't recall seeing any European failures in their forums either. If it is an issue anywhere other than North America, it may be one that's handled on a case-by-case basis.....ie, no recall.
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Old Aug 21, 2006 | 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
The thing is, I have yet to see ANY Australian based failures of this type reported on this forum.

I can't recall seeing any European failures in their forums either.
No, nor me. While I don't wish it on anybody, let's hope it is restricted to some US cars only.

They got into a flap about it pretty quick, didn't they?
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 12:31 AM
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One of the quotes from https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=97039

Originally Posted by j9fd3s
...also the cars they expect to fail the testing (4 hours worth!) are the ones that arent driven hard.
So come on people, get revving :-D
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 12:37 AM
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Originally Posted by auzoom
One of the quotes from https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=97039



So come on people, get revving :-D
I think mine's safe.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 01:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
Hi Rev. If you hadn't started this thread, I would've.... .

4100 RX-8's have been sold here since release. The US dealers have sold something like 60,000.

You can see from these figures that we are looking at a small sample, statistically speaking. It's fact that the US will see a greater number of failures. The thing is, I have yet to see ANY Australian based failures of this type reported on this forum.

I can't recall seeing any European failures in their forums either. If it is an issue anywhere other than North America, it may be one that's handled on a case-by-case basis.....ie, no recall.

Forum members only represent 2 % of the number of RX8'S sold there has been catalytic converter failures HYMEES AND LOCK & LOADS as well as SOME Engines.

SPOKE TO A MAZDA TECK all failed engines cannot be cracked and checked here in AUSTRALIA but are sent back to Japan so even our own Tecks are in the dark as to whats causing engine failures , BUT AS GOMEZ HAS SAID ITS A WAIT AND see at 4100 cars we are barely a pimple on an elephants back and probably be overlooked
Rotary news have the same article.
http://rotarynews.com/?q=node/view/822
Michael

Last edited by Grizzly8; Aug 22, 2006 at 01:27 AM.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 01:48 AM
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Not hot enough?

We need the NT, Alice Spring corresondant.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 02:14 AM
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My opinion it will come down to how much noise the press make about it in Australia, assuming a general recall happens in the US

If it does and someone wants to have a run at Mazda, it would be likely that Mazda would do a preventative recall here in Aus.

They have a great story running at the moment with MPS's and general car sales. It would be very bad if they didn't stand up behind their stated "flagship" and I think the press would smell blood. (AKA Ford Performance's problems with clutches!)

It actually doesn't matter if it's a real problem. As "Grizzly" (Adams? LOL) points out very correctly we make up a small but educated (i almost mean that, LOL again) population. 90% of owners i pass around town, just bought themselves a cool car and probably don't even know where the dipstick is. Those are the masses that Mazda need to keep happy.

Recall's are always about marketing.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 03:16 AM
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Originally Posted by takahashi
Not hot enough?

We need the NT, Alice Spring corresondant.

Taka

Dont forget the USA cars have the added advantage of having 2 oil coolers not only the 1 we get here in OZ ,

ANYHOW I SUSPECT THERES MORE TOTHESE ENGINE FAILURES THAN JUST WEATHER TEMPERATURES
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 03:23 AM
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Originally Posted by mikeyr
My opinion it will come down to how much noise the press make about it in Australia, assuming a general recall happens in the US

If it does and someone wants to have a run at Mazda, it would be likely that Mazda would do a preventative recall here in Aus....
Recalls cost oodles. MA won't recall because the local press reprints info on a US recall. Every recall is reactionary...none are preventative.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 03:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Grizzly8
ANYHOW I SUSPECT THERES MORE TOTHESE ENGINE FAILURES THAN JUST WEATHER TEMPERATURES
There is. You run thin oil for long periods in hot temperatures and you're asking for trouble. This probably wouldn't have happened had they been running 10w-40....
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 04:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Gomez
Hi Rev. If you hadn't started this thread, I would've.... .

4100 RX-8's have been sold here since release. The US dealers have sold something like 60,000.

You can see from these figures that we are looking at a small sample, statistically speaking. It's fact that the US will see a greater number of failures. The thing is, I have yet to see ANY Australian based failures of this type reported on this forum.

I can't recall seeing any European failures in their forums either. If it is an issue anywhere other than North America, it may be one that's handled on a case-by-case basis.....ie, no recall.
In Spain, this summer, we've (we as in the RX-8 Spanish club members) many engine reporting the power-loss problem, at least three. The past summer we have two engines replaced.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 04:08 AM
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Originally Posted by juanjux
In Spain, this summer, we've (we as in the RX-8 Spanish club members) many engine reporting the power-loss problem, at least three. The past summer we have two engines replaced.
Hi there! Do you know what flashes you use? Are they specific to continental Europe?
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 04:41 AM
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Mostly "R" flash, we don't exactly know if they're specific to europe, but here they don't call it by letter but with some numbers (but the R flash came about the same time as in USA, so we think is similar or the same.) Some members with the power loss problem were flashed with the "S" flash.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 06:16 AM
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I discussed this with my dealer at my 60K service today. He said a couple of engine failures have been noted but I don't know if that was Oz or US or worldwide or whatever - didn't think to ask.
Anyway, after using synthetic oil from day one, my dealer has switched to the Mazda rotary oil following the TSB. I bought an extra 5 litres at over $70 so it was an expensive day! $1,000 all up for the 60K service (see Service thread for more details).

Last edited by yellowrx8inoz; Aug 22, 2006 at 06:40 AM.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 07:12 AM
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Originally Posted by yellowrx8inoz
I discussed this with my dealer at my 60K service today. He said a couple of engine failures have been noted but I don't know if that was Oz or US or worldwide or whatever - didn't think to ask.
We have had engine failures here....just not failures caused by this loss of compression/coking issue.

Coolant leaks into the rotor chamber, in the main.
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