GrAfiX

So, I'm an old member and have had my 8 since 2006 but never posted much. I haven't really had many problems with it, never fouled a plug or coil. Never a cold start issue. I did have to replace the alternator but I also have about 1000w stereo system so par for the course.

Anyway 2 days ago my engine died and Mazda has been great!

They towed it for nothing, and the lady at the dealership after diagnostics said "I've got good news and bad news" I'm thinking to myself $%^#

"The good news is your engine is blown"
"The bad news is it's gonna take us a week to get one here"

I thought to myself... What's the bad news?? haha The funny thing is that the 8/100k extended would have been over in October 31st 2013. I feel so lucky at this point and excited to have a new engine that hopefully will last another 7 years.



Anyway, just thought I'd share my story.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

Glad to hear it worked out for you!
Remember to follow the break-in procedure for the engine (which ever one you want to choose... )

Ricky SE3P

iTrader: (10)

This was literally almost the same thing that i went through last year, with my expiration being in 2012 of course, and I got my car to the dealer on Oct. 16th IIRC. Unfortunately I got a defective reman and had to take the car back in December for another motor and I didnt get her back until like Jan. (They had to file specific paperwork to go through the claim process of it being defective and once that was processed and completed then I was able to bring my car in. Till then i was leaking oil from the block between plates whenever the motor was on.)

Hopefully you have much better luck, and congrats on the motor

GrAfiX

Haha yep will break it in how the dealer recommends.

Luckily mine is not a Reman, it's a brand new motor according to the dealer. Although that doesn't mean there still couldn't be problems.

Only thing they are not paying for is the plugs... However I had just ordered new coils, plugs and wires cause it started running choppy so I dropped those off and they will use them on the new motor.

J8635621

iTrader: (10)

Not new engine and don't listen to the dealer regarding break in

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

There haven't been any new motors for several years now. It's a reman.

GrAfiX

How would you suggest??

btw this dealer also told me the car needs to be driven fast, and redlined often... Not your typical dealer.

monchie

Yeah, just don't get caught speeding...lol

ken-x8

Drive fast and redline often AFTER the engine is broken in.

Follow the break in procedure in the owner's manual. Or one of several other methods floating around, which are all the same basic idea: take it easy and keep the revs down for a while. Ignore the ones that say to break it in at full throttle.

Ken

GrAfiX

That's what I kinda figured. Thanks!

GrAfiX

Well this has been quite a ride. The engine they replaced in a couple weeks however there was a huge dent/scratch on the rear passenger door... *grumble grumble*

They were good and fixed it but had my car for another 3 weeks. Glad they gave me a loaner..

But now that I've got my car back it has some issues which they are claiming is the clutch. Issues the car did not have previously. They did say it looked burnt a little but nothing major when they had the engine out. But since I had no issue I told them to put it back in.

Now that the engine is broke in here is what I am seeing. Around 4500-5500 RPM's it's just not laying down power and then between 6500-7500 it's got nice pull and then at 7500 it totally just gives out and is jerky in every gear. Generally all around it seems like the power curve sucks.

So they say this is the clutch going out, I'm not totally sure though. At the 7500 RPM mark even just revving you hear it backfire and sputters which is certainly not the clutch.

I am getting a clutch but if these issues don't go away I told them I'm not paying for the labor or the parts. I know what a slipping clutch feels like and this just isn't it.

Anyone know a good shop in Northern Colorado to take my car too?

Thanks
Mike

GrAfiX

Oh one last thing, once in first gear around 5500 RPM's the check engine light came on and flashed a few times then went out. Like it went into limp mode for a few seconds.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

That isn't the clutch.

How old is your ignition (coils, plugs, wires). They transferred your previous ignition to the new motor, so don't assume that they replaced it.

A flashing CEL is always a misfire, see my signature.

GrAfiX

I totally agree, I'm taking it in Monday and I'm going to test drive it with them so I can show them what I see which is a bunch of different crap across the various RPM's.

The Coils, plugs, wires were brand new when they put in the engine, I actually provided them as I was going to replace them right before it blew since it was having some idle issues.

Thanks for the link, actually this is one that I looked at when I was trying to diagnose the issues I was having before it blew.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Before you take it in, do the 20-brake pedal stomp reset. Dealers forget that on engine replacement

GrAfiX

Good call I'll try that right now actually.

GrAfiX

No dice, it's performing the same...

Mazmart

iTrader: (12)

I was hoping this was an even newer thread than it is so I could make one suggestion before they finished the engine install. I ALWAYS recommend replacing the oil metering nozzles as they can fail.

Best of luck and I hope the problem is minor.

Paul.

Hi Flying 8

iTrader: (2)

My son has a shop in Boulder, Autohaus Boulder, that specializes in German cars, but he has a lot of knowledge of RX's. He has built a couple of the fastest XP RX7's in the country and has been rebuilding rotaries since he was 10 (with me at that time).

His name is Mark and the number is 303-468-1166. If he can't take care of it or that is too far away, he can probably give you a good alternative. It really doesn't sound like a clutch and is just Dealership BS. They should check all their hoses, ignitions connections and fuel lines to ensure they didn't screw something up during the install. but it sounds like they are trying to avoid any more time in it.

Good luck.

GrAfiX

Great, I'll give him a call sometime this week.

ironman8627

I had the same thing. Beat the warranty by 6 months and 6000 miles. Terrible experience though. Towed it to my guy, then decided to take it to Mazda since what my guy was seeing was catastrophic. Mazda covered the engine, but tried nickel and dining me on engine mounts and such. Also, they casually mentioned the shutter valve may need replacement, but didn't explain anything further upon inquiry. It failed instantly in the new engine and they wanted to charge me a ton more labor to take the engine apart again. Needless to say, I was pissed (I was out of town doing this over the phone), but after a week or so of arguing with the store manager, their service head gave me a break on the labor and I had a new 8.

Unfortunately, a couple of months later, my oil cooler lines stared leaking, but that's another story...

RedDream

Faulty ignition, faulty fuel pump, or faulty oil metering lines or pump... pick your choose but I would replace all of the above with premium parts.

GrAfiX

So here is a little update on this.... The dealer still has my car once again. Mid December it got a second new engine and the CEL has been on ever since throwing the Shutter valve is stuck open, they have replaced that valve twice now. It's been back to the dealer now 4 times since then. Also they replaced the clutch when they did that engine back in December and the dumb *** tech didn't adjust it properly and some pin they said wasn't installed correctly. Since then they have fired that tech and got a new one who had to go thru Mazda training for two weeks, the dealership sold and is under new ownership.

Since September I have had the car for maybe a month... This is crazy at this point.... I don't even know what to say or do, at least they have kept me in a loaner every time and haven't been putting miles on this low mile car (44k) plus it got me through the brutal winter in an SUV, but now it's getting warm and want my car back.

This is lame, at least it hasn't cost me a dime except for the clutch parts and an engine mount but still.

pizzanos

i got 2006 23k mils good way to go