johnwalter1044

Thanks for the advice.

Well today i drove the car to work. Happiest morning of my life.
Hearing the car roar was absolutely orgasmic.
Got to work, managed to slightly bump the rear bumper into a concrete wall. No damage, luckily.
Interestingly the parking sensors did not light up, but i was not using them to park.

When work started, i moved the car on the ramp, no issues starting the car.
Removed the borrowed wheels, placed new tires on my rims and bolted the on to the car.
Finished the car, started her up and parked her outside my workplace.

After work, **** happened.
Car won't start.
The car has electricity, all lights show up, even headlights.
(the car was showing a very fast blinking immobilizer dashboard light, but i was panicking a little and didn't notice it)
Then i asked a college to connect the batteries together.
Didn't work, still won't start.

Then after my mother arrived to help me, we rushed to the shop to buy a brand new battery.
Tried the new battery, of course, nothing happened. There is power, but cannot start.

Later i tried disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes, and even tried starting the car with the spare key.
Keep in mind that my remote key does work.

So yeah, i am kinda pissed right now, because the car literally locke immobilized itself, the day before MOT.
Which makes me so angry and depressed. The whole point of fixing the car step by step was not to tow it to the dealer.
Now after everything i have to.

Also also, i actually kept my car key in my pocket during the entire work time.
Could it be that i damaged the key?

CaymanRotary

You didnt happen to notice green pieces of plastic on your footwell? Happened to me once, couldnt figure it out and it turned out that plastic piece is a spacer for the pedal so the car wont start. Another thing it could be is your starter relay.

If it turns out to be your immobilizer that would be a huge problem.

Edit i just read this again and noticed that you tried the spare key. The immobilizer light normally flashes on and off but it is usually just a slow flash and not a flicker.

johnwalter1044

UPDATE:
I tried to start the car again. This time i put the key in ignition, turned the car on (electrically), removed the negative cable from battery,
let the car sit for few minutes and cranking the engine with the battery off. Then placed the negative terminal back on the battery,
turned the car off, locked the car, unlocked it, tried to start it aaand nothing.

The car is immobilized.

After work, i towed my car to a Mazda Dealer, with whom i already set up to take in the car.
I explained the situation, and they will run diagnostics to try and start the car.
If that fails or they see that something is broken, they will call me to see with me what should they do next.
The diagnostics will cost me 17€. Fine by me. They need to get the car running so i can register the car and to the friggin recalls.

All in all, could be worse. Since the car still didn't receive full propper inspection (brakes, eletricall, etc), i could easily destroy a part of the car,
because no one knows in what condition the car is. Sure the compression test was okay more or less, but the rest of the car i do not know.

johnwalter1044

Of all the bad things i had to repair or that occurred which prolonged my RX8 driving, the immobilizer is a real pain in the rear end.
It's these kind of problems i hate in life. Sure if i have something i need to fix or resolve, and have a way to do it, no problem.
Will do it with a smile and confidence. But this kind of crap, where you can't do anything (aside from the methods i tried to start it)
is what makes my nerves snap.

Today is the day when the car was supposed to be registered.
Now because of this, i will have to wait, oh probably another two weeks until the car is registered, and then another
week or two for the Mazda dealer to find time for my car to get the recalls done, plus other repairs i am willing to pay them.

Oh, and yesterday, while i was putting the wheels and tires on, i took a few seconds (didn't have time, the car was jacked up when i was working, had to move the car out quickly)
to look underneath. I spotted a rusty hole in the catalytic converter. It's located after the gas probe. Didn't have time to check what else is damaged, broken.

now i wait for the Mazda dealer to see.

CaymanRotary

Cat damage is pretty common. Best way to go is to get a midpipe that you can swap in and just get a cheap Magnaflow cat just for the purpose of passing MOT. Sucks about your immobilizer, I'm scared to death if that happens here because there is NO Mazda dealer on this island. I'll have to deal with it if it ever comes.

johnwalter1044

I will pass the MOT, it was already set up. I have a connection at the MOT station. But fir a long term solution, should i buy a new cat or get a midpipe?
I di want the engine to last longer, but i Don't want the car to be loud AF

oh wow, you would be worse than me if you had your rx8 immobilised. Good luck

CaymanRotary

Thanks, this **** better not happen to me or I'm gonna be mega pissed off. Your best bet is the double resonated style midpipe. They muffle the sound down a bit but it's still gonna be loud with a midpipe. If you keep the revs under 3000, you'll be fine if you need to do a stealth mission.

If your only option is that you truly need to keep it stock, try to find one in a junkyard if possible because new cats from Mazda are big $$ and aftermarket cats last about as long as a cigarette. Best off just using a midpipe in your situation, in my personal opinion. You would manage, plus then, you could premix safely and your engine will breathe better. It would be an overall benefit to the engine.

johnwalter1044

Well i have a friend who would sell me his used custom built exhaust with one resonator, which was built to act as two resonators in one. And a high flow thick steel muffler. Entire exhaust system is 100% Inox. Will let me have it for 270€, original price was 475€.

johnwalter1044

Update:

I contacted the Mazda dealer today. They managed to start the car with both of my keys.
And they managed to start and stop in multiple times without starting issues.
The diagnostics showed an error on the ECU. Now i also made contact with a guy who does
electronics repair on almost everything, from cars to smartphones. From what i explained to him,
he says that the issue is likely in the ECU, but that i should wait for Mazda to diagnose the car thoroughly.
They still need to find out what is causing the ECU error.
Tomorrow i will take the new ECU i bought and give it to them if they need it.
Also i will tell them to order those recall parts that need to installed.


This is the ECU i bought. Hopefully i won't need to install it, but if i need to i have it at least.

CaymanRotary

Hopefully there is nothing actually wrong with the ECU since they did manage to start it. It's a roll of the dice now.

johnwalter1044

I left the new ECU at Mazda dealer. They told me the failed to start the car this morning.
This is really puzzling. I guess some wire is causing a short circuit or there's a voltage drop in the ECU.
All i can do now is wait for them to finish diagnostics. I also told them to order in the recall parts, and to check
and refill the new FL-22 coolant. Since winter is on it's way, i need to do this.

johnwalter1044

Update:

Got a call from the Mazda dealer yesterday.
They took out the original ECU and installed the one I bought. Now the electrician tells me he needs another RX8 key from any other RX8 to recode my key to the new ECU. The recall parts have been ordered and will arrive soon. All in all, if i i fi a key next week, i think the car should be finished by new year

Loki

iTrader: (1)

That makes sense, although they could probably use one of your keys. That would have the added benefit of being able to open doors

​​​​​​In the worst case they should be able to recode it back

johnwalter1044

That's the thing, i only have one key. The other one i have i had it made. So it's a copy of the original.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Technically the chip is separate from the actual key metal. To do this right, you would need to swap the metal key into the plastic and chip portion of whatever key you end up programming.

There are plenty of key blanks on ebay.

40th8Jake

I had a locksmith reprogram a new key for me. It saved me about 100 dollars. You may want to shop around.

johnwalter1044

Yeah, i can try that, but i want to use the key i got with the car.
And i don't really want to damage it trying to open it.

I'll try to scavenge an RX8 key first, because they already installed the ECU.
If that turns out to expensive i'll search for a solution here.

Wissy

That’s probably best

johnwalter1044

RX8 Journal part 3.5: Struggles and constant issues, complete in few days?

Last time i mentioned the Mazda dealer electrician said that he requires an RX8 key in order to reprogram the ECU.

Since i only got one key when i bought the car, and the backup key i had made, is a copy. I failed to find anyone willing to lend me their key.
For obvious reasons, everyone was afraid their key would fail on their RX8. Fair enough. My college helped out. Gave me a contact with a guy who
reprograms keys on the newest Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, you name it. Just now, he is in process of making new keys for a brand new BMW M4,
who's owner lost all of his keys. So he made new transponder chips for the my RX8 keys, codded them to the new ECU i bought and gave it all to the Mazda mechanics.

Today i visited the dealer. Saw my car on the lift, with the front subframe taken apart. By that i mean the lower control arms, not the whole subframe.
All recall parts arrived and are being installed as of this post. They had to cut one end of one control arm off, because the screw got welded inside.
The mechanic told me that is pure luck, all the previous RX8 recalls, they had to cut almost every control arm completely, every screw seizes up.

So in a day or two, the car will be complete! Woohooo! Right?
Wrong. Of course.

So the ECU i bought from England is not able to communicate with the ABS module.
My RX8 buddy told me i am screwed, because this means i need the corresponding module for that ECU.
Well just an hour ago, i needed to contact and settle payment for the key coding that guy has done.
He asked what is the car status, and once i told him, he said that sounds ridiculous, and advised me to
bring the car to him once the Mazda dealer is done with it. Seeing how he easily fixed my immobilizator issue,
i see no problem waiting on buying an abs module, and giving him the car to see what he can do.

Who knows, i might get a working, road legal RX8 in time for Christmas.


Front taken apart



Front discs. Mechanic told me both discs and pads are still good, just rusty



The fore-mentioned broken air condition cooler pipe.



Both the radiator and cooler are missing bolts to hold them.



Control arm end cut off



Control arm end



Recall control arms



The CAT



Rusty hole, that had me feared before. Turns out it's just the shielding. Although, the mechanic said, that by the sound and smell, the CAT might be gutted. So i should check that in the future.



O2 Sensor area. Rusty but no holes as far as i saw.



Exhaust part before CAT.



Not sure what this sensor is, but it's before the CAT.



The exhaust manifold. Very rusty, but again, no oil or carbon build up anywhere. Still good



Tried to take a picture of the timing belt.



And the starter motor.

CaymanRotary

Great news! Hopefully he can figure it out for you. The extra sensor on the cat is the other O2 sensor. The RX8 uses two O2 sensors. If you are smelling fumes, likely the cat has already been gutted. Also, the RX8 doesnt use a timing belt. Those are the accessory belts.

CaymanRotary

I was looking back at your thread and I think I know why the new ECU wont work. You mentioned you got it from England which is typically Japanese RHD RX8s. Your RX8 is a LHD American version so that's why it wont work properly.

johnwalter1044

Sry, wrong use of english words. I forgot timing belts were for the cylindric engines.

I guess so. But still, if my original ECU is really malfunctioned, then at least i have a good working one.

CaymanRotary

A good working one you can't really use though. I may be wrong but from the experience of owning both a Japanese and American RX-8, parts that have to do with electronics can have issues if not matched to where the car is designed for use. Hopefully your guy can get it done but I have my doubts...

johnwalter1044

Update 4: Registered and drivable!

Finally the car is "done"!
(yeah no, but keep reading)

Got the car registered today, and took it for a drive.
Managed to drag race an older BMW M6, for 3 seconds then it flew away from me.
After that we stopped at the gas station.
He has a 4.5 V8. No wonder. Added some gas and 2S oil, blasted Eurobeat and enjoyed myself so much i was nervous, horny, scared and happy at the same time.

Decided to get home before i crash somewhere.
Don't won't to push the car either.
Now there are still issues. There is still an check engine light, the Bluetooth adapter isn't working so can't see the codes. The "car swaying" light is on.
The ABS is on. Also the car is having trouble starting warm/hot. I need to press the gas pedal to start it. Cold starts are okay. This i knew from beginning, that the compression was bad.

Oh, and i lost the left headlight xenon washer. Flew off the car somewhere, didn't notice.

Some pics:

CaymanRotary

Yea, still some issues. I have the same issue with my ABS. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt. Be interested to see if you can fix it, I'm not gonna bother with mine just yet. Just be careful in the wet in the meantime.

Your car has such low compression that it's really gonna be time soon to either sell this car or engine swap.

Unrelated note, have bigger issues now because today I believe I blew out my throw out bearing. Looks like it's a new clutch job for me to do. Car is not drivable so I'll have to drive the automatic RX8 for a while...