Notices
RX-8 Discussion General discussion about the RX-8 that doesn't fit in one of the specialty forums.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by: CARiD

Check engine light on

Thread Tools
 
Rate Thread
 
Old Feb 23, 2004 | 12:07 AM
  #1  
rx8revin's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: sf bay area
Unhappy Check engine light on

I'm taking my car to get hooked up to a computer tomorrow but it's bothering me so much. Has anybody had their check engine light go on? I'm nice to my car, what's going on?
GRRRR.
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2004 | 03:23 AM
  #2  
rX8rEdLiNe's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: East Bay Area, CA
Hey, my long-lost twin brother rx8revin? =) It sucks because I experience the same problem with my car recently. I currently have 8,000 miles on my car and had the check engine light go on on thursday morning when I started the car to go to work. The only thing unusual that I could think of the previous night was that it was raining pretty hard, and I was driving through some deep rain-filled lanes on the 880. I know this might souind krazy, but would it possible that somehow the deep rain-filled lanes on the freeway affected the Renesis engine since it is mounted so low and deep? I will also bring it to the dealership to get the error code in the morning and post results later.
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2004 | 07:20 AM
  #3  
Elara's Avatar
Registered
 
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,447
Likes: 0
Check to make sure your gas cap is tight. That's gotten a few people. Other than that, have the dealer check it out.
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2004 | 11:09 AM
  #4  
zoom44's Avatar
Administrator
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 21,958
Likes: 115
From: portland oregon
no. 2000 owners on here and not a single CEL until yours.

your car, like elara mentions, has probably failed it's evap test. hence the light. it is either the result of the gas cap not being on tight or a software glitch that causes a false evap test failure. there is a reflash that gets rid of the software glitch.
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2004 | 11:27 AM
  #5  
310Guy's Avatar
4AT poor mileage king
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 587
Likes: 0
From: now... 818 area code
Seriously, I'm going to sound like an *** but when a Check Engine light comes on here's what you do:

TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP !!!

There is NO way any member can tell you what is wrong through a computer screen.

I see so many of these threads and wonder why they are even posted...

Reply
Old Feb 23, 2004 | 11:06 PM
  #6  
khoney's Avatar
FX8TED on my RX-8
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 815
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
I had 5 CELs over 1500 miles - they were all P0420 codes - Catalytic Inefficiency. Finally convinced service that there was a reflash available that might fix it. It hasn't reappeared yet, but it's still too early to tell.
Reply
Old Feb 24, 2004 | 12:11 AM
  #7  
MazdaManiac's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 16,386
Likes: 26
From: Under my car
Originally posted by 310Guy
There is NO way any member can tell you what is wrong through a computer screen.
Uh, not necessarily.
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2004 | 07:17 PM
  #8  
jeffs8's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: So Cal
Low and behold, monday morning, I started up the car and the check engine light magically disaapeared. I have now driven the car for two days without any problems. Should I still bring in the car just to get it checked out?

And whats this thing I hear about a ECU reflash and air bag recall? Should I bring my car in to get this taken care of. Anyone bring the car to the dealership to have these issues taken care of?
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2004 | 07:20 PM
  #9  
rX8rEdLiNe's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: East Bay Area, CA
How come I keep logging in with someone elses screen name?!!

Low and behold, monday morning, I started up the car and the check engine light magically disaapeared. I have now driven the car for two days without any problems. Should I still bring in the car just to get it checked out?

And whats this thing I hear about a ECU reflash and air bag recall? Should I bring my car in to get this taken care of. Anyone bring the car to the dealership to have these issues taken care of?
Reply
Old Feb 25, 2004 | 09:38 PM
  #10  
markpmm's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
Originally posted by khoney
I had 5 CELs over 1500 miles - they were all P0420 codes - Catalytic Inefficiency. Finally convinced service that there was a reflash available that might fix it. It hasn't reappeared yet, but it's still too early to tell.
The P0420 code was addressed in the same reflach as the P0128 code..I think 29.2

We are @ 29.6 as of today

Make sure the dealer has the WDS up to date and they reflash the car.
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2004 | 02:56 PM
  #11  
kittychester's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: brookeville, md
I had my engine light come on; took it to the dealer where they had to reprogram a code-- really did not know what that meant but it fixed the problem.
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2004 | 03:07 PM
  #12  
BRx8's Avatar
Ero-sennin
 
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 769
Likes: 1
From: Chicago
my dog threw up yesterday, so i brought him in to the dealership and they reflashed his ECU...it's great how Mazda figured out a way to solve all the world's problems with a quick reflash of the ECU
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2004 | 03:08 PM
  #13  
kittychester's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: brookeville, md
wouldn't it be nice if all problems could be fixed so easily
Reply
Old Feb 26, 2004 | 09:37 PM
  #14  
maddox2351's Avatar
Registered User
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Hello all,

My CEL came on a few weeks ago while I was driving 25 mph and the engine was half way to normal temp. It happened on a weekend so I waited until monday to pursue service. I ended up resetting the ecu (or whatever its called) and clearing it myself. I did this because out of the three Mazda Dealerships I went to, two of them were booked for 7 days, and one of them was booked for two weeks! I was polite but aggressive and still had no luck. I am not a car mechanic by no means, but I think a CEL is a priority. After all of them told me that it's proboblay no big deal and proboblay just a emmisions error, I decided to do what I did above and go for it. The light has been off for a week now, and everything seems to be fine. I never even noticed any bad running engine symptoms when the light was on. I figured, I'm still under warranty, and if this light is such a big deal, then three dealerships would have squeezed me in or told me not to drive it.

I guess my main issue with this experience is, in the future, if I need warrantly work that requires me not to drive the car, then I guess I just go without a car while I wait for the backed up dealers to get to it? That is unacceptable to me. I can see a day or two, but up to two weeks? That sucks!

I still love this machine and I guess it's worth the wait, but geeezz.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ladnarf1
New Member Forum
4
Apr 29, 2021 11:53 PM
vapor2
West For Sale/Wanted
11
Nov 3, 2020 03:38 PM
akagc
RX-8's For Sale/Wanted
7
Aug 11, 2015 07:07 PM
marc2820
New Member Forum
6
Jul 26, 2015 10:47 PM
netrovers
New Member Forum
6
Jul 20, 2015 03:32 AM



You have already rated this thread Rating: Thread Rating: 0 votes,  average.


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 08:29 AM.