BVD

Hi all,

Sorry to drag this all up again, but was it ever resolved which cars may or may not qualify for the upgrade?

I did do a search and found a thread about it, but it seemed to consist mainly of posters having small fights with each other.

I rang the dealer I bought the car from yesterday and asked about the other current recall work. They were very friendly and helpful - offered a free courtesy car and so on. So I asked about the status of a couple of other issues:

1) The replacement sump and oil warning sensor. Reply: Yes, we still have two cars listed to do that on, and yours is one of them. (Funny they've never got round to telling me - I've had the car two years! Never mind. )

2) The starter/battery issue. Reply: Yes, I've got your details here and yours is already OK and won't need it.

The car is two years old - didn't the issue surface more recently than that???

Can anybody please enlighten me or point me to the wise words of others here at the forum?

Thanks.

Cheers, Chris.

timbo

Chris

FYI, there is a memo to dealers from MA which says (and I paraphrase) that if any owner complains about starting dificulties, MA will replace their starter, battery and plugs under warranty.

So, if you mention that you've had problems they should respond, but it is not a recall or upgrade that automatically happens unless you make reference to the key symptoms

Tim

BVD

Thanks Tim. I knew you'd know.

I thought that was pretty much it, but the service guy's reply was a bit confusing (must be my age, these days everything is a bit confusing... )

Cheers, Chris

timbo

Some service guys may behave as if its their own money, but I gather MA is trying to suggest they not treat 8 owners this way. Then, of course, there is plain old dealer ignorance....hasn't even seen the memo etc.....and there's a lot of that around, unfortunately :o

Revolver

Chris,

My mail is that all pre-2005 cars are eligible. 2005 cars already have these upgraded parts.

So just tell them it's struggling to start, etc and you shouldn't have a problem. You will really notice the difference BTW - like chalk and cheese on start-up.

Dave

azzaboynt

I asked my service guy about the starter motor when i booked my car in for the recall work, as sometimes it's very sluggish to start up, even if the engine is warm. Was told that because of my frequent short trips, it's the problem with carbon build up and NOTHING to do with the starter motor. I pointed out that I could have been driving for 20km and if switched off and restarted 10 min later the same problem, and that others with 8's that I know of had theirs replaced to which he replied with "we haven't had to replace any here, and it must of been an isolated incident".

After the recall work they did and the 6mth/10k service, they this time forgot to stamp the logbook.

needless to say, I'll be going somewhere else in future. This is the second service for my 8 and the second time they have stuffed up. Very dissapointing really as I really wanted them to at least have an ounce of respect for an owner who purchased from their dealer, AND it's a flagship model from them.

Revolver

That's really bad Azza.

Name and shame them mate so the rest of us don't make the mistake of giving them business.

Go elsewhere and raise it. Maybe there's been more people wanting the upgrade then MA expected and a new memo has been issued by MA telling dealers to discourage further requests??

takahashi

Don't need to go the same dealer. I found out that goes to the dealer that are willing to serve you.

I don't do minor services with the Mazda dealers. I cannot trust what happen to my supplied oil behind the close doors. I rather see my own mechanics to the change over.

Gomez

The word I'm hearing is the approx cutoff date is March 2004. I couldn't get the cutoff VIN number, and I tried hard. Anything built prior to that is in line for a burger-with-the-lot. My car only gets a burger-with-onion, as my dealer won't spring for a battery....but I don't care. I'll buy a Optima or something when this one fails.

Gomez

Post all this stuff in the sticky....goddammit . The same goes for the rest of you slackers who've had services recently. Post in the sticky or I'll come over to your place and rip yer bloody arms orf .

xxup

Farewell Aunty Jack... We know you'll be back... :p :p :p

timbo

For those who haven't met Gomez...at the Nats, he'll be the one in the curly wig and one boxing glove..:D

Wildcard

One of the (junior) service guys at my dealership said that they actually do tests on your car to determine if some or all of the parts in question qualify to be replaced. That was contrary to the service manager, who quoted that the parts are replaced on-spec under advice from MA. But there you go - two different stories from two guys who work 3ft away from each other. Personally, I think the junior guy was just trying to cover up why they hadn't ordered the replacement parts when I initially booked the car in for the work 3 weeks earlier.

Perhaps you could get them to "test" your gear to see if it qualifies if they wont take your word for it.

As for carbon build up - why that's just BS.

azzaboynt

Sorry 'Mez, I've updated the info in the sticky. Was having a really really bad day yesterday :o Needed to vent.

Gomez

OMG, don't apologise. Hope today turns out to be a blinder.... :D .

Revolver

Well, my car is 4/04 so maybe they bent the rules a tad for me.

All this smacks to me of MA giving the dealers an informal instruction to restrict this upgrade if they think they can get away with it. They've just had to fund 2 'formal' recalls so they probably don't want to spend more on this then they have to.

Squeaky wheel gets the oil Azza, so whinge about it until they do it or can demonstrate to your satisfaction that it doesn't need it.

Wildcard

Each Mazda dealership has been sent a spread sheet of all the VIN numbers sold by them that MA believe will require the work. If you make the complaint, and your VIN number is on the spread sheet, the work should be done without question. Period.

I saw the spread sheet first hand.

timbo

Yes, mine is getting the work done...no question. Except the starter they had was dicky so it's stayed in o/n while they get another

gibay

I recently took my car in for the "excessive heat" recall, and when I picked it up, the service guy said that the car wasn't starting up quickly so they ordered a new starter motor, battery and plugs for it. I didn't even have to ask them about it. Get it fitted monday and they even supply a loan car. Seems like some dealers just don't want to do the extra work.

sco

Mine's in today... will report later what happened.

Gomez

Your mission, should you choose to accept it......... :D

sco

Gomez's message will self destruct in fi.... boom!

xxup

I was there today and I didn't see your car... There was a silver one there..

sco

What, no red ones at all? Must have left the new Hymee Enhanced Stealth Mode turned on. Hope the service guys find it.

Bumped into skc while I was there.

xxup

What time were you there?? Miss 6 and I dropped in twice.. Once at 10:30 and again around 11:30... I didn't see skc's car either and you can't miss that one!!!!