No Block Heaters...........
 

After spending an hour or so looking for the block heater, I phoned Mazda Canada - "No Sir, the RX-8 doesn't have a block heater."
.
.
.
doc

:eek: WTF??? i suppose in their view anyone who can afford an RX-8 can afford a HEATED garage, eh?? :eek:

Before anyone gets upset, did the 7?

I have found with my Miata that even on the coldest day I have not needed the block heater. That may change in a number of years but after 3 winters it has never been plugged in.

While it may not come with one standard I would assume you get one added, no?

I'm pretty sure the 7 had em.

It's an option on most cars, it's only $100, it's on the option list. Buy one at crappy tire and put it in. Simple.

But heck my Hyundai doesn't have one and I have no troubles.

It is not that simple. There has to be a place to install it.

In most cars they take the frost plug out and replace it with a coil that gets heated to warm up the engine coolant which warms up the engine and oil. If there is no hole you can't install the block heater.

You can get the "stick-on" kind although I guess that won't work if it's alluminum.... anyway it's an option on the website.

Block heaters for the 8's
 

Hey there. I am friend of a parts guy for a Mazda dealership, so when i saw this question i called him up for the answer. In his listings for accessories it is not shown as an available part. Maybe someone saw it as an after-market part but from the factory it is not available. Sorry!

Official..........
 

So, there you have it.

No, it doesn't have one, and no, they're not an option.......

Looks like there will be a warranteed starter motor in MY future!

And when it won't start, I'll be having Mazda Assistance thaw it out for me.
.
.
.
doc

September..........
 

Well, it's now September......

There is still no block heater listed for the '8'.

Consulted an expert in Mazdafixology - Carl at Mazdicare in Edmonton, and several random parts guys.......no, Mazda has none listed, and the RX-7 one will definitely not fit, there is a motor mount where it goes.

September, people........

Things go downhill fast from here..........
.
.
.
doc

Thanks for mentioning this guys!

I just looked at my sales invoice, where it says:

"Price Includes: Freight & PDI, Block Heater, Floor Mats, Full tank of fuel..."

This might be fun.

I intend to winter drive this car.

Are there no frost plugs in the engine anywhere??

Let's face it, at -30, it is going to be a bitch to turn over..

I remember that many years ago, on my Toyota 78, I installed a different kind of block heater; it was install on the hose between the radiator and the motor (you had to cut the hose to install it). The nice thing about it was that the coolean not only was heated, but was also circulating into the motor.


radiator =====//////===== motor
Block heater -----^

I think I bought it at Canadian Tire... anyone knows if it's easy to reach the main hose on the 8.. and cut it?

Good battery, new car with good compression.

Shouldn't be an issue. Maybe for you guys up north, but I never had a problem with my Hyundai in the winter, even when it was -40.

Just DON'T let go of the key until it starts, because if you do, YOUR SCREWED!

I've never had a place where I could plug in a block heater, so I'm just hoping the RX-8 starts as well in the winter as my old Prelude did.

can you or someone else please elaborate? or are u just joking? .. im assming this has something to do with flooding the engine....

Yeah, if you flood it your screwed.

So sometimes when I start the car, I accidently let the key go too early (since I never want to hold it too long!).

If you do this in the summer, no biggy you just try again, chances are you will have to crank a little longer to get rid of that excess fuel you just pumped into the engine.

The problem in the winter is that your battery ain't going to last for that extra cranking time. If you flood it, chances are the battery isn't going to have enough juice to crank for the next 20 seconds to get it going.

I've had a few close calls at -40 this way.

When it's REALLY cold, I usually make SURE the engine is started before letting go, JUST IN CASE.

Also, instead of cranking you can let the car sit and the gas will evaporate after awhile. But again in the winter it will take a long time for that to happen.

I talked to Mazda Canada today, got the call escalated to the manager for Customer Relations.
Posed a list of questions, he called me back with the answers, including the block heater:

1) What about the lack of block heater?
"Mazda Canada is aware of the problem. At this time we have no solution or plans to respond with. We will likely have something, but I can not tell you when. "

I suggested simply adding an inline circulating heater, such as is mentioned a few messages up. He said that he personally had used such a thing, but Mazda Canada has no policy, response, or stance on this. As it is included on my sales invoice I should take it up with my dealer.

2) What about the fact that the dealer gave me a brochure at time of ordering that lists the leather covered parking brake handle?
"That has been deleted in newer brochures"
I asked what that means. In less words than he used: "Tough"

3) The brochure lists a dashboard 12 volt outlet, AND it lists a cigarette lighter.
"Mazda Canada has included the cigarette lighter at no charge"
What about the fact the brochure lists both?
"The outlet referred to is the one with the cigarette lighter in it."

4) I am one of the owners with the problem with the oil light coming on sometimes:
"One should check oil level every time you buy gas"
I do, but it comes on when the oil is at 3/4 full..
"We expect to be issuing a service bulletin soon, perhaps in a couple of weeks. We will have to bring the parts needed into Canadian inventory"
What if I am going to the USA in about 2 weeks. Can they do the work down there for me?
"Yes, but you will want to contact them first with your VIN # so they can order in the part. You might want to make sure the dealer is not doing this for the first time on your car"
I asked him how this would be different from my dealer doing it for the first time?
He replied"If they do it here, at least you will not be stuck in the USA with no car."
I replied that this should be no problem as Mazda USA has a loaner program in place, unlike Mazda Canada.
He replied: " True, but Canada cars have a 5 year powertrain warranty"
I asked him that if this was the case, and if my engine fell apart after 4 years, would they offer me a $500 rebate?

Such glowing confidence they have in their service centres..

5) The brochure lists the headlights as being Xenon. On my car only the low beams are Xenon.
"All specifications are subject to change without notice"

Mazda Canada are incompetent slimeballs.
And the only way we are going to get enough pressure on them to act ethically is for the majority of us to refuse to take their bullshit.

It is too bad the majority of you reading this are so much in the honeymoon stage that you cannot see them for what they are.

1. at least they are aware, that is good, will they do anything? Time will tell

2,3,5 (well 2 I didn't know about, 3 is a technicallity probably printed wrong by marketting and so is 5). I don't have xenon's so for me this is a non-issue. Do any other cars have high-beam xenon's? That is ODD.....

4) Not sure I understand the 5 yr power train comment, or the $500 rebate???

I am not in honeymoon phase anymore, I'm still thinking about the offer.

But I can't say they are totally incompetant. Now Hyundai Canada WAS, they didn't care a rats ass about the customer. Seems like Mazda is MILES and MILES ahead of them. Look at the hyundai HP issue, they didn't do ANYTHING in canada, only the US.


canzoomer, have you had to deal with this type of thing before with another car company? I went through crap with Hyundai and it was HORRIBLE. I got nowhere, even after talking to the President of customer service, I had his direct line number we talked for 3 hours, no go, NOTHING NADA. A big screw you, you customer you are nothing to us.

It would be the same with any company... trust me on this. But again if you are truely dissatisfied return the car.

I'm teatering..... I LOVE the car, but there are a few problems that need to be addressed. They might be addressed in time, but then it might be too late (october) by then.

Many do. In the case of most brands they either say: Low beam Xenon HID, or "bi-Xenon", and so on. Audi says "Xenon", and it means both low and high beams.
Mercedes says BiXenon, Lexus say "low beam Xenon" for examples

Mazda USA provides 48 month, 50,000 mile warranty.
Mazda Canada provides 36 month, 80,000km warranty.
USA includes loaner cars and tank of gas with each service.
Canada does not.
USA offered teh $500 US dollar credit. Canada offered us $500 Canadian, about the equivalent of $350 US.
I have not owned a Hyundai, but did get a run-around from Nissan Canada on my Spec V with the claimed horsepower, and with the fact that we told them about an ECU over-rich condition causing backfiring, and it took them about a year to own up to it and issue a recall. About half the owners got new engines as a result. The pre-cat would get damaged by the backfiring, and bits got sucked into the exhaust valves. I had no problems at all, as I replaced the entire exhaust system almost immediately with a header, pipe, Vibrant Tech cat, and Magnaflow resonator and muffler. Between that and a cold air intake and a few minor bolt on mods I kicked the cars power up from 143 on a dyno to 190.
For a pretty small cost too.
In the recall Nissan replaces engines as needed, replaces exhaust on all cases, and are reprogramming the ECU, resulting in a mileage improvement of about 3mpg, and 5hp.
It took them a while, but they DID do it.

In the case of the RX-8 I am nervous about wholesale changes.
I bought the Spec V expecting to do the work. I sold it to get my RX expecting a car with the power from the factory.
I recall telling my wife about a month before I got my 8:
"I thinkit will be nice to just drive a car, and not be working on mods and wasting my time chasing the manufacturer"

Boy, was I wrong.
This sucker is looking more an more like your Hyundai experience every day.

No provision for a block heater? They did not even think about it?
Freaking rocket scientists

You are right. IF I want to drive the car in the winter I need to do the oil pan, block heater, wheels and tires now, not later.
The heating controls bug would be nice to have fixed as well.
I LOVE the car. I HATE mazda Canada. They are such assholes.

If I keep it I can pretty well assume I am on my own from now on for warranty and service.

If I sell it I have to get a car to drive. What car?
Either I spend about $5 to $8K more, wait 3 to 6 months for back ordered cars, or just give up and drive a pickup truck or something..

Crap!

This is MY dilema, how dare you have it too :p

Although the car I would buy to replace would probably be an acura TSX which is a few thousand cheaper.

But then I think, hell, why not just take the $2000 I put down. Buy a car / truck or something with it, drive a crap car and save $800 a month financing charges!

If I put that $800 a month on my house it would be paid in like 10 years instead of 25!

But damn it..... I'm stupid and love my flashy cars! :D

Was talking to my father (mechanic) he said they sell magnetic heaters that you can stick onto the oil pan. It is not the best solution but it would warm the oil which should warm the engine faster on startup.

I tried one a few years back. they don't work worth crap.
An inline heater is easy to install, does not cost much, and works really well. They go inline into the heater hose. You just cut the hose, pop it in, tighten two hose clamps, and plug it into a 12V source.

My dealer could install it if Mazda Canada would bless it..

But they won't so to get a block heater I have to install it myself.
Technically that would void my warranty if they want to play that card on me.

Do I trust them NOT to?

Hell no.

holy crappers
 

To answer the ? did an RX-7 have a block heater: YES, the 1st gen 12A did but the block was drilled to accept it. It was about 10cm in length and was installed in the center of the block from right to left at the base of the engine just above the oil pan. It worked better then anything I have ever seen. Too bad its not available for the Renesis.

If you want a block heater, but dont want to cut hoses incase Mazda tries to void your warantee try one of these.
A Crankcase/Oil Heater designed for Airplanes. They are flat in shape, self adhesive and can be stuck to the bottom or side of your oil pan. They plug into a 120V source. The cost depending on size is 60-100 USD. Just do a search for Aviation Crankcase Oil Heaters. These work very very well. I had one on my Volvo when I lived in the Yukon.

I would llike to say that in my opinion and dealings with Mazda Canada in the past, that they have been excellent to work with.

Customer service among most auto manufacurers suck, you have all read the posts about the lack of customer service from Hyundai and Nissan, well those are just a few examples. Mazda listens, you can bet that anything you discuss with them gets forwarded to Japan for further discussion. With my 7, I had an excellent experience with Mazda getting some work done when the vehicle was out of warantee. Its a bit long so I wont post it here. It will take a few years to work all the bugs out of the 8, after all it is a new car and the first of its kind in the world.

The 'block heater' on my RX-7 is a strip of metal that fits over the front rotor's spark plugs. When plugged in, it glows red hot, and presumably warms the motor. I don't use it, and I don't need it. If the weather get's down to minus 40 centigrade, the 7 will still start on a regular basis. I have a good battery and use 0w30 oil.

...
 

This is interesting because if I were still in Winnipeg I certainly would not buy the 8 for lack of a block heater. But Calgary has, at most, 3 weeks of > -20c weather per year and that's where I am now.

However, I spent years with vehicles in Winnipeg that did not have good block heaters, or had no place to plug them in. The solution was to start the thing just before I went to bed, and run it for 10-15 minutes. Made all the difference in the world the next morning.

--Lit