Looking for a mechanic in Montreal/Canada, who is good about rx8 rotary engines!!
 

Hi, I'm looking for a mechanic in Montreal who knows about rx8 rotary engines!!

I took my rx8 2004 GT 6 speed manual two weeks ago to body shop to paint some scratches and fix a few dents. After couple of days I received a call from the body shop saying the car is not starting! So I got there and we towed my car to the next door garage and have it checked and I left to work.

The next day they called me saying spark plugs were all ruined and needs to be replaced with new ones, and after the car is ready come take it. Here is what the spark plugs they put in:

2 Leading Spark Plugs - RE7CL
2 Trailing Spark Plugs - RE9BT

So I came and took the car to a car wash nearby to get it cleaned up (just outside).
Then when I was ready to leave, the car wasn't starting! It was just cranking, cranking and no start! I cranked for lets say 10-13 seconds, then I pushed the gas pedal a couple of times it started working but very very sick! like the whole freaking car was shaking and weird noise was coming out from the engine as if there is something in the engine or only 1 rotor was working instead of two!

I realized a little different smoke color of smoke like light black/brown but not that much is coming out that made everyone in the car wash to caught.

I was pretty much shocked by what was happening to my car and tried driving it back to the mechanic who checked it up! while driving i realized my car has lost a lot of power and shaking, and dropped a lot of horse power and if i would let it idle, engine would for sure turn off!

As soon as I got to the mechanic realized there is smoke coming out from my car! At first I thought smoke is coming out from the engine, I took a look underneath the car realized a glowing neon light inside Catalytic converter! ya, all the smoke was coming out from the CAT!! I called a friend helped parked my car near the garage and came back the next day to let the mechanic know and have it checked.

Mechanic said he sees the problem but couldn't find anything! They plugged in the computer got a few errors:
Crank shaft position sensor, Random missfire, and another two about ignition sensors or something that i don't remember.

I took it to a friend who's also a mechanic have it checked and said looks like one of the rotors is not turning on, its probably because of a bad coil. He says lets replace that coil and give it a try! If you run the car for 7 mins, the CAT gets really hot glowing like a neon light because of the other rotor not working and gas is coming inside the cat and burning inside the cat causing it to get really hot and glow or something! I didn't quite understand that or maybe i got it wrong but anyways, i wonder, wouldn't that ruin the cat? I just hope the CAT is not ruined cuz I don't have the money paying 2500$ for a new cat!

I heard about this place called "KNS Autosports" in Montreal that knows about rotary rx8 engines but not sure if they're good or what, I really don't wanna take it to Mazda dealer cuz I will get shafted there big time! Mazda dealer is a rip off!

Please help me find a solution, I worked hard my butt off to get this car, and now its not working, getting depressed :(

Thanks,
Omid
email: omid_ice@hotmail.com

Omid, it's a pretty much known fact that coils are weak. Sound like the first shop flooded the car, but I think you would've had other issues crop up real soon anyway.

Personally, I wouldn't go much over 30k on a set of coils, but some have gone 80k miles and some have been bad right out of the box.

If one or more quits then fuel gets dumped into the CAT and either eats up the insides or ignites in there causing the honeycomb inside to break down and clog the CAT. You have a clogged CAT.....it will glow real pretty when clogged.

You have an option here on the CAT, but you must get new coils.....if all four haven't been replaced yet?
Oh....the plugs may have got wasted because of the coil(s) that went and then it got flooded.

Once you get the ignition squared away you have to deal with the CAT. In the US it's covered for 8 years or 80k miles, but not sure about Canada, so maybe someone up there will chime in.

You could always take off the CAT and just use a mid-pipe if it comes to that. Pick a resonated mid-pipe if you want a little less sound from it.


We need some service history on this car and how many miles you have on it?
Have you ever changed the plugs and or coils before now?
Am I reading it right that now you have all new plugs and coils?
If so, then you may be down to just the CAT and dealing with that.

ah man, Mazurfer, I really appreciate your help man, thx alot, Ya im going to the dealer on Tuesday to ask for the warranty, hey do you know if that 8 years, 100,000 mi extended warranty is goino cover all this??? like im so stressed now man, i hope all this doesn't end up me paying for a new engine!!!

so u suggest i go check it out with mazda for the warranty, if not change all 4 coils and make a midpipe out of the CAT?

We need some service history on this car and how many miles you have on it?

Its been 9 month I've got the car, I took it to Mazda had it inspected once
- Has now 79000KM = 49000Miles on it
-Changed the oil every 4000KM =2450Miles
-Never changed transmission oil!
I guess thats pretty much what i did in total! :s

Have you ever changed the plugs and or coils before now?

-Recently changed spark plugs
Am I reading it right that now you have all new plugs and coils?
-I havn't changed the coils yet! But I am about to change it this Tuesday. Should I change all 4 at the same time or just the ones that are not working?
coils are expensive! 100$ each! do you know where to get them abit cheaper?

If so, then you may be down to just the CAT and dealing with that.

I really hope CAT is under warranty in Canada too same as you guys have it in states. :((

Well, I was in a hurry last night and forgot to tell you that with the CAT, you have one more option if it's not covered. You can take it off and knock all the insides out and then put it back on. There are quite a few people on here that have done that as well.

In terms of coils........if you want OEM(meaning original Mazda's), then here are a few places you could get them and "yes", I would do all four".

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...cat=338&page=2

http://www.mazmart.com/ItemDetail.aspx?id=609

There may be other places to get them as well.
Coils are really easy to swap out and you could do this on your own...........or at least have them with you to give to the dealer, but if you have any mechanical ability at all, you can swap the coils out in very little time. It's not hard at all and I'm sure there are DIY's on this site to show you how.

Mazyrfer! dude you're the best, ya I'm ordering the coils now and replace them this Tuesday, have a question though! what are the disadvantages of removing the stuff in the cat? I heard its going to be like a Midpipe, will sound loader and shoot fire? isn't that dangerous since fire would come out the exhaust? lol i hope cops won't stop me for that! :p

ive been sear hing for a good mechanic for 8's for over 5 uears now still no luck
im learning mechanics now to deal with tje basic stuffs myself

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If you want a good mechanic in the GTA you should contact
Marco
thewird@yahoo.com

I can take a look

If you gut your cat it's going to be WAY louder and definitely shoot flames, although, only when you're really driving hard. You might get the occasional flame redlining in 2nd to get onto the highway, but if you don't like like you stole it, then you should be OK. I drove around Montreal for like 3 years and was never pulled over because my car was too loud. And this is with the Agency Power system, one of the loudest ones out there.

Who is this guy and where does he work out of?