Hi,

My car is an early build, from somewhere around the middle of last year I think. It had never been reflashed or updated.

Today I picked it up after the dealer had fixed the flooding problem, done the dynamic damper heat shield recall job, checked a couple of things I asked for, and upgraded the computer to the latest software they'd recently received on CD.

One the way home it did seem a bit more responsive across the range, and generally a bit friskier.

Now I hadn't driven it for a couple of days, and this is a classic setup for a "placebo effect' - i.e. it would seem to run better because that's what I'd like to believe. :D

Does anybody know what this flash (or the cumulative effect of the difference since my original) is reputed to do??

Have Mazda said anything about what it's supposed to improve (apart from claiming it should help reduce flooding?).

BTW total cost of the work and tests done at the dealers was $0

 

No formal info from Mazda on the flash.

My experience as documented on other threads:
- More power below 3000
- Quicker to start
- More linear acceleration (read into this what you want)
- Different engine tone.
- Maybe better fuel economy (too early to be sure).

 

Thanks Sco,

That sounds like a reasonable list. More power below 3000 was definitely the one that I thought I was feeling.

It was really fairly sluggish in the lower rev ranges before, compared with the impressive shove you'd get when pushing the pedal down at around the 4500 mark.

 

BVD

The latest flash G flash has made the RX8 into the car that you should have had from the beginning mazda is doing a power catch up to the claimed 177kw , i still feel we have a way to go .

cheers
michael

 

Well, I feel it has made a great car even better. Agree with SCO's observations -- just feels more linear and smoother right across the rev range. Don't know about fuel economy yet.

 

I'm not sure either. My car was one of the first batch. The car had its 20k service yesterday, and the re-flash. I'm always worried about placebo effects, but it does seem smoother. I know I always get around 11L/100km around town, so I'll keep a close eye on fuel consumption in the following weeks. A complicating factor is that I'm no longer using A/C all the time as we come into winter.

 

Fuel economy on "G": I refilled today. Just the usual home to work runs, including traffic jams.

I got about 525 km and it only took about 57 litres, so I guess if I used the last 5 litres I could have got to 560 if I was game

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Hymee, wow they're good numbers. 57 litres gets me to the shops and back

 

I find it hard to believe that some of you guys cant tell the difference in your rides after you have had the G re-flash , oh well maybe you are not going past 5000 rpm , either that or you havent got the same feel for your cars as others may have .

Hymee

The reason you may be getting better fuel consumption on your pov pack RX8 is because mazda felt sorry for the fact that you could not upgrade to the leather pack and compensated you guys with better fuel economy .j/k

The best i get out of a tank on average is around 470km , and only when i drive like labrat , and thankfully thats not to often .

cheers
michael

 

Impressive figures.

Did you ever do any comparative acceleration tests with your magic machine?

Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the gadget, but you reported doing some tests (between your Red and Michael's Yellow, I think) whereby you took a reading from a rolling start in a certain gear on the same piece of road.

I remember thinking what an excellent real world test it was, and what a useful addition to whatever a dyno might tell you.

Unfortunately I can't find the post again (largely because I can't remember what the machine was called to search for it... ).

I guess the difficulty there could be not knowing in advance what might change in later flashes. So you wouldn't necessarily do the right kind of tests to get good original baseline figures for checking specific rev ranges or whatever?

Apologies for not paying enough attention the first time, but what is the machine that you use please?

 

I thought it was just me but i noticed after picking up the car after the flooding incident that it seemed a lot smoother. Not sure about the fuel economy yet. I was getting 15 to 16l/100km. Time will tell.

 

I told you that would happen if you fitted the 26B with twin turbos

 

BVD,

It is called a MR DYNO. I'll let you search for it

I did also do some runs with it after I got my car flashed. The problem is it is difficult to do back to back tests, as I can't swap from G to E and back at will. I think I posted the results, and people concluded there was about 8 kW. (Like I said, that is what others interpreted from my post, not what I stated).

Thanks for your +ve comments in the test method. It is about as real world as I can think, and removes many variables - like launches, traction, gear changes etc. If/when we start making too much power, then the traction problem appears

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Michael - I don't understand that statement. Combining "Best" and "Average" confuses me, and adding those other 2 predicates "only when..." and "not to(sic) often" makes it even more of a riddle.

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Thanks very much for the info, oh wise one. It sounded like an interesting piece of kit, so I'll hunt up some of the stuff about it, both here and on other sites.

 

BVD,

http://www.mrdyno.com/ is where I got it from, but they don't export to Australia, not take Australian credit cards. I got one of the American members to get it for me and send it on to me. Thanks to the "Alabama Slammer"!

Then there are some of my other posts - look under the "PCM Upgrades" thread https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...&pagenumber=12

BTW, when you use the "oh wise one" phrase, I would prefer members to insert the following GIF to signify the respect the position deserves:

DD

Cheers,
Hymee.

 

Apparently they are negotiation with someone to be their Aussie agent, but nothing happening yet.

They've also got some guff up now about international orders, including to Australia, but it seem to involve bank orders, or somesuch rather than credit cards.

How's this for respect, oh wise one?

 

Damn, that's the same icon you had.... it's the blue background... makes it harder to see the little kneeling legs and supplicating arms.

Let me see, I must have something here that conveys the right note of respect...

Or did I hit teh wrong button again...

 

Hehehehe.

 

Egad Sir - a slap!!

That's it!! If L&L would be kind enough to be my second, it's haddocks at dawn, to avenge my honour...

(OK I promise, no more posting icons..)

 

Hehehe. I had not seen that one before! RNS needs to take a look now to see that this is all part of being accepted

Cheers,
Hymee.